Artist August: Brian Hurtt (Interview)

Today on Artist August, we have an interview with the artist of one of our favorite books, Brian Hurtt of the Oni Press title “The Sixth Gun.” He and series writer and co-creator Cullen Bunn have been crafting a fiercely original genre mash-up that has been engaging and deadly fun since its premiere two Free Comic Book Day’s ago. Brian’s art is a big reason why, as he can take the most challenging concepts from Cullen’s scripts and make them not just believable, but epic and exquisitely choreographed.

After the jump, you can find us talking with Brian about the pros and cons of creator-owned comics, how surprising the success of “The Sixth Gun,” has been, the exclusive list of creators he’d like to work with, and a whole lot more.

Is there a single moment you can look back to as the catalyst for you wanting to work in comics? Or was it more of a natural progression that led you here?

Brian Hurtt: I guess you can say that it was more of a natural progression for me. I do remember being 8 or 9 and driving by a large office building and thinking that I didn’t want to work in a place like that. I had no idea what kind of job that would be I just knew I didn’t want to work in a large grey building like that and have to wear a tie and so on. Having established that, my choices began to narrow. I thought maybe being a stuntman would be cool or perhaps a tree surgeon (I liked the idea of a job that required me to climb trees). But those were just the fleeting fantasies of a 7 year-old. When I fell in love with comics I was still at that age where I wasn’t seriously thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. But, when I did get a little older and entered that age where you start to think about what you might want to be when you get older there never seemed to be any question–I wanted to draw comics. It was just a natural extension of who I was–I was already drawing all the time and making up stories and comics became the outlet for that.

Who or what has influenced the development of your art? For The Sixth Gun in specific, what did you look to for visual influence?

BH: I don’t think too much in terms of influence. I try to look at everything and just absorb it in a more subconscious, organic way. I find that if I look at art I love right before I start drawing that I will unintentionally start emulating it. So I try to avoid looking at comics right before work.

Again, it’s hard for me to isolate who has influenced me but I could name scores of artists whose work I love and admire and they run the gamut in terms of style: Jack Kirby, Moebius, Paul Pope, Jeff Smith, Guy Davis, Katsuhiro Otomo, Mike Mignola, Darwyn Cooke, Sam Hiti, Herge, Christophe Blain, Gipi, Alex Toth and on and on.

In terms of The Sixth Gun, I’d say that there is more of a European influence on the work although I’d be hard pressed to put my finger on exactly what it is.

The Sixth Gun with Cullen Bunn is your current project, and it is an incredible book that has fans and critics raving. How did you get hooked up on that project and what have you thought of the response so far?

BH: It was a project that began with Cullen and was very different than the book everyone is familiar with. Originally, Cullen had seen the Sixth Gun as a dark, horror-western that would have been smaller in scope and I believe he’d envisioned it as a graphic novel. I had wanted to do the book but was unable to because of schedule and finances. So the book ended up sitting around for a while and then, one day, Oni called and said that they’d really like to see me do this book and we were able to find a way to make that work for me. I was so excited because I was at a point where I’d have to start knocking on doors, hat in hand, begging for work and here I was, being given the opportunity to work with my friend Cullen again on something that would be completely ours. Once it was clear I was going to do the project, and once Oni had made it clear they wanted it to be an ongoing monthly, Cullen and I got to work reshaping it. We started molding the book into something that was much larger and more epic in scope and was a better reflection of our combined sensibilities.

The response has just been amazing. I couldn’t be happier with how this book has been received. The word of mouth on this book has been so good and we just keep finding more and more readers. It’s the best experience I’ve had in comics and it’s humbling to have enough people like what you do that you get to keep doing it. I’m as big a fan of the book as anyone and I’m constantly stopping and thanking the stars that every month Cullen and I get to tell another chapter of the Sixth Gun saga.

Before you began The Sixth Gun with Cullen, the two of you created The Damned. How has the experience on The Sixth Gun been different than The Damned, and how would you say your working relationship has evolved between those two projects?

