This time around I interviewed Christine Caton, an aspiring artist and comic creator.
Christine Caton’s list of experience keeps getting longer. Armed with a B.A. in graphic design and digital arts and a minor in visual arts, Christine has been spreading her work all over New York for years.
WITA: Hi, Christine! All right. Let’s start off with the basics. Tell me a little about yourself. Becky told me you’re a manager now at the Disney Store on Long Island, where you were previously an employee. Did you grow up on LI?
Christine: I was born in Queens and lived there for the first eight years of my life. I moved to Massapequa with my family and have lived on LI ever since. I started out at the Disney Store as a seasonal [employee] for the Christmas season back in 2002 and became a manager within two years. I’ve since worked in nearly every store in my district and now am a senior assistant store manager.
WITA: Tell me about your experience so far at Disney. What made you decide to stay working for the company after the Christmas season and later move up to the manager position?
Christine: Well, I’ve also always loved Disney and always wanted to work for a Disney Store when I was younger. This actually goes way back to when I first moved here. At first I didn’t like the Island, I didn’t like my new school, I didn’t like saying goodbye to my old friends … I did however, like going to the Sunrise mall because the Disney Store was being built and it was so much fun to watch! Growing up, when I went to the mall with my family it was tradition to go to the Disney Store. Later on when I was in middle school and going to the mall with just my friends, we would spend a lot of time there just because we were all into Disney and seeing the movies and all. The mall actually had a movie theater at the time, so again, it was “tradition” for us to go see a Disney movie and then go to the Disney Store.
WITA: Disney seems to hold a special place in every kid’s heart, but the fact that your love of all things Disney stayed with you over the years sets you apart from the rest. You’re also an upcoming comic creator. Did Disney have anything to do with your love of comics? What got you interested in comics and making them?
Christine: When I was younger I always wanted to be a Disney animator. Everybody always enjoys a good Disney classic, but me, I think I actually enjoyed the documentaries about the creators more than the actual movies! The comics didn’t come until later on. Batman was actually my first “hero.” I met him at my sister’s friend’s birthday party, and I was curious, so I started getting into comics. When I was in sixth grade, I helped paint a giant mural of Spider-man and it turned out so good that they invited me to join the comic book collector’s club. I really liked that I was the only girl in the club and just being around other people my age who had the same interests was awesome!
I do have some background in animation, but my first love will always be comics. I’m really into fantasy art and illustration, and I create whatever inspires me at the moment. With comics, it’s really cool because your pictures and text come together to tell the whole story—rather than just plain illustration, where the artwork is only a part of it.
WITA: I love Batman, he’s one of my favorite comic book superheroes. When I was a kid I loved watching the cartoon Batman: The Animated Series. Wow, so your passion goes way back! That definitely says something when you’re interested in what goes into a piece of work sometimes more than the work itself (believe me, I know, I’m the same way with a lot of things!). It surprises me, though, that you weren’t intimidated by the male dominance that so often comes along with an area like comics—although GEN is proof that females have been on the scene for years and are only becoming more prominent. It’s good that you found your niche early on.
Christine: The male dominance thing never really fazed me in a negative way. My sixth grade teacher (who was a man) really encouraged the comic book passion in me, and I guess I was just lucky that I was surrounded by people who were really supportive. Most of my illustration teachers/professors were really encouraging because they found it refreshing that a girl could get into such a guy-dominated environment.
There was one time … It was my first time showing at a convention and all the artists appearing in the show got there about six hours before the convention to set up. Everybody had a lot of questions and I did, too, but for some reason the art director was really rude and dismissive towards me … until he saw my work. Then he told me that my art was really great and that I was really talented, and if I needed anything for the duration of the convention that I should come to him. It was the strangest thing. He would bring me water if I would just comment in general to the people I was with that I was getting thirsty, and he came and found me at the reception and made it a point to introduce me to all the established artists. I will never forget that moment for as long as I live. It was like he was ignoring me just because I was a young girl, and then when he saw my work, he suddenly had respect for me. That to me is just amazing. All of a sudden it didn’t matter that I was being treated unfairly because I was a girl. All that mattered was that my art was enough to change somebody’s mindset. It made me feel powerful.
WITA: There still is that denial of women in many places once primarily male, like comic books or gaming. A lot of work does go into comics, which is part of why they fascinate me. It always annoys me that people don’t realize that. They think that comics are just read by kids or unattractive men in their forties who have no lives. And nowadays comic storylines are so much more “grown-up,” inviting a wider range of age groups and people into the comic book world. Along with fantasy art and illustration, what else are you interested in pursuing (and have been delving into)? Writing stories to go along with comics, for example. And what parts of illustration? Inking, penciling, coloring, drawing, etc.—or would you like to do all of it?
Christine: Right now I do write all my own comic stories. If I were to do comics as a career, I would prefer to do the penciling. Inking has never been my favorite thing to do, but when I actually do it all, I enjoy it all. I just enjoy being creative in my art and just doing what inspires me. If a comic idea comes to mind, then I will go ahead and do it all. And animation is fun and challenging. There’s nothing like seeing something that you created come to life right before your eyes. But after actually doing it, I’ve found that it’s not for me. My true love is the two-dimensional page, and comics will always be my passion.
