Archive for the ‘Interviews’

INTERVIEW :: SKETCH CHARLOTTE PART THREE

September 02, 2010 By: Heroes Online Category: DISCUSS, Interviews

Hellboy by Terence Hoskins.

We have already learned about Sketch Charlotte and the interests of the members: Rich Barrett (RB), John Da Costa (JDC), Tom Davidson (TD), Derek Davis (DD), Henry Eudy (HE), Dan Morris (DM), Brandon Padgett (BP), Eraklis “Herc” Petmezas (EP) and Bridgit Scheide (BS). In the third and final part of the interview each artist explains their process, talks about their projects and discusses the Charlotte art scene.

Can you tell me about your process? Do you have a set drawing schedule? Do you use specific tools?

RB: I draw all my pages on paper and have recently started inking with a Pentel brush pen. Then do a lot of clean up and production work in Photoshop. I try to fit in a little bit everyday in order to try to maintain a page-a-week schedule but I’ve got a job, a freelance web design business and two kids so I really can’t keep to a set schedule.

HE: I do try to draw every day, at least in my sketchbook or just doodling around while on the phone or something. In reality, I should have a set schedule but generally I just draw in whatever downtime I have at work or when there’s nothing good on television. I pencil with an old fashioned wooden pencil with a hard lead, normally an H, and ink most often with either a Pentel brush pen or a Winsor & Newton #2 round sable brush. Occasionally I’ll use a Niko 357 Japanese nib to ink or a .5 Copic pen. I tried for a while to break in a Hunt 22-B nib but kinda gave up.

JDC: No set drawing schedule for me, but I use 2 tools exclusively: my Wacom drawing tablet and Adobe Illustrator. I like illustrator because I can do the majority of my comics work in the one application. So I do my roughs, then inks, flats and rendering all in Illustrator. I also use Photoshop for final image sizing.

BP: I’m rather traditional in my methods. I start out in pencil (4H) and pretty much render everything as I want it. I then ink over what I’ve drawn using Copic or Prismacolor art pens and markers. I do use Photoshop for cleaning up the drawing after I’ve finished. I’ve also used it to fix major problems without redrawing the whole piece. I’ll erase what’s bad and print out what I like and then redraw it. I tend to use smooth Bristol more than anything else.

EP: I tend to draw after my wage slaving job is over. So I draw mostly at night and on the weekends. I use anything to draw with. I usually do my roughs in pen and then blow them up. I then place them on my light box and ink right on the board with a brush pen. It varies though for each story.

TD: I always start with story first, which is what I think great comics should be. It’s all about the story and the art is there to serve it. I usually start drawing on a piece of paper. Just odd things. And then I create an outline based on what it is I was drawing. Once I have my outline, broken down page-by-page, then I start drawing. I wish I had a drawing schedule (it’s on my to-do list, which is broken up on a ton of mental Post-It notes scattered about here and there), and honestly it’s something I need to create and stick to. Tools include a Kuretake #40 sable brush pen. Hunt pen nibs, usually a #108 and a #102. Sometimes Scratchboard. Sometimes Pebbleboard. Every now and then a toothbrush. Anything I can get my hands on, really.

Sketch by Tom Davdson.

BS: I have two desks, one is a drawing table where I do my illustration and traditional tool stuff, and the other is a desk for my laptop and tablet. I usually do pencil work and then ink over it, then scan it in and use Photoshop Elements to color it. For my comic Kindle, it’s all pencil, which I scan in. I’ll create a background layer and play with grayscale gradients to give it a fuller look and slightly minimize the graininess. I always get excited about my desks. It’s just really nice to have that much space to do stuff, to research and idea building in one area and the technical stuff like drawing in another. Plus it keeps the internet out of reach when I know I need to be productive!

DD: I look at other comic strips or read comic books. I listen to music to get inspiration and use experiences from real life. I try to make time on the weekends and draw and at least 2-3 times during the week. I use Canson comic strip paper, Faber-Castell pens, Sharpies, whatever I need to get the look I’m going for. Sometimes I want bold lines and other times I want delicate lines. Anything to make my art style look unique.

