As promised, just in time for Secret Invasion #5, I bring you that last installment of the Acme post-HeroesCon interviews, book-ending the Laura Martin piece from last month, wrapping things up with Thor and Secret Invasion inker Mark Morales!
Like so many things in my comic collecting life, it started with Raph. I had missed HeroesCon 2007 in favor of a post-graduation vacation. Upon returning home, Raph couldn't wait to flap his first original art purchase in my face. It was from New Avengers Annual #1, a shot of Sentry fighting and the rest of the Avengers team chilling in Stark Tower, including a close-up of Luke Cage holding what we've come to know as baby Danielle (or is it!?).
I was instantly jealous. Not only was it a New Avengers page, it was beautiful. The inks were so rich. Each window on the building the Sentry fought in front of was perfectly delienated. I vowed then and there to return to Raph's source and get a page of my own. And I did. At Baltimore. New Avengers #10 page 11. Yeah, every ringlet on Cap's chain-mail is individually shaded, with a flourish.
Aside from his insurmountable attention to detail, Mark is a triple threat. There's the inking. There's the commissions. And there's the charm. With that smile, this guy could convince you to trade your own mother for one of his two-page spreads. You'd do it, and you'd know you got a deal.
When I wasn't picking up Secret Invasion #3 page 18 and salivating all over his portfolio, wishing there was some way I could buy more, I was also hitting him with a question or two on Sunday.
Stephen Mayer: We just spoke to Laura Martin and it seems like you guys aren't getting as much credit as, obviously, Brian Bendis or Leinil Yu for Secret Invasion, but you can tell from the difference of Leinil Yu's art on New Avengers vs. what he's doing on Secret Invasion, it's really popping off the page now. I've been trying to get you guys as much credit as possible. What went into the decision making process to bring you on to Secret Invasion rather than having Leinil do his own inking like he had been on New Avengers?
Mark Morales: What happened was Leinil had been doing everything straight from the pencils and an art collector bought a cover for a New Avengers issue and he commissioned me to ink it. I was at the Marvel offices copying it and one of the higher ups saw it and demanded I make a copy for everybody and shortly thereafter they asked me. Leinil e-mailed me and asked and I had known the Secret Invasion thing was coming after Illuminati, so when they mentioned it, I was like, "Yeah, I'll happily do it!" Obviously it's going to be a big seller for this year. And with Leinil stuff, I liked his New Avengers stuff a lot. I thought the grittiness worked for the type of storyline, but I think they wanted more of a popcorn, summer movie feel with this thing, so they wanted it to pop a lot more.
SM: How has your processed changed with Leinil doing, what is it digital penciles or is he doing pencils and then scanning them in and sending them to you?
MM: He's doing pencils and scanning them in. Because he lives in the Phillipines, it's a long process to get them here via FedEx. It might take three days 
to a week. And we're actually trying to get this one out on time, which is a rarity. The actual inking doesn't change that much. I think I'm missing maybe two or three percent of it that's lost in translation between the pencils and the scan, but overall I think it looks pretty good.
SM: You seem to be the diamond in the rough for commissions. Nobody really thinks about coming to you because you're inking, but your commissions are gorgeous. What do you think your chances are for doing pencils in the future, either for Marvel or DC, or on your own book?
MM: At some point I'd like to do that. I'm just too slow really to make any money doing it, and I like eating. We'll see. After Secret Invasion I think I'm going to need a long vacation, so I'll start working on that stuff then probably.
SM: You've obviously worked with many of the top artists in the industry right now and you've been nominated for the Harvey Awards this year. Your career just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Is there any book you haven't worked on, any creator you haven't worked with yet that you'd really like to work with?
MM: Nah, I've been really lucky. I've worked with just about everybody I've really wanted to on every book I've really wanted to. The only thing is possibly Spider-man in the future. I think that may happen sooner than later actually.
SM: Very cool. Well, thanks for talking to us, and we'll look forward to all your work on Secret Invasion and everything else coming up. Everything is just amazing, and good luck.
MM: Thank you very much.
*All image scans are property of the Artist's Choice.
