Zach Weinersmith at Scrawl Books (updated with audio and photos)

His new book is an homage to PG Wodehouse. 

His next book is a sequel to Sawyer Lee. He's interested in the middle parts of the Beowulf saga. 

Zach drawing his platonic ideal of a gourd.

Photos and audio at https://archive.org/details/zach-weinersmith-sawyer-lee-and-the-quest-to-just-stay-home-scrawl-books-260621

Chatting with comics writer Barbara Perez Marquez

Baltimore Comic-Con

by Mike Rhode 

Barbara Perez Marquez was at both Small Press Expo and Baltimore Comic-Con this fall, so I asked if she'd answer our usual questions, altered for her Baltimore base. Additionally, Barbara tweaked a few of the questions, which I'm always glad to see.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I'm a writer, primarily of middle grade and young adult stories. Genre-wise I'm pretty expansive, from contemporary to fantasy stories and anything in between.

How do you do it? I know you're a writer - feel free to explore how you get an idea and then write a script.
Usually I start with something closer to a concept than a full-on idea for my stories. From there I'll expand it further (either starting an outline proper or even just listing out some story beats), at which point I get a better idea if I have a full story in my hands or if I need to start exploring further to find it.

If during that part of the process there's already an artist I'll be collaborating with (this isn't always the case or in others sometimes they are ALREADY involved from idea inception), then about this stage is when I ask them to jump in so we can make the foundation of the story something we can all be excited about. At this stage I'll also see if there's any particulars they'd like to see in terms of the style of the script. While across the board I use the same styling for my scripts, (if able) I try to meet the artist's needs in terms of ways in which the script can work with their own process. There's some variability from project to project, but after the above is mostly sorted, that's when I properly start writing. Nothing too exciting in terms of tools of the trade for my scripts, I actually dislike fancy word processors because I find convoluted formatting and file type transfers to be a headache, so I use OpenOffice with the least amount of bells and whistles I can manage.

When and where did you start working in comics?
I grew up in the Dominican Republic, which has a very different comics culture than we see in the USA (plus I was a '90s kid, so add that on to the difficulty of being outside of the American comics market). Most of my early comics reading were European comics and as far as DC and Marvel went, it was mostly the animated media for them and the Pepsi character cards.

It wasn't until college (in New York) when I properly dove into comics by way of indie comics and then onto more traditional cape comics. After that it's been mostly history, I wrote my first comic script around 2014 and it honestly got me hooked, I'd already been producing prose and poetry pieces by then, but comic scripts quickly became a staple in my portfolio too.

SPX

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I'd known I wanted to be a writer pretty early on in life and I moved to New York to pursue a degree in Creative Writing. As I mentioned, I'd grown up around comics enough, but it wasn't until 2014 that I really dove into writing them. Around that time I was working on an MFA in Creative Writing and I actually updated my coursework to add comics scripting to my workload (particularly around graphic novels). At the school I went to, Manhattanville University, Paul Levitz was a professor at the time. Similar to comics, I'd known about him from friends who'd taken his classes but didn't quite understand the magnitude of it until that comics writing spark fully formed for me.

By the time I realized it, none of the coursework he was offering lined up with my schedule. I wrote him this sort of shot in the dark email and explained my interest in writing comics and asked if he had any guidance. Thankfully, he replied back with a list of titles, which I immediately checked out from the library while I gathered enough cash to buy second hand copies to own. Those books basically created a "how to write comics" course of my own making. Shortly after that, I started applying to comic anthologies and involving myself in the comics community via social media.

Years later, at the 2019 Eisner Awards when Mr. Levitz was inducted into the Hall of Fame, I was actually in attendance and got to shyly approach him and expressed my gratitude for that email exchange. He had bigger things to be excited about that night, but it was great getting to thank him in person.

Who are your influences?
There's a few names that have been part of my bookshelves since those early days of getting into comics. Among them are Vera Brosgol, Lucy Knisley, and Cecil Castellucci. All of them are stellar storytellers. In terms of themes and writing style, I also keep close by some of my favorite collections of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's short stories.

What work are you best-known for?
I think my work in middle grade is still where I'm most recognized (The Cardboard Kingdom, Animal Rescue Friends, Girls Survive) and as I look ahead at upcoming projects, it's been nice to see that presence cement and continue to grow from it. I don't want to stop telling stories for young readers, but I'm excited to be branching out further into young adult.

What projects do you have coming up?
I've got quite a few titles coming out in 2026. First up will be The Curie Society: Game of Code (out March 2026) and then I'd been working on adapting Jenny Han's famous novel, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, so we're bringing that to the graphic novel realm (out May 2026).

