About Me
My name is Karen Rubins, and I am an award-winning comics artist living and working in London, UK. I am currently in residence at the V&A museum, South Kensington, on a six-month placement as a Comics Artist.
I have been making comics since around 2000, when my sister, Anna and I published the first issue of our indie mini-series, DARK. Since then I have worked with different writers and on solo projects, producing manga- and indie-influenced comic art. Genres have ranged from horror, through slice-of-life, to comedy. I'm interested in mythological themes and historical settings. I also run workshops on manga and graphic novels, from children aged 8 to adults.
My work has been featured on many comics websites, blogs, and in numerous magazines including Comics International and Time Out.
If you wish to get in contact, for commissions, enquiries, comments, networking, saying hello, or anything other than sending spam, you can email me at k_rubins(AT)yahoo.com. I would love to hear from you!
selected works
2009 Urban Beasts, (Co-creator, Artist)
24 page black and white comic, part 1 of 2, modern fantasy. Writers: Daniel Hartwell and Anna Rubins. Published by ITCH.
2008 Tales by Ghost Light, (Artist, editor)
8 page manga story, historical comedy/horror. Writer: Andy Smith. Published in ITCH publishing’s “Manga Jiman 150” book, February 2009 and exhibited at the Embassy of Japan, London, February – April 2009.
2008 Shinagami (Produce Spirit), (Artist)
13 page manga, parody/fantasy. Writer: Gwen Kortsen. Published by ITCH publishing, “The Witch and other tales of the Supernatural”.
2007 Tsuchigumo (The Earth Spider), (Writer/Artist)
21 page manga comic, historical mythological horror, set in feudal Japan. Published by Constable and Robinson in “Mammoth Book of Best New Manga 2”.
2007 Across the Nightingale Floor, (Artist/Adaptation)
sample pages created for Hachette Livre Australia, based on Lian Hearn’s feudal Japan fantasy novel. Writer: Lian Hearn, Adapted by: Anna Rubins and Karen Rubins.
2007 The Witch, (Artist)
20 page manga-influenced story, drama/allegory, set in 17th century England, about a suspected witch’s execution. Writer: Willie Hewes. Published by ITCH publishing, “The Witch and other tales of the Supernatural”.
2001 - 2006 Dark, (Artist/Co-creator/Co-editor)
112 page, 4 issue mini-series, modern fantasy/allegory. Writer: Anna Rubins. Self-published in separate issues. Issue 1 also translated and published in French, 2006. (Ad and Bron's Odyssey, a 4 page Dark spin-off was published in French in “BDZine” and in English in “The Web and Minicomix Thing Anthology”.)
2006 Perfect Match, (Artist)
1 page comic, full colour, comedy/science fiction. Published by Factor Fiction in “The Girly Comic” and in France in “BDZine”. Writer: Daniel Hartwell.
2003 Grave Mistakes: The Cemetery Sitcom (Inker and letterer)
8 page mini-comic, black and white, comedy. Writer/Penciller: Anna Rubins.
2001 The Dust, (Writer/Artist)
8 page mini-comic, full colour, comedy/crime. Hand-made, limited edition.
AWARDS
2008 Embassy of Japan “Manga Jiman 150” competition for a short manga story, runner-up
2007 Mecal International Short Film Festival, featured
2006 International Manga and Anime Festival awards, Character Brief category, second place
2001 D&AD Student Awards, Mixed Media category, commended
2001 South-West Arts Start-Up Grant for “Dark”