Monday, March 28, 2016

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Friday, November 06, 2015

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 11

 

IPI #11 - Jonny Hinkle

Welcome to Indigenous Peeps in the Industry or 'IPI' - an quick interview series that spotlights Indigenous artists, writers, and other creatives working in the comic book and/or video game industry. In this edition, I talk to fellow-Oklahoman writer/artist, Jonny Hinkle.

Jonny Hinkle is an artist, writer, and creator out of the Tulsa, OK area. He started his professional career as an illustrator when he graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Since his graduation he has worked on various projects, including Tribal Force the all Native American comic book. Some of Jonny's self-published works include Uprooted, a story about an "ancient tree spirit" bent on revenge against the humanity that destroys his sacred land, using a chainsaw to do so and Plague, a story about a time travelling super-hero who fails in his attempt to stop a world dominating alien menace. He was also recently published with Topcow as a runner-up for writing in their publication "Artifacts: Lost Tales #1".

See more of Jonny and is work on Facebook, Riseart, or at his Patreon site https://www.patreon.com/JonnyHinkleArt?ty=h.

Michael Sheyahshe (MS): Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

Jonny Hinkle (JH): Being adopted in Oklahoma I have no "official" tribal affiliation. Though from the time I could remember my parents were informed that the mother was Native American. After researching and finding my biological parents, I have come to know that I have both Cherokee and Apache blood and am doing my best to get my Cherokee membership.
Pencils: Jonny Hinkle
MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

JH: I did not. As a child adopted by a white family, the only knowledge I had of my heritage was that I was Native American. Aside from that I took it upon myself to begin to learn about it, even taking college courses focused on Native American culture and History.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

JH: I have always been interested in comics, ever since I was a child. It wasn't until I finished college in 2010 that I began to focus working for them professionally.

MS: What is your favorite comic book of all time…something that turns FRI-SUN into a 'lost weekend'?

JH: That is a hard question to answer, as over time my tastes have changed. When I was younger I couldn't stop reading about Peter Parker's Spider-Man, or Rocket Raccoon. Though, as an adult I am more inclined to read stories like ThunderBolts, Suicide Squad, Superior Spider-Man, The Darkness, or other super power related books focusing more on the villains.

MS: What is your specialty in the biz?

JH: I specialize in Writing and Pencilling. While I wish I could color my own work, I leave that to the guys that really know how to make me look good.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for this?

JH: I did. I have a degree in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

MS: What other comics/projects have you worked on?

JH: I have worked with small start-up companies as a penciller and writer, and that never worked out due mostly to the failings of the company.
"DUEL" - Jonny Hinkle & Raciel Avila Silva

MS: Have you done any comic books with Native American characters in them?

JH: I worked as a penciller on the book, Tribal Force, for a company called Rising Sun. The property is owned by an amazing creator named John Proudstar. The pieces that I myself worked on were never fully put into publication, but look for John's book in the future!

I also self published multiple projects in school depicting Native American characters.

MS: Do you have an opinion about Indigenous characters in comics, video games, and/or pop culture?

JH: Yes. They can be awesome if done correctly, and terrible when done incorrectly. I also feel that in the Superhero Genre, historically Native Americans have been cast aside and killed off far too often.

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comics/gaming industry)?

JH: I know a few illustrators who are currently working in the industry. Jeffrey Veregge is an Amazing Native illustrator who is working for some of the big companies right now.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?
Pencils/Ink: Jonny Hinkle

JH: Well...if you want to write...then write. Write, Write, Write.

If you want to draw...then draw. Draw, Draw, Draw.

The key to improving at anything is time and practice. I've been creating for 33 years now.

MS: Final thoughts/shameless plugs? :)

JH: I certainly hope that my career as a comics creator will take flight, and anyone out there who has that same dream, keep pursuing it.

If you would like to see some samples of my work visit:

https://www.facebook.com/JonnyHinkleArt/?fref=ts
http://www.riseart.com/artist/hinkle-silva-art
https://www.patreon.com/JonnyHinkleArt?ty=h

Monday, May 18, 2015

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 10

IPI #10 - Richard Van Camp

Welcome to Indigenous Peeps in the Industry or 'IPI' - my blog series that celebrates Indigenous artists, writers, and other creatives working in the comic book and/or video game industry. In this edition, I talk to super-author, Richard Van Camp.

