Exhibition

BRINGING ART TO LIFE

HE MIGHT BE BEST KNOWN FOR THE WALKING DEAD BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT CELEBRATING LIFE FOR SHREWSBURY ARTIST CHARLIE ADLARD RIGHT NOW, SAYS MATTHEW PANTER

Artist Charlie Adlard is internationally-acclaimed for his work on his postapocalyptic comic books, which were turned into a smash-hit television series. But he’s keen to showcase a different side to his artistic talents and a specially curated exhibition at The Hive is the fitting place to do so.

It was, after all, life drawing classes at The Hive, in Shrewsbury, which gave him a platform to use a different set of tools and follow an alternative process.

The result is a selection of figurative sketches created on both physical paper and digitally, using an iPad.

He’s already produced a book – LIFE – based on his work but now comes the long-awaited, much anticipated exhibition. And Charlie can’t wait.

“I’m very excited about it,” he says. “People know me from comics and zombies but they don’t get to see how I apply my artistry to drawing from life, as well as the different techniques and new ways I use to express myself. It’s separate to my drawing of comic books.”

This particular set of work was – like Charlie – born and bred in Shrewsbury.

“About six years ago, myself and a local cartoonist friend, Dan Berry, thought it would be good to go to an art session at The Hive and we were there regularly,” Charlie recalls.

“I always felt, doing live drawing there, it didn’t feel like extra work because it was a different process to what I would normally do, with different equipment.

“I found it a real change and, though a cliché, they do say a change is as good as a rest. Deep down, I thought while doing the art ‘I can get a book out of this’ and that kept the momentum going for me as the years went on.

“In 2020, we talked about an exhibition but the pandemic got in the way and I had to cancel it but I published the book anyway.

“And, post lockdowns, I re-established contact with The Hive and here we are.”

As a Shropshire lad, it means a lot to stage an exhibition in the county, Charlie says. “It is special to me,” he adds. “I am a patron of The Hive and so really do see the importance of such a place in any local community.

“That’s why I whole heartedly support it and proceeds from the art will be donated back into The Hive.”

Though clearly excited to show off a different side to his talent, there’s no getting away from the fact Charlie is a comic book genius. Chatting on Zoom, from his home studio, you get a glimpse of spaceships and various models from the world of comic books and sci-fi adorning cabinets behind him.

“I have been into comic books since I was about six or seven,” he recalls. “One of my earliest memories was of my dad buying me the Mighty World of Marvel. That was a really early memory and I drew comics from that moment on. From eight-10, in my head, that’s what I wanted to be. I wasn’t going to be wavered.”

He was clearly determined, something he says is vital for any young person looking to make their way in the industry.

It was in 2003 he started working on The Walking Dead, which finished in 2019.

He has received a raft of industry awards for his work on the series culminating in winning the Sergio Aragonés International Award for Excellence in Comic Art in 2019.

Other projects have included Mars Attacks, the X-Files, Judge Dredd, Savage, Batman, X-Men and Superman.

The story, he says, of how The Walking Dead came to life was nothing groundbreaking but did come through networking, again highlighting that determination.

“I’d been a jobbing journeyman comic book creator for ten or so years,” he recalls. “Robert Kirkman, the writer of The Walking Dead, was someone I’d known previously.

“I met him in San Diego while networking so we were aware of each other’s existence.

Some of Charlie ’ s work being exhibited from the book Life.

Shrewsbury-based Cartoonist Charlie Adlard giving a talk at Meole Brace School in Shrewsbury.

“One day, I simply got an email from him out of the blue saying: ‘Would you be int terested in drawing for me?’

“H He c caught me in between jobs. He sent me the scr ript and I liked it, especially the fact it was a character piece and not just a generic zombie action one.

“He wanted it to last more than twothree issues and, to cut a long story short, I started drawing it and 16 years later we were finishing it off.

“I’d always wanted to do a long-form comic. I’d done shorter things before –mini series – and, as an artist, you’d just get into the series and it would end.

“It was great to have the opportunity to do this and then for us to finish it in our own way.

“We went out on a high with it still selling in the bucket-loads. I was unbelievably lucky to have the opportunity.”

It became, in Charlie’s words ‘a true phenomena’.

