INTERVIEW: MICAH MYERS

Letterer Micah Myers spoke with CBI about his career in comics and his current and future projects...
JMH: Where were you born and raised?
MICAH: I was born and raised in Portsmouth, Va. It is a small 33 Navy city near Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
MICAH: I am a 29 year old man. I have been married to my high school girlfriend, Tiffany, for 10 years. We have two kids, a goofball boy names Jacob and a beautiful little girl named Charis. I have spent the 12 years since I graduated high school working in thirteen careers/ jobs until I found lettering. I was a comic book fan as a kid, but for most of my teen years I was too busy trying to fit in that I fell away from comics. I got back into it in 2006 after watching Comedians of Comedy. The movie shows Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn going to comic shops during their tour. It looked like a fun hobby. I started looking at what was going on in comics, and it was just when 52 was ending. So unfortunately the first week I bought comics, I bought Coundown #52. Somehow I powered through that and became a weekly comic shop visitor since.
JMH: How long have you been lettering comics?
MICAH: I have been lettering published work since March 20th of last year.
JMH: How did you break into the industry drawing comic books?
MICAH: I started practice lettering in 2012. Working off of practice pages on Digital Webbing. I would then post the pictures on there to get critiqued by professionals. I got my work picked apart for a while which it deserved. All my free time was spent practicing lettering. I started applying to job postings for letterers at the beginning of 2013. I got my first reply in March from Lennit from Emerald Star. After lettering one story for him, he asked me to letter another story and another. I got also got hired on to letter for other companies like Red Leaf and Pilot Studios and to letter a few pitch stories for Kelly Bender. This all happened in the matter of a few months so I was pretty confident that this had a future. In February, my wife finished nursing school and we decided that she can be the bread winner while I stay at home and make lettering my dream job. She is a great lady. You should all be jealous.
JMH: Do you have any formal training?
MICAH: I went to art school to study graphic design. I am two drawing classes shy of an associated degree. I would say I use some of the stuff I learned there in lettering. I got the Comicraft Comic Book Lettering book and the DC Comics Guide To Lettering, and read them and studied them like the Bible. I got lots of tips and help from the professionals from Digital Webbing. After learning from the books and tips for pros, I have trained on job. Also once I got started, I got lots of help from fellow letterer, Nic Shaw. He has helped me immensely, and been a real encouragement.
JMH: Who are your artistic influences?
MICAH: Richard Starkings and Todd Klein were big influences since they wrote the books that I studied. I love the work John Workman, Artie Simek, Chris Eliopoulos, and Nate Piekos, and all of them are influences on me too.
JMH: How do you focus when lettering?
MICAH: I have two computer screens. On one screen is the lettering, and the other screen is for watching Netflix, Hulu, or the WWE Network. I pop in headphones, and get to work.
JMH: Do you letter by hand?
MICAH: No, I started with computer lettering, and I couldn't imagine going back. I plan to get a Wacom tablet in the future. Once I get that I may try hand lettering with it. For now I will let the computer do the heavy lifting.
JMH: What types of technology do you use to letter?
MICAH: I use Adobe Illustrator for most part. I also use Photoshop for logos.
JMH: What was the first comic book you ever read?
MICAH: My dad had a few comics that when I was a kid thought were ancient. Like these comics came from when he was a kid. I later found out that they came out within 5 years of me being born. I can't honestly remember what exact issues they were but I remember them being Thor and Fantastic Four. When I was around 8, me and my brother started buying comics from the grocery store. We would get one a week each when my mom went out to get groceries. The first one I remember reading was Spectacular Spider-Man #179. It was Spider-Man vs Vermin, and I remember Vermin scaring the bejesus out of me. I still have the comic, and I put big X's over Vermin.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today? If so, which ones?
