How is your Monday? Mine is absolutely MARVELous and now yours will be to. Most of you know how much I just love the Punisher and today is a memorable day for me. Today I get to share with you, my interview with the great Mitch Gerads. Mitch is the artist who brings us the Punisher on a monthly basis and I am honored that he gave me some of his time so that we could work on this interview for you fans that make Somewhatnerdy home. I am just too excited to go on with this intro, so ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my interview with the one and only, Mitch Gerads.
1. Who are you and where are you from?
M!: The name’s Gerads. Mitch Gerads. I hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and I’m currently the illustrator for MARVEL Comics’ The PUNISHER.
2. When did you discover your art style?
M!: I think my “style” is ever-evolving. I don’t think it’s healthy for an artist to be cognizant of a style. Style is just what happens naturally in your work as you produce it. I just TRY to draw “awesomely”.
3. When I read there was going to be a new Punisher series I was excited and when I found out you were one of the artists, I was excited even more. What is it like to work on such a popular character like the Punisher?
M!: I’m having THE BEST time working on this book. Seriously, that’s not just hype. Every issue has been crazy fun to work on and dabbling in the MARVEL sandbox is just as fun as it sounds.
4. I also understand that you co-created a comic called, The Activity for Image comics. For those of us who do not know, what is the Activity about?
M!: For sure, The ACTIVITY is a creator-owned military thriller series from IMAGE Comics. Through our time on the book we’ve made amazing contacts, and friends, with people involved in, or around, the Special Operations community that have helped us make that book as realistic as possible to modern special operations warfare without sacrificing the entertainment and thrills!
5. When did you first feel that you would make your living by drawing comics?
M!: It’s what I’d always wanted to do since I was probably 6-7 years old or at least it’s what I’d wanted to do once I was old enough to realize that was a job someone could have. It must have been after Kindergarten though because when asked “What do you want to be when you grow up” in our yearbook my reply was “Hot Dog Vendor.”
6. Where can my readers see your art?
I’m assuming you mean on the interwebs. The best place to keep up with me and my work is through Twitter. People can follow me at @MitchGerads.
You can also see my work and interact with me over at my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MitchGeradsIllustration
Otherwise I am on DeviantArt (But I don’t update that all that often) and my web-site is www.mitchgerads.com (Which I’m trying to get better at updating more often.)
7. How did you feel when you found out what a hit your Punisher comic has become?
M!: The fan reaction has been awesome and the book has been doing incredibly well. We really set out to bring some subtle, and not-so-subtle, changes in Frank Castle and the fans have been really digging it. I couldn’t be more excited to show them what else we have in store!
8. Since the Punisher has been a hit for Marvel, and is still going strong, do you have a favorite issue that you have drawn?
M!: I don’t know if I have a favorite issue per se, but right now I’m working on the big Black Widow crossover issue and it’s been a ton of fun collaborating with Phil Noto. He’s the nicest, and most talented, guy you’ll ever meet. I think most artists would agree that their most recent issue tends to be their favorite issue.
9. What can we expect from Frank in the future?
M!: Frank is about to get himself in a lot of trouble. One of the themes of this first arc has been how so many different threats are at play and closing in around him. Now we get to see those threats tightening that noose.
10. What’s next for Mitch?
M!: I’ve been working on wrapping up our extra-sized final issue of The ACTIVITY, which is real close to actually being put to bed! Very excited for that. It’s a hell of an ending to the series.
My main focus has just been barreling down and making The PUNISHER the best book I can every month. We’re really setting out to make a PUNISHER book that’s both for long-time Frank Castle fans and comics fans that maybe haven’t jived with the character in the past. So check it out and if you’ve already been digging it make sure to tell your friends!
