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Hush Comics was lucky enough to meet Colorado artist Gerry Mulowayi at this years ComicFest. He was happy to oblige us with an interview just before this year’s Denver Comic Con. You can meet him in Artist’s Alley this weekend, and even pick up some of his work!
Hush Comics: What is your origin story?
Gerry Mulowayi: My origins start at the age of 7. I had accompanied my mother to get her hair done at a friend’s house. Once there, she started a conversation with her friends, something which I had no interest in, so I went inside the house to watch some cartoons. Sitting right in front of television set was another kid; he was a little older than me. Surrounding him were tons of pages and comics, and he asked me to sit down and draw with him. I told him I didn’t know how, so he grabbed some tracing page and showed me how it worked. I grabbed a comic called Lucky Lucke (a French Cowboy) and traced its cover, and I remember the feeling I had after that. It felt like a switch had been pulled.
HC: That is awesome! Where are you from?
GM: I come from the African nation of Zaire, which was its name at the time. Now you might know it has the Democratic Republic of Congo.
HC: How did you get into comics?
GM: I was a fan of comics from a young age, and I had the skill. But it wasn’t until I met my counselor in 5thgrade that I really started to push for it. She’s the one who got me hooked.
HC: What was the first comic you read?
GM: The first comic was Peter Parker Spiderman #88. When I first came to the States I had some difficulties to say the least. So I started seeing a counselor and she helped me get adjusted. She would copy some pages from a comic book and request a weekly report from my teachers on how I was doing in my classes. If all was good, I would get those pages at the end of the week. If not, then I wouldn’t get those pages.
HC: Who are your comic book inspirations?
GM: I’ve had many, but the strongest ones would have be Stan Lee, Michael Turner, J.Scott Campbell, Dwayne McDuffie, Carlos Meglia, Hergé, Jack Kirby, and Bruce Timm
HC: What was the moment you realized that you wanted to a professional in this business?
GM: I didn’t like the job I was doing and I felt like I was wasting my skill. So one day a friend of mine wrote my name in a craft show application. So I showed up at the event and people bought my art and I made some money that day. So that’s kind of what started it all.
HC: That is really inspiring for all up and comers. What are your long-term goals in the industry?
GM: I’d like to teach and show other people how I did it, and encourage them to do so if they like to. The world of comics can always use more perspectives and ideas.
HC: What is your dream job?
GM: My dream job would be to become a cover Graphic Illustrator; this job would allow me to work on a wide range of projects and designs. But more importantly it’s a job that I could put my heart in and work at my own pace.
HC: What do you think are the best comic books/stories out right now?
GM: The All New X-Men is one book I’ve been following. It just finished the trial of Jean Grey and that was pretty good. Beyond that I’d say Superior Spider-Man was a really interesting take on the character that I really enjoyed.
HC: We agree! How well-connected do you feel to the Denver comic community?
GM: I’d say I’m getting there, I feel that in these last couple of years with the Comic Con and Starfest my name is starting to get out there.
HC: Where can the masses see your work?
GM: You can see my work on Facebook at The Art of Gerry Mulowayi, on DeviantArt under the name blaneblue and on Amazon.com I’ve got an art book available also under my name. I’ll be at this year Denver Comic Con table F38!
all art is property of Gerry Mulowayi.
Hush Comics 