6 minute read
Brittney Green
Local Comic Book Artist Takes Storytelling To A New Level
By Natalie Downey
When Brittney Green sees the world, she sees stories. Characters and plots, settings, and themes all circle her mind and enter the art she offers to the world through the powerful medium of comic book storytelling.
“I have always loved storytelling,” Brittney says, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. “It’s such a powerful tool to convey messages on a profound level. There’s so much potential.”
For Brittney, the cinematic quality of comic book storytelling has always been appealing. Grand tales of heroes and villains provide limitless opportunities for ideas and inspiration. Brittney approaches her work with a twofold purpose - to create visually appealing work that can be appreciated on a surface level, and to share the message of her personal faith for those who want to dive deeper and uncover themes of redemption, philosophy, and psychology inspired by everyday struggles and life. “I don’t want to force an idea on people, but I do want to make them think,” Brittney explains. “I want my stories to affect people on a deep level.”
More than just graphics and plot, Brittney’s work touches on subject matter which can be hard to navigate, and presents subjects in an approachable manner which gives her readers the chance to deconstruct and explore different ideas.
“There can be subtlety in comic book storytelling with the option to add nuance and detail - if you choose to dig deeper, it’s there,” Brittney says. With the understanding of the potential for storytelling to deeply impact people, Brittney’s intention with her work is to plant seeds that will lead to productive growth in the lives of her readers. She takes this responsibility seriously, focusing on quality work as she develops her own signature art style and distinct character representation. “There’s so much depth in life,” Brittney says, “I want to represent that.”
In 2019 Brittney produced her first comic book entitled D.E. Agents, a work exploring heavy topics such as drugs and violence in a major city. “I want to be tactful,” Brittney says. “The nooks and crannies of meaning allow for personal interpretation.” She depicts multi-faceted characters who are being pushed morally and responding in various ways as the evolution of their development is carried by the story. Not all black or white, the struggles Brittney’s characters face are relatable as they depict growth, failure, and redemption. With the realization that she could produce comic books on her own, Brittney feels a sense of independence in her work - she personally handles every element of comic book production, writing, illustrating, and arranging every element on her own, except for printing. While film is the ultimate goal, Brittney enjoys the freedom comics give her to create in her own way and at her own pace.
Some of Brittney’s works are stand-alone, while others are a part of a series. Some of her works are light and fun while some are heavy and “hardcore,” Brittney explains. Her first graphic novel, “Torn Veil,” uses one of her favorite techniques - a visual allegory to show without telling. In the story, her characters fight creatures such as Deception, Vice, and Temptation, all visual representations of the challenges we face in daily life. Her creative take gives meaning to the human experience and explores the variations of human responses and the consequences that follow.
“It’s like a big puzzle,” Brittney says. “The characters are the central point - the face and body of the story, the conduits of the story.” Each character Brittney creates exists to convey a specific message, but choosing a favorite is nearly impossible. “I love all my characters,” Brittney says, smiling, “If I don’t, I’m doing something wrong.”
With a love for community and the classic culture and tangibility of comics, Brittney has put together an event to celebrate comics with the community. In sort of a “comic con” kind of weekend coming up in August.
Britts Comics will host a Comic and Art show on August 24 from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at Bytes and Brews. The event will include a raffle, costume contest, card game tournament, and video game tournament. Each tournament will have a grand prize and is currently free to enter, with the first tournament starting at noon, and rotating every two hours. Raffle tickets are $1 each, or fifteen tickets for $10. Prizes include comics, gift cards, trading cards, and gaming consoles. Vendors will be set up inside and outside of Bytes and Brews, and Brittney will be set up with some of her work on the second floor. Bytes and Brews are offering free game play for the day of the event with the purchase of an event ticket, which costs $5 in advance via getlocaltix.com and $8 at the door.
The following day, the Coca Cola Space Science Center will host the 2024 Toy and Comic Book Show from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. Admission to the event is $6 with kids 8 and under for free, and will include door prizes, a quick draw contest, costume characters, local artist, fan films, vendors, and interactive exhibits. The event has taken place for the past twenty years and is coordinated by Coca Cola Space Center’s Dutch Cummings.
For more information, visit brittscomics.shop and ccssc.org.
Of course, you can purchase some of Britt’s art along with other local artists at all of these events. Should you happen to miss it? Local comic book and graphic novel shop, Columbus Comics, keeps Brittney’s work in stock and owner Patrick says customers love her books. “She’s always coming up with new ideas,” Patrick says, “Her work is very popular.” Columbus Comics is located at 6640 Hamilton Park Rd and is open Mon - Fri 10:00 - 6:30, Sat 9 - 5:30, and Sun 12-4.
Brittney Green sees the shades, colors, textures, and patterns in the natural world and translates them into characters and stories which are relatable and thought provoking. With a distaste for the superfluous and shallow, Brittney takes her work to a deeper level, approaching difficult subject matters with hope and positivity. “It’s a big responsibility,” Brittney says. “I just want to use it mindfully.” For Brittney, it all comes back to a passion for storytelling. “I do it for the love,” she says, “Even if it only positively affects one person.”
