Star Wars Republic #52 (Cover) Penciled by Brian Ching

TUCWS: Thank you for agreeing to do this interview, Brian (nice name!). To start things off, tell us about yourself - like where you’re from, where you studied, who were your inspirations, etc.?

BC: My pleasure, Brian, thanks for inviting me. Well, I'm from Southern California and lived in Los Angeles for most of my life. I've been living in Davis (a small city near Sacramento) for the past couple of years now. I have a Bachelor's degree from UC Irvine in Fine Arts. The program there was very much concentrated on conceptual or "modern" art and didn't stress the technical aspects of art. So, after that I took some rendering and life drawing classes at a local junior college to better my technical skills.

But I think I got most of my "art education" while working at Top Cow. I became friends with some great people there and I learned a lot from them. Three guys in particular-Dave Finch, Joe Benitez, and Clarence Lansang taught me so much about drawing and were extremely influential in the way I work today.

 

TUCWS: When did you become interested in drawing? How long have you been drawing professionally?

BC: I used to draw on and off as a kid. Nothing serious really, I think I was pretty interested in sports and wanted to become a professional tennis player more than I wanted to do anything else. At one point I was playing six hours a day seven days a week. I wasn't bad but nowhere near good enough to go pro. My cousin, however, was pretty artistic so I used to get a kick out of watching him draw. Sometimes I would join in and I would also try and emulate drawings from old comic books ( my brother would take me to 7-11 to get all my comics). I would even enter a few art shows with drawings of ships or animals or things like that. I think I still have a ribbon for a 2nd place award.

But I don't think I ever really got serious about it until I was about 19 or 20 years old. I got sucked back into it right before the big Image boom in the early 90's. I, like most guys in my generation, were brought back into comics because we saw what Todd Mcfarlane, Jim Lee, and Frank Miller were doing. With Todd on Spiderman and Jim Lee on X-men and Miller on Dark Knight I was addicted to comics again. It was all pretty exciting so I started drawing again and I would do most of my drawing while in class. I know that's horrible but my mind would wander and I would spend most of the lecture sketching on my notebook. It was pretty late to be picking it up and I was really horrible at it! But I was addicted and I started spending all my free time drawing. In late '96 or '97 I started interning at Top Cow and being there really sped up my learning process. I've been penciling full time for about 5 years now.

 

Star Wars Republic #55 (Page 4) Penciled by Brian Ching

TUCWS: When were you approached to draw for Star Wars or did you approach Dark Horse/Lucasfilm yourself? Were you a Star Wars fan before you started getting paid to draw the comics?

BC: I sent Randy Stradley some of my samples last year and we eventually met a few months later at the San Diego Comic Con in 2002. We had a nice little chat and said we would keep in touch. A few months later he called and asked me to do some covers. And that eventually led to my working on Republic.

I was a huge fan of the movies! I'm not one of those guys who knows all the dates or histories of all the characters or anything like that but I am a huge fan. I got sucked into the whole mythology of it, the battle of good versus evil, all that fun stuff. Also, I was so inspired by the way everything in the Star Wars Universe looks. The vehicles, the weapons, the costumes, all of it-I just ate it up.

 

TUCWS: You are relatively new to the Expanded Universe (EU) scene. What sort of work did you do before joining the Star Wars EU creative team? Have you done any original comics?

BC: I got my start at Top Cow. I interned there for a couple years before getting work on a bunch of titles there. I did a lot of fill-ins, I did an issue of Tomb Raider and did a short run on the Witchblade series but it was all pretty forgettable. I also did a little video game design work for Mattel but nothing long-term. I worked on some sports themed games like NBA and MLB stuff for the PC. I loved doing that because I was basically getting paid to draw all of my favorite athletes. Unfortunately, I heard Mattel dumped the whole line so it will never see the light of day.

 

TUCWS: I know Randy Stradley and Haden Blackman are keeping you busy these days, but do you also work outside of the Star Wars universe?

BC: I am extremely happy to be working on the Star Wars books right now! I can't tell you what a pleasure it is. But like you said, they are keeping me pretty busy. Drawing this stuff is very time consuming and I don't really have time to do anything else.

 

Star Wars Republic #55 (Page 8) Penciled by Brian Ching

TUCWS: How does it feel to be one of the people directing where the Clone Wars are going? Did you ever imagine that you'd be in the position to do so after hearing Luke's question to Obi-Wan in A New Hope over 25 years ago? Are the Clone Wars what you imagined they would be?

