Jeremy The Artist is a
comic book maker,
caricature artist,
graphic designer and a prolific doodler. His web comics can be found over at
mytalkinghead.com.
His output is astounding and he is consistently sharing it with the
world. Last year I started to archive Uncle Staples's collection of
Staplegator sketches and solicit new ones. I got allot of help form all
quarters of the indie comic scene. I am grateful for everyone's support
but Jeremy just blew me away check out four of his submissions
here. Jeremy The Artist has his own set of artist interviews that can be read
here. You can follow him on twitter
@thetoonman and/or like him on
facebook.com/jeremytheartistguy
What formal art training do you have?
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, with a
concentration on Graphic Design. I was the Editorial Cartoonist for my
college newspaper for the whole of my undergraduate years- that experience in itself has helped a lot with the techniques and styles I use.
I still freelance graphic design stuff, but
as you can see from my current portfolio- I've deviated quite a bit from
formal design.
You work in a couple of mediums, both analog and
digital. What do you see as the biggest advantages and disadvantages of
each?
I have been inking by hand since I was about
11 years old (hopefully I’m a bit better now at it), and digitally
drawing/inking since about 6 years back, though nothing really solid
until about 3 years ago.
I don’t think anything will ever replace creating by hand- no matter what technological advances we may experience.
I received my first (and only) tablet in 2008 as
a graduation gift- I had a 3 month trial with it, got frustrated and
put it up for 3 years…and now, I think its God’s gift to the
Illustrator.
The tablet’s fluidity allows for faster,
“cleaner” production- creating multiple layers within a program and
identifying one as “pencil” and another as “ink” eliminates a few steps
that you always have to take when hand inking your work and physically
erasing any left over pencil work.
Tablets are becoming so advanced that they can
simulate all types of mediums now including pastels, oils, paints, inks,
pencils and charcoals, with only more added to the list every update.
There’s a certain quality that tablet-produced work has, and by far is the most efficient.
With all that said, when I work by tablet-
there’s a certain “connection” I lose with my creation. As I have a
Wacom Intuos, I have to draw while keeping my attention on the computer
screen while my hand draws on the tablet…it’s a skill you develop as you
practice with the tablet, but one that keeps you somewhat detached from
your work, or at least for me.
When drawing in your sketchbook or just on paper
while sitting at a table somewhere- the connection is instantaneous. No
longer do I feel like there’s a barrier between me and my work…we’re as
intimate as can be- and this relationship that is created with pen and
paper versus computer drawing is something I could not live without..no
matter how advanced we become.
Does your diversity of style reflect a diversity in artistic influence? Who would you say influenced your work in what ways?
At the age of 10 more or less, I can distinctly
recall telling myself I wanted to become a comic book artist. At that
age, that meant the guys who drew up Spider Man, Wolverine and the rest
of the X Men.
Now at 27, I do comics, cartoons, web comics, freelance illustration and caricatures.
My influences range from Robert Crumb to Todd
McFarlane. I remember picking up my first Spawn at age 12 and loving the
style of the book…I had never seen a comic like that produced, that was
in the heyday of Image and of the “McFarlane Style”. Spawn made me set
my initial goals and I bought a Dynamic Anatomy book done by Burne
Hogarth (artist for original Tarzan), who I grew to admire. Jack Kirby
is always a favorite of mine, but I really draw from and admire these
days Mike Mignola (Hellboy & BPRD are a couple of my FAVORITE
comics) and Frank Miller’s work.
A couple years back I had an epiphany I really
wanted to become known for my cartoon work and web comics…and discovered
Ivan Brunetti, Jaime Hernandez and Art Spiegelman… revolutionaries in
the world of “Underground/Indie Comics”… two of the bigger influences
from this genre are Charles Burns and the iconic underground artist
himself, Robert Crumb.
All these artists have various styles and
techniques they use as well as tools…some of my favorite guys here use
brush while another couple use micron pens and rapidographs…seeing this
difference in style, especially within the same genre of art helps me to
understand the variety of the form and helps me to grow as an artist
personally. This in turn motivates me to try different approaches as
well- learn the pros and cons of each style and tool.
I’m also quite the admirer of fine arts, a huge
favorite of mine being German Expressionism, but I do fancy Contemporary
as well as Abstract. I’m naturally a minimalist in style and admire
works in this style.
Why monsters and why comics?
Monsters Ive been a big fan of since I can
remember. Growing up, my dad and I would watch a lot of horror movies
together, including a bunch of older monster movies like the 1950s
Wolfman, Frankenstein and Mummy. My dad also was the one to introduce me
to Greek Mythology and I do believe Norse Mythology as well…exposing me
to mythical monsters like griffins, Cyclops and frost giants.
Watching these movies with my dad and talking
mythology with him are precious memories I hold so I think that’s why
years later monsters have such a hold on me.
Comics and sequential art in general is such a
wonderful way to tell a story. The beauty about that story is it can be
any story, including your own, dressed in a different suit, however you
may want it.
