5/15/2014

AWARD-WINNING CARTOONIST MATT DEMBICKI: The Magic Bullet Interview



CONGRATS, MATT!

Wild Ocean and Trickster are both in Amazon.com's top 10 comics anthologies!

Matt will be signing Wild Ocean this Sunday, May 18th,  from 1-3 
at  FANTOM COMICS at Union Station in Washington, DC

 MAGIC BULLET INTERVIEWS MATT DEMBICKI

How did you become a cartoonist? (formal training, workshops, self-taught?)
I was pretty much self-taught. I started drawing when I began reading and collecting comics at age 8. I drew through high school, where I took some art classes. I quit comics and drawing when I went to college and got back into in 15 years later, thanks to my wife.

What are your favorite things to draw/write about?
I’ve been writing and drawing a lot of aquatic-themed comics recently. I’ve always been intrigued by the ocean, so I guess this is my way of learning and exploring it.

What media do you use/tools do you find indispensible? (fav pens, brushes, apps, programs, pencils)
A metal ruler; cheap, disposable pencils; Micron pens; Pentel brush pen; Ultradraw rapidograph ink; Utrecht brushes; and Borden & Riley #235 paper.

Do you consider yourself to be more draftsman or storyteller?
I’m more of a storyteller. I do enjoy playing with layout, though. I find it challenging.

Do you write your scripts? When you write, do you type out script pages, or do you handwrite with/in your sketchbook?
I do write scripts, usually several drafts. The first is usually a bunch of notes, maybe some rough page scripts. Then I write a first draft on a computer. I put it aside for about two weeks and come at it again with fresh eyes for a final draft.

Who are your influences? (& your favorite cartoonists, if different)
Steven Bissette, Wally Wood, Bernie Wrightson, Rick Veitch.  I was heavily influenced by comic book artists in the 1980s.

What inspires you?
A good idea. Taking a kernel of something and nurturing into something bigger. Just knowing that it’s possible to do something like that is a wonderful feeling.

What music or movies, if any, do you play while you work?
I listen to Pandora.com a lot these days. My playlist includes the Kinks, X, Replacements, the Cult, the Fixx, Pietasters and Big Audio Dynamite. Older stuff, I guess.

What are you favorite films, and who are your favorite filmmakers/screenwriters?
I’ve never really followed filmmakers or screenwriters. Except Kurosawa. He’s awesome. In terms of movies, I tend to follow actors more often. I enjoy Jack Lemon, Walter Matthau, Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp.

Do you have animated versions of your work? Is that something which interests you?
No, I don’t. I haven’t had a desire to dabble in animation until my kids started to like animation. Now I feel I want to learn more about it to help them explore it.

Are comics art, craft, showbiz, or whut??
I like comics as art. I’m not sure I can explain why. It just feels right.

Are you a control freak?
I think so.  I’ve got my hands in various projects and they are all deadline driven. To meet those deadlines with quality results, I think you have to have a little control freak in you.

What are your fav/best venues to show/sell your comics? (galleries, coffee shops, cons, festivals)
I enjoy libraries and library conferences the best. Libraries are wonderful champions of the form and they are still learning about.

Favorite Cons and why?
The Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo in Columbus, Ohio, because it was the first show I exhibited at, and I really enjoy the creators who attend it.  I’ve made some great friends there and I enjoy visiting with them every April. I also like the Small Press Expo for the inspiration—plus it’s in out backyard.

What professional/cartoonists groups or organizations do you belong to, if any?
I’m a co-founder of the D.C. Conspiracy, a Washington comics creators collaborative that started in 2005.

What tips/advice would you give aspiring comics-makers?
To use a quote from the animated film Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming.” Keep doing it because you love to do it.

“Graphic Novels” or “Comic Books?”
Comic books

“Film” or “Movie?”
Film

One word response to . . . “writer’s block”:
Never been an issue for me. That doesn’t mean I haven’t had really crappy ideas!

Where can we find you online? Website? Blog? Web comic? YouTube? Twitter? FB?

matt-dembicki.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/matt.dembicki

We thought we shouldn't leave you wondering about where are Matt's awards, because, here they are! Well deserved, and congrats, again!

·       2013 SPACE Prize First Place and Second Place (Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo,  Columbus,Ohio), Xoc and District Comics
·       2013 Harvey Award Finalist, District Comics
·       2013 Shel Dorf Award Winner, District Comics
·       2012 SPACE Prize Finalist, Trickster
·       2011 Aesop Prize Winner (American Folklore Society), Trickster
·       2011 ALA's Young Adult Library Services Association Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Trickster
·       2011 ALA Notable Children’s Books, Trickster
·       2011 Eisner Award Nominee, Trickster
·       2009 Ignatz Award Nominee, Xoc #1 (self-published)
·       2007 Howard E. Day Prize, for Mr. Big (self-published)