DM: When I draw comics I generally tend to go from a very basic idea. I’m a much stronger writer than I am an artist so if I have a strong idea, I’ll then start making sketches for characters. After I’m comfortable with that, I’ll write down the idea and then go straight to thumbnails. I’ve tried going from an actual written script in the past but I tend to get bored really easily and I like the idea of being surprised where a story can take me. Also I think this just makes for better visual storytelling not being tied to a specific script. When I do thumbnails, I try to do at least three different versions of those thumbnails. I had several teachers hammer it in to me that the first idea you have isn’t necessarily your best so I try to do as many thumbnails as I can before I feel I’ve hit on a really good page layout that communicates what I want to get across in my story. After that I pencil out the story on Bristol. Other things, I do that while won’t get put onto paper the general public sees are warm up exercises. This is really important because it’s really obvious, at least to me, when I’m working on something without having warmed up and none of my stuff looks as loose as it should be. My drawing schedule is generally, since I now have a day job, mostly in the afternoons and evenings anyway which suits me. I don’t know what it is but I have a hard time working in the morning. As for my supplies, it’s a pretty simple list.  I use lead holders with F lead after years of using mechanical pencils and regular pencils. I draw on 500 grade Strathmore Bristol that’s already pre-cut. I use the 500 grade over other grades because it takes ink better which is great for me because I like to lay on huge black spots. As for my inking tools, I’m still trying to figure that out. I’ve been using Faber-Castell Pitt Pens lately but I’m not really satisfied with how that’s making my pages look. I need to make time to go back to practicing with a brush or a nib. However, one of my professors at SCAD told me I should experiment with my making my inks look dirtier in contrast to how clean my line work is so I might stick with a combination of tech pens and brush pens and just mess things up.

Hellboy sketches by Chrissie Zullo.

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INTERVIEW :: SKETCH CHARLOTTE PART TWO

September 01, 2010 By: Heroes Online Category: DISCUSS, Interviews

Nightcrawler by Bridgit Scheide.

I continue my interview with Sketch Charlotte and its members: Rich Barrett (RB), John Da Costa (JDC), Tom Davidson (TD), Derek Davis (DD), Henry Eudy (HE), Dan Morris (DM), Brandon Padgett (BP), Eraklis “Herc” Petmezas (EP) and Bridgit Scheide (BS). In this part we delve into the comic’s background of each of the members.

How long have you been drawing comics?

RB: I’ve been working on my own comic called Nathan Sorry for about as long as I’ve been involved in Sketch Charlotte though I’ve really only been putting it out there and moving full steam ahead on it in the past year. I’ve always wanted to do my own comic and the idea for it had been in my head for a while but I really have to thank the encouragement (and constant prodding) I got from the Sketch Charlotte gang otherwise it might be something I was still just thinking about rather than actually doing.

DD: 5 years.

DM: I’ve been drawing comics for years. I started in the 4th grade and didn’t stop after that.

BP: I’ve always drawn, even before I knew how to write I would sit down in the floor and draw for hours.  I’m 36 now, so I’ll let you do the math! It wasn’t until I got to college that I started focusing on comics. Now it’s pretty much all I draw!

BS: I’ve been drawing my whole life, but I really started getting into the sequential format in high school.

TD: Completed stories? Since 2004. But I’ve been cartooning since I was a wee lad.

HE: I’ve drawn comics and cartoons for my own enjoyment since childhood. In high school I drew stuff for the school newspaper but for some reason didn’t stick with cartooning as anything more than an occasional hobby. Late in 2007, after reading Jeffery Brown’s book Clumsy, I decided to recommit myself to cartooning and started making a serious (well, semi-serious) attempt at comics making. In spring of 2008 I Xeroxed off my first mini comic, Get to Know Me. It was actually pretty gratifying to see what a piece of ugly junk I had made. I’ve kept to the mini comics path and have made nine little books thus far as well as having contributed to a few anthologies.

Henry Eudy sketching at Sketch Charlotte.