As I mentioned, branching out into young adult stories has been a work in progress, so it's nice to get to see it shine in those two projects.

In the second half of 2026, there'll be two other titles: To Dance the Moon and Stars (alongside Tasia M.S.) and The Library of Memories (alongside Lissy Marlin). 2026 will be a busy year, but I'm excited to find that cadence in telling stories in both age ranges.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
Assuming it's not a looming deadline, I try my best to disconnect from the work that I'm stuck on. Sometimes I just need to reset creatively, so I'll spend time reading or watching shows/movies or playing videogames, I occasionally even leave the house to experience the outside world! 

 The Order of Belfry

Female knights and girls love comic 

Oftentimes writer's block is less about "not knowing what to do" and more about "your creative well needs replenishing" so I try my best to honor that. Which, don't get me wrong, can be hard work. But I think (unless absolutely necessary), just plowing through a writer's block is only a temporary fix. You'll just get stuck at the next junction, so you might as well step back and come at it refreshed.

What do you think will be the future of your field?
I think 2025 has been a big year of change in comics as a business, as well as in recent years with AI trying to encroach on creative fields. The future is still the same it's always been: Beyond all the noise, we must keep telling stories.

In the current climate, we have to aggressively tell human stories and that heart will continue to live on. Now in terms of the "business" of it all, I think we're going to see some new systems come into place and even go back to some old ones that have proven to withstand the test of time (this one in particular I'm thinking about networking and how with decentralized social media, we will have to go back to building connections "offline" in some modernized way).

What local cons do you attend? I know The Small Press Expo and Baltimore Comic-Con. Any comments about attending them?
I can be found pretty regularly at the Small Press Expo and Baltimore Comic-Con and I also attend the Graphic Novel Festival and the Baltimore Book Festival. I think they are all great shows, albeit with the occasional time conflicts. 

What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Do you have a local store?
My comics pull box lives at Dreamers and Make-Believers, where I've even surprised the booksellers with some of my requests because my reading affinities can be all over the place. It all depends on my mood or my storytelling needs at the time of reading, but a few recent reads and titles I'm looking forward to are:

Go-Man! by Hamish Steele
Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen
Warriors and a Wee Wonder by Stephanie Williams, alongside an amazing artist rotation including: Jane Pica, Emily Pearson, Dominic Bustamante, and Tasia M.S.
Harley and Ivy: Life and Crimes by Erica Henderson
Death to Pachuco by Henry Barajas, Rachel Merrill, and Lee Loughridge

What's your favorite thing about Baltimore?
One of the first things that stood out to me about Baltimore was how perfectly in the middle it was to the two cities I'd lived before. I think it had some of the nostalgia points I missed from Santo Domingo and enough of a slowdown from New York to be able to keep up with it.

What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
A visit to the Walters Art Museum is a must!

Do you have a website or blog?
I have a website: www.mustachebabs.com, which I keep updated with all my current work and I also have a Patreon page as a newsletter-lite: www.patreon.com/mustachebabs

NPR talks to local author Jason Reynold about Spider-Man

Author Jason Reynolds on book bans, racism and Spiderman

A Martinez 

NPR's Morning Edition May 2, 2023 

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173201545/author-jason-reynolds-on-book-bans-racism-and-spiderman

https://ondemand.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2023/05/20230502_me_author_jason_reynolds_on_book_bans_racism_and_spiderman_.mp3

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1173201545

Quick reviews: Slip by McCoola and Pandya

by Claire Rhode

              Slip (Workman Publishing, 2022) written by Marika McCoola, illustrated by Aatmaja Pandya does not pull its punches. This graphic novel opens with a scene where Jade, our protagonist, learns that her best friend, Phoebe, has attempted suicide. Suicide and self-harm are a major aspect of this story, so if either is a trigger for you, you may want to skip this book.

              Shortly after learning about Phoebe’s attempt, Jade leaves for an art residency program. Her medium is ceramics—although she’s also great at sketching, which is good, because that will be plot relevant. Seemingly behind all of the other students, Jade needs to find a cohesive theme for her work, improve so her ceramics quit blowing up in the kiln, navigate a difficult relationship with the other ceramics student, and take some tentative steps towards her first relationship, all while trying to figure out how she missed her best friend’s pain. Oh, and her ceramics are coming to life and not in a friendly way.

              What I liked:

·       The respect for Jade’s emotions. She really was a wounded animal, and the story gave her space to process without judging her.

·       Everyone else’s art projects. Bloody AF Persephone? Yes please!

·       The ending. No spoilers, but it worked for me.

