At GVN Talking Comics, we’re always excited to spotlight creators who push the boundaries of visual storytelling, and today’s guest is an artist whose work consistently delivers style, attitude, and emotional punch. Nicole Goux has carved out a distinct voice in the comics world through projects like Shadow of the Batgirl, Everyone Is Tulip, and Forest Hills Bootleg Society, each showcasing her ability to blend expressive character work with sharp narrative chops.
Nicole is now collaborating with frequent partner Dave Baker at Top Shelf Productions on a graphic novel titled “Punk’ N Heads.” This book captures the raw energy of punk culture and the creative spirit of anyone who wants to add something to their world—delivering a story that is loud, messy, heartfelt, and undeniably vibrant. With its bold aesthetic and rebellious energy, “Punk’ N Heads” promises to be a visually striking and enjoyable read.
We had the chance to sit down with Nicole to talk about the origins of Punk’ N Heads, the creative process behind its world and characters, and what readers can expect when this project hits shelves. From artistic influences to the joy of crafting something unapologetically wild, Nicole offers a fascinating look behind the scenes of her latest work. So, let’s dive in.
Comic Creation Beginnings
GVN: Thank you, Nicole, for sharing a bit of your day with us. Since this is my first opportunity to chat with you, let’s start with both your creative beginnings. When did you first take an interest in comics, and whose work inspired you to pursue that possibility?
NICOLE: It’s honestly hard to remember a time I wasn’t interested in comics. I don’t think I even really thought of it as comics at the time, but when I was a kid I would come home from school every day and go straight for the funny pages in the newspaper.
Later, I got really into manga, and again, I didn’t frame that as comics, either. Manga was different, manga was Japanese. But at the end of the day it’s all the same thing! It’s all just storytelling through words and pictures. Putting things in little boxes (both in the comics sense and the life sense, womp womp.) is a thing that humans love to do, but sometimes that can get in the way of making things honestly and freely.
That’s something that the main character of Punk’n Heads, my new original graphic novel with writer Dave Baker, Hannah, struggles with a lot. The book is about a bunch of kids who live in a flophouse and play in a horror punk band. We follow them as they navigate young love, trying to make it as an artist, and the struggles of living in Los Angeles. Our girl Hannah always planned on being an artist, but when her girlfriend breaks up with her, she drops out of art school. At an emotional crossroads, Hannah has to reframe her ideas about how she expresses her creativity, eventually joining the horror punk band called the Punk’n Heads. The double twist? The bassist in the band is her romantic “what if” guy from high school. What could go wrong now, right?
The Evolution of Creation via Dave and Nicole
GVN: You’ve collaborated with your creative cohort, Dave Baker, on multiple projects such as Fuck Off Squad, Forest Hills Bootleg Society, and Everyone is Tulip, among others. How did your creative dynamic evolve during that time, and were you still exploring that process while making Punk’ N Heads?
NICOLE: Great question! Dave and my process has changed a lot over the years as we’ve gotten more comfortable with each other. To be honest, it’s changed the most since I’ve really gotten more comfortable making comics. It started more as a clear writer/artist split of labor, but now the lines are much blurrier. We do so much planning and discussing and editing together before I ever put down a single panel, and Punk’n Heads is sort of the pinnacle of that style of collaboration that we’ve been striving for.
This book was written in a full script style, but we thoroughly mapped out the story before he started writing. And we did copious amounts of revisions. Our usual process at this point is that we break the idea for the book together, he goes away and writes a script, and then we live read it together like a table read for a tv show. Then, we go play catch in this park that’s near where we live and discuss what needs to change. Then, he goes away and does another draft. Rinse, repeat, until we have something that’s as close to perfect as we’re going to get.
The Spark for Punk’ N Heads
GVN: Speaking of this new book from Top Shelf Productions, what was the original spark that led Dave and you to create Punk’ N Heads?
