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Interview with Francheso!
07/15/2006  She-Dragon is finally hitting stores. It's been a bit, but apparently it's a bigger book. What changes did you and creator Erik Larsen make to the special? Is there more story? Was anything changed and omitted? Erik and I added a lot more content. Both to the story and to the 'extras' (behind the scenes stuff) we planned to include in the original idea hammered out at Wizard World Chicago. The She-Dragon Special was already a seam-splitting 48 pages to begin with. So no worries, let the good times roll, we're having fun...its all good. We just kept going, and going, and quickly ran out of room. The issue has now swelled up to 64 pages, and we are not charging a thin dime more for it either... same low cost, tons more art. Its not just BIG anymore, its freaking HUGE!
 I've read that Larsen did layouts, but on message boards people seem to think the layouts were very loose.
They were loose, sure... but they had everything and more in them to let me know just what he was going for. They are full of that raw charm I love about his art... and folks will get to see some of what I got to see in the "extras" portion of the issue.
 What was the working relationship for the two of you.
I can't speak for Erik, but for myself: It was one on those things that folks dream about when one first dreams of drawing comic books for reals ...someday. Everyone thinks they can do it, and if the opportunity comes up they would do this great thing, or that great thing. If only... if only all the planets aligned just right, if dreams sometimes did come true, if only fantasies were really real-- we artists all have those thoughts when we're first starting out. She-Dragon is the physical manifestation of what it looks like when those primal dreams come true. I've waited my whole life for this project to come along... and boys and girls... its not the way I imagined it would be. I imagined it would be really REALLY great... and it's even BETTER than I had imagined. If folks out there like it... then it's all icing on the cake.
 When doing covers and sequentials, what process do you go through on the page. Loose starts? Tight up front? Thumbnails on McDonald's napkins.... What's your method? Equipment choices?
All of the above... You see, it is never an exact science for me, and I'm still trying to figure out ways to suck less at it. I'm pretty much on auto-pilot when it comes to the mechanics. I just go into it, and it kinda just happens; pretty much like driving a car. When you first get your driver's permit... you're hyper-aware of every little thing that goes into driving behind the wheel. After a while, you're not even aware you have the car keys in your hand, or putting them into the ignition and stuff... you're just "DRIVING".
 Sure, I do the McDonald's napkin route, the sketchy sketch stuff... absolutely. All of the above. If you notice some of my pencils... they are fairly tight. I go through pencil lead like it was going out of style, so 'unleaded' is not the way I like to zoom around the Bristol Board. I like all the octane it can handle. I do most of my rough stuff separately, then transfer my sketches onto Art Boards. If not done that way... my paper would have a super-thick glassy layer of graphite to ink over; Yeah, good luck with that one Franchesco!.   I can't stress enough the importance of really good materials. If your paint brushes are archaic to the point that they've lost their snap yeas ago, and look like an old toothbrush instead... time to get a new brush! No one should struggle that hard to make the line happen on the page, especially if the tool is fighting you. The right tool for the right job is one of my Mantras. Imagine a bricklayer building a house with only soupy water instead of cement. Flimsy paper is just not going to hold up as well the way Bristol Board does. Things become the standard in an industry for a reason... they work well! For this gig, I wanted to draw She-Dragon on the same paper Erik Larsen uses to draw the Savage-Dragon on; from a purely fan-boy itch I wanted to scratch. I could have easily drawn it on any Bristol out there. But I wanted the best, I wanted his Savage Blue Line to hold She-Dragon. He got me a nice stack of Blue Line Image paper from his personal stash.. and it was a dreamsickle to work on. Could I have drawn it on cheap typing paper? Well yeah, sure... but the end results would be completely different. The surface of the typing paper is not designed to take that kind of use and abuse. By the time the pencils, inks, and lord knows what else ends up on that surface-- you don't want your art to look like it sits on the cratered surface of the moon. Same effort, completely different results ...because of the substandard materials used. Wanna draw for reals boys and girls? Gotta use the stuff the professionals use... period!
 Is there any chance this one-shot might lead to more She-Dragon or other Savage dragon work? Larsen will always pencil the main book, but is there a chance of more mini-series?
