Hi Nic, let’s start with your artistic background. Were you the kid in class known for their artistic abilities? Did you go on to study art?
I started drawing while in High school pretty much, so from there on, yeah, I guess I was the drawing kid. I also had horrible grades in art class because I would much rather paint/draw fantasy frazettaesque things then take part in what we were doing at the time.
From high school I went straight to art school in Halifax, NS, Canada, where after the primary semester I took intro painting/printmaking, figure drawing etc. Pretty much all of the stuff I learned there I have already forgotten again. After 3 semesters there I went back to Germany to continue/finish art school. this time with a major in Illustration. I got my degree there some years ago.
The difference between the schools was like day & night, whilst the school in Canada was very much academic with a strict learning plan / assignments, the school here in Germany was basically a “do what you want” kind of thing.
It was all about experimentation. Which was great and bad at the same time, great because you could always do whatever you felt like, I took time in printmaking, film, classic animation. But because of the loose format of the school it was very easy to get distracted and not have any real goals to work towards too. This freedom we had here from the get go, was the prize you worked towards in the NSCAD (Nova Scotia college of art and design) program.
Once you have the basics you get to do work on your voice. In hindsight this would’ve been a lot more useful, as far as I know the schools administration realized this as well about a year after I was done, and have brought more structure into the program. Lucky me hehe….
How did you break into comics?
I had been doing comics for a long time, a lot of short stories for different German publications, but what got me into the US market was my friend marko Djurdjevic who showed my work to Marvels art director Chris Allo who liked my work enough to give me assignments. One of my first Gigs was doing covers for the New Warriors series that Axel Alonso was the senior editor for, he mentioned my name to Ivan during lunch, which is how Ivan (Ivan Brandon - writer of Nic’s current comics gig ‘Viking’ and me eventually came into contact.
Do you think moving back to Europe made a difference to your career? More or less opportunities?
That’s an impossible question to answer, I dont know what would’ve happened if I would have stayed in North America. Being in Europe I’m exposed to different input then I would be if I stayed, not just comics, even though European comics are very different, but the whole way of life here is different in a lot of parts, and similar in others.
What first drew me to your work was your beautiful sketchbook illustrations - do you still have time for sketchbook work?
I wish I had time for it right now, I really miss just screwing around with some paint in the sketchbook. At the end of the day when you’ve drawn all day its hard to draw for relaxation, there are people who can do this, unfortunately I am not one of them, so it will have to wait.
How often do you see experiments from your sketch books filtering into your professional work?
Never and all the time, its really all the same to me. I don’t make a conscious effort to keep them separated, for jobs I do what suits the theme the best, that’s the only difference.
You recently started a blog and have been posting some great sketches from your ‘drink & draw’ gatherings - how did these gatherings get started? Do you set a theme or just draw whatever comes to mind?
Well, the meeting happened pretty much the way it happens everywhere I am sure, most Illustrators work from home, or alone, so at the end of the day it is good to get out.
Most of my friends are also artists/illustrators so it was almost a given to meet and draw. Although on some meets I don’t draw at all, just shoot the sh*t and eat/drink haha.
You are currently working on the comic series ‘Viking’, tell us a little about the project and how you got involved?
Its a series following two viking brothers on their successes and follies in the criminal world. Ivan (the writer) contacted me about doing the series and after a bit of back and forth we decided to give it our all, that’s it really.
Do you have a favourite part of the comic book process?
hmm, hard to say, sometimes its the layout phase, figuring out how to tell the story clearest, that is also the bit that I am weakest at, so it is a challenge, which makes it fun.
Other times the actual drawing/painting is great. It all depends on where I am at in the story.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists wanting to break into the comics field?
Don’t. Get a real job. Seriously.
Unfortunately we ran out of time at the end with the interview as Nic was buried under deadlines, but I still think we got some valuable info and it’s also a great excuse to share some of Nic’s amazing artwork.
I’d like to thank Nic for his time and candid answers to the questions.
Links:
Nic’s Website >>>
Nic’s Blog >>>
Be sure to check out Nic’s recent process posts for some of his ‘Viking’ comic book work here, here and here.
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Awesome interview. Keep up the good work on this site in 2010. Thx.