By Autumn Daughetee
Over the past weeks Kymera Press has explored the roles of the many members of the comic book creative team, including the writer, the penciller, the inker, the colorist and the letterer. This final entry is an interview with the extremely talented Jessica Jimerson, the letterer for Gates of Midnight. Jessica shares her origins, her creative process and her thoughts on being part of an all-woman creative team.
Can you tell me a little about your professional background? Do you have formal training?
“I went to Westwood College of Technology, majoring in Game Art. I learned all the important basics of traditional and digital art, as well as the industry standard software. This in turn, is exactly the same for comic books, minus the 3D and animation programs. So the transition was an easy one.”
How did you become involved in the comic book industry? Was this a goal of yours?
“I’ve been an artist since I was very young drawing dragons and horses (my mother and late grandmother where an influence there, both [were] great traditional artists). I decided at the age of 12 I would go to college for game art and design. When I turned 21 and was finishing my last few months of college, I attended my first Comic Con in San Diego, where I met a Top Cow colorist. I ended up having a long conversation with her discussing the various programs we use and the similarities. She convinced me I should give the comic world a shot as a colorist. The following week I got an email out the blue requesting that I do pin up colorist work. I loved it and have been doing comic books ever since. I made the transition to lettering along the way, studying the various rules and techniques on my own. Since that fateful Comic Con in 2011, I’ve worked on (as colorist, letterer or both) more than 45 comic books, some of which have been showcased at several conventions and news papers, including the New York Comic.”
“Working in comic books was never a goal of mine, even though I did collect comics as a kid. My goals were set on game design. While I’ve done that too, comics have taken over as my priority.”
What is your creative process like? Can you walk me through the process you go through when you do the lettering on a comic book?
“I open up a finished colored comic page in Photoshop (I like using CS5), and check the sizing the previous artist left it at. Ensuring it fits the margins planned for, usually pages are correct and ready to go, but there are cases when a page is slightly off and I correct it. If it’s off by a lot, I consult my superior for further action. Regardless, I always check every page, because it dictates if the letters will print correctly or not. From there I open it up in Adobe Illustrator, alongside my bubble master directory where I’ve pre-created many different bubble shapes (round, off-rounded, soft-square, oval, etc.). When starting a new comic it’s important to select a bubble shape that complements the art. Most people don’t know how many different word bubble styles there are. After I select one, I try out different bubble colors, fonts, and outline stroke styles to find a unique combination that fits the comic. SXF however, unlike shapes, can never be pre-created in my book. I believe in creating them fresh and unique for every comic series. Once that is done, I usually create three variants of one page with different combinations, and send them to my superior who then decides which one (or combination of the three) works. Once that is done, I reuse the combo on the rest of the pages accordingly, mixing it up when needed for things like SXF. After a page is finished, I copy the letter work and drop it back into Photoshop where I flatten and save it out (that step is purely a personal preference, based on rendering). “
What is your favorite part of the process?
“Reading the comic! Of course I love the creative side, but once I finish a page I go back and re-read it and the way it comes together is really something special.”
What attracted you to the Gates of Midnight series?
“I love that it’s a series from an all-female team. And even though, anyone who enjoys supernatural/mystery comics will also enjoy Gates of Midnight (regardless of gender), it’s wonderful (and a first) to be part of a team that is made up of other comic-loving women. This is, and always has been, a male-dominated industry, but that is changing in recent years to make room for ladies too. To be a part of that change (even if it’s in a small way in the humble position of letterer), I was thrilled to join.”
I know it isn’t easy to get in the door of the comic book industry. If you could share advice with an aspiring comic book artist what would it be?
“Learn the tools and software involved in comic creation. Also, there are several different roles from writer to penciller to inker to colorist and letterer. Find the one that you think would best fit you and go for it. Practicing is the best way to learn anything. Then make yourself an online portfolio showcasing your work. If the jobs don’t find you immediately, don’t be discouraged. Look for them and don’t stop practicing meantime! Personally art communities like deviantART have been beneficial to me, not only for encouragement and critiques, but also for starter work as well (have to get the foot in the door somewhere).”
Ultimately, where would you like your career to go? What are your goals?
“Right now I just want to finish up my current contracts. I have five books going by different people currently. After that, who knows? I might start looking for in-studio work. I’ve worked for so many studios online; I think that would be the next logical turn of the tide. But one thing is for certain, art is always going to be a part of my future so long as I can help it.”
What do you think of Kymera Press’ mission to publish comics created by women?
“I think it’s brilliant. I know I talked a bit about this already, but yes, it’s wonderful in many ways. One way is sparking the attention of a few new-to-comics ladies (along with the hard-core veteran comic reader gals, and guys). Tilting the generally aimed at target audience is a brave and admirable thing to do.”
As a woman working in a male-dominated industry, have you faced any difficulties or opposition?
“Beyond constantly working on teams where I’m the only woman, no. But it’s very refreshing working on a team where the female characters are created to actually wear clothes that cover their physical … assets. Don’t get me wrong, I think a woman being sexy can be liberating and self-confidence boosting. But it’s nice to see some other sides of women too, which I don’t think is represented nearly enough in comics today. Women should have all variations showcased not only the one.”
I’ve asked all of the other ladies who worked on Gates of Midnight this question. It’s just for fun. If you were a comic book character who would you be?
“While I’ve always loved Spiderman’s powers and costume, I’m going to have to say Loki. Shape-shifting would never get old!”
Do you have any idols in the industry?
“While I love Stan Lee (like everyone else), I’m just a general fan of how Marvel does their overall coloring. People always ask me, ‘Marvel or DC?’ Both are fantastic, but I gotta love Marvel’s art.”
Would you like to add any other thoughts?
“Comic books are for everyone, but sometimes that gets a little lost in thunderstorms of testosterone. Companies like Kymera Press help serve as a pleasant reminder of that. So don’t forget to check out mine, and everyone else’s work in Gates of Midnight! And you can see some of my solo work on deviantART at http://jesshavok.deviantart.com.”
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