Well,not really... but if you go to the following website-COMICMIX-you'll read the newest installment of my bro Bob Tinnell's online strip E Z STREET and you'll see what i mean.
He and old friend Mark Wheatley have been doing this strip for awhile now and it takes some interesting twists and turns thru the industry I've been groovin' in for 24 years-take a look if you like comics,Hammer Horror (you'll see why) or just good writing and drawing.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Sketchbook
The 1st of yet another ongoing feature here in the Blogosphere- i have produced so many individual pieces of art within the various steps i go thru to get to that final piece that many of them never see the light of day-layouts,concept sketches,finished pencils,designs,etc...
This is as good a place as any to dump...er...present them to you,dear reader-i hope you enjoy it...;o)
This first is a sketch i did of Dracula-one of many I've drawn thru the years-but this one was for the proposed adaptation Bob Tinnell and i were going to do-ARE going to do- i tried to get some Hammer DracuLee in there without doing an exact caricature:
this is a pencil page from PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE-Mike Oeming and i did this book some 5 years ago now but it still gets me some very gratifying compliments:
Yet another favorite character of mine-JONNY DEMON-co created by Kurt Busiek way back at the start of our personal and professional relationship-a great concept that we had to condense into a story half it's size-we both promise to do it justice someday:
This is a page layout for a project that Oeming and i were going to do awhile ago-I'd tell you more but we may still get around to it-i wanna keep some mystery after all:
THE BLACK FOREST sketches-a favorite book of my fans and myself-this is one of the many concept sketches i did before starting the book:
a Catwoman pencil sketch done for a commission:
More to come...
This is as good a place as any to dump...er...present them to you,dear reader-i hope you enjoy it...;o)
This first is a sketch i did of Dracula-one of many I've drawn thru the years-but this one was for the proposed adaptation Bob Tinnell and i were going to do-ARE going to do- i tried to get some Hammer DracuLee in there without doing an exact caricature:
this is a pencil page from PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE-Mike Oeming and i did this book some 5 years ago now but it still gets me some very gratifying compliments:
Yet another favorite character of mine-JONNY DEMON-co created by Kurt Busiek way back at the start of our personal and professional relationship-a great concept that we had to condense into a story half it's size-we both promise to do it justice someday:
This is a page layout for a project that Oeming and i were going to do awhile ago-I'd tell you more but we may still get around to it-i wanna keep some mystery after all:
THE BLACK FOREST sketches-a favorite book of my fans and myself-this is one of the many concept sketches i did before starting the book:
a Catwoman pencil sketch done for a commission:
More to come...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Unpublished Projects...part 4
Here's the sequence i did based on Bob's sketches...
and here's a follow up sequence he added...
The actual work never got seen in published form (nor as a film,sadly) but it did start a working relationship between Bob and I that continues to this day.
PS-a short time later we did a short story based on the opening sequence-changed of course from the TCM connection-and that DID get published in an indy comic called MIDNITE TERRORS.
and here's a follow up sequence he added...
The actual work never got seen in published form (nor as a film,sadly) but it did start a working relationship between Bob and I that continues to this day.
PS-a short time later we did a short story based on the opening sequence-changed of course from the TCM connection-and that DID get published in an indy comic called MIDNITE TERRORS.
Unpublished Projects...part 3
The TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE- a title which sends shivers down the spines of those of us who saw it back in 1974 and made us all avoid little backwater towns that sell BBQ.
Well,back before my good friend and writing partner, Robert Tinnell and i got deep into making THE BLACK FOREST and THE WICKED WEST,we did a little project together-it was never really meant for publishing,but it still counts as a "story".
Bob is a veteran filmmaker (his newest flick-he's the writer/director- is in preproduction now) and he was up for a possible directing gig on the remake of TCM- needless to say,he didn't get it (mores the pity,considering the resulting film) but we did do a series of storyboards to show some of Bob's ideas to the producers-Bob asked me to do them based on my comic book experience because he wanted them done almost as a comic-to help the powers that be to get his concept.
What follows are the original boards that Bob himself gave me as a guideline (take my word for it,h's a better filmmaker than an artist-as i suspect I'm a better artist than I'd be a director...;o)
The next pages-in the next post- are what i did with Bob's concept-including another sequence he added to the mix...
Well,back before my good friend and writing partner, Robert Tinnell and i got deep into making THE BLACK FOREST and THE WICKED WEST,we did a little project together-it was never really meant for publishing,but it still counts as a "story".
Bob is a veteran filmmaker (his newest flick-he's the writer/director- is in preproduction now) and he was up for a possible directing gig on the remake of TCM- needless to say,he didn't get it (mores the pity,considering the resulting film) but we did do a series of storyboards to show some of Bob's ideas to the producers-Bob asked me to do them based on my comic book experience because he wanted them done almost as a comic-to help the powers that be to get his concept.
What follows are the original boards that Bob himself gave me as a guideline (take my word for it,h's a better filmmaker than an artist-as i suspect I'm a better artist than I'd be a director...;o)
The next pages-in the next post- are what i did with Bob's concept-including another sequence he added to the mix...
Monday, February 4, 2008
Unpublished Projects...part 2
This art was for a Comico Primer cover,way back in the dawn of my career- I plotted a short story based on an idea i had for years before i got into the pro side of things-i also did the pencils-the bonus was that i somehow convinced Matt Wagner of GRENDAL fame to both dialog and ink it!
The story was finished-essentially a 1st chapter to a larger-i hoped-story,which never got published because Comico canceled the Primer book- looking back on it,I'm kinda glad it never was seen-but that's because I'm so critical of the artwork now-some well meaning friends want me to "publish" it here and I'm considering it-we'll see...;o)
PS- the art here is actually not the original way it looked-years later i pulled a "Lucas" and added a wash over it.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Unpublished Projects...so far...;o)
This is a promo piece i did (with colorist Matt Webb) for a-hopefully-upcoming book that I'll be doing with my pal,Robert Tinnell.
We wanted to do a comic that was an adaptation of a Dracula film that was never actually made-our take on the Hammer Films style of storytelling-it will be done in a book along with a companion Frankenstein "adaptation" by Bob and Brit artist Adrian Salmon.
Someday...;o)
Favorite Quotes...about me-part 2
"Neil Vokes is a true original -- creative, cantankerous, enthusiastic and an all-around great guy.
I started working with him on Vampirella, and when he was fired from the book by know-nothing bean counters, I called him up to tell him not to take it personally, it's not as if they had any taste or judgment.
That call led to several collaborations, and a warm friendship. I hope I'll still be coming up with projects Neil and I can do together until I retire, and I hope we're friends for even longer."
Kurt Busiek
I started working with him on Vampirella, and when he was fired from the book by know-nothing bean counters, I called him up to tell him not to take it personally, it's not as if they had any taste or judgment.
That call led to several collaborations, and a warm friendship. I hope I'll still be coming up with projects Neil and I can do together until I retire, and I hope we're friends for even longer."
Kurt Busiek
The Third Man ['49]
"In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance.
In Switzerland, they had brotherly love; they had five hundred years of democracy and peace and what did that produce?
The cuckoo clock"
In Switzerland, they had brotherly love; they had five hundred years of democracy and peace and what did that produce?
