Steve Richter had his first published work in The Post back in 1990.
Richter, a comic book author and illustrator from Athens, is speaking at the Kennedy Museum’s Inside/Outside Arts Talk on Thursday to discuss his work and experiences, said Gladys Bailin-Stern, president of the Friends of the Kennedy Museum.
“Local and regional artists are selected by a committee, and we trust they will contribute their vision of art making to our community,” Bailin-Stern said. “We wanted to bring (Richter’s) talent to the attention of the Athens community.”
Richter said he knew very early on what he wanted to pursue in life.
“Ever since I laid my eyes on Peanuts comics and Dr. Seuss, it’s been an ongoing life pursuit,” Richter said. “Those were my two big influences.”
After graduating with a degree in political science from Ohio University, Richter moved to Seattle at 21 to pursue his career. His first book, Double Tall Latte Please, was self published in Seattle in 1993 and dealt with the height of the espresso craze in the city.
“It was a short book that I used Dr. Seuss style rhymes with,” he said.
Richter had work published in Seattle Weekly and an alternative paper in Seattle called The Stranger, but he found that self-publishing was the way to go.
“There were too many instances where I would sell books without knowing how contracts work,” Richter said. “If I wanted to write about what I wanted to write about, I had to market myself.”
Richter returned to Athens in 2002 to get his master’s in special education and taught for about three years before starting work as a fully freelanced artist.
“Logos, CD covers, signs…really anything people want drawn or designed and I’ll take it on,” Richter said.
Last year, the Kennedy Arts Museum had another comic book artist, Sandy Plunkett, hold an exhibition. While Plunkett had formal training, Richter has been drawing since he was a kid. He finds Plunkett’s style to be geared towards classic comic books.
“Sandy is an incredibly talented artist,” Richter said. “We’re both illustrators but we have different styles.”
For those pursuing a career in comic books, this talk will give them a good idea of what to expect in the future, Richter said.
“It’s quite the adventure,” he said.
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If You Go
What: Steve Richter, Inside/Outside Art Talks
When: 5:30 p.m., Thursday
Where: Kennedy Museum, 2nd Floor
Admission: Free