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INTERVIEW :: SKETCH CHARLOTTE PART ONE

August 31, 2010 By: Heroes Online Category: DISCUSS, Interviews

Unused panel from Eraklis Petmezas's Last Cigarette story.

Rich Barrett (RB), John Da Costa (JDC), Tom Davidson (TD), Derek Davis (DD), Henry Eudy (HE), Dan Morris (DM), Brandon Padgett (BP), Eraklis “Herc” Petmezas (EP) and Bridgit Scheide (BS) are all members of a local artist collective called Sketch Charlotte. I set out to get to know the group and the members a little better by sending out a questionnaire and the response I got was overwhelming! So overwhelming that I am breaking the interview into three parts that I will post throughout the week. This first part gives a general history and purpose of the group. Stay tuned for the next part where we get to know the members a little better!

What is Sketch Charlotte?

RB: Sketch Charlotte is the brainchild of Eraklis Petmezas. It started with him, myself and Tom Davidson about 5 years ago and has now grown into a group of about 15. It’s a pretty loosely organized meet-up group where local artists (as well as writers, photographers, designers and anyone else really) can get together and draw and talk about art and stuff. It’s got a definite focus on comics and cartooning but not all our members are necessarily aspiring comic book artists.

EP: Sketch Charlotte is a group of local artists, writers, designers and like minded individuals that meets weekly to draw and discuss all types of art. It’s been a great springboard for ideas.

JDC: First and foremost, Sketch Charlotte is awesome!
 But we’re also a collection of artists/illustrators/writers/perpetrators of general misfit in the Charlotte area.

TD: It’s a laughing, friendly group of people who love comics and cartooning, who love to draw and who love to get together with like-minded nerds to share stories and good times.

DM: Basically a loose group of individuals who all draw comics in some for or another.  Or alternately a bunch of lunatics that meet up at Showmars every week, heckle each other, and make plans to corrupt the young and innocent.  Mostly though it’s a meet up to draw.

BP: A, now weekly, art group that gets together to discuss not only art and comics but other cultural influences such as movies, music, photography, literature and computers. There’s really nothing off limits. Artists and non-artists alike gather to share their thoughts and ideas in a stimulating environment.

BS: Sketch Charlotte is an awesome chance to get involved with other local comic book artists in Charlotte. It provides encouragement from people who really care about what you’re drawing next. And it’s so much fun! If you’re quiet and tend to zone out that’s cool, but generally there is a lot of laughter from around the table. Everyone there has a really great sense of humor and it’s always a great time!

Page from Henry Eudy's sketchbook.

HE: Oh man, the hard questions right off the bat, geez. Um, well, Sketch Charlotte is a loose little confederation of creative types who pal up once a week or so to draw in sketchbooks, eat pita burgers and talk endlessly about comics, music, art, sasquatches, the films of Tim Burton (even the bad ones), fringe stuff and popular culture at large. The group is primarily people with a firm interest in comics and a good many of us are comics creators of one form or another. We spend a few hours each week drawing with one another, showing off our work and getting feedback from our peers in the group. We talk about our plans, our aspirations, our fears and how we can’t draw feet convincingly. We take inspiration and support from our Sketch Charlotte brethren and hopefully give that inspiration and support right back. We’re cool dudes, and that’s what’s important.

Who is responsible for forming Sketch Charlotte?

HE: Big Daddy Herc is the man responsible for creating our beloved little club. Rumor has it that he was once just a meek goat herder, watching over his flock in the rocky Greek highlands, drinking Ouzo and listening to Fugazi on his Sony Walkman. Then one day he spied a bearded Jackalope caught in some brambles. Herc knew right away that this was the mighty god Zeus out on one of his mighty benders and he quickly and expertly freed the deity, making sure to rub the creature’s belly three times so as to be granted three magical wishes. For his first wish, he wished for a Sony Discman, because it was, like, 2004 and the Walkman just wasn’t cutting it. Next he hoped to have a pair of Adidas high tops, so the old school Greek rappers would finally show him respect. And lastly he wished to be teleported to Charlotte, North Carolina where he could create a club devoted to drawing and Greek cuisine. Thus, Sketch Charlotte was born.

