By GustavoLeao / 19:32, 27 May 2010 / Trek Books

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Interview by Patrick Hayes

TrekWeb talks to fan favorite comic book artist Joe Corroney regading his work on IDW Star Trek line of comic books and other subjects.

1. Most of your published work is in licensed properties (G.I. Joe and the Buffy-verse) and especially in science fiction (Star Wars, Trek, Doctor Who, Farscape).  Are you drawn to these particular projects, or has it just been the work that's come to you?

I think I gravitate towards those kind of licensed projects just as often as the work finds its way to me. I'm as much a movie buff as I've been a fan of comic books, my whole life essentially. It all has to do with the art of visual storytelling in both mediums that's always fascinated me. Getting to express my love for these properties I grew up with like Star Trek and Star Wars through my artwork for comic books, trading cards, posters, magazines and so on is really an exciting prospect for me as a fan and a professional.

2. Is there a genre of comic you'd like to try that you haven't?

I haven't done too much with the super-hero genre. Early on in my career I illustrated Crimson Dynamo for Marvel Comics and a few years ago I did some work for DC Comics Salvation Run series but I'd love to make a significant impact with more realistic driven super-hero characters like Batman for example.

3. Is there a licensed project that you'd like to try that you haven't?

So far in my career I think I've touched on almost all my favorite licenses to some degree. I'd love to do more with Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings though. I'm a big fan of X-Files and Lost, two of the best shows ever on television, so those would be licenses I'd love to illustrate for sometime too.

4. You've stated a dream project would involve you doing Batman.  Why the Dark Knight?

I grew up reading Batman comic books and watching reruns of the old 60's TV show at an early age. I was an avid reader of many other comic books as a kid too but when The Dark Knight Returns came out in 1986 along with Watchmen in 1987, those changed everything about comic books for me even if I was too young to fully understand the complexities of the stories at the time.

Those books, especially The Dark Knight Returns, showed me how cinematic and epic comic book storytelling really could be. It gave me an even greater respect and admiration for Batman and pretty much solidified him as my favorite comic book character forever from that point.

After that was Batman: Year One, The Killing Joke, A Death in the Family, Arkham Asylum, just so much compelling, groundbreaking work were done in those Bat-books.

5. What comics/artists do you follow regularly?

Right now there aren't too many comic books I keep up with, I'm usually too busy to follow any one book in particular. I tend to keep tabs on artists more who are friends of mine in the industry. I enjoy seeing what they come up with as creators and getting inspired by the work they do.

6. What's the last comic you read, and what did you think of it?

It was a Star Wars comic book called Purge from Dark Horse Comics and was illustrated by Chris Scalf. It's an early tale of Darth Vader hunting Jedi after the events of Episode III. Chris' fully painted artwork for that book is so amazing. I believe he just recently got back into the world of illustrating comic books after years in advertising so I'm hoping he sticks around to do more now.

7. Is there a comic that you're fond of that should have more press written about?

Honestly, I'd like to see Star Wars and Star Trek comics get more press and attention. Within the industry itself they get coverage on comic book news websites, movie sites, blogs, etc. But comics for big sci-fi properties like Star Wars and Trek really represent a niche market in a medium dominated by super-heroes presented in a format that's primarily designed as disposable entertainment. I'm not talking down about comic books at all either, I think they are an important, viable and even necessary artistic medium for storytelling. Monthly comics are similar to serial storytelling devices like weekly television. But perhaps it's the nature of the industry, the low pay, the fast publishing schedule, the subculture of comic books itself, I'm not certain... but the niche market books deserve a lot of credit too.

There are some really fun, engaging stories being told in Star Trek and Star Wars comics. Perhaps the material isn't as groundbreaking as other comics since they are limited to the confines of a well established continuity and universe, but I think the creators as fans of the material are pouring just as much of their heart into the work as any other creator on any popular super-hero book.

I think comic book readers who are also fans of Star Trek and Star Wars, and who isn't really, should consider picking up some of these books and checking them out the next time they're in their neighborhood comic book store.

8. What type of art (not just comics) captures your attention?

I love traditional movie poster art, so Drew Struzan has always been a big influence since I was young. I love conceptual art for films and video games too so I pick up those kind of art books when I can for my library. From a design and decorative standpoint I've always enjoyed Art Nouveau and the work of Alphonse Mucha.

9. I know you taught comic book art at the college level for 10 years.  Was there one thing you had to keep reminding your students of while they learned?

One of the main things I had to stress to my students was to draw from life more and not just practice cartooning and drawing exaggerated anatomy like their favorite artists they might be trying to emulate. Once any artist knows how to do something correctly, whether it's drawing anatomy or learning the rules of storytelling in comics, that's when they can begin to bend the rules, or even break them, and develop a personal, unique, visually dynamic style.

A lot of younger, talented artists can be a little impatient and think they're good enough to jump right into the industry head first before really being ready. Don't get me wrong, confidence is a great ally and experience is the best teacher. I jumped head first into drawing comic books for a publisher at an early age myself but it really took some dedication and a lot of practice before I had all the skills I needed to succeed regularly as an artist in the field.

