I wouldn’t mind it if Juan Bobillo’s art was in every high profile mainstream comic book, as well as their countless spin-offs and one-shots and graphic novels and… and… well, you get the idea. I like his comics. Bobillo’s work displays a remarkable level of craft while never becoming a slave to it. His style is carefully rendered, but it’s never so precious that it loses its power and effectiveness. His work on the She-Hulk really exemplified what a Marvel Comic could be: original looking, energetic and fun. While I believe that his rendition of the Marvel Universe was a breath of fresh air, Bobillo’s style is fairly unorthodox in contrast to the general mainstream aesthetic. His works have been largely underrated which may be due in part to his absence from the stateside comics scene. However, he’s been concentrating on creating a new body of material, free from any editorial edict. In effect, we may be witnessing an artist develop a voice beyond mainstream expectations, even if those expectations were mostly self-created. Bobillo, currently living in Argentina, was kind enough to take part in this interview and talk a bit about cartooning.

Michel Fiffe:Tell me about how you broke into comics. It was sometime in the mid-90s, I believe?

Juan Bobillo: I was assisting Ariel Olivetti on several publications, several jobs. Then I started to work on my own stuff. I did a comic called “Anita”, which may be re-published soon in the States. I did that when I was 20 or so. But after helping Ariel out, I got the chance to do some comics for Marvel. Captain America was the first.

Before that period, though, you worked on some European comics. Was there something that turned you off about the American comics industry or was it just where the opportunity presented itself?

Well, it sounds strange but you’re right. I began to turn off quickly. At first I wanted to do superheroes so bad and when I got the chance, well, my heart was in another place. It’s not easy for me to keep a line of work, a certain style, if my heart is not there. I am always changing and I get bored really quickly and that shows in my work. Even after working for just a few years, I asked the Marvel editors to give me more unknown characters, more comedy than action. I really enjoy doing my own characters, and when you work doing mainstream characters, you have to kind of be in love with them and know everything about them. When you do such intense characters, you have to mean it. That world of characters, I think, is built on a kind of a collective spirit, and that is no joke. You have to be a fan, in certain way. And I started to lose that feeling faster than others.

Was this loss of feeling and interest a recent thing?

When I did the fourth chapter of Howard the Duck, I said this isn’t fair for the readers [laughs]. I don’t think that was all that bad… the script was great and the inking and the colors were great… but I felt I wasn’t at my best at all and I haven’t done any stateside comic since then.

I hope that doesn’t last.

I hope I come back! I really want that to happen. Not now but soon. Please wait for me!

You have an amazing industry over there, full of amazing artists and editors. And I’ve been treated so nice. I’ll be forever grateful. [Chris] Claremont, [Evan] Dorkin, [Dan] Slott, [Ty] Templeton… such great writers I’ve worked with. I’m so lucky.

I want to get to the collaborations you’ve had, but I want to go over your first main collaboration, which was with writer Carlos Trillo. How’d you guys meet?

I met Carlos working in Argentina. We were doing stuff for the same editor. Carlos is a legend, and we enjoy working together. He is also a great, great guy. We will do another book next year. I don’t know what is going to be but I’m looking forward to working with him again. We’re in touch all the time. He is always telling me I’m a failure, a true disappointment for him! He tortures me by saying he expected so much from me. Well, we do what we can.

A marriage of sorts, it seems. You guys worked on a lot of books together, all within varying genres. It’s not that common for a writer/artist team to cover such diverse ground these days, which I find impressive.

Well, both of us are very curious and we always want to check out new things. Carlos is such a rare writer, he is absolutely amazing. He used to work with so many different artists and he always comes up with something appropriate for each one of us. He is a writing machine.

Bird seems to be the one book you guys kept returning to, expanding her story and such. What’s the allure of such a character for you?

It’s already finished. I did it like ten years ago… shit! Time goes by so fast! It’s a three book story. It’s a wonderful story and the characters are great. Carlos is crazy.

Ok, so years passed and you found yourself back in the US, working on Captain America. Were the editors already familiar with your European material?

You know, I used to go to comic conventions and did thousands of samples and never got a chance in Marvel. I eventually forgot about doing samples and started doing my own comic. That was what the Marvel editor saw and then gave me a chance. They asked me to try doing a Fantastic Four sample and then I was in. I always tell this story to wannabe artists, so they don’t waste their time doing samples forever.

