First Comics News: Why become a comic book letterer?
Jerome Gagnon: I’m a long-time comic book fan, but reading comics wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to be part of this industry. As a trained graphic designer, lettering was aperfectt fit for me.
1st: Have you been involved in any other aspect of creating a comic book?
Jerome: Absolutely, I also do logos and book designs as well as all the steps involved in the production chain until the books are sent to print.
1st: How did you go about designing a comic book logo for Summit Comics?
Jerome: The creation of a logo starts with a discussion with the creator of the book. I try to get as much information about the character as I can to understand his story. Then, I do some sketches based on my notes. After I have a general idea, I look for fonts that fit the concept and start playing with them. Sometimes I had graphic elements or special effects to add more personality.
1st: How does a letterer make a comic book better?
Jerome: Lettering is an art on its own. Some artists are good at it, but it’s not everyone. Overlooking the lettering can be a big mistake. A badly lettered book can ruin the reader’s experience.
1st: Is lettering more than just writing words on a page?
Jerome: The letterer also helps solidify the tone and the beat of the comic. Almost like a movie’s score or a bass line in a song. We use all sorts of fonts and balloon shapes to do it. We are also responsible for creating dynamic sound effects to help bring some elements of action to life.
1st: Do you use the art and script as a guide when lettering?
Jerome: Of course! Sometimes the writer will add some notes for me, like special effects, a special treatment that is needed to convey a specific idea, a poster in the background that needs some design, etc. As for the art, the artist’s style will help me define what kind of font or balloon style I will use.
1st: How do you tell where a word balloon goes?
Jerome: The letterer’s job is to guide the eye through the page. To make the reading as easy and smooth as possibleforo the reader.
1st: What is a font and how do you use them?
Jerome: A font is essentially a set of digital characters that we use to letter the comics. There are tons of different fonts out there with different styles. Part of my job is choosing the most appropriate one for the comic I’m lettering. It’s way faster than in the past when they hand-lettered everything!!
1st: On the story’s first page, does this involve more words than other pages?
Jerome: The first few pages are where I set the lettering style for the book, so yeah, they do involve more work. I’d say that there are a lot of trials and errors in the first 5 pages.
1st: Which comics at Summit will you be lettering?
Jerome: At the moment, a few stories in Pinnacle, I’m set to letter the upcoming issues of Upheaval and Cobalt Cricket. There will surely be others that will be added to my workload, but that remains to be determined.
1st: How did it feel being nominated for the 2023 Ringo Awards?
Jerome: It was one of the best experiences in my career. I had the chance to go to Baltimore, take part in the Ringo events, and, most of all, get to finally meet in person some of the extraordinary people with whom I’ve worked over the years. The Ringo nomination was really a nice pat on the back. It gave me the drive I needed to keep going and give the best of myself moving forward.
1st: What superpower would you most like to have and why?
Jerome: Time control! Hahahah! I really wish I had more time to get to work on even more projects.
1st: What do you have to say to all the comic book fans out there?
Jerome: Keep reading comics!!! TThere areso many great stories out there and so many more to come. Comics, like any other art, are made from passion. We know some people expect us to fail, but we’ve all been making comics before,e and we will keep making more no matter what. Long live Summit Comics!
“Summit: Pinnacle #1 is now live on Kickstarter. Featuring over a dozen stories from two dozen creators, the issue serves as the launchpad for the wider Summit Universe.”
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/summitcomics/pinnacle-1
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