What I didn’t like:

·       Why does Jade look ten? Why is she a baby? Her love interest, Mary, looks like a totally normal person who wants a college scholarship. What are they supposed to be, 16? 17? So why does Jade look like this could easily be a story about middle schoolers? (Seeing them kiss was disconcerting. They looked very mismatched.)

·       The use of color. I recognize they did it on purpose, but I did not like it. Basically, almost all of the book is done entirely in blue. Emotional scenes are in red. What I didn’t love is the balance. There would be pages and pages of blue before several red panels. It worked in some places, where the red is used sparingly to draw attention. I’m like a little magpie when I read and I love fun colors and interesting visuals. For me, this book was not it, but it may be for you!

All in all, Slip was a worthwhile read. It’s got a finger in a lot of the lesbian graphic novel pies: cottagecore, realistic and respectful discussions about mental health, and art. I give it four out of five stars. 

 Claire Rhode, a former children's book seller, is now studying to be a children's book librarian.

Book Review: Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka (updated)

by Mike Rhode

Jarrett Krosoczka is probably best known as the cartoonist for the Lunch Lady graphic novels for children. I hadn't run across his work before, but I was pleased to make his acquaintance with this book.

Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father and Dealth with Family Addiction (Scholastic Graphix, 2018; $25/$15) is definitely aimed at an older audience than his other books. The marketing material suggests a young adult audience, but I think it can enjoyably be read by adults as well. Krosoczka tells the story of his childhood and teen years, in a muted palette of browns and oranges. He was raised by his grandparents when his young mother mysteriously kept disappearing from his life. His father was never mentioned or featured in his life. Krosoczka tells his story chronologically, which keeps some suspense for anyone who hasn't read the promotional material or interviews.

He begins with his grandparents meeting and marrying and raising a family of five children after his grandfather Joe Krosoczka returned from World War II and convinced Shirley Olson to marry him. Joe began his own business making a particular piece for plumbing and seems to have been a success, but Shirley had difficult times with her children, especially Jarrett's mother, her daughter Leslie.

 Krosoczka recounts staying with his mother in a house that his grandfather provided for them, but she continues to shoplift and run around with less-than-admirable men, including two who come in one night covered in blood. His mother disappears after that and the preschooler moves in with his grandparents that raise him.

For the next few years (and chapters), Leslie pops in and out of his life, and as a young boy, after a trip to Disneyworld, his grandparents reveal that his mother is a drug addict and in jail. She's been addicted to heroin since she was a teenager. Eventually the teenage Jarrett uses his talent for cartooning to escape from working in the family factory, and reconnects with his long-missing father.

Throughout the book, his grandparents are presented as real people with some serious flaws revealed especially about his grandmother. However the author is adamant that they did give him a good life, and he has no regrets about the way things turned out.

Due to Krosoczka's cartooning ability, the story works as a graphic memoir. As a prose piece, it would be about 10 pages long. It held my attention, and I definitely felt for the young boy, so I would recommend this to people interested in memoirs. It was a National Book Finalist this year, and is available online and in most bookstores.

UPDATE:

Krosoczka spoke about the book at DC's lovely West End Library on November 8, 2018 and took questions from his friend, children's book authority Mindy Thomas. Here are some pictures from the event.

Watercolor backgrounds for the line art

Grandfather Joe, Grandmother Shirley and young Jarrett

The photo is the complete stack of art for the book

Laura Lee Gulledge on her career and her graphic novel musical

(all images courtesy of LLG)

by Mike Rhode

Laura Lee Gulledge came out of nowhere in the comics field, and now has two successful young adult graphic novels out, and is turning one of them into a musical. She's returned to the area after a sojourn in the wilds of New York City and tells us about her methods and her new project, which has ten days left to go on Kickstarter.

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I write & draw graphic novels geared towards young adults, but I write them so they will also speak to adults as well. I feature creative characters, introverted protagonists, emotionally resonant stories, puns, and playful layouts.

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

I use pen & ink & paper to create my artwork. I typically only use computer to add a layer of digital shading and then the final lettering.

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

1979, boo-yeah!

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

I actually live in NOVA, Woodbridge to be exact. I’ve returned to the area after living in NYC for seven years. I originally grew up between Manassas & Dumfries....aka: “Dumassas.” ;-)

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I never took a class in cartooning or illustration, as in school I was focused on becoming an art teacher. So I took fine art classes like painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture. My cartooning was always something ”just for fun” that I did growing up for myself, my friends, and the school paper. Go figure that I never took it seriously, but I really didn’t think I was was good enough to go anywhere with it.

Who are your influences?

