John Cebollero is an artist out of New York City. I have been a fan of his work for quite while now and was able to show his work in not only the “Attack of the B Movie Show”, but the recent “This is the End” group show as well. Whether it’s with pencil, acrylics or ink, John’s work is always inspiring.
CM: How did you get your start making art, any formal training such as art schools?
JC: Like most artists I’ve loved art since childhood. Constantly drawing and exploring the work of artists I admired. Graduated from Art & Design High School in New York City and attended the School Of Visual Arts…for one year, then dropped out.
CM: What are the main influences that helped to develop your style?
JC: I was into magazines like MAD, CREEPY, EERIE, and HEAVY METAL. As a kid I found these publications titillating and viewed them with a degree of awe. They gave me something to aspire to. It was a wonderful time of discovery for me. As for artists, my influences have been Richard Corben, Mort Drucker,, Frank Frazetta, Moebius, Robert Crumb, Vaughn Bode, Gerald Scarfe, Maxfield Parrish, Alphonse Mucha, Norman Rockwell, and Gustav Klimt.
…and of course, things I see every day influence me.
CM: The women you draw are very unlike a majority of what is being drawn today, it reminds me a bit of what we would see with artists such as Bill Ward. What are the main factors that influence your style of figure drawing?
JC: With my art I am trying to convey how I feel about the subject and what fascinates me about the female form. Show the details and spirit that catch my eye and try to ground my figures with an essence of reality. Pushing the contrast of form and color to infuse a life force into them. My women aren’t meant to represent a commercial sense of beauty. Rather a more common, provincial attraction. “The girl you secretly have a thing for.”
CM: Your ink work, as well as the acrylic paintings I have seen of yours, are created with machine like precision. Is there a medium your prefer over all others?
JC: If I create something and I’m very happy with the final results, what ever I used to create it, that’s my favorite medium.
CM: Your gallery has a lot of “zombie” themed works. Are you a big zombie movie fan, if so what are your favorite flicks?
JC: I’m not a HUGE fan of zombies. Most of those pieces were for clients and some were to cater to an audience. I have drawn some gross pieces from time to time but they are meant to be more symbolic than literal.
As for a movie, the original “Dawn Of The Dead.”
CM: I love the idea of collaborations between artists, such as your work and Glenn Barr would be amazing, are there any artists you would love to work with?
JC: Honestly, I don’t have anyone in mind for a collaboration off the top of my head. There was my collaboration with Richard Corben a few years ago. That was a dream come true for me. That “collab” is in my sketchbook JIVE ABOUT…which is available for purchase off my website…for those who are interested!
Yeah, Glenn Barr would be a cool artist to jam with. I guess if I really thought about it, being that I’ve already worked with Corben….Robert Crumb would be at the top of my list!
CM: You have done work for DC & Marvel Comics. Is there any chance we will see a comic, that much like “The Goon” will be mostly produced by you?
JC: People have asked me about this before. I have a project in mind, but it needs to be solidified and most of all….started. I just have to get off my duff and do it. Sorry I can’t give you more.
CM: Besides Vinyl toys and the occasional sculpture, the galleries seem to be limited when it comes to 3D works. Have you ever though about bringing your figures into a sculptural form?
JC: Actually, I have created a couple of small sculptures over the years. Though not credited, I have a sculpture in The Big Book Of Breasts published by Taschen. Not one of my better pieces, but it’s there. You’ve convinced me to start a sculpture gallery on my site. Hopefully it’ll prod me to create more.
CM: If you couldn’t make art, what would you be doing?
JC: The laundry.
CM: Finally, one piece of advice you would give to budding artists?
JC: Stick to your guns with your art, make lots of friends, and press on.
That’s all, thanks for taking the time to answer these.
For more on John’s work, head on over to his homepage: JohnCebollero.com
Make you sure check out his shop, as he still has some sketchbooks there and often adds prints and originals.
You can also add him to Myspace here: John Cebollero Myspace