Comics allow an artist to create entire
universes of characters..characters that have their own characters in
their lives….all involved in their own bubbles of life, which stem from
what the artist created, even daresay birthed from the creative
production of the artist, but not necessarily directly created by the
artist him/herself.
Comics, as time goes on, are being understood as
more of a fine art vs the “low brow” category its unfortunately been
classified as since their creation. I find comics to be one of the more
formidable fields of art and still has great potential- I cant wait to
see what the future brings for comics.
I know that you’re a big fan of Reservoir Dogs but is there another reason so many of your monsters are in semi-formal wear?
The criminals of Reservoir Dogs and the hitmen of Pulp
Fiction definitely influenced the look as those are my two favorite
movies by one of my top favorite directors. Another reason, and probably
the bigger reason, is the aesthetics of the imagery. Using
contradicting elements/subjects: suits, classy attire and wild, horrific
creatures- it’s almost a contrast of “light” and “dark” elements- the
interaction which then produces a unique image.
Simultaneously, dressing up the monsters, they
become “humanified” to some degree. For me, having the monsters dressed
in something maybe I would dress in then helps me to empathize/connect
with them on a level I wasn’t able to before.
In general as a rule of thumb as well, suits are just plain cool.
Why do you think Monster comics came back into main stream popularity after decades of comics as a one genre medium?
With a resurgence in the interest of monsters
like vampires into the mainstream (in both books and shows like True
Blood or Twilight) and zombies (the comic Walking Dead and tv show based
on comic), monsters are becoming “cool” again.
With Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim movie and
Godzilla 2014, we are seeing the comeback of “Big Monster Movies” as
well- which will help the comics based on these monsters back into
popularity.
In other words, we are heading towards the golden days my friend.
Personally I want to know when we can expect another issue of
Security! it is by far my favorite of your comic books so far.
Ah! Security! was a definitely fun comic, but a
rushed one based on my experiences based on my day job experiences in
the security field. I wanted to add so much more to the book and just
ran out of time as I wanted the book done in time for Staple! 2013.
I’m definitely going to do another
security-based comic, but for this next one I want it to be a waaay
bigger book. I have a couple other books planned beforehand however, a
second print issue of My Talking Head, which is based off my webcomic
site, My Talking Head ( www.mytalkinghead.com ) and a relaunch of my Kickstarter for my graphic novel, Monsters In Ties (looking to do the kickstarter in February)
You’re doing your own artist interviews at My Talking Head. What is your favorite part of that?
As an artist interviewing artists, I tailored my
interview questionnaire with some fun questions (or at least I hope
they are fun) and tried to think what I would like to be asked- thus
far, it’s been working!
I post the interviews every other Sunday on My Talking Head, all current interviews can be read here:
This has to be my favorite part- the actual
reading of the replies- I also personally pick each interview out, and
its always work I really admire and people I respect- so its neat to be
able to interact with these people in this way specifically.
Five-Line Graphics is managed by one of good friends who also creates comics, Paulo Hernandez.
I
met Paulo at Staple! 2012 and since then we have done both fan art for
each other’s publications and have collaborated on a couple others.
What has been your most memorable caricature request?
I’ve been caricaturing now for about 5 years,
the last 3 here in Austin. Definitely most interesting caricature
requests have been here in Austin. I have 2 that stick out in my mind at
the moment:
1.) Back when I was zombie-caricaturing down
South Congress for First Thursdays, as I was setting up I was asked by a
young couple to zombify their dogs.
I ended up drawing the dogs on their back feet,
with their front paws stuck out like arms in front of them (similar to a
“Frankenstein or Mummy Walk”) and zombifying the now-humanoid looking
animals. That, was interesting.
2.) Another gig that I was actually hired to do
zombies for, one lady requested not only to be a zombie- but to drawn
riding a unicorn, which would also be zombified. Very fun picture, I
believe I have a picture of that somewhere on my portfolio site.
-Last note on this question, this doesn’t
technically count, but I was caricaturing at The Volstead one night
(VERY fun caricaturing at a bar) and, asides all the drunken
caricatures, I had 2 girls (maybe under the influence) insist on me
getting caricatured by them. AND, one of the girls would pay me. So, I
ended up in the other chair while one of the girls drew me- turned out
she was an artist too. I prefer to be paid and drawn, less effort on my
part, haha.
What has been your favorite Staple! experience so far?
So far I have to say, having a beer with Kevin
Eastman, the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, at the after party. I didn’t know how to introduce myself to him and was working
up the courage to just go to talk to him, when one of my friends who
came along to support me (and who was already a smidge drunk) shouted
out to me, “HEY JEREMY, KEVIN EASTMAN’S HERE! COME OVER!”
She had gone up to him with some other friends
and were talking him up before calling me over. Me and Eastman then
ended up talking about a buncha art stuff and the business of comics.
That whole memory in itself holds a place in my heart.
I go meet up
with a couple of comic creator’s groups from time to time. I met a lot of
artists through showing my fine art at the Wally Workman Gallery for years.
Aside from that, I’m embarrassed to admit what a hermit I become when working
on a project.
