Interview: Patrick Scherberger

Comic artist Patrick Scherberger broke into Marvel after winning the first Comic Book Idol contest in 2004. Since then, he’s become best known for his pencils on Marvel Adventures Spider-Man. We caught him sketching at the 2008 Phoenix Comicon.

Pink Raygun: Clearly, winning that first Comic Book Idol contest has opened a lot of doors for you.

Patrick Scherberger: Actually, because Joe Quesada was one of the judges on the contest, he invited me to try out for Marvel. Once I finished up all the projects with Comic Book Idol, I tried out. They got back to me a couple months later and I’ve been with Marvel ever since. I love it there. It’s great.

Gen X should be solicited next month. We’re finally getting that one out and it’s kinda my fault. That will run May through September. Then after that I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’m hoping to go back to Spider-man for a while, but we’ll see what happens.

PRG: What’s been your favorite title to draw?

PS: Spider-Man. Hands down.

PRG: Were you a fan of that one growing up?

PS: No, actually. I didn’t grow up in the states. I grew up in Europe, so I read a lot of Asterix. I’m a big fan of the Gauls. I kinda grew up with that and didn’t really get into comics until I was getting ready to drop out of college. That was my big thing. I was going to college and decided I didn’t want to do it anymore and I’d do comics.

PRG: Where did you go to college?

PS: I started here at GCC [Glendale Community College). My transcripts got a little screwy coming back because when you move back to the States there's that big gap in between. I kinda blew off my last year and a half of school because I didn't really have to take many classes. I just took my physics classes and was going to look into doing something along those lines, and I just didn't want to do the math anymore and said, "Oh, I'll do comics. Why not."

PRG: Was it your first time doing anything for huge public consumption with the Comic Book Idol contest?

[nms:spider-man,1,0]

PS: Yeah. Normally, all I’d done was go to San Diego Comicon every year and bring my portfolio. I’d gone and talked to DC when they started that thing where you turn in your portfolio and they pick who they want to talk to the next day. So, they talked to me and they sent me back to make some corrections. I made the corrections they said they wanted in the portfolio they saw, threw it online. That’s how I got into Comic Book Idol and then that got me into Marvel.

PRG: Before Comic Book Idol, how long were you trying to make a go of it in comics?

PS: About ten years, but I wasn’t really actively doing it. It was almost one of those “I have a dream” sort of things. But, once I got in I really took it seriously.

PRG: Prior to Marvel, did you do your own comics?

PS: I did a six page indy comic and that was the only thing I had published prior to the contest. I always wanted to break in with one of the big two. You always talk about it but you never get around to it. If I never leave Marvel, I’ll be OK.

PRG: Do you have aspirations for maybe launching your own title or developing your own character?

PS: There is a book I would like to do eventually which is completely out of the superhero genre, but for now, I just had a kid and really like the people I work with at Marvel. I’m going to stay there for quite a while.

PRG: Who are some of your influences?

PS: Joe Madara. Art Adams. A lot of Joe Quesada. He’s a huge influence on my stuff. I’m a big anime and manga guy and have been for forever. A lot of European stuff.

PRG: What’s been the biggest change for you? You’ve gone from being on this side of the table to that side in just a couple years.

[nms:spider-man,1,0]

PS: You know, it’s weird. I’m really hard on myself. I don’t normally like what I do. I have such a critical eye and am never happy with what I turn in. Every time I turn something in I say “If you want me to redo it, I’d be happy to”. Like the cover on [Marvel Adventures Spider-Man] #26, I didn’t like the original I did and was so unhappy with it that I redid the cover for free except for the colors.

PRG: So taking a compliment is weird?

PS: It’s the weirdest thing for me to do. I appreciate it, but I’m a quiet guy and it’s really kind of odd for me.

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