We sat down with multi-published independent comic book writer Jonathan Hedrick to talk about him and his body of work.
About yourself
Jonathan Hedrick
Q: A Brief background about yourself and how you got into comics?
I was born and raised near the Space Coast of Florida. As a child of the 80’s, I grew up on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other popular Saturday morning cartoons. Spinner racks were still a common sight at the grocery store so I would pick up comics from the cartoons that I was familiar with. That led to me discovering more comic book titles over time.
Academically, I always leaned more into writing and often had teachers tell me that I should hone that skill. I didn’t think much of it but would occasionally write for my own private use. Then, one day about 6 years ago, I attempted to convert a short story I wrote into a comic book script format. When I was done, I learned the steps of self-publishing. After I figured out those parts, I kept the machine running to this day.
Q: What are your favourite comic book characters, Indie and/or mainstream?
Some of my favorites that I have kept in high regard more than others are The Sandman, Swamp Thing, Batman, and Daredevil.
About your Creative Inspirations
Q: What kind of characters excite you in comics?
The more bizarre, the better. I dislike predictable tropes. Break the rules and do something different!
Q: What kind of stories should your audience expect from you?
I like to describe most of my stories as “high concept.” They all start with a “what if” question. You should expect a story outside of the norm when you go into reading a book I wrote.
Q: What’s the last comic book you read?
I’ve been trying to catch up on Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil run. I believe I’m almost at the end of the fourth volume.
About your recent project
Q: Can you describe your latest project without spoilers?
It's the second collaboration between my wife (Francesca Fantini) and I. But this time, we were hired for the project. I can’t say much because it hasn’t been announced yet by the publisher, but it is heavily influenced by music.
Q: How did you develop the concept behind your latest project?
Thankfully, when we were approached to work on this project, we were given a rough concept to build off of. I also had a library of songs to use that influenced much of the dialogue.
Q: Who else other than you collaborated on the project?
Besides my wife, we also collaborated again with letterer Leo McGovern. We worked with Leo before on Can I Scream? And he also lettered Spillblood plus many other titles of mine.
Q: How was your experience collaborating with the rest of the team?
It was wonderful! Getting to work with my wife is a dream come true. It doesn’t get much better than that. And Leo is great to work with. That’s why I keep recommending him and bringing him back.
Q: What's your next project, any ideas you're working with?
I’ve been tasked to write more scripts for BlackBox Comics’ Dream Master. The first volume is already out and I’ve already started Volume 4.
Q: Where can people buy your books?
My Linktree has shortcuts to many of my books that are available with the publishers that they are attached to. If you can’t find them at your local comic shops, try ordering them from the publishers. https://linktr.ee/jonathanhedrick
Q: Any words for fellow creators?
This is a challenging industry. It goes against the principles of many other business models. Sometimes, it just doesn’t make any sense. This can be extremely frustrating when you’re in the thick of it.
I like to say “the best thing about comics is anyone can work in comics and the worst thing about comics is anyone can work in comics.” You’re going to interact with a lot of unprofessional people who are missing some of the basic soft skills.
But always keep your head up. Do the next right thing. It won’t happen immediately but you’ll eventually shine among the less professional of your peers in time.
Caffeinated Hearts Cover Follow a beautifully tattooed barista named Amarella across four vignettes that are blended through this slice-of-life comic book set in a coffee shop with a cyberpunk backdrop. These robust tales will warm your heart like a fresh batch of java poured into your favorite morning mug. Step inside and enjoy!
It’s not often I come across a comic that reads as a breath of fresh air, so listen up when I say that Caffeinated Heartsis the relief you need right now.