The cuckoo clock"
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Christmas Comic Shop podcast '07
This last Xmas,my good buddy Mike Oeming and i were interviewed for a podcast at a local Jersey comic shop All Things Fun .
We got to talk about old and new projects and shared opinions about this and that (and u folk know how much i HATE sharing my opinions...;o)
My old pal,Bill Cucinotta showed up and we waxed nostalgic on the the days of yore at Comico Comics,where i started my career (Bill was one of the original founders of the company)
We got to talk about old and new projects and shared opinions about this and that (and u folk know how much i HATE sharing my opinions...;o)
My old pal,Bill Cucinotta showed up and we waxed nostalgic on the the days of yore at Comico Comics,where i started my career (Bill was one of the original founders of the company)
All in all the evening was a lot of fun.
If you have a half hour or so to waste,check it out:
http://www.allthingsfun.libsyn.com/
If you have a half hour or so to waste,check it out:
http://www.allthingsfun.libsyn.com/
(It's also at iTunes and Podcast Alley)
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Nuff Said...;o)
Rooster Cogburn: Ned, I mean to kill you in two minutes or take you to
Lucky Ned Pepper: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.
Cogburn: Fill your hand you sonafabitch!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Heath Ledger...R.I.P.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/23/1201024937592.html
This morning I was watching the various news reports on the death of actor Heath Ledger-he was found dead under-at this point-mysterious circumstances-possibly an overdose of prescription pills-we don't know yet-but that hasn't stopped the feeding frenzy of the press-everyone has an opinion as to what happened and IF it DID happen the way they THINK it did,well "THIS is what we think about that"...
He hasn't even had an autopsy yet-no official report has been made- yet there are special news reports on his "apparent suicide"...
There are "friends" of his telling reporters about his severe depressions- about his recent separation,his daughter ,his work ...
"Did playing the psychotic villain, the Joker in the new Batman sequel,THE DARK KNIGHT kill Heath Ledger?"
...damn- let's just let the poor man's soul-troubled or not-rest in peace for just a LITTLE while...
OK?
----------
Ledger Death Poses Problems for Warner Bros.
http://imdb.com/news/sb/2008-01-23/#2
What certain people are going to interpret from seeing Ledger as the Joker is out of ANY body's control-it's gonna happen no matter what Warner Bros. does - and i hope they don't consider altering things just because of this tragedy- if anything the film should be considered a legacy-all advance word has stated the great performance the actor gives.
Hell,if it was a G rated Disney family comedy,where he plays a happy go lucky guy,with no problems in life people would find "ironic" elements in the story-no way of avoiding it.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Robotech Trade Paperback "Forward"
While digging thru my archives (much less difficult nowadays thanks to the computer) trying to compile material for this blog,i stumbled on this forward i was asked to write for a trade digest that came out about 5 years ago.
Robotech was not my favorite book by any means-and certainly not my BEST work by ANY stretch of the imagination-but it WAS important to me for many reasons.
It was at the beginnings of my career- a great time because of the excitement of being a professional comic book artist-a lifelong dream- and i not only got to work on a regular monthly book for the 1st time (in itself a GREAT learning process-not just the obvious plus of refining my craft,but the discipline needed to meet those 3-4 week deadlines,month after month) but i got to work with some wonderful people-many of whom became good friends (always a plus ;o)
Here ya go...
ROBOTECH…
...until recently that name has only been mentioned around me at comic book conventions, and then only rarely, in the last decade or so-the advent of these reprints has brought back many memories, specifically about the couple of years I drew: 19 issues of ROBOTECH MASTERS, two issues of ROBOTECH MACROSS and the ROBOTECH GRAPHIC NOVEL. Those years were significant to me for various reasons, but primarily because that’s when I started drawing comic books professionally.
I had been fortunate in the midst of my samples sending days (early 80s) to have been taken under the admittedly young wings of a new company called COMICO COMICS. (They were a small bunch of Philly art school grads who wanted to make comic books.) They printed a short story I had done (with old friend Rich Rankin on inks) in their COMICO PRIMER book, a new talent showcase. Thus, I earned my 1st official comic artist check in November of ’83. This led to my penciling one of their new color line of books, AZ. Now before all you rabid fans rush out trying to find that rare early work of yours truly, I have to warn you that it doesn’t exist. I did draw three full 30-page issues and Rich inked two of them, I believe. But publisher (and creator of AZ) Phil Lasorda came to his senses and decided against putting his tall, pink, otherworldly private detective on the store racks, (I thank the comic gods for that every single day.) and concentrate on other titles.
This apparent setback in my blossoming career had two major advantages: 1) it gave me 90 pages of storytelling practice (and they paid me!) that I desperately needed and 2) it paved the way for my being offered one of three new comics COMICO was about to publish…I’ll bet you were wondering when I was going to get around to talking about ROBOTECH, weren’t you?
Rich and I were offered any one of the three titles we wanted to draw-ROBOTECH MACROSS, ROBOTECH MASTERS or ROBOTECH THE NEXT GENERATION. Looking at the model sheets and various mounds of material showcasing the three stories, I chose MASTERS (I liked the designs of the armor-thus are world shaking moments made.). It was all ours…if we also drew the next issue of MACROSS within the next two weeks-pencils and inks! Well, just like those legendary tales of young actors who when asked if they could ride a horse for the film say ”Sure-I was BORN on the saddle!” when of course they’ve never been closer to a horse than watching the Duke on TV in STAGECOACH,we bravely (or stupidly depending on your point of view) took on the task and succeeded, with time to spare.
Then we had to do issue 3, also, in about the same time frame. We were typecasting ourselves as quick and (mostly) competent artists and it was killing us. But at the end of this emergency run, we knew we had a book of our very own…and that’s right, we were already late due to having spent a month on MACROSS!
The benefits of this project improved with the addition of writer Mike Baron to the mix. With NEXUS, Baron had proven himself a wonderful writer and I was honored to be working alongside him. You would think with all this going for us, it was all sunshine and lollipops, yes? You see, there was one huge hill I had to get over the moment I started in on that emergency MACROSS job, I had never drawn the anime style before…EVER!
I was familiar with the cartoons like GIGANTOR, ASTRO BOY, 8TH MAN and the others, but this new style of Japanese cartoon was fairly alien to me. I took a crash course on everything I could get my hands on via Harmony Gold’s reference material: the original MACROSS toons and all the books on anime I could find. I hadn’t even developed my own style yet and I was being asked to draw in a totally foreign one. Thinking back on this point, now, I feel that my fresh take on the style gave my book a distinctive look in comparison to the other two.
There are many, many stories I could tell you about working on these comics back then. I wish I had the space to tell you about: all the friends I made during those years (one being Bob Schreck, who is probably lurking around this very book somewhere-love and kisses, Bob.) and the wonderful fans I met during the many conventions (and all those Veritechs I had to draw for them.).
I’d love to talk about my favorite bit of ROBOTECH work (the ROBOTECH GRAPHIC NOVEL-where I got to work with the great Ken Stacey) but then this is not a book about my career (no matter how hard I’ve tried to make it one). No, this book compiles the combined work of a small bunch of dedicated, young American artists and writers who attempted to share their enthusiasm and respect for the Japanese cartoons we know as ROBOTECH.
...and that’s all there is to it.
