Hey IMPACTians!

What’s 1 hour from Toronto, 2 hours from Buffalo and 3 hours from Detroit? The IMPACTastic Waterloo Arts Festival in Waterloo, Ontario this coming weekend.

This eclectic celebration of visual and performing arts aims to expand your artistic consciousness. And hey, IMPACT author David Okum will be there and so will this guy:

Later on when you’re out and about (or oat and a-boat in Canadianspeak) in wonderful Waterloo, check out the nearby African Lion Safari park or the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. The latter’s main building looks like something straight out of Doug Chiang‘s book Mechanika. Pretty slick.

BIO
A freelance artist and illustrator for over 20 years, David Okum has been published in Antarctic Press manga anthologies and other comic books, including six by Guardians of Order. He’s authored four popular books with IMPACT, Manga Madness, Superhero Madness, Manga Monster Madness and Manga Fantasy Madness. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo (1990) and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Windsor (Visual Art, History and English). He has taught high school for the Waterloo Regional District School Board since 1993 and adult education for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. He has also run after-school comics workshops for students since 1996 and is very in touch with the target readers for these books.

Character from Manga Martial Art by David Okum

Name: David Okum
Latest IMPACT book: Manga Martial Arts: Over 50 Basic Lessons for Drawing the World’s Most Popular Fighting Style
Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Current residence: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Kids and/or pets? Two kids: girls, ages 12 and 14; two cats, Willow and Tabby. And I once had four pet fiddler crabs.
Favorite food: Sushi and Pizza (not together)
Favorite candy bar: (no contest here) Big Turk
Favorite TV show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Favorite movie: Blade Runner
Favorite website(s): homestarrunner.com
Favorite blog(s): www.drawn.ca and boingboing.net
Favorite comic(s): Scott Pilgrim, DC: The New Frontier, Appleseed, Northwest Passage, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Watchmen.
Do you collect anything (stamps, comics)? I have many, many comics, but I read them, I don’t really collect them. I also have way too many HeroClix. Way too many.
First job ever: Freelance artist when I was 16.
Best job ever: Teaching along with Turnkey Desk at University of Waterloo Student Life Centre. Art is too fun in the long run to be considered “work.”

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
When I was 14.

Give us a taste of your latest project.
It’s an unabashedly Canadian superhero webcomic/graphic novel. I’ve been working on this story since 1982. I’ve known some of the characters longer than some of my friends.

Talk about a time you felt star struck in your line of work.
In 2004, when I was on a panel with Will Eisner, Maggie Thompson, Lea Hernandez, John Jackson Miller, Vince Giaranno and Heidi MacDonald at the San Diego Comic-Con. I was so nervous. It was so nice to meet and chat informally with Will Eisner. It was a thrill. I kept thinking, “How did I get here?”

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?
Draw every day. Make sure everyone can find your artwork easily; don’t hide it away.
Only accept projects you are passionate about. When you show your portfolio: One, never apologize. Two, never argue. Three, show only your best work.

Click here to visit David Okum’s Web site, Okum Arts

Click here to check out Manga Martial Arts

Click the titles to check out other books by David Okum: Manga Madness, Superhero Madness, Manga Monster Madness and Manga Fantasy Madness

David Okum’s new book Manga Martial Arts contains over 50 basic lessons for drawing the world’s most popular fighting styles, including boxing, judo, karate, kickboxing and tae kwon do. Besides learning how to draw multiple fighting styles, you’ll also learn the guiding principles and traditions behind them. With expert advice on drawing battle and fight scenes, you’ll soon discover that the pen is truly mightier than the sword.

IMPACT author and artist David Okum will be at the Waterloo Regional Children’s Museum in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, for the “Get Your Warhol On” art show and sale. The “Get Your Warhol On” exhibit will feature work from artists who used the work of Andy Warhol as their inspiration. Okum will be there drawing and signing books.

Click here to learn more in this exhibit.

A bunch of us IMPACT chicks–Mona, Wendy, Jennifer, Kelly, Erika and I–are off to GenCon today (tough work, but somebody’s got to do it). We’re totally looking forward to seeing our friends Chuck Lukacs, Jim Pavelec and Chris Seaman there, as well as the awesome con crowd! The guys are authors of Wreaking Havoc: Create Fantasy Warriors and Weapons; Chuck’s working on a Fall 2009 book; Jim’s the author of Hell Beasts; and Jim and Chris will soon be creating some art for a vampire drawing kit in time for next Halloween. They’ll do a panel at GenCon, moderated by big IMPACT dude Justin. We’ve also got great projects coming up in October, including Comic Artist’s Photo Reference: Men and Boys by Buddy Scalera; Manga Martial Arts by David Okum; and Cartoonimals by Harry Hamernik. — Pam Wissman, Editorial Director, IMPACT Books

Comic Artist's Photo Reference: Men and Boys