We’ve been at this comic convention thing for awhile. From the absolute excess of vendor halls, to the sweaty and tightly-packed rooms of panels; Deep-Hell is familiar.
Nothing’s really changed the entire time we’ve been going to them. In fact: a staunch refusal to change at all is how we got this interview.
We know exactly what kind of artists we like, and chances are if you aren’t them: we don’t want to talk to you. That’s more a mark against us than it is against anyone else.
Initially, we ran into this artist about a whole year ago. They were inking an incredible splash of Godzilla by hand, and we hovered over them (with their permission) the entire time.
That’s probably what led to us following up a whole year later, and making sure they had time to talk.
DH.COM: We’re Deep-Hell.com and someone is reading this right now. Who are you?
BREED: I’ve in the industry for twenty-four years. Mostly as a hobby at first. Hanging around with a lot of the (industry) guys, getting to understand the trade from that, and then really taking it seriously the past I’d say five years full time.
I absolutely love what I do – I live in L.A. so I work with a lot of screenwriters, production companies and comic companies. I love it.
DH.COM: Since your work covers a broad set of industries, and right before the interview you said you can’t talk about any major current projects, but what are some things people might know your art from?
BREED: Oh Boy (laughs).I did some work for a studio called Hardline Studios. I did a book with IDW called Wasting the Dawn. I’ve done a couple of anthologies with Red Stylo Media. Naughty & Nice. A lot of work with Upper Deck, Unstoppable Cards. A lot of stuff with the Chaneys, Karloff, Price. I’ve been very lucky to be able to work with a lot of the classic horror characters. Most of that has been out for the public to consume.
DH.COM: Where are you originally from?
BREED: Kind of basically raised in California. Been all around – but Southern California is my home base.
DH.COM: Was art a huge factor in your life growing up?
BREED: Well – Star Wars was big for me. From an artistic standpoint I was not an artist. I didn’t really get into art to get quite honest, but I knew I was able to. My mom was a fine artist and so-
(If you’ve ever wanted to know how hard it is to do interviews during a convention, right about here there was a deafening call for Jeff Goldblum autographs that lasted an awkward amount of time.)
– Art itself was not necessarily big in my youth. There was a lot of animation, a lot of movies. Even videogames! Like stuff on the Nintendo. I knew I would be able to draw but I did not like it. I felt like I’d much rather be outside playing with the other kids, not inside drawing a picture for somebody. I didn’t really have any use for it when I was younger. I got older and finally realized – I wanted to have a job that I would enjoy. I’d been collecting comics since 84 – it was part of my life. Definitely as a nerdy thing before it was pop culture.
So I got older and asked myself “what could I possibly do that I would like?” The whole time I’m thinking that, I’m reading comics. I said “wait! I might be able to still draw.” I picked up a piece of paper, pencil, and just started coming up with some ideas. That’s how it all started.
DH.COM: Did you go to comic conventions as a fan before you did them professionally?
BREED: Yes. My first show was San Diego Comicon 93’. I went for the first five years as a fan.
DH.COM: Just adding in, if you can imagine what San Diego Comicon is like now, 93’ would be a wildly different show.
BREED: 93’ was definitely more like this*. Completely different. 1999 was my first official professional show though, and it was San Diego, my first show!
DH.COM: 99 is a long time ago now. Were you anxious going into on the professional side, just having been to these things as a collector or as a fan.
BREED: Honestly I wasn’t. There was no nervousness, but anticipation. Being able to draw for people whether they wanted to pay for it or not. I wanted to have the chance to draw and to share what I was doing with people. It was a great experience – I went with a group called Hardline Studios. We had two tables and just sat around and drew. People were coming up the whole time and got collab pieces from us. So I definitely wasn’t nervous, it was the anticipation.
DH.COM: Like the anxiety before Christmas morning.
BREED: (Laughs). I’m ready to go! Yeah, but nervous like oh, this is great.
DH.COM: I assume you’ve been doing shows since then, so has that made an impact on how you do art?
BREED: Yes. So, being here you have to be able to work quick. You have to be able to get commissions out to people right away. That has taught me to be fast – It’s prepared me for when I do storyboards for animation and the client says “oh we need this tomorrow.”
Because you have to think on the fly. It helps you creatively to really be a better artist and more well rounded. Having a chance to hang out with amazing people is a huge motivator. I’ll see what they’re doing, might be something I’ve never even thought of then go ‘Well I gotta try that.’
DH.COM: Is there anything you want to accomplish artistically in the near future?
BREED: Well I do enjoy what I do. I do a lot more storyboarding because I live in L.A. Storyboarding, I’ll be honest – pays pretty well in comparison to comics. I love it, but, I think I’d love to work on a comic series. Something – doesn’t have to be either of the big two. I’d never turn it down but it just has to be something that catches my interest that I can really breath some life into. Getting a comic series in the next couple of months would be kind of awesome.
DH.COM: Well, we’d read your work in a monthly series. You’ve got a stack of commissions, so obviously other people would too.
Doing a series like that, would you want it to be original or connected to something bigger?
BREED: Well, working for somebody else pays better. Working on your own series turns it into a labor of love. We all have our own ideas that we wanna get out there. I feel like in my case having more name recognition would help me before diving into creator owned.
At this point, having another company come along and say “I’ve got this story I need you to do the art” would probably be my way to go initially.
DH.COM: Closing out, what are you reading right now?
BREED: I’m actually going through my collection! I bought a huge collection of trade paperbacks I’m going through. Deadly Class was really good – impressed me. Some Thor-
DH.COM: Like Simonson Thor?
BREED: Nah, the newer trades. Simon Bianchi, Mike Choi. What else – I loved Captain Marvel. I’ve been enjoying the stuff I could pick up – shout outs to some of the local stuff: Great series called Six Gun by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt.
DH: Well, ten minutes is long enough for an interview.
Ten minutes IS long enough for an interview, but if you want more art by BREED you can find him on Instagram at @BBREED72 or https://www.artbybreed.com
*Phoenix Fan Fusion is a smaller, more intimate and somewhat locally focused show.