Interview - GI Joe vs. TF Artist Mike Miller

The Transformers and the G.I.Joe are going to meet twice this year in two amazing and completely different crossovers. Mike Miller, the man behind the artwork on Devil Due's Transformers/G.I.Joe crossover, talks to TFormers in this exclusive interview about his life, carreer and much we want to know about an artist's routine.

TFormers: When and how did you get started drawing comics?

Mike: Well, when I was a kid, I used to draw comics all the time. Not full on comic books, but just characters. X-men and the like mostly. My dad made me give up my collection in 7th grade, so I got out of it for a while, until after high school. Then I heard you could make a nice living drawing comics, so I thought, ‘what the hey’, it’s something I always loved doing anyway. I whipped up some samples and took them to WonderCon and got work. Of course it was inking work, but it was work non-the-less.

TFormers: What are some other projects you have worked on in the past?

Mike: JLA, Adventures of Superman, X-Man, Wolverine, X-factor, X-force, Excalibur, Mutant X, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Triumph, Savage Dragon: Red Horizon, Immortal 2... a lot more, I don’t have time to mention it all.

TFormers: Who are the artists that influenced your work most?

Mike: Back in the old days, I would have said John Byrne and Paul Smith. Later, the West coast style (Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, etc) made a mark on my ‘style’. Now I focus on form and structure, so I’d have to say Andrew Loomis and George Bridgman. I also look at Carlos Pacheco’s art quite a bit, so that probably influences me in some way.

TFormers: Were the Transformers and the G.I.Joe part of your childhood growing up?

Mike: Of course! I used to tape Transformers and watch it in slow motion, so I could see how the robots transformed. Then I’d create my own transformers... I guess that was all just research for my work today. lol

TFormers: Besides the comics you work on now, what other comic or toy properties do you like?

Mike: I like ‘The Savage Dragon’, I used to like the X-Men, but I can’t stand what they’ve done with it lately. But mostly I follow artists. As for toys, I love the Gundam line of toys, though I can’t afford to buy them all... Some of the new Transformers designs are pretty cool, but I have to stick with the originals as my faves.

TFormers: What's your opinion of the recent 80's revival?

Mike: I think it’s great! It’s a real shot in the arm for the comics industry. It’s drawn a lot of old readers back into the ‘fold’, and introduced a lot of new readers to some really cool characters. I think it’s been just an all around good thing for everyone.

TFormers: How did you end up working with Devil's Due?

Mike: Josh emailed me after he’d seen some of my ‘Black Tide’ work and asked if I’d like to do some Joe stuff. I said, ‘sure’, but it turned out Hasbro thought my work was too realistic. Then later on he re-submitted my stuff and for some reason they approved it. Maybe it was a different person, who knows, but I did half an issue of Joe 13 to get them up to schedule.

TFormers: What was your reaction when you knew that you were going to be a part of the of G.I. Joe vs. Transformers comic?

Mike: Actually, that was kind of my ... idea? I mean, I vied for the position before I even knew there WAS a Joe V. Trans book coming out! I read in Wizard a rumor that there was going to be a Joe v. X-men book, and I called up DD to see if I could throw my name in the hat. Then I found out that wasn’t even going to happen, but they were doing Joe V. Trans. I sat right down and did a sketch of Optimus and Megatron, and after a couple months of hoping and praying and calling and harassing, they said I was the guy for the job. My reaction? Elation. :)

TFormers: How involved were you in creating the characters or the designs?

Mike: It’s all me. Josh (Blaylock) tells me what the characters transform into, and I figure out how to make it work. My father was an engineer, so I guess it’s kinda in the genes.

TFormers: How do you feel about having another TF/G.I.Joe comic series in production at the same time?

Mike: It’s the nature of the cross-over. And I’m thrilled with the work Jae is doing. We’ve been friends for years, so it was a hoot for me to find out he was doing the other version. I’m very much looking forward to that coming out.

TFormers: What has been the biggest challenge working on the comics so far?

Mike: Time. These pages are KILLING me. They take twice as long as anything else I’ve ever done. No more robots for me after this...

TFormers: Did you do any research on the characters before you got into it?

Mike: Not really, just their designs. I was pretty familiar before I started.

