Get Graphic: A Collision Course of Criminals and Cops
Apr 08, 2024
Interview by Troy-Jeffrey Allen
Brighton, UK. 2008. The kidnapping of a young woman sets in motion a chain of events that will set con artists, gangsters, killers, and corrupt police on a collision course in this tale of family trauma, betrayal, murder, and revenge that threatens to bring the city's whole underworld down.
This is Mugshots from Mad Cave Studios. We talked with series artist Chris Matthews to find out more!
Firstly, what is your name and where do you hail from?
Chris Matthews, originally from the UK but currently living in Berlin.
How did you get into art? What sparked your initial interest?
When I was younger it would annoy me that my older brother was better at drawing than me.
That resentment took me all the way to studying animation at university, after that bouncing around between animation and illustration and then finally here, making comics with my oldest friend.
You’re the co-creator of this series. Catch us up to speed a bit. What can you tell us about Mugshots? What is it about?
Well, it’s probably better to take Jordan’s answer for this but to me, it’s about the human tragedy of a repeating cycle of violence.
This book has a very pulp aesthetic. Can you get into your character design process a bit? How did you go about designing the characters?
As far as characters are concerned, firstly I go off whatever Jordan’s got in his head and then generally try to work with silhouettes to make each character as unique as possible. This isn’t always easy with this kind of minimalist style; colour can't really be relied upon to differentiate the characters in the smaller panels which can get a bit tricky.
What tools do you use to draw?
An iPad and one of my arms!
In terms of audience, who is Mugshots for?
People who like gritty crime with a complex interweaving storyline and some cracking one-liners.
Mugshots is available at your local comic shop starting May 8, 2024. Reserve your copy with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.
And be sure to keep an eye on PREVIEWSworld.com's Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram for more "Get Graphic" artist spotlights!
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Troy-Jeffrey Allen is the producer and co-host of PREVIEWSworld Weekly. His comics work includes MF DOOM: All Caps, Public Enemy's Apocalpyse '91, Fight of the Century, the Harvey Award-nominated District Comics, and the Ringo Awards-nominated Magic Bullet.
