Interview with...
Rees Finlay
Artist and creator Rees Finlay's new book Damnation is a semi-autobiographical horror tale explores mental health issues and its inherent effects. His dark, atmospheric art rips the ready from reality and plunges them into the pages. Rees recently chatted with CBI publisher John Michael Helmer about his career in comics...
JMH: Where were you born and raised?
REES: Well I was born in the city of Coventry 22 years ago, located at the centre of the England, it was the industrial mecca of the country back in the day, but sadly took a heavy bombing during World War Two and we still haven’t gotten round to tidying up.
I rarely leave my hometown, and haven’t ever left the U.K, but it’s safe to say you can witness everything humanity has to offer in a city like this.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
REES: I once drunkenly tried to start a fight in a nightclub with a man dressed as batman.
Looking back I hope that doesn’t turn out to be a metaphor for my career in comics.
JMH: How long have you been drawing comics?
REES: As long as my cloudy memory cares to traipse back to, I have many a childhood memory of winning colouring competitions and making my own comics. The most exciting thing I’ve won was this sort of pop-up tent based on the animated series of batman...I wonder what happened to that?
JMH: How did you break into the industry drawing comic books?
REES: Unfortunately I can’t claim to have broken into the industry at this stage in my career, as I write this I’m 7 days away from launching my first independent comic at a convention. Nerves and the fear of rejection are mounting but kind words from my peers and an opportunity to work with the wonderfully talented Brent Harshman on one of his current projects has helped immensely in regards to keeping the negativity at bay.
I would say however rather than break into comics I’ve broke out of the more depressing confines of the 9 til 5 day job. A few years spent working in a very stressful environment took its toll on my mental and physical state which led to me vowing on New Year’s Eve 2014 that I’d live out my dream of writing my own comic book. 3 months later, here we are.
JMH: Do you have any formal art training?
REES: Yes after leaving school I stayed on an extra 2 years to study for a B-Tec national diploma in Art and Design. I owe a lot to my tutors at the time who taught me how to work to deadlines as well as the many techniques applied to my work, as well as taking me back for the 2nd year after I quit at the end of the first year.
JMH: Who are your artistic influences?
REES: Everything and anything I come into contact with, I’m am a huge fan of artists like H.R Giger, John Romita Junior and Senior, Alan Moore and all his collaborators, as well as all the old school comic artists from back in the golden age, there’s something about the art of jack Kirby and co that are synonymous with the definitive comic book style for me.
And as a writer I do the same as any other writer and just write about what I know, for example ‘Damnation’ deals with the state of my mental health at the time (which incidentally was a very therapeutic and healing experience). But as with art, I try not to let my idols inspire me to the point where I end up emulating them. I try my best to do my own thing, and let the imperfections of that become traits and quirks that define the work.
JMH: How do you focus when drawing?
REES: I’ve been rumbled! *runs away*
But in all seriousness, I can be struck with horrific bouts of procrastination and find myself browsing the depths of YouTube and gawping at cat videos. But while I’ll gladly admit to being lazy, I’d always like to think I give my work 100% effort when I do get started. My willingness and constant hunger to learn new styles and techniques will hopefully help me out in the days to come.
JMH: What types of technology do you use to draw?
REES: Pencils, more pencils and countless fistfuls of liners and marker pens, after that I’ll scan them into the computer and colour them with Photoshop. Which I assume is the standard procedure for comics, but I am prone to drawing panels much, much bigger than they end up in the final incarnation of the comic.
JMH: What was the first comic book you ever read?
REES: Being British I had access to cartoony comedy comics such as the Beano and the Dandy from day one, while I’m sure they were enjoyable fare, I have little memory of it as British comics and magazines are usually purchased by children based on the free toys and sweets they would attach to the cover, so I remember the free water pistols more than the actual content.
Skip forward to me at the age of ten and I recall my first ever visit to the local forbidden planet store, and I purchased a copy of amazing Spiderman for 50 pence from the bargain bin. The cover had Spidey in this great action pose fighting the spider-slayers. I remember reading it so much the cover fell off. I would love to find out what issue that actually was so I can buy it again. If anyone knows please let me know, thanks.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today? If so, which ones?
