Kelly Matthews, 36, left, their cat Tonka, 6, center, and Nichole Matthews, 36, pose for a photo on Feb. 2 in their home in Lynnwood. The twin sisters work as freelance comic book artists and illustrators. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Kelly Matthews, 36, left, their cat Tonka, 6, center, and Nichole Matthews, 36, pose for a photo on Feb. 2 in their home in Lynnwood. The twin sisters work as freelance comic book artists and illustrators. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Drawing interest: Twin sisters never gave up on making their mark

Lynnwood sisters, Kelly and Nichole Matthews, got their big break a decade ago and now draw comics full time.

LYNNWOOD — The date July 3, 2014, is burned into the memories of Kelly and Nichole Matthews. That was the day the twin sisters got their big break in the comic book industry.

At the time the two worked at a grocery store deli and only drew as a hobby. But things changed after they were hired to draw an entire comic series for an indie studio. The sisters soon left their day jobs and began freelancing full time.

The twins have drawn 14 graphic novels to date, some based on the works of “Goosebumps” author R.L. Stine, “The Muppets” creator Jim Henson and Disney’s “Little Mermaid.” They’re currently working on the graphic novel adaptation of the “Magic Tree House” children’s book series.

The duo work together out of their Lynnwood home office with desktops and tablets sitting across from each other. Kelly Matthews, 36, primarily pencils and inks while Nicole Matthews, 36, colors. Teamwork makes dream work as they spend six months minimum to finish a novel.

“I know exactly what she’s going to do, and I don’t have to worry about it,” Nicole Mathews said. But do the siblings always get along?

“Not always,” Kelly Mathews said. “We’re lucky that we like each other.”

Promo art for the “Magic Tree House: graphic novel series by Kelly and Nichole Matthews. (Random House Graphic)

Promo art for the “Magic Tree House: graphic novel series by Kelly and Nichole Matthews. (Random House Graphic)

We just kept drawing’

Online, the sisters are known by the handle KickingShoes. It’s a name originating from a childhood story their mom likes to tell. One day in elementary school, the twins came home crying because of bullying. The next day their mom asked if they wanted to stay home.

“And then we just told her, apparently, ‘oh no, it’s OK, mom, we have our kicking shoes on,” Kelly Matthews said. “And we went to school and we came back and we never had an issue with the kid again.”

The sisters don’t remember what exactly they did at school to stop the bullying, but their mother thought the phrase “kicking shoes” was the funniest thing her daughters ever said as kids. So the name stuck.

Growing up, the Matthews described themselves as visual learners who found it easier to express themselves through art. The two kids obsessed over the “Elfquest” comic series and it inspired them to draw. They self-taught themselves the craft by reading how-to-draw manga books and by tracing over characters from their brothers’ X-Men comics. The sisters used their talent to copy Pokemon trading cards, which they made a decent profit from selling to the neighbor kids at $5 a pop. Drawing was a fixation.

“If you could see our elementary school paperwork, you probably could barely read the stuff because the margins were all just filled with doodles,” Nicole Matthews said. “And some of our teachers appreciated it, and some of them did not.”

The Matthews twins drew into adulthood and dreamed of turning their hobby into a career.

“In junior high school. We’re like, we’re going to do this for a job one day and then we just kept drawing and didn’t give up,” Kelly Matthews said. Her sister Nicole Matthews adds, “It didn’t start out that way though.”

Promo art for the “Magic Tree House: graphic novel series by Kelly and Nichole Matthews. (Random House Graphic)

Promo art for the “Magic Tree House: graphic novel series by Kelly and Nichole Matthews. (Random House Graphic)

‘Above and beyond’

The sisters worked at Safeway for a decade and on the side took drawing commissions from folks online. They slowly grew a social media following, including Whitney Leopard. She was a fan of their superhero drawings, and in 2012 become an associate editor at comic publisher Boom! Studios. One of her assignments was a series based on the witches from the Shakespeare play Macbeth called “Toil and Trouble.”

Just like the stage show, Leopard called the book “cursed” because people kept dropping out of the project. After going through three artists, Leopard reached out to the Matthews twins to audition for the job by drawing a few test pages based off the written script. Leopard said it’s common for new comic editors like herself to scope out talent on social media.

The sisters nailed the audition and were asked to start work immediately.

“They just really blew it out of the water,” Leopard said. “They had no real publishable credit to their name, but they came in and were far above and beyond. They could get the action. They could get the drama. They could get the surreal magic. And they were and they still are artists who are ahead of their time and an extremely talented duo.”