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CHECK IT OUT :: MARCUS HAMILTON ON CHARLOTTE TODAY

August 16, 2010 By: Heroes Online Category: Interviews

Dennis the Menace cartoonist and Charlotte native Marcus Hamilton made an appearance on Charlotte Today this morning to promote the new Dennis the Menace stamp. Last month the US Postal Service released five stamps commemorating some of the best Sunday Funnies. They weren’t able to talk about the stamp but for a brief mention because they were too busy discussing Hamilton’s work and process. Hamilton has been doing the Monday through Saturday daily Dennis the Menance strip since 1994. It was fascinating getting to learn how he got the job and how he was trained. And he gave a mention to another Charlotte cartoonist Jim Scancarelli who does Gasoline Alley. It is a really interesting interview and I hope you take the time to watch it!

My family and I have been big fans of Hamilton for a long, long time now. When I was a young child Hamilton spent some time with my family taking photo references for some illustrations. The following ad is for the Children’s Home Fund Organization and it features my brother and me. You can’t tell it is me because my back is facing the audience but I know it is me and that’s all that matters. My dad has a Dennis hanging up in his living room that was done for him when he was running for Mint Hill Town Commissioner.  And Adam and I won the Dennis the Menace piece at the Art Auction at this year’s HeroesCon. I am really happy to see Hamilton get recognition for his hard work!

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JASON LATOUR IS FEATURED ON COMIC BOOK RESOURCES

August 04, 2010 By: Heroes Online Category: DISCUSS, Interviews, NEWS, Reviews

I don’t know if there is anything else in the world that makes us happier than when people we know and like get recognition for their talent and that certainly is happening with artist and writer Jason Latour. I may be a little biased because he is a customer and good friend of the store, but I genuinely love his work. He is one of the wittiest and smartest guys I know. I love listening to him tell stories and talk about comics. I think I can speak for everyone at Heroes when I say that we love it when he comes in the store!

Comic Book Resources has a preview of Latour’s story in Daredevil Black and White #1 which is out this week. Peter Milligan wrote the story and Latour did the art. The basic synopsis is that Daredevil is given a chance to get his sight back but it comes with a catch.

I love the way he lays out his pages and how they flow. I love his style and use of contrast between the whites and blacks and grays. In other words, he can really draw! His story in Daredevil Black and White #1 is great! I highly recommend that you pick it up right now if you haven’t already done so!

Also, CBR’s Timothy Callahan interviewed Latour for his When Worlds Collide blog. Callahan speaks very highly of Latour’s work. It is a really fun and informative interview. It gives you a glimpse into the dedication it takes to be a comic book artist. Most people don’t stumble into the industry, most people have to work their butts off to get where they are. Definitely check out the interview and find out what made Latour say this, “Every time that’s done the sky rains Jack Kirby’s tears.” Latour even mentions Heroes and HeroesCon and says some really nice things. Shucks, thanks Jason!

Latour has some exciting new projects coming up this year. He will be doing the art for Scalped #43 which is written by Jason Aaron. Also, his book Loose Ends will be coming out later this year through 12 Gauge. He wrote this one and Chris Brunner did the art with Rico Renzi on colors. I am so super excited about that book! Brunner had some pages on display at our art show at Twenty-Two. It looks amazing! Plus Brunner and Renzi are more friends of ours and we love to support our friends! Another big project due out next year is Noche Roja which is a Vertigo Crime original graphic novel written by Simon Oliver with Latour on art. You will hear more from us about each of these books as they come out!

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INTERVIEW :: Ivan Brandon on VIKING

October 09, 2009 By: Dustin Harbin Category: DISCUSS, Interviews

viking_01-fcIvan Brandon is no stranger to writing comics, from the creator-owned The Cross Bronx (with Michael Avon Oeming), NYC Mech (with Andy MacDonald) and the eisner-nominated hit 24/7 anthology from Image, plus more recent stints in Comic Book Tattoo, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion, and Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape.

