• Home
  • Releases
  • Blog
  • Design
  • Posters
  • Submission Guidelines
  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Loser City

Multimedia Collective

  • Home
  • Releases
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Art
  • Submissions
You are here: Home / Features / Questionable Comics: Tini Howard and Joshua Williamson

Questionable Comics: Tini Howard and Joshua Williamson

November 15, 2016 By LoserCityBoss Leave a Comment

Questionable Comics Tini Howard

Questionable Comics is a series where Dan Hill surveys professionals from every corner of the comics industry about their methods and experience. Up first is Tini Howard, a prolific comics writer who has accumulated credits at Top Cow, Vertigo, Black Mask and Boom, and also writes about comics for Teen Vogue and Paste.

What current projects are you working on?

The Skeptics (Black Mask Studios), Power Rangers: Pink (BOOM!), an upcoming Magdalena series from Top Cow, and a Shade: The Changing Girl backup!

Use one word to describe how you work:

Constantly. (Meaning both— I’m always working and I’m always thinking about my work.)

What’s your workspace like?

I have an office that I’m in the process of re-doing, so I do a lot of writing from comfy chairs in my house, or occasionally, my bed. My favorite space to work is my backyard, near my garden, cool weather, a glass of wine.

What do you listen to when you work?

I make playlists for everything I do, and listen to them to get ramped up. I’ll play one song over and over until I get a scene right! When I need total focus I’ll listen to calming ambient stuff.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I can’t remember who first said it, but it’s that “Sometimes, nothing feels worse than writing, but nothing feels better than having written.”

How do you get into writing mode? 

I shower, drive, or go for a long walk. Do something that actively prevents me from writing to make myself want to write!

The Skeptics Black Mask Studios Tini Howard Devaki Neogi

A page from Tini Howard’s new Black Mask Studios series The Skeptics with art by Devaki Neogi

Full script or Marvel method?

Full script. I love the real estate of plotting out a page. It’s like arranging an altar, to me.

What’s one thing you wish you could improve about how you work?

The ONE thing? Uh. There’s a lot. I wish I was better at realizing the space between over-explaining and under-explaining.

When’s the best time to work?

Early morning. I hate that it’s true but it is.

Who do you consider to be inspirational creators in your field (classic and modern)?

Alison Bechdel. Grant Morrison. Alan Moore. Annie Wu. Mariko Tamaki. Steve Orlando. Tom King. Chelsea Cain. Spike Trotman.

Joshua Williamson

Joshua Williamson is a veteran comics writer who has helmed series for Image, Marvel and now DC and Vertigo

What current projects are you working on?

Nailbiter for Image Comics, Birthright for Skybound/Image Comics, The Flash for DC, Frostbite for Vertigo.

Use one word to describe how you work:

Busy?

What’s your workspace like?

I have a home office that I work out of. I have a desk, a couch, a small chair and a huge bookshelf with a TON of books and toys, statues, etc. It’s been a bit of a mess lately. I recently put a TV in there but it’s never on. I forget it’s there most of the time. I mostly work out of a writing chair with my laptop that I have that allows me to get really comfortable when I dig in. I have a laptop tray with a fan built in to keep the heat of the laptop from cooking me alive. My wife will make fun of me because she’ll walk into my office and I’ll be in that chair with my headphones on with a hoodie up, and working on my laptop. It looks like I’m in a small space shuttle about to take off.

I have stacks of comics and notebooks around. Glasses of water and coffee. At the end of each week I clean up my office but usually by mid-week its a mess again. I mostly don’t notice because I get lost in the work. My desk has notebooks and notepads on it but that’s really it. I don’t keep too many toys on my actual desk. But since my office is full of comics and I have a bunch of art on the walls I’m constantly inspired.I don’t keep any magical totems around because at the end of the day all I need is my notebook, my laptop and to be left alone.

What do you listen to when you work?

Each book I work on gets its own playlist that I build as I develop the story.

Then I listen to two stations on Pandora: Film Scores and EDM. Two different but at times similar types of music but if I hit my much desired flow with the work it just becomes white noise. The real goal is when the music stops and I don’t notice. That I’m so in the flow that I’ve been writing for hours and it’s been silent.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

That is difficult to nail down. I’ve been very lucky to be around a lot of creators much smarter than I.

I think it’s “write a book you’d buy.”

How do you get into writing mode? 

I threat it like a job. I get up in the morning, make coffee and get to work. I answer a few emails and then do a solid four hours of uninterrupted writing. BUT I also do a LOT of notebook work and planning things out before I start on the laptop.

The notebook work is key to me. I’ll go for walks the day before, sometimes a drive, but I’ll get all the ideas, structure and some lines of dialogue in that notebook. In my head… I have to visualize the comic. As if I were holding it in my hand. I can see the page turns and how the comic plays out and the aspects of it that excite me and would turn that book into a page turner. Once I have that I can start writing. I’m a bit of a workaholic so I’m not even sure if I really have a writing mode? Is it fair to say I’m always in the writing mode?

