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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!
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