Interviews 

Artist August: Mike Allred [Interview]

By | August 16th, 2013
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

When putting together names for this year’s Artist August, one of my dream gets was Mike Allred. I never actually thought we could pull it off, but we asked. And we got not just a yes, but a pleasant, enthusiastic and hilarious pal out of the deal. From appearing on The Hour Cosmic, to this interview, to apologizing about the lack of visuals he could provide us (because his gear was STOLEN), we never would have imagined how over our cups would run with Allred goodness.

There are few artists out there whose work has as much energy and joy embedded within in than yours, Mike. Whenever I read an Allred book, I imagine you grinning ear to ear while drawing it. Don’t crush my hopes, Mike – tell me, what makes drawing comics so awesome?

Mike Allred: I appreciate that. I’ve been drawing comics for fun pretty much my whole life, and to actually get paid to do it is a blessing that is not lost on me. I’d be a fool to take it for granted. There are a lot of fun opportunities open to me, but nothing beats making comic books. It’s the greatest medium! Words and pictures combine with limitless ways to tell a story.

You seem like a guy who digests pop culture at a furious pace, and all those influences then bleed out into your work. What medium, besides comics, most influences your work?

MA: It’s a pretty equal spread between music and movies. There is an actual beat or rhythym in a comic book story– the way it’s laid out and what you choose to fill a panel. And then movies–how you feel the frame and the way it’s lit–the mood. Lately I’be been indulging in a lot of nifty TV shows past and present. I can’t say one influences me more ethan another. I find art and inspiration in pretty much all of it.

What is your go-to drawing music? Is there a particular genre or artist that makes for the perfect soundtrack to comics creation?

MA: David Bowie’s music inspires an incredible amount of imagery. Pink Floyd too. Lately Radiohead, Roxy Music, Mott the Hoople, MGMT, Grizzly Bear, Dandy Warhols, Daft Punk, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles have been swirling around my head.

You’ve been making comics starring Madman for roughly twenty years now – what was the original impetus behind its creation?

MA: I was doing very esoteric work, and my kids would have their friends over and they just didn’t get what I was doing. So I got very lit up about the idea of creating a costumed adventurer that dealt with existentialism but also had crazy cool adventures my favorite comics when I was a kid. And it worked . My kids and their friends really dug Madman, but it was also intellectually stimulating for my grown up self as well.

What is it about that character that makes him so engaging to write and draw, even 20 years on? Would you say that Madman is your favorite character to work with?

MA: Pretty much. It took me 20 years to realize it, or even admit it it, but Frank Einstein is pretty much me. My ultimate outlet. It’s great knowing I can always spill anything I want through my “Madman Universe”, but right now I’m having the best time playing with all my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe.

Like, I would presume, many fans of my age, I first became aware of Madman, and your work in general, through your cameo in Chasing Amy. What was the experience of creating [fake] comics with Kevin Smith like? Did you enjoy your time in my beloved Garden State?

MA: That was a blast! To this day, I run into people that were exposed to my stuff through Kevin’s flicks. You just never know what’s going to take off.

Continued below

You’ve drawn a ton of covers throughout your career, and it must be a different beast entirely than doing interiors for a book. What are some of the challenges and joys of doing covers, and how does your process change when doing a cover versus being the interior artist?

MA: It is a definite shift. With a cover I can let my mind wander and search for an iconic image. With the interiors it’s all about the storytelling. It’s a different discipline entirely. Folks are used to a cover not be completely literal, whereas inside the book you have to be the story first. Some wonky layout may be fun to play with, but if the story will suffer because of it, you have to those urges aside.

With “FF,” you’ve now drawn two Marvel books about the weirdo cousin of a flagship title. Beyond the obvious, what are the similarities between drawing “X-Statix” and “FF?”

MA: Both are written by great friends who also happen to be brilliant writers. And both are incredibly fun to draw as well as books I’ve be a big fan of even if I weren’t drawing it.

