How is your Monday going? Mine is just MARVELous! Today kicks off a week of surprises that I have in store for our fellow NERDS. Why this week you ask? Well, its simple really, I actually have some time off to catch up and make sure that you, our readers, are entertained. With that being said, I thought there was no better way to kick-off the first week of summer, er I mean surprises than with an interview with a legend in the biz known as comics. I guarantee, if you are a fan of comics you have definitely seen his work and more than likely have some of his issues in your long boxes. Anyway, let’s get this party started. Ladies and Gentlemen, Nerds and Nerdettes, I present to you my interview with the one and only JG Jones.
1. Who are you and where are you from?
When I was born, in Southern Louisiana, my folks called me Jeffrey Glen Jones. From the time I was a kid, I was in love with comics, fantasy, science fiction, and the illustrators of all those genres. By the time I moved to New York decided to make a career in comics, my name was already in use by the insanely talented fantasy painter, Jeffrey Jones, so I was forced to default to my initials in print.
2. Let me just say, I am a big fan of your style. How and when did you discover your style?
Thank you. My style just evolved as I worked. I had a brief career as a fine arts painter before switching to comics, so I have the influences of the Great Masters, but I also love the illustrators and comic artist of the seventies. A lot of them are the usual suspects: Frazetta, the Hildebrants, Jeffrey Jones, Richard Corben, Moebius, Brian Froud, Michael Wheelan, Barry Windsor Smith, but I also loved comic artists like Gene Colan, John Buscema, Ross Andru, and Mike Ploog.
The black and white horror and fantasy magazines from the 70’s and early 80’s were also really influential. I stole my technique of adding gray watercolor washes to pen and ink line art from those old mags: Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella, Marvel’s Planet of the Apes, etc…
3. I just love how you drew Spider-Man 2099 for the cover of Superior Spider-Man #17. How did the concept of that cover develop?
Hmmm. I think that since they were reintroducing the character, I wanted to do a very bold, close-cropped, in-your-face cover. I knew that the lighting would be crucial, so I wanted to do the color myself. Rather than go for black and white art that was colored by someone else, I opted to just paint it, so that I could get exactly the tone that I wanted. Do the crossed arms make him look a bit like an Egyptian mummy case?
4. I am also a huge fan of your art from the Wanted series. Do you have a favorite character from the series? What were your feelings towards the film version of your characters?
I was always ambivalent about the moral stance of that book, so we just sort of took the car to the top of the hill, released the parking brake, and let her rip. It’s hard to say who my favorite character might have been, since they are all so reprehensible, but I enjoyed drawing all of them, especially since I got to design every character in the book. Sucker was really fun, and who doesn’t like The Fox?
I was really surprised that the film rights were ever sold. When I read the script for the book, I couldn’t imagine anyone would try to make a film from that material. And they didn’t. They made a completely different movie, which I thought was a lot of fun. It was it’s own thing, and I was happy that they used our source material.
5. What inspired you to become an artist?
I have been drawing since I was a little tyke. I mean, most kids draw, but then they stop in first or second grade. But for me, it was a way to escape, to invent, to live in amazing worlds of my imagination. My folks sent me to some after school art classes a couple days a week in high school. I had a terrific art teacher, Mr. Casso, who taught us the basics of drawing and watercolor painting. I think he must have been nonplussed when, instead of doing genre scenes of rural Louisiana, I opted for barbarians with swords and scantily clad princesses on Mars.
6. What titles have you worked on throughout your career as a comic artist?
Well, let’s see, I am now in my 21st year in the biz, so the list is getting pretty lengthy,but some of the highlights would be Dark Dominion, Fatale, Shi, Black Widow, Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia, Marvel Boy, Wanted, Final Crisis, Before Watchmen: The Comedian, as well as a number of small things here and there. I have also spend a lot of time as a cover artist, doing line art and painted art for dozens and dozens of books. I did a long cover run on Wonder Woman that I enjoyed quite a lot, and also did all 52 covers for DC’s groundbreaking weekly book by that name. I have managed to keep busy.
7. What was your first comic to draw?
My first job was drawing Dark Dominion for Defiant, one of Jim Shooter’s start ups.
8. Do you have anything you would like to promote right now?
Ask me that in a week or two. I just inked a deal to do two creator owned books, one that I am writing, and another that I am creating with one of my favorite writers and which I will draw. Stay tuned for coming announcements.
9. What is your favorite project that you have done?
I am not sure I have a favorite, you love all of your kids, but Marvel Boy would certainly be amongst my favorite children. Wanted would also rank up there.
10. What are your plans for the near future?
I refer you back to question #8. I am about to be very, very busy.
I would like to thank JG Jones for taking the time to do this interview as well as thank him for wanting to do another interview in the near future. Be sure to check out his links as well as my Facebook page to see more of his art.
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