Starting with June's Savage Wolverine #6, fan-favorite artist Joe Maduriera and writer Zeb Wells are teaming up once again at Marvel Comics, this time for a three issue arc with the world's most popular mutant.
It's been two years since Joe Mad's last interior work at the publisher, so we caught up with the artist to see what he's got in store for Wolverine and Marvel in general. He also dishes out some tips for artists looking to get into the comics business and gives his thoughts on the differences between working in comics and working in video games.
IGN Comics: Much of your modern work with Marvel has been with Zeb Wells. Tell us a bit about your collaborative relationship. How much freedom do you like in scripts?
Joe Madureira: It really depends on the project. Obviously a little freedom is always appreciated, but I really love Zeb’s stuff and mostly I try my best just not to mess it up. I’ve never really had to try to "sell" comedy before, so that’s been pretty fun. Lots of laughs in all the stuff we work on. And he’s great about giving me room to play.
IGN: What can you tell us about the story you guys will be telling?
Madureira: It opens with Wolverine struggling a bit with being an Avenger, and all that entails. Elektra shows up with a mission which involves killing lots of people, and he jumps at the chance which is kind of unnerving to everyone (including himself). From there it’s lots of ninja-slaying action as Elektra and Wolverine battle the Ninja of the Hand (over whom the Kingpin is struggling to maintain his rule) . It introduces some powerful, ancient Hand ninja called "The Arbiters" who are pretty much trouble for all involved.
IGN: What appeals to you about Wolverine as a character? Visually your Wolverine has always been very bold and distinct – what inspires your visual take on the character?
Madureira: I definitely am less excited about the "costumed superhero" aspect of Wolverine, and A LOT more excited about the feral berserker who’s just barely restrained underneath. And when he cuts loose, that’s best of all. Basically, I try to play up the "savage" aspect of Wolverine.
IGN: Can we expect more from you at Marvel after Savage Wolverine?
Madureira: Yes!
IGN: Any creator-owned work on the horizon?
Madureira: Eventually. I really think it will happen at some point. But there are several projects both inside and outside of comics that I need to take care of first. Can’t really say more about them though. Yet. So maybe not on the horizon, but just over it.
IGN: You originally stepped away from comics to work on video games. What lured you back? You are fully invested in Savage Wolverine – what kept you on board with comics despite your heavy involvement in games?
Madureira: My ultimate goal is to be able to do both. And I’m extremely lucky that I get that opportunity. There’s a creative freedom to comics, and a fulfillment I get out of panel layouts and storytelling that is hard for me to get anywhere else. Also, it’s important to me that I stay current. It always makes me sad when someone comments on how much they love my work— from 15 years ago!! I don’t want to be just another old school guy that fell off. I’m sure that no matter what I’m involved in, I’ll always be doing comics, at least in some minor capacity. Sure, games sell more—but comic fans are DIE HARD, and their loyalty is undying and infectious. As long as you keep making good stuff!
IGN: Do you find your approach to comics has changed now that you’ve worked for years in games? Do you ask different things from your writers? Do you find you approached storytelling differently?
Madureira: Honestly, it really hasn’t changed. I still have all my old habits from back in the day (even the bad ones). I do think that having worked in a management capacity has made me a little more respectful of deadlines (which I’m sure my editors appreciate...). And as far as writers go, I really have been blessed to work with some seasoned dudes. I just stay out of their way and let them do their thing. On Avenging, and now Savage, I really just try to deliver on what Zeb’s turned in. Occasionally I’ll have a crazy idea or two, but it’s pretty much all there in the script.
IGN: You’ve been posting a lot of art tips on your Facebook page. What would you say to an aspiring artist looking to break into the industry? Has that process or the industry’s needs changed considerably since you first broke in?
Madureira: Well, the biggest change is that the comic industry has dried up considerably. In the 90s it was not uncommon to sell one million copies of a single issue. Even four or five million. Every month. Nowadays, if a book sells 50-100k it's considered successful. Some books don’t even sell a fraction of that, and eventually get cancelled. Publishing is hard right now. Traditional comic publishing that is. On the flipside, we’ve got the Internet. Mobile everything. We’ve got digital downloads and massive potential exposure for new talent that just wasn’t available back in the day. My advice would be kick ass and think outside the box. Because the box sucks right now. There are a million ways to deliver your work to people today. Bringing your giant cumbersome portfolios to comic cons to peddle your wares to disinterested publishers is NOT THE WAY.
Look at related industries. Concept art for games and film. Animation. Lots of places to hone your skill as an artist and still earn a paycheck while you’re waiting to kick the door down. If you’re stubborn though, and you absolutely must draw comics because it’s your life’s dream (and I don’t blame you...) you just better make sure you’ve got something special. You have to kick 10x more ass. I don’t mean this to discourage people. I kind of get excited by that.
You just have to know what you’re getting into, and not care.
Source : ign[dot]com
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