Today we have an interview with the phenomenally talented Christian Ward of The Infinite Vacation and Olympus fame. If you haven’t been reading the former book, you are missing out on some of the most imaginative and exciting art in comics right now. We talk with Christian about everything from how he got into comics, upcoming projects, what it is like to work with Nick Spencer and Image, and a lot more.
Check it out after the jump, and thanks to Christian for chatting with us!
What made you want to pursue comic work?
Christian Ward: The simple and quick answer is I love comics and as young boy to fledgling teenager comics were all I wanted to do. More than that though I love stories and as I discovered painting and design that’s what remained. Stories are what my art have always been about, even as painter in my penniless years following university my work always felt like a snapshot of a bigger narrative. So coming full circle back to comics was always inevitable. It’s great to just tell stories.
What was the process for developing the look of The Infinite Vacation? Was it something you and Nick worked out together, or did you he give you the ideas of the story and you went from there?
CW: It’s funny because I haven’t taken on many projects, as far my comic career goes I’m little more than an infant stumbling around, but in both this and previously with Olympus as soon I read the idea I could just see it. Me and Nick had been trying to line something up for a couple of years and IV was the third thing he approached me with ( he’s previously gone on recorded saying he’d come up with it with me in mind ) and I just knew it was right and knew from the get go how I’d go about doing it. Full of light, colour and life.
The art in the book combines traditional four color comic art (but your unique style of it) mixed with photography. How did that mix come about?
CW: I remember sitting with Nick reading the first pages of the IV and reaching the infomercial part and looking up saying ” Hey, we should make these parts different to the rest.” Nick being Nick had already had the same idea. i think a big part of story telong is the look and style of imagery and i love how we can use that to convey different parts of the story. It always brings to mind the first Robocop film and how that used tv segments to world build. nicks used it great effect to really efficiently build our world. Nick Spencer exciting efficient! It’s exciting to try something new and Kendall Bruns who takes the photographs is doing a great job. It’s been great to see how readers who were resistant to it in issue one come round to it in issue 2 and think that’s testament to both Kendrall and Nick.
With the complex designs to your pages as well as the usage of other mediums within your art (like photography), when combined with your non comic life does this make it difficult for you as an artist in a generally monthly art form?
CW: Not at all. Its about being consistent. I can on average do between 4 to 6 full coloured pages a week. I’ve worked as a commercial illustrator for the last 6 years so that’s got me used to tight deadlines. The use of ‘other mediums’ and ‘complex designs’ aren’t a contrived way of working. If anything they come from a naivety. I simply don’t know any other way to work, everything’s pretty organic and so flows pretty quickly. The time when I’m not drawing when I’m at the day job or out and about I’ll be sketching it all out in my head. Just thinking and thinking. Moving panels here and there and then when I do come down to the paper I rarely sketch out a page more than once or twice before doing the final pencils. One thing I do keep in mind is the timing of my projects, I don’t like to have two things on the go at once, partly because it’s important to retain a work life balance and secondly I need the head space to really think about each project ( I want each comic to have it’s own look, however subtle, and I think I’d find that hard if I had multiples on the go at once ).
Continued belowBoth of your main comic works have been through Image so far. Do you see yourself and your style more befitting creator-owned works, or could you see a future that finds you working on Big Two comics?
CW: I love Image because going back to my first answer Image loves stories. There’s something about that BIG ‘I’ that just says something. i’ m very proud to be published by them. I hope that I have many more comics out through them but there would be a real thrill about taking on the recognisable characters of DC and Marvel. The thought of doing Batman makes me giddy, but i don’t think i’ve met a comic artist who feels any different. I think there’s also this small part of me that would feel like that would be seal of a approval.
Where ever I may end up though (and the ideal would be amid of both) as long as I felt like the stories were worth telling and I was doing it my way then I’d be happy.
Your first major work was Olympus with Nathan Edmondson and now you are working with Nick Spencer. How do their styles compare and contrast in terms of art direction?
CW: I’ve been really lucky so far and perhaps even a little spoilt. it’s been great working with two talented writers who are kind and trusting enough to let me go off and do what I do. they’re both open to me making changes and trying things and any ‘ how about I try this?’ is always met with a ‘go for it!’ I blame Nate, early on he said he loved to be surprised.
One thing I’ve loved with Nick is writing and drawing the book together. It was great being in the room with him writing as I’d draw and layout the pages. It was fantastic way to share ideas and we’d always end up buzzing about the project by the end.
What is the breakdown of your art in terms of pencil/pen art and computer based? Do you like to keep as much of your art in the more tangible paper form or have you embraced digital?
CW: It’s pretty much 50/50. Theres a good dollop of water colour in the colouring but i put it together on a cintiq but before that everything is hand drawn with pencil on paper. I’ve tried the digital drawing route but honestly I miss the paper, the broken lines, the smudges. I love the tension between traditional and digital and I approach both in the same way. I don’t like the art to look to perfect and for me the interest comes from those little mistakes and happy accidents that litter the work. I think my time painting has given me a good foundation to work upon and often the pages I’m most disappointed with are the ones I’ve laboured over.
For myself, I cannot look at Mark and not think of Shaun from Shaun of the Dead. Am I crazy?
