5 Quick Questions with Butch Guice

Jackson "Butch" Guice started working in the comics field in 1981. He did inks for Warlords of Light and Galexia Magazine at Astral. He then did artwork for 'Crusaders' and 'The Southern Knights' at Guild. He joined Marvel, where he cooperated on the titles 'Micronauts', 'Avengers', 'Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme', 'Indiana Jones', 'Iron Man', 'New Mutants', 'Alpha Flight', 'Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.' and 'Thor' throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was also present in 'Nightbreed' published under the company's Epic imprint.

He has worked with writer Mike Baron on First Comics titles like 'Badger', 'Nexus' and 'The Chronicles of Corum'. At the start of 1987, Guice contributed to the 'Southern Knights' series, published by Comics Interview Publications.

Guice has also worked extensively DC Comics, doing among others a long run on 'Superman' in Action Comics, but also on 'Batman', 'The Flash', 'Ressurection Man', 'Agent Liberty' and 'Birds of Prey'. In addition, he did the 'The Terminator: Endgame' mini-series for Dark Horse. He also drew 'Eternal Warrior' and 'Bloodshot' for Valiant Comics, and 'Sliders: Narcotica' for Acclaim.

Guice left DC in Spring 2001, and went to Crossgen Comics. There, he became the penciller of the 'Ruse' series, about a supernatural detective. When CrossGen folded a couple of years later, Guice returned to DC to draw for 'JLA: Classified' and 'Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis', as well as Wildstorm's 'Storming Paradise'. He also returned to Marvel as an artist on 'Captain America' and 'Ultimate Origins'.

He agreed to answer 5 Quick Questions:




1) What would you say is your greatest achievement in comics?

Honestly, it would be continuing to have a full and active career in the industry after 28 years. My childhood dream20was to draw comics -- either strips or books -- so everyday I get to do that is incredibly rewarding, business warts and all.

2) Who was your favorite writer or artist that you worked with & why?

There are quite a few people who could answer that question, but this really is impossible for me to narrow down to just one. I've been extremely blessed over the years with the opportunity to work with some incredible talent, people such as Mike Perkins, Steve Epting, Chuck Dixon, Archie Goodwin, Steve Ditko, John Buscema, Paul Smith, Bob Layton, Roger Stern ... and many others who I hope will forgive me for not specifically mentioning them.

3) What character you have never worked .., would you like to do & why?

Werewolf By Night. Not the answer you would expect I guess, but I was devoted to that book as a kid. I finally had the opportunity (during my time at Acclaim) to tell Don Perlin just how much joy and inspiration his efforts brought to a young wanna-be comic artist. Doug Moench, if you read this, I'd like to say the same to you. Thanks for it all.

4) Who are your influences?

It's important to me to separate my likes from my influences. My likes are extremely wide ranging -- everyone from non-mainstream artists of today (such as Paul Pope or Beck y Cloonan) to mid twentieth century illustrators (like Al Parker and Mead Schaeffer). However, as much as I enjoy that work and might truly wish otherwise, it would be dishonest to say they have had any genuine influence on my own work. The artists I've actually studied (once I got enough working smarts to even attempt to decipher what was going on beneath the surface finish) -- the people I really looked hard at for lessons on how better to improve my own work, would be mostly the old comic strip guys -- artists like Milt Caniff, Noel Sickles, Alex Raymond, Roy Crane, Harold Foster, as well as illustrators such as Austin Briggs or Robert Fawcett.

I'd love to be good enough to be even half the artist Robert Fawcett was, but reality has proven to be a harsh mistress in this case.

5) What hero or villain would you like to change if you could and why?

In the immortal words of Mark Waid, my former collaborator on Ruse: "I've got nothing."