TFormers: Are you involved with the coloring process? Do you give the colorists any suggestions like how the lightning should go on a scene?

Mike: No. I tried at first, but then I just got too busy. I trust they’ll do a good job, and I haven’t been too disappointed so far.

TFormers: When you receive the story text, is anything already specified about what you should draw?

Mike: Yes, that’s the way comics works. I get a script that tells me what happens on every panel, and I just bring it to life. I’m like the director, but the writer determines the content.

TFormers: How do you interface with the writers on things about the scenes that are used, the angle of the views or what goes in a panel?

Mike: Angles are 99% up to me. I’ll occasionally get direction like ‘worms eye view’ or whatnot, but mostly it’s just ‘close up’ or ‘establishing shot’ and I get to draw it anyway I feel best.

TFormers: In your opinion, how do you think this will impact your career?

Mike: Well, I hope it helps. lol. It’s not an ongoing series, so I doubt it will have any lasting effect, but hopefully it will make my name a bit more recognizable, and people will stop confusing me with Mark Millar. I hate that.

TFormers: Do you have any special drawing techniques that you can share with us?

Mike: Just draw. Learn structure and form and anatomy and storytelling, and then just draw.

TFormers: How many hours of your day do you spend drawing comics?

Mike: I average about 6. I try to draw at least 8, but it’s hard with two new kids and working at home.

TFormers: Do you ever spend many hours drawing a comic page and think you've finished. Them the editor or someone next to him decides it has to be erode? How do you manage things when to changes like that need to be made?

Mike: Not on this book. And frankly, I hate that. If someone starts doing that to me on a project, I start losing interest in the project. Same thing if I have a lousy inker. I can’t stand pouring my heart into a page for a whole day then watch some schmuck kill it with half-arsed inks. I’d rather not draw than see that happen again.

TFormers: When you were working on the Devil Due's project. Did you have any help or any kind or contact with the fans?

Mike: Not really. I post on some message boards, but I’m not allowed to post my designs or pages, so I couldn’t really get any fan reaction.

TFormers: How does if feel to see all the fans buying and enjoying your work?

Mike: It’s great. I love to see people happy with what I’ve done. I haven’t heard any negative comments about anything I’ve done so far, so that definitely feels good.

TFormers: Do you visit the fan Web site much? Which one are your favorites?

Mike: I usually hit Devil’s Due. I’ve visited some others but not regularly.

There are a lot of foreign artists appearing in the U.S. comics market like Guido Guidi, for example. What do you think about all the new artists?

Hey, if they’re good, they’re welcome! Anything to raise the overall quality level of comics today is fine with me. We are actually using some foreign artists at Roaring for various projects, so I can’t quibble about anyone else doing the same.

TFormers: What is your opinion about the current market for comic artists today and what do you think about the future of it?

Mike: I think good artists will always be able to break in. It’s kind of nice that the market is smaller because it means the worst artists get squeezed out. It raises the overall quality, like I mentioned before and is good for the market as a whole.

TFormers: What kind of advice can you give to the comic artist's that want to develop a professional career?

Mike: Don’t think you’re good. If you think you’re good, then you won’t be able to listen to someone telling you what you’re doing wrong. Never brush off criticism of your work, even if you disagree with it, you have to think about what is said. Don’t try to defend your work against critics, even if you don’t think they know what they’re talking about, just consider what they say and grow from it. Let the market tell you when you’re ready to go professional, don’t assume you know yourself. I run across too many young (and not so young) hopeful artists who sit down for a critique hoping for a heaping helpful of praise, and when I start telling them what’s wrong with their work, they just close their ears and brush me off. Well, those who listen grow, those who don’t stagnate. And that’s not the way to build a career.

TFormers: Anything you want to say to the fans?

Mike: Just that I’m glad they like what I’m doing, and I hope they also pick up ‘George R. R. Martin’s: The Hedge Knight’ also from Image comics and Roaring Studios (www.roaringstudios.com). It’s written by a New York Times best selling, and multiple award winning author, and it’s just the best writing I’ve ever worked with. If your readers like my art AND top-notch writing, then that’s a book they will enjoy. Ask your local retailer to order a copy or twelve. :) Thanks, and God bless!