One of our favorite scenes of recent memory was the She-Hulk/Wyatt Wingfoot dance sequence. Although you don’t really need to make them dance, there seems to be some great choreography present in scenes like this, and the illusion of rhythm is present. Is arranging a scene much different than drawing a fight sequence or even a seated conversation? Is it because I can’t really dance that I’m intrigued by illustrated dance?

MA: It’s a all the same really. Clarity must come first. You have to make it very clear to the reader what is happening and why. The dance sequence stands out because it’s a break or shift from classic panel to pale story telling. It’s an opportunity to throw a cool design in there without scarf icing the clarity of the story.

What character in “FF” is your favorite to draw on a monthly basis? Is there anyone that particularly stands out as a challenge to get right?

MA: I’m surprised how much I love drawing She-Hulk or “SHULK”, as we like to call her. I’ve always been nuts about Medusa and Ant-Man, and now Jen is right up there. I love her big time!

A script arrives for the next issue of “FF” – now what? How does your process start? Would you mind taking us through each step so that we can see how the magic happens?

MA: Wow! That’s not asking much. It’s pretty simple actually. First, it’s like open a present on Christmas. Always exciting to see what’s inside the next script. First I just lay back and read it just for fun and let the imagery flow in my head. Then I will quickly read it again, but this time I’ll draw fast little thumbnail drawing right on the script pages go each panel. Kind of a short hand of how I think the compositions should lay out out. Then I go back again and draw thumbnails of how each page should be laid out. At this point it’s pretty clear in my head how it should be drawn and I just go to it. Once I have tight pencils I send them to Matt and my editors Tom and Jacob. If all is cool I whip out my brush and ink and start inking everything up. Then Laura scans them as I finsh each page and she brings them to life with her magical coloring skills.

You are doing the covers for DC’s “Batman ‘66” digital comic. Were you a fan of the show as a kid, and what has the experience drawing those iterations of those characters been like so far?

MA: I caught the TV show in reruns after school every weekday. There’d be a great block of shows that I’d run home for: Star Trek, The Monkees, Twilight Zone, etc. There was a lot of cool stuff that hit stores from Batman-mania that Dad and Mom would get for us, so it was always I source of excitement and great joy. When I was asked to do an issue of DC Solo I immediately got together with my big brother, Lee to do or Batman love letter, BATMAN A Go-Go. I think it was because of that that I was thought of for Batman ’66. I can’t believe how lucky I am. I pretty much making a living fulfilling all my childhood dreams.

Continued below

Is there a character that you’re particularly itching to draw one day? Who is your white whale?

MA: I can’t say. Because it’s what I’m doing next following my run on FF, and I’m sworn to secrecy.


//TAGS | Artist August

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

EMAIL | ARTICLES


  • Columns
    Artist August: Evan “Doc” Shaner [Art Feature]

    By | Aug 31, 2014 | Columns

    Today brings Artist August to a close, and what better way to do that than with “Flash Gordon” artist Evan “Doc” Shaner. Long someone that every artist has fawned over for his clean, powerful art with a pitch perfect ability for delivering a story, with his work on “Flash Gordon” we’ve found an artist find […]

    MORE »
    Columns
    Artist August: Tom Scioli [Art Feature]

    By | Aug 30, 2014 | Columns

    Full disclosure: I had another artist slated for this spot up until quite recently. I went with a pick that I felt was an important artist in the history of comics, and was excited to spotlight their work. However, when I started collecting pieces, I felt nothing. The work, while incredible, didn’t resonate with me […]

    MORE »
    Columns
    Artist August: Liz Prince [Art Feature]

    By | Aug 29, 2014 | Columns

    Liz Prince’s comics are exactly the type of comics I want to see more of in the world. Her work lies somewhere between the self-reflection of Jeffery Brown and the raucous energy of James Kochalka, examining herself and her surroundings through the lens of a humorist. Her comics are easily digestible while simultaneously impactful and thought provoking, […]

    MORE »

    -->