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LIST OF INTERVIEWS

Monday, August 15, 2016

SIDESHOW MARK NEWMAN TALKS MALAVESTROS

MALAVESTROS, THE JESTER OF COURT OF THE DEAD BY THE MAGICIAN OF SIDESHOW, MARK NEWMAN




This is a totally biased interview and a new challenge for me. Biased because I’m doing an interview based on the best piece revealed at SDCC16 (in my humble opinion), challenging because I’ll try to make the whole interview about this single statue. So with you an interview about Court of the Dead Malavestros with his sculptor, Mark Newman.

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1 – I’ve heard you hand sculpted the CofD Malavestros. Is that true? Do you use 3D software to sculpt or all your production is hand sculpted? If you use 3D software why did you choose to pursue hand sculpt in this one figure?

Mark Newman (MN): Yes, the work I did on Malavestros was sculpted traditionally. I do use ZBrush now as well but not as much as I use clay still. I digitally sculpted Sideshow's Premium format Groot that was revealed at SDCC as well. It was my first digital sculpt for Sideshow and I'm very happy with the result!

I still prefer traditional sculpting over digital and Tom Gilliland, creative director at Sideshow also prefers the look of traditional sculpts. There are many advantages to digital over traditional that I love but nothing beats the hands on tactile feel of a sculpt while working on it.


2 – Based on your Facebook page you’re more comfortable to model female characters. If so, why the preference and what challenges it presented to make a male character?

(MN): I like both but I guess I prefer the female form over the male form is that I find it more beautiful and more of a challenge to sculpt the female form over the male form. It interests me more. The beautiful curves and elegant forms. That's not to say that the male form isn't all these things. To sculpt a beautiful female face is much more challenging than a good-looking male face. At least for me.




3 – As you said, “Rachel Roubicek did the concept design drawings. I sculpted the majority of the piece. Mat Brouillard sculpted the base elements, books, skulls and candles as well as part of the scroll along with Nathan Mansfield.” What got me intrigued here is why the scroll took two people to do it. I know is a fairly detailed part of the sculpture but I wonder if the fact that beeing of mixed media turned his sculpting even more difficult. Also why didn’t you tackled all the sculpture yourself?

(MN): Most every piece that Sideshow produces has more than one sculptor attached to the project. The main reason why this piece was broken up into a few different people is that we really wanted to get this ready for its Comic Con reveal. Rachel was working of the concept drawings under Tom Gilliland's direction way before I was brought in on the project. They had Alfred Paredes, an in-house sculptor, work out a smaller rough maquette sculpt to get an idea of the design of the pose, forms and environment of the piece in the round. I had all this reference to work with when I started the sculpt. Matt was to work on the elements that decorated the base because he's a master of detail and smaller scale type stuff so it was a perfect choose to get these elements worked out while I was still working on the figure.
Nathan worked on the scroll, I think digitally so it could be tweaked and posed easier digitally than traditionally. That is my understanding of the process. Matt and myself both work from our home studios so things could have gone slightly different than that.

Angel and Demon fight in the psychedelic scroll of Malavestros,
a demonstration of the asymmetry seeked by Tom in Court of the Dead universe. 


4 – Malavestros is a very detailed piece with many symmetrical details, that is, the perfect piece to 3D software modelling. Why were you assigned to do it hand sculpted? Or choose to do it that way?

(MN): Tom G. still prefers the traditional touch of sculpted pieces so he more or less wanted me to work traditionally on this. I am still more comfortable working with clay so it moved forward in that manner. There are some symmetry aspects to the sculpt but also lots of asymmetry involved as well. You'll find that the asymmetry aspect is more prevalent in the Court of the Dead as Tom wanted throughout the design sense of the underworld. Giving it a sense of imbalance to everything.




5 – It seems you very familiar with Court of the Dead characters, all of them were hand sculpted too?

(MN): No, not all of them. Many were digitally sculpted. Martin Canale, who is another designer and sculptor of the CotD line, works digitally now. He sculpted  Demithyle the Exalted Reaper General. Matt Black did some design work and was the main sculptor on The Executioner. The majority of that piece was sculpted digitally. Michael Norman, Walter O'Neal and Alfred Paredes worked on it as well, probably traditionally. Martin has sculpted more pieces digitally that are still in progress and will be revealed down the road.




