And here’s another one!  Another new entry for the Indie Artist Spotlight feature that is. Today the spotlight shines on Atlanta artist Mario Daniel.  

Mario also gives out scholarships with his business partner in his old community.

Tali Adina: How did you get into comics?

Mario Daniel: When I was around 5 or 6yrs old my god father who was a long time comics reader would bring me old long boxes of comic books when visiting my dad. We would sit together and he’d go through every title and give me the backstory on each and every character. My pop and god father were both Army so most of the comics he collected were old Sgt. Fury, Sgt. Rock, The Nam and Punisher comics mixed in with some Wolverine, Fantastic Four and Avengers. He (Godfather) was mainly a MARVEL guy so I in turn was a MARVEL Kid. The first comic I bought for myself was a Spider-Man comic, I quite remember the issue, but I think it featured the villains the Lobo Brothers basically they were mutant werewolves/Drug Cartel kingpins! Weird combination, but I was hooked!

TA: What inspired you to become an artist and when did you begin to draw?

MD: Well I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, but my earliest artistic “achievement” lol was around 6 or 7. I created my first recurring character. I turned my pet dog BoBo an Irish terrier into a cartoon strip. After that I never looked back and kept drawing ever sense with the only gap in my creative expression being my time in the military.

What inspired me to become an artist? I couldn’t point to one thing actually, but several. My Grandmother is an accomplished painter, I pale in comparison to her skill. So she was a great influence and source of encouragement. I never could quite master painting even with her instruction, but excelled at illustration so that became my focus. My second influence would obviously be the comic books themselves and in particular the work of STAN LEE. As I said my first introduction to comics was my god father’s old comic stash he passed on to me, so unlike most kids I had access to comics from long before my birth, I’m talking 1960s early Marvel Comics and the occasional DC comic.

Stan Lee’s infusive writing and Jack Kirby’s dynamic art fueled my imagination, later on as I read more comics and found the books, writers and artists that suited my tastes I latched onto one artist in particular. MIKE WEIRINGO who sadly past away a few years ago was/is my all-time favorite artist! His runs on Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and his creator owned books blew my mind! His art was so clean and deceptively simple, his style was contrary to the common styles of pencillers of his time (Ultra realistic, ultra stylized Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld art.)

Mike Weiringo has a ”Cartoony” style which I found to be similar to my own. Now I would never think of myself as on the same level as the great Weiringo, but I found in him a role model to base my developing art off of. Hope that answers your question adequately? Lol

TA: Which tools do you use to create comics and what makes them the “right tools” for you?

MD: Let’s see…recently I finally invested in a Glass surface drawing table and lightbox, those have helped me tremendously in my work. As far was drawing tools I’m partial to Faber Castell pens and Semi-Hex pencils.  I draw on primarily cardstock paper most often 11x17in sometimes standard copy paper also cardstock. I like the stiffness of the paper.

As far as nu media tools I utilize a simple Wacom bamboo table and Corel Painter 4 software for the times I do try to color my own work (Which is not often, I suck at color.)

TA: What is your art style?

MD: If I am to sum up my style it would be cartoony. Honestly I couldn’t define my style as an artist you’re always trying to evolve. I hope I’m evolving.

TA: What inspires you to create comics?

MD: I don’t know, the pure joy of putting what’s in your head or the head of your co-creator onto the page. I mean not many people can literally visualize their thoughts from their mind to their hand to a pencil and paper. I like to think being able to draw as a kind of superpower. A absolutely useless in a fight superpower! I’d also add collaboration is a big part of the inspiration, finding a writer you click with is a serious joy.

TA: What do you do when you’re drained and need to recharge creatively?

MD: Porn. Next question.

TA: What advice can you give aspiring artists?

MD: I don’t think I’m the best person to give advice, heck I’m still early in my career! I’ll say this. Practice, Practice, Practice and go to Comic Conventions and pester some pros! They’ll love it!

TA: Can you tell us about any of the projects you’re working on?

MD: Sure! Currently working on a independent comic called CTHULU BROWN, it’s a One Shot that’s about the son of the H.P. Lovecraft Old One Cthulhu. That should be done by the end of the summer. I’m also writing as opposed to drawing a series of children’s books with my Co-Creator Charles Askew called The Lightner Strikes. It’s a family of super genius adventurers. We’ve self-published one book so far and will be selling it on the Kindle very soon.

Finally I’m at the beginning stages on an ongoing comic with my good friend and writer Elliott Serrano, this is something we’ve been working on for some time to pitch around to the major comic publishers. I can’t divulge the title or premise, but rest assured it will prove once and for all what a disturbed individual the writer is lol.

TA: What’s an important lesson that you’ve learned so far from working in comics?

MD: That comics is a tough racket and you have to be patient and keep grinding, no one will hand you anything in this business you have to make your own way.

TA: Where can people find your art?

MD: The can find my general scribbles at doitdoitleague.wordpress.com and on twitter and Instagram by following the #FAFATL (Free Art Friday Atlanta) hashtag, which is a free art community here in Atlanta that I participate in. Also if in the area I have art in various city wide art shows and galleries within the FAFATL community.