“I am so excited to be able to share interviews with SAW students with you, so we can learn more about their work and influences and be inspired in our own creative journeys.

Today, I’m talking to Jennifer Shiman. Jennifer is currently working on a graphic novel entitled World’s End Detective Agency. She is a comics-lover, cartoonist and animator who created an animated series called 30-Second Bunnies Theatre. From 2004-2020, she produced over 90 short parodies of bunnies re-enacting films in 30 seconds. She is grateful to have found such a supportive community in SAW.

You can learn more about Jennifer on her website, AngryAlien.com, as well as on Instagram and Patreon.”

― Donna Druchunas, SAW student & enthusiast

Donna Druchunas: How and when did you get involved with comics?

Jennifer Shiman: I've loved comics since I was a kid. Some of my first favorites included Peanuts and Family Circus (newspaper funnies section as well as library book collections)

DD: Were you interested in comics as a kid?

JS: Absolutely. I remember grappling with another kid from my elementary school for the Peanuts collected volumes at the library. I'd see him walk by with a stack and swoop in.

DD: What is your all time favorite comic or long-form graphic book or comics series? What do you love about it?

JS: That's a tie between the Neil Gaiman Sandman series and Los Bros. Hernandez's Love and Rockets. (Love and Rockets: I group their work together because I always read their distinct styles/storytelling at same time, alternating one storyline with another's, so that I considered them intertwined somehow.) I loved the Sandman and Love and Rockets series for the writing/storytelling style and the compelling characters.

Art styles: How I love Los Bros. Hernandez's beautiful black and white inkwork, each style so different and skilled (I was also a huge Archie fan, as I think Jaime Hernandez mentioned in an interview that he was, too). In the Sandman series as it progressed, I loved how the art style changed with different tales and storylines, yet the characters remained themselves every time.

DD: Tell me about your comics style and what makes it unique.

JS: My style generally manifests as cartoony and flat. Its uniqueness stems from an energy within that shows up most at pencils stage. I am also an animator, so I enjoy breathing extra life into the artwork with the addition of motion.

DD: Tell me about your creative process. Do you have a specific process for creating comics from idea to finished pages?

JS: My process for the first draft of current GN project: I’ve taken a finished story outline and, after breaking it into scenes, thumbnail and/or write the dialog both in a script file and in a crappy notebook. Then transferring into panels on 24 lb. printer paper, and cutting/pasting panels as needed, into a 18" x 24" folded-in-half paper mockup. It's been a great system for me so far; I'm on page 73 (200 pgs estimated total).

DD: What tools and supplies or apps do you use and why? Digital or Analog?

JS: I draw with mechanical pencil and ink with markers on paper (sketchbook or printer paper) for the sensory preference. I do color and animation using various programs, including Photoshop (minimally), Flash, and most recently, Clip Studio. Any writing happens in Pages on my Mac. For project org I like Trello.

DD: What projects are you working on now? Include links if you have any parts of this project online that you'd like to share.

JS: My current project is a graphic novel entitled World's End Detective Agency. Newbie detective Avery Bear must find a missing bag to save a town from the villainous dragon who happens to be her client. I'm sharing the process with patrons at https://www.patreon.com/30secondbunniestheatre with occasional public post updates.

DD: What projects do you have planned for the future?

JS: I hope to finish Draft One of World's End Detective Agency in the next year or two, at which point I'll figure out how I want to eventually share the story, either as an online comic or book form.

Tell me about some important teachers, artists, courses, or schools that have influenced your work.

JS: The work and philosophy of Lynda Barry has influenced me heavily in more recent years and has completely shifted (for the better) how I think about my own creative practice. I'm grateful to have taken a workshop with her in person.

DD: Where can we see more of your work and/or purchase your comics and books?

JS: My World's End process and 30-Second Bunnies post archives are available on Patreon. All the bunnies’ shorts can be viewed ad-free at AngryAlien.com.

Thank you, Jennifer. It’s been great talking with you and having the opportunity to introduce you to the SAW blog readers!