Tea With The Crow PrincessRachel Nabors
An up-and-coming talent, Rachel Nabors, creator of the Crow Princess graphic novel, has sought to forge her own path. In between running her own community website, Manga Punk, and caring for 20 chickens, Rachel is a prolific comic artist. With three self-published books and a swathe of strips available on GURL.com, Rachel's work spans from the pluses and minuses (well, mostly the minuses) of the bikini wax about animalto a modern fairy-tale treatment of classic changeling myths.
Rachel Nabors: Well, I've been drawing stories using words and pictures since I was a little girl. Story-telling is in my blood. My mother liked to write stories, and so did I. But, I liked drawing, too. It was only natural to merge the two. You get the best of both worlds! ST: I'd like to hear a bit about what inspired Crow Princess. RN: Crow Princess was the result of a quick exercise that got out of hand. After my first flirtation with self-publishing, 18 Revolutions, I finished a script for a bigger graphic novel called Toad Prince. But, I wanted to do a smaller book first. You know, just to stretch my wings. It was supposed to be a simple modern, original fairytale, but it quickly became something much more. I found myself digging deep into my old school days and my experiences with the local crows. Characters changed to take on the personalities of people I wouldn't recognize until after I was holding a printed copy in my hands. In the end, I had something much richer than I had originally intended it to be. For the record, I hope Toad Prince is the last story I'll ever do with "prince" or "princess" in the title. ST: Can you give any little hints as to what that story will be about? RN: It's (another) modern fairytale. I have a thing for fairytales. I think that's because they have a certain cathartic property. I like telling stories that help people heal or understand. Anyway, it stars Olivia Bryce, as seen in some of my other online comics and is a twist on the classic "Frog Prince" tale. All hell breaks loose when Olivia's parents retire early to a quiet rural town, separating her from her old life and friends. Olivia tries to create her own Prince Charming to come rescue her, but she may already have one ... I've been talking about making this one for years. I started writing it when I was seventeen! ST: What made you decide to become a self-publisher? RN: The reason I began self-publishing was because I didn't want to be one of those people who always talked about what I was going to do. I wanted to do it. Submitting to publishers was great, but I knew that at my age (I was only 18 when I started putting "18 Revolutions" together), I would have to wait a few more years at the very least for anyone to take me seriously. My stories were good, but publishers would be more interested in the quality of my artwork and inking than in whether or not teenage girls could actually relate to what I was saying. One day I was listening to "Bust a Move" by Young MC, and I realized that I didn't have to tread water, waiting to magically be "discovered" by a publisher when my artwork finally hit its stride. If I wanted something, it was up to me to make it happen. And, I wanted my comics in the hands of girls everywhere who would totally relate to my stories. ST: What have some of the benefits and drawbacks of self-publishing been? RN: Distribution has been a thorn in my side for years. I've never been able to get distribution to book and comic stores patted out, and I think I've just about given up. Currently, I sell my books over the Internet and at conventions only. The girls who buy my books online usually don't have their own credit cards yet, but even if their parents don't trust eCommerce, there's always International Money Orders! The lack of distribution is annoying, but it isn't a show stopper.
RN: My comics belong to me, not a publisher, so I have more freedom than other comickers. Plus, self-publishing has that fantastic DIY punk flavor. I'd like to think that by doing this on my own at such a young age, I've really showed other young women that you can do anything you put your mind to. You hear all that malarkey all the time on TV, spewing from the mouths of little PR trolls who were placed on pedestals by their rich parents or horny talent agents, but I actually stood on my own two feet, no help from anybody, and did this! And if I can, so can anybody! ST: What were some of your favorite comics and books, growing up? RN: When I was but a wee mite of a child, I was a big (you guessed it) fairytale fan. I also loved stories about animals, and I had all of the Beatrix Potter books. I loved her art and storytelling! If only she had done some comics with those remarkable watercolors! As I grew older, I got into Bruce Coville's books and C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. I collected Catwoman and Gen13 comics for a long time, but when J. Scott Campbell started drifting away from Gen13, so did I. It just wasn't the same without him. After that, for four years I was addicted to Sailor Moon. But, I did the [12] step program, and I've been clean for years now. I still get a little antsy whenever I see blonde or pink pigtails though ... ST: Your style is slightly manga influenced. What do you think about the current popularity of manga and manga-styled books? Do you think this will work in your favor? RN: When I first was exposed to manga, back in 1995, I was certain it would change American comics for the better. I thought it would kick us in the pants to start making better comics! But, years later, I don't see much changing. The large comics publishers still carry their same, tiny spectrum of genres — right next to shelves that are bursting with about ten times as many books from Japan. I thought story-telling techniques would improve as Americans studied Japanese comics, but instead I see American comics telling the same sob stories with the same lousy layouts but now with bigger, sparklier eyes to appeal to more people! This has, as could be expected, really pissed off hardcore Japanese comics fans to the point that they dismiss anything with big eyes drawn by someone with a European name as shlock without so much as cracking the book to justify such a decree. That's no good because finally there are some truly excellent creators coming forward, people like Svetlana Chmakova, who are trying to find their place in the market and reach their audience, but now all these embittered purists are basically sticking their fingers in their ears and shouting, "Na na na na na ... I can't hear you!" Well, perhaps a better metaphor would have them covering their eyes. So although it seems like being influenced by Japanese comics would be a major advantage, it can also label you an "Amerimanga whore" in some circles. But, they'll just have to get over it. There's a large, untapped readership out there who are just tuning in on comics. I don't think they are going to care about eye sizes or how many vowels the author's last name has. When these people really get going, only the strongest, best comics will survive. Japanese comics are popular, not necessarily just big eyes. Big eyes won't get you a job or more fans, but they can mean that your comics will have to face some prejudices from hardcore manga fanatics. ST: You also have comics up on GURL.com, featuring the adventures of a rather perverted cat named Tuna and his human friend, Rachel. Would you like to talk a bit about those? RN: Among teenage girls, I'm most widely known for my Rachel the Great comics. Originally they were just about a girl and her cat, but over the years they've started to focus more on girl problems and sexual humor. Tuna went from "typical housecat" to panty-thieving, martini-swilling cool cat. Rachel went from "frazzled kitty caretaker" to embittered young woman with a passion for boots and Trent Reznor. I take on topics most teen mags don't touch, like waxing pubic hair and how we stereotype people based on their height. I get a lot of emails from young women thanking me for "telling it like it is."
RN: I prepared for Wizard World Philadelphia by printing a mini-comic collecting my most recent web comics. I wanted to be able to show people my latest and greatest comics right at my table, and it worked beautifully! I was very happy when all the ones I brought sold out! The table space cost $150. I decorated my table with pink leopard fur, and I used the high heels from my luggage as book-stands (don't worry, I cleaned the shoes first!). I also dressed up in my spiffiest clubbing clothes. I think it helped me stand out to wear something other than (albeit temptingly practical) jeans and a t-shirt. I mean, who can walk past a rhinestone studded choker and not take note? I attracted the most attention when I was standing and interacting with passersby, so I stood most of the time. All those hours on cement hurt my feet, but it was worth it to reach out to so many people! Earlier life experiences had prepared me for the rigors of a comic convention, too. I've done quite a bit of waitressing, and running a booth is not unlike serving as a waitress, what with all the standing, smiling, and explaining you have to do. The difference is that at the convention, I actually liked the people I interacted with, whereas I could not say the same thing about waitressing! Also, as a child, my mom and I used to sell things at craft shows, so transporting my stock and setting up the table weren't that foreign to me. I had a lovely time, and I cannot wait for my next con! I hope to return to Philly next year if possible. See you there!
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