Trent Kaniuga sits in an all blue, dimly lit, dry room, in a modified bucket seat chair, deep in thought. Contemplating where he’s been all these years and whether or not he should have eaten that last taco. It doesn’t matter. He’s here and he’s waiting. Sixteen years as a comic book artist, 8 of which doubling as a concept artist on the best selling video games in history, and it all comes down to this moment. There are noises outside of the room. He doesn’t respond. His hands rest on each knee. The air is flooded with dust particles glimmering in the blue light. The metal shutter slides open to non-descript muttering. Three latches echo and then a thud. The door begins to open. It’s Jason Brubaker. He stands in such a way as to imply that this will be uncomfortable at first, but eventually you’re going to enjoy it. Trent plugs one nostril and blows, smirks, and looks up, his face illuminated in the light. He lights a cigarette, cocks his neck to one side, looks Jason in the eye and calmly declares the battle… “Lets kick this pig.”.
Jason – Thanks for taking the time to do an interview like this. Lets start towards the beginning, when I first saw your work. I remember being jealous back in the late 90′s seeing CreeD at the local comic shop. I was blown away with how professional your style looked at such a young age. What were you, like 16? It really upped the bar for me with my own personal comic. It also gave me a lot of hope to see someone succeed without first making a name for themselves at Marvel or DC. My first question from artist to artist is simple. How did you learn to draw like that?
Trent - Firstly, I just want to thank you for your interest in my work. I’ve been very absent from mainstream comics for a while doing video game art and I’m very grateful that you’ve gotten back in touch with me. Didn’t you come to my house once?
Jason – Ha ha ha! Yeah, I hunted you down one day after a convention someplace. I also remember being jealous of your RX7 and distinctly remember you saying that girls thought it was a Porsche.
Trent - Well, the RX-7 IS part of the Porsche “family”… isnt it? Okay well, it had to at least have INSPIRED the Porsche, right? That car WAS however, a freeway undercover police car though. It still had the Siren in it… which was a really fun way to roll into a party, freaking people out.
To answer your question, I think I bought my first comic when I was 12 or 13 years old. It was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles graphic novel. I used to trace that stuff and study every panel. I think it was a Kevin Eastman book. From there, I got into Mcfarlane, Jim Lee, and a handful of other great artists and tried to emulate what I saw. My first book (that I created) was actually Deadbolt (or Hall of Heroes Presents #1). I was like 15, trying to copy what I thought was cool. CreeD happened after I had a dream of these characters with blown out proportions and “in your face” kind of shapes and dynamics. I’m sure I was influenced by something, but I can’t place it in any specific terms. Actually, Ethan and Matt used to make fun of my style a lot with “he’s got basketballs for calves!” and other encouraging comments. I think the rebel in me wanted to just get a “WTF” reaction from people.
Trent - Back in those days, we (Ethan, Matt, and I) used to draw actual size! We didn’t know what the hell we were doing, I think. Maybe it was just that it took less time, but one day I’d like, come into school with a .5 Koh-i-Nor inking pen, and be like “check this detail out!” Then Matt would roll in with like a .25 pen the next day … and it just got ridiculous. I’ve always had a secret dream to do my books pocket sized, but in large volumes. This was before I’d ever seen a manga book before. But I just like to keep frames and page layouts simple. In fact, all of my latest books are made to be smaller, but thicker books. I think that in a lot of ways a 22 page book every month is ridiculously slow. Manga artists generate a 22 page book every week by drawing the pages smaller, and focusing on good storytelling over a longer book.
Jason – I also remember getting obsessed with adding more details than humanly possible into my pages. As soon as I’d try to do inks it would turn into a pile of mush because I couldn’t control my strokes like I could my pencils. That’s primarily why I don’t ink anymore.
Trent – You don’t ink any more? At ALL? That would save a LOT of time. I played around with something like that years ago on my Image CreeD run, but there’s something about an inked page… it just feels nice. And getting away from a computer now and then feels good too. Back then, you were doing a lot of detail in your work too. I still have that CreeD pinup that you did. In fact, I just recently found it in my parents basement back in Indiana. Ill send it your way!
Jason – I’m scared to see what that thing looks like. [Trent was nice enough to send me the image] Creed drawing by Jason in 1995. Look how far I’ve come.
