April 8, 2019

Jarad Greene ’17 just sold his first graphic novel, Scullion! So a big congratulations on your graphic novel debut, Jarad. He is the administrative and development coordinator at The Center for Cartoon Studies. In 2017, he was selected to represent CCS on the judging panel for the Cartoonist Studio Prize, which selected Eleanor Davis for Libby’s Dad (Retrofit and Big Planet Comics) and Christina Tran for “On Beauty.” His mini-comic Memories of a Former Porcelain Doll won a 2017 MICE mini-grant. He recently did the following interview with Angela Boyle ′16.

Who was your thesis adviser and how did it work out?

My adviser was cartoonist and editor Dave Roman! He was wonderful. I knew I was going to make a comic for kids, and he’s done a little bit of everything: graphic novels, short stories, collaborations, editing. I knew no matter what direction my thesis went, he’d have a great perspective. He helped me see how a little change could have a huge ripple effect on my story.

How did winning the MICE mini-grant for Memories of a Former Porcelain Doll seem to affect sales of the comic? Did you get more press in general?

It certainly did at MICE that year, since my comic was recognized on a special table with the five other grant winners. I think I made the first run about 75 copies and almost completely sold out (I hand-cut spot gloss for the front and back covers, which prevented me from making a larger run). I’ve never experienced that kind of reaction to my work before. People would circle back later in the day and tell me how much it meant to them or helped them to understand what their friend or family member went through with their acne issues; it was a very moving experience. It got a positive review and was featured in a presentation at the 2018 Graphic Medicine Conference. I don’t do a ton of shows, so I’m curious to see what happens when I release the next part; I might have to kick my publicity attempts up a notch.

How did you get Scullion picked up by Lion Forge? Did they find you or did you submit to them?

My original editor Hazel Newlevant had asked me to pitch something to Lion Forge. I had worked with Hazel as a coloring intern at LF and as a flatter on their self-published book Sugar Town, so they knew my comics and work ethic. Lion Forge’s interest in Scullion coincided with me meeting my literary agent, Kelly Sonnack, who finalized the deal. A lot of things came together all at once; it was very exciting!

What are your tasks as Administrative and Development Coordinator at CCS?

We all wear so many hats here at CCS. I oversee the production lab, ordering supplies, helping students with software, and answering comics production questions; I give tours and respond to a variety of inquiries, from prospective students to local businesses who are looking to hire a cartoonist. On the development side, I help with our different fundraising efforts and alumni relations to help show how the world how great CCS is! If you see a CCS Instagram post with a visiting artist, or our students out doing some activity, that’s usually me. I sometimes have to pinch myself that I get to work at such an incredible place.

What comics are you working on now?

I’m currently completing Scullion, plugging away on the last 50 pages of inks before moving on to coloring. It’s an action-adventure comedy of errors that feels a bit ambitious for my first book, but I’m really proud of it. I’ve never written something so long or complicated, with such a huge cast of characters. I feel like I’ve leveled up tremendously. I started out making comic strips for my school newspapers about 15 years ago, and the leap into long form in the last few years has been an amazing challenge.

Besides my own comics, I frequently help out with comics coloring and flatting. In the last six months, I’ve worked on Tillie Walden’s ′16 and Kristen Gudsnuk’s new books and assisted colorist Braden Lamb on Raina Telgemeier’s and Gale Galligan’s graphic novels, all coming out in the next year or so. It’s been a busy and surreal year working on all these projects.

See more of Jarad’s work online: jaradgreene.wordpress.com