I admire gumption and artist Miranda Leiggi has plenty of it. Last July Leiggi traveled to Comic-Con International: San Diego, but not to stroll the convention center with some 130,000 comic fans, many dressed as Wolverine, Wonder Woman, and other various pop culture icons. The Wrightstown resident crossed the country with a purpose.

Artists can put their name in the hat of graphic novel companies where they might like to work. If their name is drawn, the company will look at their portfolio. It’s a huge crap shoot.

Leiggi’s name was pulled by only one company: Arch Enemy Entertainment. It was months before she heard from them. In February they hired her to be a colorist on their new comic, Game Boys.

Arch Enemy gives her the creative freedom to color in the graphics as she sees fit. The only assigned hues are those for the hair of a couple of characters and the school colors. (The comic takes place in a high school.) Leiggi receives three new pages to color each week, which keeps her busy but won’t pay all the bills. Her goal is to one day make comic books her day job.

For now, the young Drew University grad works in administration at Bucks County Community College, but spends plenty of time putting her theater degree and talent to use. In addition her colorist work, she works front of house (box office, concessions) at Bucks County Playhouse a couple of days a month.

Additionally, Leiggi has done special effects make up for Newtown Arts Company – she will facilitate a session at NAC’s kids’ camp this July, “probably doing zombie makeup.”

She is also cast manager and make-up artist for Midnight Productions, which performs Jesus Christ Superstar at the Keswick, in addition to a haunted house venue each autumn.

“It’s nice to be involved in local theater in some way,” she says. “I like to stay busy.”

She has a history of industry. While at Drew, the FBI contacted the university looking for actors to perform in preparedness drills. Leiggi’s professor asked the FBI if they’d like special effects make-up to add to the drama. For four years, Leiggi not only performed as a “victim,” but also used her make-up skills with the FBI and Madison, N.J.’s SWAT.

Gashes, broken bones, contusions – Leiggi excels at producing them with make-up. She amps up the gore factor each fall for Midnight Productions House in the Hollow, the haunted house venue on the same property as Sleepy Hollow Hayrides.

“We were an asylum for a while,” she says with glee. “I had a lot of fun then.” She wasn’t cast manager at the time, just an actor, an actor bent on producing insomnia.

“I like the more subtle creepy that gives them nightmares instead of a sudden scare.”

Oh, and did she tell you that she used to work as a vet technician. “I know what the inside of a cat looks like.”

Ewww, cat guts. And I thought Wolverine and Wonder Woman were scary.

— Jodi Thompson