At Motor City Comic Con, I had the chance to meet some of the illustrators of My Little Pony comics. I love that series so much and even have a subscription to it. Today, you get to meet one of those illustrators!
Website/social media: @thomzahler on Twitter and Instagram
thomz.com
How long have you been drawing? All my life. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t. I’ve known I wanted to be a cartoonist from my earliest memory. There’s no time I didn’t have a pencil in my hand.
How did you get into comics? My parents had a reward program when I was a kid. I was well behaved, I got a comic. My parents had a really well-behaved kid and I had a lot of comics. So that fostered my love of them.
I went to the Kubert School in New Jersey and trained as a cartoonist there.I was a better letterer (back when that was done by hand) than I was anything else, so I got some lettering work while still in school. I freelanced on the side for a few years, lettering and inking here and there, before self-publishing in 2002 and my career sped up from there.
What is your favorite comic you have worked on? I always hope my last one is my best, because I should keep getting better. That said, my Love and Capes books are a favorite, They launched my career in so many ways. Mark and Abby are like dear friends and I hope one day I can figure out a story to bring them back.
Do you have a favorite My Little Pony Cover you have done? I like the Twilight Sparkle and Rarity facing off with Nightmare Moon cover. It’s pretty sharp. I think it’s a great marriage of my style, with brushy lines and round forms, and the MLP style (Bridget note: I have this cover. It is awesome)
What are some all-ages comics you suggest? I really like Supergirl: Adventures Across the Eight Grade, any Uncle Scrooge, especially by Carl Barks or Don Rosa, and Batman Adventures from DC. Lumberjanes is excellent as well. (And of course, My Little Pony and Michael Recycle.)
