Welcome once again. It's CBC EIC again, Frankie Rodriguez with a brand new interview with Captain America upcoming artist, Patrick Zircher.
1. You recently finished doing art for Hulk's Hulk of Arabia with Jeff Parker in Marvel. How did you like the project and how was it working with Jeff Parker?
Working with Jeff is a great experience. He's terrifically talented and capable of weaving stories together out of any number of ideas. He's also open to including characters that the artist would like to draw. That's fun for an artist and really appreciated.
2. You also did the recent Secret Avengers #21.1 issue, dealing with Captain America and Hawkeye. How did it feel to come back to drawing Hawkeye? How did you feel about the issue itself?
Coming back to drawing Hawkeye felt fresh, fun, with his new look being a part of it. Old Hawkeye fans are going to shoot me full of arrows but I'm a big fan of Hawkeye's current costume-- more so than his old one. The issue turned out nicely, but, as is the case with some one-shots, it could have used a little more space to tell its story.
3. As an artist, do you feel connected to the characters you draw again for a lengthy amount of time or does your excitement on your work depends on the story and what you can do with it?
Drawing the first issue is always exciting. That's about a month's work. After that, well you can only psyche yourself up so much-- whether the excitement remains high is very much dependent on the quality of the script and plotting. I try to feel connected to all the characters so that the 'acting', the expression and mood in the art, is as good as it can be.
4. What made you want to become an artist?
A hatred of alarm clocks. I needed a job that didn't require one. Really though, I've been drawing since I was a kid and-- this part is important-- received enough encouragement that I never stopped. I always wanted to be an artist.
5. For readers who don't know, you started out doing art for table top RPGs. What made you decide to go from that to comics?
I spent my lunch money buying comics instead of eating and was a diehard comics fan by the time I was 8 or 9. Drawing comics was always a dream for me. In high school, I played D&D and just about all the other RPGs that were out. At that time, the art for these games was such that, young as I was, I was able to get work published in them. As I improved, comics work became available.
6. You've done a lot of work over the years. How do you feel that your style has evolved in terms of sequential storytelling?
This sounds arrogant but, even now, I'm a better artist than I was last year and expect I'll improve going forward. I've never wanted to settle on a 'fixed' way of drawing things so my work has evolved-- and, hopefully, always will. When I'm not drawing, I'm usually immersed in one book of art or another.
7. I was first introduced to your work during your stint on New Warriors back in the 90s and it seems you have done a lot more Marvel work than other companies. Do you have a particular affinity with the Marvel Universe? What do you believe is what connects you so well to drawing so much of the Marvel Universe?
Part of that connection to Marvel was the exclusive. I just finished an exclusive, that with extensions, was for 5 and a half years-- but it's more than that. Marvel has given me an opportunity to draw books I have a vested interest in. Iron Man, Terror, Inc., Thor, Mystery Men, Hulk, and Captain America were all titles I wanted to draw, not just 'assignments'. That willingness to work together to find the right project is special.
8. Who are some of your artistic influences?
There's been so many; all the great Silver Age comic artists, and later, horror book illustrators, manga artists, foreign artists, early 20th century illustrators; even if their styles were disparate. In the long run, the influences boil down and you find your own way.
9. You have worked with a slew of creators and characters over the years. Who are some of the creator's that you have yet to work with that you would love to? What are some of the titles and/or characters you would love to work on in the future?
I'm an artist so writers come to mind, vets who really know their craft and exciting young writers who are influenced by them. I can't possibly list them without missing someone I'd love to work with. Characters are not as much a consideration in what I'd like to do as strength of writing. A lot of comic characters are a kind of tabula rasa, aside from a few constants, they're blank slates on which to tell your version. In other words, it's not the character, it's the characterization; it's what you do with it.
10. So what is next for you? Can you tell us or give us a hint? Any of it creator owned like your Samurai 7 work?
First, I can't believe you remember Samurai 7. Thanks. Next out will be an arc of Captain America with writer Ed Brubaker. I'm really taken with drawing again and find myself wanting to work every single day-- so I'm making a lot of comics. I'm freelance in the truer sense of the term again so, in addition to Marvel, I'll be doing work for other companies, things I'm very excited about. But I'm always hungry for more, another slow-building, 'back-burner' project-- just so I can do what I love every day.
11. Finally, Anything you want to say to any potential artists? Any advice or final words to our readers you would like to give?
Best of luck to all of you, it can be a really enjoyable way to make a living-- but get into a relationship or keep the ones you have. You'll work alone, long hours, and you don't want to find yourself talking to the dog all day.
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