Illustratoin by JosuéMenjivar
At this year’s Vancouver Comic Arts Festival (VanCAF), people young and old, comic lovers, or simply the curious, can meet professional comic artists at the Roundhouse Community Centre May 21 and 22.
VanCAF’s goal is to build a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere that encourages exhibitors to feel exhilarated and appreciated. The Source talked with two of the comic festival artists about their journeys – Reetta Linjama and Josué Menjivar.
All-consuming love of comics
By day, Reetta Linjama is a flash animator with Bardel Entertainment. The rest of her life is consumed with comic books and the arts.
Since she was young, Linjama has been drawing and going to after school art clubs. The first time she started drawing, she wanted to illustrate the books she was reading and the stories she was hearing.
“When I read novels, storybooks, and picture books I would try to imagine scenes from them and start to illustrate them,” says Linjama, who went to animation school in Finland and also attended Capilano College.
She’s looking forward to this year’s festival as it grows in popularity.
“It’s not overwhelmingly large, at least not yet. It does keep growing. There are so many diverse comics – there are so many different genres, so many different styles. I absolutely love it,” she says. It will be her third year attending the festival.
When working on illustrations for a comic or story, she loves getting a full backstory or a character sheet from the writer. This helps her show the comic character’s personality, habits and expressions that make them unique.
She is currently working on a horror comic for an anthology that will come out this year. She’s never drawn for this genre, but is looking forward to working with fellow Cloudscape writer Kevin Forbes.
“It’s going to be a really awesome full-colour book,” says Linjama.
She describes herself as having a quiet confidence and perseverance in the pursuit of her art career. Her culture, particularly Finnish art and Scandinavian picture books and folktales, has had some influence on her style.
Comics provide escape for artist
Reetta Linjama | Photo courtesy of Reetta Linjama
Josué Menjivar discovered comics through a bookmobile that frequented his neighbourhood when he was young. Born in El Salvador, Menjivar lived in several American states before becoming a Canadian citizen.
“Comics essentially taught me a whole language of communication. Growing up in a rough neighbourhood made drawing comics an easy escape for me,” says Menjivar.
Everyday and human interest stories inspire him. His stories are not biographical, but he draws from a grain of truth. The environment he originally grew up in made him write stories about people who struggle.
“As a Hispanic, our culture tends to find ways to rationalize the tragedies of life. We try to give an answer to why things happen. Almost a quirky self-awareness,” says Menjivar. Other influences on his work include old movies from the 1940s.
When asked if he had any formal training for drawing, he admits he failed every art class he took.
“I failed those classes not because I didn’t want to learn, it was more that I was unlucky with the instructors. This is why I really focus on my students when I’m teaching,” says Menjivar.
He also notes that people recognize the artists’ styles and personalities. Consumers or fans look for creators who have original styles and creative ideas.
“I think consumers are tired of rehashed comic franchises and want more original voices,” Menjivar says.
As for the future of comics in Canada, he sees a lot of talent who want to have their voices heard. He sees the accessibility of comics that are published online helping comics reach a larger audience.
“It’s a great time to make or read original content,” he says.
His advice to future comic artists is to learn as much as they can and be inspired by everything, but don’t change their art style.
“Refine your own style but stay true to yourself,” says Menjivar.
Background on festival
In 2010, when Shannon Campbell, president and chairperson of VanCAF, was an exhibitor at conventions in San Diego, Calgary, Toronto and New England she felt the atmosphere was very mercenary.
“[It felt] very much like a retail show floor rather than a place for creatives to connect with their readers. I wanted to make a show that was built primarily for the exhibitors – where cartoonists could meet one another and network,” she says.
She adds that they are looking for quality comics – people who give something back to their communities through high achievements and “who are telling unique stories.”
She encourages people to pursue a career in drawing comics if they want to. The industry is constantly changing, so those who want to work as a professional comic artist need to be adaptable.
VanCAF is a free family event for comic book professionals as well as newcomers who want to network and learn more about the industry. For the artists, VanCAF features alternative zinemakers, mainstream Big Two (Marvel and DC) creators, web-cartoonists, and all-ages comics storytellers.
“An exhibitor once told me about a little girl who told her father she couldn’t wait to go home just so she could start drawing comics. I’ve also heard stories about grandparents coming to pick something up for their grandkids and walking away with an armload of books for themselves,” Campbell says.
For more information, visit vancaf.com.
