“Some people have a preconceived notion about what comics are or can be and I’m always eager to show them how eclectic this medium can be!” says Jill Thompson, award-winning Chicago comic artist and author of Scary Godmother, Beasts of Burden, and illustrator of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. We’ve featured Scary Godmother in our banner this month, and interviewed Jill on her work.
Q: When did you begin working as an artist? What drew you to working with comics?
“I’ve been drawing comics my whole life and I have been drawn to them since I was able to read. It started with Peanuts in the newspaper and then migrated to Archie comics and then to superhero comics and on from there to independent publishers and genres and comics from around the world! I’m not sure what ‘drew’ me to comics. From the moment I saw them I knew that I wanted to create comics when I grew up!”
Q: Did being a Chicagoan shape your development as a comic artist in any way? What do you think of the comics community we have here?
“I was lucky to be able to meet a few Chicago comics artists when I was a teenager, so that was something that shaped my development. I also attended the American Academy of Art to learn the fundamentals of life drawing, color theory, watercolor painting, design, etc. And I took all that I learned there and poured it into my comics.
“I think we are fortunate to have a good-sized comic communtiy here–it includes artists, writers, colorists, retailers, and comics enthusiasts. It’s very helpful to be able to get together with others and share what you are working on because it’s a pretty solitary occupation; even with the incredible connectivity of Twitter and Facebook, it’s still to energizing to be with your peers showing your wares and studying theirs!”
Q: What inspires you?
“Ha! What doesn’t inspire me? The light through the El tracks casting shadows on Wabash…the work of other artists, fairy tales, fashion, nature… I usually get my best comic ideas while working on something else, like cooking or gardening or improvising. I used to perform with an improv troupe and that really taught me to think on my feet and embrace the outrageous, which I think is necessary when you are a storyteller of any sort.”
Q: What are you currently working on?
“I have a few short stories that I am collaborating on with other writers. I am currently illustrating another Beasts of Burden story for Dark Horse Comics, then a story for an anthology from Vertigo, and then a horror story with the writer Steve Niles… And after that I hope to get back to a few of my own characters like Scary Godmother and Magic Trixie.”
Q: You mentioned collaborating with other artists. Is that something you enjoy? In what ways do you work collaboratively with other artists/writers?
“I do work with other writers at times. I’m just the illustrator in that capacity. Like I just said, right now it’s Evan Dorkin and Steve Niles; in the past it’s been Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Will Pfeifer, and Mick Foley. I was so happy to be able to bring their stories to life and add my personal style to the comics!”
Finally, the following are a few questions we ask all of our interviewees:
Q: What is your all-time favorite book?
“Unfair question! Too many excellent books to choose from! I have a children’s book from when I was a little girl that I still love. It’s so simple–a very young reader book. But I used to check it out of the library well into the sixth grade and now I own it. It’s called Small Pig. Something about that story just touched me as a kid and I always reference it.
“I love fantasy and crime novels, true crime books, history, fiction… I’m a geek girl, so Tolkein was a big influence in my teens, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones… Those are my recreational reading…”
Q: What was the last book that you read?
“I haven’t had time to read anything lately. Last time I finished a book I was on a plane and had four hours of uninterrupted reading… Was it Shutter Island? I think it was.”
Q: What one word do you love?
“Scarlet.”
Q: What one word do you despise?
“No.”
Q: Often, when crafting a piece of work, artists and writers strive to please or impress a very specific one-person audience, be it their mother, their spouse, or a high school teacher. Who were you thinking of in this way when you were working on the piece we’re featuring in our banner?
“I try and please myself first, and once that happens everyone else seems to like it just fine.”
Thank you so much, Jill!
