Meet HexComix | Independent Comic Book Publisher

We had the good fortune of connecting with HexComix and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi HexComix, how do you think about risk?
Our entire company exists because we took a risk, both as a group and as individuals.

Lisa had been working as a professional illustrator and Lynly had a background in IT and had just moved to LA. It was New Year’s Eve 2014 and, having been friends for years, Lynly was encouraging Lisa to find the next level for her art—being that it was and is amazing. The next level for Lisa looked like taking a years-old idea and creating a comic book, which neither had any real experience with. Luckily, Lynly did have experience solving significant, complex problems and the two of them got busy. After a short while, it became clear that they needed a writer.

That is where Kelly Sue came in! She had just left her advertising job—where she sat beside Lynly’s husband for a year and a half—to dive into television writing. Knowing her writing aspirations, he pitched her and after just one meeting, we were all fast friends and even faster collaborators. Production of the very first issue of our comic series HEX11 began immediately. Once we said that collective yes, our lives began to shift and the things that were no longer aligned with this dream began to show themselves.

We entered comics as unknowns, right on the heels of GamerGate, and had absolutely no idea how we would be received. The industry was still very male-dominated and very superhero-dominated. We were coming with neither of those things but we knew we had something special. So we doubled down and didn’t just produce and print a comic book, we incorporated ourselves as a business so we could self-publish.

We started the company with $500, we left jobs, we left bad living situations, and unsupportive marriages, all without any guarantee that this venture would “work.” At one point we were even living together—all four of us—in a two-bedroom apartment in Venice Beach. Lisa and Kelly Sue literally slept in an adult-sized bunk bed for four months and only disbanded once Lynly got pregnant with her first child. All the while we were producing the book and attending comic conventions. We traveled to a total of nine shows that year, even as our lives were in various stages of total transformation.

Lisa, being the overall creator of HEX11, has said many times that it felt so strange to talk about it out loud at first, but as the three of us began to develop it, she began to really see the potential it could have by opening it up to others. As a result, we have all learned to befriend risk as it’s taken us and HEX11 further than we could have ever imagined.

Put simply, taking large risks will yield large results but you also have to be prepared for all the ways that risks will change your life, not just the ways you hope it will change. We are huge supporters of dreaming big but we also know that big dreams require big responsibility.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In many ways, we changed the game. HexComix and the creative team behind HEX11 are truly an anomaly in the world of independent comics. Not only are we an all-female team but our way of working is entirely unique. Having the trifecta of Artist, Writer, and Producer/Editor is something we have yet to come across in indie comics even after 10 years of business. Plus, we’ve always been willing to share what we’ve learned and to support other artists as they make their way to realizing their dreams.

HEX11 is one of the most successful and prolific indie comics in publication—we’ve amassed tens of thousands of readers worldwide—and we think a huge part of that has been our dedication to a certain standard of work but also to enjoying the process. Lisa and Kelly Sue do not work in the way traditional comic teams do, it’s much more tandem and fluid and the result is a story that is both beautiful to look at but also feels genuine, lived in, and seamless. Finally, Lynly’s massive talent for seeing the big picture, for editing with a keen eye toward making a reader’s experience as immersive as possible, not to mention her business acumen, makes the entire engine go. Without any one of these elements, we wouldn’t be the team we are today. We certainly wouldn’t be making a book of this caliber.

This isn’t always an easy process—especially after COVID set us each adrift in different directions, Zoom is no substitute for old-fashioned, around-the-table work sessions! However, creating anything with a team requires flexibility and persistence and we’ve had the chance to see just how abundant we are with both. We are deeply committed to our work and to our partnership. We recognize that working with others can be challenging and having a team to laugh and share the experiences with is invaluable

If there is anything we’ve learned after almost ten years of business it’s that being able to pivot in the face of unexpected challenges or the inevitable twists and turns that come with building something is so key. When you can see it as an adventure, it becomes one.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Such a fun question! There are so many spots in Los Angeles that are near and dear to our hearts so it might take longer than a week but here are our absolute favorites—almost all of them are also a piece of HexComix history!

El Compadre on Sunset Blvd: this place is a piece of rock ‘n’ roll history and HexComix history. Anytime we have something to celebrate, we celebrate it over flaming margaritas.

The Bar at Chateau Marmont: When we want a true Hollywood experience that feels lavish, we gather for cocktails at the hotel lobby at the Chateau. It’s so choice!

Casablanca in Venice Beach: Casablanca is—and is not—exactly what it sounds like. Who knew the movie Casablanca and queso dip would go so well together. This spot is where you go when you’re ready to eat amazing Mexican fare and party serious. If Chip is still there with his margarita bar cart, get yourself one of those! But really, we seriously mean just one.

Houston’s Pasadena: It is somehow the hardest place in LA to get a reservation and you’ll be hard pressed to find a seat at the bar but it is still a favorite. The martinis are amazing, the food is stunning, and it’s been our go-to place for holiday dinners and celebrations.

26 Beach in Venice Beach: Best brunch. Period.

Hotel Cafe: Get yourself some tickets to a show and have your mind blown and/or your face melted in this best, most intimate concert venue in town.

The Magic Castle: Our annual HexMas celebration began here. The dining experience is so special and the magic is unbeatable. It’s also an iconic LA haunt and you get to dress extra fancy!

Dodger Stadium: The traffic is worth it for rock shows and the micheladas are on point!

Chinatown: There is no end to the inspiration and incredible food in Chinatown. It is not only beautiful, it’s a cultural haven, a historic LA neighborhood and walking distance to other fave spots like Olvera Street and Phillipe’s French Dip. There is something magical here and it can’t be missed.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Lisa: I’d like to shout out Joe Tomasini who was the first person to challenge me on getting comfortable with sharing the idea of HEX11 with others before I’d ever even made the first piece of art around it.

Lynly: Nichele Dudley, our CTO, and my husband Casey Franks deserve support shoutouts too!

Kelly Sue: We also have to dedicate this Shoutout to a tremendous woman named Candace Lavin. Candace was an Imagineer for Disney, working extensively on EPCOT, and later became an Adjunct Faculty Member at OTIS College of Art and Design here in LA. She created two comic book classes—Comic Books & Social Issues and Comic Book Heroes. Both of these classes focused on the power of comics to illuminate social injustice and the power we each have to stand up and fight for what’s right, to give a voice to those who don’t have one, and to highlight the lived experiences of the marginalized.

She invited us to serve as mentors for her classes and we did for two years until 2019 when she passed away very suddenly. OTIS invited us to take over the instruction of her class and we very humbly accepted. We are going into our third year as instructors of Comic Book Heroes as a result, teaching comic book composition and creating stories for and about LGBTQIA+ youth for our partner The It Gets Better Organization.

None of this would be possible without Candace’s remarkable efforts. We are honored to have known her and to be able to carry on her legacy.

Website: www.hexcomix.com

Instagram: @thehexcomix

Image Credits
First photo of us by Jason Dixson Photography Everything else belongs to HexComix