by Albertine Feurer-Young, Reporter 

Dennis Greenhill has been exhibiting at Comic-Con since 1998, first with Bloodfire Studios and then on his own through Green Hills Entertainment. When we interviewed him last year (video below), he had just released two new books, Pixies of Mayhem and the Dark Tarot Omnibus, a treat his fans had been impatiently waiting for.

Dennis shared with us some of his paintings as well as his photography and I was very intrigued to find out what he had been up to this past year as I am a true fan of his work. I met with him and we discussed the impact Comic-Con had on his inspiration and art as well as a new series of books he is working on & his plans for Good Mood Food.

We caught up again recently to discuss art and conventions in 2017…

 
What brings you back to Comic-Con every year? 

There are several answers to this. 1. I really enjoy being a part of everything. It is such an amazing experience. 2. It has really become a tradition for me. 3. It is great exposure to fans and a tremendous chance to talk with them. 4. Personally, it is the only time I get to see some of my friends.

How has Comic-Con changed for you over the years? 

It has grown so big. When we started, it was just Hall A and B. I think it has also become a “Give me free Stuff and I only want Con Exclusives to resell on EBay” show, which is sad.

What impact do you think Comic-Con has had for arts that don’t specifically relate to comics?

With Con shifting to a “All-encompassing Pop Culture Show”, it has a huge impact on everything. Hollywood, Video Games, Cosplay, Table Games,  you name it, have all felt the impact.

What impact has Comic-Con had over your work and your success?

I don’t think it has influenced what I produce or write too much. I think it has impacted how I view the year due to the difficulty of preparing for the largest show in North America. I base my entire year on San Diego. I have to plan months in advance to have everything done and ready for it. Then there is the logistics of the whole thing. I will produce more Pop Culture influenced art for the show. As for success, I think I am in a slump right now. Part of it is the nature of the show, and part of it is me. It is similar to what I experience early on with BloodFire Studios. But having gone through it before, I have a good idea of how to deal with it……. It just takes time.

 What new art have you been working on? 

I have been working on some new paintings. I just finished a 15×30 inch Doctor Who piece and have several more in the works. I am also continuing with my “Famous Spaceships” watercolor series and my robots.

Any new sources of inspiration?

Inspiration is all around us. I love looking at everything. I like exploring old art and techniques and see if they can apply to today. Whether it is oils, watercolors, sculpting, block printing, Art Nouveau, impressionism, or stained glass, it all is meant to inspire.

 Is there a new book or a new project in the works?

Nothing for this year, but I am….slowly….. putting together a 7 book series of Kids Books. I am also working on developing “Good Mood Food” into something bigger. Really excited about both of those.

Will you be at booth 1621 again this year? 

Yep! We are directly under the only “1600” sign in the whole place. It makes it so much easier to find us. #underthe1600sign

 Are you going to be at any other shows?

We just did WonderCon for the first time. We are beginning to expand out into other shows to capture people that don’t get to go to San Diego.  I think next year we will try and add in Phoenix maybe or another LA show. I just want to make sure we pace things out correctly.

Beyond that, I have a few gallery shows for the photography coming up. I will be at La Bodega Galley and Mattress Firm Amphitheater in June and will have a solo show sometime in the Fall.

More Dennis here:

Dennis Greenhill

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