Walter Ostlie is the artist behind the chilly, desolate cover for Oneshi Press Anthology #07. We asked Walter about comics, inspiration, and unique noses.
Tell us about yourself, Walter. How and why did you get into comics?
I’ve always liked coming up with stories and writing. It wasn’t until later in life that I realized how awesome comics would be for bringing my stories to life. That when I started teaching myself how to draw. Comics are so flexible. Anything can happen. It really just lets my imagination run wild.
Can you tell us about your inspiration and process for creating the cover for Oneshi Press Anthology #7?
When Jayel [Draco, co-founder of Oneshi Press] and I first started talking about the cover, he mentioned that it was the winter edition and a very loose nod to technology. I went over a few concepts in my head dealing with VR or cybernetic integration. However, after a sketching a few out, they just felt very familiar. I wanted to do something different, and there hadn’t been a cover without a human focus, so I decided to pull the camera back. I wanted to show off a possible cold and desolate future if technology became more human than human.
Do you get inspiration from other artists for your unique drawing style? We especially love the noses on certain characters from “Cubicles” and “Shiver Bureau”!
I have no idea where the large nose thing came from. Noses are just fun to draw and they carry so much personality. It just grew from that…pun intended. My art gets compared to a lot of artists I’ve never really looked at, which I always find very interesting. For me personally I know my art was very much influenced by Jhohen Vasquez, Yoshitaka Amano, and Jim Lee in my early life. When I started exploring comics as an outlet I was inspired and influenced by Skottie Young and Ben Templesmith. I think if you jammed all of them together, that is what my art looks like. I continue to be inspired by James Harren, Daniel Warren Johnson, and Mike Mignola.
Who are your writing heroes, and other people who inspire you?
I am pretty bad with writers, I never know who wrote what. The only one I know by name is JK Rowling. She is amazing and her details make me want to create. Otherwise, Clue is my favorite movie. The dialogue is so clever, which has led me to write a lot of banter with my characters. There are a lot of writer/artists that I admire. Bryan Lee O’malley, Mike Mignola, Daniel Warren Johnson.
What’s your all-time favorite comic-book-based movie? TV series?
Scott Pilgrim by a long shot. It was a great adaptation of the source and still unique to itself. So funny, so touching, and so karate.
What comic book character do you identify most with, and why?
Feel like a broken record, but Scott Pilgrim. Just off the top of my head, he seems like the most fleshed-out human being. He is just full of so many contradictions. Confident, but self-conscious. Powerful, but a slacker. I think we all have a little Pilgrim in our hearts.
What’s important to you in a comic book?
Characters. I don’t care so much about the plot, twists, surprise endings. If the characters are amazing, I don’t really care what they are doing.
How do you make your work immersive and progressive (the Oneshi Press themes)?
I try to let me brain run wild and do what it is going to do. I’ve written myself into a lot of corners, but life is all about corners. So I [try to] find a way to turn around, but usually I just break a hole in the corner.
Any new projects you’re working on?
I am currently working on Metalshark Bro with Bob Frantz and Kevin Cuffe. It’s a story about a shark cursed with a human body. He’s on a mission to get his shark body back in the most heavy metal way possible. He’s also got a giant sword.
Where can readers find you online?
I think the best place is either Twitch or Instagram. Otherwise I am on all platforms as @walterostlie.
Get your own copy of Oneshi Press Anthology #07 in print or digital, featuring gorgeous cover art by Walter Ostlie!
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