As work picked up, the sisters left their “reliable job” to freelance full time. Their mom was not thrilled by the decision, and those first few years weren’t easy. Sometimes money was tight, but they landed more jobs over time and launched an Etsy shop and Patreon to help cover bills.

“That was like over almost 10 years ago now and we have not regretted it since,” Nicole Matthews said.

Kelly Matthews, 36, holds open one of her graphic novels on Feb. 2 in her home in Lynnwood. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Kelly Matthews, 36, holds open one of her graphic novels on Feb. 2 in her home in Lynnwood. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Leopard, who now works at Random House Graphic, recommended the sisters for other projects like the “Magic Tree House” series. The 37th book in the main series released last January. And if the twins had their way, they’d draw graphic novel renditions of every single one.

“If we could just keep doing the ‘Tree House’ books into forever,” Kelly Matthews said, “that would be great.”

The sisters will be at this year’s Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle from March 2-5. They’ll be selling merch and meeting fans at Booth F-22 and will be speaking at the Writing & Illustrating for Tweens panel from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, in room 340-341.

To learn more, visit kickingshoes.art.

Eric Schucht: 425-339-3477; eric.schucht@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EricSchucht.

Talk to us

More in Herald Business Journal

A man walks by Pfizer headquarters, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in New York. Pfizer will spend about $43 billion to buy Seagen and broaden its reach into cancer treatments, the pharmaceutical giant said Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP Photo / Mark Lennihan, File)
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to acquire Bothell-based Seagen

Pfizer announced Monday it plans to acquire Seagen in an all-cash deal for $43 billion.

Lacie Marsh-Carroll stirs wax before pouring candles in her garage at her home on March 17, 2018 in Lake Stevens. (Kevin Clark / The Daily Herald)
Women business owners in Snohomish, Island counties make their mark

In honor of Women’s History Month, we spotlight three local business owners.

x
Edmonds International Women’s Day takes place Saturday

The Edmonds gathering celebrates women and diversity with this year’s theme, “EmbraceEquity.”

Owner and CEO Lacie Carroll holds a “Warr;or” candle at the Malicious Women Candle Co workspace in Snohomish, Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. The business is women run and owned. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Malicious Women Co: She turned Crock-Pot candles into a sassy venture

Lacie Marsh-Carroll is rekindling her Snohomish candle company with new designs and products.

Kelly Matthews, 36, left, Tonka, 6, center, and Nichole Matthews, 36, pose for a photo in their home in Lynnwood, Washington on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023.  The twin sisters work as freelance comic book artists and illustrators. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Drawing interest: Twin sisters never gave up on making their mark

Lynnwood sisters, Kelly and Nichole Matthews, got their big break a decade ago and now draw comics full time.

Willow Mietus, 50, poses for a photo at her home in Coupeville, Washington on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Mietus bought a former Frito-Lay truck to sell her dyed yarn out of. She calls it "The Wool Wagon." (Annie Barker / The Herald)
The Wool Wagon to hit the streets of Whidbey Island

A self-described “professional yarn temptress” from Coupeville is setting up shop in a modified truck.

IonQ will open a new quantum computing manufacturing and research center at 3755 Monte Villa Parkway in Bothell. (Photo courtesy of IonQ)
Quantum computing firm IonQ to open Bothell R&D center

IonQ says quantum computing systems are key to addressing climate change, energy and transportation.

Nathanael Engen, founder of Black Forest Mushrooms, sits in the lobby of Think Tank Cowork with his 9-year-old dog, Bruce Wayne, on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Growing green mushrooms in downtown Everett

The founder of Black Forest Mushrooms plans to grow gourmet mushrooms locally, reducing their carbon footprint.

Barb Lamoureux, 78, poses for a photo at her office at 1904 Wetmore Ave in Everett, Washington on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. Lamoureux, who founded Lamoureux Real Estate in 2004, is retiring after 33 years. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Lamoureux, ‘North Everett’s Real Estate Agent’ retires

A longtime supporter of Housing Hope, Lamoureux helped launch the Windermere Foundation Golf Tournament.

Bothell
AGC Biologics in Bothell to produce new diabetes treatment

The contract drug manufacturer paired with drug developer Provention Bio to bring the new therapy to market.

The Walmart Store on 11400 Highway 99 on March 21, 2023 in in Everett, Washington. The retail giant will close the store on April 21, 2023. (Janice Podsada / The Herald)
Walmart announces Everett store on Highway 99 will close on April 21

The Arkansas-based retail giant said the 20-year-old Walmart location was “underperforming financially.”

Everett Memorial Stadium and Funko Field on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Drive to build new AquaSox ballpark gets $7.4M boost from state

The proposed Senate capital budget contains critical seed money for the city-led project likely to get matched by the House.