DC Hopkins is the letterer for “Corollary,” a sci-fi short comic forthcoming in the Origins Anthology (Kickstarting now!). We talked with DC about comics lettering, his many inspirations, and his superhero preference!
Hi, DC! Thanks so much for taking some time to talk to us! Judging from your bio and portfolio, you are a busy person! Can you tell us a little about yourself and your career?
Hello! My name is DC Hopkins, and I am a professional letterer and designer. I’ve worked on lots of cool properties like Star Wars, Star Trek, Steven Universe, Teen Titans, Darkwing Duck, Voltron, and more for a variety of great publishers such as DC Comics, BOOM! Studios, IDW, Disney, Dynamite, Image, and Dark Horse. I live in Indiana with my wife and son and work from home on comics full-time.
How did you get into professional comic book lettering?
I’ve been into comics since I learned how to read, but my interest in lettering and design specifically didn’t arrive until I was in college and some friends and I were making our own webcomic. We needed a letterer and so I decided to learn how to do it. From there, I was inspired by pro letterers such as Clem Robins, John Workman, and Deron Bennett, and quickly realized that I wanted to devote all of my time and attention to learning how to improve.
Many people outside the comics industry know very little about the lettering side of things. What’s some insider info you can tell us from a letterer’s perspective?
I would say that many people inside the comic industry know very little about the lettering side as well! One piece of insider info that most people don’t fully grasp about the role is that we are the “fixers” of the assembly line. By the time the script and finished art gets to us, any issues or errors that made it to us still need to be resolved. Because of that, our job encompasses much more than just “putting words into balloons,” since we regularly have to resize art, prepare files for print, and so forth. We are the last line of defense before the finished comic gets sent to the printers and into the readers’ hands, so we’re often juggling a lot to make it all come together.
How did you come across Adam Rose‘s “Corollary”?
I’ve worked with the artist on the project, Robert Ahmad, many times in the past, and we’ve become good collaborators and friends. Because of this, we often refer each other when we can, and Rob very kindly referred me to Adam and it all synced up from there!
Who are some writers, artists, or others creators who inspire you?
Chris Ware, Adrian Tomine, Harvey Pekar, Shane Carruth, Dan Clowes, Fred Chao, Liz Suburbia, Mike Mignola, Mœbius, David Lynch, Chris Gethard, S. Craig Zahler, Deron Bennett, John Workman, Clem Robins, the list goes on and on!
Are you more of a Superman or a Batman person—or neither?
Definitely Batman.
What fictional character do you most identify with?
Growing up, probably Bendis’ version of Peter Parker in Ultimate Spider-Man.
What do you think comics bring to the world that other media can’t?
An incredibly specific brand of visual storytelling that’s melded with static art and graphic design. If I try to break it down more than that, I’d just be plagiarizing ideas from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, so ignore this answer and go read that book instead.
Are you currently working on any new projects we can tell our readers about?
At the moment, I’m working on an exciting WWE graphic novel for BOOM! Studios.
Where can our readers find you online?
I’m on Twitter, and you can find my portfolio and self-published comics on my website!
Support “Corollary”—lettered by DC Hopkins—along with 13 other short comics in the Origins Anthology at the Kickstarter!
Read our interview with the writer of “Corollary,” Adam Rose! Then come back for more creator interviews with our amazing creators!