6 – Did you have some input on the painting of Malavestros? It has a different palette of the other CotD altogether, sometimes looking like a watercolor painting. Was this intentional?

(MN): No, I never really get into the color scheme of a piece. That's all worked out with Tom, the design team and painters. Tom painted the base of Malavestros and Casey Love painted the rest of the piece.


7 – Are you especially proud of Malavestros or it was just another work? What figures you did you’re most proud of?

(MN): I wouldn't say I'm most proud of this piece but I sure am proud of how it came out. If I had to pick one I'm 'most proud' of, it would probably be Gallevarbe Death's Siren. I was able to do the designed sketches and sculpt the piece. Walter O'Neal did some preliminary design work but ended up changing a lot from his initial design



8 – I believe Court of the Dead Jester caused such a stir on SDCC, were you expecting for that?

(MN): Did it cause quite a stir? I don't think I was expecting that but to be honest, I'm not too surprised by that. Everyone's effort on this piece was well executed and it all came together really nicely.


9 – What were the most difficult, the most boring and the most fun part in sculpting him?

(MN): For me the most fun part in sculpting a piece is usually the head, face, expression. It’s the focal point of a sculpture so I really spend the most amount of attention to the head.
The most difficult part which is usually the least favorite part is symmetrical repetitive armor designs. The armor on Malavestos's lower legs was like that. Repetitive layered pieces on both legs. I'm a big fan of asymmetry for that reason.

The boots armor that bothered Mark Newman. And the base done magisterially by Mat Brouillard.



10 – Is there a special part of the sculpture you like best, some body part or detail that you’re really proud of?

(MN): The whole head with his hat incased with skulls. Proud of his expression and the fact that it creeps people out. Win!



11 – Any projects beyond CotD in the near future? Could you share with us? Even if a hint?

(MN): There are a couple new original properties SS is working on that have me excited to be a part of but I cannot elaborate on that at this time.


12 – When Malavrestos’ pre-order and release are programmed, could you inform us? And the price tag, any ideas?

(MN): I have no idea of either pre-order date or price. I never know until it is revealed by SS.


13 – What advices would you give to a person who dreams to become a professional sculptor?

(MN): The only advice I can give is sculpt as much as you can. All the time. It has to be a passion that lives within you to want to do it with all your free time. It becomes a lifestyle. There are no shortcuts to getting good or getting work. It's all about the desire to be good. I am fortunate to do what I love for a living. When I'm not sculpting on my 'Day Job' stuff I still want to sculpt on my own stuff. Seek out the work of people that you admire and that inspires you and study it. Try to sculpt things you aren't always comfortable with. Try to work in different styles and formats. The more versatile you are as an artist the more doors will be open when you're ready. Draw, draw, draw!!! To draw a 3D object is a necessary foundation to sculpting.

In sculpt go off-bounds, try different things.



14 – What would astonish you the most: to see a ghost or to see and alien?

(MN): To see a real alien would blow my mind! I do believe in both, but an alien tops that short list.


15. Three bands and three movies.

(MN): Too many to just pick 3 of each, sorry. My taste is all over the place.


16 – One last phrase, or bombastic news or quote you wanted to leave to or readers around the globe?

(MN): Treat people the way you want to be treated. (Except if you're a masochist or mentally unstable.)
Can you imagine what an amazing world this would be if every single person lived by this very simple philosophy?


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Yes I do, Mr. Newman, I certainly do. Thank you very much for your time and effort and I’m sorry for such a monochromatic conversation. (And I don’t even know if I’ll have the money to pre-order him so his is so elusive and slippery to me as is told in Court of the Dead lore.) Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to meet an exchange a few ideas with such a talented folk as you. 


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Malavestros Deaths Chronicler Fool Court of the Dead Premium Format(TM) Figure


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1 comment:

  1. Wow. The details on these sculptures are just amazing. Hope I can make something like this someday. For now I am planning to try and create molds but I don't have any mold making supply yet.

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