Aluir Amancio

INTERVIEW

 

ALUIR AMANCIO

 

One the most active professional comic book artists in Brazil

talks about his career and the comic book market

 

Born in São Caetano do Sul, in the Greater São Paulo area, Aluir Amancio had a precocious career. In 1981, at just 13 years of age, he entered Mauricio de Sousa’s studios (MSP) where, in the following years, he got noticed for his creativity and bold style.

In 1989, he set up his own studio and started producing a series of works for the major publishing houses in the country, mainly Disney, besides his own projects, like the comic book Andrea, the Reporter.

In the beginning of this year, like many other artists, he started producing a series of works for DC Comics, turning into comics an episode from Batman Animated. At 27, considered one of the best comic book artists of his generation, Aluir talks about the Brazilian comic book market, which he knows so well.

 

QUESTION - Aluir, you have already worked as a comic book artist for the most important studios in the country. In your opinion, what’s the current situation of the comic book market in Brazil?

ANSWER – This is a bit complicated, because I have a very personal opinion about it. There’s people complaining about the market, about how the publishing houses give them no room… But I don’t see it this way. What I really see is that there is little work for everyone around. There are the talented ones and the less talented ones and, of course, in a small market, the less talented ones will not always get some work to do and to a level even the more talented ones might experience this. I think it’s a small market and that’s all.

 

Q – And what about the professionalism of the Brazilian market, speaking of the artists and the publishers?

A - It’s always the same – in every field you find good and bad professionals. For instance, I’m know working for Editora Abril and they are really professional guys. On the other hand, I have already worked with people and companies which brought me no satisfaction as an artist. As far as I’m concerned, the professionalism in the market is, in general, good.

 

Q – The Brazilain market is mostly based on comic books for children audience. In your opinion, why has children’s comics evolved so much at the expense of the other lines?

A – I think a tradition has been formed. When the market started to develop there were basically Disney, Mauricio and the horror and adventure comics. As the latter ones diminished or disappeared, artists dedicated themselves to children’s themes, the only existing work.

 

Q – You started with Mauricio de Sousa (MSP). How did you get there?

A – I used to draw at school and many times I represented the school in exhibitions. On one of those occasions, in Ibirapuera Park, I met Mauricio and he invited me to be a trainee in his studio. But he always said, back in that time, that I usually did my best with any other style than Mônica and Cebolinha (Monica and Jimmy Five)… And I think he was right! (laughs)

 

Q – Just to make things clear for the readers, you always had problems with your style while you worked for Mauricio but, in a certain way, you helped transform this very style, mainly through your work with the character Tina. Tell us something about it.

A – Just to make things clear, the issue concerning Monica and Jimmy Five wasn’t because I didn’t know how to draw these characters. Usually the children’s cartoonist researches children’s authors. But not me. What I really liked at that time were stuff by Kirby and Byrne published in Brazil. So that was my reference material!

 

Q - You applied references from American heroes to children’s comics?

A - Yes, although I really can’t define it, the way I applied was like this: Monica’s gang in unusual angles, different perspectives, high angle views… I tried not to come up with the traditional views, the character against a flat background; I tried to do it according to the influence of what I read back then. So that was the problem with my style – Mauricio sometimes got scared to see the character larger than the panel! (laughs) That’s why I preferred to work with Tina, where I could use a bolder style.

 

Q – In the beginning you said that our children’s comics were formed due to the influence of Disney and Mauricio. You worked with both. Which one is harder working with?

A – With Mauricio, besides the issue with the style, there is the fact that he has always liked a cleaner and more simplified work. Usually with this kind of work you have to be more accurate with your drawing. With Disney you have the freedom to put more details into the panels. Actually I would say they are both difficult, Mauricio for its simplicity and Disney for its complexity.

