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Interview conducted via email in May 2004.
Originally printed in the Italian comics magazine Vertigo Presenta N.39 (Magic Press)
James Jean is the sensational cover artist of DC Comics titles as Fables, Batgirl, Monolith. He has recently won the prestigious Eisner Award as Best Cover Artist. Info about the artist at his website www.jamesjean.com.
You were born in 1979 in Taipei, Taiwan. At the age of three, your parents moved to USA. You studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York city where you graduated with a BFA in 2001. Although trained in fine art you ended up working in the comics field. How did it happen?
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Somehow I never thought of approaching DC, but it ended up being a godsend - a really amazing opportunity and job. After school, I was looking for any illustration work I could get, hitting up all the major book publishers, but my portfolio was underdeveloped and unfocused. Some of the old paintings can still be seen on my site. One day I went to DC with my friend Farel Dalrymple to visit an editor there, and my card and website made it to Mark Chiarello, who recommended me to Shelly Bond who was looking for a new cover artist for Fables. They hired me for the first 5 covers and decided to keep me on!
Your covers have a surreal touch,
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versione italiana
