Pheaturing Robin Edwards

PHIRST OF

Hello, welcome to the Phile, proud sponsor of tacanow.org and generationrescue.com. So, if you need someone to wipeout your hard drive, with your pics, iTunes and everything else I am your man. Hey, did you see those two kids on "Idol" performing "Slow Ride" on Tuesday. I am still flipping out. The White House has a Twitter page now. Here's what it said: "I am a building. I am not doing anything." Another: "The president is inside me. Weird." The last one: "I wish I could go see Wolverine." Fires are raging in California. Miss California immediately put out a statement saying she's OK with flaming things as long as they don't get married.

Also in California, Manny Ramirez of the L.A. Dodgers tested positive for a steroid that's sometimes used as a sexual enhancer. Apparently Manny couldn't get to third base on his own.
A new show debuted earlier this week. It's about fashion designers who compete. Sounds exactly like "Project Runway." I don't have a problem with similarities between two shows. Look at "The View" and "When Animals Attack." Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, was on Oprah. It was a really awkward interview. On the bright side, Oprah gave her a car. The governor of Maine signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages. You know what that means — gay lobsters. And finally... Sunday is Mother's Day, and there's speculation that sales of flowers will be down. One enterprising delivery service is doing something about it: "Teleflora introduces the Imaginary Bouquet. Tell mom it's all you can afford." It's Artist Month here on the Phile, and today's Artist is the talented comic book artist Robin Edwards. But first...

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

Top Ten Things Dumb Guys Think "Twitter" Is 

10. Someone who is more dumb than a twit.
9. City in Iraq where Saddam hid them WMDs.
8. That skinny model from the 60s.
7. A very tight sweater.
6. Al Gore's wife.
5. The number after a billion.
4. Two mistakes away from a no-hitter.
3. It's like a fritter, but it's toasted.
2.The first symptom of swine flu.
And the number one thing dumb guy's think Twitter is.
1. The involuntary muscle reaction to seeing Madonna naked.

May 8TH IN HISTORY

1842

Following a birthday celebration for King Louis Philippe, 59 Parisians returning home by train are trapped in their railcars and incinerated when their train collides with another. In these early days of rail travel, coaches were locked and no means of escape was available.
1902
Mt. Peleé erupts on the West Indies island of Martinique. A wall of superheated ash and rock cascades down the slopes, slamming directly into the community of Saint Pierre. The shockwave and intense heat even manage to destroy twenty ships in the harbor. Only two of the town's 28,000 residents survive the cataclysm.
1988
Science fiction author Robert A Heinlein dies of emphysema, leaving behind a legacy of subversive novels -- many of which meditate on unconventional sexual mores.
1991
In a room at Little Rock's Excelsior Hotel, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton exposes his penis to state employee Paula Jones and propositions her to perform fellatio. In her civil deposition, Jones will later claim to have witnessed certain "distinguishing characteristics" of the governor's genitalia, the precise nature of which soon becomes the subject of much speculation. For her trouble, Jones eventually receives an out-of-court settlement for $850,000 and a nude pictorial in Penthouse magazine.
1998
Former Senator and onetime Presidential candidate Bob Dole tells television interviewer Larry King that he participated in the Viagra impotence drug trials, and thoroughly enjoyed himself in the process. Dole's name soon becomes synonymous with erectile dysfunction.
1999
Actress Dana Plato, who played Kimberly Drummond on "Diff'rent Strokes", dies in Oklahoma of an overdose of Valium and Loritab. Just the previous day, Plato had appeared on the Howard Stern syndicated radio program claiming to be clean and sober.

THE PEVERETT PHILE INTERVIEWS

Alright, now for today's guest. She is a comic book artist who lives right here in Central Florida, and is pretty good. I mean, look at her House drawing. Please welcome to the Phile... Robin Edwards. 

Me: Hello, Robin, welcome to Artist Month on The Phile. So, how are you?

Robin: I am doing just spiffy, thanks for asking!

Me: Let's talk about your style of work. Is it called anime or magna? Is there a difference?

Robin: I would say that it's a combination of things; there is a definite Japanese influence but I'm also influenced by Disney and Craig Thompson. On a side note, 'anime' in Japanese is just a term for an animated show (i.e., cartoon), and 'manga' is their word for comic.

Me: Do you think that style is the biggest its ever been? At MegaCon it seemed that magna and anime was everywhere.

Robin: It has garnered a lot of popularity in recent years. I think more publishing companies are starting to embrace it and translate Japanese titles (like DC's CMX line of graphic novels) and it's becoming a more accepted art style.

Me: I can't seem to get into anything like that from Japan, Robin. Who are your favorite artists that any Phile reader should check into?