BH: The process really hasn’t been that different outside of the initial inception. With The Sixth Gun it all began with a concept of Cullen’s where as he and I built The Damned from the ground up. Once we got going with the book, though, it has been pretty similar to our working relationship on The Damned. We discuss the world building and the story in broad strokes, we kind of talk about what the big beats might be, and then Cullen goes off and does the hard work of bringing these ideas to life. When I get the scripts, I might know the general direction we are going as well as the really big plot points but a great deal of it is still a surprise to me.

So, where the process has remained basically the same, the experience has been wholly different. On The Damned we busted our butts in obscurity to put out those first 5 issues and then found time a year or so later to do 3 more issues. We both love the book and loved doing those issues but they were reaching a much smaller audience at that time. Jump ahead a couple years and everything has changed. Just the advent of Twitter and Facebook has changed the way people hear about and discuss comics and it’s made a big difference in getting the word out. I am constantly buoyed by the immediate response that we can get to the work we do. Whereas before, on The Damned, I’d work for months and months on the book and the only time I was aware that anyone saw it (outside of Cullen and I) was when I did shows. Now, it’s hard to feel isolated and cut-off when I can just go to the computer and find someone somewhere who has a kind word to say about the book.

The success of the book has also made the experience so different. A month or two back Cullen and I were having a brainstorming session and talking about things that will be happening in the third, fourth, fifth arc of this series and it kind of hit me–we have sat around many, many times over the years talking about story ideas and spinning them out over many arcs and years but for the first time it’s not just daydreaming, it’s actually going to happen. I’m still getting used to that.

The more I work in comics, and the more I talk with other creators, the more I realize how fortunate Cullen and I are to have the collaboration we have. We have the perfect amount of overlap in storytelling sensibilities that we often finish each others sentences when brainstorming. At the same time, though, we have enough differences in our thinking to challenge each other and keep things interesting. I can’t imagine a better type of collaboration experience. I’m sure that he and I will keep finding things to work on together long after Sixth Gun has run it’s course.

The Sixth Gun hits on a lot of different genres, ranging from western to supernatural to any number of others. For you as an artist, does this change your approach at all? Is it more exciting for you to work on a book filled with such diversity?

BH: My approach as an artist never changes–I always focus on trying to tell the story and have the visual storytelling be clear. Whether it’s two people talking in an office or it’s a monstrous winged creature attacking horsemen and carriages in a narrow canyon the objective is always the same–find the best way to communicate the story and the intent of the scene to the reader and try to compliment the writing without the art getting in the way. I want people to pick up the book because they like the story and I would prefer that they forget all about the process of making a comic and find a way to still lose themselves in the story.

All that said: Yes, it is more exciting to work on a book with this kind of genre diversity. Doing a genre mash-up like this allows for juxtaposing images and ideas that haven’t been seen before. It’s so much fun to know that I’m the first guy to ever draw a Confederate General flying through the air and shooting lightning with chains whipping around him or to have a giant mummy fighting cowboys on a burning train.

Queen and Country: Operation Morningstar Commission

You’ve worked on some pretty prominent books in your career, both in the creator owned realm as well as working for the Big Two. How does the experience of working on a book like Queen and Country or The Sixth Gun compare to your experience of working on a Big Two book like Gotham Central?

BH: For me, there really wasn’t that big of a difference between working on something like Queen & Country and Gotham Central. Other than the money. Which was significant. Both of those books were titles with a strong creative vision put forth by a strong writer (in the case of GC, two writers in Rucka and Brubaker). That has really been my good fortune on everything I’ve worked on outside of The Damned and The Sixth Gun. From Q&C with Rucka, to Three Strikes with DeFillipis and Weir, to Hard Time with Steve Gerber; everything I’ve worked on has had a strong vision realized by great writers with little to no interference. But, in all those cases, as great as the writers were to work with, I was always in a “work-for-hire” type position. I would get the scripts and interpret them to the best of my abilities. I really had no input into the stories in any way. With The Sixth Gun and The Damned it’s completely different. Cullen is very open to my thoughts and ideas and it’s a true collaboration. After working this way, I don’t ever want to go back to doing it the other way.

