“Overwhelming” is probably the most apt adjective to describe the San Diego Comic-Convention. (With “stinky” coming in a close second.) The convention is four-and-a-half day whirlwind of mind-melting pop-culture insanity. So, be prepared to figure out how you’ll juggle your time gawking at Hollywood stars and starlets in Hall H, taking pictures of cos-players, and hunting down con-exclusives.
But! Before you finalize your nerd-schedule for next week, make sure to set some time aside to give some love to the comic book-folk. (It is Comic-Con, after all.) To kick off the big show, your trusty friends at Pop Culture Zoo are pointing you in the right direction of some snappy comic book folks that you should check out.
Our guide to more cool comic-book-related cool stuff continues. Next up, is Camilla d’Errico.
If you don’t know the work of Camilla d’Errico yet, you will. It simply might be scientifically unavoidable to avoid the artist’s distinctively haunting and trippy manga-infused work. You can currently find it on clothing, Moleskines, iPod cases, her own stationary set, and in a video game. And when she’s not busy with all that, she’s building a rep in the pop-art scene and working on a crazy amount of comic book projects.
Since busting onto the scene in 2007, she’s worked with Del Rey, Slave Labor Graphics, Arcana, Dark Horse, and is currently working on a mini-series for Image Comics, and she even has a Grant Morrison-written Vertigo story in her future.
To top it all off is her work on “Tanpopo,” her self-published comic book that follows the titular heroine’s journey to experience the spectrum of human emotion for the first time, with a shape-changing Devil as her guide.
Tanpopo isn’t just a comic, though. Like all of d’Errico’s work, the character has the potential to translate across all mediums. So, if you aren’t familiar with Camilla d’Errico (yet), this year’s San Diego Comic-Con is a good place to start.
Holy crap, you’ve been busy over the last few years. How do you find enough time and energy to create so much?
Great question! The answer is: I don’t sleep! Just kidding. I honestly don’t sleep much though, especially when I’m working on a comic or graphic novel. I start drawing and it energizes me and before I know it the clock says 5 or 6 am. Art gives me energy, it’s part of my DNA and I couldn’t live without it.
I have been doing tons of different projects lately and I’ve decided to scale back a bit. I’ll be working on bigger projects that require more attention, so naturally I will have to be very picky with what I do. Having said that, a lot of what I do is done in collaboration, especially with other companies when it comes to merchandise. This is the beauty of working with people who are specialized in their field; like toy companies or clothing companies. I am also lucky to have my sister, AdaPia, who helps me with the business and admin part of things – contracts, etc. – all the stuff that would take away a lot of time.
So, how many different things are you working on right now?
Well … I’m working on the Sky Pirates of Neo Terra [based on the Nintendo DS game – ed.] comic book series, and I’m working on Issue 2 as we speak. I’m finishing up paintings for a September gallery show in LA at Thinkspace Gallery, and I’m planning my stand at the Singapore Toy & Comic convention in August. I’m also working on a graphic novel project for a client, and we’re in the planning and organizing phases of that one. On the 18th of July I’m having a new Tanpopo clothing release party in Vancouver, so I’ve been working with the gallery on the clothing designs, and some of the organization (I’m a maniac for seeing everything that is being done and giving my approval).
Aside from comics, you’ve also made a name for yourself in the pop-art scene and you’re starting to branch out in to fashion — not to mention helping designing a video game. You’re not going to abandon all of the comic-book world for bigger and better, are you?
No Way – NEVER. Actually, comic books is where I belong. I will never abandon them because it has been my dream career since I was a teen. I like to have my art all over the place, and doing creative collaborations in fashion and merchandise are a lot of fun. The videogame came at a time when I wasn’t doing big comic work, so that worked out really well. Now I’m working on the comic book of the videogame, so that is pretty cool. Truly though, with a Grant Morrison comic coming up soon I wouldn’t give this up for anything. And besides, I’ve got my Helmetgirls [one of her unique series of portraits, featuring girls with, well, helmets – ed.] to crank out as a graphic novel. For now I’m working on branding it, along with Tanpopo, my other self-published story, which is now a series.
You’ve cited Faust as a story influence on ‘Tanpopo’ and a there’s a reference to The Rime of The Ancient Mariner for volume 2. How does the story use with these influences? And are you planning on incorporating any other classic literature?
Basically, the story mirrors Faust in the sense that Tanpopo, like Faust, wants to FEEL, wants to LIVE life and she agrees to the Devil’s somewhat cryptic ‘deal’ of getting to experience life in exchange for her soul. Faust was epic, it was a huge story divided into two books, so what I’ve done is taken the essence of it to set the story, then I take it in a different direction because the emphasis with Tanpopo is the emotions, whereas with Faust it was life experience. And in my story, there is also going to be a love connection, but completely different from Faust’s!
