PROFILES    

Steven Pennella

1. Name: Steven Pennella

2. First job after finishing school: I did paste-ups, mechanicals, and typesetting for a printing company that created doctor bills and prescription forms. It was as exciting as it sounds.Honest!

3. Current job: I’m the North American lead graphic designer/multimedia artist for an international pharmaceutical consulting company with offices in my hometown, New York, Paris and the UK.  In my spare time I’m the creator/artist/writer of Faith Fallon (www.faithfallon.com) published by Insane Comics (www.insanecomics.com).

4. Reason I love my job:  I set the brand identity of our company. Our infographics, media packages and presentations helped turn our company into a major player and I can talk about comic art with my boss without getting funny looks. Believe it or not; he’s a huge fan of Joe Kubert’s work. I think we spent more time talking about Joe and the school during my initial interview for the job than about me or the position he wanted to fill. I love working on Faith Fallon because she’s my baby.

5. Current city: Norwalk, CT

6. I started drawing when: I got chicken pox in the third grade and my mom bought some comic books for me to read while I was home. My first comic was Spiderman 121, The Night Gwen Stacy Died. The art blew me away. I traced, carbon papered and copied everything in that book until it fell apart. I can honestly say I didn’t start drawing for real until I got to the school and realized how little I knew. There’s a lesson there, boys and girls! Unless mommy and daddy are in the business they aren’t the best art critics. Andy and Adam had Joe; my dad was a diesel engineer. He may have helped put men on the moon but he didn’t know about the mechanics of comic art.

7. Favorite artist: Currently Roberto Ferri, Virgil Finlay, and Sabin Howard. Google them and bow to their greatness. During my Kubert school years it was Jack Kirby, John Romita and Greg Hildebrandt. They are still among my favorites.

8. Favorite book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

9. Film I could watch over and over: Star Wars and Superbad (yeah, I know, I picked two)

10. I’m listening to: Electric Light Orchestra, The Traveling Wilburys, and anything by Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne or Roy Orbison.

11. Last comic book I read was: The Silver Cord, a Graphic Novel by Kevin Kelly (He also created Wired Magazine) and Steve Masseroni, who is a friend and mentor.

12. Drawing instrument of choice: Wacom Cintiq Hybrid Companion, Lenovo Laptop, Dell and HP Workstations, keyboard, mouse, iPad, and my Slate from http://www.iskn.co (yes, ,.co not .com, it’s a French company) I’m mainly a PC geek. I currently do everything via digital means. My initial layouts and thumbnails are done on whatever scraps I can gather up.

13. Currently working on: I’m working on my own creator-owned series, Faith Fallon. It’s a 12, maybe unlucky 13 issue miniseries about a famous actress from the 1950s who suffered a fate worse, and in some ways better, than death. Faith Fallon is published bi-monthly by Insane Comics, a small press publisher that really knows their stuff. I’m extremely confident in them and I know I made the right choice for me and for Faith as well

14. You can find my work on: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Faith-Fallon-159522040875066/?fref=ts and on www.faithfallon.com. You can purchase Faith Fallon directly from www.insanecomics.com, they have it available in print and digital through their website as well as retail outlets and digital comic sites. Check it out for more details. You can also friend me on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/spennweb or follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/faithfallonart.

15. I attended The Kubert School: From 1982 to 1985; back when it had a first name. I feel like the Roy Hobbs of the comic art world. Faith Fallon is my first series and paid professional work as a comic book creator. I hope this inspires all of the current students to never lose sight of what you really want to accomplish. It will happen. 

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