After the first arc of The Sixth Gun, stellar colorist Bill Crabtree started working with you on art duties. How has it been working with Bill, and how has that affected your art?

BH: Stellar is the best way to describe Bill’s work! I have to say that as we started reaching the end of that first arc we had no idea who would be stepping in to pick up the color chores from me. I was extremely anxious about the whole thing. There are only a handful of great colorists out there and trying to find one to work on our book seemed like it might be an insurmountable task. I was convinced (and still am) that if we got the wrong colorist for the job that it would just kill the book. Fortunately, fate intervened and a couple Oni employees ran into Bill while out one night (it was a gallery show or a comic signing) and they got to talking. Turned out Bill was looking for something to work on and they immediately shoved the book into his hands. To hear Bill tell it, he took an immediate shine to the series and the rest is history. And, as amazing a color artist as Bill is, I think the fact that he is just as big a fan of this book as Cullen and I has got him putting out what, in my opinion, is his best work yet.

The best way to describe how having Bill as the colorist has affected my work is to say that it’s relaxed me. I feel more at ease when I’m drawing the book because I feel like I have a partner in Bill who will make whatever I give him look better than it might deserve. Not that I’m phoning it in, I just feel that my art is safe in his hands and I don’t have to be so uptight with my art. It’s hard to put into words really, and it’s kind of anti-intuitive, but not having to do the colors myself and having a collaborator I trust is making me more focused and comfortable with my line art.

When we chatted with Cullen earlier this year, he mentioned that he liked to torture you by having you draw chains. So tell us…how much do you hate drawing chains? What else really kills you to draw?

BH: We joke about the chains because there came a point in issue six where I was just drawing a ridiculous amount of chains whipping through the air and I thought my head was going to explode. Or my hand might fall off. We later added owls to that list of things he wasn’t allowed to put in the book anymore. But honestly there isn’t anything that I actually hate drawing. Or maybe it’s just a more broad answer: I hate drawing any one thing too many times. Also, I hate drawing boring stuff. Boring looking people sitting around a boring office for 10 pages? No thanks. I love political thrillers but I don’t think I’d want to draw one.

On the other end of the spectrum, what do you absolutely love to draw?

BH: I love to draw new things! I love drawing stuff I’ve never drawn before and I love drawing things I think will be hard to draw. I like a challenge. I told Cullen a long time ago to never hesitate to put something in a script–don’t hold back! I would never want my dislike of drawing something to inhibit what Cullen might put in the script. If the best way to tell the story involves 50 biplanes dive-bombing a 100 guys on horseback then don’t let me stop you! I really hate when I’m reading a comic and I feel like the artist has undercut the impact of a moment by being lazy. And I see that all the time.

In the digital age, new tools are available to artists of all types. How does that affect and expand your work?

BH: I still do all of my drawing on paper. The only affect it’s had on me is to be less hung up on mistakes I might make. After scanning pages, it’s not unheard of for me to redraw a nose or the eyes on a character. But from the point of view of an artist, it really hasn’t changed the way I do things really.

Does feedback (both positive and negative) with fans and critics via social media push you as an artist? How does that aspect affect your art?

BH: I try and be as open to criticism as I can. As long as I feel it’s coming from an intelligent, well thought out place. If it’s seems petty, angry or ignorant then I just dismiss it. Mostly though, people are pretty cool and supportive of my work. It’s those responses that have the biggest influence on me–they encourage me and keep me motivated in those times where I’m questioning my abilities.

In the average comic book criticism or review, artists are typically given a lot less hype than writers are, even though this is a visual medium. Why do you think that is?

BH: I think as the median age of readers has gone up the level of sophistication has as well and readers are demanding that same level of sophistication from their stories. Being focused on story inherently draws the conversation to writing (inversely, it seems whenever someone is talking too much about the art it’s because the story is lacking). We understand that if you like the story then obviously you like the writing. It’s a little harder when you try to take the focus on story and understand how the art affects it. What does the art bring to the story, what is this artist taking away from the telling of the story? A lot of this would be hard to really gauge without seeing the process–the original script, etc. But, honestly, it doesn’t bother me. If we are too lean too far one way or the other I think we’re better off focusing on good writing and good story.

