Today it is truly an honour and privilege to interview a man who DC describes as a “triple threat”, comic book legend Jamal Igle.
He has worked with the biggest comic book names in the industry, Image, Marvel and DC, but it is his recent work with Action Lab and Molly Danger that caught my attention. Upon opening Molly Danger I was dumbstruck by his signature art style. Jamal was recently honoured at the 40th Anniversary edition of Comic-Con International: San Diego with the Inkpot Award for Achievement in Comic Art.
When did you discover that the wonderful world of comics was your true calling?
Well, I was always a comics fan, from the age of 5 or so but I didn’t really make the leap to trying to become a comics creator until I went to high school. That was the point where it dawned on me that you could make a living creating comics.
Have you experienced any challenges in your 20+ years of being in the comic book industry?
A few, I guess. A lot of my challenges were always based around other people’s perceptions of who I need to be, or what my work needed to look like in order for me to have longevity as a creator. I eventually took the approach that catering to other people’s wishes wouldn’t get me anywhere and I needed to be “me” and do things my way.
If I type “Jamal Igle Art” in Google Images I can see that your drawings all have a signature style, who or what has influenced your art style?
I’ve had a lot of influences, the biggest being Dave Stevens, Brian Bolland and Steve Rude. My style has been pretty much the same , I’ve evolved though. For a while I was trying to emulate guys like Brian Stelfreeze and Cully Hamner, but eventually, like I said before I decided to be myself creatively.
Which past titles did you enjoy working on the most and why?
I find something enjoyable about every project I take on, for me that’s the only way you can make projects work. However, I still always lean towards my runs on Supergirl and Firestorm: The Nuclear Man being on top of the list.
You have done a lot of work on Supergirl in the past. Have you read the Man of Steel Prequel per chance? And would you like to see a Supergirl movie or Supergirl introduced to Zack Snyders “Man of Steel” sequels?
I did, because two of my favorite people (Sterling Gates and Jerry Ordway) worked on it. Could I see Supergirl in the MOS universe? Probably, but I have no interest in Zack Snyder’s take on Superman.
What current projects are you working on?
I’m currently penciling an issue of G.I. Joe Special Missions and I have a project to be announced coming up right after.
Very few of us managed to get a copy of Molly Danger at FCBD 2013. What is Molly Danger all about? Where did the idea come from?
Molly Danger, in my universe is the world’s first superhero. While she looks, acts and sounds like a 10-year-old girl, she’s actually over 30 years old and thought to be an alien immortal. The series is about her, her life a the protector of Coopersville, N.Y., and her search for a life outside of being a superhero. She’s a “princess in an ivory tower” in the idea that she doesn’t have a secret identity, friends, family outside of the organization she works for D.A.R.T. The idea really started about a decade ago when a friend of mine and I were tossing around ideas for an animated series
Has your daughter Catherine influenced the creation and direction of Molly Danger in any way?
Not so much the creation of Molly, because Catie came long after, but she has certainly shaped my approach to writing Molly as a much more upbeat and realistic character.
After reading Molly Danger Volume 1 I could totally see it as an awesome Saturday morning cartoon. Would you consider an animated adventure anytime soon?
Absolutely, if it were the right deal. I don’t want to rush a cartoon out just to have something on the air.
I can only dream of visiting the awesomeness that is Comic-Con. How was Molly Danger received by the masses at Comic-Con 2013?
Pretty well, but since Action Lab is a small company, we were competing with much larger entities. I was happy though.
What does the future hold for Molly Danger after it releases on 15th October 2013?
Prepping for book two and beyond. I’m still deciding to see what the funding method would be and I still have fulfillment to do via Kickstarter.
What has been your most rewarding experience in the Comic industry?
We’re talking about it right now.
Do you have hobbies that do not involve comic books?
I like to cook, I don’t really have too many hobbies since I work as much as I do.
Thank you to Jamal Igle for this amazing opportunity. We wish him all the best for Molly Danger’s upcoming release and its future issues. We currently have a spoiler free review up (Molly Danger Review). Grab the comic or digital upon release on 15th October 2013. For more info on Jamal visit his website: http://www.jamaligle.com
