We have a special edition Artist Alley today, as we welcome our Best Artist of the Year – Fiona Staples – to talk about her work on the year in “Saga”, as we break down a year in panels and pages from her runaway hit with writer Brian K. Vaughan. Staples has long been a personal favorite, as her work on “North 40” still stands as the record for me going from “who is this person?” to “I am going to buy everything she does!” Her work elevates each and every issue, page and panel of “Saga”, taking a book with witty scripts, great characters and a top notch premise and pushing it up to a level that makes it arguably the best book in comics today.
We talk today about the success they’ve seen with the book so far, the way her and Brian work together, her emotional connection with the story, the most adorable characters in the book, the art of comic covers, and much more. Thanks to Fiona for putting this together with me, and I’d tell you to go buy “Saga” today, but I trust that you already are.
2013 was another banner year for Saga, as sales continue to increase, every award known to man was bestowed the book and often yourself, and the comic just continue to capture the love of readers. Do you ever have to pinch yourself to make sure this is all real? How exciting is it for you?
Fiona Staples: Very! It continues to be a huge thrill that people are enjoying the book so much. When I’m actually working I have to put it out of my mind though, or I might freeze under the pressure and scrutiny!
What’s the process like when it comes to working with Brian? What stands out as something that makes him particularly exciting to tell a story with?
FS: Brian’s made all these characters feel real to me. His scripts are very evocative and really make the story come alive in my head, so I can get it down on paper without too much guesswork. It makes my job easier when I don’t have to struggle to visualize the story!
Since issue one, how do you feel you’ve improved as an artist, and what are you looking to improve on going into 2014?
FS: I think I’ve generally cleaned up the art a bit, made it slightly tidier and clearer. I’ve been experimenting with different programs and brushes to improve my inking. I’m eternally trying to work on my backgrounds, and my goal is to get faster so that I can spend more time on rendering some really mind-bending landscapes.
The double page splash of the Timesuck in issue #10 was one of the most jaw dropping pages in any comic of the year, as the sheer scale and size of it was astounding. When it comes to something massive like this, what is your approach for making it realistic yet something that stands out? Two things, for me, that seem challenging are the scale of the page and the lighting of it. How do you make sure everything checks out as you develop it?
FS: The scale of this one was particularly tricky, because we had to see the entirety of the exploded planet, but also the comparatively tiny rocket ship. I think I could have created more depth in the image to make the planet look farther away and therefore bigger. But then the danger wouldn’t seem as imminent? Either way, using a whole double-page spread worked in my favour!
I wanted the molten core of the planet to be the “yolk” of the weird baby’s egg. So that’s the only source of light, and I thought it would add a little coolness to have it glowing through the cracks in the shell.
When it comes to crafting your art, what tools and programs do you use?
FS: I ink the figures and foreground elements in Manga Studio 4 and I do all my colours, backgrounds and covers in Photoshop. Lately I’ve been playing with Sketchbook Pro a bit, which I love, but it’s a bit too limited to do Saga in.
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One of the most heartbreaking moments in comics this year was the death of Barr, Marko’s father. Part of what made it so powerful was the flashback that we were given of their relationship during Marko’s youth. In this moment, we’re given a look at the joy shared between the two of them before going back to the sobering reality. For you as a storyteller, how much of you goes into a moment like this? Do you feel like you have an emotional connection to this story and the characters that help elevate moments like this?
FS: Yes, this was one of the most emotional parts of the series for me! Barr wasn’t even a favourite character or anything, but that flashback scene really got to me. It obviously hurts to think about losing your parents, and how for your whole life they’ve tried to teach you self-sufficiency, and prepare you for a time when they won’t be around.
Turns me into a mess, but Barr is just filled with joy and pride at seeing his son take another small step towards independence.
There isn’t anything complex here: I just have to say these two guys are the freaking best. The absolute best. Given the amount of anthropomorphic creatures throughout this story, how do you and Brian work to bring characters like this to life? Do the two of you plan out what type of animals they are, or is that something that is left for you to decide?
