There are moments when doing this job that I get so giddy I can barely contain myself. Talking to Guy Davis is definitely one of those moments.

The Michigan resident (woo!) has gone on to have an illustrious career in comics since his work on the series Baker Street in the late 1980s, working on such prolific books as Nevermen, Zombies That Ate the World, The Marquis (which he writes as well) and, in 2003, he became the main artist of the popular series B.P.R.D., a spin-off of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. His style is unique and bold, and the self-taught artist’s work is instantly recognizable to any who come across it.

Guy was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about his inspirations, how he got started in the business, and what we can expect from him in the future.

SJ: How long have you been drawing comics and how did you get started in the business?

GD: I started with doing short stories for fanzines pretty much right out of high-school that would be around 1984-1985. Before that I did a small comic strip for the home town newspaper when I was still in school~ and it was pretty awful, but it gave me a taste of what it takes to write and draw a strip and get it out on time. I pretty much started doing comics because the fanzine I worked for later on became a comic publisher (Arrow Comics) and after that one project lead to another and I’ve kept working for about 25 years now.

SJ: You seem to have quite a bit on your plate, as far as projects go – how is it juggling different projects, ones where you’re the artist, like B.P.R.D., and others, like The Marquis, where you write and do the art?

GD: It’s a lot easier just getting to draw a book with a script already there for you, but I’m really enjoying getting back to work on the Marquis. We’re doing the rest of the series as original graphic novels, so the work load is a lot more on those books too.

SJ: As a writer, is there a certain script format you prefer? Do you like scripts that lay out everything, or do you like having freedom?

GD: I don’t know if I have a preference~ even with a full script as long as I’m able to tweak some of the direction where needed that’s fine. But I don’t mind working from loose plots or full scripts. I guess what matters most is if either is well done and clear for what I need to go to layouts and pencils.

SJ: You seem to have a penchant for drawing creatures/monsters – have you always enjoyed that? If so, why?

GD: I’ve always been a big monster fan~ I grew up watching lots of sci-fi and late night monster movies. I wasn’t into superhero comics but I loved reading fantasy/ sci-fi novels and Famous Monsters or Starlog magazines. As far as why, I don’t know~ I’d have to go with my teenage answer of “because they’re cool!” (laughs) I also just like the process of drawing creatures and thinking them up, it’s fun for me to get to imagine it and then get to realize it on the finished page.

SJ: How did you get the idea for The Marquis, and how long did it take you to get the first issue off the ground?

GD: The Marquis pretty much started out as something that incorporated everything I wanted to draw but never got a chance. So bizarre devils, the 18th century, snowy architecture~ all that made it into the book. The first issue came out pretty quick once I had a story in place and Caliber Press wanted to publish it, that would have been back in 1997~ so we did a preview issue that was a short story with some design sketches. Just to see if there was a good reader reaction to the idea~ and luckily it was pretty well received so we planned to go ahead with the full series. But other deadlines on Sandman Mystery Theatre kept me from going ahead with it, so it took a few more years for the actual series to start up again with ONI Press. And now a few years later it’s found a wonderful home over at Dark Horse Comics for the rest of the series.

SJ: Do you still draw in your spare time, for fun?

GD: Not really, I wish I did but drawing for work is taking most of my time.

SJ: How do you like working with Mike Mignola? How did he first approach you to take over B.P.R.D.?

GD: Mike’s great, both him and John Arcudi are a joy to work with. He was wanting to spin-off BPRD for awhile and I was always bitching about not getting to draw monsters in alot of the work I was doing. So when he asked me if I was interested in drawing BPRD, I jumped at the chance!

SJ: How long does it take to finish a typical issue?

GD: Pretty much a month per issue.

SJ: Who are some of your biggest influences?

GD: I like a lot of different artists for different reasons, it would be hard to pick which had the biggest influence in my styles over the years. Early on it was Japanimation and Don Bluth~ then a lot of European artist like Tardi, Moebius and Schuiten. And now I’m sure I’m using more solid blacks in my art because of Mike.

SJ: What writers would you like to work with or what artists would you like to see bring your words to life, if given the opportunity?

GD: I pretty much only write for myself, I never thought of actually writing for another artist. I don’t think I’ve ever even written in a formal script/plot format since I’m used to filling in the blanks myself. As far as any writers, I don’t know~ I’m lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with some really great ones already.

SJ: When deciding to work on a project, what are the factors you look for in taking on a job?

GD: To be honest it usually just boils down to if it’s something that sounds like fun to draw. I want to be inspired to do it and not have it be a chore. I’ve had to do a few art jobs over the years to just pay the bills and always regretted it~ but what can you do? At least the bills got paid! (laughs)

SJ: How do you feel about movies adapted from comic books? Have a favorite?

GD: I guess I like to judge each on their own merits~ which is hard to do. I don’t really get into superheroes much, nothing wrong with the genre~ just never something I was into so I haven’t seen all these superhero movies that have been coming out.

SJ: What’s a typical day in the life of Guy Davis?

GD: Pretty much get up, eat and then get to work. And then repeat over days and weeks until deadlines are done and then start up again. (laughs) Doesn’t sound too great, but I’m lucky to being able to make a living getting to do what I enjoy. So I’m not complaining.

SJ: What are you reading right now?

GD: I’ve been rereading the Burroughs Mars books~ right now I’m on Thuvia, Maid of Mars.

SJ: What advice do you have for people trying to break into the industry?

GD: Draw all the time, and if you want to draw comics then spend a lot of time on the sequential storytelling. Don’t just draw figures and pinups.

SJ: What is your favorite thing about working in the industry – what makes you go “Wow, I can’t believe I do this for a living”?

GD: You know, I guess just the process of creating a story and getting that story into peoples hands to read.

SJ: How has living in Michigan affected your style and the type of work you do?

GD: I don’t think it has really affected me in anyway I can think of. Since I used to mail off artwork to publishers all over and now it’s done digitally~ I can pretty much work anywhere. But I like the variety of climate in Michigan.

SJ: How do you feel about independent publishers, and do you see a trend with them one way or another (good, bad, or ugly)?

GD: I think publishers, whether independent or corporate are like anything~ some good, some bad, some indifferent. You just have to try and weed out the ones you don’t want to associate with~ and get a lawyer to look over those contracts!

SJ: Marquis: Inferno was released this past fall (September 2009), collecting all the Marquis stories to date. Are there a lot of extras available in the trade for us die-hard Guy Davis fans?

GD: Lots! Dark Horse went all out with this collection. New sketchbook, new full color cover gallery and Dave Stewart (my cohort on BPRD) re-colored the Hell scenes of the last chapter. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!

SJ: Working on anything else at the moment?

GD: More BPRD along with more Marquis~ finishing up the last issue of BPRD: King of Fear this month and working on the new Marquis and the Midwife graphic novel. Also have a few other smaller things at Dark Horse~ so life’s busy but I’m enjoying it

Make sure to check out Guy’s website here, which features a ton of artwork, and you can follow him on Twitter here.

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