Special Edition: NYC an Interview with JL8’s Yale Stewart

Written by: Gary M. Kenny, CC2K Comics Editor

Yale Stewart is an up and coming indy artist from St. Louis, who has achieve some popularity by turning the Justice Leaguers into adorable kindergardeners. His Tumblr comic strip called JL8 has been all over Facebo ok and there is no reason why it shouldn’t. It you have a soul and like cuteness then check out JL8. CC2K was fortunate enough to chat with Mr. Stewart for a few minutes at SE:NYC, here’s what happened.

CC2K: Thanks for taking a little time with me today, I must have started reading JL8 about two years ago, when did this all start?

YALE: It’s kinda of tricky, I started drawing it in the summer of 2011 but I didn’t start posting it online till about (I want to say) late November of 2011. Technically speaking I’ve been working on it for about three years now.

CC2K: The cuteness factor, the fun stories, and cartoonie twists on the Justice League characters has made this a very popular web comic. Though you can label JL8 a paradoy, has DC Comics ever contacted you? Tried to stop this? Cause any problems?

YALE: I don’t know any of the reason behind it, all I know is that they haven’t tried to talk to me about it in any real capacity so far. I’m not complaining about it.

CC2K: It (JL8) must have opened doors for you.

YALE: Oh yeah, it definitely has. Well, it is kind of weird (going back to the previous question) I’m doing stuff for DC Comics kind of, but not for DC necessarily. Because of JL8 I got an offer to do some Superman kids books; all ages Superman children’s comic books. But it wasn’t DC Comics that hired me. It was a licensee for DC that hired me however I had to get stuff approved by DC Comics while I was working on it. It was kind of tricky.

CC2K:What is the Superman title called and when can we see it.

YALE: It’s called The Amazing Adventures of Superman! And I think in July.

CC2K: It seems, based off of your Tumblr and Facebook account, that all of this started has a hobby and blew up from there, is that right?

YALE: Pretty much. It now takes up all of my time especially working on these kids books. I very recently just got wrapped up on the Superman All Age title. I might be doing more but I not sure. It’s kept me pretty much chained to the drafting table.

CC2K: Last question, since this is current, will Barry and Hal find Bigfoot and will Bruce and Karen become an item?

YALE: You’re just going to have to read the comic to find out all of that! No spoilers!

Well there you have it, Mr. Yale Stewart, a polite, modest and talented comic artist. Yale is killing it on the cuteness factor in JL8 and DC’s new All Age Superman title: The Amazing Adventures of Superman!. CC2K would like to thank Mr. Stewart for his time and professionalism and SE:NYC for making this interview possible.

Be sure to check out the JL8’s FACEBOOK & TUMBLR page and Yale Stewarts personal TUMBLR as well.