DMI Interview - Jason Howard
February 16, 2009
DMI: Have you ever been asked before to draw someone in (other than I)?Jason Howard: Not that I recall. Well, actually I have a had a couple family members/friends ask but not usually in a serious way. The butler character Dunford in Wolf-Man is named after a friend of mine, so now other friends who know him will give me a hard time and ask to be put in the book somehow. But usually all I do is use family/friends as models for face types. I don't really try to capture their likeness too strongly but will use them as a starting place for the character design.
DMI: How do you respond to this?
Jason: I am usually open to it, as long as there is a good spot for it. I am not going to force something in that doesn't work. Of course if lots of people asked then it would get to be a hassle and I would probably just say no...
DMI: What are some of the coolest/weirdest things you've snuck into a comic, "Easter eggs" if you will?
Jason: I will sometimes put the name of the company that my brother works for on buildings (A-1 Mechanical), this is most notable in issue 7. I also drew Robert and myself into an issue. I am sure there are other things, but nothing comes to mind.
DMI: How are your convention experiences normally? More specifically with the fans? Have any recent stories to tell?
Jason: They are usually a fun time. Sometimes they are a lot of work if I am doing commissions, but I have no super exciting stories. It is a good time to see friends (both fan and pro) who I only get to see once or twice a year.
DMI: Lastly, how cool is it to work from home and to draw comic books?
Jason: I worked an office job for many years and I didn't mind that environment, but I have to say that working from home is pretty cool.
DMI: How much time do you devote in a days work?
Jason: Too much. On a good day I work 8 am to 5 pm. But it is not uncommon for me to put in more hours in the evening after the kids go to bed. What time of day do I prefer to work? I am usually most creative first thing in the morning.
DMI: How easy is it to get distracted?
Jason: I don't really have problem with this, I am pretty disciplined and I tend to have the opposite problem of not taking a break when I probably should.
Labels: DMI Interview, Jason Howard
