Creator Interview: Jade Lowder

It's A Horror Show: The Specimen on Kickstarter until August 28th!

Jade Lowder is a Comic Creator, Writer, Artist, Curator, Teacher, Painter, and just an all around positive dude. His work includes the IT'S A HORROR SHOW series and anthology, and DEAD AND STILL DYING, written by Mark Bernal. IT'S A HORROR SHOW: THE SPECIMEN is on Kickstarter until August 28th!

Welcome, Jade!

What part of the creative process do you consider the most work? What part is the most fun?

Thanks for reaching out and asking such great questions! I'd definitely say the thinking stage would be the most work. For me that's the period from thinking through the initial layout of a page. From the initial thumbnails to layouts to rough sketches to working through the basic pencils of a page. That process involves a lot of focused brainwork versus other parts of making comics which can be more reflexive or even meditative. The "thinking stage" often involves multiple iterations of ideas, taking walks to think through movements, actions or flow and even research. I read a lot during those stages and process the story of what I'm trying to accomplish by looking at a wide variety of ideas. It can be exhausting but ultimately it's the part of the process that will set everything else up for success and so that I can lean into the fun parts.

To that, I'd say that inking is the most fun stage. The drawing is already there, the storytelling and whatnot so I can revert to reflex and make editorial decisions of my drawing. I like to listen to movies, podcasts or other story driven media during that stage and it feels like the moment my sketches actually become a comic.

Your page layouts are very entertaining in their own right. How do you set up paneling versus spread? Please explain how you formulate page set up.

Well thank you! I spend a lot of time agonizing about layouts so that is good to hear! I think my mentality when approaching setting up layouts is always to focus on the story. Sure sometimes my focus is on "what would look cool" for this page but most of the time I try to do what I feel is best for the story. So, the difference I guess between setting up panels for a standard page for a spread would be to ask myself ahead of time "what's the point of this page?" If it's going to be a spread, am I trying to show something in greater detail, stretch time, show a large expanse of time, play with space, or something like that. After asking myself those questions I can usually figure out what needs to happen with that page, spread, or what have you.

My big focus for arranging the page is always on the page turn and the bottom right corner of the page. How can I direct the reader's eye to that corner so they naturally want to turn the page. Yes, comics have a format on how to read a page but as an artist if I can subtly direct the reader's attention through composition, linework, or the movement of characters the more readable the page becomes. With layouts there are so many things to consider: tangents, flow, contrast, shot variety, etc, that I think if you start with a flow that pushes the eye to the bottom right everything else gets a lot easier to put together. Beyond that my strategy is for fun and clarity. I want to have fun drawing the thing and I want it to make sense. If my drawing, angle of how I drew it, style, or whatever gets in the way of clarity I start over.

You craftily utilize humor in your work. Was the ability to make people laugh a conscious effort or was it a skill that was slowly developed?

Again thank you so much! I'm glad that the humor reads well. I would say yes and no to your question. Yes, I do focus on the humor of the story and think about how to incorporate visual gags or just a sense of goofiness to the story. And no, because I can't really help it. Even when I tell a story that is maybe more serious because of my style and sensibilities it ends up becoming humorous for other reasons.

I enjoy helping people have fun. Fun is often an overlooked or quickly dismissed part of life. If something is fun it is automatically put into this category of unserious or frivolous activities and I think that's bullshit. Fun affects our physical health, mental health and general well being. So, in making my comics I want them to be fun. Fun for me, fun for the reader and everyone involved. For me, I love working in the "Horror" genre but more specifically I enjoy working with "Fun Horror." Horror that doesn't take itself too seriously and plays with the inherent silliness of the genre and how that can be stretched. Movies like "Return of the Living Dead," "Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil," "Gremlins," and many more do a great job of being horrific yet give the viewers a fun experience.

That's the kind of humor I like, take something dramatic, horrific, etc and turn it on its head. So, if I'm developing my humor in comics it's better to hone in on that idea.

You're a teacher, artist, constantly running Kickstarters, have art shows, make lantern puppets, attend cons and fests...

You seem to live a very full and balanced life.

How?

Oh man, that's a great question. I wish I had a succinct answer to it actually. I do indeed do a lot. As an Art Educator for a University I end up being a part of a lot of shows and events connected to that part of my life. My title is "Foundations Coordinator" for the School of Art at Montana State University, meaning I oversee the First Year art program at my school. That's a role I stepped into back in the Fall of 23 and it's been a really fulfilling and exhausting gig. I created a lot of new events for the department when I took over the job and I try to focus on connecting students to the larger world of art outside of the university. That job takes a toll and I end up completely spent after most days. I've had to draw some hard boundaries with my work life balance with school as it is easy to spiral and spend way too much time preparing things for the job. It took many failed boundary setting attempts before I found something that seems to be working for now.

Outside of working as a teacher, everything else I do is because I want to. If it's something I want to do, I'll find the time. I end up pulling a lot of late night art sessions to make it all fit. In terms of balance I wish I had a better guide for where to spend my time. If I'm not at school or working on some other event, like giant lantern puppets, I'm in my studio pretty consistently. I have two degrees in art and through that process I've developed a really rigorous studio practice and my "go-to" is just to get in my studio and stay there for as long as possible.

I think I want to start prioritizing other things a bit more in this next stage of my life, like exercise, health and family, but that means I have to give something up or slow down on something else and I'm not totally sure what that will be just yet. For now, you can find me in my studio and that's pretty alright with me.

The highly debated topic... What is the best pizza topping?

I'm gonna draw a lot of hate for this, but fuck it. Pineapple. Look, I've been to Italy. I actually spent two months there and I've had pizza in the birthplace of pizza in Naples and I've had the "best pizza in the world," and it's great. Pizza purists will scoff at fruit or anything sweet on a pizza. But Italtians will throw potatoes on pizza and ain't nobody got time for that. But hey, Pineapple on pizza fits my whole vibe. Take something and turn it on its head. Sweet, savory, why can't we have both?

Thank you, Jade!

Head over to Kickstarter to back IT'S A HORROR SHOW: THE SPECIMEN!