Transylvania University seniors Alice Beatty and Samuel Schultz are combining their illustration and writing talents to produce an eclectic — and independent — comic zine.
The project broke through the panels of their Strip Club Comics this past summer as they traveled to Chicago for inspiration thanks to a Kenan research grant, which is also funding a comic convention at Transylvania later in the fall.
They’ve completed the second issue — on their own, outside of class in true indie spirit. “Strip Club Comics is an entirely self-published, self-drawn, self-scripted and self-motivated collection of art produced by a gaggle of twenty-somethings,” according to the website. The project aims “to change the magazine industry one issue at a time through thoughtful, introspective commentary on the world around us.”
The co-editors-in-chief began a partnership early on at Transylvania, finding a synergy that propels the publication forward. “Sam and I met freshman year and quickly realized that we both really like having big creative projects,” said Beatty, a Spanish and literary translation double major from Louisville. “I’m an artist and Sam’s a writer, so it seemed like the perfect combo to create these drawn stories.”
“We kind of cover each other’s blind spots,” added Schultz, a writing, rhetoric and communication major from Huntsville, Alabama, who’s minoring in both digital arts and media and music.
Additionally, going independent — completely outside of academics at first — has given them the freedom to fully express themselves creatively without someone looking over their shoulder. Beatty noted, though, that studies like literature have benefitted her as a writer.
Their publication features diverse genres — from satirical superheroes akin to The Tick to the noir detective tale “Scully and Boone,” inspired by 1970s horror movies. “We try really hard to make what we can’t find in the world — stuff that we would like to read,” Schultz said. Each comic adopts a distinct visual style, drawing from other influences like “The Venture Bros.,” “Over the Garden Wall” and animated classics.
“It’s a labor of love,” Beatty added (both she and Schultz plan to continue producing comics after graduation). Collaborators on the project join for the passion, not pay or credit. See who else contributes.
Over the summer, their weeklong immersion in the Windy City included checking out architecture, ghost and mobster tours, the Navy Pier, deep-dish pizza and observation deck skyline views. “We basically tried to experience as much of the city as possible,” Beatty said, describing how they snapped street scene photos, sketched and brainstormed the next issue.
As for the comic convention, Schultz’ senior capstone project involves organizing and writing a paper about the Campus Center event. It will include area vendors, presentations and a guest faculty lecture (the exact date hasn’t yet been determined). “It’s going to be really sweet,” he said. “We’re really excited about it.”