That method seems to work for some people, though.

That didn’t work for me. Do your own comic!

After that Captain America issue, you went straight to a six issue series, Mekanix, with Chris Claremont. Did you work in the old school Marvel Method where he hands you a plot, you draw it, and then he scripts it?

No, his way was his usual way of working, I guess. The script was very specific. Of course he [reworked] the words after seeing the art. Claremont, my god, what a great writer.

There were hints of things to come in that series, but it was during your Agent X issues, written by Evan Dorkin, where your art took a turn. It became cartoonier, more detailed, really expressive… was there anything in that specific project which inspired that change?

Every time I have the chance of do a new character I have to redesign my style a little bit. I say just a little bit because when working with [Marcelo] Sosa, the best inker in this world, I have to draw in a certain way. So I try not to do something too different from what we’re used to as a team. I think that was my best work at Marvel yet. Really funny. Dorkin’s a genius.

Your next comic was the monthly series She-Hulk, written by Dan Slott. How did that come about?

I asked them if there was any forgotten character around… you know, to have more freedom with the art. I must say that I had all the freedom I wanted at Marvel, but I felt I could go too far with my art if I didn’t have the responsibility of making a big hit. I felt that way, I don’t know.

Go too far in what way?

May be it’s just me, but I believed that when you were working on Spider-Man, you had to be a little bit more responsible. I mean, Spider-Man can’t be scratching his ass on every page, and I thought a lesser known character would be allowed to do that if I chose to. I was looking for ass scratching art at the time. I was sick of the classic heroes “acting”. Believe me, every time I sent a page to Marvel I got the feeling they were going to make me change everything or that they were going to be mad at me… “Hey, She-Hulk would never act like that! Who the hell do you think you are?”

You were trying to be more comical and more natural.

I was always careful, too careful, perhaps, to avoid being disrespectful with the characters and their tradition. They are like Greek gods. You have to be under them… that’s my belief about superhero mythology. In the end you find that every Marvel character has his loyal fans and you shouldn’t treat them differently. They’re all myths. Besides, I didn’t know anything about She-Hulk, so it was easier for me to come up with something new, which was great. I felt that if I was offered to do Spider-Man, my favorite character when I was a kid, lots of other artists’ images would come to mind and that could lead to some stupid self- comparison or competition. I didn’t want to deal with that at the time. I’m so glad She-Hulk came into my life! I hope she’s doing fine. I don’t even dare to see her in someone else’s hands, so I lost contact with her.

I wish you would’ve gone as crazy as you wanted! But what do you mean by “a responsibility to make a big hit”? What’s a big hit to you?

I thought Marvel fans and editors would expect more from bigger characters, and they would ask me to be spectacular in every page. And I was tired of that. I couldn’t do it. But again, they never told me anything. Marvel always gave me all the freedom I asked for. And freedom is something you are not ready to deal with sometimes, so you need to say to yourself, “Noooo, I can’t do this or that. I would, but they won’t let me”. Bullshit. They did let me, all the time. I love them, those damn Marvel editors. Damn you, Aubrey! You left me with no arguments. It was my mistake to assume what the editor was expecting from me. I tend to do that sometimes. I know I shouldn’t, but it happens. Even so, I truly hope I came up with some wild shit.

So that’s how you ended up drawing fresh new versions of characters that have always looked more or less the same.

That’s my way of having fun. I remember doing Spider-Man for the first time. The script said that he entered the room doing all kinds of acrobatics actions and I couldn’t do it originally. I know I can manage to do some good action stuff but I’ve seen Spider-Man doing acrobatics so many times, with so many postures, there was no way I could do it in an original way. So I did only the web line, and pop! — He was already sitting in the room. I kept doing that with every character. My goal was to be original and fun, y’know, surprise the reader with a new point of view. That’s what we all aim for, I guess. I had fun doing that. I got bored trying to come up with the biggest shot, the most powerful image, the most intense look all the time. If you do that every time you start to draw all the same expressions, same heroic postures. That was not for me.

How did the fans react to that approach?