--Neil Vokes 12.5.02
Robotech was not my favorite book by any means-and certainly not my BEST work by ANY stretch of the imagination-but it WAS important to me for many reasons.
It was at the beginnings of my career- a great time because of the excitement of being a professional comic book artist-a lifelong dream- and i not only got to work on a regular monthly book for the 1st time (in itself a GREAT learning process-not just the obvious plus of refining my craft,but the discipline needed to meet those 3-4 week deadlines,month after month) but i got to work with some wonderful people-many of whom became good friends (always a plus ;o)
Here ya go...
ROBOTECH…
...until recently that name has only been mentioned around me at comic book conventions, and then only rarely, in the last decade or so-the advent of these reprints has brought back many memories, specifically about the couple of years I drew: 19 issues of ROBOTECH MASTERS, two issues of ROBOTECH MACROSS and the ROBOTECH GRAPHIC NOVEL. Those years were significant to me for various reasons, but primarily because that’s when I started drawing comic books professionally.
I had been fortunate in the midst of my samples sending days (early 80s) to have been taken under the admittedly young wings of a new company called COMICO COMICS. (They were a small bunch of Philly art school grads who wanted to make comic books.) They printed a short story I had done (with old friend Rich Rankin on inks) in their COMICO PRIMER book, a new talent showcase. Thus, I earned my 1st official comic artist check in November of ’83. This led to my penciling one of their new color line of books, AZ. Now before all you rabid fans rush out trying to find that rare early work of yours truly, I have to warn you that it doesn’t exist. I did draw three full 30-page issues and Rich inked two of them, I believe. But publisher (and creator of AZ) Phil Lasorda came to his senses and decided against putting his tall, pink, otherworldly private detective on the store racks, (I thank the comic gods for that every single day.) and concentrate on other titles.
This apparent setback in my blossoming career had two major advantages: 1) it gave me 90 pages of storytelling practice (and they paid me!) that I desperately needed and 2) it paved the way for my being offered one of three new comics COMICO was about to publish…I’ll bet you were wondering when I was going to get around to talking about ROBOTECH, weren’t you?
Rich and I were offered any one of the three titles we wanted to draw-ROBOTECH MACROSS, ROBOTECH MASTERS or ROBOTECH THE NEXT GENERATION. Looking at the model sheets and various mounds of material showcasing the three stories, I chose MASTERS (I liked the designs of the armor-thus are world shaking moments made.). It was all ours…if we also drew the next issue of MACROSS within the next two weeks-pencils and inks! Well, just like those legendary tales of young actors who when asked if they could ride a horse for the film say ”Sure-I was BORN on the saddle!” when of course they’ve never been closer to a horse than watching the Duke on TV in STAGECOACH,we bravely (or stupidly depending on your point of view) took on the task and succeeded, with time to spare.
Then we had to do issue 3, also, in about the same time frame. We were typecasting ourselves as quick and (mostly) competent artists and it was killing us. But at the end of this emergency run, we knew we had a book of our very own…and that’s right, we were already late due to having spent a month on MACROSS!
The benefits of this project improved with the addition of writer Mike Baron to the mix. With NEXUS, Baron had proven himself a wonderful writer and I was honored to be working alongside him. You would think with all this going for us, it was all sunshine and lollipops, yes? You see, there was one huge hill I had to get over the moment I started in on that emergency MACROSS job, I had never drawn the anime style before…EVER!
I was familiar with the cartoons like GIGANTOR, ASTRO BOY, 8TH MAN and the others, but this new style of Japanese cartoon was fairly alien to me. I took a crash course on everything I could get my hands on via Harmony Gold’s reference material: the original MACROSS toons and all the books on anime I could find. I hadn’t even developed my own style yet and I was being asked to draw in a totally foreign one. Thinking back on this point, now, I feel that my fresh take on the style gave my book a distinctive look in comparison to the other two.
There are many, many stories I could tell you about working on these comics back then. I wish I had the space to tell you about: all the friends I made during those years (one being Bob Schreck, who is probably lurking around this very book somewhere-love and kisses, Bob.) and the wonderful fans I met during the many conventions (and all those Veritechs I had to draw for them.).
I’d love to talk about my favorite bit of ROBOTECH work (the ROBOTECH GRAPHIC NOVEL-where I got to work with the great Ken Stacey) but then this is not a book about my career (no matter how hard I’ve tried to make it one). No, this book compiles the combined work of a small bunch of dedicated, young American artists and writers who attempted to share their enthusiasm and respect for the Japanese cartoons we know as ROBOTECH.
...and that’s all there is to it.
--Neil Vokes 12.5.02
Favorite Quotes...about me...;o)
As another potential regular feature of this blog,I thought I'd post several of my favorite quotes about myself and my work...
...I know-I know- posting quotes about oneself borders on pure egotism...well,actually it rests somewhere past the metal detector on the border of pure egotism-but these comments by friends,fans and critics are part of what gets me thru the dark side of being a creative personality-they reaffirm-they encourage-they provide that little extra pat on the back for doing a good job that we ALL need in life.
Besides,some are really fun to read (which is more a reflection on the writer than their subject ;o) - and some-like my lil bro Mikey's here-are just hilarious.
so without further ado...
"Neil Vokes is a man. A very white man. A very hairy (except for his head) white man. A very hairy, white horny man. A very hairy, white, horny man with a "Highlander" fixation. A very hairy, white horny man with a "Highlander" fixation who can draw.
He can draw like birds can fly, like the rain tap dances on your roof and like a sunset makes you sigh. In other words, its part of him. Drawing is a natural state for him.
Neil is a big, white, hairy horny guy with a "Highlander" fixation who can draw.
More than that, he's my friend-a mentor in many ways and someone I care about deeply.
So, if you come at him with suntan lotion, scissors, anti-Viagra or a thesis on the implausibility of "Highlander", I will kill you.
Neil is a great guy, and may Brian Blessed sit on anyone who says otherwise."
Neils pal,
Mike Avon Oeming
...I know-I know- posting quotes about oneself borders on pure egotism...well,actually it rests somewhere past the metal detector on the border of pure egotism-but these comments by friends,fans and critics are part of what gets me thru the dark side of being a creative personality-they reaffirm-they encourage-they provide that little extra pat on the back for doing a good job that we ALL need in life.
Besides,some are really fun to read (which is more a reflection on the writer than their subject ;o) - and some-like my lil bro Mikey's here-are just hilarious.
so without further ado...
"Neil Vokes is a man. A very white man. A very hairy (except for his head) white man. A very hairy, white horny man. A very hairy, white, horny man with a "Highlander" fixation. A very hairy, white horny man with a "Highlander" fixation who can draw.
He can draw like birds can fly, like the rain tap dances on your roof and like a sunset makes you sigh. In other words, its part of him. Drawing is a natural state for him.
Neil is a big, white, hairy horny guy with a "Highlander" fixation who can draw.
More than that, he's my friend-a mentor in many ways and someone I care about deeply.
So, if you come at him with suntan lotion, scissors, anti-Viagra or a thesis on the implausibility of "Highlander", I will kill you.
Neil is a great guy, and may Brian Blessed sit on anyone who says otherwise."
