| BP:AI |
How did you break into comics and what was it like working on your first assignment? |
| Almond |
I broke in thanks to a connection. I had this college project where I had to do a paper on an illustrator's career and a friend offered me Bernie Wrightson's phone number. Bernie was gracious enough to do a phone interview with me and at the end he invited me to attend his annual Halloween party. This led to me years later showing him and his buddy Jim Starlin my portfolio post-party.
While I had originally planned on looking into pencilling I had recently done up my first inking samples and coincidently Jim knew his new title Warlock and the Infinity Watch was going to need a new inker because Terry Austin had recently chosen to depart the title. He mailed me three photocopies of Angel Medina art to ink on over a weekend to test my deadline-making ability. Problem was I was a salaried assistant manager at a fast food restaurant at the time and was scheduled that entire weekend (36-45 hours) and couldn't get out of it.
I inked at home during what little time off I had but Angel's work is rather meticulous to say the least and I couldn't finish it. I believe I sent back like one and a half or two pages to Jim with a typed apology and expecting to have lost my best opportunity to break into the business. Jim called back with a reply that I not have high expectations but he'd see what he could do. Two weeks later he called me and said I could quit my dayjob! He said he talked Marvel editor Craig Anderson into hiring me. Jim told Craig that without a day job I'd have completed the assignment and my efforts made with my schedule proved my commitment. |
"For a long time I really couldn't believe I'd actually made it...but there I was."
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I received my first pages to Warlock #5 on my birthday in January of 1992. It was incredibly intimidating inking that first assignment because I had little to no training in the skill of inking and the added pressure of following Austin sure didn't help. At least Angel's pencils were very tight to allow me some time to learn and Craig allowed me two months on that first issue and 4-6 weeks for the next one, finally reaching a normal a four-week deadline for subsequent issues.
I called up Jim a lot for a while with questions and anxiety and he probably hated me a little bit but he was very helpful and I'm still grateful for all he did for me. I grew up loving Jim's work and here I was playing with his characters. For a long time I really couldn't believe I'd actually made it...but there I was. |
| BP:AI | How did the Black Panther assignment come about? |
| Almond | Earlier in the year editor Ruben Diaz had hired me for two Slingers fill-ins and Sal Velluto, my partner from Bloodshot at Acclaim, had recently done a Silver Surfer "remix" project for Ruben. When Marvel decided to have Black Panther make the transfer from a Marvel Knights title to a Marvel Universe title, Ruben had become editor and gave Sal a call. We were just finishing a JLA story and were ready to go. |
| BP:AI | What's it like working with Christopher Priest and Sal Velluto on Black Panther? |
| Almond | There's really nothing not to like. Sal continuously motivates and challenges me. Often we will approach an assignment in a different style to suit the project at hand which has thrown me into the deepend at times to try out different techniques. But Sal does this in such a professional and respectful manner that we get some great results. |
"Here are two creative talents with every reason to have an attitude and yet both don't. This is truly a team."
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Sal is not just incredibly talented but incredibly open-minded and accommodating to my suggestions and ideas. We have always believed that regular communication leads to a synergy that can only produce the finest work.
I've worked on projects by numerous writers but Priest's work is something special; I haven't been this excited since I was working with Starlin's scripts. And, like Sal, Priest is very open to feedback and ideas, which is not common with many popular writers. Here are two creative talents with every reason to have an attitude and yet both don't. This is truly a team. |
| BP:AI | How do you adjust your inking style to the various pencillers you've worked with and Sal Velluto's style in particular? |
| Almond | Most of my work over other previous artists tended to be clean brushwork with varying degrees of penquill and brush depending on the style. With Sal the experience has been one of diversity. Black Panther has been mostly done in quill and pigma markers of various sizes with almost no brush use whatsoever. It was a thrill though to recently do a Nightwing/Supergirl piece in Batman Chronicles in my more traditional brush style. |
| BP:AI | What can we expect to see in the future of the Black Panther? |
| Almond | Keep in mind that some stuff coming up is tentative and thus subject to approval. After we wrap up our Harlem adventure there will be much more of Killmonger with BP finally meeting up with him and finding out how KM is back from the dead...again. There will be a serious confrontation which will inflict damage with big time repercussions to T'Challa for some time. I can't say any more about this without Priest sicking the Hatut Zeraze on me!
There will be more to the Ross/Nikki/T'Challa triangle, Brother Voodoo will become a part of the supporting cast for a time, Sal will be reunited with Moon Knight after ten years in a thrilling two-parter (wait'll you see the diptych cover Sal did up), Deadpool will pop up, we'll discover the fate of Nakia of the Dora Milaje last seen in issue 13, there will be a follow up with the Avengers (we all remember how contraversal that last meeting was), and some characters that haven't been seen since the end of the first year's Marvel Knights epic story will probably be popping up as well.
All this plus new editor Tom Brevoort and new colorist Steve Oliffe! |
| BP:AI | What's your dream comics project? |
| Almond | Since I was nine years old it was to do Avengers and when I became a pro inker it was to ink George Pérez on Avengers. I sort of fulfilled that goal recently when I got to ink an Avengers sketch by George (shown at right). But beyond that, isn't it obvious? I'M THERE! |
For more of Bob's and Sal's artwork, be sure to visit Sal Velluto's Art Soup.
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