No idea. I try not to be aware of that reaction. I’m not the kind of guy that cares about public opinion. I know for sure that a thirteen year old boy could ruin my week just writing about my work, so I try to stay away from the internet and so. I don’t have a web page. Just a week ago I posted my work on the web for the first time. I created a blog but I left no room for opinions, know what I mean? It’s a waste of my time and energy. I must say that I had my share of recognition along these years. I’ve always been treated great, but I’m sure there are lots of Marvel fans that would punch me in the face if they see me. [laughter]

Really? Why do think they’d be so hostile?

Take that Spider-Man I did, for example. I knew most readers wouldn’t appreciate me for that… I wouldn’t if I was a Spider-Man fan, but I wasn’t thinking about that. I knew someone over there would get the joke, too.

That’s the issue that sold me on you, actually.

Ha! You can’t try to please everybody and be original at the same time. Besides, remember that I was born far away and it was hard enough to develop the American way of storytelling and designing. Believe me, that takes a lot of work, too.

Knowing fandom and how close they hold these characters to their hearts, I can see how your style was like an anathema to them.

Shit, do they hate me that bad? Anathema? Oh, Michel…you broke my heart. You see why I try to be away of the fans’ reaction?

That was a compliment, though! What about editorial? How did Marvel react to the way you were bringing those scripts to life?

Editors loved that in Marvel. They encouraged me to keep doing it. Of course, every now and then they had to remind me about some matters… like “hey, Captain America doesn’t fly”, “She-Hulk is not the Hulk’s wife”, etc. They encouraged me, but it was all my fault! Sorry, guys. I promise Spider-Man will enter the room kicking ass next time!

You’ve pretty much only worked with inker Marcelo Sosa. How did you guys end up becoming an art team?

The masterful Ariel Olivetti was our teacher, so we knew each other from class. Then we worked for him, helping him with some comics, me drawing and Sosa inking. Sosa and I, we started working mostly at the same time, we have our own art school now, Sotano Blanco, and he is a terrific illustrator and great friend of mine.

Do you pencil tightly or do you leave room for Marcelo to ink away? Do you prefer this method to the one where you’re in charge of the entire process?

When working with Sosa I have to do some tight pencils. Really tight, though he understands my drawing perfectly. So many details everywhere, and I always adjust the inking a little bit, too. Sorry, Sosa, but that’s the truth! He never reads the script! So sometimes he doesn’t know what the hell is happening [laughs], but we understand each other really well on paper. I guess it will be hard for me to work with him again. I’m not so sure I want to do those tight pencils anymore. I told him that already. I hope he understands. He didn’t complain, so I guess we’re ok.

How did you like working with Ty Templeton on the Howard the Duck story?

It was the usual writer/artist relationship. He is a really funny guy, so talented. So talented! I’m not that proud of what I did to him and Howard, that’s why I stopped doing it. He never told me anything, but I would understand if he also thinks I’m the worst anathema of all time!

But there’s always an element of confidence to your work. What specifically are you not proud of?

Well, I enjoy telling stories more than anything, so I never concentrate only in a good image. I get bored doing just that, so I always try to make the reader hear something, or see some movement, and be surprised. I work hard on layouts.

Tell me about your new comic strip Coca, Ramon & Fernet.

It’s my first time as a writer and I’m having the time of my life. My main goal is to start writing my stuff or write for other artists. I thought this strip would be a good way of learning. It’s something simple and kind of easy to draw. Actually, I’m finding out that this is not that easy. I have like 70 strips done already. I’m really having fun. I know some of the jokes suck but hey, I’m learning. I have great hopes for this strip.

Would you consider writing a longer narrative?

Sure, that’s the main purpose. Though I’m beginning to think maybe I shouldn’t do anything else but this strip. I have so much fun.

What current projects are you working on?

I’m working on “Animas”, a long story written by Gabriel Bobillo, my brother. I’m doing it with no deadlines, so it’s taking me forever. I hope to get it finished next year. It’s a three book project. I’ll drop some pictures when I have any. I’m working the layouts like crazy. I feel like I’ve done nothing yet even though I’ve been working on it for more than a year now. Is it me or does time goes by faster every time?

This interview doesn’t speed things up. Thanks for taking the time to do it, though.

It was an absolute pleasure. But, shit, I’m concerned about fans hating me now… thanks for that, Michel.

That’s what I’m here for.

Don’t forget to check out more of Bobillo’s comics over at my site, and tons of sketches and upcoming projects in his very own blog!