Women in Comics Month: Interview with Meredith Finch

In honor of Women in Comics Month this March, PREVIEWSworld talks with writer Meredith Finch!

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PREVIEWSworld: Who is your current comics employer?

Meredith Finch: I am currently working on titles for Dynamite Comics and Image Comics

PREVIEWSworld: What is your primary job title? In a quick phrase or two, could you define your job’s key responsibility?

Meredith Finch: My primary job title is writer, which means I am responsible for not only implementing the vision of the publisher for a particular character, but also incorporating that into a meaningful story line that allows a particular character to resonate with both old and new fans.

PREVIEWSworld: Could you please explain how your work helps make comics a reality? (Connect the dots for us. Where are you in the flow of getting a book into reader hands?)

Meredith Finch: A writer can have a significant impact on the final comic in a variety of different ways.  Not only am I responsible for telling a story through dialogue, my job also requires me to be able to communicate to my artist how to tell the story visually.  I can also play a role in the overall look and feel of a title by participating or directing the selection of the entire team from artist to colorist and even letterer.

PREVIEWSworld: What’s the part of your job you enjoy the most?

Meredith Finch: My favorite part of my job is when you get a synergy within the creative team that results in everyone elevating one other’s work to the extent that the whole work becomes greater than the sum of its parts. 

PREVIEWSworld: What comic titles have you worked on?

Meredith Finch: I have written Wonder Woman and Catwoman for DC Comics, The Little Mermaid and Grimm Fairy Tales: Tale of Terror for Zenescope, and I am currently writing Xena: Warrior Princess for Dynamite and Rose for Image Comics.

PREVIEWSworld: While there are loads of professionals in the comics industry, there are only so many folks who get to do what you do! How did you get started? How did you learn all the skills you needed for your position?

Meredith Finch: I had an internal drive to write and create worlds from a very young age, however it wasn’t until my own children had entered school that I was able to convert that passion and drive into a career.  As the wife of a comic artist I had already spent years making connections within the industry and eventually I was able to convince the gang at Zenescope to take a chance on me.   Being a writer is so much more than simply sitting down in front of a computer.  It involves a lot of time management and people management skills.  I think being a mother to three active boys really helped out a lot in that department. 

PREVIEWSworld: Talk to us about the heroic people in your comics life. Who do you admire? Who inspires you? Why?

Meredith Finch: My husband has had an enormous impact in my comics life.  Long before I became a creator myself, I saw the time and energy and devotion he puts into everything he does.  His constant drive to give his fans the very best of himself was very influential.  Scott Synder is another creator who has had a tremendous impact on what I do as a creator.  Every time I sit down to write a story I hear his voice in my head questioning what I’m doing and what my story is about.  I would not be the writer I am today without his advice and guidance.

PREVIEWSworld: Please tell us about the coolest experience you’ve ever had thanks to your job.

Meredith Finch: I was very blessed to be invited to attend the premier of the Wonder Woman movie in Los Angeles.  But as amazing as that was, the very best part of my job is when someone approaches me at a convention to let me know that something I have written has touched them or had an impact on them. There is nothing “cooler” or more special than that.

PREVIEWSworld: If you had one comics-related wish—no limits—what would it be?

Meredith Finch: I am a HUGE fan of Jae Lee (he’s going to think I’m stalking him now – sorry Jae), but some day I’d like to do a project with him (just gotta keep putting it out there). 

PREVIEWSworld: Do you have an online presence we can link to and share with our readers?

Meredith Finch: My facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/finchmeredith1/