First Comics News: How did you get into drawing comic books?
Anthony Figaro: Funny story… when I was about 10 years old me and a couple of friends decided one day at the local 7/11 that we wanted to check out some comic books. Being that we were 10 we didn’t have any extra money after buying candy…drinks and chips it was fortunate for us that we noticed they had extra copies, more than they needed by our estimate. So we did what any logical young boy who could do math would do… we relieved the store of some of their extra stock. Thus… the comic book fever began lol
1st: How was Destructive Studios formed?
Anthony: Destructive Studios was born out of failure and opportunity. One day you find yourself removed from the creative world of comics because of a host of disappointments, acts of God, and failures, and the next you’re knee-deep in creating your first graphic novel. It was then that I realized failures are just opportunities under construction.
1st: What is the storyline in “Gods Hand” and who is Jean Lafitte?
Anthony: The storyline revolves around Jean Lafitte, the once-notorious pirate turned monster hunter who is called out of exile to the city he once called home to solve the murder of his one-time partner and lover Marie Laveau. Lafitte is reinstated into the New Orleans Occult and protection division and he and his team of supernatural hunters are given 48 hours to solve the case. Unfortunately for Lafitte, he was exiled under tumultuous conditions and will have to deal with fallout from that situation which is now known as “the Katrina incident”. All the while there are forces at play that threaten to pull the city into the dark shadow of something much older and much darker than anyone realizes. Now Jean Lafitte is a real-life pirate and New Orleans legend. He helped Andrew Jackson defeat the British at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. He was a real-life character whose blacksmith shop still stands today as one of the oldest bars operating on Bourbon Street to this day. He is a real-life comic book character that I wanted to bring to the world of comics
1st: What qualities do you bring out in Jean Lafitte with your art?
Anthony: Straight coolness, I wanted to make sure that the reader feels the New Orleans vibe in the overall look and feel of the character.
1st: Who is the main villain in “Gods Hand”?
Anthony: The main villain turns out to be what’s called a soul griever. They are creatures that can remove souls. They once served the old gods by capturing and bringing them souls to feed on. After the 1000-year war, there was a grand truce between all bloodlines. Part of the truce was that the servants of the old Gods had to be eliminated and thus the great purge began. Lafitte had all but hunted his kind to extinction but as it turns out one he thought he had killed was not so dead.
1st: What will “Gods Hand” vol. 2 have that vol. 1 did not?
Anthony: Definitely more world-building and character development. Because of the fast pace of Vol 1, it had to move quickly to give the reader the feeling of pressure and urgency. In Vol 2 the pace will be slowed and I can do more world-building and focus a bit more on the characters themselves but I promise the action will all still be there.
1st: You were the artist on “Justice City” What type of characters did you draw in it?
Anthony: Justice City is definitely a sci-fi fantasy piece so the overall look is futuristic. I had a lot of fun drawing Justice City and highly recommend to anyone to pick up a copy and give it a read…after you get a copy of Gods Hand first of course.
1st: Which body part do you find most challenging to draw?
Anthony: Not body parts as much as angles…No one particular part gives me trouble but sometimes the angles which you put on them, any body part can make you want to pull your hair out.
1st: When you go to start drawing a page do you start on people or backgrounds first?
Anthony: For me, it depends on the shot and how important the location or the background is to the overall layout. Sometimes the background dictates the perspective and you have to lay the grids down to keep everything in line. For closer shots, you can play with the angles a little more so it’s not as important. In the end, the type of shot dictates the importance of where you begin.
1st: Do you enjoy doing commissions and do you have any rules you follow for it?
Anthony: I love commissions and I’m usually always open to take on one. As far as rules go… always make sure I get paid lol.
1st: What can we expect to see from Destructive Studios in the next few years?
Anthony: We have some great IPs ready to be developed. There is a samurai story, a modern-day Norse mythology story, and an awesome love letter to the action movies of the 80s story about werewolves and zombies that I can’t wait to get into. Great things coming so don’t miss out!
1st: What genre do you prefer to draw?
Anthony: I enjoy fantasy stuff more than anything. I think I like the fantasy genre because it allows me the most creative control. Being that it’s fantasy I am in control of how the whole world works so it is only limited by my imagination.
1st: How do you spend your free time away from comics?
Anthony: I like to spend time with my family and friends. I think that whatever we accomplish in life has little value if we don’t have people to share it with. Those bonds are the real wealth of life.
1st: What do you have to say to the fans of your art?
Anthony: You have great taste! Seriously though, I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for the fans. You can never really say enough about how much they mean to this endeavor.
About Author
