Henry Martinez loved comic books from a young age and aspired to be a comic book artist early in life. After valiantly trying to break into the industry (following graduation from the High School of Art and Design and the School of Visual Arts in New York City), he found himself picking up freelance work from his jobs as a messenger and in retail. This led him to advertising, which in turn helped him finally achieve his dream–working for Marvel Comics. Because of the turmoil in the industry at that point, he only stayed a year and a half, and then went back to the nine-to-five for a few years before going into full-time freelancing, which he’s now pursued for fifteen years. His experience in comics, storyboarding and advertising has given him a combination of reinforcing skills that help him in his graphic storytelling.

JB: You mentioned book cover illustration, sales and advertising—what was it like to work within such different job descriptions?

HM: Well, the book cover illustration was something I wanted to do and was convinced I could do by some very supportive teachers at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). I hadn’t considered a career in illustration until after taking a few classes there. The reality was that it was a tough field to get into, there are a handful of artists that made a decent living at it. The handful of guys I knew that tried it were living with their parents while they dabbled in illustration. While I was pounding the pavement dropping off my portfolio at book publishers, I had a fulltime job at Continuity Inc., a studio run by comics legend Neal Adams. It was an amazing learning experience; I’d never heard of storyboards and would stay late to ask questions and learn from the artists there. That lead to a job at an advertising agency and the beginning of my career as a storyboard artist.

JB: How did you enjoy design school? Do you recommend it for those looking towards a career in art, design and/or illustration?

HM: I personally enjoyed the social aspect of it, and it was a great place to feed off of creatively. However, I didn’t learn any new skills, it was more a place to practice them. You can’t expect to go to art school and leave with a new skill set, maybe a fresh perspective on art or more of a focus on what direction you want to go in creatively. And as I mentioned before, it’s a great place to feed off of other talented people. By feed I don’t mean “steal”, but getting a fresh perspective on your work, which always makes you a better artist. We are always growing.

JB: Do you think you’ll ever get back into comic books full time? Is the comic book industry too volatile for people to try and enter right now?

HM: I wouldn’t get into comics full time, but I definitely work on them when time allows. The hours needed to do quality work on a regular title are just too demanding for me, but I do love it. It was a childhood dream to work in comics and I just can’t keep away, which is why I’ll do a book once in awhile. I just finished two issues of League of Champions for Heroic Publishing which should be out sometime next year.

The industry is much smaller today than when I was working in it full time. It’s a tough business to break into, there are very few titles that make enough money for a beginner to make a decent living. The best way for a comic book artist to make a good living is either work on a big title (which is tough, those books are illustrated by the big name guys) or do your own work and promote, promote, promote, with the goal of creating a property that you can license. Unfortunately this process can take years as you develop an audience. It’s tough.

JB: What kind of tools and software do you typically use for illustration?

HM: I use a combination of traditional art tools and the computer. For my advertising work, I first pencil then ink the work. Then I scan within Photoshop, clean up the work and print it out followed by coloring the printouts with Copic markers. I love these markers, the colors are brilliant and the nibs end in a flexible brush tip. I then scan those colored fames and post them on an FTP server where my clients can retrieve them. All the work is done at home, but I occasionally pop into the city to do a day or so worth of work at agencies.

The comic book work is also done traditionally. I pencil on Strathmore 2-ply bristol paper with a fine point mechanical pencil. When I ink, I use the Pigma Micron pens. Again, I scan the work in Photoshop where I clean up the files and might color if the job demands it. Those files are again posted on an FTP server where clients can retrieve them.

The few illustrations I do are now done digitally, although I start with a pencil drawing. The painting part is done primarily in Corel’s Painter, with the occasional touch up in Photoshop. I prefer to draw the traditional way, since I have more control of the art. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of drawing with the Wacom tablet.

JB: What’s been your experience freelancing?

HM: Freelancing gives you an incredible amount of freedom and flexibility, but I do miss the interaction with people. I don’t have to deal with a daily commute, which is fantastic. That was one of the most stressful parts of my day. Another negative of working full time was getting interrupted while working. Some people may not realize it, but drawing really does involve a lot of concentration and the constant interruptions would slow me down to the point where I might stay later than I’d have to to finish the job for the next day.

JB: I have to ask—favorite superhero and superheroine? Any thoughts on the resurgence of superhero popularity?

HM: Favorite superhero…there are a few and I hate it when people answer with more than one when they are asked to pick just one, so I’d have to say Captain America. I just loved his origin story and the purity of the character. The costume was simple and it leaves you no doubt as to who he is and what he stands for. Plus he kicks ass! My favorite superheroine was Wonder Woman, but I think that had more to do with Linda Carter than the character.

As a fan of comic books, I think it’s great that superheroes are “in style”. Like science fiction, comics have relevant, serious stories to tell if handled properly. There’s this amazing series published by Marvel called “The Ultimates” which presented a very serious take on the Avengers. There were messages in the story relevant to what’s going on in our world today; it touched on terrorism, the war in Iraq, capital punishment and domestic abuse. Comics have plenty to say, much like any other form of communication.

JB: If someone wanted to break into comics, what suggestions would you have for them?

HM: It sounds cliché, but practice! There are hundreds of people that want to be comic book artists, but what separates the average from the top is skill and dedication. Every artist, no matter what field he or she chooses must have a solid foundation in traditional drawing. How can you draw the human figure without an understanding of anatomy? Even Picasso, who most know for his surreal interpretations of the human figure had an understanding of anatomy. The average person may not know that Picasso actually drew some beautiful and realistic human figures early in his career! An artist also needs a strong work ethic and patience. The hours are long and the criticism plenty. You have to be able to put in the long hours and deal with criticism well. Most of it is constructive, especially from editors. They are only there to help, not destroy you, so listen to them. It’s a tough business to break into, but if you are talented, reliable and persistent you will find a place in the business.