Creative Happenstance, A Conversation with Regine L. Sawyer
“My goal with Women in Comics is to keep up hope. It’s hard to find, but it doesn’t go anywhere—it’s just a matter of finding it. I want to always be a resource for creators and make sure people know there’s a place for them in this industry.”
- Regine L. Sawyer
No one loves comic books the way Regine L. Sawyer does. Her passion is inspirational, and her work as the founder of Women in Comics Collective International (WinC) is a legacy worth celebrating.
Sawyer’s profound connection to storytelling and comic books derives from her immediate family. Her mother was a painter and natural storyteller, her father would read the Sunday funny papers with her, and her brother kick-started her comic book collection after introducing her to characters like Storm from The X-Men.
“As a little girl there was something about taking text and partnering it with these beautiful images that just stayed with me,” said Sawyer. “I still have sketchbooks from all of my old ideas.”
For many comic book fans, care for the medium runs deep. For Sawyer, it extended beyond reading and collecting as she found herself on the path to create a comic book of her very own. Her series Ripper, a comic about an all-female super powered team, was an idea that grew in high school and would inevitably become one the titles produced by her publishing company.
It would be easy to assume Sawyer pursued a degree in art or creative writing after finishing high school, but instead she opted for a culinary degree.
After completing school and becoming a manager in food service, she found herself continuously drawn to comic book shops. On one destined visit, Sawyer was talking with a friend about her ideas and by chance met a creator named Rob Taylor who offered her to work as a managing editor for his small press comic book company Superhuman Works.
“I taught myself how to edit scripts and art, but over time I would go back to my ideas that I wanted to publish,” said Sawyer. “After about a year I had created ash cans hoping a publisher would pick them up, but I finally thought I would finish the books myself—so that’s what I did.”
Instagram hadn’t become a resource to find artists yet, and Sawyer had to post ads and search for artists who would properly illustrate and color Black hair and different skin tones, and she inevitably found creators who fit her criteria from Zimbabwe, Mexico, and Brazil.
Armed with a roster of connections and knowledge from her days at Superhuman Works, in addition to the knowledge she received from colleagues such as the late Robert Garrett from Xmoor Studios, Sawyer was more than ready to transition from fan to creator.
Sawyer would go on to publish three issues of Rippers, one issue of Ice Witch, and one issue of Eating Vampires, as well as publish a children’s book with art from her mother all under her own publishing company Lockett Down Productions.
Despite her talent, she faced challenges when hosting her own booth at conventions—an unfortunate experience women creators are familiar with. Attendees didn’t believe that Sawyer’s booth was in fact hers, but over time the right fans began to find her stories.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but when individuals started picking up ash cans they were definitely excited to get something like that in their hands. That was a wonderful feeling, but I soon realized that I needed to get more books out because I was building a fan base.”
The happenstance of Sawyer’s comic book journey continued as she was asked to host a Women in Comics Panel at a local show.
“I put together a panel of women and what was so beautiful was the response from the audience. At the time [early 2000s], seeing women of color on a comic book panel hadn’t been seen. Some women had told me they did not feel welcomed as people would question why they were there. But this time was different, and it was amazing because we had Alitha E. Martinez, the first woman of color to pencil comic books for Marvel and DC Comics—who had also never been invited to speak despite her 13 years in the industry!”
This experience opened up opportunities for Sawyer to host more panels and over time she started Women in Comics Collective International.
Created in 2012, WinC highlights the work of marginalized voices—especially women and Queer Folx of color. WinC hosts various educational and professional events across the United States, and has been hosted by institutions such as San Diego Comic Con, New York Comic Con, as well as several universities and museums. They are a critical resource for aspiring creators, and their work even garnered attention from the comic book industry.
In 2024 WinC received the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award at San Diego Comic Con as a celebration of the endeavors done by WinC that benefit up-and-coming professionals. This award was named after Bob Clampett as a way to honor people in comics who have worked to help others—and Sawyer’s work is a true testament to what the award was designed for.
“We were really honored to receive the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award—and at San Diego Comic Con of all places! Sadly, there were some individuals who weren’t happy we won the award, but that doesn’t stop our initiatives. It’s a reminder of the opposition,” said Sawyer.
“Some folks don’t want to see you with this type of mission or making ‘their’ comics, but my goal with Women in Comics is to keep up hope. It’s hard to find, but it doesn’t go anywhere—it’s just a matter of finding it. I want to always be a resource for creators and make sure people know there’s a place for them in this industry.”
In addition to writing her own comics, Regina L. Sawyer has written for DC Comics and Marvel. Be sure to follow her on Instagram and Bluesky. To support Women in Comics Collective International, visit www.womenincomicscollective.org to donate directly or sign up to become a member!
This interview has been edited for clarity.