Spotlight with Sean Phillips
Sean Phillips is synonymous with greatness. Every project he works on seem better than the last. His long time collaboration with writer Ed Brubaker, has produced a plethora of great work.
This August sees these two heavyweights take on the western genre with their latest OGN, PULP. Having taken a look at it already I can easily say that this might be my favorite project of theirs so far.
Sean took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for al of you Comic Lounge faithful, hope you guys enjoy and make sure you pre-order your copies of PULP at your LCS.
RYAN: So it's been awhile since we've talked. In that time you and Ed completed the latest Volume of CRIMINAL. That last issue was insane. What do you like most about returning to that world and those characters?
SEAN: I already know how to draw them! Although, I also had to draw them at different ages, so that was a bit tricky. Apart from Teeg, he always stays the same.
RYAN: Do you guys already have plans for another CRIMINAL story?
SEAN: Not yet, but we will always return. This story almost feels like the end, but it’s definitely not.
RYAN: You guys also have a new OGN coming out called PULP. I live that we get to see something new from you guys, jumping into the western genre. What did you like most about working in this new genre?
SEAN: I got to draw some rocky landscapes. And lots of period New York stuff too. Wasn’t so keen on drawing horses and hats, but I did ask Ed for a Western, so I’ve no one to blame but myself...
RYAN: With all of the Corona virus stuff, is the book still coming out on time?
SEAN: Unfortunately not, it’s now scheduled for two months later, July 29th. It was meant to come out the same day as That Texas Blood on May 27th, a new comic drawn and coloured by my son Jacob Phillips, but that has moved to June 24th. Jake has coloured Pulp, and will be colouring my next project too.
RYAN: What other genres would like to work with Ed on next? Sci-fi maybe?
SEAN: We had an idea for a sci-fi book a couple of years ago, but Image were putting out a lot of sci-fi around then so we didn’t want to get lost in the flood. Maybe we’ll get around to it one day, but no plans at the moment.
RYAN: Now that those 2 projects are done, what are you working on right now?
SEAN: Since finishing both Criminal and Pulp, Ed and I have done an original Parker story for IDW’s next hardcover collection of Darwyn Cooke’s Parker adaptations. I’ll be designing the book too. I’ve just finished designing Cruel Summer, the deluxe hardcover collection of the last Criminal story, and also three volumes of the Criminal Deluxe Editions which will be back in print towards the end of the year.
And Ed and I have just started on a new project. I just got a big chunk of script for that this week, so I’m working away on that. RYAN: When illustrating, do you do straight digital or is it a mix of traditional and digital? It’s a mixture.
SEAN: Kill Or Be Killed was purely digital apart from the covers, but since then I’ve been doing digital pencils with real inks. While waiting on script from Ed last week, I did a stack of watercolour commissions and some digital covers, so it’s nice to mix it up. I’ll never just choose one way of working.
RYAN: Does music play a part in your creative process, based on each project? SEAN: No, but I do listen to music continuously, mostly film soundtracks and Elvis. It’s not themed to whatever I’m working on though. RYAN: How have you been staying sane during this pandemic? SEAN: Working!