Indy-Pendant is the first column ever written by Brant W. Fowler running from May 2005 to January 2007. It's a focus on independent comics creators, publishers and titles. These are the reprinted archives, which were originally published on www.comicavalanche.com.
Week 25 - Originally published on November 27, 2005
What up my peeps? I hope everyone that celebrated it enjoyed their Thanksgiving and ate plenty of turkey and pumpkin pie. I myself had my fair share of leftovers for sure, especially pumpkin pie!
But great holiday food aside, another thing brought on this holiday season is a lot of buzz about the big DC and Marvel events and their repercussions, both promising many changes. But as is the custom and the very purpose of this column I am going to take you away from all the mainstream hype for some good independent circuit style sweetness.
The past couple of weeks I have promised to showcase artist Jerrell Conner and even gave you a sneak peek at his work. Getting past a few email glitches we finally had a chance to talk a little about him, his background and his projects. So this week's column takes a slight deviation from the normal format as we get to know Mr. Conner.
Comics has always been a visual medium, therefore the artists play a huge role in the industry's popularity and success. Without the artists all we have are written stories that, in comic writing style, don't make much sense without the visuals. In the 90's the art stood out above the writing, but in today's market we have a nice marriage between the two, and when a really good team of writer and artist come along we are blessed with a magnificent experience. But while the writing is ever important the art is still what sets this medium apart from all other forms of entertainment. And in the comics industry, there is no shortage of wannabe comic artists out there trying to break in. And while most don't have what it takes to really combine storytelling with a unique style, good anatomy and perspective, there are a few that do. Jerrell Conner is one of these artists that has what it takes.
Jerrell Conner is the youngest of five siblings, all with artistic merit of their own. Born and raised in Long Beach, California in 1979, the 26 year old Conner was destined for a career in the arts.
In grade school a competition birthed a desire in Jerrell to become an artist, and thus changed his life forever. "It was open to 6th 7th and 8th grade entries. So my peers pretty much told me don't bother because the upper classmen were so much better", Jerrell recalls, "but I knew I could somewhat draw, so I gave it a chance. So out came this crappy wolverine (not from X-Men, but the actual animal was our mascot), with sunglasses (I think), ripped jeans, one foot propped up on a basketball in tennis shoes, and a shirt that said 'stay in school'; not my best work, but it won, and was on the cover!"
But this would just be the beginning of Jerrell's artistic journey. Then came the paying work as Jerrell tells it, "My first paying art job was maybe 10th grade, somehow, me and a friend started doing illustrations for this lady putting out t-shirts from their house with our artwork on it. It was a lot of work and the pay was...um, bad, but it was a learning experience none the less."
Jerrell would then go on to attend the Otis College of Art and Design searching for his niche in the wonderful world of art. He had always been admirer of art of any form, but the beautiful art in comics started to catch his eye in his sophomore year for the first time since he was younger.
"It's funny, when I was really young I remember going to the comic bookstore with my older brother (I must have been around 10 or so). He was a big influence on which books I got/read, 'cause we would share them (except for the really good ones, which he kept mostly to himself)." Jerrell reminisces. "A lot of the good stuff, the ones that stand out, were X-Men (the Jim Lee ones, starting with number 1 and on), Spider-Man (with the gold and silver covers), Dark Horse was big, with Aliens, and Predator, and Aliens vs. Predator! Though, after a while I sort of got away from comics...I think I moved on to video games and movies"
Once Jerrell saw what talented artists were doing in comics though he was pulled back into the magical world founded on suspension of disbelief. "It became an inspiration again; it was all about the artwork, it drew me in!" relays Jerrell.
The magnificent works of unique artists such as Ashley Wood and Humberto Ramos as well as art books like those of Ragnar, Celia Calle and Claire Wendling stood out to the budding artist and inspired him to look at graphic storytelling as a possible avenue for his expression.
"I was just an admirer of the art, I had no idea that my senior thesis (Revelations) would end up as a graphic novel, just a couple of years after graduation," says Jerrell. "Sometimes you just never know."
Fast forward to the present and the up and comer already has nearly two graphic novels under his belt, which he both wrote an illustrated and exhibits his works at art shows whenever the opportunity arises, as well as any other artistic opportunities that come about. When asked about his goals in comics, and in art and writing in general, his answer is quite simple, "I only have one goal - to change the world!"
In all serious, Jerrell tries to keep his goals attainable, taking each step as it comes and developing his projects organically in a logical and periodical progression, as he explains, "Once 'Revelations' evolved into a graphic novel, I knew it was going to be a trilogy, and would eventually find its way to the big screen."
Revelations is the graphic novel, once only a college thesis, that Jerrell intends to use to get the Word out to the masses in an artistic and entertaining, yet enlightening manner. But Jerrell's not concerned with the details of how he intends to achieve these goals, but rather the reason behind achieving them.
