When did you decide art was your calling? Did you go to school for it?I've been drawing since I was a little kid. I have a Polaroid of myself at two-years-old, using one of my dad's draftsman pencils. But I made the big "this will be my life's pursuit" decision my junior year of high school, after I saw The Lion King. I watched the opening and was like, "I could do that!" Shortly after that, I started looking into art schools for college. I ended up attending The Columbus College of Art and Design, and graduated with a BFA degree in 2000. It's funny, because I was all set to go into the sciences. I was a chemical technology major in high school. I even worked in a university lab one summer. But when it came down to it, I liked science and was good at it. But I LOVED making art.
Who are some of your influences in the art world?
My influences range from friends like Jim Mahfood and Mike Huddleston, and extend to folks like Brian Froud, Ralph Steadman, Basquiat, and J.C. Leyendecker. But I'm also heavily influenced by filmmakers, like George Lucas, Quentin Tarentino, Hitchcock... the list could go on forever. Basically, anything visual or musical that's been a part of my life, from Sesame Street until today, is on my list of influences.
How did you get started in comics?
I self-published the first issue of my minicomic, "Slop," Kinko's-style in 2000, and kept the series running with a new book each comic convention season. I would set up at conventions and sell Slop, along with any other art merch I could muster. And at a 2002 convention in Chicago, I met this writer named John Layman. He dug my art and I liked his idea for a comic called "Puffed." It's a story about a theme park employee who's trapped in a dragon costume... very twisted, quirky stuff. So I designed the characters, drew a few pages from the script, and we pitched it around to various publishers. Thanks to some friendly backing from colleagues and the keen insight of Jim Valentino, "Puffed" got picked up by Image Comics. So by 2003, my first professional comics work hit shops. And I haven't looked back, since.
How's the response for Everybody's Dead been? How far do you expect the series to continue? or is it planned as a mini?
So far, so good! I've gotten positive feedback from friends, fans, and strangers, alike. And it's felt great to have a book out in stores, again, after taking a break from comics in 2007. While writer Brian Lynch and I would like Everybody's Dead to go on into a sequel, we're sticking with a five issue mini-series, for now. I think anything beyond that will depend on the success of the first series.
Would you say that comics are making a comeback?
I wouldn't call it a comeback because comics and graphic novels have always had a strong following. Especially overseas. I just think more mainstream folks in the USA (and in our entertainment industry, in particular) are finally starting to realize the power of the comics medium. From book reviews in The New Yorker to comics-to-film Hollywood blockbusters, people are appreciating the incredible range of imagination captured in comic books. They're seeing them as a source of badass storytelling with solid characters, and that's great.
What's your favorite subject to work on?
With most of the books you've drawn, there's been a hint of humor that your style adds to the story. Do you ever see yourself doing a more serious book? Generally, I just enjoy working on stories with interesting characters. The humorous tint on my releases has a lot to do with me working on scripts by comedy writers. Now that I'm finally giving my own stories time and attention, I think you'll see a wider tonal range in my comic work. I have a lot of story concepts in my bag of tricks, and some of them are pretty serious. One of them is downright dark. Of course, I'll temper my serious subject matter with brief moments of comedy. That's just life... even in the worst situations, people can find a reason to laugh. It's like our pressure relief valve. Touches of humor in a harsh story help give the tale more humanity.
How much of a role does music play in your artwork? Who are some of your favorite bands?
Music plays a huge role in my artwork! When I play music while I work, it ends up becoming the soundtrack for what I'm drawing or painting. So I try to put on tunes that sync up with the mood of the art, or that energize my imagination. I'm into too many bands to name absolute favorites. But some of my top work-to-this musicians are Edan, The Mars Volta, Mike Patton, Rza, Gza, Led Zeppelin, John Williams, Dose One and Jel, Murs, Cansei De Ser Sexy, Busdriver, Subtitle, Madlib, MF DOOM, and Gary Wilson, to name a few.
Any plans for future projects? Do you see yourself doing another book with Mahfood? Or maybe your own story?
I'd love to work with Mahfood on something else. Though, we'd probably do a two-man gallery show rather than a comic book. As for my own projects, I'm narrowing down my comic concepts and picking one to run with for a 2009 release. Right now, I'm leaning toward the first part of a space opera epic that's got me really excited. It's practically writing itself. Beyond that, I'll just be doing my normal thing... makin' pictures and rankin' on cornballs...
No comments:
Post a Comment