Cover for Janes in Love.

Last year, comic book artist Jim Rugg and Young Adult (YA) novelist, Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof), made a splash with the The Plain Janes, the inaugural title in DC Comics’ YA imprint, Minx.  The sequel, Janes in Love, recently arrived on store shelves.  Jim Rugg burst onto the indie comics scene a few years ago with the series, Street Angel, co-created with his creative partner Brian Maruca.  Maruca and Rugg also produce the popular Afrodisiac.  Jim answered a few questions for his third Bin Q&A:

CBB:  In a compact way, how would you describe the plot or story of Janes in Love?

RUGG: Janes in Love (JIL) picks up where the PLAIN Janes ended. The girls continue to make public art until they clash with law and must decide just how important art is in their lives. At school, a spring dance is approaching and the girls have become boy crazy.

CBB:  In terms of themes and characters, what, if anything, is different in Janes in Love from The PLAIN Janes?

RUGG: In JIL, since we already know the Janes, the book hits the ground running. The girls are already friends, we know their personalities, and we see more of the group dynamics as they fight and make up amongst themselves. Where the first book might have been about being yourself and finding a place in the world, JIL is probably more about relationships.

CBB:  Was there anything that you or Cecil wanted to improve upon or do differently from the first book to this one?

RUGG: I don’t know about Cecil, but I wanted to improve the art. Make the characters more consistent, incorporate more subtle body language, as well as just overall better drawing.

CBB:  As I study individual panels in Janes in Love, I noticed that you present such a diversity of people – in their faces, movement, dress, attitudes, etc. Obviously, that’s deliberate, but was there a specific idea or goal behind presenting so many different kinds of people?

RUGG: I enjoy seeing that diversity. One of the things I like about old exploitation movies is how diverse the casts often look. Old comics tend to have a greater diversity when it comes to faces and body types as well. It’s just a detail I enjoy, so I try to incorporate it in my work.

Cover for The Plain Janes

CBB:  Looking back on your work on both Janes books, what do you think that you’ve achieved both professionally and artistically/creatively?

RUGG: I have no idea. It’s hard to evaluate your own work. I hope I’ve improved as a cartoonist over the course these 300 pages. But beyond that…I’m not sure how to answer this.

CBB:  Are the Janes coming back for another book? Related to that: what are your thoughts on the discontinuation of the Minx imprint?

RUGG: As of now, there are no plans to do another book. We had begun work on one but that was stopped with the discontinuation of the Minx imprint. I have a few thoughts on Minx ending. First, I’m very proud to have been a part of the imprint. It was an excellent experience, working with Shelly Bond and Cecil was terrific. Second, I’m disappointed it has ended. I don’t know the details of what brought about its end, but as a fan of comics, I think it’s sad.

CBB:  Is there any current or upcoming work that you want to tell readers about at this time?

RUGG: No. Nothing major on the horizon. Thanks.

Jim has a good presence on the web.  There is http://www.jimrugg.com/ and http://jimrugg.livejournal.com/, which I recommend.  Also of interest is http://www.streetangelcomics.com/, which is related to his indie comic book series, Street Angel.  Both The Plain Janes and Janes in Love are available at your local comic book shops and book stores or through online booksellers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.