Michael Mitchell - Cartoonist Survey #282

Michael Mitchell is a cartoonist living in New Hampshire. I first discovered his work through his Facebook page and was immediately drawn to his retro 70's comic book style. Michael's latest project is his Zombie Sub-920 comic book series. Zombie Sub-920 combines just about everything I love in comics...undersea adventures, zombies, talking apes and aliens! Michael does everything on the book, including writing, drawing, lettering and coloring the whole thing by hand.

I recently met Michael and his lovely wife Michelle at a comic show here in Massachusetts and they couldn't have been nicer. Michael was selling the first two issues of his Zombie Sub-920 and t-shirts, as well as giving away free sketches. His love of comic art was clearly visible as he even took the time to show me some thumbnails, workups and the cover of issue #3 of Zombie Sub-920 which is in the process of being completed.

Zombie Sub-920 is a nostalgic flashback to the comics of my youth, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! You can order your own copies by sending Michael an instant message through his Facebook page. Be sure to visit his new Mitchell Comic Art website which will have a web store coming soon.  You should also check out the Mitchell Comics blog where you can see much more of his artwork.

What is your favorite pen to use?
I use Fiber-Microns most often. I've tried some other things, some cheaper, some more expensive. I go through pens fairly quickly so I've found that the microns don't break the bank, and yet they last a good while, so it's as simple as that.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
I do outline in pencil always, and usually it is a 4B for outlines. I'm always trying out new ones. My Mom found a yard sale once where some guy was selling some art supplies he found in the basement of a house he bought. There was a small box of 5 un-sharpened pencils from the 50's called MEPHISTO... I'm using those currently, and I swear to God they are like magic... I'll be sad when those babys are all gone.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
I color entirely by hand. I use art markers... most often I use PRISMA watercolor markers. It really gives my stuff an old school look which is what I'm after, and mostly what I'm known for. People have seen some of my pages that I just made, and mistaken it for comic pages that were 40-50 years old.

What type of paper do you use?
Sometimes I breakdown and buy expensive stuff, but I mostly use high quality HAMMERMILL office paper. I'm cheap...haha, and if your real careful you won't smudge, smear or tear it, so why pay $3 a page for stuff you can get for 3 cents a page...right?

 
What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Ummmm...nothing. Everything is a challenge, and that's the fun of it right? It's all a part of the process, and I love the process... so even though it sounds like a cop-out I really do love it all.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
If I can't get it any local quality office/art supply store...it probably isn't in my kit.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
Usually I sacrifice a small household pet, or annoying neighbor children hahaha...no seriously...I work a full time "regular" job so I draw whenever I can squeeze it in. I have to be ready to draw at the drop of a hat, so nope... no rituals.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
70's music...ya baby!

What was the first job as a cartoonist/illustrator that you were paid for?
They pay people? I actually did get my first "real" paying job doing a paperback book cover it was a painting of a guy being attacked by a Mummy.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
Most often I read MAD, and FAMOUS MONSTERS magazines, but I liked the DC, Marvel, Dell, Charlton, and Gold Key mystery/horror titles too. I was not really that big on the super dude books.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
I don't have any stand-outs really... I have a pretty broad range of stuff I like.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
(See above)

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
Not really.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Time will tell... I liken it to the early days of TV... it has its good and bad qualities like everything else.

Did either of your parents draw?
My Mom did some light sketching... she currently likes to paint.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
My Wife Michelle...she is a constant source of encouragement...she is my #1 fan, my muse, and my source of inspiration often.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Nope... I get right down to it.

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?
I feel that doing it every day is the #1 most important thing.

 
Do you collect anything and if so what?
I buy any 70's stuff I think looks cool, and that I don't already have.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Doctor Quest...Jonny’s Father.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Left man... what are you CRAZY?!?

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
N/A

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Anywhere... I draw in waiting rooms, buses, trains... anywhere works for me.

Do you play any musical instruments?
Nope.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Do it every day.

Who is your favorite artist?
The guy who loves doing it.

Thanks again for taking the time to participate Michael!

Paul Garner - Cartoonist Survey #271

Paul Garner is a UK based illustrator, caricaturist, storyboard artist, performer and fine artist. He grew up building Aurora glow-in-the-dark monster models, watching late night horror movies on television, and reading MAD magazine. He studied at Nene College in Northampton and then honed his illustration skills while working in an advertising agency in London.

He has now been working for over 24 years as a freelance illustrator and artist. Paul’s monster and sci-fi themed creations appear on T-shirts, CDs, murals, sideshow banners, hot sauce labels and even human bodies, in the form of tattoos. A long time contributor to the weekly magazine Timeout London, his artwork is also featured in Famous Monsters of Filmland and SFX, the UK sci-fi magazine.

Paul has drawn concept art for TV, film and theater and is the house cartoonist for the Pleasance Theatre. He created the artwork for the iconic totem pole that is at the Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as the giant mural there.

In addition to his illustration work, Paul is also a founding member of Gawkagogo, an avant-garde pop-culture parody theatrical production. Together with Sarah Nield, Paul has designed, directed and performed for their live cartoon, puppet filled, comedy sideshows since 1990.

A member of the International Society of Illustrators, Paul lives with his wife and two children in Brighton, England. Check out his Paul Garner Art website to see many more examples of his work, and be sure to visit his store where you can purchase fine art giclee prints (I love the Son of Frankie one!). Then head over to the Gawkagogo website to sample videos of the show and to learn more about the Gawkagogo characters including The Human Fly, Dennis Hopperfield and Nosferatutu. You can also follow Paul here on Facebook.