"I am less concerned with the how, and am more focused on the why. The why being of diving purpose and origin: get the Word out, show the gospel in a new and different light. From day one, that's what it's been all about, taking Biblical tales from the book of Revelations, and translating them to this medium called comic books, without it looking like traditional Bible stories."
Jerrell's love for art is only trumped by his love and commitment to his faith and beliefs, which he relates as the sole drive behind his passion for art, "They are the foundation; without them all reason in the art will collapse and fall short. For a long time I have known what I was meant to do, and what I have been called for. To neglect that is to deny His very commission to me, and cause all efforts to be void and talent in vain".
Concerning the original graphic novel trilogy, "Revelations", Jerrell wanted to relate the true story of Revelations in a way that would open peoples eyes to the depth of the content involved in a new way for modern times. "For there are some amazing stories there, both the content and the visuals that the words spark. To truly have a grasp on the stories and stay truthful to them is key. That's why I wrote (adapted), did all the artwork, and self-published this title. I was so adamant on staying true to the text, I had a vision in my mind that I did NOT want tainted by any outside studio force."
The first part of the trilogy, referred to as Book 1, took Jerrell about a year to complete, though the second Book is coming along faster, but in totality the story has been a part of Jerrell's life since 2000. With Book 3 scheduled to be complete by 2007 the project promises to be a significant part of his life for at least a few more years, what with the film planned to go into production after the graphic novels are complete. "And I'm loving every minute of it", declares Jerrell, "I just hope the readers can say the same."
But "Revelations" isn't the only project Jerrell is working on by far. "Currently I am working on this big animation project with one of my friends. We have co-founded this company called Sumasian. We basically provide entertainment services, everything from cartoons for kids' DVDs to company title intros to music videos for semi well-known bands. However, my focus is on finishing up the writing for 'Revelations Book Two', so that I can get started on the artwork and have it ready for the '06 Comic-Con in San Diego!"
And when Jerrell's not busy with all the work he has lined up he finds the time to hit an art show here and there. Recently he was a part of a show called [Art]iculated, in which a portion of the proceeds went to victims of natural disasters. "There was a great turnout and I sold a bunch of pieces from my new series, 'Deadspace' (a bunch of 'spooky' portraits of my friends from myspace[.com], which can be seen on my website as well)." (Samples of this series below)
So all you aspiring artists out there take note in where drive, passion and determination can take you if you only have the desire to succeed, as Jerrell expresses, "The best advice I can give, I believe, is to find your own voice. Not someone else's. We each have things we do best as artists. Step one is finding out what that is. The other steps will fall into place. Being an artist isn't about a competition of who's better, it should be about being the best you there is. Are you in your lane? Are you fulfilling your purpose? Are you doing what you were called to do? If so, then you can't fail. In fact, the only way you can fail is if you quit. 'Cause you'll never know what could have been. Too often people quit a few steps shy of success it's sad. Live life without regret. Yes it's a lot of hard work, but if you love what you do, truly love it (which I do), then it's not much like work at all."
And for the spiritually encouraged sect, of which I am one, Jerrell doesn't leave us out either, "Oh yeah, one more thing, pray a lot! Pray for direction, pray for guidance, pray for strength, pray for ideas, pray for favor with the right people, pray, pray, pray, to rely on our own strength is foolishness and is to think too highly of ourselves, inevitably planning for failure."
So whether or not you agree with Jerrell Conner's beliefs one can't deny the passion and drive behind his work, or the immense talent and courage he possesses. Truly an independent writer/artist with strong convictions he intends to stick to, Jerrell is an inspiration to all aspiring individuals of any medium in any industry.
Jerrell leaves us with these final words, "Revelations, if nothing more, has been an exciting journey of enlightenment for me, unearthing new truths, and shining light where only darkness had dwelled. I hope you out there are willing to take this journey as well, with an open heart and an open mind."
For more information about Jerrell Conner check out both his website and his myspace site:
www.jerrellconner.com or http://groups.myspace.com/revelations
It has truly been a pleasure conducting this pseudo-interview and I hope you have all enjoyed this look at an artist taking steps in changing the face and influence of the comics medium.
Next week who knows what's in store, but it'll be interesting as I experiment with format changes and keep things moving and growing, 'cause that's how I roll!
B.-Out
CREATOR UPDATE
Jerrell has simply kept on working on Revelations for the most part, launching a new site linked in the article above. Oh, and he got married! One of these days I'll do a follow up interview with him...
Brant W. Fowler / Writer, Letter, Creator, Reviewer, Columnist and Comic Related PR Coordinator
Brant W. Fowler has been a professional comic book letterer and logo designer for three years, and has been a freelance editor for the past five years. He has also worked with graphic design, writing and many other area of skills for several years honing his talents. You can learn all about what he's up to by visiting Gonzogoose Design. Brant is also a member of the core operations team at Comic Related.
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