Comic Artist

Name: Niko Walter

Website: Twitter

Favorite Comic Book Character Growing Up: Spider-Man

Favorite Comic Book Character Now: Hellboy

Latest Work: (Title/Publisher/Release Date) Gasolina/Skybound/Monthly

TrunkSpace: How would you describe your art style?
Walter: Heavy. Lots of shadow. Fairly stiff. Male. Somber. Straightforward.

TrunkSpace: How important were comic books in your life growing up and is that where you discovered your love and inspiration for drawing?
Walter: I had the great fortune growing up that my parents were protective of what they let into our home. Computers, internet, video games, television and movies came late in life, relative not just to kids today but to most of my peers at the time. As a result, when I got my first issue of Ditko/Lee Spider-Man as a child, it was the most visually exciting thing I’d seen outside Disney animation, only it wasn’t weighed down with lame musical numbers or boring romance. It was great. I read that book until it fell to tatters and then got some more. Drawing came later when I met my buddy Andy in middle school. He was a doodler. Always scribbling in class on the back of tests, notebooks and the like. He was a comics guy too. One afternoon, bored, we got out some “Spawn” trades and tried our best to copy the splash pages. Great memory. There are a hundred small moments like it that pushed me towards comics but that was the moment I realized I enjoyed drawing.

TrunkSpace: Was there a particular artist or title from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
Walter: I went through phases. As a kid it was the character that counted. Spider-Man loomed large. Approaching my teen years the artist started to become priority. I was big on Todd McFarlane and by extension Greg Capullo. Some Jim Lee and the Kubert brothers mixed in as well. In high school I was looking for concept so I was going through guys like Frank Miller, Warren Ellis and Alan Moore. When the “Hellboy” movie was coming out I came across Mike Mignola for the first time – promo poster or something – just a profile of Hellboy’s face. Blew away everything I had seen up to that point. Still my favorite artist. I don’t much talk about comics anymore and it’s rare I think back on reading them as a kid but it certainly strikes me at this moment just how much I enjoyed those comics growing up

TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career in comics? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
Walter: Mostly it was just years of grinding away to get to that point where you look down at something you’ve drawn and it isn’t the worst thing you’ve ever seen. Once I got to that point I wanted to find out what other people thought about it. I figured tried and true: take a portfolio to conventions and talk to editors. It worked. There were some premature efforts before that. I mailed in some samples and pitches. Went nowhere. Had a few writers contact me online and did some work with them that resulted in the same thing – though much of that was on me.

TrunkSpace: What was your biggest break in terms of a job that opened more doors for you?
Walter: I went to a convention and showed my portfolio to Sean Mackiewicz. He saw some potential there and shortly after offered me a job. That first job was raw but he stuck by me and after offered me more work. I’m grateful to him for that.

TrunkSpace: A lot of people say that breaking into comics is the hardest part of working in comics. How long did it take you before you started to see your comic book dreams become a reality?
Walter: I decided to draw comics when I was a senior in high school. Got my first real gig at 27. Almost 10 years. Now that I’ve gotten in, the dream has shifted. Now I’m dreaming of doing it well. Could take a lifetime.

TrunkSpace: Is there a particular character or universe you always find yourself returning to when you’re sketching or doing warm-ups?
Walter: I vacillate between characters I enjoy drawing and drawing things I suck at and look to improve. Former is mostly characters I know and grew up on and the latter is everything else, but especially women.

TrunkSpace: Is there a specific title or character that you’d like to work on in the future and why?
Walter: Could be but I’ve got an issue here. Take the Punisher. Great character. Skulls, guns and an opportunity to drape everything in shadows. Great stuff. Would fit with what I would like to do if I could do what I imagined. Trouble is, Parlov has drawn Punisher. And Zaffino for that matter. For me it’s best to avoid hoping for a specific existing title and if I get something, try to do it better than the last thing I did.

TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your career in comics? Where would you like your path to lead?
Walter: I’ve got an idea for a book of my own. I’ve got a character, the world that surrounds him and the makings of a plot. Filled with things I like and like drawing and very little of what I don’t. That’s the ticket. One of these days I’ll strike out and give it a shot. Other than that, if something comes my way, chances are I’m game.

TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength as an artist?
Walter: Comic art appealed to me in part because it so often lacks mystery. It’s simple, it pops and everyone can understand it. It’s attainable. I can look at a Caravaggio or Bernini all day long but I can’t make heads or tails of it. I mean how it was accomplished. I know that there were brushes and paint or stone and chisel but the rest might as well be a miracle. With a lot of comics, it’s lines on paper. I can see how it was made… even as a kid. I doubt anyone will be lining up in 400 years to look, awestruck and humbled, at pages from “ROM Spaceknight,” but there were thousands of kids who, for 30 minutes a month, looked wide eyed at that chrome robot and stepped outside their lives. Not bad. Of course, many of those kids are now adults who worship mans mastery of science and have forgotten all about mystery and miracles. Not sure how that balances out.

TrunkSpace: How has technology changed your process of putting ideas/script to page? Do you use the classic paper/pencil approach at all anymore?
Walter: I’m almost always working in Photoshop. Been attempting to get back to doing traditional ink on paper but I have gotten so accustomed to working digitally that it’s rough going. I know how to get the results I want digitally but can’t seem to get the same lines out of a brush. From the other side, it makes no nevermind to me at all. So long as I like the result I don’t care how the artist did it or by what method.

TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring artist who is considering a career in the comic industry?
Walter: Difficult question. Things are moving pretty fast lately but I’ll say this – people today have a great desire for entertainment. If you stick with it and commit you might make it. Be practical. Think about pay, benefits, how much (and for how long) you will have to put in to get something out. Be aware of where you stack up. Plenty of people out there with a dream incapable of seeing their work objectively, people who may avoid heartbreak with honesty. Consider your motives and excise rationalizations if possible. Other than that, keep at it and good luck.

TrunkSpace: Making appearances at conventions: Love it, leave it, or a combination of both?
Walter: I’ve yet to do it. I may attend one to see what it’s like from the other side of the table but I went to a few conventions when I was looking to break in and I found it in no way to my liking.

TrunkSpace: What is the craziest/oddest thing you’ve ever been asked to draw as a commission?
Walter: Nothing yet. So far, fairly straightforward commissions.

TrunkSpace: What else can fans of your work look forward to in 2019?
Walter: “Gasolina” will still be coming out. I’ll post sketches regularly. If I have the time I might try my hand at something of my own. Other than that, it’s up in the air.

Name: Thomas Nachlik

Website: For my portfolio, here. For (almost) daily art snippets, here.

Favorite Comic Book Character Growing Up: All DC characters, but mostly Batman.

Favorite Comic Book Character Now: None. I rarely read comic books because of the main character, now almost exclusively because of the artist.

Latest Work: (Title/Publisher/Release Date) “The Beauty”/Image Comics/Ongoing.

TrunkSpace: How would you describe your art style?
Nachlik: Highly ADHD influenced digital, constantly flowing post realism.

TrunkSpace: How important were comic books in your life growing up and is that where you discovered your love and inspiration for drawing?
Nachlik: Extremely important. From the moment I got my hands on my first comic book I started drawing like a maniac. Luckily in Poland, where I spent the first 13 years of my life, comic books were extremely popular, and stylistically the local comic book scene wasn’t too far away from American mainstream. So after a friend gave me my first Batman book to read, I already felt at home. That friend recommended to me as well to visit DMG Entertainment on Facebook where they sell comics that I might like, I’m always up for new ways of getting comics!

TrunkSpace: Was there a particular artist or title from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
Nachlik: In the beginning, Polish titles and artists were my main inspiration, “Thorgal”/Rosi?ki to name one title/artist combo. Later, Jim Aparo and “Batman and the Outsiders.”

TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career in comics? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
Nachlik: Building up a strong portfolio and putting all my money and hopes into connecting with American comic book publishers and illustrators (I live in Germany now, btw) was my only one, and I think IS the most effective plan.

TrunkSpace: What was your biggest break in terms of a job that opened more doors for you?
Nachlik: Definitely visiting my first American con, Wizard World Chicago 2007. I met Filip Sablik, at this time the Top Cow marketing guy who is now publisher at BOOM! Studios. He liked my portfolio, and we both found out that we were born only a few miles away in the south of Poland. A few months later I got my first gig at Top Cow.

TrunkSpace: A lot of people say that breaking into comics is the hardest part of working in comics. How long did it take you before you started to see your comic book dreams become a reality?
Nachlik: Purely mathematically speaking, I started working on my first comic portfolio back in 1991 and got published for the first time in 2006/07, so roughly 15 years from the moment I started to actively pursue a career in comics, to a toe (definitely not foot) in the door. On the other hand, I don’t think I’m nearly at the point where all my comic book dreams have become reality, but drawing a series at Image is a gigantic step in the right direction.

TrunkSpace: Is there a particular character or universe you always find yourself returning to when you’re sketching or doing warm-ups?
Nachlik: It’s not a character or universe, it’s always “ink heavy” artists like John Paul Leon, Jae Lee or Tomm Cocker, to name a few, who I draw inspiration from when sketching. I’m rarely a fan of stories and characters – always a fan of art, style and storytelling.

TrunkSpace: Is there a specific title or character that you’d like to work on in the future and why?
Nachlik: I’d do whatever the opportunity throws at me. I consider myself a classic comic book illustrator, there’s nothing I wouldn’t like to draw or any particular genre/character I’d like to work on.

TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your career in comics? Where would you like your path to lead?
Nachlik: Spending my days drawing comic books is my ultimate dream, so I’m living my dream already.

TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength as an artist?
Nachlik: Handling criticism is number one, followed by improving constantly.

TrunkSpace: How has technology changed your process of putting ideas/script to page? Do you use the classic paper/pencil approach at all anymore?
Nachlik: 99.9 percent of my work is digital – the only pages I draw on paper are covers, maybe splash pages and nudity, because sex sells. (Laughter) For my backgrounds, I use high quality 3D models I mostly buy, but also build or rearrange from my extensive 3D model library. Producing fast while maintaining quality is the most important aspect of comic book illustration. Technology made my work faster and more accurate, allowing me to work 8 to 10 hours a day, instead of 12 to 14 hours. This being said, I still love sketching on paper, trying out new techniques, pens, brushes and markers.

TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring artist who is considering a career in the comic industry?
Nachlik: Draw from reality and develop your own style. Don’t become an artist, become an illustrator. Remember that speed is an important part of comic book illustration, which also is a business. In order to sell you have to please a crowd. Educate yourself constantly. Never give up.

TrunkSpace: Making appearances at conventions: Love it, leave it, or a combination of both?
Nachlik: 70 percent leave it, 30 percent a little bit of both. I don’t do well in crowds and I’m not a fan of live drawing. I’m practicing at my local Starbucks to draw in front of people without freaking out, but I’m not there yet. Connecting with fans and signing books, mostly at my home, is not a problem. (Laughter)

TrunkSpace: What is the craziest/oddest thing you’ve ever been asked to draw as a commission?
Nachlik: No commission is crazy or odd.

TrunkSpace: What else can fans of your work look forward to in 2018?
Nachlik: More work on “The Beauty.” I’m finishing the fourth arc as we speak.

Name: Ian McGinty

Website/Socials:
www.ianmcginty.com
Twitter: @ianmcginty
Instagram: @ianmcginty

Favorite Comic Book Character Growing Up: For superheroes? Swamp Thing, hands down. Especially the Alan Moore run. However, I can’t rule out Calvin from “Calvin and Hobbes,” a character I wished I could become and still do.

