I cannot read a comic book or graphic novel whose art I do not like. What’s not to love? What’s important to you in a comic book as a reader? As an artist? Leeward from The Wake comes to mind, partly because I just read it and mostly because she’s a badass that hang glides with her pet dolphin. What comic book character do you most identify with? He is also, naturally, the writer of SAGA. I should’ve added him to my “fave writers” list. And right now I am loving PAPER GIRLS by Brian K. What is your favorite comic series? Your favorite comic-based TV show or movie? For writers I am watching Matt Rosenberg, his “ 4 kids walk into a bank” comic was delightful, and I love Kelly Thompson‘s books. Jen Bartel is phenomenal and Sean Murphy‘s art-that painterly style of his is without parallel. Let’s see! I love the work that David Marquez is doing right now and Sara Pichelli‘s art is lovely. Who are your personal comics heroes? Writers, artists, or others who inspire you? You learn so much by just doing it, so go in ready, do your research and work hard.Īnd keep trying. What kind of advice can you give to others who want to get started in the industry?įinish your comic and put it out in the world. Women in comics are still far more rare than they could be. And I had a day job that allowed me some creative freedom so I could work on comics during the day. The internet is a wonderful tool and I used it to find artists whose work I loved, I read comics and web comics that interested me, I studied panel structure and layout. How did you get to where you are now, as an award-winning creator who’s drawn for Marvel and indie publishers? How did you learn to make comics?

I won the Queer Press Grant for “Duck!” in 2010 and became a Lambda Literary Award finalist with the sequel, “DUCK! Second Chances,” in 2014. After that I managed to self-publish a book a year.

I felt compelled to make “DUCK!” because I did not see reflections of my own queer experience in comics at the time. I got my start self-publishing in 2010 with my lesbian graphic novel series “ DUCK!” Tell us about when, how, and why you started creating comics! So, naturally, we chatted with Tana about queer representation in comics, her heroes, and her career. The comic was a highlight of the fourth Oneshi Press Quarterly Anthology. Tana Ford is the creator behind “That Time I Turned 30 in Greece,” an 8-page excerpt of the tale of her epic trip to Greece to celebrate her thirtieth birthday.

Duck! Second Chances by Tana Ford