Chatting with Sam Kidlet: "I wanted to go big for charity, and my first thought was Galactus"

by Mike Rhode

I've known Sam Kidlet (a nom de pen) for years, since she's been part of her family's comic and children's books creative team. I usually see them at Baltimore Comic Con and catch up, but COVID and then my shorter visits to the Con have screwed that up. But I saw Sam the other day at a local bookstore though, and heard that she'd done a successful piece for the annual Heroes Con auction. She agreed (with her parents' approval) to answer our usual questions.

 What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

A little of everything; I know If I want to pursue comics, I won't have as much time to draw for myself so I try to draw a little bit of everything now. I used to love drawing horror, the more creepy and spine-tingling the better, but being the daughter of a children's book author and creating kids comics myself, I needed to let up a little bit. I try to draw things that will challenge me, and work on concepts that will allow me to grow. I'm not great at drawing women, so every once in a while I'll attempt to draw a woman. I'm not great at stuff geared towards kids, so every once in a while I'll try to draw something all ages. So, a little bit of everything. I get bored drawing the same things really easily. 

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

 

99% of the time I use pen and ink to draw and use markers to color. I don't like drawing digitally, but I'm trying to practice with inking digitally, so I don't completely shut myself off from it. Whenever I work on a Hippofartamus issue, (a comic series my dad and I work on together), he pencils, then I ink and most of the time, color. We both work on the story. I always use Clip Studio to color. 

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

 

I was born in the mid-2000's in a hospital around DC. 

Why are you in Washington now?  What neighborhood or area do you live in?

 

My mom is a fed, so it's more convenient to stay in the DMV, and we're where we are now until I graduate, as then there isn't a school district we have to think about. I'm in Springfield now, but I absolutely want to stay in the DMV or right outside of it when I can get my own place. 

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

 

Practice! Not to be a cliche. I was lucky to grow up with a dad that loved comics and conventions, and when he took me with him, I probably subconsciously picked up a love for it. As we kept showing up, we made more artist friends and I learned from them, so conventions are probably my most significant part of my learning. I only took one art class in middle school and hated it. As far as education goes, I soaked up as much as I could with videos of artists drawing and kept watching those over and over. I worked with my dad on our series and he taught me a lot about art and the process of creating through that as well. 

Who are your influences?

 

Basically the whole art community. I look up to Brian Stelfreeze because he's mentored me for a while now and believed in me when I could barely draw a smiley face. He inspired me to leave a good impact, because I still remember how welcomed I felt when he was teaching me. I look up to Cat Staggs and Amanda Deibert, because they're great people, but also because for every 10 men in comics I've met, there is 1 woman creator. They help me put those doubts away about entering a male-dominated industry, but I also have Kelly Sue DeConnick to thank for that, as an influence and a friend. The love and support that comic fans show at cons inspire me to be a better person and be a better influence for younger artists. Then there's my family, who are all artists in their own right. It's definitely an amalgamation.  

What would you like to do or work on in the future?

 

Comics is a bucket list job. I'd love to work on Daredevil and Joker one day, but I also want to work on some movies. I'm really fascinated by cinematography and I'd love to mash those two interests together.  

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

 

I start to think about what I haven't drawn. I try to think about what angles I can play around with, what concepts, what characters, and if it's just not working out, I try to take a deep breath and switch papers. Sometimes I get wrapped up in needing to draw something, but sometimes it can just be the piece of paper. A strange way to describe it is to say that the paper is intimidating, because you've tried and tried to draw on it, but all you see is eraser shavings. If switching the paper and drawing a lot looser doesn't work and I'm already frustrated, I'll put my art stuff away and chill for the rest of the night, and try a different approach tomorrow. Usually the more frustrated I get the less productive I am.  

What do you think will be the future of your field?

 

I have no idea. I don't know enough about paper comics or web comics to even hazard a guess as to where were headed, but as for creating can definitely see more artists switching to online programs and interfaces to draw.

What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?

 

We don't really do any local shows anymore, really only signings at local comic shops, mostly in Virginia. We go to Fairfax CC sometimes, though. We went to Awesome Con a couple times, it was fun but not one of our main shows. Our constant show is Baltimore Comic Con. 

 

We're also  at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC. I'm really excited to come back this year. Heroes will be the first convention after I graduate, so I'm really happy that it comes right afterward, kind of as a personal celebration. For last year's Heroes Con  auction, I wanted to go big for charity, and my first thought was Galactus. It took me around 2 months or so to finish. I did a 19x24 drawing done with primarily Prismacolor markers and a white paint pen. At the auction, it went for $775. The folks at Heroes last year put a spotlight on me, and I still don't believe I thanked them enough; I'm excited to come back and do my best make them proud.

What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Do you have a local store?

 

I don't get around to reading comics as much anymore with school, everything I read is almost religiously for school, but Daredevil, especially Zdarsky and Hawthorne's run was an instant love for me. As for shops, Comic Logic in Ashburn, VA has been our shop for a few years now. It's almost like a second home, and they're creeping up to eight years with no signs of slowing down, so we're all happy our favorite shop is here to stay! 

What's your favorite thing about DC?

 

The food. Especially Burrito Brothers next door to the Library of Congress. And the Children's Hospital. I needed a small surgery a little while ago and they're the greatest people on the planet. They take great care of you, I owe them a debt of gratitude for making a shaky time for me a lot easier to navigate. They're great folk. 

Least favorite?

 

The amount of times you need to fill up your metro card, drives me up the wall. Driving and parking isn't fun either, I'm not a fan of real-life Mario Kart. 

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?

 

The Museum of American History was a favorite of mine when I was a kid. I also really loved going to the National Museum of African American History. I'd definitely recommend those out of pure entertainment and importance of what those sites hold. 

How about a favorite local restaurant?

 

Jaleos is my favorite out of what I tried. It's been a while, but I'd love to go back. 

Do you have a website or blog?

 

I used to! I had a blog called "Kidlet Korner" on Tumblr, and my dad started posting my drawings on there when I was around 7 or 8, then switched to essays on current events when I was going through a writing phase. It's been inactive since 2017, though. My current website is samkidlet.com, but at the moment it's just bare bones with upcoming appearances and art.

 

How did COVID-19 affect you?

 

Around January 2020, my mental health started to collapse. My well-being as a whole slipped out from under me, and I was too scared to draw, I think the last time I drew was in November of '19. I don't know how I worked up the courage, but I eventually started drawing again, and I still remember the date: 6/26/2020. Being a full time student in the worst of the pandemic and quarantine, meant it didn't affect me too much professionally. Unlike other artists, I was lucky to not have the pressure of relying on my art to pay the bills. Personally, Covid taught me a lot about myself and healing in general. Professionally, I struggled with seeing myself as an artist in the future, but I kept asking myself, "would I be satisfied with the work I've put in and out, and satisfied with my life if I don't become an artist, if I stopped?" So I kept drawing.