Favorite Comic Book Character Now: It’s still Calvin, but I did recently go back and re-read “We3,” and my new favorite could be that grenade rabbit.

Latest Work: (Title/Publisher/Release Date) “Rocko’s Modern Life” Issues 1-4/kaBoom!/2018. I’ve been working at Nickelodeon on the upcoming “Invader Zim” movie as well, plus “GLINT” with Lion Forge out next year, and tons of “Adventure Time” books.

TrunkSpace: How would you describe your art style?
McGinty: Hm, that’s tough. I guess I’d have to say my art style combines cutesy cartoony with dark and goth layers when needed. I tend to go between soft circles and big eyes, to a ton of lines and shadows. So like, H.R. Giger meets Sonic the Hedgehog.

TrunkSpace: How important were comic books in your life growing up and is that where you discovered your love and inspiration for drawing?
McGinty: Comic books weren’t huge early in my life simply because we didn’t have one close in town, and the ones I did run into weren’t the well-lit, well-stocked and diverse places they are now. They could be pretty scary and almost none of them stocked “all-ages” comics or manga or whatever, so I turned to newspaper comics and later on got into zines and stuff like that. I’ve been collecting “Swamp Thing” issues for a long time now and I always snag cool graphic novels and collections.

TrunkSpace: Was there a particular artist or title from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
McGinty: He won’t see this I think, but my current boss, Jhonen Vasquez was a big one later on, but for me, it will always be Bill Watterson. Watterson’s art and humor was extremely influential to me as a kid and still is.

TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career in comics? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
McGinty: I didn’t really know that comics were a viable career for a long time, to be honest. I’ve been drawing them since I was a kid, but didn’t really get you could actually do it for a living until after high school when I was designing merchandise for my terrible, terrible band. I started researching colleges once I realized I wasn’t going to be a rock star, and I found a school in Savannah, Georgia that specialized in sequential art (comics, animation, etc), and I pretty much started getting gigs from there. It was all very natural and I was very lucky.

TrunkSpace: What was your biggest break in terms of a job that opened more doors for you?
McGinty: Oh, definitely from Whitney Leopard, Associate Editor over at Boom! Studios. She got me some cover work that eventually led to my first lead artist job on “Adventure Time.” She is cool as heck, and still regularly hires me (which makes her even cooler).

TrunkSpace: A lot of people say that breaking into comics is the hardest part of working in comics.
How long did it take you before you started to see your comic book dreams become a reality?
McGinty: I actually started getting work pretty early on in my career, I think partly because of luck and my own comics, but also because I got known for being able to match style guides for licensed properties, like “Bravest Warriors,” “Hello Kitty” and “Rocko’s Modern Life.” I also work very, very hard, probably too hard, but it’s all really worth it.

TrunkSpace: Is there a particular character or universe you always find yourself returning to when you’re sketching or doing warm-ups?
McGinty: Totally. My character Kit from “Welcome to Showside,” I’m just very used to drawing him, and I enjoy practicing with Catbug from “Bravest Warriors” just cause he’s so darn cute!

TrunkSpace: Is there a specific title or character that you’d like to work on in the future and why?
McGinty: I’ve been trying to get a “Clone High” (from the MTV show) comic off the ground for a while, so that’s one for sure. And we’re working hard to develop “Welcome to Showside” into an animated series. But I’d really love to do a run on “Swamp Thing,” hell, any kind of cartoony take on Spider-Man would be rad. Love that guy.

TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your career in comics? Where would you like your path to lead?
McGinty: For me it’s simply having my own series that people enjoy, and my path is leading me into more animation stuff. A big goal for me is to create my own television show that intertwines with a comic series, sort of how you’ve got these great animated programs now that get awesome comic spinoffs, like “Rick and Morty,” “Bob’s Burgers,” Sonic, “Adventure Time.” You get the idea.

TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength as an artist?
McGinty: Versatility and speed. I like being able to jump back and forth between styles, and being fast has helped in a lot of ways. I’ve found that it makes your relationship with editors and producers much more pleasant, to say the least.

TrunkSpace: How has technology changed your process of putting ideas/script to page? Do you use the classic paper/pencil approach at all anymore?
McGinty: I work completely digitally now, but it’s pretty recent. It makes things a lot easier when sending pages to print, and it’s fast. Not to mention, you can get digital brushes that are indistinguishable from natural ones (at least to me), and just basic clean-up is so simple. I mean, I can’t knock over a bottle of ink when I’m using a Cintiq and Photoshop.

TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring artist who is considering a career in the comic industry?
McGinty: Don’t focus so much on you individual “style,” don’t obsess about drawing the “perfect page.” It isn’t going to happen. Just create content and people will find you. I’ve seen it time and time again, an artist has a million excuses why they haven’t started their dream book yet. (“I’m not quite there with my artistic abilities.” “I haven’t figured out what this character looks like yet.”) Just get on it, man! Also, drink water.

TrunkSpace: Making appearances at conventions: Love it, leave it, or a combination of both?
McGinty: Love it. I really enjoy interacting with people at conventions because I’m free to nerd out over things and I’m obsessed with artists who do amazing cosplay (I can’t), and I get to meet new people and see old friends.

TrunkSpace: What is the craziest/oddest thing you’ve ever been asked to draw as a commission?
McGinty: I’m not going to get into the bizarre sexual shit I’ve been asked to draw, because I always say no, but I did have a guy at a con in Calgary, Canada ask me to draw Finn from “Adventure Time”… coming out of a TARDIS from “Doctor Who”… on top of the mountain Smaug lives in from “The Hobbit”…wielding a lightsaber from “Star Wars”… and next to that tree that punches things from “Harry Potter.” Like… my dude. The kicker here is I spent hours drawing it and he hated it and demanded his money back. Oh, well.

TrunkSpace: What else can fans of your work look forward to in 2018?
McGinty: Well, the “Invader Zim” movie will be coming out so that’s awesome. We’ve got more “Adventure Time” books on the way, my own book, “GLINT,” will be out very soon, and I’m working on some secret projects I can’t talk about (yet). I’m looking forward to 2018.

Name: Brett Parson

Website: Blitzcadet.deviantart.com

Favorite Comic Book Character Growing Up: Simon Bisley’s Lobo

Favorite Comic Book Character Now: Barney from “Tank Girl”

Latest Work: “World War Tank Girl” published by Titan Comics.

TrunkSpace: How would you describe your art style?
Parson: I guess my style is a mix of Cartoon/Animation and old school comics. There’s a little bit of everything I grew up loving… from “He-Man” or Don Bluth to Ren & Stimpy and Jack Davis. And a little dash of a retro 70s vibe in there somewhere.

TrunkSpace: How important were comic books in your life growing up and is that where you discovered your love and inspiration for drawing?
Parson: They were definitely one of the biggest parts of my life as a young artist. I think I always wanted to be a cartoonist. My mom used to staple little blank books together for me when I was little, and I’d fill them in with stories… usually Ninja Turtles, Indiana Jones or Ghostbusters. Later, when I discovered underground stuff like R. Crumb, “Tank Girl,” “Love and Rockets,” “Judge Dredd,” and “The Maxx,” I saw that comics didn’t need to have DC or Marvel style art/stories and didn’t need to play it safe for kids. That became what I really wanted to do.

TrunkSpace: Was there a particular artist or title from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
Parson: I was pretty obsessed with Simon Bisley as a kid in middle school. Kevin Eastman used to own a comic book museum near where I live, and I would go there all the time and just study the originals. Bisley, Richard Corben, Frank Miller, Jaimie Hewlett, all kinds of killer artist’s stuff came through there. Looking back I was REALLY lucky to have that place so close. Then in high school when I stumbled on “Danger Girl” by J. Scott Campbell, that really melted my brain!

TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career in comics? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
Parson: I spent close to a decade after I graduated just working a day job and doing freelance illustration on the side, self-publishing my own books when I could. I’d basically given up on the idea of “breaking into” the comics industry. Marvel wasn’t accepting portfolios, and I didn’t even know if the big guys would go for my style. My plan was to develop something creator-owned and pitch it around, or do a Kickstarter.

TrunkSpace: What was your biggest break in terms of a job that opened more doors for you?
Parson: A few years ago Alan Martin, the co-creator of “Tank Girl,” came across some of my stuff online. He contacted me about possibly working together on some “Tank Girl” comics, and we’ve basically been working together since. It was really Alan taking a chance and giving me a shot that led to my career in comics.

TrunkSpace: A lot of people say that breaking into comics is the hardest part of working in comics. How long did it take you before you started to see your comic book dreams become a reality?
Parson: Yeah, people always talk about how impossible it is to get into the business, so I really didn’t think too hard about it. I just kept doing my thing, trying to have fun. I started posting all my stuff online… I figured if I was good enough something would eventually come along. I really wasn’t shopping a portfolio around at all, so if it wasn’t for social networking outlets like Instagram, Facebook, and DeviantArt, I doubt that I’d be drawing comics professionally today.

TrunkSpace: Is there a particular character or universe you always find yourself returning to when you’re sketching or doing warm-ups?
Parson: Not really. I’ve always been more into making stuff up and drawing from my imagination. I used to draw ugly, weird-looking Batman faces to warm up, but usually I just doodle random stuff to try to get things going.

TrunkSpace: Is there a specific title or character that you’d like to work on in the future and why?
Parson: Tank Girl has been pretty amazing. It’s been one of my all time favorite books since I was a kid, so getting to work on this title has been like a dream come true. Other than that, I’d love to get a chance to do an old school Lobo book, or maybe Ghost Rider. I feel like those characters and worlds would be a blast to draw.

TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your career in comics? Where would you like your path to lead?
Parson: At the moment I’m just happy to be doing what I love for a living. If I can keep drawing comics for years to come, and make ends meet… then I’m pretty happy. I get to be home with my daughter, listening to music, and drawing cool stuff!

TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength as an artist?
Parson: Not being afraid to have fun, and be yourself.

TrunkSpace: How has technology changed your process of putting ideas/script to page? Do you sue the classic paper/pencil approach at all anymore?
Parson: For a long time I’ve been going probably 95 percent digital. The control and speed it allows has been my best friend when it comes to doing a good job while trying to meet tight deadlines. But I’ve been getting back into doing things traditionally more and more. This series I’m working on now – I’m only using the Cintiq for rough-layouts and coloring. I’m doing all the finished pages with pencil and ink. Nothing really compares to that feeling of a soft pencil on paper. It’s one of the best things in the world.

TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring artist who is considering a career in the comic industry?
Parson: I guess the main thing is, be sure that you LOVE drawing comics. You won’t get rich, so if that’s what you’re looking for go into animation or illustration. And be patient, don’t expect things to always go your way or fall into place immediately… it takes lots of patience and persistence. Messing up. Falling on your face. You really just have to love it.

Name: Paul Renaud

Website:Click HERE

Favorite Comic Book Character Growing Up: Captain America, or maybe Phoenix from the X-Men

Favorite Comic Book Character Now: Captain America

Latest Work:
Interiors for Captain America: Sam Wilson #20 for Marvel, March 2017

Cover for Nightwing #24 for DC, July 2017

TrunkSpace: How would you describe your art style?
Renaud: I’m a mix of my European and American influences in comics and illustration. I love the classics, and take pride placing myself in their footsteps.

TrunkSpace: How important were comic books in your life growing up and is that where you discovered your love and inspiration for drawing?
Renaud: Comics have been the happiest memories of my whole childhood. They’d bring excitement, comforts, tons of virtual friends, and a form of stability in an overall dramatic family life. I became a fan of American comics by 10/11, avidly reading the X-Men and most of Marvel comics. The artists drawing those books were my first influences, John Byrne, Paul Smith, Alan Davis, Frank Miller… and created the appeal for me to draw and tell stories.

