Name: Kat Leyh
Website: www.katleyh.com
TrunkSpace: How would you describe your art style?
Leyh: Hard to say. I’ve pulled inspiration from a lot of different places and my style is still evolving. It’s simplified but not especially cartoony.
TrunkSpace: Can you tell us about your run on “Lumberjanes” and how you came to be involved with the series?
Leyh: I had been writing and drawing my own comics for a time and posting them online. That’s how I became acquainted with Shannon Waters, which led to me doing short comics for several KaBoom series. When Noelle decided to move on from the series, based on my previous work, the team thought I’d be a good fit for the series.
I was nervous about working on an already beloved series, but I did my best to blend my writing style with my predecessors’. Once I got a feel for it, I found writing for the series to be delightful, and right in my wheelhouse. It helps that my co-writer, Shannon, and the rest of the “Lumberjanes” team is supportive and encouraging.
TrunkSpace: You’re bringing your art styling to “Lumberjanes” with the covers, but creatively you’re spending more energy in the writing of this series, correct?
Leyh: Yeah, I’ve been doing the main covers since issue 24, but at this point I’ve written over 20 issues, so that’s where I spend most of my creative energy for the series.
TrunkSpace: What aspect of working in comics is a bigger thrill for you? Is it with the writing or with the art?
Leyh: There is something very exciting about writing something and not quite knowing how the artist will interpret it. That is usually a lot of fun. But I’m an artist at heart and at the end of the day, drawing is still my favorite part of creating comics.
TrunkSpace: When did you first discover that you had a talent for drawing?
Leyh: I don’t recall ever NOT loving to draw. In elementary school the other kids liked my drawings, and so I just never stopped.
TrunkSpace: Were comics an important aspect of your upbringing and if so, what did they offer you that other pop culture platforms could not?
Leyh: I didn’t read comics growing up. I was really into animation (still am), and started reading manga in high school, my interest in comics took off from there. I adore it as a medium to tell stories because of how much creative control one, or a handful of people have, in telling a story.
TrunkSpace: What has been the biggest surprise thus far for you in terms of working within the comic industry? Have you learned or discovered something that you were not aware of before you started your career?
Leyh: I suppose I’m always surprised when people know who I am? That’s a treat.
TrunkSpace: If you could grant yourself the ultimate comic book industry dream job, what would it be and why?
Leyh: I would say I already have it!
TrunkSpace: What else can fans of your work look forward to in 2017?
Leyh: I’m working on an OGN right now – getting back to the drawing I love to do – but I can’t say much else about that right now 😉
