THE WRIGHT STUFF: Alex Wright Crusading Artist
It’s hard for me to remember time when I wasn’t friends with Alex. I don’t remember how we first met but it was over the Mighty Crusaders probably in 2001 or 2002. It may have been in a Mighty Crusaders chat group. He had done some photomorphs for the Mighty Crusaders and I told him he did a nice job. Over they years had has done many more. He did some just for the Mighty Crusaders Network website. He did some line art for my book, he provides a ton of cosplay photos for a Sunday column on First Comics News and he has offered advice for the proper care and training for the family Chihuahua.
Shield G-Man Club: How old were you when you discovered comics?
Alex Wright: I was around 6 to 8 years old. The doorman in our apartment building gave me a stack of coverless comics. Among them was Mighty Crusaders #6.
SGMC: What attracted you to them?
Alex: Colourful costumes.
SGMC: Did your parents encourage your hobby?
Alex: Yes, they always encouraged me to read whether it was encyclopedias or comic books.
SGMC: When did you start drawing super heroes?
Alex: I was drawing before I could read. So drawing superheroes started as soon as I started reading comics.
SGMC: Where did you study art?
Alex: I studied Commercial Art at Blanche MacDonald Career College in Vancouver, BC.
SGMC: What made you connect with the Crusaders?
Alex: Back then, The Crusaders had a campy vibe which appealed to my young mind.
SGMC: Who is your favorite?
Alex: Of the originals, I’d say The Web. However, Darkling was/is my favourite all-around Crusader.
SGMC: What makes the Mighty Crusaders fun to draw?
Alex: Those colourful costumes.
SGMC: When did you start doing photomorphs?
Alex: In the late 90s.
SGMC: The Mighty Crusaders have a lot of uniform variation in each hero. What elements are important to you?
Alex: I prefer the Comet’s moon and star costume with the red arrow to any of his others.
SGMC: How did you do the All-Star Comics homage cover?
Alex: The base picture was created by a friend sitting in each pose around a round table.
SGMC: How do you select subjects for the photomorphs?
Alex: If I’m recreating a cover then I look for a base model in the same pose (or as close as possible). Sometimes a base pic will suggest a hero to me and I’ll go from there. It depends on the instance.
SGMC: What tools to you use for your photomorphs?
Alex: use Photoshop exclusively.
SGMC: Which do you find more rewarding?
Alex: When I discovered photomanipulation I fell in love and rarely went back to line drawing. I blame Alex Ross for wanting to do photomorphs because I could never draw to his level of realism so ‘morphs were the closest thing.
SGMC: What are your artistic goals for 2020?
Alex: After a year’s hiatus, I plan to get back to work.