Get Graphic: Giacomo Guida Says "Hi" To The Bad Guy
Aug 21, 2023
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
Back in June, PREVIEWsworld gave comic shop patrons an advanced look at The Antagonists from Godhood Comics! Now we give you a second look at this unique take on the supervillain concept.
The Antagonists is exactly what it sounds like: an inverse of genre expectations that might just surprise you with its familial core.
We talked with series artist Giacomo Guida to find out why it's good to be bad.
Firstly, what is your name and where do you hail from?
Hi, everyone! My name is Giacomo Guida. I'm from Naples, the city where Pizza was born! It's necessary to taste the New York version, but [regardless] the pizza is so good everywhere! [Laughs.]
How did you get into art? What sparked your initial interest?
I’ve been in the comics world probably my whole life. Professionally, 11 years. I don’t have a specific memory of my initial interest in art. My mom tells me that when I was three, I would draw Santa Claus and Rudolph on paper. Obviously, I later took various art courses and I graduated from Academy with [a degree in] art. Painting, Sculpture, Decoration, but I've always wanted to make comics by any means!
What can you tell us about The Antagonists? What is it about?
The Antagonists is an ambitious project by Tyler Martin, and he immediately involved me as the interior artist. Reading the script, I immediately understood the huge value of the story and the intense themes.
Can you get into your character design process a bit? How do you know when the character has the right look?
Ty is a formidable storyteller, so that made it easy for me.
Tonya is my favorite character and I immediately started designing her first. During the process, we had various brainstorming and everything fell into the right place. Ty took me into his world and I followed him. Everything else came as a consequence
Tell us about your collaborators on the book. Who else is on the team?
Tyler, the creator of the series, helped me a lot from the first moment. I was able to freely express my ideas on pages thanks to him. Letter Squid did a great job on the lettering and the final result is high level,
What tools do you use to draw?
in general, I don't use specific tools. I like to draw analogically in the preparation phase, and then complete the inks and colors digitally. But it depends on what I need to make. For The Antagonists, I worked digitally just for convenience and timing.
In terms of audience, who is The Antagonists for?
I think The Antagonists is for every type of reader. We often divide people into categories of good or bad, and in this series, these clear differences disappeared. We can discover all characters in their uniqueness. I think it is very similar to reality but with superpowers!
For more from Giacomo Guida, be sure to follow him on Instagram. Reserve your copy with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.
The Antagonists is available at your local comic shop starting August 23rd, 2023.
And be sure to keep an eye on PREVIEWSworld.com's Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram for more "Get Graphic" artist spotlights!
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalpyse '91, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.
