Comic Book Artist Kevin Mellon
KC Resident Shares His Favorite Characters’ Traits
Sitting behind a small stack of GEARHEAD graphic novels and promotional copies of his own creation, SUICIDE SISTERS, comic book artist Kevin Mellon patiently sketches a robot-like creature; the dark pencil strokes match the black t-shirt and skater pants Mellon’s wearing.
“I like the stories with strong female leads,” Mellon said, his voice trailing off as he struggles to name the correct term from his high school literature class. “It’s that idea of man verses self. They (the characters) do (expletive) up stuff they don’t mean to do. I feel like there’s a lack of strong female leads with that struggle.”
Mellon continued. He noted the work of such female characters as Veronica Mars, or more often writers writing a male in a female’s body. “I feel like I’m a wolf in a sheep’s clothing,” Mellon said. “I gotta work at it – do I like this girl? Ultimately she’s redeemable. The stories I make and I personally like are very much character driven. It’s not a man or woman thing, it’s a human thing.”
Ladies You Hate to Love – Shelby Cooper in GEARHEAD
Mellon’s reverence to females in his work is painfully obvious in the pages of GEARHEAD and SUICIDE SISTERS. GEARHEAD'S protagonist Shelby Cooper, a self-declared “tomboy with a death wish,” dominates her enemies with her father’s wrench. Mellon’s drawings portray a somewhat endearing Shelby, at the same time, one to easily feel sorry for. Shelby’s like Mary Stuart Masterson’s character in Some Kind of Wonderful. It’s easy to hate her as much as it is to like her.
Hell-bent Sisters
Sisters Dora and Cora, covered in tattoos and hell-bent on tracking down Lucifer across the remote, green-less Texas land, “to try and get their souls back,” are Mellon’s creations in SUICIDE SISTERS. Demons more ugly than the ones from the movie Nightbreed encounter these two bitchin’ babes, readers will have to wait until 2010 to see these ladies in action.
Female Inspiration
“I have a strong-willed mom,” Mellon said, answering where his female inspiration is derived. “It’s from being friends with girls. The kind of girls I’m attracted to are the ones that say ‘(expletive) you, I don’t need you.’ They are with you because they want to be with you. I write about the girl that I want to meet. I have to work to get to know her.”
Career Break
Growing up in Kansas City, if he wasn’t playing music on his guitar, Mellon drew for hours. His work paid off and rather than earn a degree at a state university or fine arts institution, he earned a spot at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Arts. Located in New Jersey, Mellon spent many weekends immersed in the nearby New York City culture. He would purposely lose track of time and navigate his way from one end of the island to the next subway stop, catching the last train.
Balancing Act
Surprisingly, it’s only been a year since Mellon took his gig full-time. Up until last year he worked full-time at Pizza Hut. While working on Thirteen Steps, he’d finish his shift and dive strait into his work. He worked for a liquor store at the same time he finished GEARHEAD.
He’s also still making music – playing guitar for a female fronted band. When asked what the soundtrack to SUICIDE SISTERS would sound like, Mellon spews out a variety of music that no doubt would encompass the ferocity of these devilishly divine ladies.
“Motorhead, Nas, Devil Wears Prada, Distillers,” Mellon said. “Oh (expletive), there’s too many.”
KC's Comic Book Artist Kevin Mellon.
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