REES: Truth be told I’m reading more now than I ever have. Being fortunate to work part time leaves me a lot of time to make comics and read as much as I can, I’m catching up on my old favourites and trying to read all the Alan Moore books I’ve missed over the years, aswell as every issue of Hellblazer, Fables, and anything else that I may have neglected over time
But in regards to up-to-the-minute comics, I am mad for Harley Quinn, I can’t get enough of it, I love strong female characters and the humour has me laughing out loud, which is rare for me in regards to books. Aswell as Miss Quinn I’m following Squirrel Girl, Silk, and Snyder and Capullo’s run on batman. There’s so much great stuff happening in comics these days it’s hard to keep up.
JMH: Print vs. Digital. Your thoughts…
REES: The pack rat in me compels me to say print; I love the idea of heading down the comic book store on a Wednesday for the new books, and the look of a complete run of TPB’s on my shelf.
But that being said, digital is there, it’s immediate. This accessibility is an invaluable asset especially for indie comics. Due to there being little or no cost to distribute digitally it means indie artists and writers can sell their stories a lot cheaper than if they were to put them to print, in turn this is more appealing to the consumer, as a $1 indie book is of course going to sell more than one that costs more than a Marvel or DC book with characters the reader actually knows.
JMH: What sources do you use for a cover image?
REES: The cover art is always left til the last minute for me. Once I’ve wrote the book and let my peers look at it gives me a sense of what my demographic will be, and naturally the cover is just an advertisement for the book.
JMH: What other mediums or genres have you drawn for?
REES: Not much sadly beyond comics and the occasional fan art, during my college years we painted a mural for a pre-school, but right now my only illustrative interests lie in comic books.
JMH: If you could draw a book from one of the big two (Marvel or DC), which character/s and why?
REES: I would love a shot at Daredevil, there’s darkness in hell’s kitchen that allows for so much rich storytelling. Plus Elektra is such a baddass character I’d love to draw some action sequences with her.
JMH: What project are you currently working on now?
REES: Right now we’re gearing up the hype train for ‘Damnation’ a semi-autobiographical horror tale exploring mental health issues and the concept of what hell really is. We’re taking a limited print run of 100 to Birmingham comic con next week and launching the Amazon kindle edition at the same time, got lots of freebies to giveaway too so I’m really looking forward to getting out there and meeting new people. Ultimately if one person picks up the book and they can relate to it and its themes, all of this hard work will not have been in vain.
And I’m currently half way into illustrating a short web comic called ‘Wrestling’ written by Brent Harshman, it’s this great tale of 3 generations of fighter, with 2 of these stories being told in flashback. It’s been a great opportunity for me and a chance to really step-up my game.
JMH: What future projects do you have in the pipeline?
REES: I’ll be writing and illustrating my own ongoing superhero series called ‘High Priestess’, I’m hoping to explore themes of sexism, racism and tackle some large political issues this country currently faces. So keep an eye out for that.
JMH: Do you have any words for aspiring artists?
REES: Just do it, I spent years of my life saying ‘oh I can do this and that’ and never actually doing it or getting half way and giving up, but the minute you put pen to paper you are an artist, you’ve won, you’ve made it. Money and power is never the goal in a medium like comics. It’s about telling the stories you have and sharing them with the world, and as I said before, if you can reach out and touch just one person with your work, then you have achieved something incredible.
And the great thing about comic book art is you don’t have to be ‘good’ in the traditional artistic sense, as long as your illustrations tell the story and relay your message. So don’t let somebody telling you ‘you can’t draw’ stop you. Hell, draw some stick figures and I’d read it.
JMH: How can fans and publishers get a hold of you?
REES: Well there’s lots of ways I can be contacted,
You can stand in front of a mirror and say ‘Rees Finlay’ three times.
I can be found on twitter at @reesytime
I can be emailed on the computers at [email protected]
And if any journalists, bloggers, vloggers, or swamp monsters would like to review my work I can hook them up with review copies.
Also I really want to be on a podcast, that’s my next short-term goal. Somebody have me on their podcast PLEASEEEE!!!
JMH: Rees, CBI appreciates your time. All the best.
