Richard: Where were you born and raised and what was your family life like growing up?

Jeremy: I was born and raised an Indiana boy, about an hour or so north of Indianapolis in auto factory-driven town, Kokomo. My parents really embraced our interest in art and music, and I took to every creative genre available to me. I would spend hours in the library reading about everything imaginable, especially if it was a how-to on drawing or the like. My father ran a comic shop for awhile there, and I got into comics very early—in fact, I think I learned how to read with comics, more or less. I remember reading stacks and stacks of Captain America, Batman, The Avengers… even Spider-Ham and Cap’n Carrot. It was wonderful—wish I had those comics now!

Richard: How did you discover you liked drawing?

Jeremy: I’ve always drawn—I think it really stems from wanting to be able to draw the characters I read in comics or saw in cartoons. At some point I attended some program at the library where they brought in a local cartoonist to teach kids how to draw their favorite cartoon and comic strip characters—and at some point I looked up at what he was drawing and looked down to what I had done and I realized I didn’t do that bad at all. From then on I was hooked, and came across Will Eisner’s work, and later came to really appreciate the intricate aspects of visual storytelling.

Richard: How did you find out about Dial C For Comics?

Jeremy: Actually, I was recruited by a local comic creator shortly after moving down to Columbia, South Carolina last year. He had arranged to help out with the Dial C gents and they asked if I was interested in pencilling a miniseries for them. I’m really glad I took them up on it, to tell the truth—working on the series has been a real pleasure so far.

Richard: When drawing a miserable dastard character what aspects do you bring across?

Jeremy: For me, it’s all about expression and body language. I can’t stand it when a character is always gritting his teeth and grimacing-- so I try to not only give the characters I draw lots of character and honest emotion, but also subtle shades of emotions. Also, I like drawing robot heads. ;)

Richard: What is "Miserable Dastards" storyline?

Jeremy: Miserable Dastards is the antics of a group of henchmen who decide to strike out on their own. It’s full of great character moments and a real treat to illustrate.

Richard: What is "Absolute Zeroes" about?

Jeremy: Absolute Zeroes is the tale of a brother and sister who gain amazing abilities and are thrown headfirst into protecting their city without any warning or training. I really wanted this book to celebrate the comics I loved when I was younger, by adding in fun, over-the-top action and situations with really nice, intimate character work. It’s never boring and always aims to surprise the reader. Hopefully that comes across in the 3 issues already released from Heroforge Ink.

Richard: Do you prefer writing or drawing?

Jeremy: I’m a storyteller at heart, and the challenge of weaving a tale without words is the ultimate challenge to me. I’m far-too visual a person to be content just writing… I’m an artist at heart.

Richard: What was it like working on "GI Joe 25th Anniversary" comics?

Jeremy: It’s been a lot of fun! Working on the characters I remember loving and enjoying as a child has been simply mind-numbingly great. The biggest challenge for me is just to keep the characters looking LIKE the characters and to make sure the storytelling is clear. Luckily, working with writer Larry Hama has really interesting so far and illustrating the books has been a real eye-opener, creatively. The first comics should hit sometime in April, packaged with the action figure two-packs. Check them out!

Richard: You also work on children's books do you find it rewarding?

Jeremy: I do, indeed! It’s something of a passion of mine to create excitement and enthusiasm for reading with children-- and whether that’s working in comics or children’s books, it’s always a pleasure.

Richard: Which comic professionals do you admire?

Jeremy: I’ve already mentioned Will Eisner, and he’s easily the primary influence on my work. Beyond that, Jack Kirby, Wally Wood, Mike Wieringo, Darwyn Cooke, Art Adams and Mike Zeck are simply stunning artists whose work I respect greatly.

Richard: What is your next goal in life?

Jeremy: Above all, I just want to tell great, fun stories. If I can inspire someone along the way to create something themselves, I’d love that.

Richard: What comics did you read as a child and do you read now?

Jeremy: I mentioned several books above, but my favorites were definitely Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Ham, Marvel Team-Up, that sort of thing. Currently I’m reading The Spirit, Invincible, Power Pack, Franklin Richards, The Walking Dead, and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane. A weird mix, but really entertaining works all around.

Richard: How can someone contact you?

Jeremy: Anyone that wants to drop me a line can do so by checking out the Contact page on my website, http://www.jeremy-dale.com .

Richard: Any last words of wisdom?

Jeremy: Get excited about the comics you read! Remember what made you love comics when you first read them and seek that out.