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You’ve done a lot of work for fantasy role playing games yet you still tell people you’ve never *ever* played these games. Is that true?

Seriously, I have never played any of the games. To be honest, I just have never had the time...and the last thing I need is another thing to take up my limited time (I watch enough TV as it is), especially now that I have a family (for the last 10 years). I hope it is never too much of a letdown that I don't play the games...I have played Everquest, though, the online game I did work on for awhile.

While working on Everquest, what was your proudest accomplishment?

Well, I liked a lot of the textures I ended up doing for Shadows of Luclin, I don't know if I could choose one. There is a female dark elf dress that is partly transparent that I like a lot. You can see some of these by going to www.kenmeyerjr.com/portfolio/ and click on the textures section.

How deep are you into digital art and what programs do you use regularly?

I use many for many things. I use Photoshop a lot for composition, sometimes doing art from scratch. I use Illustrator for publishing related stuff, text effects, etc. I use Dreamweaver to maintain my website. I am taking a class, as I said, in 3d Studio Max. I have used other programs from time to time, like Director, Fireworks, ImageReady, Flash...most of those I know enough to only do a little.

This quarter, I am taking a 2d design class (still have some foundation courses to get out of the way, though I learn some new stuff in those too) and a 3d Studio Max class (one of the reasons I am going to school in the first place was to get the modeling skills I need to get back into gaming). I am working towards an Illustration degree right now, because the Interactive Gaming degree looks too damn hard and has some things I don't think I need, but I may change anyway (taking for granted I will be able to continue, which is always in a state of flux, due to finances and the possibility of our moving for whatever reasons) to Gaming. I do plan on going back into Gaming when I am done, or maybe even before. I hope to have some modeling samples which will enable me to get back into gaming after this class.

How has Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) influenced your art?

Well, it has clarified little things in the few classes I have had so far, and I expect that to happen more. Meeting new people always help, and I have found a few new models. If I am here long enough to get into the meat of the Illustration courses, I am sure those will help me to improve. I am in the middle of a 3d Studio Max class now, so I can learn to model and get back into the gaming business and hopefully move back to California.

What extra curricular things are you doing at SCAD?

A few here and there. I am entering pieces in shows when they are appropriate and I have had stuff in two so far. I am also a DJ at the radio station. I beg any DA people who like melancholy, (some might say) depressing music to listen by going to scadradio.org and logging on...and instant message me requests! I am on Sunday nights from ten pm till midnight, the show is Seductive Melancholia and I go by Dr. Depresso. An autobiographical comic I did awhile back is also appearing in the school paper (the strip is called Project High). Who know what else I will do...if I had time, I would try out for the tennis team or sign up for some Intramural sports.

How does the family cope with the time given to art/school?

So far, it has worked out ok. I try to work my schedule around family stuff, but compromises sometimes need to be made on both sides.

As of now, [my daily routine] consists of getting up around 6:30 or so to get the kids to school. Mondays and Wednesdays, I have classes from noon to 5:30. The other days of the week are spent on freelance, homework and other stuff. There are various TV shows I like to watch* when I can, or rent movies. I have a hard time getting sleepy at night, so I end up going to bed around midnight or so. Unless it is Sunday night, when I do my radio show, and I don't get to sleep until 1 am or so...which makes Monday mornings somewhat hard.

What sort of art do you collect and decorate your house with?

Well, if I had tons of money, I would have tons of art, believe me. I would have Dave McKean, Rick Berry, Phil Hale, Gustav Klimt, Roger Dean and tons of others. As it is, though, I pretty much only have my own (though I do have a couple pieces by Rebecca Guay in our kids' room...you can see her stuff at [link] ).

What was your first gallery show like? Do you still show at galleries and if so how has the experience changed since your first show.

Well, the show that involved the large music pieces (Hendrix, Marley, Lennon, etc) was in a music club I really liked, so that was pretty neat. It was up for a month (and I remember, on opening day of the show, some woman stopped traffic on one of the major freeways with a gun in her hand for hours). I haven't really had any 'real' gallery shows, aside from one in a small gallery a friend of mine opened at the time.

How would you describe your fans and collectors?

It seems they run a pretty wide gamut, from young (twenties) to older (fifties). Depends on what they are fans of, also. I have people that know my stuff from role playing games like White Wolf or Magic, people that know me from comics I did back in the 80's, people that know my stuff from the Tori Amos related work I have done...so they are all over the map.

What other kind of subject matter of art do you do aside from gothic/comic book stuff?

Well, I do a pretty good variety of subject matter for freelance. I have done simple line drawings for educational software/books, design for educational products (cds, books, binders, etc) as well. I have done design/illustration for cds, dvds, books, etc. Right now, I have a few things going; a line illustration (with digital coloring) and text for a trifold flyer for a real estate company, an illustration for a company that does both comics and films, and a few portraits that I probably will get to at some point.

What can you tell us about your work on Gustav P. I.?

Basically, Malcolm Bourne was a friend of mine who bought a piece (a White Wolf piece) that had the main character with a Klimt painting behind him (this was before the character actually existed...it was just a painting at this point). He came up with a story around it, wrote it, and let me futz with the American aspects of it (Malcolm is British) and add some other things, but that is about all.

