Known for his eye-popping illustration, Tyneside artist Paul Davidson is making waves in the world of comic-book art, especially since a contest win catapulted him into the public eye, working on projects for none other than Marvel Comics.
While the artist couldn’t be more pleased with working for Stan Lee and co. he has also turned his expert hand to pulling demons, zombies and even the odd vampire from the world of fantasy and on to paper.
Recently exhibited at Whitley Bay’s Pure Gallery, Davidson’s bold inked work is reminiscent of the pulp comic books of old, with a modern flair and a dab of dark humour.
Musical Scares caught up with Davidson to find out what makes him tick, how he got his big break, and just what it is about horror that he finds so appealing.
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How long have you been working in the industry?
I've worked as a professional illustrator for 20 years (earlier years with degress of success) but you could say I found my feet in the mid 90's
What was the first piece of art that really inspired you?
I really liked cartoon art, but as I got older I saw some Boris Vallejo (his earlier stuff) and it blew me away... I remember seeing "The Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta" and that was it for me, I wanted to draw things that don't exist.
What was your first job as a professional artist?
Bits and pieces of various commissions started coming in, but in '92 I was commissioned to illustrate a graphic novel. It wasn't great pay, but it was 9 months work. It was never published and to this day I don't know what happened to it. On the day of completion it was stolen from the back of the publisher's car. There were no PC's or scanners back then, so I have no record of it, only my memory.
For a lot of people working as a comic book illustrator seems like a dream job, how did you get into the industry and is it as good as so many people think it is?
Games Workshop published my first comic book work "Warhammer Monthly", I created a strip called "DwarfLords" which was great fun, because I scripted it as well. I sometimes still use pieces from that strip as a calling card to comic book publishers. I was really hungry so I put a lot into it, apart from some sequential issues, the art is some of my strongest.
Drawing comics is good, but very demanding. It takes a lot of work to do an actual page (I pencil and ink my own work) and it's under a tight deadline, so this process can dictate a certain ecenomical style to get it out of the door, it's rewarding, but longs hours are needed to produce comics.
How did you end up working for Marvel?
I had been working as a concept artist in the video games industry for nearly 10 years, and was sick of it. I always wanted to get back into comics, then Marvel announced a talent search that would take place over a year, with their editors and talent scouts travelling the world. Thousands of artists submitted their work, hoping to take one of the eight places available. I submitted and forgot about it. One day I got an email saying I was the only artist from the UK that they would like to hire. That was early 2008 I believe. I've been doing that ever since, I also have an agent in London who aquires commercial illustration for me, which equates to around 40% of my work load, Marvel is the other.
What projects are you currently working on?
For Marvel, i'm working on a book called X-Men Legacy. In November I'll be starting a Wolverine book. I'm still producing pen and ink drawings for a series of Horror books, I'm still finishing up Demons, and WereWolves will be out in November. I'm also drawing a WWI book at the moment as well, so it's never boring.
With so many comics / graphic novels available it's easy to miss out on some great work, are there any in particular that you would recommend?
I'm not up to date with many GN's or comics, but I do tend to order older stuff, and if I can get it, European GN's as they're more mature and of a more "Fantastic" nature, less of the men in tights! I love Hellboy though, it's a must read for me.
Are there any artists outside of comic book art that you particularly rate? Why is this?
Edmund Dulac for his classic illustration. Norman Rockwell for his skill and the heart he puts into his work. James Gurney for the world he has created with Dinotopia. Shaun Tan for his wonderful children's books. James Christensen for his wacky imagination. Paul Felix for his outstanding pre-production art over at the Disney studios. The list can go on and on.
Your work which was recently exhibited at The Pure Gallery was almost entirely horror based, what is it about horror imagery that you find particularly appealing?
Everyone likes a bit of horror, it's in-built to be scared of the dark, ever since we lived in the caves. Plus, from an illustrators point of view (apart from representing iconic horror) it's left to a very subjective take on it, and I'm all for that much freedom in my art, even if it is to a brief.
Are there any horror movies that, to you, stand out above the rest? Why is this?
I like horror movies that place the viewer into the situation, something that gives some emotional relevance. What springs to mind is "28 Weeks Later" at the beginning of the movie in the farm house were Robert Carlyle has to make a choice; does he attempt to save his wife's life, or does he make a run for it? With a creature after you and your fear heightened, would you make the right choice,or do a runner like Rob? When a horror movie makes you consider their choices, it's projecting the fear out into the viewer.
What are your future plans?
To have more control over what I draw for a living. I'm currently developing some personal projects to show publishers, I'll be showcasing this stuff when i relaunch my website at the beginning of next year.
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More of Paul Davidson's art can be viewed at his website. Huge thanks also go out to The Pure Gallery for providing a space for his art and giving permission to photograph it.
