Broken Frontier

Steve Scott may not be an overly familiar name to comics readers, but his work has been seen around some pretty interesting places. He’s penciled for Hourman, JLA, Hulk and New Warriors as well as Indiana Jones and Shadowpact.

The ex-firefighter has also supplied art for TV’s Smallville and The Dark Knight film for Warner Bros. He’s also met President Bush and has seen nature at its worst. Now with new sequential art opportunities on the horizon, the future looks bright indeed.

BROKEN FRONTIER: You’ve worked with Marvel and DC over the years on a few issues at a time. Can you see yourself on a title for months or years at a time?

STEVE SCOTT: That has always been my goal. I know when I did my four months on Marvel Adventures Hulk, it was hard to pry my hands from it. I could be on Hulk for 20 years and never tire of it. I like the consistency of being able to work on a series and really build that series with an editor, writer and full creative team. The editor, assistant, writer, inker colorist--we're all a team. So, you sort of build this family of sorts. You may never see each other face to face nowadays, but you are working towards a common goal. That's what Todd McFarlane did on Spider-Man with Jim Salicrup. They build a regular readership and fan base. That's what I'd love to get a chance to do.

BF: Are there any artists whose work you’ll always pick up?

SS: Michael Golden. Without a doubt, he is my favorite. In fact, when I was living down in Biloxi, Mississippi, during Hurricane Katrina, all my original artwork that I had collected over time was washed away into the Gulf of Mexico. What I miss the most from that was my Golden artwork that I had collected over the years. He is an amazing storyteller. I've been lucky enough recently to have him actually look at my work and give me some pointers and it's invaluable information--and he imparts it so clearly and accessibly. 

BF: What’s your involvement with Smallville?

SS: Oh, that was a lot of fun!  I was involved with drawing two of the five animated episodes called "Justice and Doom." I was the only artist they (the CW) used twice. That was a lot of fun as I said, getting to see the work come alive on prime time. Plus, it was an honor that they picked me to work with twice!

BF: And how did you get involved with the The Dark Knight film?

SS: One thing leads to another. One door opens when another one closes--you know? The cliches are sometimes true. This job came from my same editor on the Smallville work--Michael Wright. Great editor and great guy to work with.  He is also responsible for getting me back in the door at DC Comics after a six year hiatus from the industry, when I was off pursuing my career as a firefighter full time.  

He has seen potential in me and taken chances and for that I am eternally grateful. I'll always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to do what I do now. If not for him, it would have been a much harder road. Also, in turn, I'm grateful to the friends who have supported me, and especially to the fans who keep buying my work.  

BF: The characters you’ve worked with at DC, such as The Creeper and Detective Chimp are rather unique. Is it more fun working with creations like that rather than say, Indiana Jones or Hulk?

SS: It's all equally exciting for me! Some of the projects go smoother than others but otherwise, it's all about the effort of trying to tell a story or bring characters to life. That's what gets me jazzed. I do have to say that trying my hand at some of the more obscure characters was fun though. And, you never know what other people are going to like. For instance, one of my best art clients is a fan of Rex The Wonder Dog, so he snapped that art right up. LOL 

BF: And what’s your relationship with Eva Ink?

SS: Renee (Witterstaetter) is now my agent, I am proud to say. I have been amazed by her credentials and professionalism since we first met at HeroesCon in Charlotte a couple of years ago. She has exceded my expectations, and she's great to work with. What she does frees me up to concentrate on my art. I'm happy to be one of the few people she's working with. She only takes on a few people. Right now she is also representing Michael Golden and Mark Texeira.

BF: Being a comic book artist is almost as exciting as being a firefighter. Do your two careers ever cross over?

SS: Well, I'm no longer a firefighter but yes, they have crossed during 9/11. I was in charge of a ladder company in Biloxi MS watching the whole thing unfold on TV with my fellow firefighters and was just stunned. I got in touch with DC Comics right after that, when I found out they were doing a tribute book and asked to contribute to the book since it was something close to my heart.

It felt good to be able to give something to those in need after 9/11. It was a good way to express feelings about the situation that one might not necessarily be able to articulate. I also feel very honored to have been included in the book. It's now on display at the Library of Congress. 

BF: What was it that allowed you to take up pencilling full-time?

SS: After the events that took place in my home town from Hurricane Katrina, I knew I needed to be in comics only and get out of the fire service for the sake of my family. It was a couple of days after the storm that I was able to find out they had survived the event and I swore never again would put them OR me through that. Imagine what it's like to be clearing rubble and everything else for days and not knowing if your loved ones had survived....

I was also one of the only firefighters that President Bush talked to when coming through the area. That's odd footage to see on TV. Needless to say...I don't want to do it again. I moved my family to Atlanta, Georgia right after that, and found a home there with a great community of artists. I'm happy being away from the coast. 

BF: Do you have any other exciting projects in the works?

SS: Oh sure! Whatever project I'm working on at the time is exciting! Right now I'm doing some X-Men projects with editor Mark Panaccia. We are also talking to a few other publishers about possible work, but Marvel is keeping me REALLY busy. That's what makes me happy! Being busy. Drawing and being busy (laughs)!