10. When you work, do you listen to any particular music or radio/web programs?  David Messina stated he was listening to Korn while working on Nero.  Any Trek-specific music?

There isn't any Trek-specific music I listen to. My iTunes has everything from rock, alternative, motown, movie and anime soundtracks, and so on. I might catch up with episodes of some of my favorite shows online while I'm drawing in front of the computer. Often times, I'll have my television playing movies in the background with the volume really low and my music going at the same time. Sometimes it might feel like sensory overload but it can be really inspiring for my work too.

11. Is there a specific Star Trek character that you think is fairly easy to draw?  Is there one that is always troublesome?

I don't think anyone in particular is too easy per say, though Spock is the probably the most iconic character from the series and Leonard Nimoy has such a distinct profile and look, so I can still fudge his portrait a bit and retain his likeness the best

Kirk, the younger version from The Original Series, is probably the hardest to draw honestly because his face is a little more round and he doesn't have the exaggerated features that someone like Spock does or the extra age lines like McCoy. It's those kinds of things you can amplify or exaggerate in a portrait to make it feel more like the character.

And for the record, I might have the most fun drawing Uhura. I don't get to draw sexy female characters too often so it's always great when she pops up in an assignment for me.

12. I know that Darth Vader and Boba Fett are two of your favorite characters to draw; Vader for the "light and shadow high contrast" and Boba because he's "so detailed."  Star Trek uniforms (in all of their appearances) are neither.  Does this present more of challenge as an artist to make them visually interesting?

Not at all honestly. With my high contrast, graphic and realistic style I'm still always drawing and looking ahead at the finished illustration with color in mind. And with Trek visuals generally bordering on the more colorful side of the palette, especially with the uniforms, it's fun for me to design with dynamic color as much as it is to capture the likenesses and design a compelling composition.

13. Is there a particular Trek cover of yours that you are most fond of?  Why?

I think my cover work for Trek is probably some of my best and most consistent work for any comic book series so far. It's really hard to pick a favorite. My very first Trek cover was for Klingons: Blood Will Tell #1 and that was my favorite for a long time. I really just adapted everything I ever learned in illustrating for Star Wars over the years and applied it to that cover and it came out great so I kept doing the same for the rest of my Trek covers after that.

I was really proud of my work for the Star Trek: Year Four covers too. Those are still some of my favorite compositions. The Mirror Images covers were challenging and most of them turned out even better than I was hoping.

Right now, I'm wrapping up covers for the new Burden of Knowledge series and I feel like I'm outdoing each cover with the next consecutive one. I think with every series I'm trying to outdo myself from before, whether it's classic Trek or The Next Generation, to keep challenging myself and to keep it interesting.

14. I like, and appreciate, that your Trek covers have not only been photo-realistic montages (The Original Series: Season Four) but original compositions (Next Generation: Intelligence Gathering and Ghosts).  Is one more difficult than the other?

Not too much really. Both kinds of approaches have different kinds of challenges. Usually for TNG, most of the covers in the series end up being action scenes, or scenes showcasing a specific beat or plot point from the story. That in itself means I might need to know more about the artwork from the interior artist in order to keep things consistent with characters and settings. Most times I'm working ahead on covers before the interior art is done so in that instance it can be tricky keeping everything visually consistent with the story.

With the montages I can be a little more general and mysterious regarding the plot of the story and there's not a need to be as story specific. While those kinds of covers can still be fun to draw it can be challenging for me as a creator to come up with other elements to make the covers interesting and intriguing for the reader to want to pick up the comic, to check it out and make it stand out on the shelves.

15. How long does a typical Trek cover take you from concept to final coloring?

After the initial concept sketch or layout design, which normally takes me anywhere from one to four hours to lock down, and depending on what other projects I'm juggling that week, a cover might take me four or five days on average or a little longer if it's complex. Sometimes, I'm required to bang out a cover really quickly over a weekend for example. It really just depends on my schedule and how fast the approval process is. I have an incredible colorist who I collaborate with, Brian Miller, who's a great illustrator in his own right and he's incredibly efficient too. We've worked together on just about all of my Trek covers to date.

16. When you are given covers to a series, are you privy to the interior artwork?  I ask because I was very impressed that your cover to Ghosts #4 had an original officer at tactical that resembled Javier Aranda's interior artwork.

In that instance, I'm sure it was a happy coincidence that Javier and I were both working from the same photo reference of a background Trek officer on the bridge. Like I mentioned before, often times I'm not privy to the interior artwork when I'm given a cover assignment. Sometimes the interior artist might refer to my cover illustration for guidance or inspiration since the covers are often completed before the drawing of the story really gets underway, though that's not always necessarily the case. Sometimes, I do work from the pencils or inks of the interior pages as reference if the schedule allows.