Neils pal,
Mike Avon Oeming
Friday, January 18, 2008
Aqua Leung pin up
I recently did this for Paul Maybury's upcoming book,AQUA LEUNG (he'll be coloring it) -he's a young,indie artist with a very distinctive style and a passion for what he does-that's good enough for me-the 1st piece is mine,with the pencils below it:
and the following are a couple pages from his book:
Check out his blog here: http://www.deliciousbrains.com/blog
and the following are a couple pages from his book:
Check out his blog here: http://www.deliciousbrains.com/blog
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Who is this Vokes person: the interviews-part 2: Sequential Tart: 13 Questions
This is a very interesting site because it's primarily about-and by-women in comics.
Now why they wanted to interview ME-a man (or so I've been told all these years) -i can't say-you'd have to ask them.
But i thought it might be fun to share (it's from 1999 by the way) -please excuse any repetitious info-invariably certain details are gonna be repeated in each interview...
13 Questions:
Neil Vokes
by Kady Mae
( http://sequentialtart.com )
Neil Vokes has been working in comics since the early 1980's. He has collaborated with Kurt Busiek on several projects and has cultivated a diverse variety of styles from horror to humor. You'll probably find him at some convention wearing his Highlander cap, sketching away in Artist's Alley. After some digging, Sequential Tart staffer Katherine Keller recently caught up with this wonderfully warm hearted yet technophobic (he doesn't even have a fax machine) artist.
1. What’s the first comic you ever remember reading?
Well, I guess it would probably be a Superman comic. In a barber shop... some time in the late '50's. I was born in '54, so they used to have comics all over the barber shops in those days.
2. Well, that segues right into my next question. What superhero did you want to be when you were little and why?
Actually, I probably wanted to be Batman.
I think because even then I realized that he was more attainable. Because Superman, well, he came from another planet. That would have been a little difficult. At least with Batman I could have conceivably trained my body and my mind and someday put on a silly outfit and been Batman [laughs]. So there seemed to be more — a little less fantasy oriented.
3. What was your first professional work — what made you think "Yeah, I want to do this?"
I kind of got into this the wrong way. I had discussed it through the years with friends and family about I wanted to do this, but I don't think I had the actual ambition, the initiative to get into it. It had more to do with necessity at the time.
I'd lost my real job — so called real job — and my wife gave me the option. She said do you want to do this, or do you want to do something you really want to do? And I said, like what? She said comic books, you've always wanted to do them. She helped me get through the kind of "training period" — she paid the bills and such. And I managed to get work and haven't stopped working since.
So, it's not like I went out of my way over the years to attain that goal, so much as it kind of just happened and I seemed to fit right in.
4. So, what was your first professional work that you remember?
My first professional work was at Comico. They were just starting out in those days. All those guys had just gotten out of college, started up a company, and a friend of mine, Rich Rankin, sent some samples of ours to everybody, and these guys liked it and wanted to publish one of these stories we did. They hired us, and I pretty much haven't stopped since.
5. One of the things that is most interesting about you as an artist is that you have two distinct styles. I've looked at your work and I've seen you can do the standard straightforward superhero stuff, and other times I've looked at your work and enjoyed it, it's rather cartoony. Is this by accident or is this by design?
Oh, definitely by design. I think probably it's based more on the fact that I'm easily bored. I don't want to be stuck in one particular groove as far as my art goes. I just like doing different things, I don't just want to draw superheroes, or just draw horror comics, or just whatever. I want to draw a little bit of everything, so I kind of, through the years, adapted my style to fit whatever it was I was drawing. It kept my interest level up.
I think there's a downside to it though. Unfortunately, like everything, especially in entertainment, people have to pigeonhole you, and if they can't they tend to...not remember you. So, because I keep adapting from one book to another, I think I'm probably not noticed as much in that sense.
But in the other sense, people like yourself, fortunately see my work and they appreciate it probably more than the average fan would — I kind of like that more. But I probably don't get as much work as the guy who would draw it the same way all the time.
6. You've done several collaborations with Kurt Busiek. How did this happen?
Well again, this happened because I was just getting another assignment, and it was for... Vampirella Comics...when Harris comics had just started them. And Kurt was writing a Dracula story with Vampirella, Richard Howell was the editor over there at the time, and my agent over at Star Reach had sent my work to them, they liked it and Richard Howell asked me to do the story, so I said fine and I started some phone conversations with Kurt, got to know him a little bit and found out we had a lot of the same interests, both in comics and in movies.
And...I actually drew the first 15 pages of the book before I was fired. The powers that be apparently didn't think my style was appropriate — thought it was too cartoony. Kurt and Richard both loved what I was doing. And this apparently according to Richard was just one of many incidents that he was having with the publisher. He would pick people and they would disapprove after the fact.
Ultimately what happened is I began a friendship with the two of them, and they both left the company. [laughs] It wasn't specifically because of me, but I was part of it. And then ultimately, Kurt and I got to be buddies over the phone — because of course he lives on the west coast and I live over here on the east coast — and we worked out some other ideas and we ended up working together.
7. What is your dream project?
Well, that's of course one of those most asked questions, I think if I had a dream project it would be — if it was a project that was owned by some other company, like DC or Marvel or somebody — it would probably be the Creeper for DC, but if it was ultimately a dream project it would be something of my own. I don't know exactly what it is yet, there are various ideas that I have, it would probably have to be something that I either created or co-created. But I don't think I have a character or a concept...it might have something to do with the supernatural or something like that.
8. So you enjoy supernatural type comics?
Yeah, I get a kick out of the stuff that Kurt and I have played around with, especially Jonny Demon. It had that cross between martial arts and supernatural. We just love that stuff. And when I self-published my own book back in the 80's, Eagle, I also did — it was essentially the same kind of subject, the supernatural and martial arts. I would be very surprised if I didn't end up doing a book like that if it was my own.
9. What creators outside of comics would you say have influenced you?
Um...I don't know, maybe some illustrators, but I don't think anybody specific. Probably some filmmakers, you know, the old black and white films. I'm mostly influenced by film I would say.
I guess I like the film noir thing, and I'm a fan of horror films. Especially the Hammer films, the English horror films, I think there's probably a mood...or an atmospheric kind of thing that comes across in some of my stuff from that. And maybe even the storytelling, I suspect that whatever story talent I might have probably came from watching a lot of movies and television, as opposed to reading a lot of comic books. There's a certain amount of cinematic feeling to some of the stuff...that, and when I came into the books, that was the thing I did best in a sense, as opposed to the drawing. The drawing I kind of had to learn on the job, get better at, the storytelling came right away. So my guess would be that that came from film more than anything.
10. Okay, here come some less serious questions. What is your favorite food to munch on during those long hours at the drafting table?
[Laughs] I try to avoid a favorite food, if only for the reason you don't lose a lot of weight sitting at a drawing table. But in the last few years I guess the most — probably something like M&M's or something like M&M's — Hershey's kisses, if they're sitting around. But I try not to eat while I'm working for two good reasons, one I gain the weight, and secondly it makes for messy pages. I try to avoid that. I try to keep nothing liquid near my work anymore. [Laughs] I ruined too much stuff at the beginning of my career.
11. Outside of comics your proudest achievement is?
My family. I'd say definitely my family. I humbly don't even feel it's an achievement as much as a lucky accident that I ended up with my wife and my daughter.
