Gary Bedell

Springfield, MO

Everything. It’s not just what I do. It’s a part of who I am. It’s laced into my personality, what I wear, what I listen to, the movies I watch, etc. Being creative is living a bit more freely than those who aren’t. It allows me to look outside the box. Because I’d rather be on the beach than restricted to a sandbox.

I remember watching a special about EC Comics, the publishers that put out *Tales from the Crypt*, *Vault of Horror*, *The Haunt of Fear*, *Weird Science*, and *Weird Fantasy*. They were showing how they went from script to comic pages, and I thought it was the most fascinating thing ever. I already loved horror movies at the time, so to see a thing I love heavily associated with the thing I do, I was the most excited 6-year-old on the planet. Then later, I was introduced to superheroes and the big two, Marvel and DC. This solidified my path, and I knew I wanted to be a professional artist. Not to sound cheesy, but it almost felt like destiny.

I try to have a sketchbook or something I can conceptualize an idea on at all times. Ideas are precious, and we as artists need a place for them. It’s also a place to practice and experiment, like an artist’s gym. I also attend life drawing sessions as well as teach life drawing once a month. But I also draw from life outside of my classes to keep myself sharp. If I’m stuck on something, I always use references for problem-solving. And I always know that I should never stop learning, so continuing education is very important to me. And not just from $80,000 art schools. I never went to college. I learn from my peers, I’m on Schoolism, and I’ve taken workshops. And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

That’s like picking a favorite child. I’m not sure if I can answer that. I do have favorite ‘eras’ of my career, which are the times I had the breakthroughs, the ah-ha moments, the broken bad habits, and watching myself develop as an artist. My experience with companies like Cartoon Network, Crypt TV, Nickelodeon, The Children’s Television Workshop, Chaosium, and Luchagore Productions helped refine the artist I am today. Going from comic artist to concept artist and art director.

It depends on what I’m doing. But with a lot of my personal work, I love “implied narrative” and narrative illustration. I love telling stories, especially ones where the audience has to fill in the blanks. I want my audience to have fun with my work. I want to be able to manipulate their moods with brushstrokes. When I do horror illustration, I want that piece or something in it to live with you after you’ve viewed it. I want it to live in your nightmares but keep coming back to see more.

I’d love to learn how to make latex masks and props based on some of my horror concepts. I’d love to get real ‘Rick Baker’ with it.

Don’t look at other artists' work before you start a piece. It can influence the way you work. The ideas need to flow from within. And not some version of something you saw on Pinterest.