PJ Interactivity Thread

[Bruce Lee]

-How long have you been drawing?[/B]

Since I can remember. There are stories of a 2 or 3 year old me using Crayons on the walls of the house much to my parents dismay.

That's going back a little ways, Milk!

-Did comic books play a large role in your love for drawing?


They sure did.

First it was Dinosaurs and then Muscle Cars. I got into comics right around 8 or 9 and then got into drawing the characters from them. Batman,X-Men,Conan,and G.I Joe/Transformers were my favorites as a kid. I remember that besides the spinners the Toy stores would have a grab bag of like 5-10 comics repackaged cheap. I would get alot of comics that way.

I remember buying my little brother the A-TEAM comics in a three-pack (or possibly a four-pack) at a local toy store. He was into GIJOE, Transformers, Thunder Cats and SilverHawks, so I tried hard to get him to also read comics at that time. He liked the Secret Wars toys a lot, but I don't think he developed a love for comics in a big way.

I was the dinosaur lover in my family. I still have all of my Marx dinosaur figures, and I occasionally still buy dino toys.

-Did comics have a major impact on the way you draw now?

Yeah I think so. The Kirby and Toth influence is hard to rub off once it gets into you..

Two very strong influences, indeed. I think Kirby probably influenced more people in comicdom than any other single creator. Even industry mega-stars like Neal Adams, John Buscema, Gil Kane, and John Romita Sr claim Kirby as a primary influence. Kirby certainly continues to influence creators. Alex Toth's influence is pretty broad too. I know Michael Lark's work has some Toth influence, as does the works of Steve Rude (who's also influenced by Jack Kirby and Andrew Loomis, among others).

-What was your favorite comic title (and tell me why, please)?

I liked alot of comics growing up but I seem to remember really liking Batman/Detective Comics and X-Men the most. I really loved that Clairemont/Byrne/Austin run.I liked the dynamics that the characters had. Batman was always just cool looking. Marshall Rogers and Walt Simonson on Batman was awesome.

In my teens I would really get into X-Men as it related to me more and the stories were really great.
I also would buy Savage Sword of Conan since I loved Conan as a kid and the B&W magazine offered more bang for the buck.

As a kid I loved the O'Neil/Adams BATMAN comics. I also loved the Don Newton-era BATMAN books. Not enough fans and pros know about that era of Batman because CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS sort of eradicated all of that era from continuity, and then the Frank Miller BATMAN stuff sort of overshadowed it all. It's too bad, because that's my favorite era of BATMAN ever. The drawing was never better, and the stories were never greater, IMO. I know Frank Cho and several other creators have sited Don Newton as an artistic influence on their own art. I would have to say so as well.

I loved CONAN THE BARBARIAN and THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN. I couldn't get enough of those books growing up! Conan dealt out justice with a sword in a way that know superhero could or ever would. Conan was a real manly comic. I enjoyed the hell out those mags!

Marshall Rogers died too young. He was a great creator. Know one drew better capes than Rogers, and I think McFarlane's SPAWN cloak owed a lot to Rogers' work. Rogers did some great BATMAN stories. I like that there was usually those big typewriters and giant props in the stories he drew with writer, Steve Englehart.

[Bruce Lee]

-How long have you been drawing?
Forever, it seems like. Since I was very young.

-Did comic books play a large role in your love for drawing?
Eventually. I think I was around 10 when an uncle gave me one of those random assortments of Marvel comics that (I think) they used to sell at places like Costco - which was pretty much my first exposure to comic books. After that I was copying things from inside those books.

-Have you always wanted to draw comic book characters?
Nope. Storytelling though - I've always liked art that tells a story. Even if it's a single image rather than sequentials.

-Did comics have a major impact on the way you draw now?
Very much so.

