The following is an interview with award-winning artist Dan Dos Santos (Marvel Masterpieces) regarding the recent Kickstarter campaign launch for The Marvel Art of Dan Dos Santos in collaboration with Clover Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Dos Santos about revisiting his body of work for the collection, the incredible backer rewards available through the campaign, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: You recently launched a Kickstarter campaign in conjunction with Clover Press for The Marvel Art of Dan Dos Santos, a coffee table book collecting over 200 pages of your award-winning artwork with Marvel Comics. As you look ahead to the combined collection, what has been your experience in revisiting your body of work?
Dan Dos Santos: It’s been pretty fantastic! The majority of work in this book comes from a massive Marvel trading card set that I created. Painting that set was SO much work, that for a long time it was hard not to associate the art with the laborious experience of creating it all. But now that I see it all collected in this beautiful volume, I can see the work much more objectively, more like a fan than it’s creator, and actually enjoy it for the first time.
BD: Was there anything in particular about the comic art medium that attracted you more than other artistic media?
DDS: Comics have always been a passion of mine. I think of superheroes as modern mythology, and few subjects offer more in the way of creative expression and dramatic stories.
BD: In revisiting your work, was there anything new or intriguing that you took away from the imagery that you hadn’t anticipated when originally creating it?
DDS: Usually just flaws. Lol. It’s hard not to look at an old piece and be critical of the areas you know you could do better now.
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in working with Clover Press for the collection?
DDS: Clover has been amazing. They are fans, too, and it shows. Cool rewards, gatefold posters in the book, supplemental sketchbook… I just say what I want, and they make it happen! I really couldn’t ask for a better partner.
BD: Are there any other projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
DDS: I’m excited to say that this won’t be the only project I do with Clover Press. I’ve been doing SFF novel covers for 25+ years, and we will be doing a collection of that work in the near future, as well.
BD: Lastly, in light of the Kickstarter campaign, are there any particular backer rewards that you feel will be most enticing to readers?
DDS: All of the rewards are pretty dang cool if you ask me. I’m particularly excited about the holographic stickers, which are a throwback to the vending machine-style stickers from the ’80s and ’90s. But I suspect the big reward that is going to have fans scrambling is the original art reward. 10 lucky collectors will have the chance to get a sketch card featuring an original painting of our favorite Marvel characters.
