Comic book illustrator Dirk Shearer was on hand outside of Comix Connection’s York location in West Manchester Mall in 2012. On Friday, he’ll speak to teens and tweens at Guthrie Memorial Library. (FILE PHOTO)
Have a teen or tween interested in drawing or reading comics? Spring Grove artist Dirk Shearer will be at Guthrie Memorial Library at 2 p.m. Aug. 2 for a program on underground comics — part of York County Libraries’ summer reading club.
What’s an underground comic? Shearer describes it as a publication from an independent or smaller press that “allures to an awareness of responsibility in society, politics, and other categories of debate and study.”
We caught up with Shearer to hear more about how he got into drawing — and where he’s headed next.
Book Buzz: You’re a Spring Grove grad — were you into comics and drawing in high school? Or did you begin after?
Dirk Shearer: All my life! I was raised by my grandparents, and my grandmother enjoyed telling stories of the doofy drawings I made as a toddler/child, which every parent or grandparent loves to tell. In reality, I wasn’t doing anything spectacular. My art wasn’t amazing, or at least anymore amazing than the next 4-, 5- or 6-year-old. I just kept it up, thanks to a good atmosphere. And I had people around me who helped drive me. I looked up to my sister’s drawing abilities, because at 4 years older than I, she wasn’t great for her age, but she set a mark for consistent shapes and clean lines that kept me focused. I judged and critiqued myself — it was definitely technical for me.
Reading superhero comics, and seeing the exaggerated human form. I wanted to draw just as well and just as consistently as the pros, and I’ve got quite the collected stack of old Ninja Turtles, X-Men and Spider-Man doodles. I may not have been very creative in that aspect, but I just drew a lot. I doubt you could dig up an old test, quiz or worksheet from grade school and college that wasn’t doodled on after completion.
That’s why I love to get the point across to adults that, even if they never tried to draw a stick figure in their life, I can teach them to draw. It comes down to four things: observation, analysis, simple geometry and practice. It’s not something you’re born with. You’re born with an intelligence and a curiosity. After that it comes down to piquing interest, and sustaining that interest. Adults move on from art early on in their lives — many give up that creative freedom, and I really do mean “freedom,” but freedom doesn’t mean you should lack focus. If you’re not focused and dedicated, your intuitive skills will remain primitive, whatever level that already is by nature to the individual.
BB: What are some of the different types of illustrations you’ve done? Are there challenges to different styles, or illustrating for different clients?
DS: I don’t like being pigeon-holed. I get too antsy over repeating myself, be it style or subject matter, so I enjoy picking up different types of clients and different kinds of work. Having a style or two does comes in handy — art directors and other clients want the ability to foresee the quality and look of the project before it’s done, and you have a better chance of being remembered if you have a particular style attached to your name.
But I feel I’m on a continuous journey to find that style that defines me, or a few. Right now, my scratchboards seem to get the most positive attention, and I know I can continue to progress and market that in some avenues, particularly in genre fiction. But my scratchboard work may not do so hot in other areas that I have interest, so I also continue to work in pen and ink, digital and some traditional mediums. There are certain styles I won’t do, or at least haven’t yet, because I’m either not interested in trying it out at the moment, have no interest (at all) or haven’t yet had the opportunity.
From comics to book illustration, logos, a little bit of design and layout, some advertising work — honestly, I tend to pick up whatever’s thrown at me, if I have time. So far, I haven’t met a project that I turned down because I felt I couldn’t do it. Shortly after graduating college, I received a project from LSC Design to work on sketches for the atrium of the Martin Library’s newly renovated atrium. That was a joy, getting the opportunity to contribute my skills to the community, and a library at that. I love libraries and what they stand for — knowledge, experience, imagination, history, community, etc. My experiences doing design and occasional illustration for Ames True Temper and York Wallcoverings improved my color and layout, as well as the more mundane but important organizational skills. Those design experiences really helped me when it comes to logos. Logos are some of the most fun and challenging projects.
On my oft-neglected blog a few years ago, I challenged myself to do a Santa Claus piece in a different artist’s style every day, initially for 31 days, but I ended it after 25, I believe, due to surmounting freelance work that actually paid. I wanted to see how far I could push that self moniker of “versatility.” But maybe it was more of an experiment on copycat abilities. Either way, it was pretty fun. I did pieces in the style of Brad Holland, Dr. Seuss, George Herrimans, Winsor McCay, Picasso and more.
BB: Do you have a favorite comic or illustrator whose style you particularly like? Anyone you look up to?
DS: You might regret this question. Being a versatile artist, I keep that versatility going in my influences, a list which doesn’t stop growing, really. And as a commercial artist, it’s so important to continue expanding your experiences of others’ art — that’s something I honestly didn’t do a good job of in high school and even most of college.
I certainly can’t point out just one artist, because there are just too many that have made some really great art over more than a century. As most illustrators are, I’m a big fan of the “Golden Age” of illustration — the late 1800s/early 1900s, where you had commercial artists who really set such a precedence for those to come — Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Frank Schoonover. Their understanding of design, color and storytelling is still better than a lot that’s published today.
Other fantastic illustrators who continue to influence my art and career, (of which there are so many), include Bernie Fuchs, Frank Frazetta, Gustav Doré, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Norman Rockwell, Dead Cornwell, Chelsey Bonestell, Alphonse Mucha, Arthur Rackham, Brad Holland, Mark Summers, Barry Moser, Franklin Booth and Virgil Finlay. And many more, without doubt.
I didn’t even mention comic book illustrators — Bernie Wrightson, Mike Mignola, Jae Lee, John Paul Leon, Bill Sienkiewicz. I gave you more than you asked for, but hopefully that shows how important it is for students of art to gain influence and learn about other artists, those who did it before them and those who are working beside them.
BB: Your session at Guthrie Aug. 2 is focused on underground comics. Can you explain what that category includes? What can kids expect from the program?
DS: It’ll be interesting, because underground comics are actually more mature in purpose. The difference between underground comics and other small press or indie comics is that the connotation for underground comics alludes to an awareness of responsibility in society, politics, and other categories of debate and study. This awareness is brought forth in satire, opinion, and sometimes high level fiction that is meant to get the readers to think and debate with the topic, and their own initial thoughts.
I’ll be discussing all types of genres of comics, and I do that because I feel a passionate responsibility to share with everyone — from ages 4 to 94 — that comics are really much more than the superhero genre that the American market tends to focus on. I love superheroes, but it’s just one genre out of so many.
BB: What are you working on now? Any new projects?
DS: I just wrapped up an Civil War-themed illustration for YRK Magazine. I’m also finishing up an epilogue for David Petersen’s second Legends Of The Guard volume, an anthology companion to his multiple award-winning Mouse Guard series. After that, a T-shirt illustration, car show display poster, fantasy book cover and a possible logo project await me. That should all be wrapped up before my Creating Comics Class starts back up in September. And hey — I have to make sure I’m squeezing in some personal art as well. I tend to keep myself decently busy.
Catch Shearer at 2 p.m. Aug. 2 in the John D. Bare Center at Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place, Hanover. The program is open to kids 10 to 18 years old; call 717-632-5183 with questions.
York County Libraries is offering plenty of programs this summer for its Summer Reading Club. Each week, we’ll highlight an upcoming event. You can always find the full calendar at www.yorklibraries.org.
