LAGACÉ Gisèle
eastcoastcomicexpo.com/guests/Gisele-lagace/
“Anyone who knows me knows I’m not repressed when it comes to sex. I joke about it all the time, so much so it’s reflected in the comics I work on. It’s also very important to me that it’s shown in a positive way. I want to help people to be more open about sex, and understanding of others too.” The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls. 2015: 175.
Born 16 June 1970 and raised in New Brunswick.
She has circled from New Brunswick through Montréal and Ottawa and back to New Brunswick. After she graduated from high school in the late 1980’s, she first tried music. In the 1990’s, she went to Montréal where she became a bassist in the all-female band Barbarella. This did not work for her and so she opted for cartooning and attended the nearest program she could get for that, a graphic arts design course for a year at l’Université de Moncton followed by a college degree from La Cité collêgiale in Ottawa. She began as a graphic designer at the Avenue Design Group in Ottawa creating logos and laying out ads for newspapers.
In 2000, she began her first webcomic Cool Cat Studio for which she won Web Cartoonists’ Choice Award for Best New Talent in 2001 and in 2002 co-won the Kimberly Yale Award for Best New Talent. She discontinued Cool Cat Studio at the end of 2001. Beginning in 2004 she worked with writer T. Campbell to co-create the series Penny and Aggie. Over 2007-2008 they returned to Cool Cat Studio. In 2008, she began Ménage à 3, with co-writer David Lumsden. This series revolved around “Gary”, Suzz and “Desirée”. It was the first of a number of web comics produced by this partnership. It was so successful it allowed her to quit her job and become a full-time cartoonist. In the same year Gisèle and David organized Pixie Trix Comics.
In 2009, Gisèle created another series Eerie Cuties, which revolved around high school vampire sisters , Nina and Layla Delacroix. David later joined this series as co-writer. Together in 2011, they initiated Magik Chicks (2011-2015). It involved the activities of three teenage witches Melissa Hellrune, Jacqui Brightmoon and Cerise Darkshade who together formed the Hellrune Coven. In 2013, Gisèle, by herself began and ended a spinoff of Ménage à 3, called Sticky Dilly Buns, involving Dillon, a gay actor; Amber, “Gary’s” friend, Dillon’s roommate, and a former porn star wanting to be an actress and Ruby, Amber’s BBA graduate sister who moves in with them. They were supporting characters in Ménage à 3. Stories attached to both of these series appeared in The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls. Gisele also did the cover for this book.
Gisèle’s work in Pixie Trix Comics led to her being asked to work on Archie Comics 635, (2012) 636, 639 and 646 plus the Archie Meets The Ramones graphic booklet, and several Archie covers. It probably helped that members of the “Archie” group noted that her drawing style was heavily influenced by Dan DeCarlo and Stan Goldberg. Another strong influence is anime. Gisèle has also noted that webcomics demand a different style from traditional comics. “When you’re reading a comic book, if you just read two or three pages, it doesn’t really stand [on its own]. With webcomics each date needs to stand [alone]. It’s either going to be funny or really suspenseful … so we’re always trying to land that gag.” (cbc.ca/arts/gisele-lagace-archie-comics-menage-3-1.6953413).
From Archie Comics she has contributed to Betty Boop, Jem and the Holograms, and Unbelievable Givenpool. Beginning in 2018, she has co-created Exosisters with writer Ian Boothly.
WORK:
ILLUSTRATOR:
BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Cover book front:
The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls. Col., Shouri. Bedside Press, 2015.
ILLUSTRATOR & CO-WRITER:
BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Content story:
The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls. Bedside Press, 2015: “Ménage à 3.” Co-writ., David Lumsden. Col., Shouri: 170- 174.
CO-CARTOONIST:
BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Content story:
The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls. Bedside Press, 2015: “Sticky Dilly Buns.” Co-car., Shouri: 175-79.
SOURCE:
Article book:
The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls. 2015: 170, 175.
Internet:
cbc.ca/arts/gisele-lagace-archie-comics-menage-3-1.6953413. Updated 31 August 2023. Accessed 5 April 2024.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gisèle-Lagacé 3 April 2024.
gisellelagace.wixsite.com/gisellelagace/about Accessed 1 May 2020.
image comics.com/creator/gisèle-lagacé Accessed 3 April 2024.
pixietrixcomix.com/about us Accessed 3 April 2024.
Tvtropes.org/pmwiki.php/Webcomic/Magic Chicks. Accessed 5 May 2024.
GALLERY:
The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls 2015.: Front cover.