For our Horror Week conversations segment at Capes and Tights we sat down with comic book artist Andrea Mutti to discuss his role in creating some of our favorite horror comics.
Andrea Mutti is an Italian comic book artist. After obtaining his degree in geometry, Mutti attended the Comics School in Brescia, led by Ruben Sosa. He began his career illustrating the superheroes comic DNAction for Xenia Edizioni. He then illustrated horror comics for Fenix. Andrea moved over to Star Comics, where he drew stories for Lazarus Ledd and some episodes of Hammer. Since then he’s worked with DC, Vertigo, Marvel, Mad Cave Studios, Dark Horse and IDW Publishing.
More recently Andrea Mutti has released comics such as A Legacy of Violence and Parasomnia with Cullen Bunn, Haunt You Till The End with Ryan Cady, Maniac of New York with Elliot Kalan, and many more. Andrea Mutti has an upcoming series at Mad Cave Studios with Anthony Cleveland entitled Charred Remains hitting local comic shops on December 13, 2023.
JS: What was your journey into comics?
AM: OH! Damn, you make me feel old! I started drawing professionally when I was at the end of college, I was only 19! Of course, even before that I was drawing my own stuff and self-publishing volumes!
What is your horror genre journey? Is the horror genre something you have always been attracted too?
“Fear is wisdom in the face of danger,” said Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I don’t think I’m wise, but I’m certainly fascinated by great atmospheres, by the darkness that hides something terrible…that feeling of perpetual tension that gives you shivers all along your back…you feel alive, that’s it! I grew up on bread and Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, Clive Barker… and I’ll just name a few…For me it’s pure magnetism, something that leverages my dark side… and then there’s the mystery… the story… the characters are always poised between light and darkness….
What are some things that can make or break a good horror comic book?
MAKE: Always keep the tension high and use shadows when needed and even when not needed…drag the reader with you, take him by the hand.
BREAK: Be too long, exaggerate the scene with too much text and therefore distract the reader…it must remain riveted page after page.
What do you look for in a horror comic, either creating or reading?
The atmospheres, the places, moody vibes…my imagination must be immediately stimulated…close a page with questions and open it with excitement.
What are some of you all-time favorite horror books, comics or movies?
COMICS: Creepy, Tales from the Crypt, Hellboy, Harrow County, The Plot, Killadelphia, American Vampire
MOVIES: IT, Christine, Rosemary’s Baby, Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll & Hyde and tons more!
Why is horror storytelling important to you and is creating comics in the horror genre something you hope to do for a while moving forward?
Horror has a practically infinite visual and narrative potential and as the master Mike Mignola says, “where can I draw scary things and monsters?..In comics!” It is truly limitless and the imagination can range 360°…everything is possible…and fear is an immortal sensation!
Thank you so much for all your beautiful work in comics, specifically horror comics! We are huge fans of Andrea Mutti, keep it up!
Thanks Justin!
