Artist Spotlight: Shawn Andrews

Blurred lines: Bethlehem artist combines love of comic books and pin-ups for First Friday collection

GIA MAZUR / PUBLISHED: AUGUST 4, 2016

For Shawn Andrews, comic books and pin-up art go together like Batman and Robin.

The Bethlehem resident combined his love of both art forms into one, under the moniker ComishArt Studios.

Area residents will have a chance to peruse and purchase his renderings during August’s First Friday art walk in downtown Scranton. Mr. Andrews pieces will be on display at Terra Preta, 222 Wyoming Ave., from 6 to 9 p.m. The night also will include music by DJ Honeyman Lightnin’.

The now 38-year-old’s interest in superheroes came at a young age. By age 10, Mr. Andrews had picked up his first comic book and immediately was hooked. He was always interested in art, but thought he didn’t have the dedication it took to be a comic book artist. As he got older, he also developed a love for the classic pin-up art of the 1940s and 1950s.

On a whim, Mr. Andrews signed up for a spot at a comic convention in Philadelphia and set a goal to create 10 to 15 pieces in the three months leading up to the show.

“I bombed,” Mr. Andrews said. “But, it put a bug in me to continue trying it and travel (to Comic Cons) for it.”

Mr. Andrews continued to work at it and, while no one outside of his immediate family knew about his project, he gained a following in the comic book circuit.

“When I first started, I basically tried to create a different entity so people wouldn’t know my name,” he said. “I went to California for a show and there were people there who were looking for me. It was a pretty cool thing. That’s the best thing for an artist, to be known.”

Mr. Andrews’ art is always centered around drawing people. While some of his work is racy, his pieces mostly feature comic book heroines and villains, like Wonder Woman or Harley Quinn, as classic pin-up girls. He also takes commissions and recently completed a gift for a man to give to his wife: his wife drawn as a superhero.

“That’s always my main attraction,” Mr. Andrews said. “I’ve been drawing superheroes since I was 4 or 5, but I do want to grow and grow into different genres as well.”

Art is constantly evolving and Mr. Andrews said artists must evolve, as well. He is currently on hiatus from making art while he hones his skills. However, he does commission-based work through his website.

The Lehigh Valley man sold his comic books pin-ups to fans across the globe, but one of his earliest supporters was a comic shop owner from Scranton. Mr. Andrews has had many arts shows in the city that won him a local fan base.

“It’s very humbling to know that your artwork is out there and people appreciate it,” he said.

Click here to view the full article on The Times-Tribune website.