Wednesday 27 October 2010

Artist Showcase - Emmanuel Francisco JR

Spider-man vs VenomEmmanuel Francisco Jr is a name that I think we'll be hearing lots over the next few years. He's a really talented up an coming artist I watch over at DeviantArt. His gallery over there is filling up nicely with loads of awesome pieces of art. You'll see some of my faves in this post.

His art style is influenced by many of the greats in the industry but he's developing his own unique style allowing his personality to flow into the art.

To find out a bit more about "MannixFrancisco" (His DeviantArt ID) read this quick Q & A below and don't forget to visit him on DA and let him know I sent you.

What first got you into comic books?
Early on as a little kid I was a big fan of those Saturday morning cartoons featuring the Superfriends, Spiderman, the Hulk or Captain America. But I was first exposed to the comics version when a classmate of mine in fourth grade brought Superman comics to school. I was hooked instantly. Soon after that I started going to the old comic bins in the local second hand bookstore because I couldn't afford new comics. Being eleven years old can do that to you. That's where I discovered the X-men, the Teen Titans, the Dark Knight, and of course, Wolverine. It was also around that time that I started paying attention to the writers and artists.


Mecha DesignWho is your favourite comic book character?
I'm more of a fan of characters done by a particular artist. I love Spiderman done by Todd Mcfarlane and Humberto Ramos, Moon Knight done by Dave Finch and Stephen Platt, Wolverine done by Marc Silvestri, Death Dealer done by Frazetta, and the X-men done by Jim Lee. But, of course, there are characters that are just too cool looking regardless of who draws them, like Batman, Spawn, and Withblade.



Who are your major artistic influences?
The first artist I really idolized was George Perez, and I still do. His attention to detail influenced the way I do my art today. Then I discovered the Filipino artists during the Filipino invasion of the 70's. I was astounded by the level of quality these guys did. Totally ahead of their time. Artists like Alex Nino, Alfredo Alcala and Nestor Redondo. Also round that time I discovered and was influenced by Frank Frazetta. Then there's the Image founders, who changed the face of comics in the 90's. Soon came Stephen Platt and Joe Madureira. And I have to say Nicky Manabat. The attention to detail that I learned from George Perez was raised to another level when I first saw Nicky Manabat. Nowadays, I only have eyes for David Finch.

BatmanWhat comics do you currently read?
I'm currently following two books religiously--Invincible and Walking Dead. I also bought the first issue of Guarding the Globe, might continue that. I was looking forward to the new Wetworks miniseries but now that Wildstorm's closing down, it might not come out anymore.

What are you currently working on?
I'm on the early stages of a new miniseries, but I'm not yet allowed to divulge the details. All I can say is, it's gonna come out in France, it's got a high-tech, militaristic theme to it, and it's ultra-violent. I'm loving every minute of it. Nice to do something different from all the spandex-clad super-heroes I did in the past. Hopefully I can post some art soon. So stay tuned.

What is your dream project?
My dream project would be doing Cyberforce and World of Warcraft. I also want to finish Battle Chasers, the first Cybernary series, and Soul Saga. I just love sci-fi and fantasy. In the superhero genre, it would definitely be Batman.







Hulk Sketch
WildCATs Page
Cybernary Page
To see more of Emmanuel's work visit his DeviantArt here.

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