Sunday, December 5, 2010

Gary T. Becks





1. your beginnings
G.T. Becks was born in the Washington DC metropolitan area June 18, 1968. He became interested in writing and music at the age of 6, and after a few years of collecting comic books became inspired to draw his own. Mostly a self taught artist, his style is a mix of both Japanese Manga and American comic influences.

In 1992 he moved to Los Angeles and completed his first comic series called Vixen 6 which was adapted into a screenplay.

In 2001 he started the series Mazscara, a webcomic whose story elements mix horror, drama and fantasy. At the same time he began to discover 3D software such as zBrush, Cinema 4D and Poser, which took his art in a whole different direction. G.T is currently working on several 3D projects as well as two new comic series called the Humorville Hillarrions and Fiendy.
2. what is mazscara?
Mazscara is a horror webcomic that was conceived in 1999 while I was living in Los Angeles. The main character is Victoria Starfield, a hollywood celebrity/actress who commits suicide and is taken to the underworld of Subhell Six by her soon to be nemesis Tung Fei Bang. She is eventually rescued and transformed into Mazscara by a secret organization of angels known as Crowd Control. She is then resurrected back into the physical world through her dead body with these special powers. Her mission is to protect five children who have been targeted by a group of fallen angels and demons.
3. tell me a little more about Victoria Starfield

Victoria Starfield, whose real name is Victoria Kelly Strauss, is the Hollywood starlet, and also the image of young Hollywood, living too soon and dying too fast. The character herself was born into a well off upper class family, and got into show business through her Father Gregory Strauss, a top stuntman for a decade in Hollywood film. She, being a child star was exploited by her Father, who took all the money she made from her early career. Her mother Dahlia is extremely religious and was very abusive to Victoria and her older brother Thad. Victoria herself even before becoming Mazscara is already a fighter, she's been through it all and refuses to back down from anything or anyone.

4. the best issue of mazscara for you

I would say Book 6. The character of Mazscara, for the first time even before as Victoria Starfield, has made a decision to quit, after failing to save two kids from suicide and being blamed for it. It flushes out her vulnerability and her uncertainty about the future, even though she's already dead, she just wants to go and bury herself away inside her casket and forget about everything.
5. your best and worst experience in this job

I really haven't had any bad experience, but my best is being supported by family and other amazing artists like Dave Ryan and Peter Palmiotti, that's something that means a lot to me.

6. an advice for new writers and artist

Draw, color, write when ever you can, 24 hours. Watch movies, study comics, anatomy, listen to how people talk in the real world, all this helps in developing your skills. Nobody becomes anything great overnight, it takes years of dedication, even with talent, there's still so much to learn from others. Just do it, If you really love it, you will not feel you have to force yourself.
7. projects in the future

I'm working on a project called Fiendy with letterer David Paul and also another comic called the Humorville Hillarrions which will probably have a line style close to the comic Bone.

8. do you know something about colombian comic books?

Not at the moment, but like a said, there's always things to learn and know about.

Andy Brase




1. Which is what he likes most about comic strips?

One of the main things that has always interested me in comics is the line art. Comics are a medium that has embraced this art form. When I started drawing as a kid I really liked what you could do with line art... and the worlds you could create in the form of comics. I like that you can create little movies with a series of panels. I'm actually not too much into the superhero comics, but like some of the characters. My inspirations now really come from all sorts of art forms and different places. Comics will always be an important one though!

-2. As were its beginnings in this environment?

My first published work, was indeed in comics... for a small press publisher called "Hall of Heroes" In high school I started drawing comic books of my own characters for fun. This is when I really began drawing quite a bit. So my beginnings were definitely in the comic environment... my art actually started to get much more notice when I began drawing for Role Playing Games... doing panel illustrations of fantasy, horror, & sci-fi characters and creatures. I then came back to comics and started doing cover work.

-3. Who has worked for companies and which were his best work performed for these companies?

Which companies have I worked for? A few would include Dark Horse, Marvel, DC, Upper Deck, White Wolf, Fantasy Flight, Metropolis records, WWW.mastersinprint .com,....and many more. Some of my comic covers probably were among my better works.... I have trouble saying what my best works are.... it can vary. Some of my personal favorites are the illustrations I have done for my own creator owned project "Chaos Destiny"... these all feature my own characters and world, so they are more personal to me. I feel some of these are my best too, because I didn't have any guidelines to follow.... so I was able to direct the drawings completely in my own direction.
Some of these drawings are now available as prints to order from www.mastersinprint.com

-4. Which is what you like to draw more?

It like to draw dark, shadowy & moody characters... & creatures too. I'm usually more interested in fantasy, horror & sci -fi type drawings... things & environments from other worlds. I like combining themes of beauty & darkness together. Nice designs and compositions is another thing that I usually strive for in my work.

-5. Has some work as yours?

I do have my own personal project called "Chaos Destiny" as I mentioned in an earlier answer too. These are all characters, settings, & story that I have created myself. I work on this project on the side, when I get the chance or breaks from other work. Eventually I'm planning to do a full graphic book with this world. Right now it exists in a series of very detailed drawings. Some which are being offered as art prints, as I also mentioned in question #3. These prints are actually the best my art has looked in published form too! They are top notch... Masters in Print.com, has done a stunning job with them. They are also working with a few other amazing sci-fi artists including H.R.Giger, who is well known for his "Alien" designs and other surreal art. So to me, it's quite an honor to be included with this group of artists. I really enjoy their works.

-6. Do you know about any Colombian comic or in Latin American?

To tell the truth, not that I can recall off the top of my head.... I would be interested in hearing about them though... and taking a look:) I'm always interested to find out about other arts & publications from different counties I might not be aware of here in the US. It fun to see what is going on artistically in other countries.

-7. Advice for those who are beginning

For beginning artists, the best thing is to not give up, or get too frustrated with your skill level... If you work hard at it, you will eventually see improvements... it might not happen overnight, but you will get better with time & practice. Also don't try too hard to copy your favorite artist's style.... it's better to learn from life... take all the inspirations around you and put them into your drawings... then you will end up creating your own unique vision or personal style of art. This is so much better than being a clone of another better known artist.

http://www.myspace.com/brazart
http://www.mastersinprint.com/home.htm
http://www.mastersinprint.com/galleries/brase/andy
_brase.htm
http://www.comicspace.com/andybrase/
http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerydetail.asp?gcat
=1896

-Andy Brase