Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, dynamite, entertainment, jim kuhoric, Juan Antonio Ramirez, six million dollar man

Artist Spotlight – Juan Antonio Ramirez Of Dynamite's Six Million Dollar Man

Published Mon, 09 Jun 2014 21:00:10 -0500

Our own Jim Kuhoric is the writer on the new Six Million Dollar Man series for Dynamite and we've interviewed him and looked at his writer's commentary, I thought it we turn the spotlight onto the other half of the team, Juan Antonio Ramirez who is handling the art duties for Season Six.

BLEEDING COOL: How did you get started drawing?

JUAN ANTONIO RAMIREZ: I started drawing when I was a little kid, while reading some of the popular Spanish comics at the time. Later on I read Conan and a few superhero books and what really made me think about getting serious about learning more about art was the creation of Image, which was huge here in Spain. Then I studied comic/illustration for 6 years (from 1998 until 2004), then I stopped drawing for about 2 years until I met two pro artists that encouraged me to get back to drawing. I then found my first two jobs for a Spanish magazine and 3 years later I started working for the US market.

BC: Who were your biggest influences?

JAR: I should mention artists that I like and also artists that I consider my influences. Among the ones that influenced my work I should mention Carlos Pacheco, his early Marvel work blew my mind (Avengers Forever, for instance). Stuart Immonen is, I think, the most complete artist nowadaysm he does everything well. John Buscema also is a great influence for me still today, I have him in mind when I do my pages. There are many others like Adam Hughes, J. Scott Campbell, Oliver Coipiel, Rafa Sandoval, Roger Ibañez, Ryan Ottley, Sean Gordon Murphy and James Harren are also artists that I like, follow and learn from.

BC: What is your process for doing a page? How long does it take you?

JAR: First, I look for any documentation I may need to work the next batch of pages though sometimes I get that documentation with the script. I usually sketch 5 or 6 pages at a time (a week's worth of work) at a smaller size, I blow them up at 11×17. I then the light table to do the finishes over a new board.

As far as how long it takes me to finish a page, I usually do a page a day though, depending on the page, it does take me a bit more.

BC: Where might folks have seen your work previously?

JAR: In the US, I did short fill-ins for Top Cow (The Darkness) and IDW (Dungeons & Dragons), which I did around 2010, then I draw several issues of Grimm Fairy Tales for Zenescope before starting my relationship with Dynamite, which I still work for today. For Dynamite I drew 5 issues of Bionic Woman, then Six Million Dollar Man, which is the book I'm working on right now. I'm currently drawing issue #5.

BC: What are you working on now?

JAR: Like I said, I am currently working on Six Million Dollar Man for Dynamite, which I am having a lot of fun with. I also like the fact that Dynamite sticks with one creative team for one book and also enjoy the characters and licenses they work with.

BC: What is your dream project?

JAR: There are many characters I would like to draw but one that I remember reading as a kid and really enjoying it was Hulk. It was a fun yet funny character that I would really enjoy drawing. Also, Invincible. I know Ottley's the guy drawing that book and I hope he stays forever but it's fun just dreaming about drawing those characters.

Other characters I liked growing up were Lobo, Red Sonja and of course I would love to work with James Kuhoric again, I just love drawing his scripts, the most fun I've had drawing comics so far.