Gladstone’s Revenge is on Kickstarter and it’s just about to cross the 5K mark. Could it be you who puts it over? Go on, be a hero! What are you waiting for?!! Do it! Do it now!!!

tinyurl.com/GladstonesRevenge

Today we’re talking to Patrick Brosseau who has been our letterer on ‘Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors’ for just about a decade now. He’s worked for every comics publisher under the sun and even lettered when lettering was done by hand in the days before personal computers.

MARK: Hi, Patrick.

PATRICK: Hi, Mark! Hope you’re doing well!

MARK: Lettering is usually one of those things where it can almost be invisible when done properly. Is it important that people recognize lettering as an art form? What kind of artistry does the letterer on a book usually bring to the table?

PATRICK: I definitely think that lettering is an art form and should be recognized as one. It’s an important component to a comic book page and when it’s done well it blends with the other creators work on the page. When it’s done badly it’s usually the most noticeable thing on a page and will stand out and it really shouldn’t.

MARK: How long does it usually take you to letter a 22-page book?

PATRICK: I can usually letter a 22-page book in a little over a day or so. If it’s more on the wordy side with a lot of sound effects it’ll usually take a little longer.

MARK: Has technology changed used for lettering changed much in the past four years? Do you find yourself having to learn new things?

PATRICK: Technology in the world of digital lettering hasn’t really changed that much in the last four years. I’m still doing things I did twenty years ago that I do today as far as digital lettering goes. Lettering some sound effects by hand on a tablet has added a new twist to my lettering though which I started doing maybe six years ago. Because I used to be hand letterer doing sound effects by hand comes really easy to me and I enjoy it.

MARK: Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to lettering?

PATRICK: My number one biggest pet peeve is when some people don’t know the correct terminology when it comes to the world of comic creation. Some people refer to word balloons as “Bubbles” which is slowly driving me crazy. 😉 I realize it’s a bit of a losing battle nowadays because people sure love that bubble term but understand this: A floating balloon usually has a string attached to it which can also be the pointer or tail of the balloon in the world of comics, a bubble doesn’t.

MARK: What considerations do you wish more people would make when it comes to lettering?

PATRICK: That it’s an art form, that it’s a vital part of a comic page, that some think it’s super easy and anyone can do it when at times it can be difficult and require a lot of thinking and planning depending on the job.

MARK: Is there anything that writers, artists, and publishers can do to save you time and make your job easier?

PATRICK: Writers should always send some form of word document that’s formatted correctly to the letterer to make their job easier. Never send a pdf, it just never works out. Artists should always send art to their letterer in the correct format and size because the letterer doesn’t get paid on their end to deal with all that. And publishers should always pay on time and credit the letterer on their covers with the other creators. I know some do but it’s a slow crawl for some publishers when it comes to that.

The ‘Gladstone’s Revenge’ Kickstarter is live: tinyurl.com/GladstonesRevenge

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