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The Lightsabre Interview Tim Wann
Welcome to
Lightsabre. He’s an amazing artist,
friend of the site, webmaster of Wannsworld as well
as contributing his brilliant artwork towards Lightsabre. Please rise and welcome Tim Wann. Q - Tim, welcome to
Lightsabre. A -
Thanks a
million, Mark. As always, it's a
pleasure contributing to the site. Q – Tell us something
of your career. Where did you begin in
publishing and what led you to editing the Insider? A - I've
been drawing as long as I can remember. I got my start very young drawing
comic book characters, always trying to draw like those great artists
did. I was highly influenced by the
silver and bronze age of comic artists like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and John Romita, through
to the more modern style masters Frank Miller, Jim Lee, and Alan Davis. Comic art was and still is my well spring
of inspiration. So for the most part I'm self taught, but
I'd like to think I had the greatest art teachers within those comics. As
years went on and higher education called, I branched out into photo realism
and life drawing, and eventually exploring new mediums such as oils,
sculpture, and watercolor. However one always goes
back to their roots. I get no greater
joy than to create art from my imagination with old fashioned pencils and
inks. I guess my style now falls into
'fantasy art', which is a stone's throw from comic book art. So, a zebra can never really change his
stripes, I guess. Q – What is it like
to be a part of the Star Wars phenomenon? A- The best part had to be witnessing the sheer
magnitude of it all. I vividly recall being immersed in this fantastic world
of aliens, villains and heroes, which to my 4 year old brain was just
amazing. It all seemed so real and possible in those tender years, but yet so
imaginative and dream-like. My older
brothers had the toys, play sets, albums, you name it! So our rooms, like most boys in those
years, were nothing short of Star Wars central and decorated top to bottom
with all kinds of Star Wars fanfare. I think growing up in that time really
carved a niche in the psyche that showed what the imagination can do, and to
always trust it. Q –
You work in differing mediums and styles, as evident through your amazing Wannsworld website.
Tell us a little about your style and approach to your art. A – I
wish I had a simple answer or one that's more impressive… but honestly my
approach is sometimes just taking the pencil to paper and see what
happens. Rarely do I ever have the
idea completely fleshed out in my head.
Sometimes I do, and I really need to seize the moment on those,
because they are few and far between.
But more often than not I go into a drawing with a bare minimum of an
idea, or none at all. It sounds rather
haphazard, and it is, but it works for me.
I like to let the chips fall where they may and let my subconscious do
the work. The drawing only really
becomes complicated for me when I'm close to the end and need to tie it all
together or clean up loose ends. Q – What were your
feelings on Revenge of the Sith? Did
it satisfy your fan appetite, or simply whet it for more adventures to come? A – I usually don't like to judge movies, simply
because I know how hard they are to make and how much time, energy and
creativity go into them. And I respect anyone that attempts making one,
especially one on this kind of scale and expectation level. So no offense to
the hardworking people at Lucasfilm, but Sith only really made me want to see
more story. The back story told, while interesting,
felt a bit like connecting the dots to a story we pretty much already knew. I
find the expanded universe of material much more interesting because it
really explores fresh territory while keeping the mythos in tact. I guess I just like looking forward rather than backward. To each his/her own.
Q –
With the television series on the way, what are you most hoping for? A – I'm
hoping the show can recapture some of the magic that the original trilogy
had. More character development and fewer technicalities. Bring the fun and
adventure back into the mix. I think
with a television show they can really hammer out story arcs and crossovers
while still having the time and flexibility to make the characters the main
focus. There is so much that can be
explored, it'll be exciting to see where they go with it. Q –
Which of the myriad Star Wars characters do you feel the most affinity for? A –I'd
say probably Chewbacca. Like Samwise in Lord of the Rings, I seem to gravitate to the
trusty side-kick characters and find them more interesting. Boba Fett is a
close second, but only with Jeremy Bullock doing the voice. Q –
Tell us something of your other interests outside of Star Wars? A – As
you mentioned before, I'm an avid artist… so professional and freelance
artwork dominate most of my time.
Additionally I'm a drummer of 14 years, enjoy playing most sports, and
really enjoy hitting the video games from time to time. My wife and I also love to travel and take
some adventures together when we can. Q –
Like myself, you were married in Sin City, Las Vegas. Tell us something about the big day. A – Speaking of adventures! What else can I say other than it was glorious. Absolutely picture perfect and we feel truly blessed that so many friends and family could join us in the event. I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and frugal wedding alternative.
Q –
Given the opportunity to choose one character in the Star Wars Universe you
could portray, who would it be? A –
Man, who wouldn't want to be Boba Fett for a day? Cool, mysterious outfit, a
killer reputation and wicked vessel to cruise the galaxy with. It doesn't get much better than that. Q -
What lies ahead for you in the future? A – I'd
like to hope a long, full life, my friend.
I already feel like I've been blessed beyond words, so every day is a
gift. As with anything, as long as you
are doing what you love happiness will follow. I intend on keeping it that way. Q – A
quick question about our site, Lightsabre.
Any comments? A –
I'll tell you what; I'm a huge fan of your Setnin Radio section. It's quite fun to hear you guys wax on all
sorts of topics, Star Wars related or not.
Overall great job keeping the site fresh and updated all while working
your day jobs as well. As a web guy
myself, I know that isn't easy.
Cheers! Q -
It's been a great interview, and thanks for being our guest on
Lightsabre. Just one final
question. Yourself, Tsuneo Sanda and
Drew Struzan are locked in a rubber-walled room, all in straight jackets. There is a drawing pad and pencils
suspended from the ceiling just a few feet above you, and you have been told
that whoever gets the materials and draws a picture first gets out. Who gets to the paper and pencils, how, and
what do you draw? A –
Mark, you are a sick man. Well, I think
it would go something like this. Mr.
Sanda would use his jedi powers (of which he definitely has in real life,
honestly… just look at his amazing art) to undo his straight jacket. He'd free Mr. Struzan out of respect and
admiration. Mr. Struzan would grab and
offer the pencil and paper to Mr. Sanda out of gratitude, but he would refuse
and insist that Mr. Struzan be the one to be set free. Mr. Struzan would draw a breathtaking battle
scene of Han Solo and Chewie vs. IG-88 and 4-LOM at the Spice Mines of
Kessel, thus obtaining his freedom.
Mr. Sanda would then melt into nothingness as he becomes one with the Force,
he too gaining his freedom… leaving me to sit and rot. Once in a while he'd taunt me in his
vaporous 'ghost Obi Wan' voice to "Go to the Dagobah system." This joke gets old very fast, as one can
imagine. |