FS: In this case, I just drew them for fun one day and then asked Brian to put them in the book! I have to say, I’m very proud that Ghus and Walrus Friend are a hit.
Usually though, the script will just say “alligator chambermaid” or “seahorse in a suit” and I go with it. Sometimes I change it if I think a different animal is more appropriate – in issue 15 the Cozen Claims & Adjustments guy was supposed to be a werewolf, but I had to make him a Mr. Fix-it Fox due to being weaned on Richard Scarry’s Busytown books as a kid.
I have to ask, outside of the main cast, what has been your personal favorite thing to draw in the book?
FS: I like drawing the seahorse and his beautiful beach-office, and mean and sarcastic Special Agent Gale is always a treat!
One of the elements that makes Saga particularly unique is Hazel’s narration, which is something I believe you handwrite yourself. How do you factor that element into a page when you’re laying it out? Does it significantly change how you approach a page such as this one?
FS: Other than making sure I leave room for it, it doesn’t really change my approach. When I do layouts I always sketch in the captions and word balloons to make sure there’ll be enough space. Sometimes I still estimate wrong and Fonografiks has to come up with a creative fix. We are lucky to have him!
First off…awwwwwwww. This is one of the best moments in any comic this year, period. The underrated elements that make it work though are Sophie really moves and feels like a kid, while Lying Cat really feels like…well, a cat. To accomplish that level of reality in those characters, is that something you draw from memory, or are you someone who studies movement to make moments like that ring true?
FS: Wow, thank you! I have spent a lot of time with cats, not so much with kids, so good to hear it looks right. When I DO see kids, I don’t want to say I intently observe them because that’s very creepy, but I have noticed they have different mannerisms than adults. They exist in a world where nothing is really sized to their proportions, so they have funny ways of sitting and fitting themselves into spaces.
For this page, I was mostly concerned with not overacting, and letting the simple dialogue and the emotionally charged circumstances carry the scene.
I love a good cover, and this one stands out if only because it is the only time I ever felt like I was buying a romance novel. How does your approach change when you’re working on a cover vs. interiors, and what do you feel makes a good comic cover?
Continued belowFS: I feel like I’ve made a good cover when it looks exciting and inviting, when it’s a simple but dramatic composition and is rendered nicely. Sometimes I hit one or two things on that list, but rarely all of them! My favourite cover artists right now are Massimo Carnevale and Mike Del Mundo.
My covers are a more fully-painted style than my interiors, because I can spend longer on them and because they’re not images that need to be read quickly in sequence. I feel like painted comics read more slowly, unless it’s a very loosely painted style.
I know Fonografiks does work in terms of designing on the cover. Do the two of you work together from the start, or do you create a piece for the cover and he works around it?
FS: I just do the image and then he puts the trade dress on it! Pretty straightforward. He has impeccable colour and design sense, and his work really elevates our book. He is also the only one on the team who notices typos.
The first page of issue #16 is just a fantastic, dynamic image, but it underlines something you do rather well: dressing characters. Gale’s athletic outfit really stands out here, but I really love the work you do in making sure each character has their own unique style. Is the style of a character something you develop from the get go, or is it more of something you think of as you work on an issue?
FS: Brian knows I have a soft spot for Gale and I think he put him in tiny athletic shorts to indulge me. Most of this came from the script, actually- down to the headband and tearaway shirt, which has the logo of some alien band. Apparently Gale and Izabel have the same taste in music?
Anyway, a character’s clothing is usually one of the first things I’ll design, since most of them don’t change their outfits very often. I get very nervous about getting it right because I don’t know how long they’ll be stuck in the same clothes. So for the main characters, the clothes have to be versatile and work in all kinds of situations, from sitting around in the ship to battling monsters. I like to do layered outfits so that they can take pieces off for visual variety, or to show that they’re feeling comfortable. I also don’t put the main characters in anything too crazy or sci-fi because I think their simple outfits make them more relatable.
