1. What initially drew you to comics?
Comics were always there. I learned to read prior to kindergarten from the stacks of comics my parents had, mostly Underground: Crumb, Shelton, Wilson, etc. My parents were very young and made no attempt at keeping the Adult titles out of my hands. But I was very much a Marvel kid, I loved Kirby from a very young age. My favorite character when I was little was the Thing. My mom would let me loose in one of the local comics shops with a couple bucks, new titles were a quarter but I could get 3 or 4 old comics for the same price, I’d come out with a fat stack. I always drew, and by middle school I was drawing copies of favorite panels and/or characters. I’ve always loved comics.
2. Please tell us about your creative process.
As I write all my own material, I typically cultivate various story ideas and concepts over long stretches of time. I make extensive notes, save pertinent articles or news reports, reference images, etc. until I feel I have enough background material to begin writing. The writing is the fun part! Even when I have a really solid story outline and feel I simply need to transcribe the story into script form... as I write, characters take on lives of their own (sometimes incidental characters insist on taking center stage!), opening up new story elements I could not have anticipated.
Drawing comics on the other hand is complete drudgery. I love completing graphic novels but, drawing all those pages is an absolute nightmare. I agonize over everything and rarely, if ever, am satisfied with my work. I prefer to write comics for other artists, but that comes with its own set of challenges and frustrations.
3. Please tell us more about The Drude and any other work you'd like to share about.
THE DRUDE: Underground rock legend Boris Drude has one ambition in life, to get loaded and have a good time! That becomes increasingly difficult as ominous events unfold. Over the course of the first 2 volumes, the ghost of Aleister Crowley materializes in Boris’s closet, the Reptilian Alien Conspiracy unfolds, he crosses paths with the Illuminati, and his own doppelganger. In other words, pure madness!
I’ve written the 3rd volume, I’m looking for a suitable artist.
My best-selling graphic novel continues to be HOLMES, in which I modeled Sherlock and Watson after Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo from Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. I have a new HOLMES 1-shot, M. GEORGES & the VODOU CURSE coming out soon, and the original HOLMES gn, HAYDN’S HEAD, has been entirely “Re-Mastered” and is due for release as an oversized hardcover. I’m very slowly making progress illustrating the 2nd full HOLMES gn.
4. Where can we find more information about your work?
Hi quality Fine Art Prints, Original Art, Tee Shirts, and Signed comics and graphic novels can be purchased from my website... www.omahaperez.com