News / 04 Dec 2024
Award winning writer interviewed for Creative Networks
Creative Networks
The University’s Creative Networks programme partnered with the Yorkshire Comic Art festival Thought Bubble to host five-times Eisner Award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer and publisher of comic books, James Tynion IV.
Tynion is best known for co-creating hit horror comics series 'Something is Killing the Children', 'The Nice House on the Lake', and 'The Department of Truth'. In 2024, he launched new production studio, Tiny Onion, to springboard new creator-owned IP to spread beyond comics into film, gaming and even animation, and aid in the development and marketing of new creator-owned work.
Thought Bubble is the Yorkshire Comic Art Festival! A week-long celebration of comics, illustration and more spread across the whole of Yorkshire, finishing in a huge two-day comic convention in Harrogate.
Tynion was interviewed by BA (Hons) Comic and Concept Art Lecturer Will Morris. He provided the audience with insights into his formative experiences, education, early career and subsequent achievements, sharing his advice along the way. He spoke at length about his partnerships, from studying with Scott Snyder at Sarah Lawrence College, to the artists he has worked with since; and emphasised the importance of these creative partnerships, finding collaborators and mentors whose strengths complement your own.
“The biggest joy…is that you build these relationships, and you find the things that they [the artists] are good at and recognize the things that they're less good at, because every artist has strengths and weaknesses, as a writer, I certainly do! …It is about finding the places to really lean in to.”
James Tynion IV
His inspirational career, and the warmth and generosity with which he shared his own experiences, made for a fascinating event for anyone interested in the comic industries.
Creative Networks is Leeds Arts University's own major professional events programme, welcoming professionals from across the creative industries to speak about their experiences.