By Autumn Daughetee
Last week I shared with you the first part of my interview with Amelia Woo, penciller and inker for Gates of Midnight. This week Amelia shares her thoughts on working in the male-dominated comic book industry, the mission of Kymera Press, the look of Gates of Midnight and much more.
How much time does it take to do the pencils and the inks for Gates of Midnight?
“Layouts take me about five hours to finish one single page. (Yeah artists, I know you’re laughing at me!) A sketched page has the complexity as a variable. The more people (characters) in a page, the longer I take. Architecture is another factor. Landscapes are faster to do than a building or other man-made structure. A simple page takes about two to three hours to sketch. A complex page with crowded urban areas can take about 15 hours to finish. The inking process is the fastest step for me, taking about two to four hours to finish a standard page.”
What is your favorite part of the process of creating a comic book?
“Layouts! Reading the writer’s storytelling is the best part for me.”
Where did the look of Gates of Midnight come from? Did you have an inspiration for the look of the comic?
“I tried to match Debbie’s vision with something stylized, but with a touch of realistic style at the same time. She is a great writer, so her description was enough to give me a good idea of the aesthetic she wanted. Audrey Hepburn was the actress used as a reference for Raven. So, I searched for other artists who had already created a character based on her. I found Adam Hughes art for Catwoman that was amazing. The drawing style I used for Gates of Midnight differs from his work, but I think I can say his art was a kind of inspiration for the look of Gates of Midnight. When I read script, crime noir and detective cozy stories crossed my mind, together with a supernatural version of the CSI television show. I then tried to balance everything in high contrast.”
What other comic books have you worked on?
“Over the past 10 years, a lot of them. I’ve worked for Radical Comics, Marvel, Dynamite, Yaoi Press, Dabel Brothers/IDW Publishing, Trepidation Comics and other publishers.”
As a woman working in a male-dominated industry, have you faced any difficulties?
“Publishers, agents, writers and other artists were always kind to me. It wasn’t individuals discriminating, but the whole system. That’s why I always prefer working with indie publishers. I feel more comfortable sharing my opinion if I find something offensive in a character or in a part of the story. Of course, what is considered offensive changes from person to person, but I think we have to find a common sense common ground. We should respect different opinions without trying to destroy the opinion and the person along with it.”
What do you think of Kymera Press’ mission to publish comics created by women?
“It’s an audacious and necessary step in the comic book industry. It is time to get real with the image of the contemporary woman in this media. It is happening in other media, as animation, so it’s time for the comic book industry to establish more solid female characters. This movement started more than a decade ago and the industry has barely changed. We need something a step further. And one day, I hope we will care only about the character and the story and don’t care if they are men, women, black or white. I would like to see the day where we can buy comic books (and other entertainment) without offensive stereotypes. Kymera Press needs to exist and I hope we receive positive feedback from our audience. That would mean they want to embrace the change.”
Next week we will conclude our interview with Amelia Woo. Then it’s on to talking about colorists! I hope you’ll join us.
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