But with his newest series Viking, he and artist Nic Klein have created a story as grim and grisly as anything in recent memory; one that’s pushing both form and format. Those of you who missed your chance to meet Ivan at this year’s HeroesCon (listen to this panel featuring him, Brian Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and Jonathan Hickman, courtesy of the Dollar Bin) can try for the next best thing here on the blog, although we recommend actually buying the book for Maximum Brandon Effect (MBE).

viking_01_preview-2_700px

HEROESONLINE: When is Viking set? How much of Viking is based in something close to “real” history? The depth of some details makes me think you’ve done a ton of research into Norse and Viking history.

IVAN BRANDON: I’ve been intentionally vague about the time, etc… for a number of reasons. For one, I wanted most of that kind of information to be relayed organically. There are no captions in the book, we’re of a moment with those characters and I really want that moment to dominate the experience, so there’ll be visual or verbal clues as to the when and where, but there’s never going to be a bulleted explanation. It’s very much NOT a book about history, so I wanted to avoid anchoring it to real events… all you have is these characters and what they’re going through. But yeah, Nic and I have both done a lot of research and we more often than not try to keep things authentic unless there’s a compelling story reason to stray. Nic could probably teach a class at this point.

HEROES: How long is this series going to run? If you keep killing characters at the rate you’ve been keeping so far, you’ll be out of people by the end of 5 issues.

IVAN: Well, the first season is 5 issues and beyond that we’ll see. I’m trying to really stress the humanity of these characters, so the focus is less a journey to save (or destroy) the world and more about these characters dealing with what they are and what they want to be. People will come in and out of their lives the way people come in and out of mine, although maybe violence will factor into the “out” moreso for them than it would for me. Anything can happen, anyone can die and hopefully we can handle all of that in a way that people will feel compelled to go through it with them.

viking_01_preview_700px

HEROES: I think this is one of the most grim, violent comics I’ve read since Preacher, and the publishing format–“Golden Age” size, with the art filling every corner of every page–just makes it that much more sense-assaulting. How did this larger-than-normal format come about? Did you want more space for the story, or was it a chicken-or-the-egg thing?

IVAN: I’ve been flirting for a while with the idea of doing a non-standard format… I really dislike that people have this expectation that every story needs to come in this particular kind of package… it’s not a book about Spider-Man, why should it look like one? In this case there was already a lot of risk going on… we were doing a semi-painted period drama in a market that is definitely not asking for one. We were going for an atypical approach in terms of design and aesthetic and I had this new artist that I knew was going to really surprise the audience, so it just seemed like the right time to go all-in, you know? If we’re gonna take the risk, let’s just go all the way. Logistically the format presents obstacles, we have to work much farther ahead, etc… but I think the finished effect is more than worth the trouble.

HEROES: One thing I wasn’t entirely clear on is the geography of the story: Greenland and England are referenced, and at one point the grandfather references “sailing across the world”, but I bet “the world” is much smaller in their minds than we know it to be. Is this set in Norway? If so, where does the family of Egil and Finn come from originally?

IVAN: Yeah, their perception of the world doesn’t span very far. I’ll say this: they’re in a country west of Norway in season 1. Where they’re from and where they’re going are things I’ll leave the story to tell.

HEROES: What’s the deal lately, you’re kinda blowing up the last couple of years? Secret Invasion spinoffs, Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape, now Viking, and it sounds like from your Twitter feed that you’ve got any number of big projects on the horizon? What can you tell us for the future?

IVAN: Not much, unfortunately… and I hate to say things like that, because it sounds like I’m being coy, whereas I’m excited and dying to say, but it’s just not my place to announce things when it’s a work for hire situation. I have a creator owned superhero thing I’m working on… something that hopefully stands out from the rest of the superhero work as much as Viking stands out right now from some of the more kitschy Dungeons and Dragonsesque Viking genre stuff that’s existed in the past in comics.

Beyond that I have several things in the works, a couple at Marvel, a few at DC… really weird and exciting gigs that are nothing like the things I’ve done before and that are hopefully hard for readers of my work to wrap their heads around. I’m trying to do completely different projects every time, I don’t want people to have this preconception of what my work is going to look like before they get to it. I’m trying to surprise people, most of all myself.