REES: Many thanks, this will be my first ever interview, so I am really grateful for this opportunity, would be great to do this again in the future if all goes well at this convention (that will either make or break my career in comics) Best wishes and keep up the good work.
REES: Well I was born in the city of Coventry 22 years ago, located at the centre of the England, it was the industrial mecca of the country back in the day, but sadly took a heavy bombing during World War Two and we still haven’t gotten round to tidying up.
I rarely leave my hometown, and haven’t ever left the U.K, but it’s safe to say you can witness everything humanity has to offer in a city like this.
JMH: Tell CBI about yourself…
REES: I once drunkenly tried to start a fight in a nightclub with a man dressed as batman.
Looking back I hope that doesn’t turn out to be a metaphor for my career in comics.
JMH: How long have you been drawing comics?
REES: As long as my cloudy memory cares to traipse back to, I have many a childhood memory of winning colouring competitions and making my own comics. The most exciting thing I’ve won was this sort of pop-up tent based on the animated series of batman...I wonder what happened to that?
JMH: How did you break into the industry drawing comic books?
REES: Unfortunately I can’t claim to have broken into the industry at this stage in my career, as I write this I’m 7 days away from launching my first independent comic at a convention. Nerves and the fear of rejection are mounting but kind words from my peers and an opportunity to work with the wonderfully talented Brent Harshman on one of his current projects has helped immensely in regards to keeping the negativity at bay.
I would say however rather than break into comics I’ve broke out of the more depressing confines of the 9 til 5 day job. A few years spent working in a very stressful environment took its toll on my mental and physical state which led to me vowing on New Year’s Eve 2014 that I’d live out my dream of writing my own comic book. 3 months later, here we are.
JMH: Do you have any formal art training?
REES: Yes after leaving school I stayed on an extra 2 years to study for a B-Tec national diploma in Art and Design. I owe a lot to my tutors at the time who taught me how to work to deadlines as well as the many techniques applied to my work, as well as taking me back for the 2nd year after I quit at the end of the first year.
JMH: Who are your artistic influences?
REES: Everything and anything I come into contact with, I’m am a huge fan of artists like H.R Giger, John Romita Junior and Senior, Alan Moore and all his collaborators, as well as all the old school comic artists from back in the golden age, there’s something about the art of jack Kirby and co that are synonymous with the definitive comic book style for me.
And as a writer I do the same as any other writer and just write about what I know, for example ‘Damnation’ deals with the state of my mental health at the time (which incidentally was a very therapeutic and healing experience). But as with art, I try not to let my idols inspire me to the point where I end up emulating them. I try my best to do my own thing, and let the imperfections of that become traits and quirks that define the work.
JMH: How do you focus when drawing?
REES: I’ve been rumbled! *runs away*
But in all seriousness, I can be struck with horrific bouts of procrastination and find myself browsing the depths of YouTube and gawping at cat videos. But while I’ll gladly admit to being lazy, I’d always like to think I give my work 100% effort when I do get started. My willingness and constant hunger to learn new styles and techniques will hopefully help me out in the days to come.
JMH: What types of technology do you use to draw?
REES: Pencils, more pencils and countless fistfuls of liners and marker pens, after that I’ll scan them into the computer and colour them with Photoshop. Which I assume is the standard procedure for comics, but I am prone to drawing panels much, much bigger than they end up in the final incarnation of the comic.
JMH: What was the first comic book you ever read?
REES: Being British I had access to cartoony comedy comics such as the Beano and the Dandy from day one, while I’m sure they were enjoyable fare, I have little memory of it as British comics and magazines are usually purchased by children based on the free toys and sweets they would attach to the cover, so I remember the free water pistols more than the actual content.
Skip forward to me at the age of ten and I recall my first ever visit to the local forbidden planet store, and I purchased a copy of amazing Spiderman for 50 pence from the bargain bin. The cover had Spidey in this great action pose fighting the spider-slayers. I remember reading it so much the cover fell off. I would love to find out what issue that actually was so I can buy it again. If anyone knows please let me know, thanks.
JMH: Do you read any of the new comic books that are being published today? If so, which ones?
