Marvel-lous Nick Roche exhibition at the Arts Centre
Wexford Arts Centre is presenting Int-Roche-Spective, a major solo exhibition of illustrations and drawing work by the Wexford artist Nick Roche who has worked with Marvel Comics for numerous projects.
The exhibition which covers the walls of two galleries in the centre, opened on Monday and will continue until August 15.
Nick Roche has been an author and artist for Marvel Comics on works such as Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows; Spider-Man & Deadpool; Death’s Head and also Avengers, Punisher and Star Wars covers.
Based in Wexford, he is also well known for his work on IDW Publishing’s Transformers series of comics. His most notable work with the robots in disguise is the multi-part Wreckers Saga, one of the franchise’s most acclaimed works,
the first part of which (Last Stand Of The Wreckers) was voted ‘Greatest Transformers Comic Story Of All Time’ by IGN.com.
Nick works traditionally, using pencils and inks on paper rather than drawing digitally using a graphics tablet, enabling him to retail control over the sale of the work.
Using this method Nick pencils the image first, and finalises it by inking over it. Working as an illustrator can be an isolating experience and erasing sketch lines tedious so to avoid any negative association with his craft, Nick turned to drawing with pencils on cheap paper, thereby removing the preciousness, giving him the ‘freedom to go wild’.
He scans the work into Photoshop, makes corrections, and converts them to blue line, and then prints the work onto A3size Bristol Board. This results in the completed work on paper, having tuned out all the extraneous blue lines in Photoshop, leaving sharp black and white images.
Nick then scans the final inks back into the computer to send to the editor and colourist.
The artwork displayed in the Arts Centre exhibition all comes from this process, with inks applied over large blue-line print outs of the original loosely-pencilled pages. ‘If you look closely, you can see writing in the borders noting which corrections to make once they’re scanned in, and possibly the odd takeaway number too. Luckily, all this is removed in the final print version’, said Nick.
‘It doesn’t matter how the image is made, it’s what it looks like in print that matters’.
His most recently published work was Rogue Trooper for the seminal 2000AD, and he is currently working on various Marvel and IDW covers including a Transformers/Terminator crossover as well as his own Irish-set suburban folk horror comic due for release later this year.
Other notable work includes the all-ages horror comedy comic Monster Motors created with screenwriter Brian Lynch, the forthcoming Escape From Citytron videogame, and the Last Of Our Kind album artwork and Barbarian video animation for British rock group The Darkness.
Nick will facilitate a Comic Book workshop for Wexford Literary Festival on the 3rd July, giving participants the building blocks to create their own comic book stories, taking them step-by-step from layouts to finished images.
The workshop is suitable for young people 13-18 years and beginners are welcome. Entry costs €5 and must be booked in advance. The event will be hosted via Zoom and a link will be sent via booking confirmation. Ensure that you have upgraded
Zoom 5 application on computer/laptop/mobile device.
Four colour prints of Nick’s work will be available to purchase at the Wexford Arts Centre during the exhibition, To buy a print visit the website at www. wexfordartscentre.ie or contact boxoffice@wexfordartscentre.ie Int-Roche-Spective will will run in the lower and upper galleries of Wexford Arts Centre until Saturday August 15.