Interview: Jordan Gunderson on Aspen Comics’ The Four Points

The Four Points #1 Cover A by Jordan Gunderson

The Four Points #1 Cover A by Jordan Gunderson


Jordan Gunderson is an artist whose work has appeared in Grimm Fairy Tales, Cry Wolf, and most recently, Executive Assistant: Assassins. Now, he turns his attention to The Four Points, a new series from Aspen Comics written by Scott Lobdell. Westfield’s Roger Ash got in touch with Gunderson to learn more about this book.

The Four Point #1 preview page 1. A look at Gunderson's pencil art.

The Four Point #1 preview page 1. A look at Gunderson’s pencil art.


Westfield: How did you become involved with this project?

Jordan Gunderson: Well, I had previously finished a run on Executive Assistant: Assassins and was currently illustrating the Fathom Annual book when Vince (VP and Editor-in-Chief of Aspen Comics) started mentioning this upcoming project they had lined up. I didn’t have much to go on at first, just what it was tentatively being called at the time and who was writing it. When I heard that person was acclaimed writer Scott Lobdell, I was pretty excited to get a glimpse at the script.

The Four Point #1 preview page 2. A look at Gunderson's pencil art.

The Four Point #1 preview page 2. A look at Gunderson’s pencil art.


Westfield: What can you say about working with him?

Gunderson: Working with Scott is a real honor! When I think of all the books of his that I own like WildC.A.T.S., Uncanny X-Men, and Gen13, it makes me feel pretty lucky to be working with such an industry heavyweight. His scripts are written in such a way that allows me to get a great sense of his vision for the page but also allows me to insert my own creative storytelling devices throughout.

The Four Point #1 preview page 3. A look at Gunderson's pencil art.

The Four Point #1 preview page 3. A look at Gunderson’s pencil art.


Westfield: What can readers look forward to in the book and who are the main characters they’ll meet?

Gunderson: I think this book is really going to grab the reader’s attention and set it apart from most of the other books that Aspen is producing. The story and characters have many sides and facets to them, making it hard to establish a genre for the book, but that’s what I think will make it really interesting. I can’t say too much about the other characters in the book, but the main character Gia really pulls you into her story. Readers will soon learn that she has inherited an empire from her parents and she is now responsible for the direction it will take. She begins assembling a team to do this, which consists of three other women who possess certain inhuman abilities. The four must learn to work together if they are to have any chance at stopping the sinister unseen force that threatens them and the rest of the world as well.

The Four Point #1 preview page 4. A look at Gunderson's pencil art.

The Four Point #1 preview page 4. A look at Gunderson’s pencil art.


Westfield: When starting a new book, how much design work and world building do you do? Could you take us through your process for designing a new character?

Gunderson: There is quite a bit of it actually. Early on, when I first received the script, I started a bunch of early costume and character designs for the main group the book would be focusing on. I normally focus on getting a bunch of ideas down first and then whittling them down to the best 3 or 4. Some emails would be traded with the Aspen crew following this and the best parts of the designs would be chosen and used for the final iteration of the character design. Once approved, I create a reference sheet with the finalized designs for use when creating the covers and other interior art for the project.

The Four Point #1 preview page 5. A look at Gunderson's pencil art.

The Four Point #1 preview page 5. A look at Gunderson’s pencil art.


Westfield: Are there any other projects you’re working on that you’d like to mention?

Gunderson: My creator-own project, Dissension is still in development and I am hoping for a release after the first arc of The Four Points finishes. The story, set in the near future where a third world war rages, focuses on an American freedom fighter who learns the awful truth behind the conflict that threatens to bring about the end of humanity.

The Four Points #1 Cover C by Jordan Gunderson

The Four Points #1 Cover C by Jordan Gunderson


Westfield: Any closing comments?

Gunderson: So the book is set to be released in April, but if fans want to get a glimpse of the art in person, I will be starting my convention circuit at Wizard World Madison this February 6-8. After that I have plans to be at C2E2 as well. For more ways to see art, concepts, and designs for the upcoming project head over to The Art of Jordan Gunderson on Facebook or Jordan Gunderson Illustration on Instagram. A big thank you to Roger and Westfield Comics as well!

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The Four Points #1

 

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