Paul Merklein, Dabney and Dad

by Mike Rhode

Paul Merklein recently tossed a message over our virtual transom about a cartooning class he's conducting in Arlington on April 19th. We took the opportunity to make him answer our usual questions.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I currently draw my cartoon "Dabney and Dad', which you can read here... https://www.facebook.com/dabneyanddad

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

I still love pen & ink, but I'm planning to start coloring with Photoshop soon.

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

1963 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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

My wife & I moved to Silver Spring MD in June 2009, and we love DC.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I have freelanced cartoons to newspapers, magazines, books, online media - and even church newsletters - since I was in college in the 80's.

Who are your influences?

Peter Arno, Charles Addams, Matt Groening & Charles Schulz. I admit that I still read The Family Circus.

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

I would stop trying to copy the style of greater cartoonists.

What work are you best-known for?

Fame has eluded me so far, but this interview may change that.

What work are you most proud of?

I drew cartoons for several Milwaukee newspapers in the 80's & 90's, and I always enjoyed getting "hate mail".

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

An illustrated novel. Something like "Dabney and Dad go to Las Vegas."

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

I take a walk in my neighborhood.

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

I use social media to engage my audience, then I market my cartoons & services to them.

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

My teenage son & I have attended most of the local comic cons, and The Small Press Expo is my favorite. A few years ago, we were sitting in the audience listening to Jeff Smith (creator of Bone) and I recognized a famous cartoonist from The New Yorker sitting next to me.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The variety & diversity of people here.

Least favorite?

The Beltway.

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

If the weather is nice, I take visiting relatives & friends for a walk on The National Mall, and lunch on U Street.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

I eat at Ben's Chili Bowl whenever I can. My family loves The Big Greek Cafe in downtown Silver Spring.

 Do you have a website or blog?

You can see me drawing & teaching here... https://www.facebook.com/greatbigfaces

Starting April 19, I'm teaching Cartooning at The Walter Reed Community Center in Arlington VA. Here is the link to register for my class, which is 320122 - Cartooning.

Kata Kane, Baltimore's Altar Girl

by Mike Rhode

Kata Kane has returned to her Altar Girl webcomic, after a decade away from it. She's moved in the meantime from suburban DC to Baltimore, but was back in town recently for the Smudge Expo in Arlington.

 "Ashley Altars is a typical high school student, attending a prestigious Catholic school with a long history. Seth Charming is a boy who died in 1929. They are both the keepers of mysterious key necklaces, and through them Seth has been brought back from death and to Ashley's present day, assisted by the Gemini Twin angels and guardians of the keys, Sera and Cherry. Ashley now has to deal with angels, demons, and bullies... but she just wants her crush Adam Evenine to finally notice her." - Kata Kane



What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I draw “shoujo manga-style” comics, and I’m best known for my original comic “Altar Girl.” My art style is really inspired by both American comics and Japanese manga influences. “Shoujo manga” means “girl’s comics” and usually have themes of school life, friendship, and romance. Someone once said my comics are like Archie and anime combined, so I think that’s a pretty good way of putting it.

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

I do a combination of traditional sketching with finishing done on the computer. I start out with rough pencil sketches, scan them in, and then I ink, color, and use screentones digitally. I use a Wacom tablet, and a combination of programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and Manga Studio.

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

I was born in 1984 in Takoma Park. I grew up in Silver Spring!

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

I really like the vibe of Baltimore. It’s an interesting city with a small town feel, and a great art scene too. When I first moved here in 2009, I lived in Hampden, but I now live in Mt. Washington. All of my family is still in Silver Spring and my siblings are in DC, so I’m there plenty of weekends too!

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
 
I didn’t go to art school, but ever since elementary school I took any art classes that I could. I always liked reading the Sunday funnies in the Washington Post while my parents read the newspaper. I tried making my own comics based off of that, and really since then everything I did was mostly self-taught and inspired by my own interest.

