As a parent and a classic movie fan, it's deeply gratifying when your love for something gets passed on to a new generation. That's why I'm so excited to be interviewing my own kid for this post! Sparky has grown up watching me talk and write about old movies, literature, and popular culture, so I'm always delighted to see those influences in their work as a professional freelance illustrator. Recently, I was able to sit down with them for an interview about their deep love for classic movie monsters and how that inspiration appears in their art.
While I hope you'll enjoy learning about Sparky's art, I also hope this post will encourage you to share your favorite classic movies with the young people in your life. You never know which ones will click with them and become inspiration for them in the future! You can also learn more about Sparkytopia at their website.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your background as an artist.
I
graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2023 with a BFA in
Illustration, but I've been drawing for as long as I can remember! In
the past two years, I've mostly focused on growing my artistic brand
online by offering commissions to individual clients and creating
merchandise for my store. I tend to lean towards cute, approachable
themes, usually featuring animal characters and bright colors to capture
a little childhood nostalgia in every piece.
Q: What inspired you to create art featuring animal versions of classic movie monsters?
I
have always been a big fan of classic movie monsters; there's something
so traditionally Halloween-y about them! Halloween is also my favorite
holiday, so I always jump at the chance to do something spooky for the
season. I've been doodling them in my spare time for years, so it was
only a matter of time before I worked up something finished to add to my
shop designs. It would've been a bit strange to do human characters
next to all of my original stickers, so combining classic monster themes
with cute animals was a good way to render them in my style.
Q: Do you have some favorite classic monster movies or a favorite monster? What do you love about them?
I
am personally fond of the tragedy of The Creature from the Black
Lagoon (1954). I love him dearly, and The Shape of Water (2017) only made me have
more feelings about gill men. I find myself yearning to love them as they
truly deserve! He's such a fantastic piece of special effects, but it
makes it difficult to draw him in a way that pays homage to his original
design and reflects my personal style. I do really enjoy Frankenstein (1931),
but I have to say I prefer the book's representation of the monster more
than the film's, even if Boris Karloff is absolutely iconic.
Q:
Do you have a favorite monster-inspired piece from the work you've done
so far? Are there any particular elements that you're especially proud
of in that piece?
To
my surprise, my favorite is King Tutankhanyan, my mummy character! I
didn't expect to love him as much as I do, but I put a lot of time and
effort into both the character and shirt designs. The fact that he's
specifically a sphynx cat helps elevate him into a more unique
character, so he feels a lot more like my little guy and not just a
generic mummy. It was a challenge to hand-letter the accurate
hieroglyphics on his shirt design, but I think it was all worth it!
Q: Are there other monsters or movie-inspired characters you still want to celebrate with future art projects?
I
intend to create a Bride for my existing Puppystein's Monster design. I
can't let the lady ghouls go unrepresented! I have some sketches made
for an Invisible Man, even if I worry he's a little niche compared to
the other monsters. I would still love to do a gill man, but I just haven't
found the right vision for him yet! In the distant future, it would be
nice to have more drawings of each of my preexisting monsters hanging
out together, but I'd like to expand the roster a little before I let
them exist in a proper shared universe. I hope you're looking forward to
what's to come!
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