Sunday, November 18, 2012

CBNAH Interview: Yildiray Cinar

Cinar
Turkish artist Yildiray Cinar is one of the flagship pencillers at DC Comics today. Cinar is set for a stint on Earth-2 from January 2013, which features alternate versions of Green Lantern and Flash as they connect to the rest of the DC Universe. The book has garnered much attention as it boasts a gay Green Lantern, Alan Scott, as writer James Robinson, famed for his Superman titles, utilizes Cinar to bring his visions to life.

“Drawing was always in my life since my childhood days. My first art school was Anadolu Fine Arts High School (Ankara, Turkey) in the Painting Department in 1990. I remember my uncle drawing me some vehicles when I was a little child. He was so good. I can count this as my first inspiration at drawing. From the industry, there are many inspirations to name - Neal Adams, Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Bill Sienkiewicz, Walter Simonson, Jim Lee...the list goes on,” revealed the 36 year-old who graduated in 1994.

Currently residing in Istanbul, he affirmed, “My goal was always comics even when I went to the Cartoon Animation Department in Anadolu University. I worked a couple of years in 2-D animation and also did storyboards. After some small gigs, my first on

EARTH-2
going book was with Jay Faerber on Noble Causes in 2007 from Image Comics. After a 14-issue run, I started working with DC.” Cinar aided in the establishment of Capa Comics group in 1997, which helped showcase artists like himself, to the comic community abroad in the shape of magazines and books.

“Capa Comics was my first official shot at drawing comics. We started printing self-published photocopy fanzines. There are 40 issues or more between 1997-2003. It was a school for me. We learned comics by drawing and working,” he relayed. Cinar’s career then touched base with the U.S.A as he started illustrating Digital Webbing Press. “As for Digital Webbing, it was my first published work in U.S. so it's important to me,” he conveyed as he cited books there such as Nothingface and Fist of Justice as learning experiences which helped him hone and refine his skill.

After Image Comics employed him for Savage Dragon work, he quickly joined Faerber as their tenure as creators blossomed into friendship.
“Jay is a good friend. I’m so lucky to have worked with him. He’s an excellent writer. He’s so clear at his scripts and always open-minded to collaborate with the artist. Working with Jay was my first ongoing gig which helped me a lot growing as an artist,” he expounded on Noble Causes, a tale of a wealthy superhero family battling villains and inner-family turmoil.

Cinar worked with Faerber on a spin-off, Dynamo 5, for a bit before DC Comics soon came knocking. Teen Titans and Legion of Superheroes were some titles he drew on and made a lasting impression as a hotshot upcomer. In 2011, DC’s rebooted 52 comic-world saw Cinar work on The Fury of Firestorm, which garnered him further artist plaudits. Cinar humbly admitted that he knew how to deal with the higher pressure and fame by now as sketching is his main profession. He revealed he doesn’t try to get fazed as much, especially with scripts that may fluster other sketchers.

“I read my script a couple of times until I see all of the story in my head. Then I thumbnail all the pages and after editors approve them, I start pencilling. If it’s a new book I’m starting, I work on the characters first. My advice would be to practise and work. You can’t learn to draw comics without practising. There’s no formula or shortcut about this. Also, share your work! Share, show, discuss and learn from each other,” elaborated Cinar. He divulged that he is exclusive to DC Comics as he charts Earth-2’s path forward into 2013. He lauded the digital age and the internet for their influence on his ascension. “It’s
Firestorm
a good opportunity to spread the word for us artists. There are too many advantages of the digital age. The only negative side is for comic collectors. As I’m a collector, I like to get my book physical,” he teased.

“In Turkey, it’s almost impossible to make a living from drawing comics. As you might guess, there was a distance with the American Industry from here but thanks to the Internet, I don’t have that problem anymore. I’ve also been attending some comic conventions for a couple of years now in America and everything seems alright. My family and friends were always supportive and I’m lucky to have them in my life,” he reiterated.

Cinar ended
, “I’m exlusive to DC so I’ll be working with them for the forseeable future. I try to stay calm and try my best. This is my profession now.”




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