12. If you were placed in charge of the National Endowment for the Arts, what would you blow the budget on?
[Laughs] Oh, God, um...[laughs] I should think of something very noble, but I can't. I don't know, I'd...it would probably have something to do with movies. I would probably do something with movies, I don't know what it would be about, but it would definitely be in that direction. That's the best I could come up with, I'm sorry.
13. No, no, that's fine, and here's the last one: are you the sort of person you'd imagined you would be as a child?
I think looking back on it, a little bit. I think in relation to what I said earlier, I wasn't really positive I was going to be a comic book artist when I grew up, so, in a sense, I surprised myself. But yeah, I think basically. I consider myself a comparatively decent fellow, and I can say I'm fortunate enough to end up with a good family. I've got a job I enjoy and I get paid for it, so that's kind of a dream come true, I guess you could say so.
Now why they wanted to interview ME-a man (or so I've been told all these years) -i can't say-you'd have to ask them.
But i thought it might be fun to share (it's from 1999 by the way) -please excuse any repetitious info-invariably certain details are gonna be repeated in each interview...
13 Questions:
Neil Vokes
by Kady Mae
( http://sequentialtart.com )
Neil Vokes has been working in comics since the early 1980's. He has collaborated with Kurt Busiek on several projects and has cultivated a diverse variety of styles from horror to humor. You'll probably find him at some convention wearing his Highlander cap, sketching away in Artist's Alley. After some digging, Sequential Tart staffer Katherine Keller recently caught up with this wonderfully warm hearted yet technophobic (he doesn't even have a fax machine) artist.
1. What’s the first comic you ever remember reading?
Well, I guess it would probably be a Superman comic. In a barber shop... some time in the late '50's. I was born in '54, so they used to have comics all over the barber shops in those days.
2. Well, that segues right into my next question. What superhero did you want to be when you were little and why?
Actually, I probably wanted to be Batman.
I think because even then I realized that he was more attainable. Because Superman, well, he came from another planet. That would have been a little difficult. At least with Batman I could have conceivably trained my body and my mind and someday put on a silly outfit and been Batman [laughs]. So there seemed to be more — a little less fantasy oriented.
3. What was your first professional work — what made you think "Yeah, I want to do this?"
I kind of got into this the wrong way. I had discussed it through the years with friends and family about I wanted to do this, but I don't think I had the actual ambition, the initiative to get into it. It had more to do with necessity at the time.
I'd lost my real job — so called real job — and my wife gave me the option. She said do you want to do this, or do you want to do something you really want to do? And I said, like what? She said comic books, you've always wanted to do them. She helped me get through the kind of "training period" — she paid the bills and such. And I managed to get work and haven't stopped working since.
So, it's not like I went out of my way over the years to attain that goal, so much as it kind of just happened and I seemed to fit right in.
4. So, what was your first professional work that you remember?
My first professional work was at Comico. They were just starting out in those days. All those guys had just gotten out of college, started up a company, and a friend of mine, Rich Rankin, sent some samples of ours to everybody, and these guys liked it and wanted to publish one of these stories we did. They hired us, and I pretty much haven't stopped since.
5. One of the things that is most interesting about you as an artist is that you have two distinct styles. I've looked at your work and I've seen you can do the standard straightforward superhero stuff, and other times I've looked at your work and enjoyed it, it's rather cartoony. Is this by accident or is this by design?
Oh, definitely by design. I think probably it's based more on the fact that I'm easily bored. I don't want to be stuck in one particular groove as far as my art goes. I just like doing different things, I don't just want to draw superheroes, or just draw horror comics, or just whatever. I want to draw a little bit of everything, so I kind of, through the years, adapted my style to fit whatever it was I was drawing. It kept my interest level up.
I think there's a downside to it though. Unfortunately, like everything, especially in entertainment, people have to pigeonhole you, and if they can't they tend to...not remember you. So, because I keep adapting from one book to another, I think I'm probably not noticed as much in that sense.
But in the other sense, people like yourself, fortunately see my work and they appreciate it probably more than the average fan would — I kind of like that more. But I probably don't get as much work as the guy who would draw it the same way all the time.
6. You've done several collaborations with Kurt Busiek. How did this happen?
Well again, this happened because I was just getting another assignment, and it was for... Vampirella Comics...when Harris comics had just started them. And Kurt was writing a Dracula story with Vampirella, Richard Howell was the editor over there at the time, and my agent over at Star Reach had sent my work to them, they liked it and Richard Howell asked me to do the story, so I said fine and I started some phone conversations with Kurt, got to know him a little bit and found out we had a lot of the same interests, both in comics and in movies.
And...I actually drew the first 15 pages of the book before I was fired. The powers that be apparently didn't think my style was appropriate — thought it was too cartoony. Kurt and Richard both loved what I was doing. And this apparently according to Richard was just one of many incidents that he was having with the publisher. He would pick people and they would disapprove after the fact.
Ultimately what happened is I began a friendship with the two of them, and they both left the company. [laughs] It wasn't specifically because of me, but I was part of it. And then ultimately, Kurt and I got to be buddies over the phone — because of course he lives on the west coast and I live over here on the east coast — and we worked out some other ideas and we ended up working together.
7. What is your dream project?
Well, that's of course one of those most asked questions, I think if I had a dream project it would be — if it was a project that was owned by some other company, like DC or Marvel or somebody — it would probably be the Creeper for DC, but if it was ultimately a dream project it would be something of my own. I don't know exactly what it is yet, there are various ideas that I have, it would probably have to be something that I either created or co-created. But I don't think I have a character or a concept...it might have something to do with the supernatural or something like that.
8. So you enjoy supernatural type comics?
Yeah, I get a kick out of the stuff that Kurt and I have played around with, especially Jonny Demon. It had that cross between martial arts and supernatural. We just love that stuff. And when I self-published my own book back in the 80's, Eagle, I also did — it was essentially the same kind of subject, the supernatural and martial arts. I would be very surprised if I didn't end up doing a book like that if it was my own.
9. What creators outside of comics would you say have influenced you?
Um...I don't know, maybe some illustrators, but I don't think anybody specific. Probably some filmmakers, you know, the old black and white films. I'm mostly influenced by film I would say.
I guess I like the film noir thing, and I'm a fan of horror films. Especially the Hammer films, the English horror films, I think there's probably a mood...or an atmospheric kind of thing that comes across in some of my stuff from that. And maybe even the storytelling, I suspect that whatever story talent I might have probably came from watching a lot of movies and television, as opposed to reading a lot of comic books. There's a certain amount of cinematic feeling to some of the stuff...that, and when I came into the books, that was the thing I did best in a sense, as opposed to the drawing. The drawing I kind of had to learn on the job, get better at, the storytelling came right away. So my guess would be that that came from film more than anything.
10. Okay, here come some less serious questions. What is your favorite food to munch on during those long hours at the drafting table?
[Laughs] I try to avoid a favorite food, if only for the reason you don't lose a lot of weight sitting at a drawing table. But in the last few years I guess the most — probably something like M&M's or something like M&M's — Hershey's kisses, if they're sitting around. But I try not to eat while I'm working for two good reasons, one I gain the weight, and secondly it makes for messy pages. I try to avoid that. I try to keep nothing liquid near my work anymore. [Laughs] I ruined too much stuff at the beginning of my career.
11. Outside of comics your proudest achievement is?
My family. I'd say definitely my family. I humbly don't even feel it's an achievement as much as a lucky accident that I ended up with my wife and my daughter.
