We were lucky enough to interview comic-book artist and commercial illustrator, James Silvani. On top of working on popular comics such as Darkwing Duck and Richie Rich, the other thing that caught our eye was the Disney character mashups with Star Wars characters. These are just few of the many that Mr. Silvani created. You can check out more of these mashups on his tumblr site.
Q: What made
you want to do the Star Wars mashups?
A: Most of those were actually
convention commissions. There's not a lot of working American Disney comic
artists around these days so my frequent collaborator Amy Mebberson and I
usually have that market cornered at most conventions. While it's fun for most
people to get a straight Darkwing Duck or Stitch drawing at Artist Alley,
I prefer the challenge of mashing up those characters with the attendees' other
favorite fandoms. The key is making those mashups work in context. Mickey as
Luke Skywalker is all over official Disney merchandise. But knowing how to make
Linguini from Ratataouille work as Luke is a real payoff for both me and the
customer.
Q: What
artists inspire you?
A: The first comics I remember reading
were the Carl Barks' Disney Ducks comics. It showed me that action and humor
could blend well together. John Severin's Cracked magazine work was also huge
for me. Again, his humor and action plus his unparalleled draftsmanship really
gave me something to strive for. I also used to read a lot of newspaper
comics. Peanuts, Popeye and later Calvin and Hobbes all taught me about
efficiency in storytelling
Q: Are you
currently working on any projects?
A: My current comics work is mostly
drawing the comic book companion to the Dragons-Riders Of Berk show (based on
the "How To Train Your Dragon" movie) that's running on Cartoon
Network. I also just started working with Acme Archives creating artwork for
both… surprise, Star Wars and other Disney properties. My first Star Wars
prints should be out in time for Christmas. Next year there will be some real
treats for those who followed my Darkwing Duck comics run or fans of the Disney
afternoon in general.
Q: Do you read
comics? If you do, what are some that you are currently reading?
A: I live on Maui and we don't even
have a comic shop here so it's tough to browse through what's current out
there. I usually pick up things from individual creators that I like. I
make it a point to always get Eric Powell's The Goon, Bill Willingham's Fables
and Los Bros. Hernandez' Love & Rockets. I also grab anything by Darwyn
Cooke, Jeff Smith and Roger Langridge.
Q: You have
about 20 years of experience as a freelance artist, what changes have you seen
in the industry?
A: As far as comics go, Superhero
comics died for me over that 20 year span. The best superhero stories during
that time were told in the DC Animated Universe and more recently in the Marvel
cinematic universe.
Q: What advice
do you have for new artists?
A: Draw, Draw, Draw!
Everyday! And don't superheroes, draw what you see around you. Draw your
family, your dog, your car, your neighbor that you hate. When you can figure
out how to translate what you see everyday to the page, it will help you
infinitely in bringing what's in your imagination to life.
We just want to thank Mr. Silvani for this great opportunity. You can check out more about James Silvani below:
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