For those new to the site, we've interviewed Camilla on several projects of her from Avril Lavigne's Make5Wishes and
Serena Valentino's mini-series, Nightmares & Fairytales.
The story of burn is described as -
Welcome to a world where humans and mecha co-exist. What was once thought to be a symbiotic relationship between humans and machines has turned into a full-scale war due to rising resentment by their human creators. In one of the towns, a 13-year-old boy named Burn will find out the true meaning of horror. The arrival of the sentient Shoftiel, a machine programmed to destroy mankind, will forever link the two in a battle of fates. One action, one desperate act of self-preservation will forever change the fate of man and machine.
Now on to the questions.
You mentioned online that the origin of Burn is: Man versus Machine". Has how art and comics evolved from technology come into play in your plans for Burn? How does technology and more traditional methods affect your art. Do you wonder how your art would be with more advanced and less advanced technology?
Man versus Machine is the root of Burn's plot, of course its a much more emotional conflict than the average mecha themed story. In that sense you can put that same idea into art and technology, because art is an emotional outlet for people. For myself, I don't find that I've incorporated any new advances into my drawing style; I still draw with Bic pens. But there is a new trend now to see artists working without any actual materials at all and are instead using the computer for all their art. If you are a digital artist then yes technology is definitely improving your abilities as an artist! Programs are making it easier for people to express themselves, and even hardware, such as WACOM tablets are enabling artists in ways that pen and paper could never do. I mean honestly, who doesn't wish they could CMD Z their mistakes away!
Burn has a lot of advanced mecha in it? Mecha invokes images of science like precise angles and hard lines. Inorganic if you would. Your art seems more organic and more free flowing. Did you have to adjust your style for Burn or how did you approach the art for Burn?
Hard lines and edges just don't do it for me. Its the same with cars, I love old classic cars from the 1930's, and back then that was the latest advance in machinery. So I'm not the kind of person who buys into the idea that the "futuristic look" is sharp and streamlined. I am a huge fan of the steam punk style, and took that more rounded and softer approach to my character designs in BURN.
Do you have a grand plan for Burn? Are you looking to make it a franchise and make toys and cartoons for Burn? Or is it just a story that you want (or have) to tell?
A- I would love to see BURN become more than just a comic. Being a huge toy buff I have many plans for making BURN into toys, but again, those things take time and we'll see what happens in the future. But I do know that I would LOVE to see it become an anime, and then I could tell the full story and really flesh out my concept.
B- Right now we're already in the process of licensing it for entertainment, and the possibility that it will become a movie and an animation are a very real!
C- [Editor Note] This part of the answer has been omitted until official releases as been made.
What made you bring Burn to Arcana? What did they have that made a good home for Burn?
This world is a lot smaller than the scientists would have you believe! I was at a Seattle comic convention when I met Sean O'Reily the head of Arcana comics; he saved me from a torturous bus ride back to Canada. And along the way we started talking about comics and I told him about BURN and he loved the story and his enthusiasm made me think this was the right publisher for us. Sean and I get along really well because we both have great expectations and we are in sync when it comes to what we both want from our comics.
I knew that signing with Arcana was a good choice because they are an ambitious company that seeks to grow the titles they have. It took a few years for me and the team to complete BURN and the great thing about Arcana is that they never pressured us, Sean believes in quality and not to rush a good thing. So ultimately it was a great relationship for us.
Along the lines of Question 4, what advice can you give budding creators in finding a good publisher? There's all this stories about even big publishers having contractual troubles with creators. What could you tell them to help them find a good home for their comic?
A- Business is a tricky thing in comics, because there are so many publishers and so many companies out there it is hard to know whom to go to. Many companies come and go, and you have to be careful whom you choose to go with.
B- It really comes down to finding the right publisher for your needs. Not all companies have connections to toy companies, or movie studios, and not everyone wants that. Some publishers focus on the story only, others focus on the IP.
C- It's important to have a good handle on business as well, this industry isn't just a party, you have to be serious about your projects and about contracts, obligations, deadlines, etc. Understanding contracts is vital so make sure you have a lawyer look at your contract. It helps bundles!
Could you go through some of the steps you take to make Burn? Any tricks or techniques you that you developed for Burn or that you care to share to fellow artists?
A- Having a character sheet is important, so I highly recommend drawing out your characters and their expressions before starting. This is your reference to maintain consistency…something I learned after I started and it would have helped immensely had I done this in the beginning. So plan ahead everyone!
B- I don't really have any tricks, use your non-repro blue pencils, keep sharpened pencils on hand (if you pencil) or a bucket full of pens and don't ever run out of paper!
How does the writing process work on Burn? You created Burn, but the writer is listed as Scott Sanders. How does Mr. Sanders contribute to Burn exactly?