12. If you were placed in charge of the National Endowment for the Arts, what would you blow the budget on?
[Laughs] Oh, God, um...[laughs] I should think of something very noble, but I can't. I don't know, I'd...it would probably have something to do with movies. I would probably do something with movies, I don't know what it would be about, but it would definitely be in that direction. That's the best I could come up with, I'm sorry.
13. No, no, that's fine, and here's the last one: are you the sort of person you'd imagined you would be as a child?
I think looking back on it, a little bit. I think in relation to what I said earlier, I wasn't really positive I was going to be a comic book artist when I grew up, so, in a sense, I surprised myself. But yeah, I think basically. I consider myself a comparatively decent fellow, and I can say I'm fortunate enough to end up with a good family. I've got a job I enjoy and I get paid for it, so that's kind of a dream come true, I guess you could say so.
Well-So much for doing this every day!
I told myself i was gonna try to write something down in this blog every day...but the thing is i really don't wish to just write down ANY OLD THING!
I'm not so much worried readers will be bored or disinterested-that's gonna happen in spite of me-lol-so on those days i can't think of something more important I'll just post more art or old interviews and articles related to my fascinating life & career...
oh...wait a minute...i forgot -that's ME that thinks it's fascinating...
I'm not so much worried readers will be bored or disinterested-that's gonna happen in spite of me-lol-so on those days i can't think of something more important I'll just post more art or old interviews and articles related to my fascinating life & career...
oh...wait a minute...i forgot -that's ME that thinks it's fascinating...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Who is this Vokes Person: the interviews
By way of giving some more background on the "living legend" that is the Vokester (great-now I'm talking about myself like I'm not here...) here's an old interview from 2003.
It was done for a proposed website about me that this nice fella wanted to do-but as I've heard little from him since then,he's obviously come to his senses...
b3: First off, lets talk about where you came from. I've heard rumors of you as a small babe, a spaceship from a dying planet, and a small farm in Kansas.... any truth to those rumors?
Vokes: None whatsoever...It was a dimensional rift which threw my still pulsing gelatinous form into your earth's atmosphere-smack dab into the middle of a trailer park in ft. Lauderdale, Florida! -{laughs}- Well...the Florida part is true.
b3: How about the ones about you being able to leap tall soda cans in a single bound or draw a speeding locomotive?
Vokes: It would seem that many a legend has sprung up about my dark and mysterious origins-well-to take a page from John Ford: "...print the legend."
b3: What was the first comic that you can remember reading?
Vokes: I recall the place and the book-at least the name of the book anyway-It was in a barber shop (Tony's)-and the 1st comic i remember reading was (drum roll) "Superman" !
b3: What comics did you read as a kid?
Vokes: The aforementioned "Supes"- all the various DC comics-my favorite title being "Batman"-but,truth to tell, i was more interested in horror movies -My favorite mag was "Famous Monsters of Filmland"-it was my Bible (no offense-i didn't actually worship editor Forry Ackerman)
b3: When did you decide that you wanted to draw comics as a living?
Vokes: I think i always felt that drawing comics would be cool-my dad encouraged me to draw-not comics though-he used to destroy my comics on a regular basis-thought that they'd warp my mind-hmm...he may have had a point-lol-But as far as wanting to do them for a living-i never seriously entertained the notion-i was too busy trying to get my screwed up life in shape
b3: It's a hard field to get into, and you certainly have the talent, but how did you "break in"?
Vokes: Well,it's a long and twisted story-so I'll do my best to make it longer and more twisted...
I had, for many years,worked in a furniture warehouse as a supervisor-and was very near going postal-when the guiding hand of fate intervened and slapped me silly! They laid me off with the promise of calling me back in the near future-that was 18 years ago...they still haven't called-but i have faith that someday...lol-Anywho,I languished in the crowded halls of the unemployment office for what seemed years (it was about a year and a half actually-that free money thing was very addictive) -Then,my wife,Siri,and I had a serious talk about what i was going to do with myself-i had no frikkin' clue!
She suggested trying to break into comics-i told her she was insane!-lol-But,history has proved her quite sane-i bought several anatomy books-including Burne Hogarth's series -and hunkered down to about a year of serious study-i never really practiced before then-lol-whatever talents i had as an artist were either supernaturally endowed upon me...or i was born with it.
I then began to send in various samples to the different companies(this was around '82-'83)-including Pacific Comics-the home of 'Grimjack" and 'Starslayer' -They were the only company to send back a copy of my samples with copious notes on them-and a rejection-lol-i'll always be grateful to the famous Joe Staton for helping me figure stuff out back then (he's become a pal since ) -it was at this time that i met one of my best friends: Rich Rankin-he was running a Heroe's World-a comic shop in a local mall-and was an amateur artist like me-we struck up a friendship-he was also sending in samples-we decided to try something different-work together as penciller and inker! However,we didn't know which of us would be which. So,we started with me telling a story and him inking it-it worked well enough that we never tried it the other way around-We sent stuff in-got more rejections-then did a short story ("the Gauntlet"-an 8 page tale with our own characters and no ending) and sent that out-Nothing...until Comico comics, future home of "Grendel" and "Mage", liked our story and wanted to publish it in their new talent showcase:"Comico Primer and they wanted to pay us!
So,we said sure!
We went to Norristown,Pa. to get to know the guys better (they were all freshly out of art college-we were both older than all of them) received a check for our story-and became friends with these guys!-That helped us get in on the bottom floor of several (thankfully unpublished) projects-but this was wonderful on the job training -So,when our 1st "big break" came along-"Robotech Masters"-we were in the right place at the right time...Whew-I told you it was a long story.
b3: How did you celebrate :) ?
Vokes: We got drunk...of-frikkin-course!
b3: Looking back, with your long career drawing these funny books, what are you most proud of?
Vokes:I'm most proud of several things-probably the 1st important thing i did as a pro was also a self created project: "Eagle"-We did that right after "Robotech"-actually while we were still drawing it,much to the chagrin of then editor Diana Schutz (who,along with the infamous -and verrrry dangerous-Bob Schreck,was very helpful to me back then)
"Eagle" was a turning point for me-as a book and as way of exploring things in the form without an editor watching over me,telling me how to do things the "correct" way-(this is not a put down of editors,by the way-lol-I've worked with several very good ones-starting with miss Schutz)-But it freed me up to discover "my style" of storytelling-after that,there were several others-"Congorilla";"Hammer of God";(both inked by that inking god:Jay Geldhof)"Life,the Universe,and Everything";"Tarzan the Warrior";"Ninjak" and now "Superman Adventures"-
There are different reasons why I'm proud of each of these books-and I'm also very happy with various moments here and there in the other books-
b3: Who were the influences on your art?
Vokes: Artistically I'd have to say the 1st people to make an impression on me as artists (when i grew to be old enough to think beyond "wow-this is cool!") were Kirby,Steve Ditko,Gil Kane,Mike Sekowsky(an underrated artist),Kubert,Nick Cardy, and later Neal Adams,Toth, Wrightson and a whole slew more-
Storytelling wise,i learned from films-movies were always my favorite things-and whatever talents i may have in that area came from films (and those old pros like Kirby and Ditko)
b3: Is there anyone in the field that you haven't worked with, that you would really like to?
