Nonsporttrading.com is proud to present this Sketch Card Artist inteview with Joe Simko, who has found the time to anwser some questions in between releasing Way Eye’s first card set Cereal Killers.
How did you get into drawing sketch cards?
I started working on sketch cards through Topps. When I was brought in to help design some of the new Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages series they offered me some sketch cards to draw for those series. I also have sketch cards included in my new card set, Cereal Killers being released through Wax Eye in late April 2011.
What is your favorite subject to draw?
For sketch cards I really enjoy drawing pretty much anything monster or gross-out related. Usually a nice juicy close-up of a character’s face.
What is your favorite character to draw?
Again, any kind of monster or oddball type of character is always an enjoyable favorite. I like to experiment with the character form as much as I can. This keeps it interesting and fun for me when working on a pile of a few hundred sketch cards. Although this can be tricky when a collector pulls a sketch card, I feel they are not interested in getting some abstract art piece but something more representational. It can be hit or miss for them, but for the artist trying new designs on sketch cards they are all works of art.
Do you prefer black & white sketches or color sketches?
I enjoy working on both, although the majority of my sketch cards are black & white toned pencil sketches. To me, that first pencil line is the closest connection you can get between the viewer the artist. I like to keep the color sketch cards a bit more scarce, just to make them a bit more special if one happens to be found in a card pack.
What kind of materials do you prefer to work with?
The art materials I use are 3B Staedtler brand pencils, a wide range of various inks and inking tools, the markers I use are AD chartpak brand, and my choice brand of paints are acrylics from Golden.
Who is your favorite sketch card artist?
Having worked alongside the current Topps artists For Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages, I would have to say I really enjoy seeing all of their interpretations of character designs. These guys form great expressions and have amazing line work in pretty much any medium. In general, the more cartoony the sketch card, the more pleasing it is for me to connect with. The Wacky and GPK artists achieve that every time.
What are you currently working on?
Currently I am in the midst of releasing my own card series, Cereal Killers. The card set spoofs breakfast cereal brands with popular horror films. The set will be released as as a 3-pack of mini-cereal boxes. Each box contains eyeball gum, and special premium gift inserts. The Cereal Killers trading cards are the first card set from my new company Wax Eye.
Has your career as an artist benefited from doing sketch card work?
I would say that doing sketch cards has definitely benefited my career. Financially, but more so, technically as an artist. By continually on the draw with sketch cards, I am constantly learning what methods work and I am always wanting to improve as much as I can with every sketch card I do. This learning process will then translate into larger full scale pieces of artwork.
Do you collect trading cards for yourself?
The peak of non-sport card collecting for me was in my youth. Back then it was all about Garbage Pail Kids, Awesome Allstars, WackoSaurs, Pac-Man, etc. However, I am beginning to get back into the spirit of Non-Sport cards as I get more involved on the creative and designing process. There are just so many incredible and amazing mini-works of art being produced, that they can’t be avoided to check out and collect.
Do you have a website / blog / online presence where readers can find more information about you?
People can check out my personal art site at www.SweetRot.com or www.Wax-Eye.com for the Cereal Killers cards. Thanks!