I first met Richard in 2008 at the Eiteljorg Museum, as we were both panelist on Native Americans in Comics panel (thanks for initially getting us all together, Pete Brown!).

You can visit Richard on FacebookTwitter or at his website: www.richardvancamp.com.


Michael Sheyahshe (MS): Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

Richard Van Camp (RVC): I'm a member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. I am the author of two children’s books with the Cree artist George Littlechild: "A Man Called Raven" and "What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?" I've published a novel, The Lesser Blessed, which is now a feature film with First Generation Films; my collections of short fiction include Angel Wing Splash Pattern, The Moon of Letting Go and Other Stories, and Godless but Loyal to Heaven. I've authored three baby books: Welcome Song for BabyA Lullaby for Newborns; Nighty Night; A Bedtime Song for Babies and Little You (now translated into Cree, Dene and South Slavey!), and I have two comic books out with the Healthy Aboriginal Network: Kiss Me Deadly and Path of the Warrior.

My graphic novel, Three Feathers, Whistle, is about mental health and asking for forgiveness. The latest cinematic adaptation of my work is "Mohawk Midnight Runners", which is a short movie by Zoe Hopkins based on my short story, "Dogrib Midnight Runners" from The Moon of Letting Go.
is about restorative justice; my new novel,

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?)

RVC: Yes! Lots of storytelling and family gatherings. Best friends in the world and Fort Smith was an incredible town to be born into. It was a great time to grow up in the 80's, as well.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

RVC: My appendix blew up inside of me when I was in grade 2. As luck would have it, my neighbors brought me all of their comics to keep me company. Mike Grell’s "The Warlord" (issue 13) saved me because I made a deal with myself that when I got out of there, I’d get every single issue. I did. I have the entire series and followed it for years. I’m grateful to Epic Magazine, Savage Tales and Heavy Metal magazine--The Savage Sword of Conan, too!--because they lit imagination on fire.

MS: What is your favorite comic book of all time…something that turns FRI-SUN into a 'lost weekend'?

RVC: The Walking Dead. I've been following it for years and it’s only getting better. Rachel Rising is incredible, too. I love the graphic novels. I also laugh out loud any time I reread “Injury” comic
books.

MS: What is your specialty in the "biz" (comics/gaming industry)?

RVC: I write comics and graphic novels. I have two comics out with the Healthy Aboriginal Network: Kiss Me Deadly, on sexual health, and Path of the Warrior, on gang violence prevention. I also have a graphic novel out on restorative justice with Portage and Main: Three Feathers, and I have a graphic novel out on mental health titled "The Blue Raven." I have a new graphic novel coming out next year titled "A Blanket of Butterflies" on how storytelling and cultural protocol can be a peacemaking tool to stop escalating violence.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for this?

RVC: I started editing for The Healthy Aboriginal Network and learned the tools of the trade from there.

MS: Do any of your comic books feature Native American or Indigenous characters in them?

RVC: All of them feature Dene people and northerners. I’m proud of that.

MS: Do you have an opinion about Indigenous characters in comics, video games, and/or pop culture?

RVC: I'm always happy to see my cousins in anything pop culturish :)

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the biz?

RVC: I'm blessed to work with Cree artist Steve Sanderson and Chris Auchter who is Haida on our comics.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

RVC: Read as many comics and graphic novels as you can and work with a great team: editors, layout artist, publishers and artists who love the genre and are wanting to create works of forever.

MS: Thanks, Richard...you rock!  :) 

Friday, March 27, 2015

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 09

IPI #9 - Kristina BadHand

Kristina and Lee Francis IV at the INC booth
Oh, hello, there.  I didn't see you, there. ;)  Welcome to another iteration of Indigenous Peeps in the Industry or 'IPI' - my on-going blog series that celebrates Indigenous artists, writers, and other creatives working in the comic book and/or video game industry. In this edition, we get into the head of the ever-talented Kristina BadHand.

I had the pleasure to first meet and hang out with Kristina at the Denver Comic Convention 2014, as we both 'worked' the INC booth together. She's a fan-freaking-tastic artist and has a great sense of humor, too boot.