Many thanks to Ivan for taking the time to talk with us! There are three issues of Viking out as of this writing, with the fourth to ship in mid-November. You can check out a preview here!

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HEROESCON :: Dollar Bin Podcast Panels!

June 26, 2009 By: Dustin Harbin Category: DISCUSS, HeroesCon, Interviews, Schedule

Hey! While I’m thinking about it, I wanted to point out that our bros at the Dollar Bin podcast recorded a TON of panels at HeroesCon, which they are putting up on their site one by one. You can find them in more or less one place here, and I’ll try to update this blogpost as well. Many MANY MANY thanks to these guys, including Adam, Brian, Devin, Kris, Ted, and probably a bunch I’m forgetting. They worked super hard over the weekend, not just recording panels, but miking them and just generally being super awesome. You would be well-served to check out their podcast, whether it’s Heroes-related or not!

Okay, panels up there so far:

“New Power Generation” Panel, featuring Matt Fraction, Brian Bendis, Ivan Brandon, Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brubaker, and Matt Brady.

“DC Universe” Panel, featuring DC editors Brian Cunningham and Ian Sattler, with special guests

“Marvel Pint O’ CB” Panel, featuring Matt Fraction, Brian Bendis, Ed Brubaker, and Mark Waid

Mark Waid Interview

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INTERVIEW :: Guy Davis!

March 24, 2009 By: Dustin Harbin Category: DISCUSS, Guest List, HeroesCon, Interviews

Guy Davis is one of those artists’ artists, who’s not only loved by the readers of his comics, but by most working professionals in comics as well. He first garnered critical acclaim with his creator-owned series Baker Street; but many comics readers (me included) first discovered his work through Sandman Mystery Theatre, which ran for around 50 issues or so in the mid-90’s from Vertigo. But Guy’s probably most famous as the regular artist on the popular book B.P.R.D., nine volumes of which have already been published, with the tenth in the works. He also drew The Zombies That Ate The World, now being published in English for the first time by Devil’s Due Press.

Guy is a pretty extraordinarily nice guy, as his consent to this interview is ample evidence of. Thanks for sharing some time with our readers, Guy!

GUY DAVIS: Thanks for the wonderful intro, Dustin!

DUSTIN HARBIN: You’ve got one of the more distinct, recognizable (and much admired) styles in comics–where did it evolve from?

GD: I don’t know–how’s that for an honest answer! [laughs] I didn’t read a lot of comics growing up, and when I started drawing comics professionally back in ’86, I remember that one of the things that people would nail you on is if you swiped an artist’s style. So my style, for good or bad, is just something that probably evolved by trying to do my own thing and have something that was unique to me.

DH: Wow–I won’t say it came out fully formed, but it was different right off the bat for sure. I thought for sure there was a lot of European influence–I think I thought you were French until a couple of years ago.

GD: My style definitely switched gears when I discovered European comics! At first I had a really heavy animation, japanimation type style going on–especially back around ’86 when I was pencilling a fantasy series called The Realm. But when I started doing Baker Street a few years later, I discovered Tardi, Moebius and Schuiten and that really inspired me to where if you look at the 10 issues of Baker Street I did you can see my style change the most between those issues.

DH: Oh man–that Tardi reference totally makes sense. I’m super-excited about that new series of Tardi translations coming out this year.

GD: I can’t wait to start being able to actually read these Tardi books! I’ve been picking up his work over the years in French, and his style and storytelling is tops but it will be nice to actually read the whole story!

DH: You were already pretty distinctive when you were on Sandman Mystery Theatre–I think I was sold as much on how the art supported the whole period setting of the story, as I was on the story itself.

GD: Thanks! Sandman Mystery Theatre was a lot of fun to draw and work on with Matt [Wagner] and Steve [Seagle]. I love old movies and pulp stories, so I was happy to have an excuse to use a lot of reference I had gotten along the way for the 30’s and 40’s. It was a huge learning experience too, my first mainstream work-for-hire job and the deadlines were crazy and tight on that series. So I learned to make art choices quick and turn work around fast to meet the deadlines–and looking back I probably made a lot of the wrong art choices along the way, but learning from mistakes is still the best teacher to me.

