Marvel: Juan Bobillo's She-Hulk

Marvel: Juan Bobillo's She-Hulk - Printable Version

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Marvel: Juan Bobillo's She-Hulk - Local Hero - 06-26-2004

Posted 25/06/2004
Source ThePulse

BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO

She's mean, green, and kicking butt and taking names - not just in the battlefield, but also in the courtroom. She-Hulk's one of the newer Marvel series that came in like a lion and shows no sign of going out like a lamb anytime soon. Dan Slott scripts the series while artist Juan Bobillo brings her adventures to life. Along with working on mainstream comics, Bobillo has done work with several independents and designed statues for Dynamic Forces. We chatted with Bobillo about all these projects and more. Plus Marvel gave us some preview art from issue # 7 of She-Hulk.

The artist told us how he came to be a part of the new She-Hulk series. "Andrew Lis and Tom Brevoort, I think. They talked with me and asked me what kind of comic I would want to do. Marcelo Sosa (the artist in charge of the inks) and I enjoyed doing Agent X so much that we choose to do another comedy humor comic. They gave us She-Hulk. As soon as I read what Dan Slott wrote I was so excited. Beautiful stuff goes on. The script is really interesting. He found a very interesting way of show Jen. Working with Dan Slott was the first time I read a She-Hulk story. I designed a big ugly women first. Before I read the script I thought she was Hulk's wife. I checked out on the internet and she's different. Less muscle formation, less tension. Since she was 'savage' I wanted to show her like Tarzan (she lives in a kind of a delicate monkey jail). A bit of Popeye too - big arms but hoping to be as beautiful as possible."

Bobillo quickly learned what sets Jennifer Walters apart from Bruce Banner. He told us a little about his art influences for the series. "We are trying to put some of the '50s pinups style there . Those girls painted on war airplanes - among other things. I'm trying hard to make her real but most of all feminine - big strong, but a girl to hug too."

Bobillo told us when he decided at age 18 or 19 to become a comic book artist and work in the field his parents were supportive. "They were worried at first I'm sure," said Bobillo. "But they were also encouraging.

Once the decision to pursue this career was in place, Bobillo worked hard to make it happen. "I took classes with Beatriz Gambert, then with Elizabeth Manzano and later I met Ariel Olivetti. I went to study with him, he was giving classes and I took those. I went to the Graphic Design University of Bs As. Haven't finished it."

Most mainstream comics fans know Bobillo for his work on the Chris Claremont series Mekanix and Agent X. But he has completed several other projects. He gave us the 4-1-1 on his work before She-Hulk. "I did some other issues for Marvel," said Bobillo. "I'm drawing SheHulk, now - it's coming out great. I'm having fun. I did 'Anita, la fille du bureau' (or something like that) published by Albin Michel. I did that with Marcelo Sosa inking and doing covers and stuff. The script was from my brother Gabriel Bobillo. Zachary Holmes' (by SAF and Dark Horse, I think), Sick Bird, 'Chocolat avec des frites' (SAF) These were written by Carlos Trillo. We did like six or seven books together. I'm so lucky. He's like a young legend for me. I grew up reading his stuff. His stories helped me shape the type of comics creator I would become. I also did a series of porn color stories written by Ricardo Barreiro (Kiss). Doing porn was the best, such a great experience for a drawer. I miss doing porn. Patience."

However a lot of independent comix fans came to know Bobillo through the work Sick Bird. "Sick Bird's about a young woman trying to escape and hide from her brother who wants to kill her, put her in a mental institution, and she becomes a model, and she's so famous but she had changed so much during the escape, now not even her brother recognizes her and she plans revenge," continued Bobillo. "It's like a dirty glamorous love thriller. I always think in some kind of theatrical design for the characters having in mind their personality. I did a nice mixture of races there. I tried to do a strong colored story in terms of character. With Carlos we designed some weird people. That was the best. At first we had to find out how she would camouflage. I was illustrating Moby Dick and I thought we could do her like the Mahori guy. I think she looks good."

"Carlos is amazing," said Bobillo. "I have so much fun with him. I think the best part is when we go to lunch and we start to imagine stories and characters. All our stories started there. The worst part is when he starts calling and torturing me with the deadlines. When I'm really late he writes me and leaves messages on my answering machine saying TIC ... TAC ... TIC ... TAC ...."

Another popular character/series Bobillo worked on with Trillo was Zachary Holmes. "I enjoyed doing that, I wish I only had more time to do it," the artist said. "The story was so great. I had to do four-pages per week, color and all. In that kind of stories I always try to give some realistic touch, so the magic has more sense. I would love to draw Holmes again in a far future. I'm not particularly interested in see it in English. I don't know really what has been translated or not. Not that I don't mind, of course. I thought most of them were in English."

Before coming to work with Marvel he was also working on statues with Dynamic Forces. He told us how he came to work on those. "I met Martin Canale somewhere, he offers me the job and I said 'sure!'. It's great to have the chance to design characters for him. He and Pablo Viggiano, the Goregoregore group does such great work. Have you saw those? You have to check them out. Truly professional."

Bobillo's not working on She-Hulk issues 5 & 6 but will be back in full force with issue # 7.

More Images:
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicon.com/pulse/images_2/2sh3.jpg">http://www.comicon.com/pulse/images_2/2sh3.jpg</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicon.com/pulse/images_2/2sh4.jpg">http://www.comicon.com/pulse/images_2/2sh4.jpg</a>
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicon.com/pulse/images_2/2sh5.jpg">http://www.comicon.com/pulse/images_2/2sh5.jpg</a>

- SLVRSR4 - 10-14-2004

This is perhaps one of the finest comics that I have ever read, and as anyone who knows me, I read A LOT of comics. It contains a great mixture humor, fabulous guest appearances, courtroom drama, as well as superb storytelling and art. In issue #4 She-Hulk convinces Spider-Man to sue J. Jonah Jameson for libel! It is pure comic gold if you ask me! If you are not currently reading this book, I highly suggest picking up the graphic novel. It is truly one of the best books to hit the market in quite some time.