Faith Fallon
Steven Pennella
By Mark Turner
By Mark Turner
Any creator will tell you that the “labor” of bringing life to their ideas
is made a touch easier and that much sweeter when the stories they
are working on reflect elements of their interests. Steven Pennella,
creator of the graphic novel Faith Fallon, has managed to blend
elements of his interest in bad girl art, gothic storytelling, horror,
monsters (human and not so human), and the magic of the 40s
and 50s Hollywood era all into his title. Utilizing his unique visual
signature style, he has managed to craft a tale that smolders with
atmosphere and evokes a sense of an era gone by. Between his
work as a graphic artist/multimedia designer and illustrator, as
well as his graphic novel work, Steven has also begun writing for
Self Publisher! Magazine. With so much on his plate, it is a wonder
that he was able to take time out of a busy schedule to give SP! the
privilege of sharing about his career, the industry, Faith Fallon, creative influences, reaching his audience, and more.
SP!: FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH STEVEN PENNELLA,
COULD YOU SHARE A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?
Steven Pennella: I’m a graphic artist/multimedia designer and illustrator by day and a graphic novelist by night. I graduated from The
Joe Kubert School in 1985. My biggest claim to fame back then was
attending the school the same time as Lee Weeks, Andy and Adam
Kubert, Graham Nolan, Bart Sears, Jim Balent, Mike Wolfer, Pat and
Tim Kennedy (at Archie Comics), and soooo many other talented
people. Graham, Mike, the Kennedys and Jim were my roommates
at different points of my time there, so I guess I can also lay claim
to being a good luck charm, sort of like Peyton Manning’s roommates. While I learned a lot at Kubert’s, I couldn’t hold a candle to
“Steven says he’s the guy in the red shirt. We are assuming he means
them. I did not leave the school with a professional-level comic art
the one in the background on the shore…”
portfolio, so I chose to concentrate on graphic design and revisit I got some help from my parents to go to Kubert’s, they weren’t
comics when I got better at them.
totally in my foxhole about trying to draw comics or being an artist. I
think my dad was hoping I would fall on my ass, give up, buy a truck,
The last thing I needed was to hear my old-school, off-the boat, and cut grass or go to a real school, since I was a National Honors
Italian family tell me what a loser I was for not getting a job.While Society kid in high school. Pursuing graphic design kept them off
SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2014
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