Phoenix Comicon: Artist profile – Alec Kozak

Alec Kozak is an independent comic book artist/author and 2012 graphic design graduate of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where he worked as a Staff Editorial Artist while attending school. He is the creator of indie comics Shakespeare, Virus and Borderlands and the founder of Kozak Komiks.

Alec hails from Prescott, Arizona, and he has done his part to keep Flagstaff cool with his creative comics, while attending school there for the past few years. He loves telling stories and is a self-taught artist. In a 2010 Nerdvana interview, Alec described his artwork as, “partially macabre in nature, I tend to see to the darker side of lighter things; or attempt to portray them that way. That idea stems from showing both the hypocrisy and humor in things that people otherwise take seriously and that I would like to reveal to them.” You can read the full 2010 NERDVANA article HERE.

Alec is excitedly preparing for the 2012 Phoenix Comicon, but took a few moments to update us on his current projects and to expound on his artistic influences as part of our NERDVANA Artist Profile series leading up the comic convention.

What projects are you currently working on?

We will be debuting issue #1 [of] Kozak Komik’s newest comic, SECOND STAR, at the convention. It’s Peter Pan meets modern warfare in a Neverland you never knew.

Who/what has influenced you most artistically? Which artist(s) do you most admire?

My favorite artists are Ben Templesmith and Alex Ross. Two extremes, I know, but I like art that compliments the epic-ness of a story.

Who is your favorite local artist?

My favorite local artist is Russ Kazmierczak, he’s a good guy and good friend. I admire how excited he is about his comics and am impressed with his marketing techniques. I think he reaches audiences on multiple levels and I respect him for it.

What is your favorite music to listen to while working on your art?

My favorite band is Rage Against the Machine, although I listen to everything on my iPod when I do comics. I even have playlists for some of my comics that act as “soundtracks”.

What is your favorite movie and how has it influenced your art?

Artistically, I’m influenced by movies and music, and have WAY too many to count. I would say that my favorite movie is Fight Club.

What are you most looking forward to at Phoenix Comicon?

I’m excited to see all the other artists and celebrities at the con and look forward to seeing people in Arizona coming out to enjoy the convention.

Are you offering any special exclusives for fans at Comicon?

My crew and I will have prints and be doing sketches for families and fans. Although we won’t have exclusives, we will have the entire creative team behind Second Star at the table. We will have Second Star T-shirts for sale as well.

What is the craziest thing you’ve been asked to sketch?

The craziest thing I have ever been asked to sketch was a killer bee for a “killer B.” where “B” was the derogatory term for this guy’s long-lost sister. Family reunions for the win.

If you had a superpower, what would it be and how did you acquire it?

If I had a superpower, I would totally choose the power of time control. I could sleep longer, work harder, and rewind time when I or my friends do something stupid so we could laugh at it.

For the 2012 Phoenix Comicon, you’ll be able to find Alec Kozak, together with his partners in crime-fighting, Nathan Schulte and David Stoll, at artist alley booth #352. Alec can often be found participating in artist events at  CAB Comics in Flagstaff and you can also follow this him on FACEBOOK and Deviant Art.

Arizona catches a lot of heat in the media and from the nation as a whole, but nevertheless our crazy ‘Hellscape’ is proudly called “home” by some of the greatest pop culture artistic talent in the country. So leading up to the 2012 Phoenix Comicon (May 24 – 27), Nerdvana will showcase a series of posts profiling some of the amazing local artists that will be appearing at this year’s convention. Read ALL the Nerdvana’s Artist Profiles!