How many of you NERDs are ready for the new Flash episodes to begin? I am so glad that tonight, we get to see more action packed episodes of the Flash. To get prepared for such an event, I emailed the concept artist for the show to sit down and do another interview with us and he happily agreed. For those of you who follow my interviews, the name John Gallagher or Uncanny Knack should ring a bell. If you didn’t read my past interview with John, you can see it here. Since I interviewed John, I found out that he is the actual concept artist for the new Flash TV series, so of course you know I wanted another interview. This post is a result of our second meeting, with more to come in the future. So, ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present to you, my interview with John Gallagher.
SWN: In case some of our readers didn’t see our last interview, who are you and where are you from?
JG: My name is John Gallagher and I live and work in Vancouver BC Canada as a entertainment illustrator for film, television, games and comics
SWN: I absolutely love your artwork! You deserve the great year you have had in 2014 and will have in 2015. Please let our readers know exactly what you do for a living.
JG: Thank you Derf, that’s very kind of you! Appreciate it. I’m rarely impressed with my own brand but pleased it brings pleasure to others. As a production artist each day can be and usually is different but the primary marching order is to be providing solutions to the show’s creative requirements within the standard driving parameters of time, resources and budget. And those needs are multitude, from keyframe story beat illustrations to matte concepts to prop, costume and vehicle design and all points in between. Each art department member has a broad variety of top-flight skill sets and front line experience and we often job share, overlap and collaborate directly to achieve the optimum results for what the script is requiring. But for my area of main expertise, it’s simply working with the needs of the show and helping translate those needs with all members of the team into tangible, affordable and appropriate solutions.
SWN: How did the opportunity to work on the hit series the Flash come about?
JG: Like many people who spend any amount of time online, I’d read that CW was planning a spin off of The Flash from Arrow and in all likelihood it was going to be mounted in Vancouver. I was on Once Upon A Time when The Flash pilot came to town and was unable to participate. But I was a known entity at CW, having helped with makeup design on Beauty and the Beast and The Tomorrow People. My good friend and brilliant Production Designer on The Flash, Tyler Harron, was offered The Flash series after distinguishing himself on countless projects, including Tomorrow People and he knowing full well my love of all things superhero and having worked on multiple projects together – along with being able to finish each other’s design sentences – it was a half-second delay before I said yes. So here we are!
SWN: What is it like to work with such pressures that a hit TV show can produce?
JG: Surprisingly easy. It’s likely an accident of genetics or high strangeness that like many of my comrades in the industry we metabolize high pressure as low grade stress. It forms a percussive backbeat to the creative process. Your metabolism has to be built for it, hence film not being for everyone. I hasten to add that the majority of those who thrive are task-oriented steady state performers and view the work as problems to be solved efficiently and effectively. While issues arise, as they do on any collective endeavour, team concept and shared heavy lifting reduce whatever pressure there may be to a manageable level. The industry is abundant with high functioning high demand personalities moving huge pieces around on projects and keeping those trains running on time is something the best and brightest savour. We usually welcome the pressure as it escalates our performance and genuinely elevates it to the next level.
SWN: Do you have any other projects that you would like to promote?
JG: I’d love for your readers to stay glued to The Flash, as there are some wonderful surprises and wild twists and turns arriving sooner than you might think. And season two will be even bigger and better if that’s even possible. There’s also a number of upcoming comics and film-related projects that look very promising, none of which I can discuss of course. But I suspect you’ll be hearing about a couple of them in the fan press fairly soon.
SWN: Where can my readers see more of your work?
JG: My personal website: uncannyknack.com and my Deviantart: uncannyknack.deviantart.com. I’m also on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Tumblr and Twitter, uncannyknack as my pseudonym. If readers are interested in purchasing my work, you can download digital files at my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/Uncannyknack and print them whatever size you like or head over to my print gallery: uncannyknack.smugmug.com/ and there you’ll have a number of size and paper choices. I also am available for commissions but that’s a hit and miss proposition as its predicated by schedule and availability
SWN: Can you give us a glimpse to anything that may happen this season on the Flash? Maybe a character that you are working on?
JG: Non-disclosure agreement is the name of the game unfortunately. However, I will say this: Watch the show. We actually deliver on our promises and won’t play out the string just for the sake of cliffhangers. Let’s just say that fans of the comics and the show won’t be disappointed with the direction and decisions which will reveal themselves soon enough! And season two? Wow is all I have for that.
SWN: For the newcomers to the art world, do you have any advice?
JG: Sure, in no particular order of importance or value:
*Know yourself, first and foremost. Not everyone who draws with passion is meant to be a professional, in the same way not every person who plays tennis will play Wimbledon centre court. There is no shame in being a skilled hobbyist or enlightened fan. The full spectrum of fandom and amateurs is absolutely essential, as that is the wholesale incubator for all pros. And know what the Dunning Kruger Effect is.
*Do the work, constantly, and take it seriously. Don’t wait for inspiration or a bolt of lightning form the heavens. You’ll produce nothing waiting for divine providence. Even when you feel like it’s futile or you’re crashing in the same car over and over, push through and carry on. Happy accidents happen with startling frequency if you’re willing to free yourself to experiment and crash in the failboat time and again.
*Support and educate one another. The job is an isolated solitary endeavour as it stands. Feedback loops are critical for improvement, considering other points of view, valued features as opposed to temporary fashion, art history and new and emerging work not just easy bias confirmation on work that looks like yours. And network yourself as a viable brand alternative
*Envy is a boring counter-productive waste of effort. Art is a gift to share and celebrate. A little jealousy is fun to play with and kid each other about but seriously, in the end, awesome work is an extraordinary privilege and it is neither a threat to you or your creative “integrity” to legitimately adore other artists work.
*Appreciate the state and nature of rejection and learn to distance yourself emotionally from the work for the sake of objectivity. It may seem odd at first but will give you the clarity necessary to make moves forward to new levels of improvement. Getting too low or too high will do what it always does which is keep you off balance. It’s not always a job for the faint of heart.
*The higher up the food chain you go the less ‘artistic’ validation you should seek or expect. You being re-hired means you’re working out well for whoever is signing the cheque.
*This is the only profession where you can do it for twenty years before you get paid one thin dime. No other profession is so specifically passion driven tradecraft like being an artist however defined: writer, painter, sculptor, illustrator, graphic designer, makeup artist, costume designer, cosplayer the list goes on – hence there not being many nine year old dentists or seven year old lawyers. So treat your work with the same respect as those professions and conduct yourself with the same regard and esteem as any highly skilled rare vocation.
*Appreciate the responsibility and your magnitude ability to influence people’s lives. Knowing full well that very few get to do it as a career and many more wish they did, be the role model to help mold the future. Support young artists, provide guidance and leadership, advocacy, inspiration, help manufacture and cultivate your replacements. Be the artist other creators want to be, and if not at least emulate and set a damn good example. Give back and always have time for children, fans, other pros and anyone with a question.
*And above all, be the author of a remarkable creative life however that may fall into or outside of the usual definitions
SWN: Thank you for all your wise words and for taking the time to interview with us.
JG: Always a pleasure.
SWN: Please take the time to look at all his other artwork on his deviantart and other pages. He has a ton of cool stuff including this Dr. Fate, that I am ending this post with. Until next time, unleash your inner NERD!