-What was your favorite comic title (and tell me why, please)?
I have a hard time choosing a single favorite title... There are a couple of issues that had a big impact - Conan the Barbarian 231 was in that assortment, I think. I liked the cover (which had nothing to do with the interior) and the story was complete - well, the end of the story was, and the beginning was summed up well enough. Neat story too. Marvel's Godzilla issue 2 (which I must have gotten from my parents... otherwise I don't know where it came from) in which Godzilla attacks Seattle and is driven off by SHIELD. Mostly because Godzilla attacks my home town. And the Incredible Hulk 217 - another one from before my time that I'm not sure how I got. The story was great and complete in a single issue.

Would you consider yourself to be a moderate comic book fan then? You mentioned that you liked storytelling--are you more interested in illustration than sequential art, Hawk?

[Bruce Lee]

-Well I started drawing when I was 4, and never really stopped, so about 20 years? saying that makes me feel old. It sounds hard to believe, but it's pretty much all I've ever wanted to do growing up. I would take my copy of "How To Draw Comics the Marvel Way" with me all the time, and really just try to emulate the marks and pencil effects Buscema used in the book.

-Comics were inspiring to me, but I didn't have a stable comic shop around my area and I had about 20-40 titles for a bit, I would say I paid more attention to cartoons more than anything else growing up. Once I stopped watching those I got back into books.

-I always wanted to draw certain characters over others (the usual suspects, Spidey, Batman, X-Men, Conan, etc.) at this point in my life, I'd take anything in a major imprint and run with it.

-I'd say so, besides Buscema, my biggest influence was during high school, a friend of mine also into comics who drew much better than me. I wanted to emulate how he did clean lines and in my eyes, "perfect" work.

-I never had a favorite growing up, I infrequently had comics from time to time. I would always read this mini-series called "Wolverine vs The Punsiher" penciled by Gary Erskine, I liked his realistic style on how he captured people, especially Wolverine. Pitt #1 was also an eye opener when I was about 8 years old, the same can be said of most of Keown's work for me. Nowadays, I'd say Nextwave, I was sad when it ended.

So what sort of cartoons did you watch, Keith? What were your biggest 'toon inspirations?

[Bruce Lee]

-How long have you been drawing?

Always.


-Did comic books play a large role in your love for drawing?

Yes. it went deeper when the Marvel Universe came out and I could see the inner workings of a character and props, it blew my mind and I wanted to draw characters in my own universe with that kind of depth.


-Have you always wanted to draw comic book characters?

Yes, Since I was young, but not so much anymore.


-Did comics have a major impact on the way you draw now?

They do inspire me at times, especially the older comics.


-What was your favorite comic title (and tell me why, please)

Fantastic Four and Alpha Flight when Byrne was creating those books, Byrne was my first influence artwise and could tell a great story too.

I can certainly see the John Byrne influence in your work. Your recent Thing illustration is testament to that! I was once very much into John Byrne's stuff, and I still treasure much of the Byrne books in my collection. I still have some of his first Charlton Comics like WHEELIE AND THE CHOPPER BUNCH and DOOMSDAY +1. My favorite run of Byrnes is a no-brainer. He really stood out drawing the FANTASTIC FOUR. Byrne brought the FF back to the fun times of the Lee/Kirby-era, building on a lot of the original plot threads, bringing back classic villains, and so forth. But JB found a way to do it in his own way. He also restored Doctor Doom to his former glory as the big Marvel heavy, IMO. Was great stuff!

I think the Michelinie/Byrne run of the Avengers (issues 181-191) is very underrated. I enjoyed every issue of that all too brief run!

[Bruce Lee]

as long as i can remember. this is the first time in my life where i have not been drawing SOME kind of comic



absolutely. as a kid, you like that stuff anyways, but what solidified it for me was my step-dad coming home from work one da with a copy of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.



yes, which is why im probably burned out on them now lol



definitely, comics were the first and most prevalent impact on my art style. anime hit me big in 6th grade with Dragonball Z. I saw the Galic Jr movie and was blown away. I'd never seen a cartoon move like that. but then when DK2 came out I started reading western comics again and it all meshed into the crap i draw now.



hmmm, growing up i didnt have a "favorite title". I would devour comics just for being comics. I had favorite artists, which is why im more of a "ill read whatever JRJr/Miller/whoever does" guy than a character guy.

