This feature is part of my Small Press Manga Feature Program. If you have a similar small press manga/manga comic that you would like featured here, then read this page.
Name: Karen Rubins
Age: Unknown
Most recent work: Blood Magic, Urban Beasts
Fun fact: I used to sing in a punk band, we did a heavy metal cover version of Bad Guys from Bugsy Malone.
Find her: Website, Blog, Twitter, Shop.
Award winning comic artist Karen Rubins has been creating comics since she finished her degree in Visual Communication Design in 2001. Since then she has created many comics while collaborating with other comic artists to create some of the best small press manga comics in the UK.
In 2009 Karen completed a residency at the V&A museum in London. While there Karen ran various workshops, events and took inspiration from the artwork around her. It was here that she created her latest comic, Blood Magic.
Blood Magic is a medieval story of sacrifice, sorcery and power. Focusing on blood as the source of magic the comic is a short 28-page piece of solid work – obvious due to the time spent at the V&A. Karen’s style is very clean, yet has a distinct way of bringing out the medieval wood textures and harsh lines of the setting. Black and white throughout, apart from the blood highlights, Karen has thought of every detail.
We asked Karen how she supports her comic creations:
“This one was kindly funded by the V&A Residency Programme. My other recent small-press work has been published by ITCH, where the lovely Willie Hewes dealt with all the financial issues. Anna and I funded DARK (our first comic series) with a grant from the arts council. Of course, the best way to support your comic creations is to get people to pay you to make them…!”
Karen informed us on how to acquire a copy of Blood Magic:
“Although the comic is free, I will be accepting swaps! If you would like to, you can also feel free to make a donation of the price of an ordinary comic to the V&A to support their work.
It is also being distributed on Free Comic Book Day (Saturday 7th May) at London comic shops GOSH and Orbital. If anyone else would like to distribute some copies for Free Comic Book Day, please let me know.
You can also get a copy by post, by sending me 50p to cover postage costs via PayPal, using the email address karen@karenrubins.com.”
Look out for Karen at Comics at SciFiLondon on Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st April and MCMExpo, London at the ITCH table on Friday 27th – Sunday 29th May.
