Today on Artist August, we have one of my favorite up-and-coming artists in Mitch Gerads. You can see his art every month in The Activity, including his spectacular covers that make regular appearances in our Got You Covered column. We chat with Mitch about tackling the realism in The Activity, the look of his covers, the importance of social media to his career, and much, much more. Thanks to Mitch for talking with us, and make sure to check out The Activity.
Can you look back on your life and recall the single moment or work that made you want to work in comics? Or was it more of a natural progression that led you here?
M!: I don’t know if there was an exact moment but I know it was when I was very young. I would hide in my brother Greg’s closet and scan his NEXUS comics over and over when he wasn’t home. I was too young to read them, let alone understand them, but I do distinctly remember Steve Rude’s art in those books telling me I wanted to do something creative with my life.
Who or what has influenced the development of your art the most?
M!: Twitter. Haha, or more specifically, all my friends I have made in the business over Twitter, at conventions, etc. Being in contact with other creatives in your field, I’ve noticed, has influenced how I approach my art and ultimately how my style continues to develop.
As someone who is pretty active online, on Twitter and other social media as well as your own site, does feedback (both positive and negative) with other artists, fans and critics online push you as an artist? How does that aspect affect your art?
M!: Dammit, I think I answered this question too soon. I’m very pro social media. It’s put me in contact with people that have been instrumental in my life both professionally and personally. Anyone trying to break into the industry, or even those trying to stay in it, that have taken a stance against social media is doing it wrong.
So far, your work has been entirely for smaller publishers. From what I could tell, you’ve done no Big Two work yet. Is that a deliberate choice, or just how things have shaken out so far?
M!: I haven’t done any work for the big two yet, but I used to illustrate General Mills cereal boxes and they move more units than the big two combined. 😉
Opportunities of that nature have come up and I am very open to them, but The ACTIVITY is truly a dream project and scheduling on that title is very important to me. I do continue to do work for Image, IDW, BOOM!, and others.
For you as a creator, what is it that appealed to you about The Activity from day one?
M!: I’m a big study of military thrillers, military non-fiction, etc. I’ve always been fascinated by these real life superheroes and the things they do in the name of honor and country. The more Nathan and I talked the more I realized how much of a perfect storm this book was going to be for both of us.
Obviously, I’m a fan of your covers. I’m curious — how did you develop the design for The Activity in the beginning? I love the blend of graphic art of with the more traditional comic art, and it’s something you don’t really see very often in covers. It makes every issue stand out all the more while unifying the book around that central, repeated concept.
M!: I went to school for my BFA in graphic design and worked in the design field for 5 years before I started in comics illustration so proper graphic design is very important to me. From the get go I wanted The ACTIVITY to look different than everything else on the shelf because the book itself is different than anything else on the shelf.
One of the things that I’ve been most intrigued by in terms of The Activity is how strong the response has been from military — even having the most recent issue be co-written by active Navy SEALs. I’ve read in a number of places that they feel The Activity captures the concepts you tackle very well. As an artist on a project like this, how great is that? What kind of research do you put in as you work on this book?
Continued belowM!: Hands down the best part of working on this book! When you’re sitting at a convention and an unassuming guy comes up and asks to shake your hand because he’s an enlisted special forces soldier and he wants to thank YOU for doing the details right, well there’s almost no better feeling.
As for research, I just immerse myself in the world by reading books, asking one of our many military contacts, etc. If Nathan writes, “Switchfoot peers around the corner, his M4 at the ready.” I don’t just draw that. I go out and I figure out how exactly a man like this is trained to scan a corner in a field situation. It’s just so much cooler that way!
I like how, even though you’re busy on The Activity, you still find time to work on something like coloring the short story from Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener in Archaia’s Cow Boy. Personally, I was a huge fan of that book. How was it you got roped into that project, and for you, is it of interest to you to keep inking/coloring projects like this on occasion?
M!: Ha, “roped.” That little gig came about from making nice nice with Cow Boy editor, Nate Cosby, back in the day. Again the glory of Twitter. I love taking on little projects whenever I can fit it into the schedule. Most recently I’ve got an 11-page story coming up at the end of August with the Doctor WHO 2012 Annual from IDW. I also continue to do other commercial design/illustration projects alongside my comic work.
You’re a Comic Twart guy — one of the most awesome art blogs online, even if it is looking to reformat soon. Do you feel like regularly posting your art to that community with all of those other artists pushed you to get better? Did you take a great piece from, say, Chris Samnee and say, “wow, that is awesome. That makes me want to kick ass even more” ever?
M!: How could you not? I credit ComicTWART with being one of, if not “the”, biggest factor in my comics career. Not sure if everyone has caught on, but TWART = Twitter + Art. See, that pesky Twitter keeps popping up!
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?
M!: I swear this isn’t a product of the marketing machine, but The ACTIVITY is my dream project. How I was able to latch onto it so early in my comics career I don’t know, but I did and am loving it. Of course I would love to tackle a fill-in of Waid’s Daredevil or more Doctor WHO. My biggest “big two” dream project is an idea I’ve been monkeying with for a long time now that would be the ultimate Riddler caper. I’m real excited about pitching that sometime.
Desert Island question: one book, one album, one film and one comic. What do you take with you?
M!: Book: Bill Bryson’s “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A memoir”
Album: Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”
Film: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Comic: Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s The ULTIMATES omnibus.
Who are your favorite artists working in comics today?
M!: In no particular order and missing so many: Daniel Acuna, John Paul Leon, Tommy Lee Edwards, Stuart Immonen, Tonci Zonjic, Ryan Sook, Paul Azaceta, Chris Samnee, Tom Fowler, Mitch Breitweiser, Bettie Breitweiser, Jordie Bellaire, Evan Shaner, Andrew Robinson, Nic Klein, Sean Murphy, Steve Rude, the list (–and my pull list) goes on…
Besides more of The Activity, what projects do you have coming up? Could we see more Pop Gun Pulp action in the future?
M!: Right now, aside from The ACTIVITY, all I’ve got on my plate is a 11 page story with Tony Lee in the upcoming Doctor WHO 2012 Annual from IDW. It’s hard to take on too many side projects when your main project is a monthly book that you pencil, ink, and color!
As for more Popgunpulp? Self-publishing is for the birds! But we will be seeing more JOHNNY RECON in the future. Sometime.
