Mico Suayan got his first big break 2007 with Marvel by drawing “Moon knight”. He has since become one of the most popular Marvel artist being known specifically for his attention to details! We had the opportunity to sit down with Mr Suayan at Wizard World in Chicago and give him the third degree! Lucky for us, he was willing to talk!
Anjo Banjo: Hello Mico! Thank you for sitting down with us! What I read about your career is that Moon Knight was the one that launched it for you. How was your career before that?
Mico Suayan: Before I did Moon Knight, I was actually working for a story board company where I drew story boards for Tv commercials. Then I got a call from Marvel that they wanted me to do Moon Knight for them. I was so surprised! After that it’s been great! I mean people recognize me more, a lot of people in the comic book community. I’ve been meeting a lot of great people, it’s been fun.
Anjo Banjo: Do you have an Marvel artist that you look up to when it comes to style/art?
Mico Suayan: There is actually a lot of them. but the one artist that I really really like and got inspired by is Leinil Francis Yu. He has been like, I don’t know, like a God to me.
(For you non comic enthusiasts, Leinil Francis Yu is a well known Cover artist with his own deviant art page, check it out when you have a minute, it’s quite beautiful, google it)
Also, he drinks sprite, check out the can by his hand;)
Anjo Banjo: One thing I’ve noticed when it comes to artistry is that once it stops being a hobby and becomes more of a job, a bit of that creative joy and spark vanishes. Is that something that you’ve experienced?
Mico Suayan: Um, at first I was very exited and I still am. There is that hidden pressure that comes with working professionally with comic books, because you have to meet deadlines. You get scolded at your editor if you blow a deadline. So it’s a mixed thing for me. I am very happy with what I do but at the same time, I get stressed because of the deadlines and stuff.
Do you live in the Philippines?
Mico Suayan: Yes
Do you miss your family when you are doing conventions?
Mico Suayan: Actually, this is the first time for me being away from my family this long. I’ve been in America for almost a month now and I attended San Diego Comic con so yea. I mean, I cannot imagine myself living somewhere permanently without my family. It really effects my work a lot.
Anjo Banjo: I can relate, I’ve lived without my family for about 7 years and I miss them terribly.
Mico Suayan: Wow, that must be very hard for you
Anjo Banjo: It is, but I will be moving home soon so I’ll see them then, till then I have my cats. Anywho, what type of techniques do you use for your artistry?
Mico Suayan: Oh, I have two main ones at the moment. One is called hatching, the traditional way to do comic book. If I do a cover, I do the charcoal effect. I’ve been doing that for almost a year now.
Anjo Banjo: A mentor told me once that “Anna, you are not going to be spending your life doing someone elses characters, you are going to come up with something of your own”. Is that something you ever considered? Creating a character of your own I mean. Or you are comfortable where you are at right now?
Mico Suayan: Yea well, it’s good work. I mean I am very comfortable doing Marvel characters. I’ve been thinking a lot though creating something on the side. When I come to think of it, I mean, it is a LOT of hard work. You have to hire a writer. I think it’s something more for the future, not today. I am very comfortable now with what I do.
Anjo Banjo: Which one is your favorite Marvel character?
Mico Suayan: Hmm, well, I’ve been doing a lot of Thor lately and I like it so far. Wolverine, is my favorite character, because he looks very simple. When he doesn’t have the claws out, he looks like a regular person. I try to stay away from the characters that wear tight-ass costumes. I am more of a realistic artist and I love to draw the creases, folds, jackets and stuff. I love to go into details and spend time on them. I think that that is what makes me a bit different right now because of the details I do. I am a bit of a perfectionist. I don’t want to show my artwork to my editor without knowing that I didn’t do the best I could do. It’s an advantage i think. The advantage is that it looks really good and the disadtantige is that you miss a lot of deadlines.
So there you have it. A lot of details will make you miss deadlines, but god it looks soooooo good!
I wrote this article for http://www.gamertagradio.com