As far as the 22 page stories go, I really agree with you. When I was thinking about starting reMIND I was really frustrated with American comics. When I go to comic book stores, I only look for trades or graphic novels because a 22 pager is just so worthless to me. It’s like buying half a chapter of a novel and then trying to remember what happened last month.
Anyway, CreeD is kinda hard to follow in terms of which comic is first and last. Are you planning on releasing a TPB or a graphic novel version with the whole collection besides having it all on your website? I know you could do it through a print-on-demand company like Ka-Blam. Has that ever crossed your mind?
Trent - I started posting the entire collection on www.creedcomic.com. It’s called CreeD: Omnichronos, and to my surprise, after 15 days, it already maxed out my bandwidth! The original intention was to make a print on demand book, but a lot of people are checking it out, so I don’t think it’ll be difficult to get a publisher behind it. Its been very nostalgic for me to go through these old books and believe me, more than anything it makes me want to rewrite or redraw everything but… I’m keeping it RAW and UNCUT! Well, that’s only partially true. The books are presented for the first time in all black and white and I’m only including books that I wrote. So… no Cyberfrog/CreeD, and no Utopiate. Ethan Van Sciver straight out invited me to put the Cyberfrog Crossover in there, but it doesn’t really tie into the main story arc, as Ethan wrote the entire thing. I still have to work out the details of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles book with Mirage as well. Mirage recently sold the Turtles license to Nickalodeon. Unfortunately, events which I wrote into that book have drastic effects on the series. So I may have to rip it apart and summarize if Nickalodeon doesn’t let me reprint those pages.
Jason – That’s really exciting to hear that so many people are looking at your CreeD books online. I’m not a huge fan of viewing comics on my computer so when you get it all packaged together as a trade I’ll be jumping on it. I really hope you can work things out to get the TMNT pages in there too. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles books are still one of my favorite collections on my bookshelf and I’ve always been a huge fan of anything turtles. I have to admit, I’m totally confused at how you managed to do a crossover. How in the world did you pull that off?
Trent – I just asked. I requested my publisher ,at the time (Steve Zyskowski) to ask Mirage, and something like the next day I got a phone call from Peter Laird. I don’t know why, but for some reason those guys always show me an incredible level of professional respect. They always respond to my emails (even now after 15 years) and take my calls. In the beginning, I thought they were only calling me back because I had a book that looked like it was blowing up. Now that I think of it ,after all this time, I think they are just really supportive of indy artists and writers. Before the CG turtles movie was released, I met with a couple of the guys that worked on it, and they told me that they referenced heavily from my version of the turtles for the movie! I was so excited, that I demanded compensation! So they bought me sushi. That was a sweet deal for me.
Jason – I recently picked up the trade of Ghost Rider that you worked on. That looks like a ton of work! How was it working on a series by Marvel?
Trent - It’s actually not that much work. Ghost Rider was only a 6.5 issue series, and all I did was pencils. Working with Marvel was fantastic actually. I’d do work with them in a heartbeat. I think I’m more known for fantasy or stylized books though, so the subject matter is limiting. I only work on projects that I’m REALLY excited about. When Joe Quesada offered me Ghost Rider, there was never any real question. I accepted immediately. It was really neat getting paired up with Danny Miki. He’s an amazing inker, and a hell of a guy to work with. Looking back, I think some of the colors were a bit too bright for a Ghost Rider book, but overall I’m still very happy with having done that series.
Jason – As you should be. Not many people get the chance to work on something like Ghost Rider! After a great start to your career with CreeD, Ghost Rider along with other things, like working on the biggest video game ever, I’m starting to hear you talk about making a NEW graphic novel. Am I right or is it too early to talk about?
Trent – I have 3 potential graphic novels in the works. One is a very hush hush deal with a big time publisher. But I’m not sure if its going to happen yet or not so I can’t say. The second is a Nova Colony Graphic novel, which I’m 36 pages into currently. And the third is something so top secret, even my mom doesn’t know. But my #3 project is something that I started to develop about 8 years ago, and I only recently started dusting it off and reworking it to become this just… amazing story. This will be the thing that I’m known for when I die. Not Ghost Rider, not World of Warcraft or Diablo 3, not even Creed. I’m hoping to announce it this year, but we’ll see. I’ve got a lot of opportunities on my plate right now.
