Review Fix talks with upcoming comic artist/writer Nick Cagnetti, on his new comic series PINK LEMONADE, on the inspiration, the story behind it, and what is next for the series.
Review Fix: What is PINK LEMONADE all about?
Nick Cagnetti: PINK LEMONADE is about a lady named Pink Lemonade setting out to rediscover what the world has to offer, often getting swept into offbeat adventures she doesn’t expect. [It’s] equal parts an existential odyssey of discovery for her and the readers.
Review Fix: Where did the idea of PINK LEMONADE come from?
Cagnetti: There was a point a couple of years back where I wanted to make something with a cool, mysterious lady who rode around on a motorcycle. That initial inkling morphed during a time where I mentally felt a bit lost and on an island. PINK LEMONADE became a perfect beacon to help me ride out of that space creatively. She’s not the usual cool motorcycle character that I initially had in my head, but on her own, she’s kind of cool; just through being herself.
Review Fix: What made you decide to turn PINK LEMONADE from a comic strip into a full-fledge comic series?
Cagnetti: I started out doing those strips, for better or for worse, with no real writing experience or any actual scripts to work off. I’d drawn books in the past but never wrote anything on my own, so it was like looking at a big mountain to hike. I always wanted to play with the comic strip format, and I had this idea in my head of where it was going. However, it was also partially a stream-of-consciousness “let’s just see where she goes” kind of thing. As I was nearing the end of those strips, I knew the next part was a lot bigger in scope, and I wanted to do it right and give the narrative more space. It felt like the perfect time as it felt like a new beginning at the end of the strips.
Review Fix: What are some inspiration or influences behind your artwork and this story?
Cagnetti: Creators from the likes of Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Mike Allred, Dan Clowes to Hergé, and anyone in between. I look up to so many creators and those are a just few of the top of my head. I try to give my art a timeless feel and this book provides an excellent opportunity to push that approach. You have characters like Ron Radical who looks like an edgy 90s comic character along with super round cartoony-robot, OJ-Bot. You’ve got like a 1950’s spaceman guy, Pink Lemonade’s colorful outfit and people in civilian clothes wearing all kinds of stuff. Put that all into a blender and make them exist together, plain as day.
Review Fix: Where do you plan on taking the series, what next for Pink Lemonade?
Cagnetti: Hopefully to places people won’t expect and will find satisfying. Part of it is trying to re-contextualize our relationships with fictional characters and the media we consume. Pink Lemonade has a pure and innocent worldview, so the trick is seeing if she’s going to be able to keep that point of view after the world tries to twist her image. I can say the second issue has some crazy action mixed with some moments of emotional clarity. It’s gonna be a ride for Pink Lemonade and the readers for sure.
Review Fix: Anything you would like to add?
Cagnetti: Pre-order the first issue of Pink Lemonade at your local comic book shops! It’s out October 16th! In December we’ve got a one-shot coming out collecting the original comic strips and a few short stories, then in January is the second issue of the main series! A good place to keep up to date with me is either Instagram (fudgy1nick), Twitter (Ncags), or Facebook (nickcagnetticomics). Some of my older comic book work can be found online at RadicalRealmComics.com as well.
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