It is time once again for the Electric City Comic Con.

This year there will be a plethora of creators both returning from last year and new creators.

I would like to thank all the creators for taking the time to participate the interviews which will be posted today and tomorrow. I know that they probably have a lot on their plates in addition to preparing for Saturday’s show.

I thought it would be easier to read if I broke the interviews into to two groups: returning creators and those that are attending for the first time this year.

Today’s interviews will be with:

Gregg Schigiel

Shane Moore

Marcus Anderson

Jen Wojtowicz

Dan Hosek

Eric Colossal

I have also included links to their personal websites. I would encourage you to go and check them out before Saturday.

Come back tomorrow for interviews with:

Dave Roman, (Keynote Speaker)

Greg Capullo

Mark Mariano

Golden Bell Entertainment

TJ Kirsch

Frank Cammuso

So without further ado let’s catch up with the returning guests and see what has been going on since last year.

Gregg Schigiel

Pix, SpongeBob Squarepants

Hatter Entertainment

Cartoonist Gregg Schigiel is the founder of Hatter Entertainment, where he publishes original work and audio podcasts. He is also a regular contributor to SPONGEBOB COMICS, wrote the X-BABIES: STARS REBORN graphic novel for Marvel Comics, and has worked for Nickelodeon, DC Entertainment, and Disney.

What was it about your experience at the Con last year made you want to come back?

The combined graciousness of the hosts (Leah LeFara and her team at the library) and the really great turnout of attendees. That the event offers free entry, such a variety of comics creators, so many panels and demos, and that it takes place in a library, putting books and reading at the forefront, make it a great day for everyone. It’s a good space and tone for someone like me, with an independent book intended for 9 to 14-year-old kids (or 9 to 14-year-old kids at heart). Plus, I had a great time last year…and I was asked to come back!

As a returning creator to the Electric City Comic Con, what have you been working on since last year, anything new with PIX?

I’m currently working on the next PIX book. I’m thinking I could bring some preview pages from the next book, though, as a kind of “exclusive sneak peek” for folks. I’m very happy with how it’s coming along and expect to have it out by February or March of 2017.

Other than that, I work on SPONGEBOB COMICS, where I draw and sometimes write and draw stories. I do a comics-centric podcast, STUFF SAID, which I recently brought back from hiatus. And I worked on another podcast, CRUISIN’ TOGETHER, a more intentionally comedic show about Tom Cruise movies, which I co-host with last year’s keynote guest, Chris Giarrusso.

What was it about comics that got you hooked and what is it about the medium of comics that lends itself to encouraging kids to read?

As a kid I loved superheroes, and comics were where superheroes were, for the most part. That led me to the medium, which I also love.

I’m not sure what it is about comics that encourage reading. I’m sure people (like the folks at the organization Reading With Pictures) have done studies on that. But for me, I think there’s something very immersive about comics and the experience of reading them. There’s a good deal of show-don’t-tell in the interplay of words and pictures. There’s a lot of filling-in-the-blanks the reader’s doing without realizing it (movement and changes between panels, how things sound). It’s different than reading a book or watching a movie or TV show.

And it’s also possible that there’s an appeal for kids in thinking they’re getting away with something reading comics, you know? Like, “I can’t believe we get to read COMICS and it counts as READING!” It’s like giving medicine to a dog by hiding it in cheese or something.

What are you currently reading and what would you recommend that would be great for kids to read?

I still buy and read quite a bit (though I’m behind on a lot of it) – INVINCIBLE, CHEW, STRAY BULLETS, SAGA, PAPER GIRLS, GIANT DAYS and LUMBERJANES. A series called THE SIXTH GUN just ended and I look forward to catching up on that. A new series called SPACE BATTLE LUNCHTIME had a good first issue, so I’m keen to see what happens next. The WILDS END mini-series are good. This listing thing can go on for a while, and most of those aren’t really kid-friendly, so…