Jason – How exciting. I can’t wait to hear more news on any of these. I’ll be following your blog closely for any big announcements! One of the things I’ve been looking into is having a literary agent for my graphic novels. Do you have one or do you even care to look for one?
Trent - Honestly, I’ve never really even considered it. But then, I’ve never really tried to make something really successful. I just make stuff, and sometimes a lot of people gravitate toward it, and sometimes nobody notices. I really enjoy the indy comic scene. There’s very little money in it, unless you’ve been around forever doing the same thing.
Jason - What kind of paper and pencils or inks do you use? Do you use a Cintiq for your GN‘s?
Trent - Yeah. Since I started working at Blizzard I spoil myself with the best tools I can get my hands on. It’s still no replacement for pen and paper though. Truthfully, I work with computers all day and I’m sick of them. I like to chill on my couch with a portable sketch board and draw my pages in pencil, then ink them the old fashioned way. Sometimes I like to work in the park, or just be outside, or near the ocean. I’m doing some stuff with acrylic and watercolors now.
Jason – When you started dusting off your new idea, what is your process from scratch to getting the story on paper? Like, do you fill up a notebook full of doodles (that’s what I do) or do you just type up a traditional script? How do you get your ideas started?
Trent - I like to start off in a place I call the “mindless”. Its a free flow state, like a lucid dream. I frantically scratch down notes from dreams, dig through old sketches, and cut those up… what do those images look like next to these images… that sort of thing. When you set the right things in place, a story writes itself. But you have to establish your art style, and overarching message before you get into the stuff. So I sample a bunch of different styles, and character designs. Sometimes this takes forever. I write the scenes that Im sure of. If its a dialogue between two characters, an opposing philosophy, or a conflict… that’s written down first. Once I document that, I go in and fill a sketchbook with scenes. Just… one shot sketches of different shots that I’m sure of. Then I put them up on the wall and decide the order of these events. Everything I do goes on the wall. I’ve got a wall that just has art covering it in various sequences when I start a graphic novel. The order poses new questions… like, “How does it come to this point?” and sometimes that requires I add another huge scene.
Jason – Wow, that’s fascinating. I’ve read about other artists putting everything up on a wall to see their whole story too. I’ve never done that, but maybe I should start. The “Mindless” stage is a very interesting approach. Once you are past that initial phase, do you sketch out your entire story before you start cleaning it up?
Trent – I should. But I’m impatient. I believe that when you’re really passionate about a piece of art is when you’ll do your best work. So I gravitate toward whichever part I’m most excited about, and work that out. I try to resist the temptation, but I’m at a point where I’m pretty sure I can pull myself through the rest of the project, and get stoked about those parts too.
Jason - Do you work with any writers? Perhaps a ghost writer? (no pun intended)
Trent – I don’t. Though I’ve considered bringing on a protege, or an assistant. I really loathe those who take credit for someone elses work. Credit for work is of greater value than money. I’ve learned that working as a concept artist in games.
Jason – Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve had my share of uncredited work and it’s really frustrating.
What part of making a graphic novel do you enjoy the most and why?
Trent – Its a weird thing, ya know… cuz I dont even really read that many comics anymore. But I love to direct my own little “movies”. These little ideas can become something huge for other people. I’ve gotten letters from people telling me that a book I did changed their LIFE! That’s huge! I’ve been around for so long that guys write me and tell me how I inspired them to get into being an artist, or being a musician, or just following their dream. To me… that’s the most valuable part of it. It opens up my communication to the world. We all live in these little bubbles and these bubbles are so isolated. Comic books and graphic novels are an opportunity for a couple of doods to really shift an entire paradigm. A couple of guys can make something that reaches some kid on the other side of the planet, and that gets him thinking about some new thing that he wants to make, and it shifts his day, or even his life. Think of how powerful that is! I cant think of any other art form that is more pure… more “one to one” than indy comics and maybe indy music.
