Women in Comics Month: Interview with Dawn McTeigue

In honor of Women in Comics Month this March, PREVIEWSworld talks with artist Dawn McTeigue!

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PREVIEWSworld: Who is your current comics employer?

Dawn McTeigue: I’m a freelance comic book artist & have the pleasure of working for many different companies.

PREVIEWSworld: What is your primary job title? In a quick phrase or two, could you define your job’s key responsibility?

Dawn McTeigue: I’m a penciller & colorist in both digital & traditional media.

PREVIEWSworld: Could you please explain how your work helps make comics a reality? (Connect the dots for us. Where are you in the flow of getting a book into reader hands?)

Dawn McTeigue:

I’m in the art stage of the pipeline. Once the script is done, I begin work on the interior art -in the case of DiVinica (Rothic) which is the series that I do interiors for, I both draw & color the interiors.  

For covers, I’m assigned the character(s) to draw, and the theme that the publishers are looking to feature & I draw/colour it. After me, the art goes to final approval, design (where the script & art are put together to form a comic book) & print!

PREVIEWSworld: What’s the part of your job you enjoy the most?

Dawn McTeigue: Final pencils. That’s when the page or cover layout is done & approved, I know where the piece is heading & it’s time to dig in & focus on making the final aesthetically pleasing, have fun with line-weight & detail!

PREVIEWSworld: What comic titles have you worked on?

Dawn McTeigue:

Interiors:

Rothic: Southern Nightgown, REM: 8, Ancient Dreams & DiVinica
DC: Harley Quinn & Her Gang of Harleys #5
Zenescope: Wonderland Annual 2012

Covers:

I’ve worked on many covers (yay!) the companies I’ve worked for as a cover artist on either main or variant issues are:

DC: Justice League vs Suicide Squad #1
Rothic: Southern Nightgown, REM: 8, Ancient Dreams, Theory of Magic & DiVinica
Coffin Comics: Lady Death
Aspen Comics: Lola XOXO, Kiani
Lady Mechanika: Tablet of Destinies
Valiant: XO Manowar, Bloodshot
Dark Horse/Dynamite: Red Sonja/Conan
BDI: Joan of Arc, Penny for Your Soul
Zenescope: Wonderland, Robyn Hood, Grimm Fairy Tales

PREVIEWSworld: While there are loads of professionals in the comics industry, there are only so many folks who get to do what you do! How did you get started? How did you learn all the skills you needed for your position?

Dawn McTeigue: I’ve always drawn, from the time I could hold a pencil and one of my childhood friends, JP Roth, used to sit with me while I drew. Years later, in 2011, she contacted me and asked if I still drew & if I’d be willing to work with her to draw some of her characters from her novels that she was turning into comic book series. While I so loved the comic art style, I didn’t feel that I was good enough to get into the industry for real, she refused to take my “no” for an answer & it’s something I’ll be grateful to her for till the day I die! In March 2012 the first Rothic comic was published & that’s how I got into comics.

I had SO much to learn about comic art back then and still do now, but I’m learning on the job every day, trying to improve in my weak areas & become a better artist.

PREVIEWSworld: Talk to us about the heroic people in your comics life. Who do you admire? Who inspires you? Why?

Dawn McTeigue: There are so many people I admire, it could take up the whole page, or more! However, there are a select few who really helped me while I was getting started, gave advice, critiqued my work when they could (or when I bothered them for a critique, lol) and who I’ve learned so much from, either in regards to art, setting up at conventions, how to book space at a convention, booth set up, page/cover layout etc.

Those people are: JP Roth, Eric e.Bas Basaldua, Brett Cate, J Scott Campbell, Joe Benitez, Peter Steigerwald.

PREVIEWSworld: Please tell us about the coolest experience you’ve ever had thanks to your job.

Dawn McTeigue: I get to have new experiences of travelling to places that I’ve never been before by being invited to different conventions. This year I’ve been invited to Kuwait for a convention there in March & I’m SO excited!

PREVIEWSworld: Every industry professional has something they absolutely love about comics. Whether it’s a particular title or format or audience or tradition or something else, we’re all hooked. What’s special about comics for you? Would you be willing to share a treasured memory about it?

Dawn McTeigue: I can’t think of any other arts industry where the community & support of artists is so passionate than the one I’m fortunate enough to be a part of. The audience of comic art is an amazing one! If I had been able to peek into the future as an 8-year-old avid doodler & see that one day I’d be able to make a living drawing all these amazing characters, I wouldn’t have been able to believe it! I’m so grateful to the companies who hire me & the readers who follow my art, so much love & thank-you’s to all of you! <3

PREVIEWSworld: If you had one comics-related wish—no limits—what would it be?

Dawn McTeigue: To be on regular covers for Wonder Woman &/or Harley Quinn. 😊

PREVIEWSworld: Do you have an online presence we can link to and share with our readers?

Dawn McTeigue:

Website: www.dawnmcteigue.com
Facebook: Art of Dawn McTeigue
Instagram: DawnMcTeigue
Twitter: @Dawn_McTeigue
YouTube: Dawn McTeigue
Deviant Art: dawn-mcteigue