The story will develop out over 10 issues, and each one is based on another classic literature (poem, play, story, etc.) and always from public domain. The plan is to release each issue individually, then release collected volumes of 3s, and the final volume will be a huge, 1 book ending and I promise will be dramatic and alas, tragic. Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the second setting, where Kuro actually tries to get her to feel sadness and remorse and where Kuro’s boy character is introduced. It’s so cool!
You mentioned that you like to get final approval on all your projects, is that where the decision to self-publish ‘Tanpopo’ and ‘Helmetgirls’ came from? Do you have an idea how long the ‘Tanpopo’ story will be?
Actually, Helmetgirls isn’t going to be self-published. I’m working on the concept and plan really well because I’d like it published by a well known publisher. That’s why it is taking me so long to actually get it out there. But yes, I like final approval, and that’s why I will be very careful who Helmetgirls goes with because I want a high degree of control over my own creation. For now, I’ll release the artbook at the end of the summer, and that is mostly a collection of images, like the origins of Helmetgirls.
Tanpopo was something that kind of developed the way it has. I first published it in 2007 and printed only 100 copies. There was no plan for a series at all. But then people loved it so much that with some good brainstorming with my sister and input from other friends, including my friend Stephen who is helping me plot the story arc, it is now a series and we’re all really excited about it.
I don’t know how long the story will actually be, even though I plan on making it 10 books. There isn’t a specific page count, and there is already a 15 page difference between story 1 and story 2! I let the underlying literature guide the story creation process, and I was actually surprised when book 2 was so long, considering that the Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a short story. So this will be an interesting adventure for me too, since I don’t know where the story will take me.)
How close are you to figuring out the timeline for the book with Grant Morrison and the release of Helmetgirls? Is Joshua Dysart stil attached as a co-writer for the project?
I need to speak to Grant at SDCC to get more information on that. Grant is almost like God, so I have to go with his schedule. I know he’s doing movies and lots of cool projects, so I wait patiently. I’m excited to see him again because we had such a good pow-wow last year at San Diego!
Joshua is for sure still attached to Helmetgirls. I really want to take my time and do it right. And at the moment, my career has other things on my plate that are actually helping me become a better artist. Also, with launching Tanpopo as not only a book, but a brand, I’m getting invaluable experience, contacts and understandings that will help me make Helmetgirls the world-overtaking-phenomenon that I have in mind. Ha ha, no ego there!!
Ashley Wood is releasing your first art-book, as part of his awesome Sparrow series. How did this come about? (Is there a release date set?)
Ashley is my hero, I idolize him. He actually – get this – offered ME!! to do the book. I still can’t believe it. It all started a few years ago when I met him, and he knew my work. Then he had my art in Swallow 5 and we’ve been working on Sparrow now. Release date – July 27th. BUT – I’ll have pre-release books at SDCC!
How much original material will be included in the book?
There are a few unseen paintings in there, but it is mostly a collection of some of my earlier works.
I understand your first time in San Diego for the Comic-Con was pretty pivotal [from your website]. What was it about the con that inspired you to want to succeed as an artist?
There was an energy in there that I can’t quite describe, all those people were so excited and enthusiastic about the comics; they meant so much to the fans. I get a rush every time I go to Comic-Con or any other con. It is that feeling that pushed me, and continues to push me. I go to conventions to remind myself why I am in comics because I need that hit; that rush; that energy – it recharges my batteries.
What do you have planned for your booth at this year’s Con?
I will have the advance copies of Sparrow, but I’m even more excited about Tanpopo 2! It is the second issue of Tanpopo, and I put so much work into it. I can’t wait for everyone to see it! I’ve got advance copies of that at SDCC as well. I’ve reprinted issue 6 of BURN, which apparently is impossible to find anywhere, so people can pick that up to finish their collection or pick up the whole set from me. I’ll also have my new plush – Kuro. He is the devil dog from Tanpopo 1. And I’ll be promoting Sky Pirates of Neo Terra – both the DS game and the comic book.
Will you have time to get away from the booth to explore the con? Is there anything you’re looking forward to checking out this year?
For me SDCC was always about mingling and wandering around the
Convention but of course this year will be different for me because I’ll have the booth; it’s going to be a completely different experience. So what I’m most excited about is having a home base where people can come and find me, and I can show them what I’ve been doing over this past year!
I will be forced to leave my booth a few times though. I’ve got signings at the Arcana booth, and at the CBLDF booth, where I’m signing 100 copies of the Neil Gaiman print that came out in June.
Camilla will be at N11 in the Small Press area, but she’ll also be keeping busy at the Image booth, daily at 4 pm, at the Hi-Fructose booth at 3pm on Thursday, as well as taking part in a panel, drawing singer Amanda Palmer alongside Terry Moore and David Mack for the CBLDF, Friday from 1-2pm.
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