Community Spotlight: Martin Ellison -

We’ve got another American Pulps Spotlight where we take a person from the American Pulps community and interview them. We have so many talented people in our community and we want to give props where props are due.

This week it’s Martin Ellison a pulpy pen and ink artist, illustrator and oil painter.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Martin Ellison, I’m a pen and ink artist/painter, an illustrator and lover of all things sci-fi pulp and superhero. I fell in love with the classic 60s illustrators in college, and have found tons of modern influences through social media and accounts like you guys. I like to draw weird shit, I’m always experimenting and learning new ways. I doodle endlessly and love stories that turn your expectations around completely.

How long have you been painting / illustrating?

From a really young age I was drawing obsessed, but I got my true start in early high school when I started to really consume classic sci-fi movies, dive heavy into comics, and take drawing classes at a little studio on Staten Island. I had a great teacher who made me excited to think outside the box in terms of comics and illustration. Plus in college I got to learn under Vincent Difate, which was a huge help creatively.

Where would you say you get most of your art inspiration from?

Movies and comics for sure. I’m constantly re-reading old x-men from the 70’s and 80’s where a lot of the stories had this heavy sci-fi influence, with incredible creatures and insane inking. In terms of movies, I’ll watch anything sci-fi, but movies with really solid worldbuilding and over the top production design really do it for me. I think movies and comics can be married so well together being these graphic, collaborative stories that show AND tell.

Is there a certain artist that you’re influenced by?

Mignola is huge for me. His hand is so so great. I can’t imagine how he does it but he just gets it. I found his signature once in a used book I got for real cheap. The bookstore didn’t even know it was signed! Classically though, its gotta be frazetta.

You mix it up between pen and ink illustrations and painting. How do you decide between whether or not this art piece you’re working on will be a pen and ink illustration or a painting?

I think majorly the difference is in detail for me. I love painting, and capturing a mood in color, but more often than not, I turn to ink for that quality of contrast and bold blacks and whites and being able to get every notch in armor or blade of grass. Plus so much of the comics I read growing up were in those big black and white anthologies, so I think my brain just processes better that way.

Is there anything you want to promote? Anything exciting coming up with your art?

I wish. I’ve been writing a short graphic novel for a little while, but finding time after work is always rough. I guess I’d like to promote me, and the art I do. I’m always trying to work bigger and better and develop my skills to make this a career.