A Super Workshop: Comics Illustrator Phil McNulty Shares the Secrets to His Powers

Sometimes, it’s that one lucky break that turns a hobby into a career. For Phil McNulty, whose dream is to be a professional comic book illustrator, that break came courtesy of director and comic book super fan Kevin Smith. 

Now McNulty will pay it forward by holding a class to help coach the Stan Lees of tomorrow in comic book illustrating on July 19 at the Gloucester Township-Blackwood Rotary Library.

McNulty, a Mount Laurel resident and graduate of in Pomona, has been an artist all of his life. But just recently he took a new step in his career and entered a cartoon contest held by New Jersey filmmaker Kevin Smith. Dubbed the Dark Knight vs. the Dark Side, the contest just had one rule: Smith wanted to see who could create the best Batman vs. Darth Vader animated short.

McNulty’s creation took second place. The prize? A job as an illustrator for Smith’s comic book company, SMod Co.  

McNulty describes the experience as “surreal.”

“My animation is limited, but I knew one thing—I knew I could draw Batman,” says McNulty.    

In a two-minute short, Guess Who’s Coming to Gotham?, Batman and Darth Vader sit down in a park to a friendly game of “Guess Who.” Batman suspects Darth Vader of cheating and insults fly between the two—much of the witty dialogue coming from McNulty’s brother, he says.

“It’s funny to see the Show of the Day is my cartoon,” says McNulty, referring to S.I.T!, SMod Co.’s official website.   

McNulty credits his father for his love of comic books. While his father was a great fan of the Batman comics, McNulty maintains that his No. 1 superhero will always be Gambit from the X-Men series.    

He recalls as a young boy watching Night of the Sentinel, a two-part pilot episode of X-Men’s animated series, and thinking, “This guy is awesome.” 

Coaching future comic creators  

With a Kevin Smith-approved boost to his career, McNulty has his sights set high. His biggest aspiration is working for either Marvel or DC Comics, both powerhouse players in the comics world. In the meantime, he’s working on publishing his second comic—and helping the next generation of comic book artists.

McNulty will host the workshop on comic book creation for fourth- through 12th-graders on Thursday, July 19, starting at 4 p.m. at the Gloucester Township-Blackwood Rotary Public Library.   

He plans cover the history of comics, as well as introduce the students to pioneers in the field and how to lay the foundation of a comic book. McNulty stresses that he wants the kids to incorporate their own art style into their own comic.     

“You don’t have to be the best artist, just the best storyteller,” says McNulty.    

This event is free to the public. For more information call 856-228-0022 or visit the library’s website.

Click on the video, above, to watch McNulty's prize-winning animated short. (Editor's note: The video contains a profanity.)