You can follow Kristina on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kristina.badhand or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BadHandIllust. Be sure to check out her homepage at http://www.badhandillustrations.com/.

Michael Sheyahshe: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

Kristina BadHand: I am Sicangu Lakota and Cherokee, but I was born and raised in Taos, NM.

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?) 

KB: I was raised attending, dancing and singing at powwows and sundances; My father is a well-known singer, song writer, and spiritual leader.

MS: When did you first get into comics/art?

KB: I have been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil, my older siblings used to give me pointers on how to draw Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z until one day I could draw the characters better than they could!

MS: Do you have a favorite comic; title or type?
poster for TMCT

KB: I am a huge X-Men fan girl, and grew up reading Elf Quest and Japanese Manga. I am also a very big fan of Scary Godmother.

MS: Tell us more about the comic you've been working on; how did it all start / come about?

KB: I am working on a Hawaiian [version] "Beauty and the Beast" called, Kaui. It will be the first installment of a series of Native American Fairy Tales, including an Inuit "Little Mermaid". The stories are a combination of tribal legends and traditional fairy tales.

MS: When can we expect it and where can we buy it? (…and will there be an 'NDN discount'?...AAYY!)

KB: Kaui, part 1 will be available for purchase at the INC booth during Denver Comic Con 2015.

MS: Keeping in mind your other talents, what is your specialty?

KB: I really love drawing people, but I'd have to say my specialty is coloration.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for the comic book work?

KB: I started drawing comics back in middle school on my own. However during my time at the Art Institute of Colorado I had one graphic novel class with my favorite teacher, Don Long, and from then on my comic skills improved substantially.

MS: Have you worked on any other comics? 

KB: I have illustrated for Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers, Texas Indians Project, Dino Apocalypse and a few other small projects.

MS: What are some comics with Native American characters in them that stand out to you?

KB: As previously mentioned, X-Men has always been a favorite of mine. I love that there is a mutant in every race of person and for most part the cultures are represented in a good light. With characters like Dani Moonstar, Silverfox, Warpath, Thunderbird and the fact that Wolverine speaks fluent Lakota.

MS: What is your opinion about Indigenous characters in comics? Do you feel we portrayed properly?

KB: I love to see strong, confident and inspirational indigenous characters, this is what I have always loved about Dani Moonstar, she is a warrior, a strong female lead, and very brilliant. There are a few characters I feel are ridiculous in X-Men also. There is a trend of making indigenous characters often barely clothed, extremely sexualized and flat. Not having much personality behind their spirituality and appearance.

One of the best things about indigenous peoples is our sense of humor, our resilience and ability to laugh and love family even through disagreement and addiction. I feel a lot of "indigenous superheroes" lack this quality and support the stereotype of the stoic tobacco store Indian.

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comic industry and/or video game industry)?

KB: I know quite a few talented individuals up and coming in the comic, media, movie and music industries. It's truly and inspiration to see native peoples making an impact, using their talents and changing the way the world views us.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

KB: If something means a lot to you, whether it's writing or illustrating, telling a story or teaching a lesson, there will be hardships. There will be blocks in the road, mishaps and someone will always have an opinion about what you should be doing differently. Best thing to do is keep that goal in your heart and in you sight, lock it there and never give up. No matter how frustrating and hard things may get, if you really want it, you can get there. Speak life. Put that positive energy into the universe and keep building your dreams.

MS: Anything I've missed here? Anything you’d like to 'plug' (upcoming shows, etc.)?

KB: Nope! :)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

IPI: Indigenous Peeps in the Industry - 08

Hi-ho, everyone!  This portion of Indigenous Peeps in the Industry or 'IPI' - which is my on-going blog series that celebrates Indigenous artists, writers, and other creative individuals working either in the comic book or video game industry - spotlights the ever-talented, Roy Boney.

I've known Roy for some time now, have spent time with him in person, and even given presentations with him along the way. Roy is an amazing individual both from a cultural and technical (technology) standpoint, a tremendous artist, and with these great powers comes...his great sense of humor (something I definitely appreciate).

