Buffy : Season 8

Once upon a time, the cover was very often the most important part of a comic book...at least as far as publishers and editors were concerned. A good cover, something that caught the eye and captured the imagination, generally meant good sales for an issue, often irregardless of what was on the pages behind that cover. Frequently, covers were worked up first, then then writers and artists went to work creating a story to fit what was on that cover!

Over time, however, comics seemed to drift away from the idea that a strong work of cover art was an important part of the overall package. And that may just explain why comic book sales plummeted during that time. After all, if you can’t grab someone’s attention at first glance, what hope can you have that they’ll have faith enough in a book to pick it up and buy it?

Happily, the art of the cover is enjoying a creative resurgence these days, with Jo Chen very much in the vanguard. Her work seamlessly blends ultra-realism with the sort of bigger-than-life visuals that are de rigueur for comic books.

Having recently announced that she’s taking a brief hiatus from the Buffy series in order to focus on other demands, we’re thrilled that Jo has made the time to speak with SlayerLit about her art.

SLAYERLIT: Hi Jo, and welcome to SlayerLit! Could you describe what your workspace environment is like? Are you a music or TV listener when you work, or do you prefer quiet?

JO CHEN: I work from a small home office, festooned with posters and action figures. I often listen to music but it has to be the right music to help create the right mood. And that depends on the type of illo I’m working on. Some film scores, Blur, Suede, Crowded House, some Chinese and Japanese rock bands, etc. I will also keep an ear tuned to news from Taiwan or international news delivered in Chinese.

SL: And what is your workday like? Some artists prefer to hit the board first thing in the morning, others are night owls, and some treat it strictly as a 9-to-5 job.

JC: Before my kids, I was a night owl. Working at night also allowed me to confer with my friends in Taiwan on projects I was working on or hoping to work on. With the kids, I can no longer do this, and it’s become a normal day job for me. My preference is still to work at night but that may not be possible until the little ones are old enough to care for themselves.

SL: Which artists inspire you?

JC: There are many artists that I like and there many that inspire me but Lord Frederick Leighton1, a 19th Century English painter and sculptor, has had a tremendous impact on my painting style. I also really like Alan Lee2 very much.

SL: And how exactly did you come to work on BUFFY SEASON 8?

JC: Brian Vaughan introduced me Joss3 while we were working on the RUNAWAYS book. Joss saw one of the Runaways issues with my artwork on the cover, and asked BKV for my email address. At the time, he was planning the first Serenity mini-series for Dark Horse4, to bridge the FIREFLY series and the upcoming SERENITY film, and sent me an email introducing himself and asked if I would like to participate. I’m not sure if he or Dark Horse had somebody else in mind for the Buffy covers when the project arose but Dark Horse editor Scott Allie5 approached me and I said ‘sign me up’. Working for Dark Horse and Joss has always been a great experience for me.

SL: What’s the genesis of one of your covers? Do you do a lot of sketches to lay out your ideas first?

JC: Yes, I always start with thumbnail sketches. In fact, Dark Horse recently posted a brief online tutorial6 of mine showing my creative process.

Click on the link :

http://www.slayerlit.us/interviews/interview23.htm