I was always drawing at home and writing my own stories, looking at my comic collection for references. Taking classes like Life Drawing & Design in college really helped me learn proportions and refine techniques. I feel like I learned a lot more specifics on-the-job as a graphic designer and illustrator than I did in school.
 
Who are your influences?

When I first read Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi as a tween, that was a game-changer for me. I already liked comics – but this was my first “manga” and I was totally drawn to the story and art style.

My biggest influence is Rumiko Takahashi. Her manga “Ranma ½” is hands down my favorite of all time, but I love everything she’s done, and especially her one-shot comics in “Rumik World.” I also really admire Chynna Clugston, the creator of “Blue Monday” and “Scooter Girl.” Her style is also an American-manga influence, and reading her published works when I was in high school & college made me feel like someday I could do the same!

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

I would have pursued a full-time career as a freelancer in comics much sooner. I went to school for graphic design, and at the time I felt like comics could only be a hobby: that I couldn’t really be a success at it. But I’ve learned to measure success not by the biggest paycheck but by hard work and happiness. If I can make even one person feel inspired to keep drawing and follow their own dreams by reading my comics, that’s success to me. It sounds corny, but it’s what keeps me motivated!

What work are you best-known for?

Most know me for my webcomic Altar Girl, which I originally ran online while I was in school. I never fully finished the story back then, so in July 2012, exactly 10 years after I had published the first page of Altar Girl online, I decided to start over again, but this time using the skills I’d learned as an illustrator & graphic designer to fully pursue it. Last year I did a Kickstarter to get Book 1 printed, which was successfully funded, and I think helped some new readers discover the comic too. I’m hoping to do a Kickstarter for Book 2 this year, so keep an eye out!

What work are you most proud of?


I’m proud of Altar Girl. The comic is very much ongoing, but it’s already given me so many opportunities to meet comic creators and artists I admire, as well avid comic readers and aspiring young artists. I’m especially proud to meet the young women who come to comic cons and feel a connection with my art and my book. It’s really wonderful and also very humbling.

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

I’m a full time freelancer, so I want to keep working on my own comics and stories, but I also love getting opportunities to work on other comic projects I can lend my skills to - especially pencils and inking. I’d really love to work with all-ages comic publishers, and help get new and exciting titles out there for young women especially.

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

I like to watch or read something that inspires me. Sometimes I’ll turn to a classic comic or anime I really like, and other times I’ll try to find something new I’ve heard of or just been meaning to check out.

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

I hope to see more independent artists able to create their comics and tell their stories through their own means. I think we see a lot of that in webcomics now. Self publishing can be really rewarding!

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

I’ll definitely be at SPX this fall, but sooner than that I’ll be doing some library events in DC, Creators Con (which is happening at my old high school – James Hubert Blake!) in April, and AwesomeCon end of May. I’ll also be at Baltimore Comic Con, and I’m always doing Bmore Into Comics shows, which are smaller one day shows happening at cool hang outs in Baltimore. I recently did SmudgeExpo for the first time, and I really enjoyed it!

I love the smaller shows for an all-ages crowd that encourage creativity. It’s really inspiring for me too!

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The museums, the zoo, and eating delicious food in Chinatown.

Least favorite?

Driving. I always end up getting lost and losing track of what street I’m on somehow!

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

I love the Cherry Blossom Festival, and especially the Kite Competitions by the Monument. My first job out of school was illustration and design for a kite company, so there are a few kites out in the world with my art on them! I used to do the Rokaku Battle, where you try to cut your opponent’s kite strings out of the sky using your own strings. It was a lot of fun to do, and fun to watch too when we’d inevitably lose!

I always tell friends if they can only visit one museum, make it the Museum of Natural History! I personally love going to the National Gallery.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

Daikaya Ramen! I also really like brunch at Zengo on the weekends.

Do you have a website or blog?

Altar Girl’s website is www.altar-girl.com, but I post on Twitter @ashleyaltars, Facebook (facebook.com/altargirl), and Tumblr (altar-girl.tumblr.com) too! You can find more of my illustration and design work at www.kata-kane.com as well! I'm usually available for illustration commissions and more.

