You never know when you will discover a comic that just grabs your eye. The reasons for this are multiple. First off there is the cover. Something on it just speaks to you and whispers…”open me.” Once you’ve went that far, you’re probably hooked. At least for that moment. From there, it will be up to the creator’s talents to set the hook and reel you in.
This was the case when I was offered a glimpse of Nick Cagnetti’s Pink Lemonade. For starters, the art spoke to me of a simpler time. With vestiges Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby and a Golden Age comic vibe. When comic characters were virtuous and strived for the betterment of society and the world at large. Such is the case of Pink Lemonade. No matter what she runs into, she maintains her plucky, only do good mantra. Which is part of the comic’s charm.
Recently, we sat down with the talented, young creator to discuss his artistic beginnings, Pink Lemonade, its arrival on Oni Press and his contribution to their recent first issue of its anthology Xino #1. So, let’s welcome Nick Cagnetti to GVN’s Talking Comics.
In the Beginning
GVN: Thanks for sharing some of your time Nick. I always appreciate talking to young, talented creators. Since this is our first time to talk, let us start with a bit of your artistic background and what got you interested in comic art. Do you have any favorite creators who inspired you toward that goal?
NC: Thanks for talking to me! I’ve been drawing since I was very young, I learned how to draw pretty much from reading tons of Spider-Man comics growing up and studying them. Some big ones not typically Spidey artists that stuck with me early on were artists like Steve Rude or Darwyn Cooke, I’d go back to the few Spidey books they did quite a lot.
Pink Lemonade
GVN: So, your first solo book was Pink Lemonade which you first published in 2019. As I know you have been told and I cannot help but notice myself a certain Jack Kirbyesque (I don’t think that’s a word…but I’m going with it) vibe to your work. Which, to my way of thinking, is a great route to take. He is the King after all. What was inspiration for Pink Lemonade and please give our readers a synopsis of what the story is about.
NC: Yeah, I love all kinds of comic book art, but I’d say my preferences always go more to the stylized side. I think that feeds into the approach I try to take with the stories by just having lots of fun visually while also trying to tell some things that are important to me. Pink Lemonade looks at our relationship with the entertainment around us and tries to ask if we look at it all close enough, but it’s also really just about this lady just trying to do her best out there while the world tries to impose its own plans on her.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Innocence Makes a Return
GVN: Part of the charm of Pink Lemonade is the innocence of the main character. Especially when contrasted against some of the others. Despite everything that happens, that drive to do the best she can remains. It is a nice homage to the early comics where it was okay to project a positive outlook. How important an aspect was it for you to promote that kind of energy for the character?
NC: Pink Lemonade’s attitude is really vital for me as it’s a compass I tried to look towards a lot of times while working on the whole series and even before that with the comic strips featuring the character. It was always me trying to get myself out of bad trains of thought and try to reflect those onto a character who has those same struggles, but she really just tries to be positive despite it all. It’s also trying to just hone back in on the feelings that I got as a kid reading comics, she has that same kind of childlike wonder for the world that I think we can all use more of.
Oni Press
GVN: Recently, Oni Press picked up your book and will collect the original six issues along with a new story to be released later this summer. How did this collaboration come about?
NC: That was a big relief because for a while there I didn’t know what was gonna happen with the series or where it was gonna go. I parted ways with Its Alive! early into the run and both of us felt like it could have a larger life out there, so I kept searching for a new home for the series as I worked on more of it. An editor from Oni Press heard about that after I stated on social media that I was looking and they messaged me from there, they held on to one of the early Its Alive! printings and it stuck with them. I always thought Oni Press would be a perfect home for the series, but it was a thing I didn’t think would be possible as they don’t have open submissions!
Xino, Issue 1 and ‘Chip’
GVN: You also have contributed to the Oni Press XINO issue 1 with the art for a story by Chris Condon entitled Chip. A story that takes VR gaming to a whole new level. How did this opportunity come about and how closely did you work with Chris in bringing the story to life?
NC: I heard that an anthology series was a thing coming up and that they wanted me on a story but I was having trouble coming up with a story for it as I was just wrapping up work on Pink Lemonade. They said Chris wanted to work with me and it was an easy decision for what to do! The thing I really enjoyed was getting to do a story that was like the total opposite from Pink Lemonade, it was a good palate cleanser for me personally. I got to work closely with Chris, sending in what I was thinking each step of the way and adding in a lot of my own visual flourishes! There was one thing I really enjoyed getting to add, it was the double page spread. I like trying to sneak in some double page spreads for the variety as you’re flipping through.
Following Nick
GVN: I really appreciate your time, Nick. Before I let you go, I want to give you an opportunity to
share any other upcoming projects and where can fans follow you either on social media or the
web?
NC: Just really gearing up to work on the next big indie project, as I start drawing it I’m sure I’ll be posting lots of sneak peeks as I did throughout my work on Pink Lemonade. I’m most active on Instagram at fudgy1nick, and Twitter at Ncags, but I do have a website where a lot of my books are published are catalogued and such. That’s RadicalRealmComics.com
Nick Cagnetti’s Pink Lemonade TPB by Oni Press releases on July 4th. So, that gives you one MORE reason to celebrate. Xino #1 by Oni Press is available now where great books are sold and the Oni Press Website.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first 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 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.