WITA: Keepin’ it old school, I like it!
Christine: When I was a senior in college, my thesis project was a comic book that I created to be printed. I called it a mixed media comic book because it was just that: I lettered it all using everything from colored stickers to jewelry beads to Photoshop textures I created myself … the possibilities with this project were endless. And I wanted to make the overall “feel” of it very heavy. It was going to be displayed in an art gallery of all places, and I really wanted to do something crazy and different. Getting back to what you said about the misconception that comics are for the kiddies and the non-ambitious, I wanted to show that it’s really not, that anybody can enjoy it … From little kids riding their bikes to the comic book store to the older lady in a business suit at an art gallery, comics are for whomever has an interest or a passion in it.
WITA: Your thesis project sounds really awesome. What was the comic about, and what were people’s reactions to it?
Christine: The comic was about an overworked comic artist who ultimately gives up the business to pursue life and find his true passion. It was pretty well received by all my peers and professors (I think even some of the old school art professors were previously rolling their eyes at the thought of displaying a comic book in a gallery) and everybody at the reception seemed to like it. I sold out that night but I recently got some more printed up that I’m bringing with me to Big Apple Con.
WITA: When is that? Your comic sounds really neat!
Christine: Big Apple Con is June 7–8 at the Penn Plaza Pavilion in NYC. They usually do a couple of conventions a year, and it’s always tons of fun. It’s only $15 to get in, which I know is really cheap compared to most other conventions out there.
WITA: Awesome. I hope you have fun! I really wish I could see that comic—the variety of it just sounds amazing. You mentioned, too, that you have background in animation. Are you interested in continuing that at any time in the future?
Christine: I don’t think I can single-handedly do that, but maybe one day, with the efforts of all the creators, all the fans, and all the people like myself who have dreams (like the GEN for example), we can show that comic book art is a respectable medium.
WITA: I certainly hope so. Not only do people need to realize the presence of females (not to sound feministic, but it’s true) in the comic book and other communities, we need to tackle stereotypes and misconceptions about the people we are and the passions we love.
Christine: I agree.
WITA: What are you working on now—including anything else for Big Apple Con? Any other new projects or events?
Christine: I’ve been really into horses, so there are some new horse pictures on my website. I just had a whole bunch of trading cards printed up that are centered around my fairies and characters from my other comic book, Nightfall. Mainstreet can be viewed on my website. The past couple of weeks and the coming weeks are going to be dedicated to getting ready for Big Apple. I’m going to have tons of prints, trading cards, and some updated postcards, and the Mainstreet comic will be available for sale.
WITA: Your art is definitely interesting, and you have a unique style that’s very original. As for the horses, have you always loved them or is there a story behind that? Like, did you know someone who owned some or did you ever own any or take lessons?
Christine: No, I was actually scared of them the first time I went horseback riding! There’s no big story other than just that I love animals, and like I said, my art is based on whatever inspires me at the moment. There’s actually a lot of farms right by where I work, so I see the horses almost every day. This week it’s horses, next week it might be bears or lions.
WITA: Back to the comics. What kind of comics are you interested in, and what comics, or who, influenced your style or inspired you? Do you have any favorites (besides Batman)?
Christine: Spider-man will always be my favorite. I love all the Marvel characters and I especially enjoyed the Marvel Civil War series. I love Daredevil, the Punisher, Iron Man, FF4 … I stopped reading X-men because of Joss Whedon, but Marvel is still where it’s at for me. I also love Witchblade and The Darkness. I will pretty much read anything that catches my eye. When I first started reading Spider-man, John Romita Jr. was drawing him, so he was really my first comic creator hero. Now I’m really into David Mack’s artwork, and I also like Alex Maleev, Tim Bradstreet, Greg Horn … just to name a few. It’s probably easier to name the ones I don’t like! If the style is strong and creative and makes a passionate statement, then I like it. It has to say something to me.
WITA: Great picks, and as a side note, in regards to Iron Man and even a lot of the ones you named, today is certainly a great time to be alive with all the comic book movies coming out—and it really does wonders for interest in comics themselves. But I agree: I can pretty much pick up anything as long as there’s something in it that speaks to me. And that’s what great art is about.
Christine: I think you just summed up my whole entire tirade in two sentences.
WITA: Haha! Well, Christine, I think that about sums everything up pretty nicely. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Christine: Yes—come to Big Apple Con! It’s been really great talking to you, Stephanie. Thanks so much for your time!
WITA: It was great talking to you, too! Thanks again, Christine! Good luck!
Christine: Thanks a lot!
How would Christine describe herself?
Christine: I am extremely outgoing, extremely passionate, and extremely dedicated to everything and everyone I surround myself with. I’m a big dreamer. I’m very into comics and very much into art. My own and other people’s, too.
You can check out more of Christine’s art—including drawings, fairies, paintings, collages, digital art, and comics—on her website, www.christinecaton.com.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:30 am
Wow, she has a very unique art style. I will have to make it a definite to view her website for more on her. Thanks.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Yay for Christine. I was lucky enough to get one of her first copies of her comic book last year. She was always one of my fav. employees at TDS!