BC: It's a huge thrill for me! It really is. At times it's a little unnerving too. The Clone Wars is something that most Star Wars fans have been dying to see for over 20 years. It plays such an integral part in the Star Wars history and I often just hope that I'm not screwing it up! The first images we've seen of the Clone Wars on screen were at the end of EP II and the visuals in that scene were pretty spectacular. It's a lot to live up too.

Working on the Clone Wars has been pretty brutal. I've learned to not get too attached to any of the characters. I've gotten to create a lot of new Jedi , a new planet of characters, etc. and many of them won't survive. I love working with Haden but man he is killing off a lot of characters. We've got clone troopers and Jabiimi soldiers dropping like flies. We've got explosions and decapitations-pretty crazy stuff!

 

TUCWS: The Star Wars chronology is usually broken up into eras, such as the New Republic Era, The Rebellion, The Prequals, etc. How do you see the Clone Wars as opposed to the other eras of the Star Wars Chronology?

BC: That's an interesting question. With the original trilogy the rebels are inspired to make change and there is a hopefulness among the characters. But in the prequels everything is on the verge of falling apart and none of the main characters can see it coming. Even Yoda, who looks suspicious of Palpatine at times, really doesn't do much to act on that. I suppose I see the Clone Wars Era as the most tragic. There is so much death and brutality on its way and at times it seems avoidable had the Jedi only done their job. I just feel bad because so many characters that I have gotten to create (visually) will get killed!

 

TUCWS: As I pointed out to you before, you draw your female characters very beautifully. Do you use photo references at all for film and original characters?

BC: Thank you very much. I have a set of the mini busts of the primary characters sitting on my table. That helps out tremendously to get difficult angles or certain types of lighting on the faces. I also gather as much photo ref as I can from The Art of Star Wars books, magazines and whatever Dark Horse sends me. Even before I got the Star Wars job I would study Natalie Portman's face. She's got great proportions and natural beauty and that's sort of what I try to put in the faces I draw. And of course, I'm influenced by other artists out there like Adam Hughes or Chris Bachalo.

 

TUCWS: When you drew the Battle of Jabiim was there a feeling of nostalgia when drawing the AT-ATs using Joe Johnston and Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art? Did you, like Joe Corroney mentioned in our interview with him, study McQuarrie’s art from the OT as a reference to drawing the Battle of Jabiim – or any of your Star Wars comics thus far?

BC: Yeah, very nostalgic. A sort of reliving of the early sequence on Hoth from Empire Strikes Back. They sent me some reference for how they wanted it to look but I still had a hard time visualizing it. The sketches they sent are a little broken up and only from one angle so I had to make up the rest. I ended up going back to EP V to see how they moved and kept on thinking that the Hoth AT-ATs need to be superior to the Jabiim AT-ATs because of the 20+ year advancement in technology. So I made the Jabiim ones a little taller with the idea that they are a little clumsier and more vulnerable to attack. I made the body more narrow so that it couldn't accommodate as many troops and perhaps the armor wasn't as thick and able to resist blaster fire. After working out some of those details I think I got a little more comfortable drawing them.

 

Star Wars Republic #60 (Cover) Penciled by Brian Ching

TUCWS: When you look at a comic script, does the writer give you descriptions of how new characters (those without previous visual reference) should look - specifically, things like species, sex, accessories, and outfits? For instance, the female Sullustan Jedi from the Battle of Jabiim named Elora carries a wicked looking dagger as well as a lightsaber. Was that scripted or just something you decided to add? How much freedom are you given to decide a character's overall look?

BC: It varies. Haden is often required, by Lucasfilm, to write brief descriptions of the new characters-- such as their origins, sex, height and hair color, and personality. And then I will go in and try to flesh out how they should look. Sometimes I am asked to give them traditional Star Wars clothing like basic Jedi robes or Republic pilots uniforms and other times I'm asked to do something completely different. For Elora, I was given reference for the Kashyyyk blade and asked to have it in her hand in some panels. It's not really set it stone but Lucasfilm does have to approve everything I turn in. Like the cover I just sent you ( Republic # 62), I had complete control over how the bounty hunters should look. So, like I said, it varies.

 

TUCWS: Do you ever ask for advice or tips from other artists that have drawn or are currently drawing Star Wars comics?

BC: I get advice from a couple of my artist friends but they haven't worked on the Star Wars comics before. We talk about things like layouts and making sure that the primary characters are seen in bigger or cooler shots. Mostly technical things that I don't want to get too into here but they will help me see some flaw that I missed.

 

TUCWS: How is it working with Haden Blackman? Have you considered working with other scriptwriters besides Blackman, like John Ostrander or Scott Allie, or is this not something you decide upon?

