Now that I've reposted all of the old issue reviews from the no-longer-existent Vengeance Unbound site, it's time to put up the remainder of the creator interviews I did during the site's run. This one is with artist Pop Mhan from 2003 and he was so cool to talk with. He was one only the second creator I'd interviewed, but he's still one of the nicest (and most refreshing, since he was really open and honest about his work on the series).
1) In an effort to keep these questions going in a semi-chronological order, let me ask what some of your projects were prior to becoming the artist on Ghost Rider. Do you consider your gig on GR to have been your "big break" into mainstream comics?
No, not really. I started out at Wildstorm working on Union. It was after I left Wildstorm and did a stint with Awesome, did I end up on GR.
2) How did you land the job of artist on Ghost Rider?
Well, I drew two issues of Marvel Fanfare which featured Ghost Rider in one of the issues. I guess that's where it all started.
3) Your run on the book started immediately after the departure of Salvador Larroca, an artist with a style quite different than your own and someone that had handled the art chores on the book for over two years. What were your expectations concerning reactions to your vastly different style on the book?
I was relatively young still when I jumped on to GR. I really didn't think about it at all.
4) Was Ghost Rider a character you were looking forward to working on, or was it more of a case of "I'd rather work on Spider-Man, but this will guy will do for now."?
Aaaah, the history of the stint on GR.....( this is the story from my perspective) When I signed up at Marvel, I was given the two issues of Marvel Fanfare. Ghost Rider was on the list of titles in danger of being axed. Salvador, who is an awesome artist, was to be moved to a more high profile book because of his stellar run on GR. I was told that I was on the list of guys that was considered to take over Generation X after Chris Bachalo left, however, there were many kinks in my artwork that needed to be ironed out before I could take over Generation X. So..... They had been working on a new direction for Ghost Rider, new costume, new direction, money for advertising and needed a new artist to fit that new direction. They told me to handle the art chores on the new Ghost Rider for a while to nail down my art and hopefully save the book from the axe.
5) In an interview Marvel conducted with Ivan Velez, Jr., it was said that many of the Marvel horror characters from the seventies were going to be brought back in the book. Readers got to see your take on Howard the Duck, Devil Dinosaur, Lilith, and Brother Voodoo, but what about some of the other characters mentioned in the interview, like Dracula, Woodgod, and Werewolf by Night? Did you get a chance to redesign these other characters before you left the book?
No, I don't recall getting a chance to redesign that many characters at all. I remember Lilith, but that was about the only character that I redesigned.
6) You left Ghost Rider after only a five issue run (one of which was a fill-in issue by another artist). What were the circumstances behind your leaving the book? Do you wish you could have stayed on for a longer stint?
The circumstances.. :) Well to sum it up: I got very unprofessional at the end. After the second issue, Ghost Rider just felt....wrong. The version of Ghost Rider I was doing didn't really feel like the real Ghost Rider to me, I wanted to go to a less "cartoony" style with it, but it was too late to change styles in mid run. So, as the book went on, I got more depressed about it and stopped being productive. There was an editor change and the new editor didn't take my crap. Amen. :)
But in hindsight, I think the cartoony look was fine because it kinda fit with the new costume. It was different. :)
7) What did you find appealing to the Ghost Rider character, either visually or story-wise?
Man, I loved drawing those flames! Flame everywhere! I could get pretty kinetic with design of the panels.
8) The book seemed to take on a darker tone once you came on board as artist, and here's a question of opinion: Black leather outfit for GR or the yellow and red Speed Racer costume?
Did it get darker? I don't recall... :) Man GR is not GR without that Black leather costume!
9) Moving to the present, fans know that you're still the artist on SPY BOY, along with Peter David as writer. Do you have any other projects coming down the road?
Right now, I am drawing DC's Demon miniseries due out in September.
10) Do you have any closing remarks about your Ghost Rider work, upcoming projects, or anything else in particular?
What can I say that hasn't already been said? :) I think that you are great for running the site and helping to let Marvel know that there are GR fans out there. A large thanks for all of the great people that have supported me throughout it all, I'll try not to let you all down again!
Loads of thanks to Pop for taking the time to do this interview!
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