Welcome to another entry in the 2014 SPX Spotlight series! For the next month, Panel Patter will be highlighting creators and publishers who will be at one of the best conventions, the Small Press Expo. You can check out all of Panel Patter's spotlights for SPX from both this year and prior years here.Guy Thomas gives us another "Intro-view" before the show!
At SPX this year, I am super lucky to get to talk to some of
my favorite creators. One of these will be Rachel Dukes, of Mix Tape Comics. She
writes for Boom! Studio’s Garfield, Mitch
Clem’s As You Were, her own Frankie Comics, and may or may not be
working on her first graphic novel (among a million other things). Rachel’s
pencils are some of my favorites, and I am pretty excited to get to do an interview
with her. I asked her a couple of questions as a warm up for SPX.
Guy Thomas: What are your favorite
comics to read?
Rachel Dukes: I don’t follow any
ongoing series right now. I’m more likely to run out and get new books from my
favorite cartoonists. Liz Prince’s Tomboy, Raina Telgemeier’s Sisters,
the recent zine issue of Adventure Time from BOOM Studios (which had art
from favorites: Liz Prince, Carey Pietsch, Jesse Tise, and many others) were
all books I had to run out and buy right away. …I’m also enjoying Sam Alden’s
comics (but who isn’t, right?).
Thomas: What are you working on right
now?
Dukes: I’m working on a couple
different project right now. At the top of my to do list, I’m working on a
10-page back-up story for an upcoming issue of Garfield for BOOM
Studios, ten new Frankie Comics strips that will go towards Frankie
Comics #3, and reworking the outline for my first graphic novel that’s
slated for release next fall. In addition to that stuff, I’m also working on
comic, cartoon, and children’s book pitches; to hopefully line up new work for
next year; as well as reworking two smaller, personal comic projects.
Thomas: What can we expect to see from you at SPX?
Dukes: I’ll have copies of my
self-published books Side A: The Music Lover’s Graphic Novel (and its
accompanying record Winter Bloo), Frankie Comics #1 and #2,
two different Frankie stickers, and three different Frankie-related posters
(“Keep It Up Tough Stuff,” “Goodbye to Sleep,” and the “Life With/Out a Cat”
comic). I’ll also have anthologies that I took part in: As You Were #1
through #3 by Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club, Maple Key #1 by Maple
Key Comics, and SubCultures: A Comic Anthology by Ninth Art Press (which
is debuting at the show). I might also have a
new mini-comic or two but only time will tell.
Look forward to a longer interview with Rachel after SPX,
right here on Panel Patter!
