urbanMYTH studios

10 Questions with a Creator: Daniel "PeZ!" Lopez by Steven Crowe

1)      What is your position with Urban Myth Studios and what does that entail?

I am Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer. I help creators with design and story ideas as well as coach them through creative issues.

2)      Who are your favorite artists and where do you draw inspiration?

BIll Watterson, Joe Madureira, Christian Lichtner, LeSean Thomas, Norman Rockwell,…too many to name, maybe. As for inspiration, art inspires me, whether it's in american illustration, or renaissance artists, or comics, or music, but Calvin and Hobbes was the very thing that got me into sequential art.

3)      What are your favorite comics?

Atomic Robo is probably the only still existing comic that I really really enjoy. I grew up on Ninja Turtles, so I'm partial to that comic as well. As for past ones, I loved Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Batman: HUSH, Joe Madureira's Battle Chasers. Brian Azzarello's Joker was brilliant…and Calvin and Hobbes.

4)      Where do you hope the studio is in 5 years?

In it's own building/office, working on sweet, new material.

5)      If you could learn from any artist in any time who would it be and why?

Leonardo DaVinci. Because!

6)      If you could assemble your perfect creative team to work on a comic book project (not produced by Urban Myth) who would they be and what would they work on?

Brian Azzarello writes, Pez and Lichtner on art, Comicraft on Letters. I don't know what we would work on…but it would be MAGICAL!

7)      Outside of drawing what are you interests and hobbies?

Movies and music.

8)      What is your favorite movie and why?

Batman Begins.  As brilliant as the production and filming were on that movie, the concept that you can take something so old and change it dramatically and still stay true to the core of the character and keep old fans, as well as gain new ones, is something that should always be remembered.  Appropriation.

9)      Do you have any books being worked on at the moment?

Yes

10)   What’s the best part about creating your own comics?

The afternoon naps.  They are PRICELESS!