DH: Well, you’ve certainly done enough pages since then to learn from… which ties in nicely to my next question.

I’m not trying to be too flattertatious or anything, but B.P.R.D. is one of those books that EVERYBODY reads, from superhero fans to indie fans to whomever. What do you think the appeal of this book is, outside of its ties to Hellboy? What keeps it fresh–not only for readers, but for YOU, drawing hundreds of pages of B.P.R.D. stories over the years?

GD: Thanks! As far as the appeal goes–Mike [Mignola] has come up with a great cast of characters from Hellboy and Abe through the rest, and I was a fan of the first BPRD: Hollow Earth mini-series before I was lucky enough to get to work on it.

For me personally working on it–both Mike and John [Arcudi] keep it fresh and entertaining with all the great ideas and storylines they come up with. Whether it’s wendigo’s or frog monsters and the Black Flame–who would complain about getting to draw all that! And for me, each storyline had a different feel from the last–so Garden of Souls was different in tone and feel to what I would get to do on The Warning or Killing Ground.

Also John really makes these characters come alive, so after drawing them for a few mini-series now it’s been nice to get to draw how they’ve changed in their relationships and interaction with other characters.

DH: Is there an untapped audience out there for frog violence?

GD: Definitely–we’re your one stop read for all things frog violent!

DH: How much input do you have into the design of things–your art is so crammed with texture and detail, not to mention all the architecture and clothing and uniforms and so forth.

GD: The initial designs I do are shown to Mike, John and Scott Allie who all chime in before the finished version–but most of the final designs are worked out between me and Mike. Usually I get a series outline or script to an upcoming storyline and work up some initial designs for characters or settings and then I send those to everyone for approval–sometimes it pretty much works out with the first sketch, like on the character of The Black Flame and other times it will go back and forth with me trying different things and Mike sending sketches with ideas like we did with the Victorian cyborgs in Garden of Souls.

Most of the other smaller stuff, background architecture and settings come out just in the pencils and if something needs to be reworked I change it before inks.

DH: Okay, I know it’s obligatory, but I have to ask you about the tools that you use. You’re a nib guy, right?

GD: Yeah, I ink pretty much everything with a [Speedball] 22B nib. I really like the look of brushwork but I don’t have the steady hand for using it on finer details, so I use a #3 or #4 brush for things like hair, trees, rocks or to spot in shadows. But the rest is all quill.

DH: What do you think a nib gives you that a regular disposable pen (a Micron or brush pen, for instance) couldn’t provide?

GD: Early on before I used the nibs, I tried a technical pen but hated how it skipped alot. I’m not a slow inker (as it probably shows) so the quill lets me work more fast and expressive, it also gives me more variety of line weight. I like sketching in pens and I do convention sketches using a pen and markers which feels nice and flows easy, but I never tried it for finished work~ probably just out of habit really and more personal preference for how it feels to work with each. I’m not a tool snob, if someone wants to use tech pens, brushes or markers and it works for them~ that’s great! All that really matters is how it looks printed, and I use a lot of white out to prove that point!

DH: Do you use a lot of white-out in your art? You have such a loose style, I guess it makes sense that you’d go out of the lines sometimes.

GD: I do use it pretty freely. I don’t set out to make mistakes, but everyone does and I change my mind and try different things out on the page as I go–and if it doesn’t work or I screw up then I just white it out and try it again. For other tools of the trade type talk: I pencil using a B lead, which is soft and lets me get loose with the pencils and more expressive. Paper wise I pretty much use what Dark Horse sends me, but I guess if I have a choice I’d pick a smooth surface for inks. Black Magic ink and Pentel pen-white for the white out!

DH: Wow, I think there’s enough info in those three paragraphs to start a career in cartooning!

Okay let’s change the subject, or I’ll quiz you about nibs and brushes and ink all day. This new book of yours, The Zombies That Ate The World–that was originally published in French, right? Through Les Humanoides? I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve looked lovingly for months through my copy of one of the French albums.

