BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO
Jennifer Hayden is one of the newest creators to join the webcomics collective, Act-i-Vate. Her new comic, Underwire, makes its debut this Saturday, as a part of the group's new Weekend series. Hayden isn't a lifelong comic book fan, she rediscovered comics through graphic novels, while recovering from breast cancer. That discovery was enough to more than pique her interests, and compel the children's book illustrator to create comics of her own. After getting to know Dean Haspiel, and showing him some of the shorter stories, he invited her to become a part of Act-i-Vate. She's working on a full blown graphic novel about her experience with breast cancer, but told THE PULSE that's not what her monthly comic strip is going to be about. "Underwire takes me out of my past, and into my life as it is now."

THE PULSE: I think some of our readers might be meeting you for the first time in this interview, so can you tell us a little about how you got into comics ...?

JENNIFER HAYDEN: I started out as a writer years ago, then had kids, then went back to my first love, which was art, and became a children's book illustrator. Then I had breast cancer and discovered graphic novels while I was recovering. It was a blinding flash of light. Comics. Loved them as a kid. Have to make them as an adult. And I'm using them now to tell all my stories.

THE PULSE: How did you discover graphic novels when you were recovering? I mean comics have a stigma about them to a lot of adults, so why did you take the plunge with GNs?

HAYDEN: I was buying books to read while I was laid up after my mastectomy, and had read a NYTimes article about GNs. They looked interesting. The first ones I bought were political, mysteries, not for me, but then I discovered Lynda Barry and Alison Bechdel, and others and went absolutely nuts.

THE PULSE: You discovered some really great ones! How'd you come to know Dean Haspiel?

HAYDEN: I'm working on a graphic novel about my life and experience with breast cancer. I had the first couple of chapters, and showed them to an old college friend, who showed them to her friend Sarah Butterworth, who showed them to Dean. He was wonderfully supportive right away, and it meant a lot to me.

THE PULSE: I guess you'd find it kind of cathartic to work on a story about what had to be a tough time in your life ...


HAYDEN: Absolutely. It's been excellent therapy. And the book has exploded into a full memoir, which is a cathartic thing to do in middle age anyway. The greatest victory is finding the humor in all that pain ...

THE PULSE: Any trepidation about laying your life out like this -- even if it is only select memories ...?

HAYDEN: Absolutely. I'm out of my freakin' mind. But I've always had a big mouth and never worried much about spilling my guts. And there is a fine art to spilling your guts discreetly, which I like to think I'm learning. By the way, I wanted to mention that this book is not the material that will be appearing in my comic Underwire on ACT-I-VATE. Underwire takes me out of my past and into my life as it is now.

THE PULSE: Speaking of, just how did you become a part of Act-i-Vate?

HAYDEN: I was getting a little overwhelmed by my graphic novel project, mired in my past, emotionally exhausted, so I did a short piece about a little thing that happened with my 12-year-old daughter. It was like a little life-poem. I liked it. I sent it to Dean. He liked it and invited me to do a regular spot on ACT-I-VATE, starting with that comic.

THE PULSE: Watercress, right? How did your daughter feel seeing herself in that fashion?

HAYDEN: She hasn't. I've been afraid to show it to her. And the second short comic I did was a story written by her for school, which I illustrated. And she was furious! "That's not how I pictured it, Mom!" Ooo, it was bad. I think it's vital for our kids to know who we really are. And it's not easy having a mother who's an artist. But I think she's getting used to it.

THE PULSE: Well she is at a tough age. What does she think in general of you working on comics and graphic novels now? Has she read any?


HAYDEN: She's always walking into my room and looking at my work. She loves my drawings. And I think she's proud that I'm doing what I need to do. But sometimes she wishes I were a "normal" mother. Shoot me now. She does read the Archies. She likes Betty and Veronica. But really, who doesn't?

THE PULSE: It's funny she wants you to be "normal." If you've always been this way, that's her normal ... what's she define normal as?

HAYDEN: American Girl movie mom. Mom with a big van who takes all the girls to the mall, who loves to go for mannies and peddies, who likes to cook and decorate. Ain't never going to happen.

THE PULSE: I think that would be boring .... Getting back to Act-i-Vate, how many strips do you have planned for it? Is this something you'd like to do forever -- or at least as long as forever is online in groups like this ...?

HAYDEN: I'd love to do my strip on ACT-I-VATE forever. I can't think of a better way to connect with people and make sense of life. I have four strips so far, with another two in the works, about motherhood, womanhood, lifehood, and I can't wait to see what happens next in my head.


THE PULSE: Since you're just getting into the comics and GN game now, it's safe to assume the usual comic book art influences don't really apply. So just who are some of the artists who helped shape the kind of artist you are now?

HAYDEN: As a child, I read the Archies, Doonesbury, Peanuts, and Asterix and Obelix. And I loved the pen and ink art of early Sendak and Hilary Knight in children's books. As I got older and studied art history, Albrecht Durer's woodcuts blew me away. Then, when I got into graphic novels, it started with Persepolis. That book showed me what a memoir could be like. Then Lynda Barry's work gave me permission to try anything. Julie Doucet's work showed me how to have a light spirit and how to bring doodling into the mix. Alison Bechdel's work showed me that an intellectual slant and an understanding of literature can be part of this too. I am always looking for the women who are doing this. But I also have loved Jeffrey Brown for his sincerity, which is so important. And I'll stop there...

THE PULSE: What has the learning curve of graphic novels and comics been like for you? Do you think working as a children's book illustrator that kind of gave you a little bit of an edge?

HAYDEN: I have to say I felt instantly at home in this medium. The things I didn't like about illustration are all solved in comics--what to do with the edges of a picture (put it in a box!), what to do with color (I only do b/w comics), how to render a pencil sketch (I do what I call raw drawing in my comics, no pencilling whatsoever)--so there are no more problems!

THE PULSE: Sounds like a dream come true, but what are the cons?


HAYDEN: Learning how to tell a story using words and pictures. That's hard to do, slow, requires a lot of thought. Expressions, repeating characters, where to put the almighty speech balloons, what to depict and what not to depict. This is also the hardest work I have ever done.

THE PULSE: Hard and rewarding, but how do you keep from getting overwhelmed?

HAYDEN: I just always focus on: what's MY story? Is this panel emotionally true? If so, then keep it and go on to the next. I have an outline, and that keeps me grounded. And the discovery of what I'm really thinking, as I do a drawing, keeps me entertained. I only feel overwhelmed when I realize how much more time I need to finish things. I'm not overwhelmed by the projects themselves. I'm very certain about what to do there.

THE PULSE: When is your story about your struggle with breast cancer going to be available? Who is publishing that?

HAYDEN: I'm talking to people, but I don't have a publisher yet. The book is only half done, so you'll have to wait a little while.


THE PULSE: But our readers can see your new work once a month on Saturdays at Act-i-Vate starting this weekend, right?

HAYDEN: I believe it's every fourth Saturday, so once a month, starting this Saturday. I'll post a new comic here: http://activatecomix.com/creators?id=37

THE PULSE: Got anything else in stores now -- comics or otherwise -- that you'd like to plug?

HAYDEN: No, I'm total comics newcomer. The last children's book I illustrated was very nice, and you could mention that. It's called Libery Cafe is Open! by Marcia Trimble, published 2007 by Images Press and available from the publisher or from Amazon.