Great for kids to read? Besides my book, I’d direct people to the works of a handful of folks who’ll be at Electric City Comic Con. Jacob Chabot’s MIGHTY SKULLBOY ARMY, Dave Roman’ ASTRONAUT ACADEMY, and the bevy of stuff from Frank Cammuso and Mark Mariano. Also, the G-MAN books by Chris Giarrusso, a webcomic called BOULDER & FLEET by Jerzy Drozd…the aforementioned LUMBERJANES is great. Another independent cartoonist, Becca Hilburn, does a book called 7″ KARA, that’s very charming. Faith Erin Hick’s new THE NAMELESS CITY book is really excellent (especial for fans of Pix and adventure stories). There’s a book coming out in November called TREE MAIL that’s really good with fun art by Brian Smith. Nathan Hale’s HAZARDOUS TALES books are very cool.

I know I’m leaving lots of good stuff out. Sorry everyone! But really, whatever a kid is drawn to is a great place to start.

What is the biggest obstacle the comic industry faces in appealing to the younger / newer generation of readers and what do think is the best approach to appeal to these new readers?

I notice a lot of obstacles, and all of which affect one another – price points, distribution, content – so it’s hard to single out just one. But in my most concise way, I’d say…there’s a scene at the end of Toy Story 3 [spoiler alert] where Andy, who’s going away to college, passes his toys on to a little girl to enjoy them the way he did as a kid. That doesn’t happen with comics-making. We grow up loving these superheroes and then, as a lot of us get older, we’ve held on to them and the stories have grown up to match. So now, it’s unclear if current Batman or Spider-Man comics are anything you could give a 10 or 11-year-old to enjoy. Those stories are written more for people 20-years-old and up vs. for kids between 8 and 14. This isn’t a new phenomenon and given so many factors it might be irreversible, for THOSE comics, so…

It’s important to pay attention to how much great content is out there for kids because there’s so much outside of the things people immediately think of…and keep an open mind. This is for the grown-ups out there: recognize your kids might not end up being drawn to or loving whatever it was YOU loved as a kid and might still love to this day.

We see it all the time, where a child’s looking at a comic, as an example let’s say it’s PIX (if it’s not too self-serving an example), clearly interested, and their adult – who doesn’t know Pix at all – pulls the kid away to show them something with Spider-Man or Supergirl, because the adult recognizes it and figures their kid will like it. They might, yes, but they might also find stuff on their own they grow to love and remember fondly.

Beyond that, comics-friendly librarians and libraries and a tremendous help and resource for exploring what’s out there. They are a major help in bringing in a younger, newer readership. They’re paying attention to what’s out there, reading it, and sharing it with the audience of younger readers directly, an audience to which the “mainstream” comics market – publishers and comic shops more focussed on that 18-35 demographic – might not be paying so much attention

—

Shane Moore

Omens, Creator of ECCC’s Voltage

What was it about your experience at the Con last year made you want to come back?

I loved the atmosphere. I’ve done a lot of pay conventions, and a handful of library conventions, and this was the best one so far. there was a great collection of creators, and the crowd was very enthusiastic. I was nice to be a part of a comics event that caters to kids.

As a returning creator to the Electric City Comic Con, what have you been working on since last year, anything new for the Convention’s own superheroine?

I’m very close to finishing the third book in my Omens series, it should be done by fall. There should be a new Voltage magnet available for completing the scavenger hunt by visiting at least ten artists in artists alley and collect a sticker from each.

What was it about comics that got you hooked and what is it about the medium of comics that lends itself to encouraging kids to read?

Comics are a good format for kids and adults who are “visual” minded. As a kid myself, I loved art, but comics quickly became my focus.

What are you currently reading and what would you recommend that would be great for kids to read?

Some are my favorite books are Saga, Walking Dead, and Invincible. When I was a kid I loved Spiderman and Batman, and i would recommend Ms. Marvel to kids. Also, Archie seems to be doing some fun new things.

What is the biggest obstacle the comic industry faces in appealing to the younger / newer generation of readers and what do think is the best approach to appeal to these new readers?

I think more diverse titles and a wider range of age appropriate/ family friendly titles would help. The industry has a lot to compete with these days.

—

Marcus Anderson

Snow Daze, Cash & Carrie