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Wenesday, December 7, 2005
Comicbook
Biography: Adam Hughes
Adam Hughes is one the the most sought after
cover artist in comics today, especially if there is a pretty girl on
the cover. But his body of work covers much more than just pin-ups, and
is wider reaching and deeper than you might think.
Adam agreed to sit down with Newsarama to talk about his career. Newsarama: You are self taught, how did you learn your technique?
Adam Hughes: Trial and error… lotsa
introspection… lotsa studying other great artist for the keys to the
kingdom.
NRAMA: Your first work was on Warrior
from Malibu, right?
AH: Actually, my first work was for
Eagle, from Crystal Comics, actually; I met the creators at a local
store signing.
NRAMA: Early on in your career, you were
probably best known as the artist on Maze Agency. How did
you get hooked up with creator/writer Mike Barr on the series?
AH: I met Comico editor Diana Schutz at a
con in Philadelphia; from there, I sent in try-out pages for Maze Agency
and Justice Machine.
NRAMA: While you were on Maze
for a while, your first high profile assignment was Justice League
America, how did you make the jump from small press to DC?
AH: With my eyes closed. Comico put
Maze on hiatus, and I was unemployed for 90 minutes before DC called.
Bill Willingham (Fables, Elementals) had shown my stuff to
JL editor Andy Helfer.
NRAMA: You also had a long association
with both Star Trek and Star Wars, are you a fan?
AH: BIG TIME. I grew up on Trek
reruns, and Star Wars is my big inspiration.
NRAMA: How is it different working on a
licensed property?
AH: It’s twice as frustrating. You have
to answer to two bosses, so there’s twice as many chances to be
confounded by people who have authority over your craft, without an ounce of
art in their soul.
NRAMA: With something like Star Trek,
do the actors, or their agents, complain about there likenesses?
AH: Patrick Stewart had me lesson his
conehead on a cover once, guess I over-did it. Otherwise, I never really
hear from the stars.
NRAMA: Which series do you prefer?
AH: Classic Original Series, all the
way. Next Gen was great, but Kirk and Spock were with me from
the beginning.
NRAMA: You worked on a comic titled
Desert Storm: Send Hussein to Hell, I know this is total off topic, but
what are your feelings about the war in Iraq?
AH: If the real reason our current
government has sent American sons & daughters to spill their blood on the
sands of a far-distant land is truly to free an oppressed people,
then give them the tools they need so they can come home. But I fear there
are hidden agendas and purposes at play, and we’ll never know what the real
reason is for this war; at least not until all the folks in charge are
long-dead and free from prosecution.
NRAMA: You worked on the launch of
Ghost as part of Comics Greatest World. What is it like being part of
the creation of an entire Super Hero Universe from scratch?
AH: Nervous. You have no trail to
follow, blazed for you by better artists.
NRAMA: With the DCU and the Marvel
Universe they grow and evolved over time. Is it possible to create a
complete universe all at once and have readers buy into it?
AH: Absolutely; only, you have to have
the right talent to pull that off.
NRAMA: How much say did you have over the
character designs?
AH: A little. Chris Warner designed
Ghost; I just made a few tweaks to fit my personal style.
NRAMA: You worked on a few issues of
Penthouse Comix, why switch from Good Girl art to Bad Girl art?
AH: The only reason: Money
NRAMA: Was there ever some concern that
after working on Penthouse Comix, DC might not want to work on all ages
comics like Wonder Woman?
AH: Constant, constant concern. I was
terrified that I was screwing myself out of a career.
NRAMA: With X-Men Classics, you
moved away from interiors to being known as a cover artist. Do you find
covers as satisfying as story telling?
AH: Yes, but in a very different way.
NRAMA: When you get a cover assignment
like Catwoman, Wonder Woman or Tomb Raider. Do you try
to tie the cover into the story, or do you try to produce an image that will
sell the comic by itself, regardless of the story?
AH: My prime task as cover artist is to
sell the comic. Cover artists are the last bit of advertising, and the
first bit of story in a comic’s life. I love to incorporate the story; but
sometimes the story isn’t even written by the time I have to hand a cover
in.
NRAMA: You did a variety of pieces for
Stan Lee presents the DC Universe, did you actually work with Stan on
this project?
AH: Never even talked to him.
NRAMA: Much of your work is painted
instead of line art, do you uses models?
AH: That’s an ‘apples vs. Volkswagens’
question… I do line art on 95% of my covers; they only look painted because
I color my own work in Photoshop. And yes, I use models from time-to-time.
At this stage in my career, I’m more into classic American illustration than
cartooning. The bottom line is, using models means I get my hot neighbor to
stand around in a bikini and my girlfriend thinks it A-OK. What a scam!
NRAMA: How did you get involved with
Tomb Raider?
AH: By doing covers and illustrations for
PlayStation Magazine. That led to doing the comic covers.
NRAMA: What are the differences working
on Tomb Raider in comics and in a magazine setting?
AH: None, as far as I could tell. Sexy,
fun, and dangerous, regardless of the venue.
NRAMA: Does magazine work pay better then
comic work?
AH: A little bit, yeah.
NRAMA: You have a long association with
Wonder Woman, is there any truth to the rumors that you are working
on an All-Star Wonder Woman series?
AH: I am contractually obligated
to neither confirm nor deny my participation in All-Star Wonder Woman.
I am allowed to confirm that I am working on a 6-issue miniseries for DC
Comics, and I have none of it done, as I have no script yet. Maybe Santa
Claus will bring me one, I’ve been good all year.
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