- Introduction
- Part 1
- Part 2
Robert: First things first: what the heck is Comicraft?
Richard: The most common misconception is that Comicraft is a computer program that I use. But in fact, we're a graphic design studio dedicated to comic books.
How many books is Comicraft credited in each month?
It varies from month to month. It can be anything from twenty-five to fifty
different titles.
Wow! How do you manage that?
Well I don't work alone you know! There are a dozen designers and "Comicraftsmen" working closely together under my direction. Using computer technology that duplicates my hand lettering style, we're able to say yes to far more projects than I'd be able to handle by myself.
Tell me about your first job.
I came out of college with a degree in English Literature and found a job as a proofreader. I think being able to spell is one of the unstated qualifications for being a letterer so it was actually a good start.
Where did you work?
Ironically enough it was at the National Computing Center in England.
Were American comics and letterers even a factor for you then?
Growing up I was exposed to comic books such as EAGLE, TINTIN, ASTERIX and 2000AD, as well as a healthy dose of Marvel books. In Europe there's a different attitude towards type and graphic design. When I started working in America, I brought that style with me whether I liked it or not.
Were you an established lettering talent before moving to the U.S.?
Yes, but I was an editor and designer at Marvel UK for five years before I decided to give my attention to lettering full time. When I moved to the States in '89 I was basically just doing books to get by. I wanted to travel across America and, hopefully, around the world. I had a 'round-the-world ticket and I was going to kick back for a year. But that didn't work out.
What happened?
When I moved from New York to California, I learned the graphic design programs on the Macintosh. Then I learned how to digitize my lettering style. I knew that I needed to be able to turn books around overnight if I wanted to make the grade as a letterer. This seemed to be the way to do it.
Did that lead to the creation of Comicraft?
That's where it started. In 1992 work at Marvel was plentiful because Image Comics had lured away quite a number of letterers. I made a habit of picking up the books that these people were leaving behind. By the time my first regular book, SLEEPWALKER, was drawing to a close, I was lettering it with my computer font. By this time I'd hired my first assistant, John Roshell. That was all when I was still working out of my apartment. Today, the Comicraft studio fills out over 750 square feet in downtown Santa Monica.
What type of limitations are there on the level of creative expression that can be incorporated in lettering and design as compared to writing or penciling?
I believe that you're only limited by your imagination. It doesn't matter if you're working with a pencil, a computer, or a ten penny nail dipped in ink. If you have the talent and the imagination your tools can't limit you.
When is Comicraft work at its best?
When people don't tell us what to do. It's great when an editor or artist trusts us to do a good job. Perhaps, that's why the X-office gets the most out of us. They leave us to do what we do best.
Is there some type of bible for figuring out how to spell all those sound effects or do you just sit around making the sounds in slow motion and try to spell them out afterwards?
Most writers will spell out the sound effects they want on a particular page. But nine out of ten will use too many letters so we usually trim them down.
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