Artist Alley: Tim Seeley

If that was the first comic anybody read, they would be ruined for life. – Tim Seeley

Tim Seeley, the co-founder of Four Star Studios in Chicago gave us a chance to visit the studio and talk about his biggest influences, especially Amazing Spider-Man #230. Seeley is best known for his creator own books, Hack/Slash and Revival, other current projects are Grayson at DC Comics and Sundowners from Dark Horse Comics.

Who are your biggest influences?
“Jack Kirby, Art Adams, James O’Barr, the original Image guys, especially Erik Larsen and Jim Lee as far as art. Those guys definitely. And then writing wise; Alan Moore, Chuck Palahniuk, Peter David. Those are the guys that I really starting noting what they were doing, just trying to figure it out. Noticing a style and saying, “OK, what is it the way they doing things that is different and how can I be as awesome as they are,”” said Seeley.


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Why are you a creator?
“You never thought of anything else. The moment I got out of college I was trying to get out of what ever really job I had to do comics. I’ve had moments were I want to quit because it drives me insane. I imagine that I could get a really job, but I would probably just do comics on the side anyway. So I might as well just do it for living,” said Seeley.

What is the first comic you read?
“The first comic I ever got was Amazing Spider-Man #230 which was Spider-Man fighting the Juggernaut. It’s a classic issue anyway, but for that to be the first comic I read was like… If that was the first comic anybody read, they would be ruined for life. It’s a classic Spider-Man story is had some the coolest (scenes). And I had seen Spider-Man on cartoons and the Electric Company. So I had an expectation of what Spider-Man was like. I knew I liked him, but I’d never seen him use a web as a slingshot and shoot girders at a guy. It was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen. I couldn’t even read at the time when I got it, I had to have my mom read it to me. I wore it out, I still have it but it’s just like a flimsy mess right now because I read it so much,” said Seeley.

What was the first comic you published?
“I used to put out little weird mini comics by myself as a teenager and they were terrible and not real and folded over typing paper, but I was ecstatic about those. The first real printed comic I did was a book called The Adventures of Monkey issue four, which a friend of mine made. He had me draw a backup called The Freshman.Which was sort of a super hero teen book. I remember feeling so strange and foreign because this was the first I was drawing the size I supposed and it was shrunk down and looked like I didn’t do it. It was weird, I remember being kind of excited about it and also kind of feeling “oh, it’s not really what I was hoping (it look like).” Which has been my career since then. Which is, you get it back and its really not…. yeah, alright, it’s a thing,” said Seeley.

How would you describe your style?
‘I don’t even know my style, I know how I get things done. I think maybe my style in general is that I like to just make comics. I don’t have a style so much as this is the way get making comics done. That goes for writing and drawing. It’s more about getting them out. Try not to obsess about it and lament about it and never get anything out because I’m so worried about it being perfect. It’s more about filling it full of ideas and excitement and then putting it out,” said Seeley.

What advice do you have?
“Utilize the internet, you’re lucky, you have that, we didn’t when we started. Put something up, it doesn’t cost anything. You don’t have to make crappy little books on folded typing paper like I did. From the local copy shop, the only choice of cover stock was red and green. Make stuff and put it up, get to be friends with everybody. There’s tons of ways to end up with a great project and sometimes the best way is collaborating with people you know. Go to cons, people seem to be following that one pretty well. That’s also a great way to network and get to know people. If all you have to do to get into comics is go to cons and go on the internet, I think you’re pretty luck,” said Seeley.

What book do you want to work on?
“I’ve knocked a lot of them out. Most of my list I’ve already hit, which I’m not bragging but that’s how it work the longer you do it. There is a of DC guys that I like that I think don’t get used properly. Any Kirby character; the Demon, OMAC (the original OMAC), the Creeper. The weird Ditko characters, I would love those guys. Hawk and Dove and Devil Dinosaur. Some day I want to do something with Devil Dinosaur, I don’t know what, but something,” said Seeley.

Matthew Sardo
Matthew Sardo
As the founder of Monkeys Fighting Robots, I'm currently training for my next job as an astronaut cowboy. Reformed hockey goon, comic book store owner, video store clerk, an extra in 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' 'Welcome Back Freshman,' and for one special day, I was a Ghostbuster.