TrunkSpace: Was there a particular artist or title from your childhood that you remember being drawn to and inspired by?
Renaud: If I had to single out one name, it would be French artist Moebius. He’s the one who opened my eyes to the world of arts. He’s the one who truly made me want to become an artist.

TrunkSpace: How did you decide to approach your career in comics? Did you formulate a plan of how you wanted to attack what is known for being a hard industry to crack?
Renaud: I first tried to work for the French market because it was the easiest thing to do back then, but I had a bad experience with my first experience in the business. Fortunately, my work was spotted by an American art dealer, Rich Dedominicis (who’s still one of my best friends to this day), who showed my commissions online and to art collectors. That lead me to get published in the States.

TrunkSpace: What was your biggest break in terms of a job that opened more doors for you?
Renaud: That would have to be a short story I did for Rick Remender’s Fear Agent. I did that book for free, because I loved Rick’s work. That job got me on the radar, and got me offers from most publishers. After that, Rick and I did a Red Sonja book that got me noticed by the fans. Rick has grown to be my favorite collaborator over the years, and he’s always been a very loyal friend.

TrunkSpace: A lot of people say that breaking into comics is the hardest part of working in comics. How long did it take you before you started to see your comic book dreams become a reality?
Renaud: It happened pretty fast, but I think I’ve made poor career choices over the first 6 years. I thought I wasn’t ready for Marvel in spite of their offers, and chose to work for smaller companies first. Today, I can say I’ve been happier working for Marvel than anywhere else.

TrunkSpace: Is there a particular character or universe you always find yourself returning to when you’re sketching or doing warm-ups?
Renaud: Not just one. I love fantasy, sword and sorcery, and I love drawing superheroes, like Batman or Captain America.

TrunkSpace: Is there a specific title or character that you’d like to work on in the future and why?
Renaud: I’ve already drawn most of my favorites, but I’d really love to draw a Batman book. He’s probably the coolest looking character out there. Gotham, and all the gothic settings would be a blast to draw.

TrunkSpace: What is your ultimate dream when it comes to your career in comics? Where would you like your path to lead?
Renaud: I’d love to be able to develop a creator owned project while keep playing with Marvel and DC‘s toys. But I really feel the need to create my own book.

TrunkSpace: What would you say is the greatest strength as an artist?
Renaud: Being able to do the whole thing has always been a great asset for me, from pencils, inks to coloring. I like doing my own lettering too when I can.

TrunkSpace: How has technology changed your process of putting ideas/script to page? Do you sue the classic paper/pencil approach at all anymore?
Renaud: I do a bit of both, traditional, and computer art. Working digitally has allowed me to work faster, and meet the tight deadlines that comics are accustomed to. I’d just draw layouts, and directly ink them. That way I can do one to two pages a day.

TrunkSpace: What advice would you give another young aspiring artist who is considering a career in the comic industry?
Renaud: Show your work online as much as possible. Work hard to be reliable, and consistent.

TrunkSpace: Making appearances at conventions: Love it, leave it, or a combination of both?
Renaud: I love meeting the fans, but the deadlines must come first. I don’t do as many conventions as I should, because I’m always working on tight deadlines.

TrunkSpace: What is the craziest/oddest thing you’ve ever been asked to draw as a commission?
Renaud: An old lady asked me to do a portrait of her dog once.

TrunkSpace: What else can fans of your work look forward to for the rest of 2017 and into the new year?
Renaud: I just finished the covers for a new upcoming Star Wars series featuring Captain Phasma, and leading to the Last Jedi. I’ll be also doing a 30 page one-shot on Captain America, part of the Marvel next event GENERATIONS.

I’m still discussing what comes next, so I don’t want to say too much.