Vokes:Egad!This bio is long enough-lol-I've had the honor to work with some wonderful writers already(Busiek,Engleheart,Baron,Wheatley,Stern,among others)-but there are a few left I'd love to work with(Gaiman,Moore,Dini, and a whole lot more!)-And I've also enjoyed working with several inkers,letterers,and colorists who made doing my job a heck of a lot of fun!It's a long list!
b3: Do you read any books currently?
Vokes:Basically,no-I've found that my interests went elsewhere-mostly back to movies-lol-(i don't mean to imply that there's nothing to like-there are too many good books out there-i just don't have the same interest anymore)
b3: Are there any "new guys" that you think are doing some good stuff?
Vokes: I'm out of the loop,not reading anything anymore-but,artist wise there's my little bro,Mikey Oeming(who has recently been getting the attention he deserves),Mike Mignola is a god,David Mack,Alex Ross is absolutely magical-it's hard to pick "new guys' ,not knowing who's new-lol
b3: You've done some creator owned stuff, care to enlighten any readers who may not know about them?
Vokes: I've already spoken about "Eagle",my 1st baby-there was "Jonny Demon",with Kurt Busiek; we have to do more of that !There are others; some x rated-naughty Nels-and a bunch of unpublished...
b3: Any new creator owned projects coming out?
(Note: this was of course before PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE,THE BLACK FOREST and THE WICKED WEST books)
Vokes:Lots being worked on-lol-but coming out? not for awhile yet-i can safely say that Kurt and i are brewing up a new project-for next year-I can't speak about it yet-save to say,it will be lighthearted,probably "cartoony" and may show up in a,for us,unusual place (he says coyly)-
b3: I hear that you have an unnatural fascination with *really* old guys with swords, who like to slice off each others heads.... What's up with that?
Vokes:You must be talking of "Highlander"-lol
Yes,i love the concept-when we did "Eagle",it was called "Richard Eagle:Psychic Detective",until i saw the 1st HIGHLANDER film-after that,my already keen interest in martial arts,swashbucklers,and swordplay mutated into an obsession-i then proceeded to alter "Eagle" into a story of an immortal loner with a sword-But Highlander is a cool idea (in spite of the 2nd and 3rd film)-and i proudly have in my growing sword collection,several Highlander blades.
b3: What are some of your favorite movies?
Vokes: heheheh...This will be a very long bio-lol-"Highlander"; "Horror of Dracula"; "The Magnificent 7"; "The Vikings" ; Coppola's "Dracula"(it's not Bram Stoker's Dracula-more like Dan Curtis' Dracula,with a bigger budget); "The Matrix";"The Bride with the White Hair"; "Burning Paradise"; "West Side Story"; "The Searchers"; "Rio Bravo" and hundreds more westerns,horror films,musicals,comedies, etc.,etc.,etc...
b3: Books? (funny or "real")
Vokes: As i said earlier,i don't read much in the way of funny books anymore-i have enjoyed "Marvels"; "Astro City";"Leave it to Chance"; "Watchmen"; "Peace on Earth";"Kingdom Come";"Powers";"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"(?) and many more.
Real books: "Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal" by Thomas Harris;"The Exorcist/Legion/The 9th Configuration" by William Peter Blattey;"Magic/The Princess Bride" by William Goldman, and a lot of film biographies and behind the scenes stories-most recently "Burt Lancaster"; "With Nails" by Richard E. Grant (hilarious);" Adventures in the Screen Trade/Which Lie Did I Tell ?" also by Goldman-many more.
b3: Any words of wisdom for someone trying to break into comics?
Vokes: Don't try!-We're all booked up!-lol
But seriously folks-learn to draw-another "duh", i know-but take a close look at some of the artists working recently-yeesh-they skipped the learning to draw part,it seems-look very closely at life-study people ,places and things;learn how a coat wrinkles when you bend your arm or leg;study anatomy(another 'duh",but again look at those aforementioned "artists");learn outside of comic books(you can be sure the best ones did);and most of all:BE YOURSELF!
with all this other knowledge inside you,it would be a severe waste to spend your life drawing just like somebody else!(yet another "duh")
b3: I also hear you managed to snag yourself a wife. I thought that comic geeks couldn't get chicks :)
How did you score that one?
Vokes:I was lucky. I snagged Siri after I was getting away from reading comics and before I was a pro artist. So there-the true secret to my two major accomplishments in life (my marriage and my career) : TIMING!
It was done for a proposed website about me that this nice fella wanted to do-but as I've heard little from him since then,he's obviously come to his senses...
b3: First off, lets talk about where you came from. I've heard rumors of you as a small babe, a spaceship from a dying planet, and a small farm in Kansas.... any truth to those rumors?
Vokes: None whatsoever...It was a dimensional rift which threw my still pulsing gelatinous form into your earth's atmosphere-smack dab into the middle of a trailer park in ft. Lauderdale, Florida! -{laughs}- Well...the Florida part is true.
b3: How about the ones about you being able to leap tall soda cans in a single bound or draw a speeding locomotive?
Vokes: It would seem that many a legend has sprung up about my dark and mysterious origins-well-to take a page from John Ford: "...print the legend."
b3: What was the first comic that you can remember reading?
Vokes: I recall the place and the book-at least the name of the book anyway-It was in a barber shop (Tony's)-and the 1st comic i remember reading was (drum roll) "Superman" !
b3: What comics did you read as a kid?
Vokes: The aforementioned "Supes"- all the various DC comics-my favorite title being "Batman"-but,truth to tell, i was more interested in horror movies -My favorite mag was "Famous Monsters of Filmland"-it was my Bible (no offense-i didn't actually worship editor Forry Ackerman)
b3: When did you decide that you wanted to draw comics as a living?
Vokes: I think i always felt that drawing comics would be cool-my dad encouraged me to draw-not comics though-he used to destroy my comics on a regular basis-thought that they'd warp my mind-hmm...he may have had a point-lol-But as far as wanting to do them for a living-i never seriously entertained the notion-i was too busy trying to get my screwed up life in shape
b3: It's a hard field to get into, and you certainly have the talent, but how did you "break in"?
Vokes: Well,it's a long and twisted story-so I'll do my best to make it longer and more twisted...
I had, for many years,worked in a furniture warehouse as a supervisor-and was very near going postal-when the guiding hand of fate intervened and slapped me silly! They laid me off with the promise of calling me back in the near future-that was 18 years ago...they still haven't called-but i have faith that someday...lol-Anywho,I languished in the crowded halls of the unemployment office for what seemed years (it was about a year and a half actually-that free money thing was very addictive) -Then,my wife,Siri,and I had a serious talk about what i was going to do with myself-i had no frikkin' clue!
She suggested trying to break into comics-i told her she was insane!-lol-But,history has proved her quite sane-i bought several anatomy books-including Burne Hogarth's series -and hunkered down to about a year of serious study-i never really practiced before then-lol-whatever talents i had as an artist were either supernaturally endowed upon me...or i was born with it.
