Meet Danielle D. Smith !!

Welcome back for another Monday Mention. Today we are showcasing the wonderfully talented Danielle Smith, an amazing artist with the Tiger Dynasty Crew. Much like last week, be sure to stay til the very end of this post or you will miss something that NOBODY has sen yet *winks*

Now without further ado.....Let's meet her.

Bio:

DANIELLE D. SMITH (aka Dani Smith)  is both a writer/creator of gritty "outside the mainstream" paranormal tales, and an accomplished artist and illustrator whose visual work has appeared in various public, private, and gallery exhibitions and in national publications. In her career thus far she has studied everything from costuming to tattooing, and she is always on the hunt for the next great artistic adventure. Originally a focused fine artist trained in classical painting and drawing techniques, Dani now works in a more "popular" art style, marrying her two greatest loves, storytelling and visual art. Rights to her popular BLACK DOG AND REBEL ROSE Series has recently been released by Solstice Publishing, and is currently under development as a comics/graphic novel series. Another recently released title under development as a graphic novel is "In The Neon", a darkly romantic horror story reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. She is also developing a paranormal horror/action one-shot, "The Black Dog Diaries: A Boy and His Beast", based on the early adventures of the popular BDRR Series hero, Skriker.

Other projects on the burner include another creator-owned Paranormal/Dark Urban Fantasy series following a demonic biker gang, to be published as a flagship series for Jagged Jaguar Comics, and work on the 4th issue of PLB Comics' bestselling vampire series, Gideon & Sebastian.

She credits fine artists including Michael Parkes, Luis Royo, the Pre-Rapaelites, Michaelangelo, & Bosch, and comics/pop culture artists such as James O'Barr, J. Scott Campbell, Andrea Sorrentino, Jo Chen and  Lee Bermejo (mentioned together because their work is very "fine art" in itself), Jim Lee, Gabriel Bá, Joe Quesada, Jae Lee, Tom Nguyen, Clint Langley, and scores of her own friends and fellow creatives as her inspiration.

Dani lives in San Diego with a large number of books, indie flicks, and documentaries. She is a tomboy, usually spotted wearing motorcycle boots and wife beaters, although she does enjoy some feminine pursuits, including fine scented bar soaps and rose tea. Her stories appeal to dreamers, troublemakers, dark romantics, horndogs, and general escapists who are tired of the same old thing in paranormal fiction world. She is of Anglo-Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, French), Scandinavian, Russian, and German Jewish descent. She is the proud mother of a lovely little son named Ryker and the owner of several beautiful tattoos, the number of which just keeps growing. She is proud to say she is 110% one-of-a-kind, sweeter than she looks, easy to work with, and loyal to a fault. :-)

Interview:

1. What was your favorite comic/comics growing up, and how did those titles influence your current work? 

I was always really big on “indie” comics from smaller presses. The two biggest influences on me as a comics artist would have to be “The Crow”, by James O’Barr, and the “Elfq Quest” series by Wendy and Richard Pini. I adore O’Barr’s gritty—and at times brutal—inks and paintings, and Wendy Pini’s beautiful, semi-realistic fantasy style. I think you can see how both artists influenced me from an early age in my own work.

2. When did you know that you wanted to pursue comics as more than just a hobby? What steps did you take from that point on to make a future in the industry?

I think I realized that comics were a good fit for me because I could merge storytelling with art and enjoy both at the same time. I also was drawn to comics because the prose novel and fine art industries have fallen short in recent years, whereas the comics industry is still alive and kicking, and a place where even an indie creator can make a living doing what they love.

3. If you could have any superpower, what would it be, why do you favor that ability, and would you use it for the greater good or visceral villainy?

Oh, shit! Hahaha. That’s a tough one. I think I’d like to be able to control some kind of element, like water or fire. And I definitely would use it for good—I’m a mom, after all, and need to set a god example for my young son. ;-)

4. Who is your favorite of all your characters? 

If I could only pick one, that would have to be Skriker, from my Black Dog and Rebel Rose Series (publisher pending). He’s just so fun and easy to write AND draw. He’s both the tattooed bad boy and the kindhearted hero—and the fact that he’s half-demon who can sprout fangs, claws, and a spiked tail makes him fun to play with. ;-) As far as my Sheol City (with Jagged Jaguar Publishing) stories go, I have two favorites: Ashe, the “lancelot” hero-figure who is caught between loyalty and pussy (*wink*), and his motorcycle club’s Prez, Antiochus Drake, who is just so bad it’s FUN.

5. Which of your characters has the best power in your opinion? 

Probably Alexius, the angelic father of my Nephil heroine, Rose. He’s, well, an angel, and they’re powers are pretty much Numero uno, after the Creator’s.  Alexius lost his wings for love, but still maintains a lot of rockin’ powers: healing, “ether speaking” (telepathy), the ability to travel great distances in the blink of an eye, mastery of sword and lance and angelic fire. You can’t get much more powerful than that.

6. If you could write a comic without any limits on anything what would you write it about? 

Hahaha, I already feel like I am with the Sheol City series! Demonic biker gangs, drug-addicted angels in City Hall, a werewolf police force, faeries in the ghettos and slums…yeah, already doing it!

7. What was your inspiration for your upcoming comic book series, Sheol City? 

Sheol City is my “go all out and wing it” series. I wanted to take a facet of criminal culture (in this case, outlaw motorcycle clubs) and put a supernatural/paranormal spin on it. Think of the Sons of Anarchy if they had horns, fangs, claws, and would eat human bikers for breakfast.

8. If you could pick one comic book character to come to life so that you could question their choices, who would it be?

Probably Rose, the heroine of my Black Dog and Rebel Rose series. Being a Nephil, she is a very fragmented creature, and can be very difficult to figure out, even as her creator. I would want to ask her about her true feelings for Skriker, her half-demon companion—sometimes those come through as…fuzzy. She definitely has a lot of growing to do, and if I could meet her in real life, I could really pick her brain about everything she chooses to do, as well as what some of the answers to the Universe’s mysteries are. Naturally, Rosie would be privy to some pretty unique information, being an angel’s daughter.

Now....as promised......Thank you for staying till the end, we hope you enjoyed learning about yet another of our lovely crew. 

For your prize in staying you will get to see something NOBODY has seen yet..... 

Right now, Danielle is working on an amazing project....It's called Shoel City, and it is the first Comic to be released with Tiger Dynasty Publishing!!!

Today, right here and now, you will get the first look and the cover. This is a NEVER SEEN BEFORE item and we are proud and glad to be sharing it with you today. 

Thank you again for being here, remember to check back next Monday for yet another team member.