With the upcoming sequel to Mad Cave Studio’s successful Show’s End series quickly approaching, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to sit down with both writer Anthony Cleveland and artist Jef Sadzinski. We talked to Anthony about the first series and what went into it and his collaboration with Jef. Needless to say, Anthony had nothing but good things to say about his talented artist and the work he put into Show’s End: The Second Coming. So, let’s welcome Jef Sadzinski to GVN’s Talking Comics.
Inspirations
GVN: Thanks for spending some time with us Jef. Like your creative partner Anthony, we have not had the chance to talk to you before. So, let’s cover some of your background. When did you take an interest in comic art and which creators or books inspired you to go that direction?
JS: I was quite inspired to draw comics by reading Dragon Ball manga and watching cartoons on TV as a kid. And over time, other titles like Tex, Dylan Dog and Hellboy motivated me to keep going with that goal.
Working Digitally
GVN: Hellboy’s Mike Mignola has been the inspiration for many a comic artist. As for your own style, I have to say that I LOVE your art. Many of the examples I have seen are quite whimsical. What is your go to tool for creating? Do you work digitally or are you a more traditional artist?
JS: Thank you very much! Nowadays 100 percent of my work is digital. I use a tablet display to draw because I like the practicality and speed that the tool brings. But I drew a lot of pages in traditional media when I was starting to make comics.
Coming Aboard ‘Shows End’
GVN: I would say that it has been a fairly even split between artists I’ve talked to about their preferences. You had worked with writer Anthony Cleveland on Mad Cave’s first Shows End series which really displayed your work in a positive way. How did your collaboration with Anthony come about on the first Shows End?
JS: Was shown to me some titles to work on when I joined the MadCave team and “Show’s End” caught my attention because it’s a horror series, a genre that I’m a big fan of. So, I was very happy with this choice because Anthony, who is also a huge fan of the genre and an excellent writer, was working on the scripts.
Character Conceptions
GVN: So, once you took the plunge to work on Show’s End, did Anthony give you some idea of what the characters would look like going into the first volume? Or did he leave it you as far as concept goes?
JS: His ideas were essential in giving me a direction to go, especially in terms of who those characters would be and the importance of them in the story. But I had a lot of freedom to think about the concepts of each one of them, though.
Learning from the First Go-Round
GVN: Naturally, Shows End was so well received that you have once again collaborated on a second volume with Anthony entitled Shows End: The Second Coming. Going into this second series, did you learn anything, technique or otherwise on the first series that made your work easier on this volume?
JS: Certainly, having drawn some of the characters previously helped me when drawing them again in this second volume as I was already familiar with their mannerisms and expressions. And I was able to test some gray scales on the new pages, a feature I didn’t use in the first volume.
Following on Instagram
GVN: Thanks once again for your time, Jeferson. Before I let you go, just like Anthony, I want to give you an opportunity to promote any other projects you have in the works and where can people go to follow you on the web or social media?
JS: My pleasure! You can find more about my work on instagram @je.ff.e
Mad Cave Studio’s Show’s End: The Second Coming by Anthony Cleveland and Jef Sadzinski premiers its first issue on July 27th. Exclusively via Mad Cave’s Subscription services found here.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