REES: Truth be told I’m reading more now than I ever have. Being fortunate to work part time leaves me a lot of time to make comics and read as much as I can, I’m catching up on my old favourites and trying to read all the Alan Moore books I’ve missed over the years, aswell as every issue of Hellblazer, Fables, and anything else that I may have neglected over time
But in regards to up-to-the-minute comics, I am mad for Harley Quinn, I can’t get enough of it, I love strong female characters and the humour has me laughing out loud, which is rare for me in regards to books. Aswell as Miss Quinn I’m following Squirrel Girl, Silk, and Snyder and Capullo’s run on batman. There’s so much great stuff happening in comics these days it’s hard to keep up.
JMH: Print vs. Digital. Your thoughts…
REES: The pack rat in me compels me to say print; I love the idea of heading down the comic book store on a Wednesday for the new books, and the look of a complete run of TPB’s on my shelf.
But that being said, digital is there, it’s immediate. This accessibility is an invaluable asset especially for indie comics. Due to there being little or no cost to distribute digitally it means indie artists and writers can sell their stories a lot cheaper than if they were to put them to print, in turn this is more appealing to the consumer, as a $1 indie book is of course going to sell more than one that costs more than a Marvel or DC book with characters the reader actually knows.
JMH: What sources do you use for a cover image?
REES: The cover art is always left til the last minute for me. Once I’ve wrote the book and let my peers look at it gives me a sense of what my demographic will be, and naturally the cover is just an advertisement for the book.
JMH: What other mediums or genres have you drawn for?
REES: Not much sadly beyond comics and the occasional fan art, during my college years we painted a mural for a pre-school, but right now my only illustrative interests lie in comic books.
JMH: If you could draw a book from one of the big two (Marvel or DC), which character/s and why?
REES: I would love a shot at Daredevil, there’s darkness in hell’s kitchen that allows for so much rich storytelling. Plus Elektra is such a baddass character I’d love to draw some action sequences with her.
JMH: What project are you currently working on now?
REES: Right now we’re gearing up the hype train for ‘Damnation’ a semi-autobiographical horror tale exploring mental health issues and the concept of what hell really is. We’re taking a limited print run of 100 to Birmingham comic con next week and launching the Amazon kindle edition at the same time, got lots of freebies to giveaway too so I’m really looking forward to getting out there and meeting new people. Ultimately if one person picks up the book and they can relate to it and its themes, all of this hard work will not have been in vain.
And I’m currently half way into illustrating a short web comic called ‘Wrestling’ written by Brent Harshman, it’s this great tale of 3 generations of fighter, with 2 of these stories being told in flashback. It’s been a great opportunity for me and a chance to really step-up my game.
JMH: What future projects do you have in the pipeline?
REES: I’ll be writing and illustrating my own ongoing superhero series called ‘High Priestess’, I’m hoping to explore themes of sexism, racism and tackle some large political issues this country currently faces. So keep an eye out for that.
JMH: Do you have any words for aspiring artists?
REES: Just do it, I spent years of my life saying ‘oh I can do this and that’ and never actually doing it or getting half way and giving up, but the minute you put pen to paper you are an artist, you’ve won, you’ve made it. Money and power is never the goal in a medium like comics. It’s about telling the stories you have and sharing them with the world, and as I said before, if you can reach out and touch just one person with your work, then you have achieved something incredible.
And the great thing about comic book art is you don’t have to be ‘good’ in the traditional artistic sense, as long as your illustrations tell the story and relay your message. So don’t let somebody telling you ‘you can’t draw’ stop you. Hell, draw some stick figures and I’d read it.
JMH: How can fans and publishers get a hold of you?
REES: Well there’s lots of ways I can be contacted,
You can stand in front of a mirror and say ‘Rees Finlay’ three times.
I can be found on twitter at @reesytime
I can be emailed on the computers at [email protected]
And if any journalists, bloggers, vloggers, or swamp monsters would like to review my work I can hook them up with review copies.
Also I really want to be on a podcast, that’s my next short-term goal. Somebody have me on their podcast PLEASEEEE!!!
JMH: Rees, CBI appreciates your time. All the best.
REES: Many thanks, this will be my first ever interview, so I am really grateful for this opportunity, would be great to do this again in the future if all goes well at this convention (that will either make or break my career in comics) Best wishes and keep up the good work.
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