What are your favorite parts of the book?

As far as favorite parts (where the art is concerned), I like the sequence where the guy's arm is ripped off and the sequence where we see Maya for the first time.

(Mr. Meyer’s latest project is a graphic novel titled “The Atheist”. Although not much could be said about it, here’s what he did say.)

…Phil Hester is the writer, but I am doing the covers. Joe Pruett, the person behind this new company, is a friend of mine from the Caliber days, and he just called me and asked me if I wanted to do it. I don't know how much they want given away, but it seems like sort of an X-Files sort of thing, with weird creatures, interesting main characters and the like.

Do you work through an agency?

No, I wish I had a good agent; I would probably get better work! ... I had one years ago, mainly for the comic industry, but it didn't really do anything for me, which may have been due to my limitations as an artist at that time.

In comics, you have to be really dogged in your pursuit of the editors/work. They get tons of stuff and you have to really stick out or be just this side of a pest. In games, it helps if you know another artist that can refer you to an art director (and put in a good word), but if your work is really good, you might not need that. Common wisdom states you should research the company where you want to work and do work directed at what kind of stuff that company does. You have to be really hard on yourself, because other people will do that anyway...really evaluate whether you think you are ready and fix those weak spots before some editor or art director sees them and forever discounts you based on those weaknesses.

Right now, I am only doing freelance (and going to school), but up until about a year ago, that is what I did, and it is sometimes pretty darn tough. You learn to get work done in any spare time you have, and you leave your laziness behind, as you really need to utilize your time. You also get very little sleep.

Are there any websites you would recommend for artists to display their work on?

Many, depending on your level. Aside from DA, there is Epilogue, where the entries are juried, so there is some discretion to deal with. GFX, which I am sure many here know, deals mainly with digital art, and has it's own sort of judging system. There are many others depending on your genre or discipline as well.

What do you think about artists using photo referencing or digital assemblage?

I don't mind it at all. I have friends that end up with incredibly evocative pieces using digital assemblage. I consider using photo refs no big deal and very close to using actual live models. You do see some things with live models that you don't with photos, but who can afford the time or money for live models all the time? Not me. I will admit to being possibly too much of a slave to my references.

Any art books or magazines you repeatedly refer to or hold a special place?

I have bought the Society of Illustrators annual when I could afford it, along with other annuals like CA and Print. Lately, Spectrum holds a special place along those lines. The publishers of Spectrum have also put some gorgeous Frazetta books out which I have and highly recommend. Barry Windsor-Smith's Opus books are pretty incredible as well. Books like The Studio (Smith, Wrightson, Kaluta and Jones) are very special as well. I have tons of books I use for reference too, one good one is the Photojournalism series from Running Press...lots of good stuff in there. If I had money to burn, I would have soooo many books on my favorite artists, I am sure I would need a special room for books.

I read how you would make artwork for your favorite bands and musicians and then you would hand deliver them backstage. Have you ever had a night where you wished you’d just kept the picture and stayed at home?

Ha, no...there have been a few, though, that I didn't get to meet, but just had the art sent backstage and ended up with a signed picture or print of the work (U2, Springsteen and Sting), and I still have yet to succeed in getting a piece to CSN (or Neil Young). I did a CSN piece, but their show was cancelled due to 9/11, and it just never worked out after that, though I came within minutes of getting to talk to Graham Nash in the DC area at a book signing, but couldn't find the store in time.

Do you have any tattoos?

Nope, never got any. I think I grew up before they became as fashionable as they are now, and I wasn't in the military either, where lots of guys end up getting tattoos. I have heard some of my work ends up as tattoos, though!

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Ken Meyer’s Favorites

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*Favorite television shows

I watch too much TV, I admit. Right now, I like Nip/Tuck, Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Entourage, Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal...that might be it for now. Favorite shows of all time include St. Elsewhere, MASH, Cupid, early NYPD Blue, Oz, Seinfeld and a host of others I can't remember right now. My memory sucks.

Favorite authors

When I was in high school, I ran through all the heroic fiction gods like Burroughs, Howard and such, along with things like the Thomas Covenant trilogy (which I hear has a new one due out soon), anything with a Frazetta cover, etc. I also read Graham Greene and Ayn Rand. Later on, I got into Stephen King and Clive Barker, and love John Irving as well. Recently, I have really liked Chuck Palahniuk, who did Fight Club (but I like some of his other books even better).

Favorite comics

When I was reading comics regularly a year or so ago (had to stop because I just couldn't afford it anymore), I would read anything Brian Bendis does, as well as Steve Rude, David Mack, Dave McKean and others. Astro City, Finder (which I still can read, due to the creator's generosity), most of Alan Moore's top ten titles. I wish I could get on some comp lists!

Favorite musicians

As for music, my list is very long, but I will run down a few. Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young, Mark Eitzel, Elvis Costello, Todd Rundgren, Van Morrison, Miles Davis, Elton John, Yes, Tom Waits, Loudon Wainwright, Jeff Buckley, Tim Buckley, Springsteen, Michael Franti, Duncan Sheik, Jane Siberry, Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Peter Himmelman, old Genesis, early Beastie Boys, PE, Run-DMC, Ryan Adams, David Sylvian...see what I mean? I could go on longer.

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