I met Michael Munshaw a few months back at one of the Capicon comic shows. He was kind enough to answer my standard interview questions...
Mike Rhode: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Michael Munshaw: Right now I am doing a lot of commission work, including some sketch cards. I am also starting a new book with writer Chris McCay, called Clan Wars. This will get me back to doing full page pencils and inks again. I have also been doing sketch cards for 5finity and some character designs for a role playing game by Melior Via.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
It all depends on what is needed. I always start out in pencil and paper. I will use traditional inking tools when inks are needed. If one of my commission pieces is to be colored, I will use Prismacolor or Copic markers. Which of course I use on my sketch cards also. I will scan in and color some pieces in Photoshop. I did a book for Visionary Comics, The Offspring, and that was all colored in Photoshop.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
1964 in Omaha, NE.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I have been living in St. Mary’s County in Southern Maryland for over 11 years now. I originally moved here for a job at a local Printing Company. I have been working full-time in DC for almost 3 years now.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
I have a BA in Graphic Design, with a minor in Illustration.
Who are your influences?
There are way too many to list them all. At the top would be Neal Adams, Adam Hughes, John Byrne, Joe Rubinstein, and Ed Benes.
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
There are days that I wonder what would have happened if I went to NYC right out of college and tried to make it full-time in the comic book business. Would I have succeeded or been a complete failure? We will never know.
What work are you best-known for?
I guess my sketch card work. I get a lot of inquiries on doing commissioned cards, and have some regular buyers on my ebay account.
What work are you most proud of?
The comic book I inked and colored for Visionary Comics, The Offspring. My first published comic book!
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I wish I could tell you. I would love to one day be the artist on Superman, but that will probably never happen. So I am just content to plug away here on projects that interest me and can help me better my skills as an artist.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I usually run to my bookshelf and grab one of my George Bridgman anatomy books. I will then do some quick body part sketches in my sketch book and that will usually get me going.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
I really think comics have a future. I think it will be a combination of print and digital distribution. But people are still going to want to read and see stories. The combination of words and pictures will always be a part of our culture.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
Walking around the Mall and just taking it all in. I think too often we take for granted what a wonderful city we live and work in. There’s nothing like walking around the monuments on a clear, sunny day.
Least favorite?
The commute!
What monument or museum do you take most out-of-town guests to?
I will hit the obvious ones. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, The Capital, the Library of Congress, etc.
Do you have a website or blog?
My website is www.artofm2.com and I have a deviant art website at http://mmunshaw.deviantart.com.
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