Interview with Lush Comics Founder Justin Mound

One of the publishers I chatted with at MoCCA Fest was Justin Mound of Lush Comics. I actually sought him out just because I think his company is doing some amazing things for the indie comics world. I got to sit down (and email) with Justin about Lush.

In 20 words or less, What is Lush Comics?

Lush Comics is a self-publishing platform for artists and publishers of digital comics and graphic novels. Phew! Under 20.

How did Lush Comics start? Where did you get the name Lush?

I left my full-time job and decided to start my own business. The iPad was picking up steam, the subway was filled with people reading their Kindles, and I noticed that comics were being largely left out of all of the self-publishing options that writers had. I told my good friend Jeff Lewis that I wanted to make apps out of his comics, he thought it was a great idea, and it grew from there. The name "lush", well, I had a day that I brainstormed names. It bubbled up to the surface of my brain as a synonym for vibrant and alive, which I thought was fitting for great comics storytelling. And, I just liked the sound of it.

Do you cater to a particular comic genre?

Nope, not at all. On purpose. As a self-publishing platform, and not a traditional publisher of a particular genre, we don't curate content. We live in a time in which there are tools for anyone to publish any media they create, which I believe is a very good thing. Lush Comics is one of those tools. Anyone, from any skill level can choose to put their stuff out there, find their fans, and their niche.

When will the Lush app be available?

The iPhone app should be out in two weeks from now, and the iPad by June 1st. I'll let you know.

What do you have upcoming for Lush fans? Any new artists?

A bunch of new artists. One of the ones I am super excited about is Justin Rivers and Courtney Zell, Creators of The Wonder City. Theirs was originally a featured Kickstarter project that they recently brought to print. They rose $5,500 and it looks great. They recently were looking for a way to publish digitally, and decided to go with Lush. I'm pretty excited about that.

What is your favorite part of the indie comic scene?

The people. I think there is a public perception of comic artists as being shy and awkward. My experience has been the exact opposite. All of the artists I have interacted with have been smart, witty, and really cool people that I feel lucky to be able to meet and learn from. And the art, there is some great art out there.

To learn more about Lush Comics, check out their website here. If you decide to publish through Lush, let us know!

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