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The Lightsabre Interview Matt Busch
Welcome to
Lightsabre. From Fantastic Visions to
the Celebration 2 programme to Crisis and onto his directorial debut Conjure
you can’t have failed to see the artwork of the `Rock Star of Illustration’. So, shake a leg and bow your head to our
latest guest – Matt Busch. Q - Matt, welcome to
Lightsabre. A - Great to be a part of this, Thank you Q – You’ve done many
things during your life and career, from being a trained musician and a
member of one of Detroit’s hottest bands, to film-making and onto your
art. But clearly Star Wars has been a
staple all through the process of whatever you have done. Explain your love for Star Wars. A – I think STAR WARS just hit me at the magical age of four. I would be
drawing and dreaming STAR WARS just the same, whether it was a job or not.
The fact that I have been able to be a part of the galaxy far, far away
career-wise is still (after 11 years) a dream come true. I'm still pinching
myself. Q – Tell us something
of your career. How did you begin your
life as an artist and what path led you to where you are today? A - You know,
my blessing and my curse has always been that I can never just pick one thing
that I want to do. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to make movies, draw
comic books, write stories... You name it! But I
never found a job where you can do all of the above, so I ended up just
crafting my own career into being able to do all of these things. Q – You’ve worked on
many movie and TV campaigns during your years as an artist. Are they projects that you enjoy? A –
Most of
them, sure. When I first got into the business, I was still struggling, so I
said yes to every project that came my way. These days I've been lucky enough
to be able to pick and choose, so lately I've been into every project 100%. Q – What has it been
like to be a part of the Star Wars phenomenon? A- It's been breathtaking. STAR WARS has single-handedly brought my work
to an international audience. But it's also humbled me, as I realize I'm one
of many artists who work on their fantastic licensed products. Q – You have a
distinctly cinematic eye and have completed your directorial debut
Conjure. Tell us something about this
project. A – CONJURE is kind of the culmination of all of my work and experiences over the last 15 years or so. I've worked behind-the-scenes in films for so long in many different aspects of the movie business. This is my first attempt to take everything I've learned and do a completed picture myself. I'm very proud of it and I think many will find it entertaining. Of course, you can always find out more about it at www.ConjureTheMovie.com.
Q – As a young man
you had a freak accident, falling into a canyon and almost dying. What do you remember of that, and more
importantly, how do you think that close call changed your outlook on life? A –
That was a
long time ago, so I don't know how much it affects my life now, but I
remember for years after really trying to live every day like it was my last.
I still try to do that I guess. Q – What were your
feelings on Revenge of the Sith? Many
feel, as George Lucas himself said it would, that as well as linking the two
trilogies together it validated the less popular two prequel films. How do you feel about it? A –
I'd agree.
I think it makes EPISODE I and 2 better, for sure. I
really enjoyed the first two, anyway. You know, it's almost difficult to
compare them to the original trilogy. It's a different story with mostly
different characters. I loved SITH and can't wait for it to come out on DVD! Q – What would your
ultimate Star Wars project be? A – I've always wanted to do STAR WARS comics for Dark Horse. It's probably
the only STAR WARS licensee that I haven't worked for, which is funny,
because comics are such a passion of mine. My favorite
series was the first DARK EMPIRE. I'd love to do something like that with the
Original Trilogy characters post JEDI... Q – You did a large
amount of work for West End Games, the original roleplay licensees. How exciting a time was that for you, to be
finally working on an official Star Wars product, something most fans can
only dream of? A – Words couldn't describe. I never dreamed I'd be working on official STAR WARS material. I really felt like if nothing cool happens with my career again, I can always say I drew for STAR WARS! It's funny- nothing IS better than STAR WARS. For example, I just started on doing new package illustration for G.I.JOE... Which is really, really cool. But can you ever top STAR WARS?!
Q – While attending conventions and shows do you enjoy the
interaction with Star Wars fans? A – Yes. I'm a huge STAR WARS fan myself, so I'm just as excited to be
there as anyone else. And knowing that folks appreciate my work is just
satisfying to no end. Q – On your site you go through a step-by-step slideshow of how
you design and ultimately draw a piece of artwork. Is this process the same every time, or do
pieces sometimes drop into your head `complete’ without the need to draw
multiple roughs? A - The DARTH MAUL Step By Step is pretty typical of how I'll put an
illustration together. There are always exceptions to the rule, and every job
is different, but that's usually how it is. Q - What lies ahead
for you in the future? A –
Well, I'm
not giving up my day job of being an entertainment illustrator, but i think
you'll see me getting more behind the camera, and creating more independent
movies, as well as being part of larger Hollywood ones. Q – A quick question
about our site, Lightsabre. Any comments? A –
I love it!
Great questions that you ask your guests, and I'm honored
to be among such cool talent! Q - It's been a great
interview, and thanks for being our guest on Lightsabre. Just one final question. Dave Grohl, George Lucas and Bill Cosby are
all calling you constantly to do a drawing for their latest venture, but you
only have time to do one. You can’t
chose, so you get them al together in a room and propose a round-robin Thumb
Wrestling contest. Who wins? A – Grohl puts up a good fight, but come on, Lucas rules all, especially in Thumb Wrestling! Hey,
did you know that Dave Grohl's parents almost named
him Hans, and since he was such a STAR WARS fan growing up, his friends used
to call him Hans Grohlo?! Too Funny! |
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