Former Silver Spring resident pens anti-abortion comic strip

Obviously, comics can be used for anything! The cartoonist is Gary Cangemi, for anyone who knew him 38 years ago when he lived in Silver Spring and collected comic books.

Local man uses "Umbert The Unborn" to advocate for anti-abortion, JOSH MROZINSKI, January 31, 2010.

Bamn comic now available in DC area

Some local PR came in (without the pictures unfortunately):

The Bamn crew is happy to announce that Bamn #1, our debut issue, is now available at Alliance Comics and Games.

Pictured above are the two variant covers for issue #1.

If you are in the Washington, DC Metro-area and haven’t already tried purchasing the book at Comixpress, feel free to stop by and pick up a copy of Bamn #1.

Alliance has two locations:

Alliance Comics and Games in Silver Spring, MD
8317 Fenton St
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 588-2546
Metro accessible. Take the Red line to Silver Spring station.

Alliance Comics and Games in Bowie, MD
6820 Hilltop Plaza
Bowie, MD 20715
(301) 352-4322

You can find out more about Alliance @ http://www.allianecomicsonline.com/

BAMN #1
Written by TROY JEFFREY ALLEN
Penciled by JAY PAYNE
50/50 Cover for Issue #1 by JAY PAYNE


Nerds vs. Jocks; Bullies vs. Misfits; the Weak vs. the Strong. Everyone loves a good underdog story...SO LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE! BAMN gets its title from the embittered main character. A surly and washed-up former pro wrestler, Bamn has spent the dying years of his career throwing up in bars. He lives out of his car and uses stolen credit cards to pay for beer. A chance encounter with a pair of local high schoolers, Art and Ian, brings him to the FWF, A backyard wrestling federation ran by the two young fans. When the school’s wrestling squad shows up to bully the kids, Bamn steps in. In a rare moment of clarity he promises all the teenagers that he’s going to teach them the most important thing they will ever learn…HOW TO FIGHT BACK AND LOOK GOOD DOING IT!
28PGS.(each)/Black & White/Parental Advisory …$3.50 (each)

Silver Spring schoolgirl draws comics

See "Autistic pupil turns to comics to express herself," by Timmy Gelles, The Gazette February 19 2009.

More info on Bamn wrestling comic

Troy Allen wrote in this evening about the Gazette story (that I linked to earlier today) on the wrestling comic book called "Bamn" which he writes along with two artists. He says:

"Bamn" is an action/comedy about a collection of backyard wrestling misfits who are getting bullied by their high school's amateur wrestling team. The misfits bump into a washed-up, former pro-wrestler named "Bamn." Bamn realizes the backyarders need to defend themselves and takes them under his wing, providing them with most important thing they'll learn in their final year of high school: Manhood.

The series is scheduled to be 8-parts and issue #1 is currently available at Comixpress.com. The book will soon be available at Third Eye Comics in Annapolis, Md and Alliance Comic and Games in Silver Spring, MD.

Additionally, we will be at SPX and the Baltimore Comic Con this year.

You can find out more about us at www.bamncan.com.

I'll be stopping by Alliance to get a copy in the next few weeks, in the spirit of Support Your Local Cartoonist (an unmade James Garner movie).

Local guys publish wrestling comic book

See "Comic book creators drawn together with a ‘Bamn': Trio launches their first comic through independent publisher," by Jeremy Arias, Gazette (January 28 2009). Jay Payne, 25, of Chevy Chase, David Dean, 25 of Silver Spring and Troy Allen, 28, of Hyattsville were photographed at Alliance Comics in Silver Spring, where I'll bet you can buy the comic book which is a "chronicle of a down-and-out professional wrestler who decides to mentor a group of high school backyard wrestlers."

Jim Toomey at NOAA in Silver Spring

Jim Toomey's been running comic strips this week about finning sharks - see "Cartoonist draws on fame to help plight of sharks: ‘Sherman’s Lagoon’ creator meets with experts at NOAA for awareness campaign," by Agnes Jasinski | Staff Writer, Montgomery Gazette April 23 2008.