First Comics News: You have drawn many powerful, strong females are there any that stand out above the rest for you?
Collette Turner: My mind went a lot of different ways when I thoughts about answering this question, so I guess there are a lot that do! Zombie Tramp and Lady Death from my most recent comic work though.
1st: How did you end up creating an alternate cover for “Hellwitch”?
Collette: Brian Pulido approached me about doing a cover for this project, and I have a weakness for drawing demon/devil girls so saying ‘yes’ was really a no-brainer for me.
1st: What about the character Hellwitch did you find easiest and hardest to draw?
Collette: Strangely I found her facial piercings the hardest to draw. Her wings and hair were definitely the most time consuming, but not hard. I’m just not used to drawing facial adornments I guess! As for the easiest… probably the organic parts of her outfit? There’s less pressure for them to look a certain way.
1st: Do you prefer drawing women to men and if so why?
Collette: Yes. I find that women are more aesthetically appealing, and also have better wardrobe options!
1st: Do you prefer drawing strong women such as Zombie Tramp and Tarot?
Collette: Definitely, it’s so much more appealing to me when the woman is obviously powerful and in control.
1st: How did you and John Fleming come up with the idea for “Badassical”?
Collette: I think we were chatting back and forth while driving meaninglessly around the town we used to live in. It was mostly nonsensical, but to us, it was hella funny. John just applied some of his ideologies to it and bam, Badasssical was made.
1st: What can you tell us about “Badassical”?
Collette: Some people have compared it to The Truman Show on a global scale. It’s a trio of android girls trying to navigate their way through a crazy world, dealing with the increasingly crazy things life seems to be throwing at them while also being aware that it’s all being filmed for an unknown audience. It’s bright and comedic on the surface, whilst dealing with some darker, more serious subjects underneath.
1st: How did you become the great artist that you are and how do you continue to improve?
Collette: I started working on ‘comic like’ art somewhere between the age of 5-10. My mum bought me this giant roll of paper which she would cut up into small sheets for me. I spent so much time sitting quietly at the dining room table and working on silly cartoons. I think she was a little agitated at the time by how much I went through, but she’s still kept a couple of them until this day! When I was a little older I became heavily enthralled and enthused by video games, most notably the Final Fantasy and Soul Caliber series. It was then I decided that I wanted to work in the video game industry, and my style started to shift into what it’s ended up becoming now. I went to animation school, hated it, rage quit out of frustration for a few years and trained to become an accountant. It wasn’t until I moved to Canada that I started really working at my art again, and helped by my friends and the art community, found some confidence to work at it every day. I started doing shows and got some work doing commissions and indie comic covers. Everything took off from there.
I still try to draw every day, although this is my full-time job now so I guess there is that precedent! I do try and challenge myself at least a little on all my pieces, whether it’s in the drawing or colouring stage. I think it’s too easy to get stuck in a safe zone where you just go back to what’s comfortable, but you don’t really learn anything new that way. Failure is just an obstacle to overcome and make you better; it’s not an end. Although saying that, I still hate drawing feet!
1st: Which character from DC or Marvel would you most like to be the interior artist on?
Collette: I like obscure villains, I would love to do something along the lines of the adventures of Bleez and Dex-Starr in my dream world.
1st: What do you enjoy most about doing commissions?
Collette: A couple of things. I enjoy the variety and being given the chance to draw a character I might never have considered or even known about before. There are always some favourites but generally, I am fortunate to have a wide spectrum of characters from different universes to pull from on my commission list. Above everything, though I love to make people happy, and the feeling that I can make people’s lives even a little bit brighter through my art is immensely fulfilling for me.
1st: Are you involved in other forms of art besides comic books?
Collette: I’ve been involved in collectible trading card sets, games, some character design work and logo work. I really love working on comics but I’m looking forward to branching out and trying new things as well!
1st: If you imagine yourself as a super-hero with powers what would they be and why?
Collette: I like the idea of teleportation, mostly because I find standard conventions of travel exhausting and it would be awesome to be able to visit my family in England more!
1st: How do you spend your nonart time?
Collette: Gaming! Video games are one of my biggest passions, although I don’t have as much time for them anymore. That doesn’t keep me from buying them though, and I’ve accumulated quite a backlog by now!
1st: Anything to say to the fans of your art?
Collette: Thank you so much for supporting me and being there with me throughout this adventure! I don’t have as much time as I used to respond to all your comments and messages, but please know that they mean so much to me. Reading your words when I’m feeling uncertain about myself helps keep me going! It’s amazing how much love there is in this community and I hope to keep giving back by making more art for you to see! I love seeing you all at shows too and I hope to meet loads of you this year. You guys are awesome and a bright spark in my life.
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