BC: Working with Haden has been great. He writes very detailed scripts but makes it a point to me that if I can visualize something better to go with it. We met for the first time at SDCC this past summer and talked for a while and it was great to see we were on the same page. You can tell he loves working on this. I think it shows in his work.

I would love to work with John Ostrander or Scott Allie because you know they have a great appreciation for the material but that's mostly up to Randy.

 

TUCWS: How far in advance of the publishing date do you typically get assigned to a project? How long does a project usually take you to complete?

BC: It all depends really. I've worked on some covers 4 or 5 issues ahead, sometimes more. My first issue of Republic was done 3 issues ahead.

It takes me about 6 weeks to fully pencil a project. That also depends on the type of story I am working on. Sometimes shorter but it's rarely ever longer than that. Like if I have a full story of Obi-Wan and Yoda talking in the Jedi Temple for 22 pages I could probably finish that in 3 weeks. But, for example, in the latest issue I have to draw a number of Republic Gunships, Assault ships, tons of Clone Troopers, tons of Jabiimi soldiers, a new planet and Anakin doing a lot of fighting-that's going to take some time.

 

TUCWS: What's your usual work routine? Any interesting rituals, etc.?

BC: Lately it's been the graveyard shift for me. I don't really enjoy working those hours and at the beginning of any deadline I try to maintain a normal working schedule like everyone else. But over the last 2 ½ to 3 weeks I tend to work 'til about 8 sometimes 9 in the morning. The house seems the quietest in those hours and I can get the most work done at that time.

 

EXCLUSIVE: First look at Star Wars Republic #62 (Cover) Penciled by Brian Ching

TUCWS: What Star Wars issue are you working on now? Any non-spoiler-type things you can tell us about it – like new characters, cameos, OT vehicles, Episode III elements, etc.?

BC: I'm finishing up an issue of Republic and getting ready to start on the as yet unnamed 10-issue series leading up to EP III. I am super psyched about it and all I know about it is that it should lead directly into the first scene of that movie. Very cool! But I haven't seen any new designs or costumes or anything like that yet. I should know more in the coming weeks.

 

TUCWS: What’s your favorite Star Wars film and who’s your favorite character? Who’s your favorite character(s) to draw – from the films and/or the EU?

BC: It's hard to say. EP IV and V are definitely the best two but I saw Return of the Jedi when I was 10 years old and that had a bigger impact on me than all the other ones. I think it was just the right age for me to really absorb all of it and I was really drawn to all the Jedi type action. I think that's why I enjoy the prequels so much because I am more interested in the Jedi Order than most of the other themes in the movies. Sorry, I know that doesn't really answer your question.

I'd say I enjoy drawing Obi-Wan the most right now. There is a certain nobility and charm to the way Ewan McGregor plays him and I enjoy trying to duplicate that. And he took out Darth Maul so that alone makes him pretty cool.

 

TUCWS: What was your favorite comic issue to draw?

BC: It's so hard to say... I know it sounds very cliche but I always enjoy the issue I am working on next. When I was finishing up the Battle of Jabbim arc I was really enjoying that but now I am on the verge of starting the new series and I can't sit still, I am so psyched. I guess if I had to absolutely pick one it would have to be Republic #53 which was the first issue I had ever done.

 

TUCWS: What advice can you give aspiring artists? Ever plan to make it to any conventions?

BC: I would say to learn your fundamentals. Learn how to draw a good face and be solid with your anatomy. Understand perspective and learn how to draw regular people. It sounds like a generic answer, I know, but if you can do all these things you can get work in any other art field if comics doesn't work out for you. Don't get too focused on style yet. Just learn how to draw things properly and your style will develop on its own.

I went to SDCC and I think I am done with convention season this year.

 

TUCWS: So I hear you got to read the script for Episode III. What were your initial thoughts on the story? What can you tell us about the future of the Clone Wars that won't get you in trouble? Any more info on that "secret" project you and Blackman are going to be working on leading up to Episode III?

BC: I haven't actually read it yet but even if I did I don't think I'm even allowed to say what I think about it. I'm sure it's going to be great though. How can it not be? It's the final movie and we all know what's going to happen. Anakin goes over to the Dark Side and Obi-Wan and Yoda are all that will be left of the Jedi! What's cooler than that?

 

Conducted by Brian Gates, September 2003.

Related Items
-Haden Blackman Interview
-Buy Clone Wars Vol. 2 at amazon.com
-The Mission to Queyta
-The Battle of Jabiim