Darick Robertson should be no stranger to comic book fans. The artist’s work on modern classics such as Transmetropolitan and The Boys, along with his extensive work for Marvel on Wolverine and The Punisher has cemented the artist as a fan favorite.
Currently, Robertson is brining his unique brand of expressive artwork to Humanoids’ Space Bastards. The combination of a futuristic sci-fi setting and over-the-top storytelling by Joe Aubrey and Eric Peterson is right up Robertson’s alley. The Space Bastards co-creator sat down to speak to us about the new series just after the launch of the new Kickstarter campaign for Vol. 2 of the series, and he provided valuable insight into his approach to the new comic as well as some of his past favorites.
How did you become involved in Space Bastards?
Darick Robertson: I got to know Eric and Joe through a mutual friend. At first I was just creating covers for their original Kickstarter and then they came at me with an offer to fund the project and make me a co-creator of the property. With that I got on board and set about redesigning the characters and the visual world.
Which character in Space Bastards did you enjoy designing/drawing the most?
Robertson: Zordakk, hands down. The more I drew him, the more his character came into focus. He’s so unassuming until he cuts loose, and then he’s so wild and badass, that drawing him in those contrasts was really fun.
A lot of your work has been in the sci-fi genre but your artwork also comes across as very realistic in these settings. How do you strike a balance between the two?
Robertson: I just draw the world I imagine. I love Star Wars and as I grew as an artist, I realized what I truly love is the incredible design work that Ralph McQuarrie did. He integrated real world machinery and thinking in his sci fi stuff and it gives it all a grounded feel. My father was a mechanic, so I think that is part of the personal appeal of that design aspect.
The Boys adaptation has been an enormous hit for Amazon Prime. What was it like seeing your artwork come to life?
Robertson: It’s been a thrill. I’ve been amazed to see the response. Eric Kripke with the whole cast and crew have done such a great job of maintaining what works about the comics and our characters, but have created their own original take at the same time. I love it.
Any characters that stood out to you in terms of casting/costuming?
Robertson: Homelander and Starlight are the closest to my original comic designs and I love what they did to upgrade Black Noir. Everyone in the cast is excellent.
Space Bastards #1 is currently in stores and the Kickstarter campaign is also currently underway for the hardcover edition of volume 2 (and one of the prints available for backers is pictured below). If you want to learn more about Space Bastards, check out our interview with writers Joe Aubrey and Eric Peterson right here.
