Eric Gapstur is a comic book artist living in Eastern Iowa. Gapstur released his debut graphic novel titled Sort of Super at the end of March, which follows a middle-school boy who discovers he has superpowers. Combining the traditional superhero story with other social and familial struggles, Sort of Super explores an array of themes through the lens of an 11-year-old boy. In the past, Gapstur has worked with DC Comics, deriving some inspiration for his work from his time involved with the infamous publishing company. On April 2, Gapstur hosted a book signing to celebrate the release of his book Sort of Super at the Barnes & Noble in Coralville where Gapstur himself used to be a bookseller. Gapstur answered The Daily Iowan’s questions over email.

The Daily Iowan: How did you combine the traditional superhero story with other social and familial struggles to create your latest book Sort of Super?

Gapstur: I wanted to combine a lot of the traditional superhero drama and adventure with the humor and whimsy of my favorite comic strips, which seemed like the perfect mix for exploring the problems a superpowered middle schooler would face.

DI: What does the writing process look like for a comic book as opposed to other forms of writing that you’ve encountered?

Gapstur: My graphic novel scripts are light on a lot of detail for the visuals of the page that are in my head. I try to impart only what’s necessary for my collaborators, for the sake of time and also to give myself more time to flesh some of the more stubborn storytelling problems out. This is opposed to prose, which needs the entirety of what you’re trying to impart on the written page.

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DI: How did you get started in drawing comics and writing comic books?

Gapstur: I started writing and drawing comics the minute I was done reading my first comic in the third grade. I can vividly remember copying pages of Spider-Man comics with my friends. I had no idea they were published monthly, so I would continue the stories myself and make up my own.

DI: Has your previous work with DC Comics influenced your art or storytelling style with Sort of Super?

Gapstur: Yes, I wanted to employ the same dynamic composition and storytelling in Sort of Super that I learned from comic book artists like Phil Hester and Ed McGuinness, while shifting aesthetically to my more cartoony influences like Bill Watterson and Richard Thompson.

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DI: Does living in Iowa or any other part of your personal life have an influence on your work as an author?

Gapstur: One aspect of my personal life that has affected my work for the better is having kids and being a stay-at-home dad. I think a lot of my self-worth was wrapped up in accomplishing my cartooning goals before I had children, and they helped shift my focus and priority in life away from that, which was freeing creatively without that self-imposed pressure.