Jen Lee (cartoonist)
Jen Lee is an American cartoonist, illustrator, and author. Her works include Thunderpaw: In the Ashes of Fire Mountain, Vacancy, Garbage Night, and At the Edge of the Stream at Dusk.
Personal life
[edit]Lee grew up in Naples, Florida. She studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts. She was a resident of Twin Falls, Idaho in 2017,[1] but later that year moved to Los Angeles,[2] a move chronicled in her book At the Edge of the Stream at Dusk.
Career and works
[edit]Lee created Thunderpaw: In the Ashes of Fire Mountain, an animated webcomic. The comic started in August 2012 and was released gradually online.[3][4] The story follows two dogs, Bruno and Ollie, who after some apocalyptic event try to make their way home.[5][6][7]
Lee's comic Vacancy was published in 2015. Published by Nobrow Press, the 24 page book follows a dog Simon who decides to become a wild animal after all humans have vanished.[8][9]
In 2017, Lee published a longer follow-up to Vacancy entitled Garbage Night, also through Nobrow. The comic follows the same characters and setting.[10][2]
In 2019, Lee published At the Edge of the Stream at Dusk, a memoir about her move to Los Angeles to a new job, after a breakup. The comic, in which the people are drawn as anthropomorphic animals, was published by ShortBox.[11]
Lee has also worked as a freelance illustrator.[12]
Reception
[edit]Several reviewers have praised Lee's work. A reviewer for Bleeding Cool described Thunderpaw as "A unique beast that could only work in it’s [sic] native online environment... Constantly glitching and twitching with a frantic energy... As well as perfectly portraying her two main characters as hyperactive, jittery puppies it also gives her world a restless and unnerving quality to it" and added "I’d give up all my [paper] trades in an instant for more quirky gems like this."[5] A review for Gizmodo's site Io9 said "Lee makes great use of her digital canvas to convey both the emotions of her canine protagonists and the devastation around them",[6] and a reviewer for Comic Book Resources said: "The color palette seems vintage and dusty, recalling communist propaganda posters from the '40s and '50s. The style, however, is more modern. Although far more polished, Thunderpaw recalls the graffiti-like art styles that made its mark on the black-and-white comics of the '80s and '90s."[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Wootton, Julie (10 May 2017). "Twin Falls woman prepares to release graphic novel". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ a b Brown, Hillary (2017-07-06). "Cartoonist Jen Lee on Anthropomorphic Animals, Crossbows & Her Evocative Graphic Novel, Garbage Night". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ "THUNDERPAW IS ON NOW!". repoghost.com. August 8, 2012.
- ^ Sirkecioglu, Serhend (2012-09-07). "Future Comics Review: Thunderpaw: In the Ashes of Fire Mountain". The Beat. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ a b Karlson, Jason (2014-12-11). "Webcomic Spotlight - Jen Lee's Thunderpaw: In the Ashes Of Fire Mountain". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ a b Davis, Lauren (14 September 2013). "Two frightened dogs search for their home at the end of the world". io9. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ a b "'Thunderpaw': Always keep moving | CBR". www.cbr.com. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ Asselin, Janelle (27 April 2015). "Adorable, Sad Animals: Jen Lee's 'Vacancy' and 'Thunderpaw'". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
- ^ Meier, Alison (2015-06-23). "Publisher of Small-Format Comics Gives Emerging Authors a Big Break". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ Akhtar, Zainab (2017-01-05). "The 20 comics to watch out for in 2017". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ Hilgenburg, Josh (17 July 2019). "PREVIEW: SHORTBOX #11 brings together another unmissable lineup". www.comicsbeat.com. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ Meehan, Meagan (2017-04-15). "Interview with author and illustrator Jen Lee". Blasting News. Retrieved 2020-01-06.