“I think you are always a bit surprised by the success of what you are involved in,” he says. “The Walking Dead isn’t that classic high concept Hollywood thing that you describe in a couple of words, it’s more complex than that.

“If you describe it in a few words, it probably sounds an unoriginal project, but fortunately people saw the potential in it and I take my hat off to them.”

That Charlie had such incredible success with the story of Rick Grimes and co is something that, he hopes, will inspire young artists in Shropshire.

But, while talent is key, he insists anyone with a burning ambition to enjoy success in the art industry must have commitment and true passion.

“Hopefully, this new exhibition and my previous work will give inspiration to young artists out there.

“One of the things I hope LIFE will show is that just because you are known for one thing, it doesn’t mean you can’t change and do something else,” he says.

But what advice does he give to those wanting to make their mark?

“There were no comic courses when I was younger, so I went and studied film and video for three years,” he recalls. “I then had a brief sojourn in London, being in a rock band. We didn’t make it for various reasons.

“I casually got into the comic book lark, living back home with my mum and dad, and getting my portfolio together. I eventually found work by being persistent. I went to comic shows.

“There was no direct route into drawing. You can’t just join a studio. It’s not like graphic design or something where you can apply for something and be an employee.

“It was just a case of keeping going and that is my advice really.

“You have take it seriously and things won’t just come to you and land in your lap. You have to work at these things. You have to have passion for it and if you are not doing it every day for fun, I’d question your commitment to it.

“I would have drawn, regardless, even if I hadn’t got paid for it but I managed to break in, within two years of deciding to do it, and thankfully I haven’t looked back since. I always say, follow your dreams. If you really want to do something, please, just go for it.

“Obviously you have got to be good at what you do but you must have that persistence and passion, plus you need that element of luck, being in the right place at the right time, while putting the hard work in.”

Hard graft is something Charlie is not afraid of. The Walking Dead may be over but he has projects on the go and has had the small matter of building a house too.

“We built the house and have been in it for a year and a half now. It’s on the river in Shrewsbury, and it’s lovely. It’s been great fun – you put everything into it. We just found some land and my wife and I always wanted to build a house as we are big fans of modernity.

“I’m a big collector of original art too

Charlie Adlard at Comic Salopia Festival 2022 across Shrewsbury.

so when we built this house, we purposely had lots of nice, big, white blank walls where we could hang hundreds of pictures.

“That’s what I like to look at. It’s a massive draw of inspiration and I quite often walk through various rooms of the house and suddenly stare at a piece of art for five minutes because otherwise what’s the point of having it on the wall?

“It also gave me a great opportunity to build my dream studio and have it all exactly as I want it. I spend six or seven hours a day there so if you are not comfortable in your working environment, your work isn’t going to be as good.”

And he’s certainly busy in that studio. House building and his LIFE exhibition and book aside, Charlie has plenty more on the go.

“People might have been wondering what happened to me since The Walking Dead,” he says. “It’s been nearly three years since we finished the book.

“But I have been working on Damn T Them All by Simon Spurrier.

“It’s published by an American comic b book company called Boom! Studios.

“It’s a horror book but a mini series. I I won’t do a long one again, the Walking D Dead scratched that itch. This is a sixissue series and it’s sold well.

“We may do another six issues at some time, as an ongoing project, but not all the time. We can take as short or as long a break as we want in between.

“I’m also doing a French comic book based on Altamont, a disastrous gig featuring the Rolling Stones in 1969 9.

“It’s a passion project from an i idea of mine, which has been taken on and run with brilliantly. I wanted to do a story about a mother whose kids go o to the gig, with all the 60s ideals in thei ir hearts, and emerge very different.

“I am really excited ab bout it. I am a big fan of 60s illustrative art t.

“It’s a period I enjoy visually so enjoyed doing the res search and drawing as accurately as poss sible, while also giving a tweak to add my own touches into the imagery as well.”

And his wo ork is being done from the beautiful surr roundings of Shropshire –and Charlie wouldn ’t have it any other way.

“I have never had a desire to move anywhere e else really, ” he says. “I enjoy being wh here I am and Shrewsbury is a fantast tic place to live – it’ s relaxing and every yr thing I like in a place.

n Charlie ’ s exhibition LIFE can be view wed at The Hive, Shrewsbury, until December r 9.