I loved Sal Buscema on Spider-Man, I loved John Buscema in HtDCtMW, but as a kid i couldnt recognize him when he was inked because i was so used to his pencils. I LOVED Todd McF, Torment was legendary. I liked the people who made comics LOOK exciting and over the top, people who drew "The Marvel Way". So when Joe Mad left comics, I was heartbroken. Thank God for Ultimates 3.

So you're burned out for now....but if you could draw any comic currently being published, Nick, what title would it be?

[Keith]

GI Joe, TMNT and Real Ghostbusters were staples of my childhood. I thought the X-Men cartoon was pretty great, it packed a lot of arcs effortlessly into 1 season that would've taken most other shows a few years to do. Batman TAS is a given, but I thought Batman Beyond was a gem of a show, it had a style and vibe that was way ahead of its time. Pirates of Dark Water, Exo Squad, Gargoyles were pretty top action shows as well. On the comedy side Animaniacs would probably top the list, it was a pretty clever and hilarious show.

[Popninja]

I think the Michelinie/Byrne run of the Avengers (issues 181-191) is very underrated. I enjoyed every issue of that all too brief run!

The summer of '84, I was staying with an aunt who had sent for me to spend the summer with her in North Carolina. At least twice a week while I was there, she took me to this comic book store called "Heroes Aren't Hard To Find." It was there, with money that my aunt felt compelled to just give me, that I bought all kinds of Byrne back issues, including this Avengers run. I loved it. And yes it is very underrated.

[NickRocks]

So you're burned out for now....but if you could draw any comic currently being published, Nick, what title would it be?

easily ASBAR, followed by THOR.

Batman being the most fun superhero to draw IMO, and thor because i dont think ive ever done sequentials of him (not counting fusion jam)

[Ian Miller]

Great thread idea, Loston!

I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. At the age of 3 or 4 I was drawing Batman and Superman and Ninja Turtles, and from there on drawing just became my favorite hobby. I can't say if drawing was something I picked up, or if it came to me naturally. Both of my mother's parents were artists, and my grandfather especially had a huge influence on me growing up. My grandfather's name is Jerry Smath and he illustrates children's books and when I was younger he was doing illustrations for Sesame Street magazine. He gave me some watercolors and some colored pencils and really encouraged me to pursue art. To this day he's one of my biggest influences, and we get together about once or twice a month to check out what the other is working on, and talk shop or just do some sketching.

Comics were always a part of my life, and were probably another inspiration for me wanting to pursue art. I can't explain why I like comics. Something about them just resonates within me. I've dabbled in many different forms of art, but I always end up coming back to comics. I had a few comics when I was younger, but the first that really struck a chord with me was X-Men Classic #54, which was a reprint of Uncanny X-Men #150, a story titled "I, Magneto!". These characters were just WEIRD. Superman and Batman were still cool by me, but they were just guys in suits. The X-Men were something else. Nightcrawler looked like a villain, and he was always an outsider because of his blue skin and pointy tail. Colossus turned into metal. Storm had white hair and could fly and could make it rain or create lightning. Wolverine had claws in his hands and he had this whacky pointy hair that I had never seen on a person before. And lastly there was Cyclops, who was the weirdest character to me - He had a power he couldn't turn off! These were some really flawed characters, and unlike Superman who was great because he was perfect, these characters were great because they were just so messed up! I picked up any X-book I could, and I'd venture a guess that 1/4 of my comic collection is X-Men related. However, in recent years there's really been something missing from the books, and I haven't picked up an X-title in about 6 years. Even so, the stories just weren't the same after Claremont left, and the only times I really really REALLY enjoy new issues are if he writes them.