I then began to send in various samples to the different companies(this was around '82-'83)-including Pacific Comics-the home of 'Grimjack" and 'Starslayer' -They were the only company to send back a copy of my samples with copious notes on them-and a rejection-lol-i'll always be grateful to the famous Joe Staton for helping me figure stuff out back then (he's become a pal since ) -it was at this time that i met one of my best friends: Rich Rankin-he was running a Heroe's World-a comic shop in a local mall-and was an amateur artist like me-we struck up a friendship-he was also sending in samples-we decided to try something different-work together as penciller and inker! However,we didn't know which of us would be which. So,we started with me telling a story and him inking it-it worked well enough that we never tried it the other way around-We sent stuff in-got more rejections-then did a short story ("the Gauntlet"-an 8 page tale with our own characters and no ending) and sent that out-Nothing...until Comico comics, future home of "Grendel" and "Mage", liked our story and wanted to publish it in their new talent showcase:"Comico Primer and they wanted to pay us!
So,we said sure!
We went to Norristown,Pa. to get to know the guys better (they were all freshly out of art college-we were both older than all of them) received a check for our story-and became friends with these guys!-That helped us get in on the bottom floor of several (thankfully unpublished) projects-but this was wonderful on the job training -So,when our 1st "big break" came along-"Robotech Masters"-we were in the right place at the right time...Whew-I told you it was a long story.
b3: How did you celebrate :) ?
Vokes: We got drunk...of-frikkin-course!
b3: Looking back, with your long career drawing these funny books, what are you most proud of?
Vokes:I'm most proud of several things-probably the 1st important thing i did as a pro was also a self created project: "Eagle"-We did that right after "Robotech"-actually while we were still drawing it,much to the chagrin of then editor Diana Schutz (who,along with the infamous -and verrrry dangerous-Bob Schreck,was very helpful to me back then)
"Eagle" was a turning point for me-as a book and as way of exploring things in the form without an editor watching over me,telling me how to do things the "correct" way-(this is not a put down of editors,by the way-lol-I've worked with several very good ones-starting with miss Schutz)-But it freed me up to discover "my style" of storytelling-after that,there were several others-"Congorilla";"Hammer of God";(both inked by that inking god:Jay Geldhof)"Life,the Universe,and Everything";"Tarzan the Warrior";"Ninjak" and now "Superman Adventures"-
There are different reasons why I'm proud of each of these books-and I'm also very happy with various moments here and there in the other books-
b3: Who were the influences on your art?
Vokes: Artistically I'd have to say the 1st people to make an impression on me as artists (when i grew to be old enough to think beyond "wow-this is cool!") were Kirby,Steve Ditko,Gil Kane,Mike Sekowsky(an underrated artist),Kubert,Nick Cardy, and later Neal Adams,Toth, Wrightson and a whole slew more-
Storytelling wise,i learned from films-movies were always my favorite things-and whatever talents i may have in that area came from films (and those old pros like Kirby and Ditko)
b3: Is there anyone in the field that you haven't worked with, that you would really like to?
Vokes:Egad!This bio is long enough-lol-I've had the honor to work with some wonderful writers already(Busiek,Engleheart,Baron,Wheatley,Stern,among others)-but there are a few left I'd love to work with(Gaiman,Moore,Dini, and a whole lot more!)-And I've also enjoyed working with several inkers,letterers,and colorists who made doing my job a heck of a lot of fun!It's a long list!
b3: Do you read any books currently?
Vokes:Basically,no-I've found that my interests went elsewhere-mostly back to movies-lol-(i don't mean to imply that there's nothing to like-there are too many good books out there-i just don't have the same interest anymore)
b3: Are there any "new guys" that you think are doing some good stuff?
Vokes: I'm out of the loop,not reading anything anymore-but,artist wise there's my little bro,Mikey Oeming(who has recently been getting the attention he deserves),Mike Mignola is a god,David Mack,Alex Ross is absolutely magical-it's hard to pick "new guys' ,not knowing who's new-lol
b3: You've done some creator owned stuff, care to enlighten any readers who may not know about them?
Vokes: I've already spoken about "Eagle",my 1st baby-there was "Jonny Demon",with Kurt Busiek; we have to do more of that !There are others; some x rated-naughty Nels-and a bunch of unpublished...
b3: Any new creator owned projects coming out?
(Note: this was of course before PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE,THE BLACK FOREST and THE WICKED WEST books)
Vokes:Lots being worked on-lol-but coming out? not for awhile yet-i can safely say that Kurt and i are brewing up a new project-for next year-I can't speak about it yet-save to say,it will be lighthearted,probably "cartoony" and may show up in a,for us,unusual place (he says coyly)-
b3: I hear that you have an unnatural fascination with *really* old guys with swords, who like to slice off each others heads.... What's up with that?
Vokes:You must be talking of "Highlander"-lol
Yes,i love the concept-when we did "Eagle",it was called "Richard Eagle:Psychic Detective",until i saw the 1st HIGHLANDER film-after that,my already keen interest in martial arts,swashbucklers,and swordplay mutated into an obsession-i then proceeded to alter "Eagle" into a story of an immortal loner with a sword-But Highlander is a cool idea (in spite of the 2nd and 3rd film)-and i proudly have in my growing sword collection,several Highlander blades.
b3: What are some of your favorite movies?
Vokes: heheheh...This will be a very long bio-lol-"Highlander"; "Horror of Dracula"; "The Magnificent 7"; "The Vikings" ; Coppola's "Dracula"(it's not Bram Stoker's Dracula-more like Dan Curtis' Dracula,with a bigger budget); "The Matrix";"The Bride with the White Hair"; "Burning Paradise"; "West Side Story"; "The Searchers"; "Rio Bravo" and hundreds more westerns,horror films,musicals,comedies, etc.,etc.,etc...
b3: Books? (funny or "real")
Vokes: As i said earlier,i don't read much in the way of funny books anymore-i have enjoyed "Marvels"; "Astro City";"Leave it to Chance"; "Watchmen"; "Peace on Earth";"Kingdom Come";"Powers";"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"(?) and many more.
Real books: "Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal" by Thomas Harris;"The Exorcist/Legion/The 9th Configuration" by William Peter Blattey;"Magic/The Princess Bride" by William Goldman, and a lot of film biographies and behind the scenes stories-most recently "Burt Lancaster"; "With Nails" by Richard E. Grant (hilarious);" Adventures in the Screen Trade/Which Lie Did I Tell ?" also by Goldman-many more.
b3: Any words of wisdom for someone trying to break into comics?
Vokes: Don't try!-We're all booked up!-lol
But seriously folks-learn to draw-another "duh", i know-but take a close look at some of the artists working recently-yeesh-they skipped the learning to draw part,it seems-look very closely at life-study people ,places and things;learn how a coat wrinkles when you bend your arm or leg;study anatomy(another 'duh",but again look at those aforementioned "artists");learn outside of comic books(you can be sure the best ones did);and most of all:BE YOURSELF!
with all this other knowledge inside you,it would be a severe waste to spend your life drawing just like somebody else!(yet another "duh")
b3: I also hear you managed to snag yourself a wife. I thought that comic geeks couldn't get chicks :)
How did you score that one?
Vokes:I was lucky. I snagged Siri after I was getting away from reading comics and before I was a pro artist. So there-the true secret to my two major accomplishments in life (my marriage and my career) : TIMING!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Batman Returns!
As I said in the last post: not enough time-whew!
I spent most of today finishing my resident Batman fan's newest commission-hope you approve...;o)
I spent most of today finishing my resident Batman fan's newest commission-hope you approve...;o)
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