Roger Bonet: Comics, Inks, and Friendships
By Alex Rodrik
Last week we took a glimpse into the minds of Shon C. Bury and Jason Metcalf. Today we sit down with Roger Bonet, in Part 3 of our 8 Part Feature Interview series on Space Goat Productions. In this interview, Bonet provides us with insight into his craft, along with a good look at his friendship with artist Rafa Sandoval.
This is also the newest installment in out repertoire of “Native Language Response” Interviews.
Enjoy!
Alex Rodrik: How long have you been involved with Space Goat?
Roger Bonet: Actualmente casi dos fructíferos años.
Actually -- almost two fruitful years.
AR: Tell us a bit about yourself, how’d you get involved in the industry? What drew you to comics?
RB: Estudie en la escuela de comics Josso en Barcelona (mi ciudad natal), allí tuve grandes profesores como Pascual Ferry. Empecé haciendo ilustraciones para revistas de dungeons and dragons, y a los 16 empecé a trabajar en Marvel Italia como entintador, realizando varias series como Euroforce y Conan con Paco Diaz Luque y Xavi Marturet, (sin olvidar algunas portada de mi adorado Mark Bagley para Spider-girl), per tanto Marvel Italia como Marvel U.K. tristemente acabaron cerrando sus propias líneas editoriales.
Segui realizando varios trabajos con editoriales independientes españolas, y después pase a entintar algunos trabajos en Avatar Press hasta que Space Goat se fijo en mi trabajo, lanzándome a las colecciones Marvel que realizo con mi buen amigo Rafa Sandoval.
Respondiendo a la segunda parte de esta pregunta, cuando era muy pequeño (5 años) recuerdo que me regalaron un comic muy antiguo de Capitán América de Jack Kirby en blanco y negro (así editaban en España antiguamente las colecciones Marvel), lo leí tantas veces que creo que acabe rompiéndolo de tanto calcarlo y pintarlo.
Desde entonces algo dentro de mi no dejo de dibujar y disfrutar con todo lo que los comics me aportaban.
While attending La Escuela Josso in Barcelona (my native city) I studied comics with great professors like Paschal Ferry. My professional work began with illustrations for Dungeons and Dragons magazine. At the age of 16 I began doing some work for Marvel Italy as an inker, working on several titles like, Euroforce and Conan with Alpaca Diaz Luque and Xavi Marturet, (without forgetting some covers with Mark Bagley, whom I greatly admire, for Spider-girl). Sadly, Marvel Italy, like Marvel U.K., finished and closed all their publishing lines.From there I got work with some Spanish independent publishing houses. Later, I happened to do some ink work for Avatar Press until Space Goat took notice of my work -- launching me into the Marvel Universe and the opportunity to work with my good friend, Rafa Sandoval.
In response to the second part of your question, when I was very young (5 years old) I remember getting a old issue of Jack Kirby’s Captain America in black and white (that’s how Marvel comics were released in Spain in those days). I read that comic so many times that I think I broke it apart after tracing it and painting it so many times.
Since then something within me wouldn’t let me stop drawing and just enjoying what comics brought out of me.
AR: Rumor on the street is that you and Rafa are pretty close. How’d the two of you first hook-up?
RB: La verdad es que somos amigos desde que éramos adolescentes, a eso de los 16 años el enseño unas páginas a una pequeña editorial y nos hicimos amigos en la fila, desde entonces siempre hemos trabajado juntos, es cierto que el tomo en alguna ocasión otros caminos como la animación pero siempre lo convencía para continuar en esto de los comics. (Como ahora se ve en su trabajo Rafa nació para esto, aunque siempre que aprietan las fechas de entrega me lo echa en cara. :P)
The truth is that we’ve been friends since we were in our teens. I was about 16 when I took some pages to a small publishing house and we made friends while waiting in line. Since then we always worked together. There’s no doubt that there were other opportunities like animation, but I always convinced him that this was our way to go -- comics. As is clearly seen in Rafa’s work, he was born for this. Even though…when they tighten the due dates, he does throw it in my face. [Laughs]
AR: How has Space Goat affected the way you view and exist within the industry?
RB: Pues no lo se, no me lo avía preguntado nunca, espero que para bien :P.
Creo que me a dado una estabilidad como artista, tanto económica como profesional, es justo decir que ahora mi única prioridad es hacer bien el trabajo y quedar con mi amigo Rafa para echar un café al recoger las paginas de su casa y pelearnos en como solucionar alguna viñeta que no le acaba de convencer.
Antes era un combate continuo en busca de algún trabajo más para llegar a fin de mes.
Well, I’m not sure how to answer that really. I’ve never really asked myself that question but, I hope it turns out well for me. [Laughs]
I feel Space Goat’s made me more stable as an artist, both economically and professionally. It’s nice too now only have to concern myself with doing a good job and getting a coffee with Rafa when I go over to pick up his pages. Also, arguing over how to finalize a drawing he’s not completely convinced of yet.
Before, it was a continuous battle in search for more work to finish out the month.
AR: What are some of your current projects which our readers should keep their eyes open for?
RB: Creo que siempre el último trabajo que tengo en la mesa será el mejor trabajo que tenga en ese momento, que no es otro que Avengers: The Initiative. Siempre que realizamos una nueva colección Rafa y yo intentamos visualizar que podemos aportar en la colección, y creo que ambos estamos muy a gusto en estas páginas, esperemos que la gente disfrute tanto como disfrutamos los dos.
I always think that the latest work I’ve got on the table is my best work. So…none other than, Avengers: The Initiative. Whenever Rafa and I take on a new title we try to visualize what we can contribute to its universe and I believe you can see all our work in the pages we produce. We just hope that people enjoy our work as much as we enjoy doing it.
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