Derek Hunter

Despite the Internet’s impact on most forms of print media, comics have survived the last 80 years by pushing boundaries and staying on the fringe of acceptable entertainment. It’s one of the few mediums left where anyone who can conjure images to a page can independently publish and promote their own book.

For over seven years, Derek Hunter has been one of the few independent comic writers in Salt Lake. Hunter has worked on movies with studios such as Disney and MTV Films, has lent his talents to video games like The Hobbit (2003) and is currently the lead illustrator for Send Out Cards, a unique brand of illustrated greeting cards, but Hunter’s primary passion has always been creating comics. His flagship title, Pirate Club, features twisted tales of youngsters roaming the streets of their small town looking for adventure. Pirate Club is published twice a week at pirateclub.com.

Hunter, with a dozen or so friends, also informally hosts a weekly Tuesday draw night at Nobrow Coffee. The group recently decided to parlay the fruits of draw night into an art show that’ll be held at Nobrow on August 20. The night will double as Hunter’s debut of his new autobiographic comic––Derek Hunter is A Fuck.

Hunter says the idea for Pirate Club came from his last summer with his friends before entering the world of adulthood. “Me and two buddies spent a lot of time camping, drawing everyday and hanging out with girls. It was kind of like our last big hurrah before we went off to our careers.” says Hunter. “I began doodling the words ‘Pirate Club’ one day, and I thought that described us in a way. I started thinking about these stories that three friends would have that were reminiscent of childhood, but still kind of adult-like. I started drawing some of it and showed it to my friends, and they really got behind it and wanted me to finish it, and things just snowballed from there.”

Publishing Pirate Club, both with Slave Labor Graphics and later by himself, has been a labor of love for Hunter. One only has to peruse the two dozen or so issues on his website to see his motivations.

“I want to have a widely published comic book that reaches people. I want to inspire imagination,” says Hunter. “I want kids to go out and build dirt mounds with their action figures and have battles. I want to give the next generation something to enjoy as much as I enjoyed the things that I had.”
 
Hunter’s love of comics and art is what prompted him and his friends to start a Tuesday draw night. It began as an inclusive event, just a group of friends showing each other what they were working on, and eventually grew into an open forum for any artist to participate in.

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Comments on this article

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Bryan Hunter

I'm so proud of my baby bro. Love ya, bro! We'll get together soon! Just as soon as I run out of the crisp one-dollar bills!

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