At companies, in jobs we are not allowed to be individuals. We are pushed down into corporate politics and to think as a group or not to be too abrasive, or too “different.” The reason that I got into comics and making art was to express myself. I want to inspire people to be more pure, more honest with everything they do in life. I worry that our world promotes the opposite far too often.
Jason – That’s by far the coolest explanation of “why to makes comics” I’ve ever heard. I can definitely relate to how you feel. I don’t really read comics anymore but I love to tell my own stories trying to inspire someone else in some way or another. Hearing you say this is pretty cool for me.
Trent - I probably should not. For my job, I paint a hell of a lot of detail into my concepts for games. If I do that with a comic, I’d only be able to do a couple of books a year! I’m actually considering doing my next book in black and white. I like the look of it, and my favorite comics are in black and white. I tend to think of projects in one of two categories; either it’s like your “avatar” or its like your animated show. By that I mean, you’re either making your legendary project that will be immortally cherished, but you spent your life working on, or you’re making your serial project. A comic book is a very cheap way to get ideas down. I think American comics loose focus on the big picture of what they are making. A comic book is like storyboards for a film. When you’re making storyboards, you don’t need to paint every frame. Otherwise you’re making a painted movie. Your art should always serve the story. So if color is important to the story, then it should be in color. Look at Bone, it didn’t need color. In fact, the book was larger and more involved because he chose to do it in black and white. There’s something beautiful and classic about black and white comics, kind of like the old samurai films.
Jason - Who is your favorite graphic novel artists now and why?
Trent – I’ve always been a big fan of Mike Mignola. When he started, his work on superheros was very unpopular. But he found a place where his voice would carry much greater weight. That first year of making Hellboy must have been tough to stick with for him. Sales probably didn’t do too hot because he was coming off of books that he wasn’t a great fit for. But he stuck with it. He knew what he wanted, and he had focus. I will always admire people like that. Plus, he just has great content! He puts more focus on the story and makes the art serve the story. Its simple… its raw… and I only wish that he focused on his books instead of getting wrapped up in films so much. But then… I’m sure there’s a lot more money in films than comics.He has an odd sense of humor though, and I think I make him nervous whenever I talk to him at shows. He always runs away when he sees me. lol.
Of course, I grew up in the business with Ethan Van Sciver. He’s still pushing the bar man. That guy has always inspired me.
Chris Bachalo has great sense of composition, and mood. I love his artwork, and even more now that he’s working with Townsend.
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird were my first inspirations. Their original Turtles are what got me into comics.
I can’t leave out Ashley Wood. That guys a madman! What the hell kind of a world produces an artist like that? He’s kicking out how many pages a day? PLUS running a toy company, PLUS doing art for games? He’s killin’ it! And I admire that kind of aggressive determination. Some of my favorite books lately are manga; Naruto, Dragonball (the original old stuff) and One Piece.
I want to say, also, that I really admire the effort that you’re putting into this reMIND project too! You’re coming from a similar place as me man. Its tough to come home from work and keep working sometimes. But you’re running a great project, getting people involved, and building something. I really support your project, and we’re going to have to find a way to cross promote, because you’re killin’ it!
Jason - Well, on THAT note I think I should wrap this up, ha ha. I really appreciate you giving me props for reMIND and all the time you spent answering my strange questions. It’s definitely a fascinating nitch and it’s hard to find good creative insight and people who will just fill up a Google document with a cool conversation about their process. I was going to keep asking questions but this is pretty massive already. Maybe we can do a Round 2 when you have your book out!
By the way, I would love to cross promote our projects somehow! Oh yeah, it’s gonna happen!
If you want to find more info on Trent Kaniuga, check out his blog at: http://creedguy.blogspot.com
Creed Online at: www.creedcomic.com
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Sweet interview, dude. When I read the title, I was like, ‘where do I know that name from,’ and then I remembered Creed. XD
great interview. i love how comics is a small enough world that you can meet your heroes.
i’ll have to admit, i didn’t know much about Creed…i dunno if it made its way out to Maryland in the 90s but looks awesome. I’m gonna totally comb through it.
Put the omni in print for all posterity! =)
Nice to see he mentioned One Piece. It’s been my running favorite for quite a while now and one of the few serialized comics I keep up with (fan translated). Oda’s work and imagination are fantastic. If you can check out a non-americanized version do so.