MICAH: Yeah, like I said before, I still go to the comic shop every week. I have had to get a little bit more picky with what I buy because for a while I was spending way too much money. My favorite character since I got back into comics is Green Arrow. So I am super happy that DC is making a great GA comic again. I have been missing that since Judd Winick left. I really love Snyder's Batman. I was a huge fan of Secret Six before the New 52 started. I dig the Suicide Squad, but I think it is missing the fun that Secret Six had. I was definitely a DC Comics guy when I got back into comics, but in the last year I have started to get a lot more into Marvel with Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, and Superior Foes of Spider-Man. I was drawn to these books because they were fun, and I think that is something that is missing from a lot of DC right now. Everything is very dark and doom and gloom. The same thing goes for books like Invincible and Chew. I love those books because even though the books deal with apocalyptic stuff, but they are super fun. One of my favorite creators is Keith Giffen. I like his writing and love his art immensely. If his name is on a book, I am buying it.
JMH: Print vs. Digital. Your thoughts…
MICAH: I like holding a comic in my hand. I like turning the page to see a surprise. I want to go to the store every week, pick out my books, and hang out and discuss news, rumors, and theories with everybody. I do think digital is a cool thing. I imagine for someone that doesn't have a LCS around them, it is amazing. I do take advantage of digital comic sales. That is how I got into Invincible. I worked overnight at a group home, and there was a lot of down time so I would bring comics. One night I forgot my comics at home, so I was looking on the Comixology app for something to read. There was a sale on Invincible trades, and I bought 9 of them over a couple of days, and got myself caught up. I then went to buying issues in the store. So it does have it's uses, but I will remain primarily print.
JMH: Talk about your lettering process. Do you start with page one or is there another system you like to use?
MICAH: I start with page one, and move through the script. That way it is kinda like I am reading it. Plus I would be too worried about missing something to skip around. If I have to do a logo, I usually wait until the end to do that unless it has to go in the actual story itself then I do it when that page comes along.
JMH: How do you choose a certain type of font? What goes into your decision making process?
MICAH: I base it on the art. I look at the style of the art and the genre of story, and make a decision from there. I have started on comics, and after a few pages gone back to change all the balloons. Even though it seems like a small choice, it can really make it all the difference.
JMH: What other mediums or genres have you lettered for?
MICAH: I have done a few graphic design jobs. I made a logo for Tidewater Comicon. I have designed some t-shirts that are for sale on Redbubble (http://www.redbubble.com/people/micahmyers). I also designed some buttons for my Etsy store where I sell wallets and buttons made from recycled comic books(www.etsy.com/shop/micahmyers). Just the other day I was offered the opportunity to design buttons for Autism Month for the Special Education Department here in Portsmouth.
JMH: What makes a good letterer?
MICAH: An ability to make decisions on design that if you make the correct choice no one would probably notice, but if you make the wrong one everyone will notice.
JMH: What projects are you currently working currently?
MICAH: Like I said this is my only job so I like to stay busy. I am working on two stories for Mike Salt. Also I just finished lettering "Monster Masters #1" for Mike, and it got picked up by Alterna Comics. So that is cool! I am lettering "Sadistic" for Kelly Bender for Evil Moose Comics. I just got hired on to letter "The Hunt" for Second Sight Studios. I have taken over re-lettering a webcomic, "SPi" for Scott Closter. I also am working on another webcomic, "The Books of the Last Age" for George Myers. I am always taking on new stories and logos from Red Leaf Comics. I am lettering, I think 6 comics, for Emerald Star Comics. They are having a big launch soon with a lot of cool titles. There are some other things I am working on that haven't been officially announced. I am always taking on new projects because I want to keep myself busy.
JMH: What future projects do you have in the works?
