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Local resident working on comic book called Nutmeg

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Jackie Crofts is the illustrator for a comic book called Nutmeg. She describes it as “Betty and Veronica meets Breaking Bad,” the classic Archie comics characters blended with the hit show from AMC.

It follows the capers of best friends Poppy and Cassia, as they run a crime ring in their school focusing on supplying addictive brownies to the student body. Their foil is a teen detective named Ginger, teamed up with Anais, the school paper editor, who are trying to figure out where the brownies are coming from.

Crofts has lived and worked in Indianapolis, after graduating from Indiana University. Her Nutmeg teammate, writer James F. Wright, who lives in California, have collaborated over the years via the internet, and used a Kickstarter campaign to bring their, initially, web comic, to print.

They’ve since been picked up by Action Labs, a publisher specializing in diverse comic book subject matter. Since then, they’ve traveled to comic conventions, including Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, and sat on panels with nationally-known comic writers such as Matt Fraction.

“People that are looking for this specific niche that Nutmeg fills, they’re like, ‘I’m a baker!’” said Crofts. “Or, ‘I know somebody that’s a baker!’ or, ‘My daughter was in the girl scouts, AND she loves to bake!’ It’s definitely not just superheroes anymore. There’s something for everyone.”

Crofts appreciates diverse story lines and approaches in comic books.

“They’re so playful. They can be serious. They can be heartwarming,” said Crofts. “They can tell stories that I don’t think other mediums can tell, or it would be harder to tell them. I think that’s really important, and you can hear from voices from so many different backgrounds, and places, and so many different experiences because of the ease that it brings of telling a story and I think that’s a really important part about comics.”

Nutmeg is available locally at comic book shops, such as Comic Book University. Crofts said that most shops will stock the book upon request. It can also be found on their website.