Women In Comics Month: The Art of Roberta Ingranata & 'Steenz'

by Troy-Jeffrey Allen

Every March, PREVIEWSworld celebrates Women in Comics Month by focusing on the creators that have helped and continue to help shape the comics industry. And 2019 was destined to be no different. We did, however, switch it up a bit this year by focusing specifically on comic book artists. As we wind down the month of March, we're going to continue our Women in Comics Month celebration by talking to Witchblade's Roberta Ingranata and Archival Quality's Christina 'Steenz' Stewart.

Roberta Ingranata (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Website)

Roberta on how she got into comics as a reader:

"I [got] this passion [from] my father. He was a greedy comic book reader and his passion has always been contagious. I started young, since I was a student at elementary school. My first comic book was Mickey Mouse, then I switched to more "dynamic" comics like Marvel and DC heroes and heroines."

Roberta on how she got into comics as a pro: 

"It was an unexpectedly fast journey. I started working on the 'Bizarre New World' series, created by Skipper Martin, for a story written by Michael Woods. After this, I started working continuously for Zenescope on [the] Robyn Hood series with Pat Shand. Then, as you well know, the call came from Image to draw the reboot of Witchblade [from a script] by Caitlin Kittredge."

Roberta on what tools/medium she typically uses for her art:

"I work mainly in digital, except for some covers that I do with the traditional method. Often, though, I like to leave Photoshop to devote myself to [traditional] drawing, which is still a great way to relax." 

Witchblade Vol. 1 (MAY180096) is available now at your local comic shop.

Steenz (Instagram, Twitter)

Steenz on how she got into comics as a reader:

"I started reading comics in graphic novel and trade paperback format a little bit after high school about 12 years ago. And then a friend of mine was just like, "Hey, let's get REALLY into comics. Like we'll pick out a comic shop and everything." So we did! We both had a pretty good grasp of the types of comics we wanted to read having been tangential fans for a while. But once we started with Green Lantern, the rest was history. Then we saw that there was an annual comic book trivia contest at a different shop. We thoughy, what are the chances of us taking the time to get REALLY knowledgeable and then crushing it. Well the chances were high enough because that's what we did. Shortly after, I actually got a job at that shop and I haven't stopped reading since." 

Steenz on how she got into comics as a pro: 

"There was a local comics group in St. Louis called Ink and Drink Comics. We'd all make comics based on a certain genre, have it edited and printed, and then, with the proceeds from the sales, we made the next batch of books. It was a really great low stakes way to get into the print comics and I learned a lot really fast. After that, I did more anthologies, more online comics, and now here I am! It took effort to promote who I am as a creator, so I had to constantly be putting out work for people to read and to look at. That's the best way to get noticed, honestly. Have a constant stream of your best work, and finding like-minded creators to do it with. This way you have a support system AND people who might hook you up with opportunities. It was a lot of work, but worth it because I love it."

Steenz on what tools/medium she typically uses for her art:

"I use primarily digital formats now. So I have an iPad Pro that has Clip Studio Paint on it and I have a desktop with a Cintiq that I use clip studio on, as well. I use photoshop for formatting, paneling, and lettering. But most of the artwork gets done on CSP."

Archival Quality (MAR191916) is available at your local comic shop on April 10, 2019.

If you're looking for more deep dives into contemporary comic art then check out our monthly "Got It Covered" series.  There you'll discover some of the industry's top talents and witness their artistic process.

****

Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes BAMN, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Awards-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.