Will Morris talks to Dan Berry about paper, looking, drawing and reveals some shocking information about a beloved tv show. Check out Will’s website, the WebTrip site and his book The Silver Darlings.
Podcast
Richard Short, Karrie Fransman and Posy Simmonds
This show was recorded live at the Illustrato.rs Lineup show at the Mall Galleries, London on the 4th May. Dan Berry spoke to Richard Short, Karrie Fransman and Posy Simmonds about their work, their approach and the challenges in creating long-form work.
A word of warning though – this was recorded in an art gallery, so the acoustics were terrible. The recording is actually better than the live sound on the day though. Big echoey white walls may be great for hanging art, but they aren’t so good for reproducing those soft intimate Make It Then Tell Everybody tones that you’ve grown accustomed to.
Photo By Canan Marasligil
Jim Guthrie
The first non-comics guest to the show, musician extraordinare Jim Guthrie and Dan Berry talk about the overlaps in the creative process, advertising and Jim’s long awaited new album, Takes Time. The tracks featured in this episode are Bring On The Night and The Rest Is Yet To Come from Takes Time, and Hug Me Til I’m Blue from the extended edition of Now More Than Ever.
Isaac Lenkiewicz
Isaac Lenkiewicz and Dan Berry talk about brushes both analogue and digital, The Simpsons and Jump Man.
Eleanor Davis
Eleanor Davis talks from the comfort and security of a blanket fort to Dan Berry about hard work, getting better at art and the challenges of longer format work and living with another creative person.
Ryan Andrews
Ryan Andrews and Dan Berry talk about Ryan’s work, Totoro dung, Dragonball, his life in rural Japan and the difficulties of weaning yourself off Photoshop.
Here’s an update from Ryan by email;
Here’s the photos of my tools I’m using right now. They didn’t have my “Manga Black” ink last time I went so I got this. I don’t really have a favorite brand of brush or ink yet. I pretty much just go and grab whatever they have. I used to have a favorite paper, but it looks like they changed the recipe cause it doesn’t work the same anymore. Avalon watercolor by Holbein. Its like 50 USD for a pad of 20 sheets though, which is why I don’t really have any paper right now.
Marc Ellerby
Marc Ellerby talks autobiography, process, digital comics, self promotion and how to choose a convention with Dan Berry.
Dustin Harbin
Dustin Harbin and Dan Berry talk at length about doing art better, what the proper collective noun for a group of Voltrons is, how conventions work and the Holiday Olympics. We will return to this conversation in a few months. There’s a lot of stuff we didn’t get to.
Isabel Greenberg
Isabel Greenberg talks to Dan Berry about her very recently finished book, her working process and thoughts on festivals, shops and comics in general.
INJ Culbard
INJ Culbard and Dan Berry get philosophical about criticism, the idea of the ego and the artist and some solid practical advice on streamlining a creative process. Go and check out Deadbeats from Self Made Hero with Chris Lackey & Chad Fifer and the New Deadwardians with Dan Abnett.
Stephen Collins
Dan Berry speaks to Stephen Collins about the requirements of doing a weekly strip for the Guardian, what is and is not funny, backing out of dead ends, the Beyonce Train and an enormous beard that is also evil.
Robert Ball
Robert Ball talks to Dan Berry about his very recent leap into the world of freelance illustration from a high profile branding design job, the difference between analogue and digital illustration and of course DANGER.
UPDATE! 19 March 2013
Rob wrote me this very interesting email about his interview. Over to Rob;
Hi Dan,
Just listening to you interview Ian Culbard and I kind of regret not talking about the difference between design, Illustration and comics now.
Broadly speaking the key difference between Design and the other two is one of authorship – whatever you design should be 100% appropriate for the client or project, the designer should be invisible because he or she is irrelevent to the success of that project. There are exceptions, of course, maybe fashion being the most extreme example – if you commissioned Jean Paul Gaultier you’d be disappointed if your dress looked like it was designed by Tom Ford.
The fashion example is closer to illustration – you are employed for a consistent approach and aesthetic. The difference with illustration and comics then becomes one of discipline – the two are connected but the task is different. Again there are exceptions – I guess comic artists are told to draw the ‘Marvel’ or ‘DC’ way, but the aspiration is to be recognised and paid for your own style.
If you took a design approach to a comic, you would choose to draw and write in a style that most suited the story that you wanted to tell, which is completely impractical (you see some artists do it to a degree – Rob Davis, for example) rather than a story that is within your capabilities to tell.
In fact, if you really took a design approach to comics you wouldn’t draw them yourself at all!
I don’t know why I’m telling you this, I guess it’s a round about way of saying the podcast’s got me thinking, and that’s a good thing!
Rob.
Philippa Rice
Philippa Rice and Dan Berry talk styles, making money on the internet, the value of a re-tumbl, mean streaks and what would happen if she was banned from every single comics show.
Kate Brown
Kate Brown talks to Dan Berry about the highs and lows of drawing comics and shares with us an indespensible tool for cartoonists. The Flowchart:
Hannah Berry
Hannah Berry speaks to Dan Berry about writing and drawing comics and the deep darkness at the heart of her very soul.
Scott C.
Dan Berry talks to Scott Campbell all about his working methods, his career thus far and the possibility of him turning to the dark side. Amongst other things. It was awesome.
Jamie Smart
Jamie Smart speaks to Dan Berry about his work, his audience and living life under the gaze of the internet. We were given some technical lemons in the recording of this podcast, but we managed to seamlessly make delicious audio lemonade.
Charlie Adlard
Dan Berry speaks with Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard about his process, how he got started in the comics industry and his thoughts on comic book covers featuring snarling faces. When you talk to Charlie Adlard however, the topic inevitably turns to death, the loss of humanity and zombies. Always zombies.