There is always a possibility... but that is not my decision to make. Its up to the fans really. The nature of the beast is this... we can love something until the cows come home... but if the box office is not there, its not there. Say for example the latest Superman movie had poor ticket sales... the chances for another one down the line, are slim to none. Not everyone 'got' that movie, I loved it... and was happy that it did really good box-office. The nature of the beast is that it did make money-- so chances are, there could be more. Same thing applies here. I love that retailers are supporting this project-- I want them to do really well... and my hope is that the fans and retailers enjoy what we've cooked up for them. We kept the price really low for them as well. We could have easily charged a lot more and be justified. The high production values, and two fisted tale that keeps on going and going and going really merit a much higher cover price.
  Plus I hear that the art is fan-freakin-amazing!!! (just kidding)
In all seriousness-- if I saw this book on the comic shelves for the first time, and got amnesia like on those Soap Operas, and didn't realize I was the guy who drew it. I wouldn't buy a copy-- I would buy multiple copies. I love the subject matter. I love Erik Larsen's work-- and he totally brought his A-Game to writing and coloring She-Dragon. I love the thought that I got to draw a comic I would pick up even if I didn't draw it. We sometimes take on work just so that we can make rent, you know? Its not always the case that we work AND play at the same time. This issue was fan-boy heaven through and through for me. I am definitely open to more She-Dragon if the fans want more. I feel as though Erik and I have tapped a motherload of a good time, and that mother load's vein runs for miles and miles.
What got you into drawing in the first place? Was comics your first love?
It was the other way around for me. I got into comics because I enjoyed to draw for as long as I can remember. Most folks grow up reading comics as little kids... I didn't. I had nothing against them or anything... I just never came across any. One day in high school I was looking at some Magazines and on the very same rack were issues of Marvel comics bagged in big trial size packaging. I picked some up and I was hooked big time. Even though I came to the hobby later in life... once I was bitten by they bug, I've been addicted ever since. My first love in comics was Uncanny X-Men drawn by John Byrne and Terry Austin... and was one of the comics in that first plastic bag on the Magazine rack. Was just around the time that the Phoenix Saga was starting up. It was only a back-story at that point... but man did I love those awesome pictures igniting my imagination. Marvel mutants was where my addiction took root in, those roots run really deep thanks to John Byrne and others like him, I've been inspired ever since.
Time went by, and someone got the idea in my head I should draw comics since I was such a good artist. Not sure what they were smoking, because I look at that early stuff and its really awful. Grateful they did put that seed in my head that it WAS possible. Seemed next to impossible to break into the industry as a comic artist...I worked my ass off, and finally caught a break before I was about to call it quits and get a 'real' job. Landed my first gig in the proverbial nick of time, drawing Maze Agency with Mike W. Barr... and the party hasn't stopped since.
I did not only get to draw comics for reals here and there, I got to have my cake and eat it too. Remember how I love the X-Men? Well one of my Marvel editors asks me if I was up to draw an issue of "What if...?" I was like "sure". He tells me its either a Hulk story, or a Magneto story. I told him both are fine, and I would do my best either way-- but. You knew there was gonna be a "but" in there.
If ... 'IF' he gave me the Magneto story, that would be soooooo fun. I had visions of Marvel Mutants all dancing in my head like sugar plums. He was like... "we'll see." Next day or two... the FedEx guy shows up with the script and its not the Magneto story, its not the Hulk story... it was a PHOENIX SAGA story. I got to draw the story of the Phoenix, if Strom had gotten that supreme power instead. It's like all the synapses in my brain went off at the same time ... I don't even know the word to describe it. Wait I know... it was very "She-Dragon!" Wish I could bottle that feeling... it is really intoxicating. So yeah... I may have not done very much in comics. The little that I have done has been a real joy to work on every step of the way. A lot of my artwork is not seen by comic fans though, and is done for toy companies, animation studios, etc; but my love for comics runs deep. When the opportunity to work with and incredible talent, who also happens to be one of my idols on one of my favorite characters...She-Dragon is the stuff dreams are made of. Who says "no" to a dream?
 Anything coming up for you on the horizon?
I've done a bunch of artwork that I can't give any specifics about yet; Confidentiality Agreements and all that. Suffice it to say my fans will get to see a buncha marvelous fan-favorite icons drawn up "Franchesco-Style." Also in the process of completing a Three-book deal with Simon & Schuster. There are covers and pin-ups and this or that on the schedule as well. Having said that, I'm always open to fun and exciting new clients and possibilities. I also have creator owned work I want to publish one of these days. Sigh... not enough time in the day, you know?
 I know Franchesco! Hypothetically-- if you could work on any established comic book character for an arc or run, who would it be?
That's an easy question... SHE-DRAGON!  SHE-DRAGON (DEC041542) is available for advance re-order; $5.99, in stores on July 26th.
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