Today we’d like to introduce you to Kit Seaton.
Kit, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I illustrated my first children’s book when I was about twenty. I was studying costume design at the time, and struggling with whether or not that was what I wanted as a career. The book is no longer in print, but it gave me the courage I needed to pursue the visual arts. Still not quite confident enough yet, I left school and went back to Coeur d’Alene Idaho. I volunteered for local theatre programs, worked retail, and spent time with my younger sister, Cat.
She was starting high school, and that’s when we started dreaming about the stories we wanted to create together one day. I would continue practicing illustrations, but started getting into drawing comics and tentatively started posting some of them online. After a few years, I decided I was done spinning my wheels and went back to school, this time pursuing a degree in illustration at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver Colorado.
I made some of my greatest friends and future project collaborators there. After finishing my undergraduate degree, the Chair of the program invited me to teach. I really enjoyed the classroom environment and teaching with comics as a side gig seemed like a natural progression. From there, I went on to pursue a Masters of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Hartford Art School, finishing in 2013.
Since then, I have taught sequential art at Savannah College of Art and Design, and most recently illustration here at California State University Fullerton. Postgrad school, I continued making my own comics and posting them online. At the end of 2013, my sister Cat and I finally started working on a project together; a Young Adult themed comic called NORROWAY, based on a Scottish fairy tale called The Black Bull of Norroway.
Cat wrote the scenes and dialog, I’d illustrate them, and we would post comic pages online weekly. About two years ago, my friend Leila Del Duca, whom I knew back from my RMCAD days, liked my work and asked if I would like to collaborate with her on a graphic novel pitch for Image Comics. By that point, she was midway through her run illustrating a series titled SHUTTER with Image and wanted to take a turn at writing.
Image accepted our pitch, a YA graphic novel called AFAR, and it was published in March 2017. Just last year, Image picked up NORROWAY as a YA limited series. The first book in the series was released this past November, and the second volume will hopefully out by next year. These days, I continue to balance my time between making comics and teaching at CSUF.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Early on in my college days, my father developed a chronic illness, and my family took a dramatic loss of income when he had to give up his job to recover. I was on the fence about continuing studying costume design, it made sense to go home and try to go back to school when I was more financially independent.
It has been a long and rocky road to physical, mental and financial recovery for my family. Eventually, I was able to get back to school. School helped me build a network and relationships that have been fundamental in building the career I have today. The Sword of Damocles feels like it always there, like many of my peers I have education loans I’m still paying off. I do count my blessings.
My career has taken me to many exciting places. I have wonderful memories and a few regrets, but most often I miss my family. I don’t get to see them as frequently as I would like. My sister is currently abroad doing volunteer service, and my mother just recently beat uterine cancer. I’m counting down the days until I can be near them and hug them all again.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Comic Artist and Illustrator – what should we know?
I’m a sequential artist and illustrator, and I specialize in fantasy and adventure comics for young adults. I’m proud of some of the amazing collaborations I’ve been a part of and had the pleasure to work with some really great storytellers.
I’ve honed my way of approaching stories, informed by my experience in technical theatre and performance. I’ve gotten a few nods from industry peers for my character expressions, acting, and body language, which is great because I’d like to consider that my specialty.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mentors: George Herman, author, and playwright who wrote the first book I illustrated. Judith and Michael McGiveny, theatre pros who took me under their wing as an awkward teenager.
My teachers: Mike Clabby and Bob Brunn of Lake City High School; Franco Colevecchia who wrote the best/strangest letter of recommendation I’ve ever had on my behalf; Larry Kresek, Dave Collins, Hugh Alexander, Ania Gola-Kumor, and Alicia McKim of Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design; Murray and Carol Tinkelman of the Hartford Art School, in memory, for the indelible mark they made on the field of illustration.
My fellow teachers/colleagues: Chuck and Wendy Grieb, Cliff Cramp, Mike Dietz, John Larison, Trisha Albano, and David Allen Duncan.
Leila Del Duca, who wrote my first published graphic novel.
All my students, for their boundless enthusiasm.
My sister, mom, and dad.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kitseaton.com
- Email: mail@kitseaton.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kitandcatcomics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kit.seaton.comics/
- Twitter: @kitseaton and @kitandcatcomics
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