Frostbite comic Vertigo

A page from Joshua Williamson and Jason Shawn Alexander’s new Vertigo series Frostbite

Full script or Marvel method?

Full script. It helps me develop the story and ideas more as I go. Helps me see how the story will be told. But I try to communicate with the artists much as possible to make sure it’s a collaboration.

What’s one thing you wish you could improve about how you work?

Patience? Taking my own advice? I noticed that when I try to rush or I force it or get caught up in my own head with bullshit, I’m not as happy with the work. But when I let myself take a deep breathe and let it come on its own organically I’m happier. I get anxious about an idea and it’s not the same. I like taking my time and planning ahead. I’m always searching for the flow. The calmness that comes from confident writing. I have days where I hit that beat and its great… if I could get that everyday that’d be awesome.

When’s the best time to work?

I’ve noticed I get the most work done in the morning. I used to be much more of a night owl, but now I really try to get the most writing done first thing. So I’ll write from 8am to noon or 1pm depending on how well I’m doing. Then I take a break, deal with the business of comics and do some lighter writing for a few hours. Then I do some notebook work to help plan for the next day. But those morning hours are the most intense.

Who do you consider to be inspirational creators in your field (classic and modern)?

Bendis, Kirkman, Geoff Johns, Jason Aaron, Peter David, Frank Miller, Carl Barks, Don Rosa, Mark Waid, Jack Kirby, Brubaker, Warren Ellis… and Garth Ennis. Oh and Brian K Vaughn. And many many more. Sort of studying their work in a way. I’ve been reading comics my whole life and I feel like I’ve always been a student of the medium. So I’ve taken in  from a lot of different creators and comics over the years. Whenever I really like a book I’m always l thinking “how did they do that?”

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Features, Interviews Tagged With: Joshua Willimson, Questionable Comics, Tini Howard

About LoserCityBoss

It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

SOCIAL

FacebookInstagramTumblrTwitter

Buy Loser City Apparel

loser city T-shirt

Be a Loser

Sign up for Loser City's mailing list to receive weekly updates about the latest articles, shows, and releases.

TRENDZ

Anatomy of a Page art Austin CBS comedy comics Dark Horse DC DC Comics documentary Fantagraphics Film Fossil Records Games HBO hip-hop horror humor IDW Image Comics Indie indie comics jake muncy manga Marvel Marvel Comics Melissa Benoist Music penny dreadful Pete Toms punk Questionable Comics Review Ryan K Lindsay sci-fi Seattle Showtime Supergirl SXSW Television the CW TV video games Video of the Week ymmv

Top Posts & Pages

  • Below Her Mouth is Yet Another Disappointing Film About Lesbian Experiences
  • Lost in My Mind: I Believe in Unicorns is a Gauzy and Inventive Exploration of Girlhood
  • Codeine Crazy
  • Anatomy of a Page: Lone Wolf and Cub Omnibus Vol. 1 Pg. #672
  • Fluid Exchange: Stjepan Sejic's Sunstone
  • Fluid Exchange: I Roved Out by Rupert Everton
  • Her, She Can Go Quietly: On Steve Albini's Ally Status
  • Poetry: My God, My World
  • Twitterpocalypse Now: Cormac McCarthy's The Feed
  • All Things Must Change: Silk Rhodes' Debut is Delicious Audio Foreplay

Follow Loser City

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
Instagram did not return a 200.

Follow loser_city on the Gram

Loser City is…

Comics, shows, a secret critical network -- we aim to fail big.

Danny Djeljosevic: Co-Founder

Morgan Davis: Co-Founder

Nick Hanover: Glorious Godfrey of LC

David Fairbanks: Creative Writing Editor

Kayleigh Hughes: Film Editor

Julie Muncy: Games Editor

David He: Assisting Consultant*

Contributors: Nate Abernethy, John Bender, AJ Bernardo, CJ Camba, Liam Conlon, Daniel Elkin, David A. French, Rafael Gaitan, Dylan Garsee, Stefanie Gray, Johnson Hagood, Shea Hennum, Zak Kinsella, Austin Lanari, Marissa Louise, Francesca Lyn, Chase Magnett, Justin Martin, Diana Naneva, Claire Napier, Joshua Palmer, James Pound, Mike Prezzato, Lars Russell, David Sackllah, Keith Silva, Nicholas Slayton, Carly Smith, Ray Sonne, Tom Speelman, Mark O. Stack, Dylan Tano, Mason Walker

Art

Why So Angry: Refusing to Forget Stories of Abuse

Poetry: My God, My World

Comic Cinema Club: Sorcerer by Rafael Gaitan and Mike Prezzato

Nonfiction: Progeny in Crisis by Kayleigh Hughes

The Persistence of Synergy: Scenes from the Stock Business Photo Prison Hellscape

More Art

Interviews

Dhani Harrison Plots His Own Path With Solo Debut In///Parallel

Boston Terriers and Desert Vibes: A Conversation with Jay and Sanders Fabares of “The Pale”

Questionable Comics: Becky & Frank and Rachael Stott

More Interviews

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in