I’m Aimee Kimmey, aspiring script writer and Local comic stripper. I grew up in Evergreen; the foothills just west of Denver, Colorado. As a kid I spent most of my time watching cartoons and playing outside. When I was about ten I inherited some Richie Rich comic books. I was instantly hooked. It wasn’t long before I graduated to the Marvel Universe: the worlds of X-Men, Silver Surfer and New Mutants.
At thirteen, horses became my world, but comic books never left my side. In college I had no real plans. I followed my passions; I majored in creative writing and drawing. This is where I first discovered screen writing. With the help of my professor I wrote my first script. A story about a young woman struggling with nightmares of a violent past she can’t quite remember.
I enjoyed school, but as a wallflower I found few opportunities to socialize. So when my best friend suggested we move to Steamboat Springs for a year, I agreed. I learned to snowboard, met a wonderful group of people whom I still adore, and found a world outside of my shell. Going back to school was tough. After barely a semester, I followed my heart and came back to the ‘Boat.
One day while reading a comic book I found the perfect means to continue my education: Joe Kubert’s World of Cartooning! Correspondence classes. In between drawing sessions I worked on my second screenplay--a post apocalyptic monster movie called The New Frontier.
In 2001 I heard about The Local. They had room for a cartoonist. If It’s Tourist Season... was born. The bi-weekly deadline gave me structure and purpose. A year later I created Ski Bum Adventures. With three panels I could develop characters and build gags.
The Local billed the cartoonists as “comic strippers.” The term struck a wonderful image: a sexy, but silly, stripper dancing for laughs around a banana peel instead of a pole. She practically drew herself. Soon she began to make appearances in both of the comics. (And around town sometimes on Halloween.)
The cartoons are loads of fun, but not super marketable to anyone outside of Steamboat. So in 2004 I started work on Whisper! As I poured myself into their story I realized how real my passion for writing and story crafting is.