Bored Panda reached out to Ed with some new questions! When asked about whether or not the author has any new upcoming series, here's what he told us, "I never really plan anything out in advance - I just draw my ideas when they come to me. I do this just for fun, and planning makes it seem more like work than a hobby. I am dabbling in actual 3D sculptures and objects. Basically the same ideas and topics that I cover in my drawings, but in a physical form that you can hold in your hands."
This series from the artist is rather popular so we were curious to find out if he had a favorite piece from this project. "I think that would have to be my He-Man and Skeletor series. They are such iconic enemies - it is entertaining to see the juxtaposition of two rivals just enjoying a milkshake together. Plus, I love to reference other iconic pop-culture scenes with the two of them, like reenacting scenes from Titanic or Lady and the Tramp. This will always get a laugh out of me."
The art style is really important for a lot of artists, however, that doesn't mean that they stick to only one of them. When asked if he wanted to try anything new (art style-wise), Ed shared with us, "I need to work on my blackwork more - I tend to just do linework and then color. I really like artists who can shade and build volume with bold areas of black (like Chris Samnee or Mike Mignola). My brain isn't wired to think that way - yet."
The artist also shared some advice with those of you who might be just starting out in your art journey, "Don't skip the traditional drawing techniques. A stylus and tablet are just a tool that won't magically make you able to draw. I only started drawing digitally about 10 years ago. Before that, it was 30 years of traditional drawing and painting (I also studied illustration in college). The main reason why I started digital drawing was to skip the steps of scanning, then cleaning up the scans, of my physical drawings. It saved a lot of time."
When we look at a piece of art, what happens is that we usually perceive some sort of emotion, whether it's positive or negative is entirely up to us, but in the end, the artist still has achieved a certain goal - a reaction. We asked Ed to share with us what he'd like for people to take away when looking at his work.
"I want people to just get a good laugh or fondly remember a TV show or film from their childhood."
For some people, art is not only a hobby, but something way more, and it seems that Ed certainly has his own goals he wants (or hopes) to accomplish when it comes to his illustrations.
"I really just want to entertain people. There really isn't any real 'art' to what I do - it is just pop-culture nostalgia with the occasional wit. I just want me and my audience to have fun."
Most creators tend to receive some type of comments about their work pretty much every day, but sometimes some of them stand out more so than others. "One of my art school professors (the late Bill Fisher) told us that 'your art isn't precious.' I still take this to heart - once you embrace that idea it is really liberating. You don't stress and worry over your ideas or artwork - it allows you to just go and create."
Lastly, we were curious to find out if Ed had any other hobbies besides making art.
"I love to cook, especially baking breads, making pizzas and even fermenting kimchi (I'm half Korean, born in Korea). When I am not drawing, I am usually practicing traditional archery with my longbow. I even had the honor of lighting the Viking funeral boat for the late Oderus Urungus of Gwar with a flaming arrow a few years ago. Here's a video of the event."
