Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Jerry Gaylord

Jerry Gaylord & Brian Turner at ANS Sci-Fi & Comic Con,   May 11, 2013.

Jerry Gaylord can be found at many local cons on the Maryland side of town, along with his colleagues at Identity Comics Studios, one of whom is his wife Penelope. After self-publishing his book, TheFranchize Vol I: Start Up Capital, Gaylord penciled BOOM!'s Fanboys vs. Zombies. That title has been cancelled at #20 and he's moving onto Loki: Ragnarok and Roll.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I draw mostly super hero or action/ adventure comics.

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

I work both traditionally and digitally. It really depends on my mood and how much time I have for the project.

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

I was born in Washington, DC in 1980.

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

Right now I live about an hour outside of DC on Maryland's eastern shore. I've lived in and around the DMV all my life.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

For the most part I'm a self-taught artist. I've known I wanted to work in comics since I was just a little boy.

Who are your influences?

Jerry & Penelope Gaylord and Brian Turner

My biggest influences are Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Ryan Ottley, Joe Mad, Sean Galloway, Penelope Gaylord and Bryan Turner.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

If I could do anything over it would probably be to have gone to a good art school. It would have gotten me further faster.

What work are you best-known for?

Right now I am best known for being the artist on Fanboys vs Zombies for Boom! Studios.

What work are you most proud of?

I'm pretty proud of being nominated for a Harvey Award (for Most Promising New Talent) this year.

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

I would love to work on Superman at some point and I'm looking forward to doing more creator-owned work.

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

I either take a day off or if time is a factor, I just grit and fight through it.

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

I think the future is in creator-owned works. I think more and more artists will be working on their own projects.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

That's easy... it's home.

Least favorite?

Another easy one... traffic.

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

I love the Air and Space Museum.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

Mike's Grill in Springfield, VA.

Do you have a website or blog?

thefranchizelive.com  and identitycomics.com