MICAH: Well, I like I said I am always taking on new projects, and since I am just the letterer it really isn't my place to announce them. But I do have something to announce. I got an idea for a character named Panterman from a joke I made on Facebook, but it stuck it in my head and grew and changed. I kept talking about it to my wife until she finally gave me the push to actually do something about it. I wrote out an outline, and started planning out the next step. I skipped some steps, and had a mask designed by Rusty Shackles (http://www.tabletopfetus.com/), who did an incredible job. I posted the picture on Facebook. It got the attention of Mike Salt from Evil Moose Comics, and after talking with me about the story offered to publish it. The story of the comic is Pantherman, a costumed villain in the 90's who gets busted and imprisoned for 20 years. He gets out, and finds himself on parole in a small urban neighborhood controlled by a supervillain crime boss. He has to figure out his next step of whether he will pick up on his villainous past or protect his new neighbors. I had the character designed by Kurt Belcher (http://kurtbelcher1.deviantart.com/), who is also going to be doing the cover. He made two amazing looks for Pantherman, one for the 90s version and another for the modern day. I am in the process of finishing writing a one-shot, and looking for an art team. It has snowballed really fast. If it is a success, I hope to continue with a series, but one thing it will not do is ever stop me from being is a comic book letterer.
JMH: Do you have any words for aspiring letterers?
MICAH: Since they would be my competition, my advice would be to use Comic Sans. That was what I was told in 2010 by Mike Norton when I wrote into "The Crankcast" to get advice from Chris Crank about breaking into lettering. Obviously he was joking. The best advice I could give is to just start lettering. Like I said, I was asking for advice in 2010, and didn't start practicing until 2012. I let self doubt and worry keep me from getting started. Pay close attention to the lettering in the comics that you read, get some pages and script off the internet, and practice.
JMH: Artist, CBI appreciates your time. All the best.
MICAH: Thank you for asking me to do this. Also thanks giving me the opportunity to talk about myself and announce Pantherman.
JMH: Where were you born and raised?
MICAH: I was born and raised in Portsmouth, Va. It is a small 33 Navy city near Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
MICAH: I am a 29 year old man. I have been married to my high school girlfriend, Tiffany, for 10 years. We have two kids, a goofball boy names Jacob and a beautiful little girl named Charis. I have spent the 12 years since I graduated high school working in thirteen careers/ jobs until I found lettering. I was a comic book fan as a kid, but for most of my teen years I was too busy trying to fit in that I fell away from comics. I got back into it in 2006 after watching Comedians of Comedy. The movie shows Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn going to comic shops during their tour. It looked like a fun hobby. I started looking at what was going on in comics, and it was just when 52 was ending. So unfortunately the first week I bought comics, I bought Coundown #52. Somehow I powered through that and became a weekly comic shop visitor since.
JMH: How long have you been lettering comics?
MICAH: I have been lettering published work since March 20th of last year.
JMH: How did you break into the industry drawing comic books?
MICAH: I started practice lettering in 2012. Working off of practice pages on Digital Webbing. I would then post the pictures on there to get critiqued by professionals. I got my work picked apart for a while which it deserved. All my free time was spent practicing lettering. I started applying to job postings for letterers at the beginning of 2013. I got my first reply in March from Lennit from Emerald Star. After lettering one story for him, he asked me to letter another story and another. I got also got hired on to letter for other companies like Red Leaf and Pilot Studios and to letter a few pitch stories for Kelly Bender. This all happened in the matter of a few months so I was pretty confident that this had a future. In February, my wife finished nursing school and we decided that she can be the bread winner while I stay at home and make lettering my dream job. She is a great lady. You should all be jealous.
JMH: Do you have any formal training?
MICAH: I went to art school to study graphic design. I am two drawing classes shy of an associated degree. I would say I use some of the stuff I learned there in lettering. I got the Comicraft Comic Book Lettering book and the DC Comics Guide To Lettering, and read them and studied them like the Bible. I got lots of tips and help from the professionals from Digital Webbing. After learning from the books and tips for pros, I have trained on job. Also once I got started, I got lots of help from fellow letterer, Nic Shaw. He has helped me immensely, and been a real encouragement.
JMH: Who are your artistic influences?
MICAH: Richard Starkings and Todd Klein were big influences since they wrote the books that I studied. I love the work John Workman, Artie Simek, Chris Eliopoulos, and Nate Piekos, and all of them are influences on me too.
JMH: How do you focus when lettering?
