Aaron NabusHall H Show host Aaron Nabus talks to writer and comic book creator, Stephani Cooke about her graphic novel, ParaNorthern. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Amazon Music, and Spotify. The Hall H Show is hosted by Aaron Nabus and Alex Benedicto and is the “Voice of Independent Creators.”
Show Notes:
Hello fellow nerds, geeks and supporters of indie pop culture creators! Aaron Nabus here and thanks for tuning into this episode of the Hall H Show!
On this episode, I’ll be talking to Stephanie Cooke, an award-winning writer and editor based out of Toronto, Canada. She loves comic books, video games, movies, puns and her snuggly cat (that she’s unfortunately terribly allergic to).
Her writing has been featured in Mark Millar’s Millarworld Annual, Wayward Sisters, The Secret Loves of Geek Girls, Toronto Comics Anthology, and more.
She currently has two children’s graphic novels out now from HMH Kids, her debut, Oh My Gods! and ParaNorthern, which just recently came out. A sequel to Oh My Gods! is scheduled to be released in January 2022.
And…she also has her own podcast about cinematic heists, capers, stings, and more called The Caper Cast that she co-hosts with Whitney Gardner.
Stephanie, welcome to the Hall H Show!
Opening Round Questions:
- Since this is your first time on the show, can you tell us about your origin story?
- Where did you grow up?
- What was 13 year old Stephanie like? What kind of books, TV shows, movies and video games had the most impact on you as a teen?
- When did you realize you were artistic and what attracted you specifically to writing? Grew up an only child. How she got threw being alone.
- What drew you to sequential storytelling and why is creating comic books and graphic novels important to you?
- Was networking with others easy for you?
- Is there such a thing as an author that doesn’t have anxiety?
- How have you been able to stay creative during the pandemic?
- What’s a typical day like for you? How do you balance your creative projects and life in general?
- Editing and creating. Can you compare and contrast them?
- How do you go about finding illustrators to help bring your stories to life?
ParaNorthern Questions:
- How long did it take for you to develop ParaNorthern: And the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse and out of all the possible stories floating around in the creative ether, how did you come to actualize this particular one? – Developed during on of the worst years of her life…was originally as a YA…web comic.
- What was your journey to find a publisher like?
- What is ParaNorthern about? What kind of audience was it created for?
- If you were at a comic con or book fair, how would be your pitch to people walking by your table?
- Could you tell us about a few of the main characters?
- Where can people purchase ParaNorthern? (Answer: ParaNorthern.Net)
Thunder Round Questions:
- What’s one of your favorite words?
- What’s something that you hated as a kid but love now as an adult?
- It’s 2am at your local karaoke joint and they are getting ready to close, you get to sing the last song – what do you sing?
- You’re at a comic book shop and thumbing through the back issue bins. What kind of comics would you be looking for?
- What’s something your fans would be surprised to know about you?
- I’ve never been to Toronto, Canada. What are some of your favorite things about it?
- What’s your favorite heist movie and why?
- What’s one thing on your bucket list that you have already accomplished and one thing still unchecked?
- If you could teach a class in college, what would it be?
- Why do you keep getting caught in the rain?
- If you could have a meal with anyone from history, who would it be with and where would you eat at? Why did you pick this person?
- I see that you’ve been giving TikTok a try. How has that discovery process been going?
- What is the name of your cat and how did you meet?
- If a movie was made about your life, what kind of music would be on the soundtrack?
- How does it make you feel when kids tell you how much they enjoy your books?
- What’s something new that you learned recently?
Closing Questions:
- You recently quit your day job to pursue making comics full-time. Why did you feel the timing was right to do so and what kind of advice can you give to someone that is struggling to give their creative side a chance to flourish but is still working a full time job in a “traditional” career to make ends meet?
- You’ve found your voice in children’s and YA comics. Do you have any advice to help someone find their voice in a particular genre or market?
Follow Stephanie Cooke:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Website
The Caper Cast Podcast
Good Reads
Thank YOU:
Thank YOU for listening to the Hall H Show podcast! I’m happy and humbled when I find out people support a project or start to follow one of our guests because of one of our episodes. So thank you so much for your continued support.
And, thanks to my guest, Stephanie Cooke. Please give her a follow and check out her graphic novels, Oh My Gods! and ParaNorthern and her podcast, The Caper Cast.
We love putting the spotlight on independent pop culture creatives, like Stephanie. If you have a suggestion for a potential guest, please let us know!
If you believe in our mission to be the voice of independent pop culture creators, don’t be scared to give us a five star rating and a comment on Apple Podcasts. You can also find this podcast on Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Amazon Music, and even Spotify!
Peace, cheers, stay safe out there and don’t forget, stories matter. If you don’t tell your own story, someone else will tell it for you.
If you would like to recommend a guest that you feel deserves more attention, please reach out to us on any of our social media accounts or the contact form on our contact form.
