Astronautica is on page three right now and really picking up steam. Lots of cool things yet to come. One of the key pieces to Astronautica is the fantastic, light-hearted artwork by
Christopher Tupa. Super Tupa as I like to call him. I got to know Christopher over this past year as Astronautica came together. I've never met someone as genuinely nice as Mr. Tupa. He's got a great attitude about him and you can see how young at heart he is in the art he creates. It was an outstanding experience working with Christopher. I got a chance to talk to him recently about his artwork, his inspiration, and his love of the Goonies.
When did you know you wanted to create comic art?
Wow, that takes me back...I'd have to say in high school. I had been drawing for quite some time, mostly cartoony stuff and Dungeons and Dragons characters and I started collecting comics in the 90's right when the big boom started and I thought that would be a good career: drawing comics. So then I really focused on comic art.
What are some things you do to develop your craft?
So many things! I love to watch movies and 80's TV shows and cartoons. I read whenever possible. I like to go to stores and the mall and just look at what’s out there; fabrics, design, etc. I surf the web all day at work :) and look at pop culture sites, tons of art and artist sites.
I like to look at art books and tutorials and chat with other artists when possible. I also listen to art podcasts.
Who inspires you as an artist?
So many wonderful artists out there! I can't even begin to name them because I have folders full of images on my desktop that I look to for inspiration as well as hundreds of sites bookmarked. Cartoons; both old and new. I have to say my 4 yr old daughter constantly inspires me with her craziness.
Take us through your creative process. How do you approach constructing a page?
First I go through the whole page in my head, usually at work or in the car and then when I have a picture in my mind I draw a quick thumbnail or two until I like that. After that it's just a matter of penciling it and working out the details. Usually each panel then goes through the same process of thinking about it and then thumbnail, then the pencils.
Tell us about your love of the 80's, particularly The Goonies!
I LOVE the Goonies! It captures the spirit I had as a child and try to maintain today. Riding my bike, exploring the neighborhood. We had a wooded area behind our house that we could play in. The ending of that movie always made me kinda sad because it was the end of their adventure and I hated to see it end. I would often times watch the movie right at the end of summer before school would start again. I have done quite a bit of Goonies fan art. Love those guys!
How did your Star Wars sketch project come about?
Oh, that was a fun one! I had seen a lot of monster a day sketchblogs and girl a day, stuff like that and wanted to do something along those lines. Since I also LOVE Star Wars I thought it'd be neat to watch the movie and draw every person that came on screen, even the extras. I've thought about doing it again with Empire Strikes Back...
What are you working on right now?
Right now I just redid my website that now has a blog, which is really fun. I also started a podcast where we chat about random topics which is so much fun! We are always looking for new people to chat with if anyone wants to talk about topics ranging from Zombies to LEGOs to trains.
I am also working with a writer on a children's book. I am editing and contributing to a kid’s book anthology i just initiated. I've been doing quite a few 80's themed commissions which have been great fun. And last but not least I've been doing a bunch of Star Wars, G.I. Joe and other random illustrations for fun.
The all important question: What's your theory on U.F.O's?
Not sure. Never seen one but I don't discount it. I saw a show on TV about UFOs and it was saying how in the bible they mention UFO type objects and that maybe when people saw angles they were UFOS or that what we think of as UFOs are angels. Interesting theories...
Thanks for taking the time to answer these for me,Christopher!
Thank you! My first interview, I am so excited!
So, there you have it, folks! A great look at an awesome creator and human being! You can find more art by Christopher or request commissions right here at
ctupa.com
