I’ve talked before about the fantastic art work included in my book The Apocalypse Sucks.  Airship 27 Productions commissioned artist Zachary Brunner to illustrate the inside of the book.  Zach is a New York-based illustrator, working in concept art and comic books. He specializes in character design.

When he agreed to answer a few of my questions, I wanted to ask something new.  I’ve probably failed.  But he was gracious enough to answer my questions anyway.  I am in such awe of this kind of talent so I’ve provided a sneak peak at some of the illustrations he did for the book.

So, Zach:

PC:  How would you describe your art?   

ZB:  It’s hard to describe my art because I think it is constantly changing.  I guess overall it’s bold, stylized, at times, a little cartoonish, other times dark and creepy.  

PC:  What drew you to your type of art originally?

ZB:  Well I first started drawing by tracing old X-men comic books.  I loved Joe Madureira’s art style and wanted to be just like him.  My own style evolved from that and also a strong love for Tim Burton’s dark and creepy design sense.

PC:  When did you first realize you wanted to be an artist?

ZB:  I don’t think I ever had a moment of realization.  I’ve been drawing literally as long as I remember.  I have memories from when I was about three years old, sitting at my tiny, bright yellow and blue  drawing desk coloring Wizard of Oz characters with crayons. It was just always the most obvious path for me. 

PC:  How do you come up with the ideas for the characters you draw?    

ZB:  Well it depends on the projects.  If I’m creating a character for someone else, I research the character, the time period they live in, what they’ve gone through, and what their character needs in the story.  If it’s for myself, characters evolve from things that inspire me, such as shapes, textures, silhouettes, and poses.

PC:  What new project are you working on now?

ZB:  I am currently working on “The Green Ghost,” which is another Airship 27 Production, “The Ballad of Silver John,” a graphic novel written by Jim Beard, “Advent Saga,” a trading card game, and I am producing a short animated film titled “Essence,” directed by Sari Rodrig. 

PC:  What has been your most creative and fun project to date?

ZB:  It’s hard to pick just one, since different types of projects allow for different types of creativity and fun.  I think designing “Essence,” the short film by Sari Rodrig, and “Brother,” her previous short film, were some of the most interesting.  Since they are animated films, everything needs to be designed, from entire towns down to the tiniest of facial features and textures. 

PC:  Where do you see yourself in five years? What would you like to be doing?

ZB:  Hopefully I’ll still be doing what I’m doing now, but with some bigger clients and a few more published books.

Well, I’ll bet he will be much bigger in five years than he is now and I am happy to have been one of his first clients.  Thanks Zach and best of luck!