Denis Rodier is a french-canadian comic book artist. He was an inker for DC comics for more than ten years, inking such works as The Death of Superman, Batman and Wonderwoman. His most recent work includes painted covers for Revolution on the Planet of the Apes and two new European comic books. The following interview was conducted by email.
CCB : What can you tell us about your two new Europeans comic books coming out this year?
Denis Rodier : Let's say that the results of two and a half years of work is finally being published. One series,
Égide, is a political thriller in the
Mission Impossible vein. The second is
L'Ordre des Dragons is an adventure story set in pre-war Berlin.
CBB : After more than ten years of inking and drawing superheroes, was it hard to work on something else?
Denis Rodier : Actually, it is just the opposite. It was refreshing to work in a different style with a different storytelling pace. I should also point out that I drew a humor comic for five years between the
Superman gig and
L'Ordre des Dragons. Let's just say that I love a new challenge as I get bored easily. I never was such a big fan of super heroes anyway. My true love is for the medium and not specifically for the different dialects.
CBB : Even if you don't any love any particular dialect, is there a genre that you have not touched yet and that you would like to work on?
Denis Rodier : I'm always thinking of doing something more experimental, mixing hand drawings, Photoshop with maybe 3D elements added to it. However, I will add that it will never be like what you usually see in "computer comics". With those tools, going for realism is a mistake in my opinion.
CBB : Was it hard to get your first work in Europe compared to the U.S.?
Denis Rodier: It was never that difficult. I was surprisingly lucky on both sides of the Atlantic, even if, in the U.S., it was a bit longer to get the ball rolling. At DC, I was hired after I sent my first batch of samples. To get steady work was more of a challenge, but what do you expect when
you're starting out?
The difficulty, sometimes, is finding the right people to work with. Because I don't live in either countries, I don't have the advantage of making direct connections with writers and other people of the industry. It takes longer to establish good working relationships.
CBB : What is the main difference between working in Europe and in the U.S.?
Denis Rodier : The storytelling styles are miles apart. The European style is closer to cinema if you compare it to the U.S. style that attracts more attention to itself, like music videos.
CBB : Many other artists also report that the time you have to work on your final product is also quite different. Is it true in your case?
Denis Rodier : First of all, you usually pencil and ink your own work. Right there, you double the workload. European comics often require more research. A lot of them are set within precise historical contexts that call for a lot of reference material. With American comics dealing mostly with stylized contemporary settings, it's easier. Even with war comics, which you don't see much anymore anyway, a lot of shortcuts are used.
And half the time, you can get away without drawing any backgrounds in U.S. comics.
CBB : Do you think you will ever work again for an American publisher ?
Denis Rodier :You never can say. I really like the fact that the comic book authors (in Europe) are more in control of the final product than in the U.S. In Europe, you own your creations, which is often not the case south of the border.
CBB : So far you have collaborated with writers on every project you have worked on. Do you plan to create your own comic in the future?
Denis Rodier : It's in the cards, I believe. After a while, you want to tell your own stories without compromise. Mind you, working with creative people is always a great learning experience but soon, I'm sure I'll have enough confidence in my own ideas to fly solo. I can't say when I'll finally do it but I think it's inevitable.
CBB : You seem pretty busy right now but do you have any more projects that we have not heard about yet?
Denis Rodier : Tons, but the most exciting at this point is my new recording project. My band and I will be recording our first CD this year. Our producer is Bill Munyon who has worked with King Crimson.
To learn more about Denis Rodier’s work, you can visit his website at www.rodierstudio.com
