Interviews 

Artist August: Peter Snejbjerg [Interview]

By | August 23rd, 2013
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

My favorite comic of all time is “Starman,” the DC title written by James Robinson. At just about the 2/3 mark, the co-creator of the character, Tony Harris, left the book, handing the reigns to Peter Snejbjerg. That was when Snejbjerg first came to my attention, and ever since he has been one of my favorite artists working on comics. He rarely tackles any project as long as he did for “Starman,” where he did 30+ issues, but instead pops up here and there to do his inimitable work for a few issues, or one graphic novel, at a time. He was kind enough to talk to me about his process, his choice of work and, most importantly, his choice of beer.

Being from Denmark, what type of comics did you get at a young age? Forgive my ignorance, was/is there a large Danish comic scene?

Entirely forgiven. It’s a small country, population about 5 million, so the comics scene is small but vibrant. Luckily, when I was growing up we had some great publishers translating decades worth of French and American comics, so that was a great time. The first comics to really catch on with me were Tintin and Carl Barks’ Duck stories. Still classics.

You took over “Starman” after 50 issues by Tony Harris, the character’s co-creator, who set a distinct visual style for the series. When you came aboard, was there pressure to keep the tone that Tony had set, or were you more interested in carving out a new spot for yourself? I have to say that the change took a few issues for me to get used to, but I came to cherish each of your runs as something very different.

No, everyone was very much, just do your thing. I was trying to survive!

Since “Starman,” you’ve done shorter runs on books, original graphic novels and minis – is part of that due to your personal preference? Or, if it was up to you, would you do a longer run on something? What is your ideal length for a project?

Doing a monthly comic is a killer, especially if you don’t work with an inker. Nowadays I find I have my fingers it too many pies to do that sort of commitment. For longer projects I’d prefer the graphic novel format.

Frequently, you’ve been the guests artist, popping in on a series for a few issues before moving on to a new project. What is the mindset like when you know you’re only doing a few issues of a series? Does that affect the way you approach the job?

I’d like to believe that I always try to understand what the book is about, what the original creators have in mind, and then sort of play off against that. It can be a very rewarding experience.

Exclusive Process Work for the Light Brigade Reprint Cover

You’ve done a lot of work on the Vertigo label – what is it that attracts you to those sort of stories? How does drawing something for Vertigo, or for B.P.R.D., differ from doing more straightforward superhero work?

Actually, there is nothing straightforward about superheroes. Not to me, anyway. I probably never drew anyone wearing a cape till I was well over thirty. Superheroes are odd. The Vertigo and BPRD stuff seems much more grounded in reality, at least psychological reality.

How much of your process is still traditional pencil, paper and ink? Have you incorporated much digital technique into your work?

Right now I’m all digital.

I see that you’ve done a great deal of European comics work which, sadly, we here in the States rarely get to see, either due to distribution issues or a language barrier. What are some of the differences in European versus American comics, and what is a European comic you can recommend to our readers?
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Well, the European album format is larger and more expensive, so readers expect more story pr page, I guess. As for recommendations, well, European comics meaning French comics, sadly I am no more knowledgeable since I don’t speak French either! But there’s a ton of beautiful stuf. I’d say go hunt down those translations that do get made.

Is there a character that you’ve always wanted to work on that you haven’t been able to draw yet? Who would you love to take a run at?

Not wanting to sound like a snob or anything, but to me its really all about the writing and the art. I just want to do good comics. You can’t separate a character from it’s creators, it’s a whole.

Who are some of the artists that you are really enjoying today? Any up and comers that really deserve our attention?

Tons. Keep an eye out for the independents. And anything John Arcudi does, John is a real chicken hawk when it comes to picking out promising new talent.

This isn’t comics related at all, but I see on your website that you designed a beer label for Beer Dog, an American style lager. What is your go-to beer?

I have a great fondnes for American ales. I was just in New York recently, walked down into a local grocery story and there was a six pack of Calico Amber Ale just waiting for me, a beer I tasted 9 years ago and hadn’t been able to forget. Perfection!


//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).

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