If you love Spider-Man comics, then you know Mark Bagley. Not only is he a veteran of the comics business, getting his start in the 80s, but he is also the co-creator of one of Spidey’s most famous villains, Carange. Bagley was also the artist on the Ultimate Spider-Man book when it began and stayed with it through issue #111 before jumping back on for issues #156-160. LRM Online had the distinct privilege of speaking with Mark Bagley at this year’s GalaxyCon in Richmond, VA
LRM: Thank you for your time. You’re widely renowned for comics in general. Huge on Spider-Man. What were you drawing, what characters had inspired you to start drawing when you were younger, while looking at trying to get into the business?
Mark Bagley: Oh, I love Marvel characters. I mean, I fell in love with comics when I was about nine years old. I’ve got five brothers who have never read a comic in their lives, including a twin. He didn’t know who Thor was in the Avengers movie. “It’s like the guy with the hammer?”
I love Spider-Man, Fantastic Four… I was looking at artists a lot, too, back then. Even then, I wanted to do this every day. Just kind of usually a good idea. Anything that John Buscema was drawing, anything Gil Kane was drawing, anything that John McCrea was drawing, you know, I love his style. Neil Adams. So that all inspired me.
LRM: Once you got into the industry, what was your dream project at that point? What was like, “my goal is to end up here.”
Bagley: Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man. That was, you know, that was, I always knew that if I was drawing Amazing Spider-Man that I accomplished the goal in my life, you know. I was, I was, I had arrived.
LRM: What is your favorite, what is your favorite Spider-Man pose to draw? Do you have one?
Bagley: I don’t really have a favorite pose, because a lot of times you’re just going at it gesturally. What comes up, comes up. But, you know, every now and then, one pops and it’s like, that one works really well. I have some memory of one but, you know… that’s the best answer I’ve got for you. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, you know?
LRM: Do you have a favorite Spider-Man suit to draw?
Bagley: I like the traditional suit, traditional, you know. Yeah.
LRM: Have you noticed fans being more hungry for the source material versus say, ten, fifteen years ago?
Bagley: I don’t know, I don’t know. I wish there was more of that. I don’t think there’s as much of that as we would like, you know. Kids don’t read anymore, you know. They’re playing video games, they’re watching movies and you know, they’re still kind of that niche product, but there’s always, there seems to be a nice, steady level of people who will be interested in the actual source material and the actual reading comic books, collecting, and all that.
LRM: And if there was any other character that you’ve never drawn professionally, who would it be? Or have you basically drawn everybody?
Bagley: I’ve pretty much drawn everybody. I mean, one time or another, I… there’s characters I haven’t drawn enough to get comfortable with. It’s like the Hulk, you know, I would occasionally get to draw the Hulk. And he never looked right until I actually got on the book and got to draw him often enough to where I got the shorthand down. And that figure, I bought it… so, you know. It’s more now about who I’m working with and the story, you know, each character always has an interesting storyline, you know.
LRM: I appreciate your time, thank you so much.
What are your favorite Mark Bagley drawn books? Let us know in the comments below!
Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook and Twitter using the buttons at the top! Or you can react to the post down below!
—–
Have you checked out LRM Online‘s official podcast feed yet, which includes our flagship podcast Los Fanboys, our premiere podcast Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, and our morning show LRMornings? Check it out by listening below. It’s also available on all your favorite podcast apps!
FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS
Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoG, Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube!
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
