We followed up on our interview with creator David Doub by talking with one of the Dusk artists, Franc Czuba. He shared his experience on the comic with us, and we asked him a little about what we’ll be seeing from him next.
GEN: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions about Dusk, Franc. Let’s start at the beginning. How did you end up in comics as an artist, and what projects have you worked on previously?
Franc Czuba: You’re welcome. Thank you, too. In the beginning, a few writers including David found my work on a web site for comic book creators. After a few emails I was hired. I’ve previously worked on a few different comics that started basically from scratch, including Shamrock: Origins and a web comic titled Jack & Jill. Both projects required not only sequential art but also character sketches and designs for a lot of the main characters. The last two years have been a great learning experience.
GEN: Have there been artists who have had a strong, inspirational impact on you and developing your style?
Czuba: Absolutely. I take my inspiration from so many different people it’s hard to say, and there’s not enough room. So I’ll narrow it down and just say pretty much anyone who got their breaks in the late 80s early 90s up until now. That’s when I started taking comics seriously. Writers are as big an inspiration to me, as well.
GEN: How were your recruited to Dusk, and what was your reaction when you learned that it was a vampire comic?
Czuba: David actually told me it was about vampires way before I started working on it. I had checked out the Dusk web comic, and he sent me the script. At the time I was working on several things that just never came to fruition. I’d be lying if I said I remember my reaction, but it must have been pretty good.
… go back and read The Crow by J. O’Barr and tell me it would look better in color. No way.
GEN: The art combines “the sequential art styles of American comics and Japanese manga.” Did the writer, David Doub, ask for this union, or was it something you brought to the table? Why American comics and manga together?
Czuba: I did bring that to the table, and I think that’s why David recruited me. I’m a self-taught artist, and my style changed many times as I taught myself new techniques. About six years ago I stuck with fusion because Japanese manga art is very dynamic, very fluid. It’s always been inspiring, and it has certain energy to it. I do the final shading and detail in an American style to make it sleeker.
GEN: What do you feel black-and-white panels offer a comic like Dusk that color doesn’t? Vampires are often associated with red, right? So why two colors?
Czuba: I think we went black and white because we’re all broke. Seriously. Also, because it gives the reader that scary noir feel to the story and offers them a place to visit that they don’t see every day. It sets a certain mood for the reader that color sometimes changes. I’ve seen it done both ways very successfully. But go back and read The Crow by J. O’Barr and tell me it would look better in color. No way.
GEN: What kind of relationship do you have with the inkers and David Doub? Were you allowed a lot of freedom art-wise, was there a lot of back-and-forth collaboration involved, or did David have specific ideas already in mind?
Czuba: It’s funny that you ask that. Honestly, I’ve actually never even spoken to the inkers. David and I will talk occasionally on the phone, but with our hectic schedules and the fact that he’s in Texas and I’m all the way in Pennsylvania, I’d say 95% of our conversations are all done through email—the internet is an amazing tool. I always imagined that once I started doing comics full-time it would be more collaborative. I’m still getting used to sending TIFs of my art through email and never getting that one-on-one feedback that I get from friends and family.
David’s offered me so much freedom to draw whatever I want. He never really had any specific notes for me regarding the art. Yes, the ideas he has for Dusk are specific, so what I’ll do is read a section and then play it in my head like a movie—trying to envision the characters saying their lines in order to determine their expressions.
GEN: What was your favorite part about drawing Dusk?
Czuba: The challenge. I definitely learned a lot just by working on those first couple pages I drew. I’m still not too crazy about the art I did for those pages, but it was a great learning experience. About one third of the way through it, I think I finally found the right way to tell the story and used the black and white to my advantage.
GEN: Will you be returning to the comic for the next volume? Are any other artists being brought on board?
Czuba: I hope so. David’s sent me the script, and I’ve read it. I already have a lot of great ideas floating around for it. There will definitely be other artists on the new volume, as we saw from the teaser at the very end of the book. You’ll just have to wait and see.
GEN: If you could work on any comic book in history, which one would you choose?
Czuba: BATMAN. ASTONISHING X-MEN. Firefly/Serenity. God, this list could go on forever.
GEN: You mentioned before that you’re going to be attending an upcoming art showing. Can you let our readers know when that will be?
Czuba: The art show is on Friday, July 17th at Barnes & Noble at Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, PA. It’s called Third Friday. On the—you guessed it—third Friday of every month, they do a kind of walkathon. It’s pretty cool. And the Dusk book signing is on Saturday, July 18th. I’ll also be doing quick sketches on sketch cards for the fans, too.
Dusk is still only $10 on Amazon, and now you can take a look at Frank Czuba’s upcoming project, Shamrock: Origins, from Maverick Comics.
