Women In Comics Month: Interview with Elena Casagrande

In honor of Women in Comics this March, PREVIEWSworld talks with writer Elena Casagrande!

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PREVIEWSworld: Tell us a little bit about yourself! What are you currently working on? 

Elena Casagrande: Hi guys! I'm Elena Casagrande, 31-year-old TV-series addict and comic reader. Currently I'm working for BOOM! Studios on Suicide Risk, the series created by Mike Carey, and for Titan Comics on the Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor series.

PREVIEWSworld: How long have you been working with sequential art? What titles, companies, and creators have you worked with over your time in comics?

Elena Casagrande: I've been a comic-book artist since 2006. I’ve worked for several publishers, among which are IDW Publishing (on series like Ghost Whisperer, Star Trek, Angel, True Blood, X-Files and Doctor Who), Marvel (Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk, Spitfire), Image (Hack/Slash), and DC (Arrow). I’ve worked with different writers like Tim Seeley, Jeff Parker, Kathryn Immonen, Paul Cornell, Brian Bendis, Joe Harris, and now, Mike Carey and Nick Abadzis, but my partner in crime since I first started to work is Scott Tipton, who now I still collaborate with for Blastoff Comics.  I'm a member of Truckers Studio, a collective of seven female friends and artists, born three years ago with the desire to improve, publish, and be creative all together.

PREVIEWSworld: Did you have a mentor or hero in the industry that inspired you to pursue a career in comics?

Elena Casagrande: My inspiration always came from different places: other great artists, past and present; friends; coworkers... I didn’t have clear ideas of a goal to run for but I always needed to find a way to express myself and tell a story. Comics let me do it.

PREVIEWSworld: In your opinion, how has the comic book industry evolved in terms of gender?   

Elena Casagrande: Like any other job, it's an industry that's continuing to evolve and change. As for gender, I think there have always been great female artists, time just lets us have more opportunity and the chance to show how many we are and how good we are.

PREVIEWSworld: What stereotypes do you see surrounding women in comics? How could people of all genders go about breaking those stereotypes?

Elena Casagrande: My experience has been very positive about that. I honestly didn't see stereotypes about women in comics, as an artist or as a reader, and if I met someone who thought different I just understood they hadn't any real evidence to support their ideas. Stereotypes are usually fueled by prejudices; let's just have or at least try to have an open mind.

PREVIEWSworld: How do you want to see women represented in comic books 10 years from now?

Elena Casagrande: As artists first, before women.

PREVIEWSworld: If you could give advice to any aspiring editors, executives, writers, or artists, what would you tell them?

Elena Casagrande: Do your job the best you can, follow your inspirations and your own projects. Just be what you want to be.

PREVIEWSworld: And lastly, are there any up-and-coming women creators who you would recommend readers check out?

Elena Casagrande: First of all, the members of Truckers Studio: Arianna Florean, Claudia Balboni, Sara Pichelli, Claudia SG, and Eleonora Carlini (you can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Truckers2012), then my first female favorite artist since I was at school, Claire Wendling ... but we're so many and so great out there... it's very inspiring! :)

Check out more Women In Comics Month interviews in our special section on PREVIEWSworld!