MICAH: I have two computer screens. On one screen is the lettering, and the other screen is for watching Netflix, Hulu, or the WWE Network. I pop in headphones, and get to work.
JMH: Do you letter by hand?
MICAH: No, I started with computer lettering, and I couldn't imagine going back. I plan to get a Wacom tablet in the future. Once I get that I may try hand lettering with it. For now I will let the computer do the heavy lifting.
JMH: What types of technology do you use to letter?
MICAH: I use Adobe Illustrator for most part. I also use Photoshop for logos.
JMH: What was the first comic book you ever read?
MICAH: My dad had a few comics that when I was a kid thought were ancient. Like these comics came from when he was a kid. I later found out that they came out within 5 years of me being born. I can't honestly remember what exact issues they were but I remember them being Thor and Fantastic Four. When I was around 8, me and my brother started buying comics from the grocery store. We would get one a week each when my mom went out to get groceries. The first one I remember reading was Spectacular Spider-Man #179. It was Spider-Man vs Vermin, and I remember Vermin scaring the bejesus out of me. I still have the comic, and I put big X's over Vermin.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today? If so, which ones?
MICAH: Yeah, like I said before, I still go to the comic shop every week. I have had to get a little bit more picky with what I buy because for a while I was spending way too much money. My favorite character since I got back into comics is Green Arrow. So I am super happy that DC is making a great GA comic again. I have been missing that since Judd Winick left. I really love Snyder's Batman. I was a huge fan of Secret Six before the New 52 started. I dig the Suicide Squad, but I think it is missing the fun that Secret Six had. I was definitely a DC Comics guy when I got back into comics, but in the last year I have started to get a lot more into Marvel with Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, and Superior Foes of Spider-Man. I was drawn to these books because they were fun, and I think that is something that is missing from a lot of DC right now. Everything is very dark and doom and gloom. The same thing goes for books like Invincible and Chew. I love those books because even though the books deal with apocalyptic stuff, but they are super fun. One of my favorite creators is Keith Giffen. I like his writing and love his art immensely. If his name is on a book, I am buying it.
JMH: Print vs. Digital. Your thoughts…
MICAH: I like holding a comic in my hand. I like turning the page to see a surprise. I want to go to the store every week, pick out my books, and hang out and discuss news, rumors, and theories with everybody. I do think digital is a cool thing. I imagine for someone that doesn't have a LCS around them, it is amazing. I do take advantage of digital comic sales. That is how I got into Invincible. I worked overnight at a group home, and there was a lot of down time so I would bring comics. One night I forgot my comics at home, so I was looking on the Comixology app for something to read. There was a sale on Invincible trades, and I bought 9 of them over a couple of days, and got myself caught up. I then went to buying issues in the store. So it does have it's uses, but I will remain primarily print.
JMH: Talk about your lettering process. Do you start with page one or is there another system you like to use?
MICAH: I start with page one, and move through the script. That way it is kinda like I am reading it. Plus I would be too worried about missing something to skip around. If I have to do a logo, I usually wait until the end to do that unless it has to go in the actual story itself then I do it when that page comes along.
JMH: How do you choose a certain type of font? What goes into your decision making process?
MICAH: I base it on the art. I look at the style of the art and the genre of story, and make a decision from there. I have started on comics, and after a few pages gone back to change all the balloons. Even though it seems like a small choice, it can really make it all the difference.
JMH: What other mediums or genres have you lettered for?
MICAH: I have done a few graphic design jobs. I made a logo for Tidewater Comicon. I have designed some t-shirts that are for sale on Redbubble (http://www.redbubble.com/people/micahmyers). I also designed some buttons for my Etsy store where I sell wallets and buttons made from recycled comic books(www.etsy.com/shop/micahmyers). Just the other day I was offered the opportunity to design buttons for Autism Month for the Special Education Department here in Portsmouth.
JMH: What makes a good letterer?
MICAH: An ability to make decisions on design that if you make the correct choice no one would probably notice, but if you make the wrong one everyone will notice.
JMH: What projects are you currently working currently?