CW: Yup your crazy. But your not the only crazie out there.
If not, will he get red on him?
CW: With my slap dash colouring…probably.
What other mediums do you look to outside of comics to influence your art?
CW: Thats a tricky question, although you’d think it wouldn’t be. One thing i do a little consciously is think about a soundtrack to a comic, I’ll listen to music that i feel might suit a story or scene. With Olympus, there were some parts i listened to film scores and we even went as far as getting some friends on board to produce a soundtrack ( a few tracks of which can found online for those wanting to hear them) with IV there’s a little more electronica. I think more than anything it’s a way of getting in the mood of the story, building a strong empathy between me and characters whose story i’m telling. But Influence, in regards to visuals, is a slippery slope and I try to avoid it as much as possible. That’s not to say I’m not influenced, it would be hard not to be, but I try to not do it consciously. It’s hard not to sound pretentious but really it’s just a case of trying to keep the work naturally yours. Everything goes into the melting pot, film, animation, painting, graphic design, even music and what comes out is what comes out. i don’t like to over think it or allow it to be contrived. There are many many artists and story tellers ( comic or otherwise ) out there that I favour over myself, often because they can do things either I can’t do or better than I do, but hopefully warts and all my work is just that, mine.
Continued belowYou’re a London based creator. Do you look to the city you live in for influence in your work?
CW: I love this city and it’s constantly inspiring to live here. I love it’s sense of place, the buildings, it’s history but often my work is far more about having an other worldly feel to it, the solidity of London or any other city doesn’t really enter into it. Having said that, I’ll often look to people. Ill see people who just shout story or character out me. I love the fashion here and that’s certainly something I like to look to. The wardrobe of my characters, in IV in particular, is one I’ve stolen through glances on the street.
Given the artistic nature of the city, does living amongst such a talented enclave of artists drive you to push your art further than you feel it might go otherwise?
CW: Absolutely! Creativity inspires creativity. I don’t know many comic folks at least not here in the UK but Im lucky to have many friends who are in the music industry or who write and it’s a constant buzz to sit and chat with creative minds. Excitement is infectious and often my friends are my first audience and the ones I’ll strive to impress. Swopping comic pages with mp3’s. Chatting over beers about story ideas.
If you could take a trip with Infinite Vacation, which version of Christian Ward would you want to try out for size?
CW: I always give the same answer to this. It’s boring but I wouldn’t. One thing that Mark in our comic doesn’t understand is that we’re the sum of our parts and often it’s the bad parts as well as the good parts that make us. As cheesy as it sounds i wouldn’t want to be any where or anyone that who and where I am now. But if anyone would like to buy me a flight to San Francisco I certainly wouldn’t say no. A holiday would be lovely right now.
With the world of Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media tightening the boundary that exists between artist and creator, feedback on works reaches the creator faster and more consistently than ever. What do you do with this information, and do you find that this is a good thing for artists in general?
CW: I don’t get that much feedback, other than in formal reviews. Certainly not much on twitter ( I think you know you’ve made it when your followed by more people than you follow! ) Feedback is valuable, but your original goals need to be taken into account. I think it’s important to think about what the public wants but you also have to consider who you’re producing the work for. I don’t see there being anything wrong with making comics/art for yourself or it’s own sake but if you do that you have to accept that your audience will be smaller. There always merit in doing those things, but you can’t expect people or all people to like it although of course it’s great if they do. Having said that I think people respond well to work thats pure and for me it’s a balance between being personal and being commercial. I was surprised how many people loved the art on IV, with Olympus it was very love/hate, which i’m honest i’d rather have than indifference. IV is a story that relates to all of us, so i didn’t want to alienate people from it, with that in mind and looking back on the feedback on Olympus I knew it was my story telling I needed to work on. In that regard even the negative feedback was valuable.
Has there ever been anything, whether it was at a convention or in a script or anything, that you simply thought “there is no way I can draw this.”?
CW: Not yet. Although I hate drawing cars and bar scenes and Nate kept putting them in Olympus!
What are the three things you cannot work without?
CW: Music, a big bottle of water and a ridiculous bag of haribo.
Where do you like to work at (I.e. A work station at home or a coffee shop)?
Continued belowCW: When I’m doing my own stuff, as in writing, I love to sit in a local coffee shop. I get most distracted when I’m writing, so I need to be away from the Internet or my comics or films. Art wise it all happens at home. I’d love a studio so I had a sense of going to work rather than working where I eat and sleep ( literally! ) but we’ll see what the future holds. I get very jealous of artist who have studios in shed at the bottom of the garden. That sounds like bliss.
According to Twitter, you are an avid beard supporter. So is Multiversity. What are some of your favorite beards in history?
CW: I love a good cinematic beard. A nice Lebowski or Zissou. Lovely.
After The Infinite Vacation, what might we see down the path from you?
CW: I’ve got a another Image book with a VERY well known writer. This ones going to be a real challenge and my first superhero book, so i can’t wait to get started on that. It’s going to be very dark and sexy! Lots of Capes blowing about and crap lots of leather. Other than that i’m working on first self penned mini series which is a psychedelic pulp thriller about the trappings of fame. Any excuse to splash lots of colour on a page really.
