Questions 7: Daniel Duford

Daniel Duford  is a writer and illustrator focusing on mythology and the human condition.   He is also a nationally shown sculptor and teacher.  He has been shown at MASS MoCA and The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and other Art Galleries across the country.   He is currently a instructor in the Intermedia, Illustration and Sculpture departments at  Pacific Northwest College of Art.   Take a look at Green Man of Portland,  Radio Relay Towers and The Naked Boy.

Check out his site  and his blog

Doug Dorr:    What projects are you working on currently?
I'm finishing The Naked Boy. I've been behind on that book for months as I finished other projects. I've cleared the Fall to finish it. I will be posting 4 new pages today in fact.

Doug Dorr:  What is your Writing Process?
I have a very convoluted process. I generally start with thumbnails and text. Sometimes I start with a rough typed outline and go to thumbnails. After I do the thumbnails I do some rough pages. It's like building a painting, the process reveals the story.

Doug Dorr:  What Comic/ Trade would you recommend?
I just read The Mighty which I loved. I didn't think someone could do the deconstruction of the superhero again in an interesting way but this one is. But I also just read Leviathan by Jens Harder. Man, that has been on my mind all summer. Pure visual poetry.

Doug Dorr:  What Comic/ Trade would you recommend to someone new to comics?
It depends on their interest but I think the Fables series is really great for the general reader. I might also recommend Joss Whedon's run on the X-Men for someone interested in superheroes, and for fans of Sopranos style storytelling Scalped is awesome.


Doug Dorr:  What skill would you like to learn?
Selling my comics. (JK) I think becoming adept at digital color would be a useful tool. It could be so blunt but when you see someone use it wisely it's a powerful tool.

Doug Dorr:  Do you have a collection?   If so, what is one of the items you're most proud of?
I do. I have almost a complete run of Swamp Thing from the first series to the end of Alan Moore's run. I think I'm missing five issues. But I'm not really a collector per se. I read everything I own so I don't think it's worth very much.

Doug Dorr:   What is your favorite genre of Comics?
That's tough. I just like good storytelling. I regularly read superhero comics, but have little patience for what passes as the baseline for mainstream comics. I also love really experimental work. I love Weathercraft by Jim Woodring, Theo Ellsworth's work and things like Utu by Malachi Ward that I picked up at Stumptown. I'm drawn to work that could only be done in comics. I can't look at photo tracing or comics that look like they want to be movies.

Doug Dorr:  Do you have an Ipad?   If so what do use it for the most.
Not yet but I am intrigued by the possibilities.

What is your favorite TV show/ movie?
One of my favorite movies of all time is David Cronenberg's The Fly. I also watch The Godfather at least once a year. I thought this last season of True Blood was one of the best and of course The Sopranos can't be beat.

What was your first comic convention?
One when I was a kid in Bridgeport, CT where I grew up. This was probably 1980. My Mom took me. I remember it was pretty small and scruffy. I bought some original art from a kid who was not much older than me.

What is your favorite part of comic conventions?
I'm not a big fan of crowds. I like to get in and get out. Whenever I sit at a table I'm cranky and exhausted by the end.

What comics do your kids like?  What was/is your favorite character?
My 3 year old daughter loves Owly and the Powerpuff Girls.

If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?
My work is pretty diverse. I teach at an art school, make sculpture, paintings and write. I need the conversation between all the mediums to keep me going.

Doug Dorr:  Do you have a favorite restaurant that you would recommend?
Toro Bravo.
 
Doug Dorr:  How long have you lived in Portland, what made you choose Portland?
14 years. My wife went to college here. It feels more like home than anywhere else I've lived.

Doug Dorr:  What is your favorite part of Portland?
The feeling of being in a small town and a big city simultaneously.

Doug Dorr:  Where in Portland/ Oregon would you most like to visit?
I don't know maybe the Rogue River area.

Doug Dorr:  Would you like to write for another media? or conversely, how would you feel about writing a comic of a character from a different media, for example, Dr. Who, James Bond?  What would you explore?
I would love to. Like I said above, it would have to make sense that it's a comic. I don't know if the Buffy and Angel books are totally successful because I'm always thinking of the actors. It would be fun to do a tangential character from a successful series and take that in a different direction.