Jim Valentino is always been a daring comic professional. From his
autobiographical Valentino, to Guardians of the Galaxy, to Shadowhawk, to a
Touch of Silver and now to Sonic the Hedgehog he has one of the most
diversified portfolios in the industry. Today he talks to us today about
his current work, his past, his opinions and the hows and whys of the industry.
Coville:
Why are you doing Sonic the Hedgehog?
Valentino:
My 11 year old son, Joel is a big Sonic fan. I started talking to Ken
Penders, one thing led to another and here we are. I'm doing it because
it's a lot of fun for me. I've never done funny animals before and am
having a blast with it.
Coville:
What are you doing on Sonic - writing, drawing or both?
Valentino:
I'm penciling it. Ken Penders is writing and inking it.
Coville:
What will be your first Sonic issue and when will it be out?
Valentino:
It's a Sonic Super-Special (#8, I believe) and it'll be out in October or
November. I have just agreed to pencil a three issue run on Knuckles (#'s
22-24, I believe), also from Ken's scripts.
Coville:
In the past you've said you've been influenced by Jack Kirby and
Robert Crumb. Who's influence takes over when your doing Sonic?
Valentino:
Influences, for me, usually mean a point of inspiration as opposed to
emulation. I am influenced by literally hundreds of artists. In the case of
Sonic, I have model sheets that I go by. I tend to look at a lot of Spaz's
work--I think he's absolutely brilliant.
Coville:
Do you think you can get typical superhero readers to try Sonic?
Valentino:
Hopefully, I think they'd be pleasantly surprised by it. There is a lot of
sophistication in the stories and the continuity. But, conversely, I see it
as a way to get the younger Sonic reader into super-hero comics.
Coville:
For those who've never read Sonic before, can you give us a list of the
main characters and a little bit about them?
Valentino:
I believe this question would be better suited to Ken Penders,
he's the writer and has been for a few years now.
Coville:
How long do you think you'll be doing Sonic?
Valentino:
I'm just signed on for this one special. Although Ken and I have had so much
fun working on it that we've discussed the possibility of doing another.
Coville:
Will you be doing any other work besides Sonic?
Valentino:
Yes, in all likelihood, although I can't say what at this time.
Coville:
Would you do anything different if you launched The Silverline today?
Valentino:
There may have been one or two books that I wouldn't have signed on (no, I
will not say which). Other than that, no, I don't think so.
Coville:
Will you give The Silverline another chance if the industry improves?
Valentino:
I hadn't considered the question before. I tend to look forward rather than
behind, but I can't say at this point. Perhaps.
Coville:
If you were in control of the comic industry, how would you get more people
reading comic books?
Valentino:
Fewer continued stories for one thing. More accessible continuity. You
shouldn't need to be familiar with thirty years of history to understand a
character or the situation he's in. I'd make retail outlets more "family
friendly"--that is, get the posters of half naked women and demonic imagery
out of the store windows, put in characters that are familiar to the general
populace (Garfield, Dilbert, Archie, etc...)
With printing and publication costs being what they are there is no way to
lower the unit price, therefore it seems to me that you have to give the
reader a full story within the book he's buying--and you have to give the
consumer a friendly atmosphere to purchase it in. We are sorely lacking in
both these areas today.
Coville:
What kind of pencil(s) do you use and why?
Valentino:
I use Col-Erase light blue pencils to do my underdrawing because, as the name
implies, they can be erased! And I just use a regular standard #2 pencil to
draw with, probably because it's just familiar and feels right in my hands.
Coville:
Do you listen to any music when your drawing? If so what bands?
Valentino:
Hardly ever. I usually watch TV when I'm penciling. I never listen to music
or TV when I'm writing. If I listen to any music at all when I'm working it's
usually movie soundtracks, the instrumental kind. This is because of the
heroic crescendos inherent in them--almost like a Wagner opera--very
inspirational. I save the bands for when I'm driving.
Coville:
How do you think your art has improved over the years?
Valentino:
I think I've gotten better, but I don't think it's appropriate for an artist
to make a self-evaluation like that. I am continually trying to improve my
work and I am always studying.
Coville:
Out of all the characters you've drawn over the years, which were the most
fun?
Valentino:
Each was fun as I was doing them. I loved doing them all. If I had to choose,
I couldn't. They all satisfied different parts of me.
Coville:
You have done both mainstream and "alternative" work. Which of the two do
you prefer?
Valentino:
Like the answer above, I don't deal in "favorites"--I tend to enjoy whatever
it is I'm working on at the moment. There is a great satisfaction in
presenting a more "serious" piece like, A Touch of Silver, but, conversely, it
is also fun to play with more iconal creations (such as you'd find at Marvel
or DC) again, both fill a niche in the creative process.
Coville:
What is the current status of Altered Image?
Valentino:
I'm working on the third and final issue right now.
Coville:
I hear your a big Avengers fan, what do you think of the Busiek/Perez
issues?
Valentino:
Absolutely exquisite! I'm a big fan and a personal friend of both George and
Kurt's, so I may be a bit prejudiced in my assessment, but I am greatly
enjoying their work on the title.
Coville:
Is there any other comic work from you we will be seeing?
Valentino:
Save for that mentioned above, there is nothing solid. I have about three or
four projects that I'm considering at this point, I am uncertain which of
these I'll actually get to first. The ones we're sure of at this time are
Altered Image, The Sonic Super-Special and Knuckles #22-24. What comes
after that only time will tell...and that's just the way I like it! Every
day is an adventure when the future holds so many options and possibilities!