As a kid: weekly comic strips, political cartoons, Jim Henson, Disney films;

As an adult: Will Eisner, Craig Thompson, Alison Bechdel, Maira Kalman.

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

Taking a marketing or business class in school sure would have been helpful!

What work are you best-known for?

My debut graphic novel, Page by Paige! (It’s “a classic” as my agent loves to say.)

What work are you most proud of?

The artwork I made while teaching as an art teacher in Ghana back in 2007. Both the work I made myself as well as what the kids made. It was a challenging & humbling experience, but the work that came out was some of my most truthful & inspired.

You're working on a special project now - a musical based on a graphic novel. Oddly enough comics-based musicals were popular at the beginning of the 20th century and seem to be having a resurgence now, as Fun Home's success shows. Can you tell us about your musical Kickstarter project? How did it come about?

While I was working on my second graphic novel (Will & Whit) I was also doing a bi-coastal collaboration with my songbird Artner Lauren Larken. We were doing weekly cross-disciplinary prompts exploring themes of mutual interest, a 6-month creative "Artnership" we had been wanting to do since we first met in Brooklyn in 2008.

As Larken learned more about the characters I was working on, she felt more and more inspired! Lyrics started pouring onto paper and we decided to take out Artnership to the young adult musical level. After we recruited a composer to write the songs and I wrote a script, we were able to hold a debut production last summer at Ballibay performing arts camp in Pennsylvania. It still blows my mind!

We’re holding a Kickstarter right now to help us take our musical to the next level of development! It ends May 25th so please visit our site: willandwhit.com

Your graphic novel has a supernatural element with living shadows - how is that translating to the stage?

For a stage adaption of this magical-realism-style imagery we will use shadow puppets (perhaps shadow sculpture), dancers dressed in black, plus projected motion comics. The possibilities for the stage are pretty broad, which is why I’m excited to see what ideas young people come up with for how they want to tackle Will’s “living shadows.”

What else would you like to say about it?

My favorite part of the show is Hurricane Whitney (which is what “Whit” refers to in the book title) which is the storm that blows into town and knocks out the electricity. In the play the hurricane is personified as a group of punk girls personified called “The Whitneys.” They invade the show and lead the audience in an interactive body of sound hurricane before intermission. It tickles me.

We also incorporate LED props & costume elements in the show when the power goes out after the hurricane, since our protagonist Will makes lamps. This adds a fun STEM (aka STEAM) element to our show, I loved watching students learn how to make LED accessories & firefly lamps for the set.

Comic book movies are ridiculously popular now - any plans or hopes to adapt your work?

I could definitely see Will & Whit as a film, in my dreams as a stop-motion animated musical. I see Page by Paige more as a television show, mixing live action with animation. Some of the new stories cooking in the back of my head do feel suited for film, but I’m in no hurry to embark in that direction. (I figure I’ll master the transition to stage first before wrapping my head around going to a screen!) ;-)

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

Right now I’m itching to hop back on my new book project, which is an interactive sketchbook called How To Train Your Genius. It’s still in the baby stages right now, but I’m very excited! It’s the book I was looking for when I was a teacher, following in the footsteps of books like The Artist’s Way, Drawing on the Right Side of The Brain, and What It Is.

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

Here are my tips for when you’re stuck, which is either at the beginning or around the 80% point....

Getting started: My mantra is always, “Start with what you know.” Start by making one decision, the ONE thing you know.  Whether it’s one scene or a getting to know one character or mixing up one color paint, just pick a place to start and go one decision at a time.

Finishing: Take a break. If it’s art... look at it “new” by looking at it upside down, in a mirror, or taking a photo of it. Trick your subconscious brain into telling you what the art “needs” instead of clinging to the idea of what your conscious mind thinks it “should” be. If you’re writing....Put your script away for 3 months so you can forget about it. Then come back and write out what your story is about in 2-3 sentences.  Now reread your script with the core essence of your story in mind.

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

I think we will continue to experience an explosion of new voices entering the field, telling stories reaching more diverse audiences and bringing in fresh artistic influences.  Comics is a haven for creatives who do not fit in the old molds.

I also think comics will gain more acceptance in schools, and will hopefully be embraced as a helpful educational tool, especially for reluctant readers and ESL learners.

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

In the area I enjoy SPX, Awesome Con, and Baltimore Comic Con. Baltimore is probably my favorite show locally, non-locally my favorites are TCAF in Toronto and Heroes Con in NC.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The free museums!

Least favorite?

The TRAFFIC ugh.

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

National Gallery to visit all my old friends in picture frames.

How about a favorite local restaurant?

Founding Farmers & District of Pi.

Do you have a website or blog?

whoislauralee.com