Profile: Comic Book Artist Emma Vieceli

				(Photo: Lisa Curtis)
				By Jimmy Aquino, Pop Culture Contributing Editor While British-born Emma Vieceli’s only way was Essex at birth, she currently resides in Cambridge and has been freelancing in the world of comic books for the past six years. She’s previously had gigs as an RPG (role-playing game) moderator, video game artist, TV presenter, actress, and singer (with the latter, she was even invited to audition for Les Miserables for producer Cameron Mackintosh). Presently, her art can be seen gracing the pages of The New York Times bestselling adaptations of the Vampire Academy series (Frostbite is now out) by Richelle Mead and adapted by Leigh Dragoon, and in The Avalon Chronicles graphic novel adaptations by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir.
	BEING AN ARTIST IS…?			…unexpected and wonderful
	WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON TODAY?			I’m currently inking book two of The Avalon Chronicles for Oni Press.
	WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR WORK?			Everything I see. Mostly other comics. As many varying styles and genres as I can find.
	OF WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD?			Every project makes me proud in some way. Finishing a book feels awesome. Manga Shakespeare is a big deal as the series kicked off my career a few years back, and has literally introduced a new generation of comic readers to the format, which is great! I’m also proud of having compiled Dragon Heir into a shiny, gold-foiled format as that one is printed through Sweatdrop and so is entirely independent. It’s a good feeling to make a good product on your own when you can. But I love all my comic babies. I can’t choose!
				(Trailer for The Thrill Electric web series designed by Emma)
	WHAT IS YOUR DREAM PROJECT?			I have a few bubbling away, but one day myself and my husband want to make a series about the life of Richard III. We’ve found a publisher, so now we just need the schedule time!
	TO WHOM DO YOU LOOK FOR INSPIRATION?			Blimey, so many people! Friends, peers, and creators I admire. So many people I know fall into all three categories. Starting to list them is hard, as I know how many names I could easily throw out. My fellow Sweatdroppers, Becky Cloonan, Kate Brown, Paul Duffield, Jamie McKelvie, Warren Ellis, Amy Reeder, Antony Johnston, Adrian Alphona, Fumi Yoshinaga, Freghieri…this is literally names off the top of my head. I literally feel inspired every time I sit and talk with fellow creators or pick up another person’s comic. And that’s not even mentioning how inspired I feel if a reader tells me how much they like my work!
	IS THERE ANYONE FAMOUS YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH AND WHY?			These days fame is such a subjective term. I don’t know if the people I’d consider as “stars” would be the same for other people, but I know there are tons of writers I’d love to try working with and artists I’d love to collaborate with. I guess, random as it is since he doesn’t even write comics as far as I know, I’d love to see what kind of a comic Tim Minchin would come out with—and I’d love to draw that! ^_^ His style and approach to everything is a fantastic mix of whimsical and solid fact. Emotive and then suddenly pulling back. I’d love to translate that into comic form.
	IF YOU COULD LIVE/WORK ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE ?			I like Cambridge. I love Cambridge. If I could get a nice house in the actual city, close to the river and the train station, that would be great. It’s close to London, but doesn’t have all the bits of London I don’t like. It’s beautiful, inspiring, has history and cobblestones. If I could get more of my friends to live there too so that we could all get a big studio: perfection!
	WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST NON-ART JOB?			I worked in a fish and chip shop for ninety minutes. My first job. I have experienced a string of random jobs. I think you have to, really. In order to tell stories of any worth I think it’s important to have felt a bit of the world. :)
	WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT?			Wondering what the next gig will be and where it will come from. Worrying that I don’t have enough time to talk to my friends and family. Digesting and replaying social encounters that I wish I’d been cooler at.
	WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING ?			Not a lot, haha. My husband brings me coffee at weekends…that helps. But if I have an exciting page to work on, that can motivate me to shun my duvet.
	DESCRIBE YOUR WORK IN THREE WORDS.			Emotive. Character. Story.
	IF THERE WERE A MOVIE OF YOUR LIFE, WHO WOULD WRITE, DIRECT, AND STAR IN IT ?			Ahahaha, I hate to think! Probably some kookie unknown up and comings with cool glasses. I’d like it to be the whole team behind Amelie. Maybe with Edgar Wright joining in on the post edit direction, and some Benny Hill music in certain places.
				Visit Emma Vieceli… www.emmavieceli.com www.facebook.com/emma.vieceli.5 @emmavieceli emmav.deviantart.com