What is your favorite pen to use?
Various black fineliners, but mostly for linework I photocopy HB pencil work to achieve that grainy, sketchy quality.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Yes. Standard pencil.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
Both, but more frequently by hand with Photoshop tweaks afterwards.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Magic markers or acrylic paint.

What type of paper do you use?
Bleedproof marker paper or acrylic paper.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Cars, things with straight lines. Faces without character.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Websites or the local store according to urgency!

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
If I did I'd never get started. But coffee, a lot of it, is vital!

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Yes- film soundtracks, rockabilly, lounge. I also put on DVDs and let them play in the background to give the room a pulse. I find it hard to draw in silence.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
'Shiver & Shake'- a UK-based publication featuring characters like "Frankie Stein'. Also MAD Magazine a bit later on.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Mort Drucker's movie spoofs in MAD Magazine.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
"Horror Movies' by Alan G. Frank. Still have the original copy. It has a distinctive smell which makes me nostalgic when I open it.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
Nene College, Northampton, UK... and then in the field, in an advertising illustration studio in London.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
A blessing and a revolution, particularly for finding useful reference.

Did either of your parents draw?
Yes, Dad.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
My wife and muse.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Yes.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
No, but may do it some day.

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

Do you collect anything and if so what?
Monster toys, odd books, freakish ephemera.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Wile E. Coyote.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Lefty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Maybe voice impersonations. I often do the voices of the people as I'm drawing them, with varying results!

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Mostly total chaos but pulled back to sanity between each job if at all possible. An old-school drawing desk and a new-school iMac. And lots of monster toys.

Do you play any musical instruments?
I have a ukulele which just hangs around never getting learned or played.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Keep a sketchbook, draw all the time. Get every idea down because you never know when you might need inspiration in a hurry.

Who is your favorite artist?
Basil Gogos, Mort Drucker, Drew Friedman, Joe Coleman, Jack Davis

Thanks again Paul, I really appreciate your time!

M. Wartella - Cartoonist Survey #270

M. (Michael) Wartella is an award-winning illustrator, cartoonist and animator who is based in New York City. While growing up in York, Pennsylvania he fell in love with MAD magazine and the works of Don Martin, Al Jaffee and Will Elder. As he got into his teens he found a copy of R. Crumb’s Head Comix and was introduced to the world of underground comix. He attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville where he majored in studio art. While at UVA he created his comic strip Ackxhpaez.

Michael moved to New York after college and used a grant he received from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond to buy a computer and video equipment. In July of 1997 he launched his Ackxhpaez website which featured the cartoon short Dinky Dog “Rolling in the Money”. This animated gif which “was the first online animated feature that was widely-viewable on every web browser without requiring any special "plug-in" for viewing, was referred to by a 1998 New York Times article as "the Steamboat Willie of the internet".

He expanded on his Ackxhpaez comics, and they were syndicated and published in alternative weekly newspapers from 1998-2000. In 2004 Michael’s sequential art was included in DC Comics’ Bizarro World Anthology. He was also a contributor to the "all-new" series of Topps Wacky Packages trading cards from 2005 – 2007 and created similar product parody spoofs for Nickelodeon Magazine.

In 2006 Fantagraphics Books published his short story 'Visions of Rasputin' in the “Hotwire Comic & Capers” anthology. This anthology was nominated for both an Eisner and Harvey Award. His half-page editorial cartoons ‘Runnin’ Scared’, started being published in The Village Voice in 2007 and still appear in special issues. Some of the other magazines Michael has done artwork for include Vice, SPIN, Bazaar, Arthur and Interview.

He has drawn animated segments for MTV’s ‘Wonder Showzen’ and wrote for the first season of Adult Swim’s ‘Superjail!’ Since 2010 his animated cartoons have appeared weekly on Cartoon Network's MAD television series. Visit his Ackxhpaez website here where you can see much more of his work including Dinky Dog, Comix, Magazine artwork and many more videos for MAD.

What is your favorite pen to use?
Pentel Sign Pen (black, blue, purple, red and/or green) for paper, but I use a Wacom Cintiq for drawing digitally.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
I mostly use standard pencils with soft lead and soft white wood. I also have an "all-lead" pencil which I like a lot, it's the shape of a normal pencil but all lead, without any wood at all.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
99% of the time I use a computer.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Occasionally I use paints or colored china markers (grease pencils).

What type of paper do you use?
Newsprint for rough sketches, Arches (or similar) for important stuff.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
The same thing over and over.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Local stores here in NYC. I like walking the streets.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
Yes, coffee and getting my mind into the right place.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Yes. Always rock and roll. I also have a special loop of ZZ Top's Eliminator for when I really need to crunch.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
Yes. Mainly MAD Magazine.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Hmmm... Probably Zippy the Pinhead, Dick Tracy, or Nancy.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
"Al Jaffee's MAD Inventions". Yes, I still have it.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
School of Hard Knocks. I've mostly learned "on the job".

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Blessing, for sure.

Did either of your parents draw?
No.

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

Do you keep a sketchbook?
No.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
Yes, once when I was a kid.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
Hmmm... Tough one. I'd say talent and passion are both equally important. But it is important to note that "success" requires neither.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
All kinds of stuff. Lots of printed matter: Magazines, newspapers, books. Plus Vinyl LPs, old board games, wooden indians, all kinds of stuff.

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

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Rock & Roll. I'd dial in that sound and produce hit records.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
I basically work in Ken Kesey's abandoned school bus. It's parked in a hidden back alleyway in New York City.

Do you play any musical instruments?
Yes, but not as a master.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Define your goals. Write them down every ten years. Never give up. Keep trying. Believe in yourself. Practice mental magic. Tap into your inner child. Success always comes in a way and time least expected.

Who is your favorite artist?
Salvador Dali

Thanks again Michael!