Robin: Sure! My personal favorites are stories that I claim 'aren't popular' by today's anime/manga fan standards. I would suggest Rumiko Takahashi's series 'Maison Ikkoku' for starters. It's my all-time favorite, and I go back and read it again and again. It's a down-to-earth comedy/drama (no aliens, sex changes, or dog-demons, as Takahashi is more famous for). A more recent favorite of mine is Toru Fujieda's 'Oyayubihime Infinity' (Thumb princess infinity). This title has been translated by CMX. Very cute story, and beautiful artwork.

Me: So, let's talk about your work. What tools do you use? Sharpies are my personal favorite.

Robin: I mainly use mechanical pencils to pencil everything, and Sakura Microns or Copic liners to ink my work (although I do bust out a Sharpie every now and then for big areas of black!). I do a lot of inking and touch-ups on the computer, though, using Photoshop. I also apply screentones (those little dots and patterns used to give a picture shading) in Photoshop.

Me: You are really into the Japanese culture, right? I know you've been to Japan, but how many times? Do you speak Japanese?

Robin: I have been to Japan five times in the past 9 years. My husband and I go to have fun and visit a good friend of mine from high school who is from there. I actually got into the Japanese culture back in junior high when I started taking martial arts (and playing video games!). I'm self-taught in the Japanese language, and have been studying it for over 13 years.

Me: Two of your projects are called "Ganbare! Shimura-san" and "Cardboard Angel". What was your first project you have ever worked on?

Robin: Oh, man... TV Circuit was the first web comic I ever made, back in 2000. I only got halfway through with it and then quit because I wanted to rewrite it (it has since been updated and finished and is now out in graphic novel format). There's a ton of old stories and artwork floating around from my high school days, but TV-C was the first!

Me: What does ganbare shimura-san mean?

Robin: Ganbare! Shimura-san means 'Hang in there, Shimura!' The title is in Japanese on its web site, but we translated it into English when it went to print.

Me: Have you been drawing graphic novels all your life?

Robin: I believe my first comic that I ever really worked on was a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fan comic, dating back to 1992. Computer paper and staples! I turned Wesley into a Borg. I got more into creating comics as a living after high school.

Me: What is your favorite comic you have written, Robin? And do you like drawing or writing better?

Robin: This is tough, because all of my works hold a special place in my heart. I'd have to say my favorite right now is 'Cardboard Angel,' as it's the one I am currently working on! I do like the writing process because ideas can come to me very quickly. I can sit at my computer for hours working out an entire series. Drawing the work is fun too, but it can be time-consuming. I do like seeing the finished product, though!

Me: You also drew and wrote stories called "Fractured Kisses 1-4", and "TV Circuit", right? What are all those stories about?

Robin: Fractured Kisses is actually the title to a collection of short stories my friend Gina Biggs (creator of Red String) and I (along with some other artist buddies of ours) put together between 2001-2004. Each issue had short stories in it; the first three stories I created were about a couple named Eriko and Kouichi, and the fourth story was actually the first version of Cardboard Angel's first chapter. After FK#4 came out we decided to halt its production and focus on our web comics, which brings me to TV Circuit again! It went back up in 2004-2005. TV-C is about a woman named Kyoko who strives to find a better job and life after witnessing some shady dealings at the tv show she was anchoring.

Me: What project are you currently working on right now?

Robin: Other than Cardboard Angel, I'm working on a horror story that is part prose, part comic, called 'In Life and Death.' I'm also tossing around ideas for another comic, titled 'Bad Karma.'

Me: You also do commissions, right? What was the craziest commission you have ever done for somebody?

Robin: I was once asked to draw a series of drawings featuring female superheroes in dangerous situations (like being tied up and gagged). Quite possibly one of the most awkward requests I've ever gotten!

Me: Tell the readers 'bout Strawberry Comics, Robin.

Robin: Strawberry Comics is a collective of female artists dedicated to bringing readers stories that are character-driven and filled with drama and romance. Our stories span different genres and art styles.

Me: I hope to interview Gabriel Ba the artist who drew "The Umbrella Academy". What is the one question I should ask him?

Robin: I would personally like to know what drove him to create comics.

Me: Okay, if someone wants to check out or hopefully buy your artwork, where should they go?

Robin: The best place to go is Strawberrycomics.com--it's the main hub! All of our stories are available for reading or for purchase through the site.

Me: Thanks again, Robin. And keep drawing, okay? And tell Todd I said hello.

Robin: 10-4, good buddy! Thanks for having me!

PHINALLY

There you go. Thanks to Robin Edwards and her husband Todd, as well as Wikipedia for the history. Please check out Robin's work, she has a wide varied of styles which I would love to interview her about in the next Artist Month (whenever that may be). Next week it's some of the guys behind the comic book company Fierce Comics. Also, I am still working out the adopt a solider program. In the meantime, the next entry of the Phile will be on Monday with Lady Magnuson from the band Magnuson. So, please check out the websites mentioned here on the Phile and remember to spread the word, not the turd.