GD: Yeah, the Zombies books were done for Les Humanoides Associes, originally it was a short story written by Jerry Frissen that saw print in an issue of their Metal Hurlant around 2004, but they liked the idea and how it turned out and that short turned into a serial and then it started coming out as original graphic novels with the fourth volume that saw print last year.

DH: Is it a one-time thing, or can we expect to see more after this initial series ends?

GD: That fourth volume had an ending but left it open for more stories to follow. The four French volumes are being reprinted in English now, broken up into 8 comic issues.

It was a really fun series to draw, Jerry has a great and twisted sense of humor and it was fun to draw the series in a different more cartoony style than I do on BPRD or The Marquis.

DH: Okay, don’t kill me, but I’ve never read Baker Street OR The Marquis before–which one should I read first? I need more Guy Davis!

GD: Well, I know what comps to bring you at the next Heroes Convention! The Marquis and Baker Street are pretty different, if you want devils and madness horror stories go with The Marquis. If you want a punk retelling of Sherlock Holmes type mysteries, then there’s Baker Street.

I would push The Marquis since I’m currently working on new stories and also so I can plug that The Marquis is now at Dark Horse and a huge new collection of the existing stories is slated to come out in September. It’s called The Marquis: Inferno and it’s a monster at over 300 pages, and includes a new 54 page sketchbook section along with a full color cover gallery–all the guest covers and foreign edition covers, great covers to Danse Macabre that were done by Mike Mignola, Matt Wagner, Teddy Kristensen, Kelly Jones and Charles Vess. The book is purposely done in black, white and greys–but Dave Stewart came on to recolor the Hell scenes that were just a red plate before. I’m really proud at how the books shaping up and Dark Horse is really putting a lot into this edition.

And hopefully all that will lead to more new Marquis graphic novels starting in 2010; I really want to finish off the Marquis which had 3 more series plotted out that tells the whole story. But alongside all that I’m already gearing up for the next BPRD mini-series after Black Goddess along with some other side projects at Dark Horse that I can’t really hint at.

DH: I’m putting Marquis on my “must-buy” list right now, Guy! You’ve already given me too much stuff already! I’m looking forward to seeing you again at HeroesCon. You’re going to be there all three days this year, right?

GD: All three days this time~ sorry I had to skip out early last time, but I had a great time last year and I’m really looking forward to going back.

DH: I can’t wait. One of the great crimes of HeroesCon is that we invite all these great artists and writers, but none of the staff ever get to hang out much because we’re all so busy running around!

GD: I want to see you sitting behind a table one of these year so I can dig through your portfolio!

DH: One of these years Shelton will wise up and fire me, and then I’ll finally have the time!

Hey, I’ve got one last question that Mark Burrier sent us through Facebook (if you don’t know Mark’s work, he’s an AMAZING cartoonist and illustrator). Mark wants to know: “How do you feel the market for your art has changed over the years?”

GD: Great stuff~ now Mark’s a guy who knows how to use a brush!!

That’s a tough question really, I’ve gotten a lot more interest for my work since BPRD started, and besides the connection with Hellboy which is a lot more high profile, I think BPRD has given me an opportunity to do more of the type of comics I wanted to do. I mean I’m a monster-art type of guy and I like horror and surreal stuff. So early on finding an outlet or work-for-hire type job was a lot harder because editors didn’t really know what to put me on; It seems like the market itself has grown to accept a lot more diversity and I’ve been lucky to carve out a small niche and hang on through the years.

DH: Well, if that market ever dries up, Guy, you can always come work here at Heroes. And by “work here at Heroes”, I mean doodle on stuff for us all day. In the mean time, thanks for taking time out of what must be a PACKED schedule to talk with us! Looking forward to chatting in person at HeroesCon!

GD: Thanks Dustin! See you at the show!

You can find out more about Guy Davis at his website. And of course, you can meet him this summer at HeroesCon, June 19-21. If you’ve never met him before, Guy’s a pretty shockingly friendly guy, for someone who draws demons and frogs and zombies all day.

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