Mark Dean Veca - Cartoonist/Artist Survey #175

Be sure to click the pictures below to see the detail.

Artist Mark Dean Veca was born in Shreveport, LA and grew up in Livermore, CA. He started drawing when he was very young and knew all along that he wanted to be an artist. Living close to San Francisco he grew up reading the underground comics from the late sixties and seventies. His influences include: Dr. Seuss, MAD magazine, old Popeye cartoons and Bill Griffith’s (Cartoonist Survey #14) ‘Zippy the Pinhead’. In 1985 Mark received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. He had originally planned to become an illustrator but one of his professors persuaded him to become a fine artist.

His work has been exhibited at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Brooklyn Museum of Art and many other institutions throughout the United States, Japan and Europe. Numerous publications such as Artforum, The New York Times, Art Review, Juxtapoz, Flash Art and Art in America have reviewed his work. He has received the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in the category of painting three times. Mark has also been the artist in residence at The MacDowell Colony, The Bronx Museum and Villa Montalvo. Be sure to visit Mark's website and see more of his amazing artwork.

What is your favorite pen to use?
No pen, brush. Loew-Cornell 795 White Nylon Round #2 and #3 and Superblack India Ink.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
A little; standard.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
Hand.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Flashe Vinyl Acrylic.

What type of paper do you use?
Canvas or panel.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Anything hard-edged.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Both.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
No.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Howard Stern 20 hours/week, Adam Corolla's podcast and Greg Fitzsimmons podcast.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
MAD, Zippy, Freak Bros.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Zippy.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
The Hobbit, no.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
BFA, Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles, CA

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Blessing!

Did either of your parents draw?
Not really.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
Parents.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
No.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
No.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
Passion.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
No.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Popeye.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Musician.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Small converted 2 car garage.

Do you play any musical instruments?
No.

Who is your favorite artist?
Philip Guston.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
See Charles Bukowski's poem, "Roll the Dice". (editor's note: I've actually read quite a bit of Bukowski's work but had never read "Roll the Dice." I've posted it below so you can read it for yourself.)

Roll the Dice - Charles Bukowski

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.

go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.

if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.

do it, do it, do it.
do it.

all the way
all the way.

you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, its
the only good fight
there is.

Thanks again Mark!

Up next is Fintan Taite, freelance illustrator and cartoonist from Dublin, Ireland.