CRAIG Maher
An Interview with Lon Levin
ARTWORK WITH VISION You’ve worked in a couple different genres with your clients. How did that evolve and was that an asset for you or a problem getting those clients? When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers and mentors? I thought of art as something I wanted to do every time I flipped through a comic book as a kid. Being in a very creative family with my father making furniture and carvings and my mother painting meant I was always encouraged. What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences?
I grew up in the forest covered hills of the Hudson Valley in New York. I was a kid who was either out exploring the woods and climbing trees or inside reading comics books, just trying to see everything I could see. As I kept reading and added fantasy novels to the mix I was absolutely floored by Michael Whelan's covers to the Elric books by Michael Moorcock. Fantastic realism at its best! How has the background you got at Joe Kubert School played a part in your career?
The Joe Kubert School's biggest influence was exposing me to artists. Fellow students who loved what I loved too, teachers showing their personal work and talent and everyone sharing their favorite artists present and past. It was the trunk that helped me branch out to the whole world of illustration beyond comics.
Working figuratively allows me to tackle any genre whether it involves fantasy elements or not. So it's a pleasure for me to experiment and try something new. There is always a worry that your portfolio could be more focused, art directors like to know what they are getting. The solution is striving always to sharpen your skills and show consistency that way.
