Kevin Cornell’s “Manda” | 2007©, Gouache on 300 lb. Cold Press

About the Interview

Yesterday we featured a fascinating website called, The Superest where A List Apart’s illustrator/designer Kevin Cornell wages an illustrious and ongoing battle of super heroic one-upmanship with animator/designer Matthew Sutter.

Kevin Cornell took time out of his busy schedule to talk to .think about The Superest site and his life as an illustrator.

.think | 1. What initially inspired you to create The Superest site?

Kevin Cornell: Well, Matt and I had come across Andy Haven’s post about the game “My Team, Your Team.” The game sounded really interesting, so we played it a couple of times. One particular game we posted to our websites; after which we realized it would probably be a fun site all its own, and a good proportion of other people agreed. So a couple months later we built The Superest site, and there ya go.

.think | 2. Although you and Matthew generally handle the majority of the illustration battles, if you could have anyone as a guest illustrator, who would it be?

Kevin Cornell: Hmmm… well, we both wanted to see the fellows from Wulffmorgenthaler do one. But their agent never wrote me back.

“The game itself is
just the perfect formula for
inspiring the next hero.”

.think | 3. How has the ubiquity of the web changed or challenged you as an illustrator?

Kevin Cornell: I think the web has made it much easier to get work in front of people than it is in print. But then, it also tends to pick up and spit out individual portfolio pieces quicker—one day you’ve got 5,000 people looking at your work, the next day 10. This aspect probably unconsciously led me—and other web illustrators—to change the way we promote and produce work.

Instead of disappearing down a hole and emerging a year later with a big portfolio piece, we take small projects that can quickly be put in a public forum or weblog, maintaining the frequency of exposure. Or, if one DID have a large, year-long project, they’d be more apt to give updates to an audience throughout the process.

.think | 4. What’s your favorite super hero creation and why?

Kevin Cornell: I think my favorite that I created was Figleif. I like the text, the hero is well-drafted and has good contrast, the reply itself was (from my perspective, at least) clever, and I was quite excited to have been able to add the runes that actually spell something.

It just all came together. What’s more, it came together without a huge amount of effort; some things you really have to sit and noodle with for hours before it gets right, and some things just miraculously happen right the first time.

Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of luck every now and then?

.think | 5. Describe your sense of humor; is it as well-developed as it seems or do you just muster one for the sake of The Superest site?

Kevin Cornell: Well, I couldn’t say whether it’s well-developed or not. I can’t stand political jokes or jokes about celebrities. I like jokes to be about universal things, things most everyone has experienced. Yet I can’t stand jokes about flatulence. I just don’t find it funny. I was actually pretty disappointed when I made Wind Breaker and everyone thought I was making a fart joke. And jokes about animals are pretty funny. But animals that are animated to sing, talk, and dance are NOT funny.

.think | 6. Has Pixar come calling, wanting to animate any of your super heroes, and what will you say when they do?

Kevin Cornell: Haha—no, no calls. And I expect if they DO call, it would be lawyers saying “Hey, stop ripping off our ideas.” Or to extend Matt’s restraining order another 30 feet.

.think | 7. You’ve created so many super heroes in such a short timeframe; where do you draw your inspiration from?

Kevin Cornell: Well, that’s what first excited Matt and I about creating the site; the game itself is just the perfect formula for inspiring the next hero. There have only been a handful of instances where I didn’t know how to beat the previous hero. Most of the time, the way to beat your opponent is just thinking about how that hero’s strength could also be a weakness.

.think | 8. Can you envision creating the ultimate super hero–one with such unparalleled powers–that it could end the series?

Kevin Cornell: Sure, it’s Chet The Commenter. That’s the guy who lists every possible hero reply in the comments before Sutter or I have a chance to draw it. When he strikes, we’re screwed.

.think | 9. Within arm’s length, what work-related item do you feel is most important to you and why?

Kevin Cornell: Probably this computer. I’d have a hell of a time getting the drawings online without it. Though the chair plays a big part in my day as well. Hmmm… this is a tough choice.

.think | 9-1/2. What’s your super power?

Kevin Cornell: I once went fishing with a bamboo pole and caught 5 fish, while the people next to me caught nothing. So I imagine it’s some sort of fishing power, which is a real shame because my weakness is handling bait.

Kevin’s wit and work can be viewed at his site, Bearskinrug.com. He is also the staff illustrator at A List Apart.

Check out The Superest’s ongoing battle here.