When most kids were in Kindergarten they wanted to be police officers or firefighters or astronauts. I wanted to draw comics. And a majority of what I drew were superheroes, or funny gag strips. I was always considered the best drawer in all my classes, and that encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing, since I wasn't really that good at anything else. In middle school and high school there were times where I kind of forgot about comics, but then something would come along and get me inspired to draw again. Oddly enough, there was a period of about 3 years when I stopped drawing for fun, but I was inspired to get back on the horse by seeing the Daredevil movie. Yes. The Daredevil movie.

College was weird for me in regards to comics and drawing. I studied fine art at SUNY Oswego, and from the get-go I was kind of ostracized because I liked comics. I took a 2-D design class freshman year, and I asked the professor what he though about comics. He thought they were trash, and from that point on, he never gave me good grades because he thought I was some kind of punk. The thing is comics are filled with design principles, and our textbook even devoted a few pages to talking about comics (Which he happened to skip over when we had to do readings). So I got into drawing and painting, and I was always told to add some energy into my work by getting influences from "Those comics you read". It wasn't until junior year when I was able to embrace my love of comics. I took an advanced illustration class, and the professor, who I got along with well, allowed me to make up my own cirriculum and projects, and she encouraged me to draw a comic. So I wrote and drew a 10-page humor comic that I was really proud of (I'd post it, but the drawings are pretty crude and the writing is a bit iffy), and I got an A+ on it. Around this time comics were looked down upon, but "graphic novels" were being praised by everyone, so all I had to do was say I drew "graphic novels" and people accepted me. I'd show my work to professors or students, and if I said I drew comics, they would dismiss me. If I said I drew graphic novels they would allow me to be amongst them. It was odd. But my college eventually started a class which dissected comic books and we got to make our own short comics, and it was the best class I had in those 4 years. The professor even got Art Spiegelman to come to the school and give a speech and then meet the class afterwards.

So, the cliffnotes - Yes, comics have influenced me in so many ways, and right now at the age of 24 I'm working as a full-time comic artist and loving every minute of it. I've been told that it's not a wise decision to be a freelance artist, but it's all I've wanted to do, and it's what I'm happy doing. Before I left my last job I was looking for new positions in sales. And I hate sales. I'd rather do what I love than get a job I hate because it pays well. And I'm hoping this will all pay off one day!

[scmarooney]

-How long have you been drawing?
Ever since grade school. I have some memories of trying to draw Snoopy and the Peanuts crew early on in grade-school. Of course I was one of those kids bored with school and sat there drawing things and making my own sound effects, and getting in quite a bit of trouble because of it.

-Did comic books play a large role in your love for drawing?
Yep. Loved me some comics as a kid. I was a Marvel Kid growing up and would breathlessly trek down to the local 7-11 to get the latest issue of Hulk or Avengers or the FF from the spinner rack, and a slurpee to go with my comics.
-Have you always wanted to draw comic book characters?
Not always. There was a point when I wanted to do political cartoons, and then humor-cartoons, but was never quite funny enough to think I had the chops for Mad or Cracked magazines.
-Did comics have a major impact on the way you draw now?
Yup. I ruined quiet a few comics as a kid tracing over the characters with ball point pens, trying to figure out how they were drawn so well. Later on I tried to devour every bit of Buscema's lessons in How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. Wore the cover off of at least 2 copies of that book.
-What was your favorite comic title (and tell me why, please)?
Like a lot of guys have mentioned, I loved John Byrne's run on the Fantastic Four. I think one of the first comics I can really vividly remember was that giant-sized FF he did where Doom kidnapped the FF, and put them into that small town without powers, and they were like mini-versions of themselves...? LOVED that comic so much as a kid I probably read it a thousand times, and was super disappointed when he left the FF. Byrne probably isn't the kind of guy I'd want to sit down and have a beer with, but I love his work from the 80s and the early 90s.