Star Wars Week continues at Capes and Tights and for this part of the week comic book artist David Messina was gracious enough to sit down for a conversation to discuss a galaxy far, far away.
Messina has worked on comics for Marvel, DC, Image Comics, IDW Publishing and more over the years. His name has been attached to comics such as Star Trek: Klingons, True Blood, Ultimate Spiderman, Uncanny X-Men, Cloak & Dagger, Catwoman, Action Comics, Wonder Woman, 3Keys, and The Bounce. However, for Star Wars Week we are focused on his work on Han Solo & Chewbacca with friend of Capes and Tights, Marc Guggenheim.
Let’s get to know a little more about the Star Wars artist!
JS: Do you have a comic book “origin story” on how you first got introduced to comics and how did this lead into creating comics as a career?
DM: Oh, sure, I have a sort of an origin story! I have always been a reader of comic books, ever since I was bullied in school as a child. Spider-Man was my favorite hero and being the child of separated parents he was my moral compass at a time when I felt lonely. It was about then that I decided that drawing comics was what I wanted to do as an adult. Growing up I directed my whole life, art high school, comics school, readings in order to do this as a job.
You have worked on various DC, Marvel and Independent comics over the years. Is there one series or character you enjoyed illustrating the most?
Sincerely many. I think the first one ever was Star Trek Countdown, which moved me because of the story of Nero, who goes from good guy to bad guy. Then there was Catwoman, which I had always wished I could draw someday and Genevieve Valentine wrote at the time the best story I could wish to draw. There was The Bounce by Joe Casey, my first experience with creator owned and finally Han Solo & Chewbacca, which for me growing up with Star Wars, with house full of action figures, lamps in the shape of Deathstar, bottle openers in the shape of the Millennium Falcon was really the fulfillment of a dream.
Having conquered the mountain of illustrating DC characters such as Wonder Woman and Marvel characters such as Wolverine, does getting the chance to draw Han Solo, Chewbacca and other Star Wars characters just add to the long list or is there some sort of pride in illustrating characters that are so iconic?
A huge pride for me. They are icons, beloved characters for an audience that follows them and of which I for one am a part. The thought of having had the opportunity to add a piece, big or small to their mythology, to have been able to excite readers as I first was from the stories I had read is a source of great pride for me!
Is there a character from any publisher you most want to have the chance to illustrate or even illustrate again? If not Star Wars, Is there a Star Wars character or series you would most be interested in illustrating now that you have done a few titles?
In the Star Wars universe, one character I would love to have the opportunity to draw is Darth Maul! From an aesthetic standpoint, Ian McCaig‘s creation is one of my absolute favorites in the Star Wars universe. fierce and elegant at the same time, like a tiger. I’ve been collecting action figures (including the more absurd ones like a Donald Duck-Darth Maul or an M&Ms-Darth Maul) ever since I saw Episode I more than two decades ago! Outside of Star Wars, I wish someday I could get a chance to draw Hellboy who is a character I love just as much (and whose action figures and whatnot I collect) and of course Spider-Man!
Since our first introduction to Han Solo and Chewbacca was in film, are there any challenges to illustrating characters such these two with people having a preconceived idea of how these characters should look?
A huge challenge. I think few actors have entered so powerfully into the collective imagination as Harrison Ford, shaping eras that have accompanied generations of viewers, with franchises that are still alive and beloved today. From a technical point of view, it must also be said that Harrison Ford’s face is not easy to draw, I then always tried to merge it with Alden Ehrenreich‘s to give a sense of continuity between the two films, since the story is set right at the turn of Solo: A Star Wars Story and A New Hope!
Luckily the readers seems to appreciate my approach to the characters.
We had Marc Guggenheim on our podcast and are huge fans of Charles Soule’s work. What was it like working alongside such a talented writers on such a notable franchise? Would you be interested in working on a future project with either of them again?
It was the first time I got to work with Marc Guggenheim and Charles Soule. The Star Wars “family,” is closely coordinated by a team of editors under Mark Paniccia so that the stories are solid and consistent with each other. Up to that point I had always been just a reader of both. I found myself dealing with not only two extraordinary writers but also two gentlemen.
With Marc, from whose talent to so faithfully render Han Solo and the way he acts and speaks then a beautiful friendship was formed.
I honestly look forward to working with him again, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to do this long ride of 10 issues along with such an amazing writer and human being!
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I wake up in the morning, at 7 o’clock, then after doing my stuff at home (shower, quick breakfast, housekeeping) I go to my studio, “The Skeleton Monster” which I share with other artists like Werther Dell’Edera, Antonio Fuso or Fabrizio DiTommaso and I start working from 9:30 to 8:00pm. I start with pencils in the first half of the day and then on inks. Most of the work is done listening to podcasts with my friend and then I go back home and if I’m not in a rush for deadlines I prefer to not work after dinner but often I’ve to!
What else, besides Star Wars, are you working on currently that people should be on the lookout for?
I’ve just finished a series for Image Comics called 3Keys, and I’m at work on a one shot still for Image related in some way to 3Keys! Also, I’m working on some covers and short story for Star Wars since I’ve to have surgery, so I can’t make big commitment with work until I am fully recovered!
Is there any comic books or novels your are reading at the moment that you would recommend?
At the moment I’m reading Something Is Killing The Children and House Of Slaughter and I really love the series. The world created by James Tynion IV and Dell’Edera is fresh, fun and horrifying in the good way! Also I’m reading Venom by Al Ewing, Ram V and Brian Hitch and it’s really a great horror sci-fi saga which I really enjoy!
Thank you David Messina for chatting!
Thank you, Justin!