Good question to ask! I'm not very gifted at dialogue, its tough and it's a very difficult thing to write naturally. Scott was great to work with because he did a great job with the distinct voices of each of the characters. So I would come up with the general plots, and the storyline, and Scott would help flesh that out. He and I would sit down and brainstorm the issues, even if I had a solid idea of what I wanted, it was good to collaborate with him. You get a much greater perspective when you work with someone else.
Burn shows your manga influences but is a 6 issue comic miniseries. How does format affect the story and art for Burn?
A- My initial story for BURN was a 12 issue mini series that would then continue as an ongoing series. However publishing comics means that you have to make certain sacrifices and in order to get BURN out there I had to concede to making it only a 6-issue story.
B- Most publishers won't sign onto a long-term project, which is what we all want, for our books to go on and on and on. If I was in Japan I'm sure that it would have turned out differently. Manga there is often accepted as a long-term deal; in fact you rarely see short manga series, because publishers in Asia want a series to continue.
C- It's the difference between doing a traditional manga and doing a comic series. It definitely affected my story, but I think that I was able to tell what I wanted and if people want a sequel then who knows!
How did you technically start creating Burn? Did you start drawing character sketches or writing a plot outline? How do did you give "birth" to Burn.
A- Making BURN wasn't easy let me tell you, years of hard work went into making this title!
B- First step I took was to develop a solid story and character development. This story is all about the struggles that the characters have, they are flawed, pained and ultimately fragile beings, and so I had to make sure to create a good foundation for the story.
Then creating the machines and mecha was the next step. This was a painstaking process. Character designs are super important and I took my time drawing out various versions of the characters before I was happy with the final images you see.
The next step after that was finding a writer that shared my vision and was excited about the story. Scott was really into the story and signed on as soon as I was done my pitch. With his support we created a great series that I am very proud of.
What other projects do you have coming up? How do you manage your time with all this work you're doing?
A- I have a bunch of new things coming up! I have a Nintendo DS games coming out with Big Sandwich Studios in the fall. I designed the characters for that game and was the lead concept artist. The game itself is really fun.
B- I am also going to be working with DC Comics/Vertigo and Grant Morrison starting soon. It's a new mini series that Grant is developing and once I have more details I'll make sure to post them.
C- I'm also developing a graphic novel based on a yet to be released movie project. It's a really great story and again still in its early stages but it is looking to be a phenomenal franchise. Movie, game, graphic novel, its going to be amazing!
D- With all of this I'm currently developing HELMETGIRLS into a beautiful story with writer Joshua Dysart and once the movie project is completed we'll jump right into this as a long running series.
E- Sometimes I wish we had longer days or magically the week would extend into 10 days instead of 7. I manage my time really well, and I'm not opposed to pulling all-nighters to get things done. Because on top of all the comics I do, I also do a lot of gallery shows as well. I live a very crazy life and I love it. Comics and paintings, clothing, merchandise, and an upcoming art book with IDW Publishing...I don't sleep much.
Camilla d'Errico's Bio
Camilla's career began in 2001 in the comics industry, when the small press company, Committed Comics, contracted her to work on their first published book, Threads. Following Threads, Camilla took on the role of lead penciler for the four-part mini-series: Zevon-7, due for release at San Diego Comic Con 2008. While attaining her degree in graphic design, she worked with QEW publishing on her creator-owned manga series, BURN, which was published by Arcana Studios in May 2008. In 2007 Camilla co-created, with writer Joshua Dysart, the two-part graphic novel, Avril Lavigne's Make5Wishes. She was also the artist for the final 5-issues of Serena Valentino's mini-series, Nightmares & Fairytales. Camilla has self-published two books, The Fallen and, Tanpopo. Camilla has worked as lead concept artist with videogame design company, Big Sandwich Studios and is currently working on a new game concept with Action Pants Inc. Upcoming projects include the creation of a graphic novel series based on a major motion picture being developmed by Warfront Productions and a collaboration with Grant Morrison on his new mini-series, My Atomika Bomb, to be published by Vertigo.
In parallel to comics, Camilla has become one of the rising female stars in the edgy, alternative LA art movement alongside notables Audrey Kawasaki and Amy Sol. She has taken the gallery scene by storm since her entry in Spring 2007 and her pieces have been shown in galleries across Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. In July 2008, Camilla exhibited at Copro Nason in the first solo show of her career, "Waterfall of Dreams" and her schedule is already booked through to the end of 2009, with stops in New York, Seattle, and a travelling show in Asia. Camilla has the ability to paint in an original style that transcends any category, label, or definition. Her work is colourful, fresh, and young while at the same time it is meaningful, deep and touching.
Camilla's artwork has been reproduced on tshirts, handbags and accessories for OSO Design House as well as Dark Horse Journal and Stationery, and Camilla's Helmetgirls™ designs launched the Punchbrand series of artist hats last Spring. Keep your eyes open for Camilla's future projects, including the development of the Helmetgirls saga, more licensing projects, collaborations, vinyl toys, new merchandise, and last but not least, a line of designer clothing based on her artwork.