Comics, even with increasing acceptance amongst the mainstream, are still a niche medium. With that in mind, have your friends and family always been supportive of your pursuit of a career in this field?

BH: I’ve been incredibly lucky in this regard. There was never a moment in my life where I wasn’t fully supported by my family–in fact, there have been times early on where I was literally supported by my family while I pursued my dream. There was a brief time in my teens where it was suggested that I might want to have something to “fall back on”. But that sentiment was half-sincere and short-lived.

What would be a dream project for you? Any particular writers you’re dying to work with or titles you’d like to take a stab at? Perhaps a personal project you just want to see come to fruition?

BH: There are only a couple different writers I would want to work with other than Cullen. One is Matt Kindt (Superspy, Three Story) and the other would be Zander Cannon (Replacement God, SMAX). Both are friends and both are really talented writers and storytellers who have sensibilities similar to my own. Obviously, based on our collaborations to date I also plan on working with Cullen again.
I don’t daydream too much about particular titles I’d like to work on. I’d much prefer to do my own projects as long as I can make ends meet. Maybe someday I’d like to scratch that superhero itch–I did grow up on those books–but, in reality, there are just so many cooks in the kitchen and so many competing interests and continuity, blah, blah, blah… I think it wouldn’t be as satisfying as I’d like.

Now, in a dream world, where I have carte blanche, I’d love to do 80’s era X-Men or maybe Silver Surfer.

I actually do have a sort of loose game plan. I have a bookshelf full of three-ring binders, each with a different title on it. Every binder is notes on a different story that I would like to one day tell. My friends have all been encouraging me for years to do one of my own stories. After the Sixth Gun is done, I’d love my next project to be something that I both write and draw. I have several “all ages” stories I’d like to do and I have an epic fantasy story that I’d love to see as a 400+ page graphic novel. Honestly, after Sixth Gun I’d love to only do graphic novels from here on out. I love the long form serialized story but for every year I draw one that’s at least one less story I get to in my life. That said, who knows what the future holds? Cullen and I have a handful of other ideas that would be great as ongoings.

Desert Island question: one book, one album, one film and one comic. What do you take with you?

BH: This is an impossible question! No matter what I take with me I will hate it in two weeks! I’m very fickle. Okay, let’s see… Book: The Stand, by Stephen King. I loved this book when I read it and it has the advantage of being thick. Album: All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone, by Explosions in the Sky. This is some great soaring, yet sweet, instrumental rock. If you’ve ever seen Friday Night Lights, it’s the music from that. It’s great music to listen to while brainstorming stories, chillin’, or going night-night. Comic: The Mighty Thor Omnibus, by Walt Simonson. G.I. Joe got me into comics but it was this legendary run that made me fall in love with comics. A giant influence on me. Plus, it’s so big I might be able to use it for shelter. Or a raft.

Who are your favorite artists working in comics today?

BH: This is a tough question because I’m sure I’ll forget somebody. Most of my favorite artists are also writers as well. And while not all of them may have had something out recently, here is an incomplete list (in no particular order):

Sam Hiti, Death Day; Paul Pope, THB; Christophe Blain, Isaac the Pirate; Bryan O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim; Mike Mignola, Hellboy; Zander Cannon, Replacement God; Matt Kindt, Superspy; Gipi, Garage Band.

Some of my other fave artists right now are Jason Latour, Tyler Crook, Sean Phillips, and Frank Quitely.

And then, of course, there is Guy Davis who can get me to buy any book that he draws.

I know there are several I’ve neglected to mention but I think this is a pretty good summary.

What projects do you have coming up?

BH: Sixth Gun, Sixth Gun, Sixth Gun! This book is keeping me very busy and I look to be booked for the next couple of years! Fingers crossed.