Terrence Marks interviewed creators Tod and Corey Marie Parkhill (formerly Kitley). Both have had previous webcomic projects: Tod's journal comic Scooterboy1234 and Corey Marie is probably best known for her Life's So Rad webcomic which appeared on Keenspot. Both are currently making comics online and in print.
Introduce yourselves – who are you, what comics do you do?
Corey Marie Parkhill: My name is Corey Marie Parkhill (formerly Kitley). I have a few webcomic titles under my belt, and along with running the day-to-day operations of Young American Comics, I currently am putting out Scene Language.
Tod Parkhill: I'm Tod Parkhill. I deal mostly with print comics, but i used to post an online journal comic called Scooterboy1234. I have a few projects in the works that will be web exclusive.
When did you marry?
Corey Marie: September 17, 2005
How did you meet?
Corey Marie: We first met at San Diego Comic Con in 2002, but only long enough for him to sell me a copy of Snakepit Quarterly. Later that year, my roommate got in touch with Tod after reading the Snakepit, and they became friends. They arranged to share a hotel room with us for Chicago Wizard World 2003, and when we met again we immediately hit it off.
Did your wedding or proposal involve comics in any way?
Corey Marie: We handed out a mini comic as a wedding favor that told the story of how we met. Also we both laughed at the "For Richer for Poorer" line. Does that count?
Do you work together on any of your projects? If so, how?
Corey Marie: If Tod and I are in the same room, we are brainstorming something. His help has been invaluable with my writing for Scene Language so far. We have some tentative plans for future books and webcomics where we will also be collaborating with writing. We also work together on concepts for books, and plans for Young American Comics.
Who does what?
Corey Marie: In writing the most recent Scene Language book (I write a book at a time, before drawing any of the strips) we brainstormed the basic plot while eating greasy breakfast at a diner. Having him help me allows me to add someone else's life experiences to the strips, and make them more realistic.
And getting a dude's perspective never hurts, either. Then I write the bulk of the script, and he helps me edit it.
When he's working on scripts, I do about the same for him — help brainstorm, offer suggestions, get out of the way so he can work, then read and edit.
Any crossovers between your comics? Cameos?
Corey Marie: All of the Young American Comics books and series are interconnected with all kinds of goofy cross overs and cameos. Isaac is reading Snakepit in one comic.
Tod: I try to make everything in YAC exist in the same universe. The names of the towns have been changed but they're based on real places. The characters from the Mighty Offenders (a super-hero spoof comic, soon to be online) could theoretically interact with the characters from Scene Language.
Do either of you have a job outside of comics?
Corey Marie: We managed to do nothing, but YAC for an entire year, but got tired of living in a 400 square foot box. Tod is now working as an illustrator/graphic designer at the Richmond Times Dispatch and I stay home and run the day-to-day YAC operations and do Scene Language.
Has your spouse influenced your art or writing? If so, how?
Corey Marie: Tod's encouragement, support and enthusiasm over the last four years has done more for my art and writing than any number of classes or other experience could even come close to. When I look at how far I've grown as an artist, writer and as a person, there's no other thing I can attribute it to, except for Tod.
Tod: Corey helps me keep my ideas in check. She helps me focus on the good ones and has a good eye for the ones that aren't worth my time (though I'm still going to do a Santa-Man comic, no matter what she says 🙂 )
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