See the grin in the image for an idea of this humor. ☺ 

You can follow Roy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/roy.boney or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/royboney. Be sure to check out his homepage at http://royboney.com/.

MS: Background info: what is your tribal affiliation and where are you from?

RB: I'm a full blood citizen of the Cherokee Nation. I'm from Locust Grove, OK. I currently live in Tahlequah.

MS: Did you have a lot of cultural interaction growing up? (Family gatherings, dances, ceremonies, etc.?) 

RB: I was raised in a small Cherokee community just outside of Locust Grove known as Iron Post.  I grew up in a family of fluent Cherokee speakers. My uncles, aunts, grandparents, and parents all grew up with Cherokee as their first language. It would be spoken at family gatherings, at church, and in my house growing up.

MS: When did you first get into comics?

RB: One of my earliest memories is of going to the grocery story with my dad and seeing an issue of Amazing Spiderman and desperately wanting it. He gave in and bought it for me. That was back in 1984 or so when Spidey was in the black costume. I've been drawing even longer than that, and I always wanted to draw comics.

I had done cartoons for my high school newspaper,  but my first real foray into publishing comics was when I was an undergraduate in college. I was studying graphic design, and getting into web design. To help me learn HTML and dynamic scripting, I set up a website to publish a webcomic. This was around 1999, and the comic was called Plugin Boy.

Plugin Boy is the story of a suicidal robotic boy who could only live life when he was plugged into a wall. He would constantly unplug himself only to be plugged back in by his scientist creator. Plugin Boy developed a cult following, and I opened a small online shop that sold stickers. That grew into being contacted by a writer from Canada by the name of Matt Shepherd. He hired me to draw a webcomic series called The License. That was my first paid gig as a comics artist.

From there Matt and I collaborated further and developed Dead Eyes Open, a limited issue series about what would happen if zombies were not mindless flesh eating monsters but instead retained their memories, personalities, beliefs, etc., of when they were alive. Essentially they were people except for the rotting flesh part. We made a submission packet of 8 complete pages of the comic, and submitted it to as many indie comic publishers as we could. We received many rejection letters until Dan Vado over at SLG Publishing liked the concept. They published the 6 issue series and eventually collected the series into a graphic novel.

MS: Do you have a favorite comic; title or type?

RB: Some of my most favorite series are Spawn, the Savage Dragon, the Sandman, and the Maxx. Sam Keith is one of my all time favorite artists. I discovered him during his work on the Sandman, and I really loved the Maxx. I also really like the work of Charles Burns on the Black Hole series. I think overall, I'm drawn to the darker types of stories, and Black Hole fits that vein. I aspire to create a poignant graphic novel about Cherokees in the vein of Joe Sacco's Palestine book.

MS: Tell us more about the comic you've been working on; how did it all start / come about?

RB: After finishing up Dead Eyes Open, I have contributed short stories to several other projects. One was the Trickster graphic novel, which was an Eisner nominee. Another was the Native American Graphic Classics anthology. Dead Eyes Open was reprinted in the Mammoth Book of Zombie Comics where it briefly found a second life (pardon the pun). I also did a cover illustration and graphic feature for Indian Country Today magazine about Sequoyah and the history of the Cherokee language in technology. The story was a great success, and the cover was a finalist in the American Society of Magazine Editors Cover of the Year competition. It didn't win, but it was quite an honor to be included among other magazines such as Time, Fortune, and Newsweek.


Most of this work led to my collaboration with a few native comic book artists and writers into a project we call INC which stands for Indigenous Narratives Collective. We published a mini comic #0 a while back. It seemed to go over well, and several of us have appeared at various events around the country promoting the group. We have been planning a graphic novel about the Code Talkers. Most people may have heard of the Navajo Code Talkers, but there is so much more history with other tribes as well. Each of us has been working on a story about different tribes. I've been developing one about the Cherokee Code Talkers in World War I.


MS: When can we expect it and where can we buy it? (…and will there be an NDN discount?)

RB: As the book is still in the early stages of development, I don't have a release date yet. I totally would love to offer an NDN discount though!

MS: Keeping in mind your other talents, what is your specialty?

