Art by Amanda Conner

Tim O’Shea of the Robot 6 blog has posted an email interview with Jen on her Black Cat series, Hopeless Savages, heist films and more….

Here’s a snippet:

O’Shea: Some artists imbue the character with sexiness by giving her exaggerated curves, while Javier Pulido downplays the cleavage aspect (compared to more recent approaches) of the character’s costume. Instead he conveys the character’s attractiveness by emphasizing the athleticism, agility and kineticism of the cat burglar. How important was it to you to capitalize on Pulido’s kinetic tendencies (her first scene with Byron is one of my favorite in that regard)?

Van Meter: To me, people –fictional or non– are always most compelling and attractive when they are doing something they care deeply about or that they are very good at, not when they’re posing with a come-hither stare. I wanted to tell a story that isn’t about how Spider-Man or anyone else sees the Black Cat nearly as much as it is about how she sees herself, so when I found out Javier would be drawing the book, I was over the moon. I knew he’d get what I was after and and so much more, letting the reader see the allure of her competence, wit and daring– the things she values about herself. I’ve loved getting pages and seeing how wonderfully he can capture, for instance, her physical strength, her stealth and her sense of humor all in one panel.