Jeff Moy is the penciler for DCs "Legionaires" comic. Although
he's young, he's one of the most popular pencilers in Legion history. Aside
from being a really good artist, hes a good sport for putting up with my
craziness, which he does a lot. Jeff Moy is a really cool guy, but I dont
need to tell you that -- this interview tells you all that and more.
Sidra:
So, how did you get interested in art and drawing?
J. Moy:
Well, I've always drawn since I was a kid. I had exposure early on in my
childhood and I guess that sort of led to drawing on just about everything.
Watching too much Star Trek and Space 1999 probably helped make me look more
towards fantastic situations. It wasn't until junior high that I got back
into comics and started drawing on my homework.
Sidra:
When did you decide you wanted to pick art as a career?
J. Moy:
This was about junior year of high school. My brother Phil was taking more
art classes and I decided to try it out. At this time we were pretty much
reading a lot of comics and I was drawing a lot in my notebook and on the back
of tests, which drew strange looks from my teachers. :) Along with some
friends, we were drawing mini-comics which look like ashcans nowadays. There
was a guest speaker during an art fair named Mark Nelson who was freelancing
in the comic field but also taught at Northern Illinois University. A short
time after that I decided to go for an art career and see how it turned out.
Sidra:
How did you get into reading comicbooks? What comicbooks did you read
when you were a kid?
J. Moy:
Like I said I had an early exposure to them. I used to read my dad's and
uncle's comics like Superman, Batman, Adventure, Action, Superboy, Xmen,
Spiderman, Fantastic four, and a bunch of the other Silver Age twelve-cent
comics.
Sidra:
What comicbooks do you read now?
J. Moy:
I read stuff that really appeals to me artwise and if it has a cool story,
great! I read alot of manga titles both translated and not. Ranma, Oh! My
Goddess, Maison Ikkoku, stuff by Manabe and Shiro. I read the Legion books,
of course. Some Green Lantern, Generation X, Leave It to Chance, Fantastic
Four, Battle Chasers, and whatever catches my eye. Most of the time I just
flip through a lot of the books. Who's got time to read when I have to draw.
:)
Sidra:
I hear you not only draw the Legionnaires, but are also a Legion fan. So,
as a Legion fan what would you like to see happen that hasn't happened yet?
J. Moy:
I'd like to just draw a real fun issue where the Legionnaires are just
relaxing being themselves. We did one back in Legionnaires #23 and really
haven't pulled it off like that again. Hmm.. guess that wasn't quite the
right answer. I think doing the Space Stalag ala Hogan's Heroes would be cool
to do again. Throw Nardo in there just for the heck of it. :) Aside from
that, this fan is just waiting to see what comes next and not holding my
breath for anything really. Not that it's wrong for anyone else to do that. :)
Sidra:
Why is Ayla your favorite Legionnaire?
J. Moy:
She's cute, she's spunky, she's petite, she's got huge...tracks of land... :)
I don't know. I just kinda liked her from when the Legionnaires title started
up. Then Adam Hughes drew her really cute so I guess that might be where it
came from. Then when we re-introduced her into this Legion I just thought
she was a real fun character, who knew when to be serious and when to just
have fun.
Sidra:
Okay, I know you've probably been asked this a thousand times, but what's
with drawing the tongue sticking out on female Legion characters?
J. Moy:
It's mainly a japanese anime and manga influence. Really it's rather childish
and seeing how we were working with kids, it just seemed natural and would
give them a little more character. Just watch some anime with teenagers or
kids in it and they do it along with pulling the bottom eyelid down and saying
"beeee...."
Sidra:
How much input do you really have into what goes into the Legion comics?
J. Moy:
Storywise, none really. My job is to tell the story that someone else has
written and to try and convey what they say in words into pictures. I
occasionally have ideas for character bits and possible storylines and submit
them. Whether it's used or not really isn't up to me, but I don't think they
would go for a year worth of the Legionnaires at a nude beach on Winath. Or
would they.... :)
Sidra:
If you weren't drawing Legion what book would you like do draw?
J. Moy:
I wanted to have a crack at Fantastic Four before they gave it over to Jim
Lee. I don't think that's possible now. Other than that, I'd just like to
draw some short stories for other characters, but nothing's come along lately.
I would just have to see what's offered, because the books that I would like
to draw already have people on there that I like.
Sidra:
What comicbook artists do you admire the most?
J. Moy:
Adam Hughes, Mark Nelson, Alan Davis, Travis Charest, Brain Stelfreeze, a
bunch of manga artists...
Sidra:
If you could work with anyone in the comicbook industry who would you want
to work with and why?
J. Moy:
I don't feel that it really matters. If they have a good story to tell and it
interests me, I'll work with that person. If there's a really good paycheck in
it, I'm there. :) I just like to draw and tell stories.
Sidra:
If you weren't an artist what would you be?
J. Moy:
I would be a restaurant manager at my parents place. But that's if I exhaust
all my options that I could do in the art field. Stuff like animation,
computer games, Joe Camel ads, and the like. :)
Sidra:
What do you do in your spare time, besides draw?
J. Moy:
Sleep, eat, shower. :) I watch movies or TV. Right now I've got a new
game for Game Boy called Pokemon. Fun stuff. In the summer I cut my lawn, in
the winter I'd like to do more skiing and less snow shoveling.
Sidra:
And I hear you've designed a new villain can you give a broad general
description of that?
J. Moy:
Well there's four new villains actually. They're elementals, so fire, earth,
air, and water take over some people's bodies and alter them somewhat. One's
male human, another is a female insect type, there's a Dryad, and a jellyfish
type. That's all I can say for now.