QRD - Home About QRD QRD - Archives
QRD #76
QRD - Thanks for your interest & support
about this issue
Artistic Dad Interviews:
Jason Handelsman
JB Sapienza
Jon Madof
Josh Doughty
Loïc Josinski
Tanner Garza
Guitarist Interviews:
Casey Harvey
Gabriel Douglas
Cartoonist Interviews:
Jeff McClelland
Peter Kuper
Josh Howard
Touring Musician Interviews:
Aaron Snow
Nathan Amundson
QRD - Advertise
Silber Records
Twitter
Silber Button Factory
facebook
drekka
Silber Kickstarter

Cartoonist Interview with Josh Howard
June 2016

Name: Josh Howard
City: Arlington, TX
Comics: Dead@17, Black Harvest, Lost Books of Eve, Clubbing, Monster High
Websites: www.joshhoward.net

QRD – How old were you when you first got into comics & did you always stick with them or did you come back to them?

Josh – I read GI Joe & Transformers when I was 7 & 8, but really didn’t “get into” comics until I was 11 or 12 after seeing Tim Burton’s Batman.

QRD – What was the first comic book you ever bought?

Josh – Detective Comics #602. I remember it vividly. It was the first Batman comic I found after seeing the movie.

QRD – How old were you when you put out your first comic?

Josh – With my first officially published work I was 27.

QRD – What decade do you think produced the best comics?

Josh – The late eighties/early nineties was my heyday. I would never objectively call that the best, but for me that era was everything.

QRD – Why comics instead of just writing or drawing?

Josh – I can’t imagine drawing without telling a story. & I can’t imagine a life without drawing.

QRD – Do you see mini-comics & indie comics as paths to mainstream comics or as their own unique media?

Josh – For sure - if that is your goal. Some are happy to stay where they are.

QRD – How many copies of your comic do you print in your first run?

Josh – The very first issue of Dead@17 I think had a print run of 3000.

QRD – How much do you think comics should cost?

Josh – They should cost what they cost.

QRD – How many books do you produce a year & how many would you like to?

Josh – I generally produce between 4-8 a year. I would love to do a full 12, but it’s difficult when I’m the one writing, drawing, & coloring.

QRD – Do you think stories should be serialized or delivered as complete works?

Josh – Both. Whatever works for a particular story.

QRD – How are comic strips different than comic books & which medium do you prefer?

Josh – I prefer comics. But I admire those that can tell a complete idea within a few panels on a daily or weekly basis.

QRD – How long is it from when you start a comic until it’s printed?

Josh – As short as a month & a half. Or as long as years.

QRD – What do you do better with your comics now than when you first started?

Josh – I would say everything. Some would disagree. :)

QRD – Do you do thumbnails?

Josh – Yes, but very loose.

QRD – At what size do you draw?

Josh – 11x17.

QRD – What kind of pens do you use?

Josh – Microns & Pentel brush pens.

QRD – What does your workstation look like?

Josh – Usually a clutter.

QRD – At what point in the artistic process do you work digitally?

Josh – For coloring, lettering, & minor adjustments.

QRD – What do you think of digital comics & webcomics?

Josh – Whatever works for the artist, the story, & the audience is okay with me.

QRD – Do you prefer working in color or black & white?

Josh – Color I suppose. But I would loooove to do a black & white comic.

QRD – Do you think it’s important to have a full story arc completely written before starting to draw?

Josh – Not at all. I almost always have the end nailed down, but leave myself plenty of wiggle room.

QRD – What comic book person would you be most flattered to be compared to?

Josh – Any of the good ones.

QRD – What do your friends & family think of your comics?

Josh – I don’t know. I think they all stopped reading a long time ago. It’s just “that thing” I do now. :)

QRD – What do you think of superheroes?

Josh – In their current form, I am not a fan. But that wasn’t always the case.

QRD – Marvel or DC?

Josh – DC. But I answer this not as a regular reader of modern comics, but as a fan of the characters in their purest form (namely Batman & Superman).

QRD – What comic characters other than your own would you like to work with?

Josh – Star Trek.

QRD – Ideally would you self-publish?

Josh – I have & will.

QRD – What conventions do you try to attend & why?

Josh – Lots. My favorite will always be SDCC though for a variety of reasons.

QRD – How do you feel about doing work for anthologies?

Josh – I like the idea of doing anthologies. But I generally don’t like reading them.

QRD – What do you do to promote your books?

Josh – Social media, as much as I dislike it.

QRD – Do you think your comics are well suited to comic shops or would sell better elsewhere?

Josh – Wish they could be more places, of course.

QRD – What other medium would you like to see some of your comics made into (television, film, games, action figures, etc.)?

Josh – TV (or something like it) is in the works, so I would have to say action figures.

QRD – Do you consider yourself a comic collector or a comic reader or both?

Josh – Right now, neither. But I’ve been generally a reader, never a collector.

QRD – What do you see as the most viable mediums for comics distribution 10 years from now?

Josh – I just hope people are still reading comics!

QRD – What would you like to see more people doing with comics?

Josh – If you have something you want to change or see represented in comics - MAKE YOUR OWN. Fail or succeed on your own merits. Don’t impose your personal politics/beliefs/identity on decades old established characters. Create something new.

QRD – Anything else?

Josh – Check out part one of the live action adaptation of Dead@17 at POPBOOM.COM!