MICAH: Like I said this is my only job so I like to stay busy. I am working on two stories for Mike Salt. Also I just finished lettering "Monster Masters #1" for Mike, and it got picked up by Alterna Comics. So that is cool! I am lettering "Sadistic" for Kelly Bender for Evil Moose Comics. I just got hired on to letter "The Hunt" for Second Sight Studios. I have taken over re-lettering a webcomic, "SPi" for Scott Closter. I also am working on another webcomic, "The Books of the Last Age" for George Myers. I am always taking on new stories and logos from Red Leaf Comics. I am lettering, I think 6 comics, for Emerald Star Comics. They are having a big launch soon with a lot of cool titles. There are some other things I am working on that haven't been officially announced. I am always taking on new projects because I want to keep myself busy.
JMH: What future projects do you have in the works?
MICAH: Well, I like I said I am always taking on new projects, and since I am just the letterer it really isn't my place to announce them. But I do have something to announce. I got an idea for a character named Panterman from a joke I made on Facebook, but it stuck it in my head and grew and changed. I kept talking about it to my wife until she finally gave me the push to actually do something about it. I wrote out an outline, and started planning out the next step. I skipped some steps, and had a mask designed by Rusty Shackles (http://www.tabletopfetus.com/), who did an incredible job. I posted the picture on Facebook. It got the attention of Mike Salt from Evil Moose Comics, and after talking with me about the story offered to publish it. The story of the comic is Pantherman, a costumed villain in the 90's who gets busted and imprisoned for 20 years. He gets out, and finds himself on parole in a small urban neighborhood controlled by a supervillain crime boss. He has to figure out his next step of whether he will pick up on his villainous past or protect his new neighbors. I had the character designed by Kurt Belcher (http://kurtbelcher1.deviantart.com/), who is also going to be doing the cover. He made two amazing looks for Pantherman, one for the 90s version and another for the modern day. I am in the process of finishing writing a one-shot, and looking for an art team. It has snowballed really fast. If it is a success, I hope to continue with a series, but one thing it will not do is ever stop me from being is a comic book letterer.
JMH: Do you have any words for aspiring letterers?
MICAH: Since they would be my competition, my advice would be to use Comic Sans. That was what I was told in 2010 by Mike Norton when I wrote into "The Crankcast" to get advice from Chris Crank about breaking into lettering. Obviously he was joking. The best advice I could give is to just start lettering. Like I said, I was asking for advice in 2010, and didn't start practicing until 2012. I let self doubt and worry keep me from getting started. Pay close attention to the lettering in the comics that you read, get some pages and script off the internet, and practice.
JMH: Artist, CBI appreciates your time. All the best.
MICAH: Thank you for asking me to do this. Also thanks giving me the opportunity to talk about myself and announce Pantherman.
__________________________________________________________
About the interviewer –
John Michael Helmer is the Publisher and CEO of Red Leaf Media, LLC. Red Leaf Media operates:
www.ComicBookInterviews.com
www.RedLeafComics.com
www.luckycomics.com
www.smallpressheroes.com
www.greatspiritedadventures.com
John’s creator-owned properties include: The Leaf, Canada’s Greatest Hero, Sky Watcher, G.I.s versus Zombies, MacSorly, RCMP, The Armor Guardians, World War II Comics, Dune, Master Spy!, Willing & Able and many others.
John can be reached at: [email protected] and [email protected]
About the interviewer –
John Michael Helmer is the Publisher and CEO of Red Leaf Media, LLC. Red Leaf Media operates:
www.ComicBookInterviews.com
www.RedLeafComics.com
www.luckycomics.com
www.smallpressheroes.com
www.greatspiritedadventures.com
John’s creator-owned properties include: The Leaf, Canada’s Greatest Hero, Sky Watcher, G.I.s versus Zombies, MacSorly, RCMP, The Armor Guardians, World War II Comics, Dune, Master Spy!, Willing & Able and many others.
John can be reached at: [email protected] and [email protected]