 

Q – Still on Disney and MSP, what do you think about both companies, like many others, not crediting the artists for their creations? *

A – It’s a philosophy. But it doesn’t happen only here, it’s a policy in other countries as well, as in the case of Disney. It’s the artist’s decision – if he wants the job, he has to work according to the company’s policy. At MSP, for instance, there ain’t no credit in the stories, but you can find the names of the artists at the end of the comic book, showing they are employees. I think this is legally okay and the artist has nothing to get besides this. In the end, it is a market law: if you can, ask for it. Otherwise… The important thing is, even so, always trying to do the best possible job.

*NOTE: Later Disney comic book campanies thoughout the world changed the non-credit policy and started crediting their artists and eventually this policy was followed by Brazilian Disney comics as they started displaying credits too. Aluir Amancio was credited when his stories were republished.

 

Q – Tell us something about your work with Batman.

A - Well, I just enjoy doing this. The editor is very professional and after all, it’s the Batman! I feel really comfortable working with this stuff, basically because I got to use the style I have developed since “Andrea, the Reporter”.

Only this time I can produce a more sophisticated work. I prefer works with greater challenges. It seems that this way there’s more inspiration to draw.

 

Q – You mention Andrea, which was a project of yours oriented to the younger audience,

but you also have created superhero projects. What can you tell us about them?

A – Well, from ‘92 up to now, I probably created some 60 characters. The problem is that Brazil has no market for them so I kept them in the drawer. It seems that, because of American competition, publishers are afraid of releasing a Brazilian superhero comic book, even if it’s a good one. What we see  is that many publishers really want to publish a superhero comic books, but no one has enough money for that and, when they have, it is still not enough to pay the prints. Someone has to lose in the process and usually it’s the artist.

 

Q – Which were your influences?

A – The first was Jack Kirby, who I used to read in Bloch magazines, around ‘78. At the same time, I admire José Márcio’s work, in MSP’s comics. Later on, as a professional, my greatest influence was John Byrne. Outside the comics universe, I can name Japanese cartoons, like Princess Knight (from creator Osamu Tezuka).

 

Q – When you left MSP, you set up your own studio. How was the experience of hiring other artists?

A – It didn’t change much for me, because I never stopped drawing, but whenever I had to work with somebody else, I tried to look for people I like and who I know to be talented.

Then, instead of a boss and employee relationship, I usually developed a friendship. I put it this way: I’m an artist who occasionally needs the work of other artists.

 

Q – Do you consider yourself hard to work with?

A – No, I’m not that hard. If the person I’m working with is a professional, it’s not hard.

 

Q – Is there a lot of vanity in the world of Brazilian comics?

A -Yes, there is.

 

Q - And what about you? Do you consider yourself cocky?

A – No, I just enjoy what I do, and that’s something many people can’t have. It seems that some artists have a tendency of denying themselves a self-praise and I consider this wrong! If you do something really good, why not saying it is good? It may not seem good to another person (laughs), but if it pleased you… After all, we are working with art! If it doesn’t please you, who will it please? If it doesn’t please you, don’t do it. I’m satisfied with many things I do. I wouldn’t say I’m the best, but I enjoy what I’m doing now. If I don’t enjoy it, I will set it aside and go back to it only when I feel inspired to do so. I prefer to work with what enjoys me!

 

Q – Aluir, just to wrap things up, is there anything you’d like to say?

A – It is interesting to see the audience’s reaction when they meet the artist. It seems that two sentences are part of their general knowledge. First, they say: “Gosh, I can’t even draw a house!”

and then they say: “Oh, but I know someone who does great drawings!” (laughs)

 

Interviewed by Rodrigo de Goes

 

Ping Pong

 

Book: “Shogun” by James Clavell

Movie: “Butch Cassidy”

Character: Captain Kirk

Story: The Dark Phoenix Saga

Place: New York

Brazilian artist: Mauricio de Souza

American artist: Jack Kirby

Japanese artist: Osamu Tezuka and Rumiko Takahashi

Aluir Amancio by Aluir Amancio: “You may say bad things, as long as you talk about me!”