Michael Dialynas
Based in Greece, Michael draws The Woods for Boom! Studios
So what’s it like to be working for Boom?
They are very laid-back and easygoing. The Woods is a project that will run for 36 issues so that’s nine trade paperbacks. I have a page rate and partnership cut of whatever is made. They have a pretty good deal.
What’s your view on the way the comic industry works?
The industry is at a high right now with creator-owned books booming compared to a few years back. But it’s a weird place for artists compared to the 90s, when we had major selling power and people would say, “Have you seen the new issue of X-Men? Jim Lee’s art is fricking awesome!” Then buy 10 copies and put them in a safe.
What’s changed?
Things have shifted to the other extreme, where writers are held as the sole creators of comics and the artists are interchangeable. It’s odd when you think that we work in a visual medium and most artists work all day pencilling and inking one page.
What would you change?
Artists should have higher pagerates, even if it’s an advance of royalties. Because of the time it takes to make each panel communicate to the reader, design the characters, build the world the story takes place in and act out every emotion on the page. Comic artists have the role of a whole film crew and should be treated as such.
What have you got coming up?
In December I’ll have my childhood dream come true when the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I’m drawing comes out from IDW. I’m psyched!