17. What are your thoughts on the last Star Trek movie?

I loved it! I believe the writers and J.J. Abrams took a lesson from George Lucas and Star Wars itself and put a little lightspeed in to their warp drives for the Trek reboot. And it was an origin story too as a prequel, so it had a lot to establish and set up to pave the way for the further adventures of the characters which is no easy feat for any iconic movie franchise. Just look at The Phantom Menace which felt like too long of a prologue. It had so much set up to do for the other prequels and the classic trilogy too.

In some ways, the new Trek film felt a little too eerily familiar to the first Star Wars film actually, A New Hope, with it's similar Joseph Campbell "call to adventure" themes and specific plot points. Not that George Lucas has copyright claim on it, I think Star Wars just grandly popularized those particular conventions of classical storytelling. But I think the new film retained enough of the story sensibilities of the original Trek series to keep it feeling familiar and pleasing older fans while updating the characters and making them feel fresh and re-energizing the franchise for new audiences too.

Let's face it, Star Trek, especially some of the films, can get pretty stiff and formal and aren't about all about laser battles, dogfights, mythology, revolutionary FX and so on... though the best Trek films, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock and First Contact seem to balance those elements with story nicely. Star Trek films tend to be more character driven and are more about political, worldly, environmental, historical or even Shakespearean themes which is appropriate considering the roots of its various TV series.

But movie audiences are different than TV audiences and expectations are on a grander level. For movies to succeed they have to make even more money and appeal to an even broader audience beyond just the fanbase. So even though the new Trek reboot film was more spectacle than previous films and I would have liked to have seen more of the Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic, which is really the heart of Star Trek, I was still very, very pleased with the outcome. It had a superb balance of action with character driven drama I believe. I don't think you really could have asked for much more for the reboot. It was definitely one of the best Trek films and one of the best films of 2009 for that matter.

18. Where would you, as a fan and as an artist, like to see the next Trek film go?

Like I mentioned, I'd love to see more of the character dynamic of the Kirk/Spock/McCoy trifecta and not just see character scenes with Kirk and McCoy and Kirk and Spock. Now that they've set up and established these characters in the reboot I think they'll have more room in the story to forge thier particular unique relationship between the three of them as they were in the TV series and earlier films.

Also, I don't want to see the next film center on Khan. As much as I love The Wrath of Khan, there's just so much rich history in Trek to do something more unique and new and still keep it exciting. Let's see Klingons, without helmets this time, Andorians, more Orion slave girls, more exotic aliens and planets, boldly taking us to places and on adventures we've never seen or experienced before.

I know the general fan expectation to see Khan in the next film is there. It's kind of like how long can you really avoid bringing back the Joker in the Batman reboot. The filmmakers couldn't. It's almost impossible really since he's the character's most infamous arch-nemesis and is somewhat integral to the identity of the hero, like Khan is to Kirk. But I almost feel that Khan's story was told so well the first time around that they really don't need to go back to that well again for a sequel. Maybe they could possibly bring Khan in to play in the third act of the next film or in the epilogue, maybe set something up for him to do in a third film.

The best Trek stories serve as allegory for modern-day themes, social commentary, morality questions about humanity and life in our galaxy and beyond. That's what elevates the material in Trek beyond the usual sci-fi fare. In order for the next film to succeed with the fans I think it needs to follow that storytelling approach established by the previous films and TV series. As long as they balance the action and adventure with it too and keep the focus on the three main characters of course.

19. Would you be willing to take a crack at this new look for Trek, or would you rather stay with the classic look?

I would love to illustrate for a project based on the new version of Star Trek. I really tried to be a part of the movie adaptation and comic book tie-ins that IDW Publishing were involved with but it just didn't work out for me. I'm really hoping at some point I do get a chance to illustrate for the new look of the franchise. Maybe eventually by the time the second film is ready to be released I'll have a chance.

20.  If you could own one piece of original Trek memorabilia, what would it be?

I might want a classic phaser pistol to sit alongside my Han Solo "Greedo Killer" replica blaster and replica lightsabers from Star Wars. I think that would be pretty cool, or even better, a phaser rifle from the original series since those things are so retro looking and a lot of fun to draw.

An original model of the Enterprise would be really handy though. That way I could shoot my own photo reference of it so I could keep drawing it at various, unique angles for my different Star Trek assignments.

21. Have you received your "invite" from Lucasfilm to attend Star Wars Celebration V yet?  I'm going on Saturday and I'd hope to see you there.  And if you are there, will you have some Trek prints available for purchase?  (Though my life may not be worth a Bantha poodoo for asking there) 

I did receive my official invitation so I will be appearing at Celebration V in Orlando this August 12th - 15th. I'll be participating in the Art Show there sponsored by ACME Archives and I'll be offering brand new limited edition Star Wars print artwork exclusive to the show. Ill have my artwork for Star Trek with me on hand as well. It will be displayed proudly so don't worry about having to whisper and make a special request for it. Besides, I'll have your back if the stormtroopers or Sith Lords there give you any trouble.

Thank you, Joe, for this exclusive interview !

Joe official website can be found here

His official Facebook page can be found here