During Fan Expo 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, several artists participated in sketching duels in which the illustrators produced works of art on a common subject within a one-hour time limit. The artists worked in front of rooms filled with fans who were encouraged to ask questions. In two separate contests (Tony Moore versus Bill Sienkiewicz and Alex Maleev versus Steve Epting), the artists recounted memorable tales for their fans. The following are some of the highlights.
Starting in Comics
Asked about breaking into the comics business, Steve Epting (Captain America, The Fantastic Four) recalled, "I was at a convention down in Atlanta, and I heard about this contest where the winner would get to do a backup story [in a Valiant Comics title]. I showed up with some samples the next day, and there were about 15 other guys there [with their portfolios].
"The people at Valiant, though, had no idea about any contest or who would've said there was one. But the art director was there and took a look at our work. Me and another fellow there were chosen as the winners, and we were each given a backup story to do. I did it, and I've been working ever since. The other guy didn't, and he's not working in comics."
The Right Place
Addressing a question about whether or not breaking into comics was just a case of being at the right place at the right time, Alex Maleev (Moon Knight, Daredevil) noted that to a certain degree it is, but quite often, it is about making your own opportunities.
The artist recalled looking for work in New York City: "I went to the Valiant offices and went straight up to the [editorial office], and no one stopped me. There was a girl there that probably should have stopped me, but she didn't." As an aside, Maleev observed that it was a very different world back then because the 9/11 attacks had not yet taken place. "I walked in, put my samples on the editor's desk, and said, 'If you don't look at my art, I'm going to jump out the window.' I was joking."
The folks at Valiant, though, took Maleev quite seriously and looked over his artwork. They liked what they saw and gave the artist his first assignment. From that point, Maleev received regular work and has been in the comics business ever since.
Negative Reactions
Regarding negative fan response to particular work, Tony Moore (The Walking Dead, The Punisher) spoke about his run on the "Franken-Castle" storyline, recalling that "some people weren't too thrilled about the Punisher getting cut to pieces." The artist did not miss a beat, quickly adding, "But that's OK—I like hearing from everybody."
On the same subject, Bill Sienkiewicz (The New Mutants, Elektra: Assassin) told the fans about an experience he had on the subway. Since he enjoys drawing while commuting, he often sketches fellow subway riders.
"I did a sketch of a lady, and it wasn't too flattering," he recollected. The woman could not see his sketch but quickly realized he was drawing her. "She asked to see [the drawing], so I showed it to her...and the smile she had just drained away." The woman did not speak to Sienkiewicz for the rest of the trip.
Mistakes by Writers
When asked about mistakes that writers have made, Alex Maleev immediately thought of his long-time collaborator on Daredevil, Brian Michael Bendis. "Brian doesn't make mistakes," remarked the artist without a hint of irony. "Well, he's a bad speller, so there are spelling mistakes [in his scripts], so that's funny."
On the topic of mistakes, Steve Epting offered, "It's usually when a writer has a character doing two different things in the same panel. You can't have them doing separate actions in one panel."
"Then," put in Maleev, "you just have to make two panels."
The Walking Dead
Because of his work on The Walking Dead comics, Tony Moore was inevitably asked what he thought of the AMC TV series. The artist, while feeling that certain parts of the episodes could have been pared down or completely cut out, admitted he quite enjoyed the show. As for the look of The Walking Dead series, he said, "It was as if the effects people on the show reached into my brain, pulled out images, and put them on the screen."
Taxi Cab Tales
When asked to tell a story about his native Bulgaria, Alex Maleev recalled, "I had to renew my Bulgarian passport...it had expired, and I had ignored it. So I went all around [New York City] in a taxi cab, in different cabs. The cabbies, they like to talk.
"It was a twelve-hour day. To pass the time, I challenged [the cab drivers] to tell me their most interesting stories. I told myself I would choose a winner in my head."
Grinning, Maleev observed that women and children were in the audience and refrained from going into detail about the cabbie stories. "The cabbies, they see all sorts of things that we don't. So you should try it some time—get cabbies to tell you their stories."
Other Gems
Bill Sienkiewicz, in response to a fan asking about his run on Moon Knight, responded, "It was the first thing I did in comics. I had two reactions...it was this bizarre blend of excitement and entitlement. I was thrilled to get the assignment, but I thought, 'Who the hell is Moon Knight? Why couldn't I get the Hulk or something?'"
When asked which character he enjoyed drawing the least, Alex Maleev, without needing to give the matter much consideration, answered, "Spider-Man...[his costume] has too many lines. They're hard to get right. That's why I like Silver Surfer. He's just this naked dude that's like a mirror."
Answering the same question, Steve Epting joked, "I don't like doing Silver Surfer." He then remarked that there really was no character that he did not enjoy drawing.
The Winners
Even though these sessions were billed as duels, they were very friendly affairs and a great deal of fun for artists and fans alike. To say that everyone came away a winner may sound clichéd, but it was certainly true. These contests may not be the feature attraction for the Toronto Fan Expo, but comic book fans looking for some insight and entertainment really owe it to themselves to attend these sketching duels.
For more on the 2011 Toronto Fan Expo, please see the following:
An Hour With Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden at Fan Expo 2011
Lee Majors: a Storyteller and a Gentleman
William Shatner: Still Going Strong
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