1.What is your background?, How did you started to draw?
I started when I was still a kid in the kindergarten, the teacher always wanted me to draw things which others could fill out with colors... Also my parents had a video-store where I always painted the walls. My parents always got mad about it till my mother checked all more detailed and liked it actually ha ha! My interest grew through the time while watching/reading comics, anime and cartoons, this way I discovered the styles of Frank Miller (Batman/Sin City), Frank Fraceta, Boris Vajecho, Ernesto "Ernie" Chan etc... they all inspired me a lot, especially Ray Harryhausen! I really like them. I even started to draw my own comic haha... so to say I started practicing by painting cartoon stuff etc. Although I was very interested in visiting some art schools, I never had the chance to visit one as I was always busy with work at my parents store, helping them out etc. So I just draw as I feel and like, at home. I learned some stuff from comics and manga stuff... my home was my school ha ha!
2.How did you meet Metal music?, What is the meaning of Metal for you?
I got in touch with metal music through my aunt and a friend of my dad. They got me into bands like The Scorpions, AC/DC, Van Halen etc... We watched VH1 (TV) and I saw some clips of the Scorpions which directly got me, as these guys looked completely different and made different music than the common stuff. So the interest grew and at some street stands were maniacs, selling bootleg tapes and CDs of Slayer, Black Sabbath, Metallica... and the first one I bought without knowing was “Hell Awaits” because of the name Slayer (I was watching a series called “Slayers” that's why ha ha) and honestly, I was kind of shocked when I listened to it for the first time ha ha. But the more I listened to it, the more I got addicted to the sound, the rush of adrenaline within your blood, it felt like a sledgehammer against your head... and it truly changed my life, even though I wouldn't consider myself a “huge Slayer-fan”, but this album had definitely a huge impact on me! Due to the fact that my parents didn't allow me to stay out on the streets for a long time (Mexican life...), I only hang out with the few friends who lived close to my home (mainly punks), who got me also into stuff like Nausea, Discharge, Exploited, Broken Bones, Addicts, Detastation, Misery, etc... some of them were wearing metal-vests with patches and they invited me to the classic “DIY-concerts” of local underground bands at someone's house, which was something popular to do back then (somewhere around 2005-2006). At these shows, with these people, seeing and feeling the spirit, it felt very familiar to me... I was facing a lot of problems at my home so these moments were like an escape for me, which had a strong impact on my life and will also never change again. And this is what metal meant to me... an escape but also strength, to continue with my life, to go further than my own limits and never to surrender!
3.What are your main inspirations at the time to produce your obscure art?
It can be many things like music, personal experiences and also dreams (especially nightmares) or visions that just came up to my mind. I always try to include a certain “message” or “history” into each work, to make it more than just a “normal drawing”, if you know what I mean? ... Another point of inspiration is movies like "Clash of the Titans", the way how Ray Harryhausen created the mythological creatures had a deep impact on me... warriors, skeletons, dark creatures!!!
4.What kind of special technic do you use to draw?
It evolved through the years piece by piece. It's a combination of dots'n'lines made with pencils and ink-pens, to give it a more different effect... of course it also depends on the idea behind the artwork, sometimes the one does fit with the other and sometimes it doesn't.
5.Is there any kind of special or personal feeling that you want to express?, what feeling and why?
Yes sure, I always want to give it a personal touch, something savage and aggressive. A mirror- reflection of my personal mind and attitude. Strength, bravery, fury and crazy madness... it should be beyond the limits of society's standards, unbound to any limits to express artistical freedom. A message, outside of reality – at the same time something that exists in real life, like evilness and fear.
6.With what artists/bands/labels, etc, did you have work?
I worked with some bands in the past but these motherfuckers turned out being total losers and rip offs who never kept their promises, so they are not worth to be mentioned. The only band I'm proud of to have worked with so far and who are worth the support are "Abruptus"!!!
For Festivals: I made some flyers for underground metal festivals and local concerts (for example "When Black Meets Death") and right now I'm working for the artwork of an upcoming festival with "Mortuary" (Clandestine Fest) and also for the Argentinian bands "Municion" & "Vomit of Doom" (black/thrash).
Magazines & Labels were so far only "Destruktion Records" & "Bestial Desecration Fanzine" from Germany (#2 & #4) and also the "Morbid Faith Newsletter" (#1, #2, #3, #8, #9) and sometimes on several fan-bootlegs made by friends like the "Bringers of Armageddon" promo...
7.What are the main/highlight works you have made?
Hmm that's a tough question because I always try to make each one better than the last one. So I would say the one I did for "Bestial Desecration Zine #4" was my personal favorite. This artwork was a re-make of a very old one which I did in the past during my early days, so it had a special meaning to me... also because I wanted to see how my style changed and evolved through the years.
8.In what would you say, you difference your own art from other artists?
I don't think that I have a very unique style, I mean there are many people doing it similar to me. But maybe one clear difference to other artists is that I don't do it to receive any attention or to say that I'm better etc... I'm not better than any other artist. I just do what I feel and simply do my work for my own satisfaction and always give my best to create a satisfying and honest result. I just like it and always try to involve my personal experiences of what I see and feel into my art, and if people can realize that too, it's nice for sure. Every artist has his own touch and I respect each one of them.
9.What about the deals to work with you? What do you ask for? (money, trade stuff only)
Well, for sure money is always useful in life but not the reason to do it. Many times there are young bands that have creativity and spirit but are lacking on finances to pay for an artwork etc., so I rather make out a deal with them like a trade for tapes, patches, shirt etc. It depends on the bands and their situation (and honesty).
10.Do you work with your art also for other sectors aside of Metal, can you make it professionally?
Sometimes some friends are asking me for stuff, who are not into metal at all, like punks and even rappers, for different things they need, for small projects or private things.
11.Speaking about your Metal scene, what bands, distros, labels, zines and other artists, can you recommend?
Definitely Masthema Sancia (Rex Bagude Recs./Hiborym), Ferna (Across Infernal Wasteland Recs/"El Dispensario“-Distro which is located at the „Fundadores“ in the center of Monterrey), Dark Recollections Productions (Mexico City) and Gusthavo Sandoval (a great artist and friend from Guadalajara)!
12.Last words and contact!
Thanks a lot for the nice interview, your attention and the interesting questions! It's been an honor to me. And I hope we can work on something together someday, too!
May Contact: may.witchhammerATgmailDOTcom
