An Interview Excerpt from
Friends of the Phantom #21
with
Graham Nolan
Phantom Sunday Artist
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An Interview Excerpt from Friends of the Phantom #21 with Graham Nolan Phantom Sunday Artist |
Bringing an all-new look to the Phantom Sunday strips, Graham is responsible for layout, tight pencils, lettering, inking and color. We're delighted to see someone who is a big Phantom fan working on the strip. Graham brings a cinematic approach to layouts and a fresh, inventive look to The Phantom.
FOTP: What is your background? Did you study art formally?
I took art courses all through school and eventually ended up at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. I did two years there and began fielding job offers, so I didn't complete the third year.
FOTP: Were you a Phantom fan before?
Absolutely! My Mom's favorite character as a child was the Phantom, and that love was passed on to me.
FOTP: Did you ever meet Lee Falk or any of the Phantom artists?
I never did meet Lee, but he wrote me a wonderful letter that I still have. We both expressed an interest in working together someday, and in a way, this has come true with my doing the Sunday Phantom strip. I may not be working with him personally, but he is clearly there in spirit!
FOTP: You're well known for Batman... would you like to compare and contrast the characters?
They have many similarities, both being dark, threatening characters, but they differ in their outlook. The Phantom has a wonderful, dry sense of humor, whereas the Batman of today has none. I imagine the first Phantom was probably more like Batman than the 21st, because it was he who the tragedy befell. The pain that fostered the vow that was continued on for 400 years was much more real.
FOTP: Which artists have influenced you?
John Romita, John Buscema, Roy Crane, Frank Robbins, Milt Caniff, Joe Kubert, Jim Aparo, Don Newton, and a host of others.
FOTP: What directions would you like to see the strip take? What are your personal goals for the strip?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The strip is fine just the way it is. What I hope to bring to the strip is an energetic quality using a more cinematic approach that will, hopefully, bring the readers back week after week.