RB: My day job is working for the Cherokee Nation as a language technology specialist in the Language Technology Program. So I guess you could say that's my "specialty." The program works with major technology companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft to ensure that the Cherokee language is compatible with their products. For example, a Cherokee language interface pack was recently released for Windows 8 and Apple's iOS includes a Cherokee font and keyboard. These are the kinds of projects the program does.

As far as art and comics goes, I really enjoy drawing. I would consider drawing my strongest skill. I have taken on the habit of doing a drawing a day which I post to Facebook and I work in various media including traditional pencil and paper to digital sketches on my iPad. I'm nearing two years of daily posting. This simple practice has really improved my drawing skills waaaaaay more than I ever thought. It's been great fun, and it challenges me to be creative each day.

MS: Did you get special training and/or education for the comic book work?

RB: I have a bachelor's degree in graphic design in which I focused more on the illustration side of things from Oklahoma State University. I also have a master’s degree in studio art from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. My thesis was on using  digital technology to tell stories in the Cherokee language. I create two animated short films as part of the process, one was stop motion and the other was a 3D computer animation.

MS: Have you worked on any other comics? 

RB: I jumped the gun and covered that in the question above…lol.

MS: What are some comics with Native American characters in them that stand out to you?

RB: Actually, one character that I remember liking a lot when I was a teenager was Ripclaw from Cyberforce published by Image Comics. He wasn't exactly a great representation because he was vaguely Indian. I recall he was sometimes associated with the Apaches and sometime the Cheyenne, but it was never a major part of the comics. When you’re a kid, any cool kind of character that is native appeals to you because it’s so rare to see in popular media. It was almost like you take what you can get.

I also was really into Scout. The only problem was, I had a difficult time finding the comic books because it was from an indie publisher, and a kid living in a rural Oklahoma town in the 1980s didn't have many opportunities to run to the comic shop Starbase 21 in Tulsa. I actually found a few issues at the local flea market.

I also cannot neglect Arigon Starr's Super Indian. It's one of the best series I've seen portraying a native super hero in a looooong time. It's well written, funny, and offers a hero that isn't a sidekick or a lame stereotype.

MS: What is your opinion about Indigenous characters in comics? Do you feel we portrayed properly?

RB: Overall, the portrayal of natives in comics has been pretty dismal. One of the first things that springs to mind is the chief character in the Super Friends cartoon whose power was to grow in size. I remember him speaking broken English and kind of just being boring in comparison. Other characters like Turok  were just okay. I understand his character had evolved quite a lot from his earlier publication, but I read it during the Valiant comics days mainly because I was a huge fan of the artist Bart Sears.


While there are a few highlights, I think we still have a long way to go in having properly portrayals in comic books and other media. I would like to see more native characters have their own books and not be a secondary character. I'd also like to see some more mature stories about tribal people along the lines of the stories you might read in the Vertigo line of comics.

MS: Do you know of any other Natives in the "biz" (comic industry and/or video game industry)?

RB: I'm friends with Arigon Starr, and I keep up with Michael Sheyahshe. I've also started to follow the work of Jonathan Nelson. I enjoy all their work, and I hope to collaborate more with them in the future.

MS: Any words of wisdom for others (Native or non) looking to do what you do?

RB: I think the biggest bit of advice I could give is to don't give up and to continue creating. Even if you don't publish anything, it's still good practice to actively create things. Draw, paint, sketch, and write all the time. It'll prepare you for the moment when you do get a chance to publish something.  It also helps to be very passionately about comics, because if anyone ever tells you it's easy to draw a comic book, they're pulling your leg! It's a very labor intensive process, but it’s so worth it when you’re finished. That feeling you have once you send your final pages to the publisher is sooooo satisfying.

MS: Anything I've missed here? Anything you’d like to 'plug' (upcoming shows, etc.)?

RB: I'd like to give a plug to the Indigenous Narratives Collective again. We hope to publish more content soon, and we would like more native creators that are interested to check it out. http://indigenousnarrativescollective.com/

Sunday, April 08, 2012

Book News: NAC Radio Show

Very exciting news - I will be on the NPR show, "Native America Calling", this coming TUES, 4/10/12. tune in, listen, and call ! 1-2pm EST
http://nativecomicbooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/sheyahshe-on-nprs-native-america.html