NICOLE: Punk’n Heads started from a dumb joke. I think we were on a road trip somewhere and the idea of punk kids who play music in pumpkin masks occurred to me (the punk/pumpkin pun really tickled me). And as usual, Dave took that idea and ran with it.
Together we took a silly little idea, and pushed it into something more meaningful and that I hope will really connect with readers. If I’m honest, every project I’ve ever worked on has a unique and different path from idea into finished thing, and this one is the living embodiment of “committing to the bit.” Here we are all these years later with a finished book, because of some dumb pun.
Changes in Character
GVN: As you worked on this project, which character changed the most from your early concepts to the final book?
NICOLE: This book went through so many stages of edits! I’ve gotta say the character who probably changed the most is the one we had to drop from the book. Sometimes you’ve got to kill your darlings and there was a 5th Punk’n Head who ended up getting the axe. RIP Richie.
He was basically like the band’s manager. We thought it would be really funny to have a live-in manager or agent type character to play off of the rest of the kids in the band. But ultimately, there ended up being all these chapters with nothing for him to do. He would literally be standing in the background. And he didn’t have a very satisfying arc. Thus, we had to get rid of him.
Inspirations for the Look of Punk’ N Heads
GVN: As you brought this story to fruition, what visual influences shaped the look and energy of the world in Punk’ N Heads?
NICOLE: Oh, man. So many. We talked a lot about the 70’s version of the Misfits? Y’know the one where Danzig would wear those skeleton jackets or the Space Pirate Harlock shirts. We also talked about My Chemical Romance. A lot of 70’s/80’s Hardcore bands. There were a bunch. But at the end of the day that all kind of ended up being thrown out and we kinda just did our own thing. The reality is that the pumpkin masks in real life wouldn’t really work. But, in a comic? Heck yeah! They look great. That’s something I really love. When a comic has its own visual identity that’s kind of divorced from reality.
Creative Challenges
GVN: When the seeds of this idea were presented, what creative challenge excited you most when discussing this story?
NICOLE: Well, I knew I could draw a comic about a band because I’ve done a lot of that. There’s a fictional band in our book Fuck Off Squad, so I’m very used to drawing amps and chords and guitars, haha. I think the thing that always gets me the most excited about comics is finding ways to tell the story that are formalist. Like things that only the comics medium can do. And there’s a bunch of stuff in this book I’m really proud of. Namely, some of the formalist conventions that are pulling on classic Romance comics conventions. I don’t want to spoil anything specifically, but if you’re a fan of Young Romance, or even Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, there might be some stylistic devices that you’ll recognize.
“It’s About People Who Make Things”
GVN: What do you hope readers—especially those unfamiliar with punk—take away from the book?
NICOLE: Well, at the end of the day, it’s not really a book about punk. It’s a book about people who make things. It’s a romance about the struggle of being a creative. I recently read Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. It’s a novel about two video game designers. And in all the press she does for that book everyone’s always self conscious about how many or how few video games they’ve played. And she’s always very direct in saying that the book isn’t about video game designers. It’s about two artists. And that’s how I feel about our book too. It’s not about if you have or haven’t listened to Static Age or are caught up with the latest drama on Tiktok. It’s about if you’ve ever wanted to strive for something, then hopefully you’ll see yourself in these characters and their ambitions, both interpersonal and creative.
Aspirations for Punk’ N Heads on Other Media
GVN: Thank you once again for chatting with us, Nicole. As a final question, if Punk’ N Heads were adapted into another medium, what would your dream version look like?
NICOLE: Well, first off, I’d say that I wanted it to be a comic. Comics are the greatest artform in the world, to me. And I love making them. However, money comes from other mediums, and that’s nice too. Maybe an animated show? I think that could be cool? C’mon, Netflix! Let’s do it.
Huge thanks to Nicole Goux for giving us a peek behind the curtain of Punk’ N Heads. This book is shaping up to be a wild, stylish ride, and we can’t wait for readers to dive in. Keep it locked to GeekVibesNation and GVN Talking Comics for more creator spotlights and comic coverage.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
