Mike Bohatch Interview - 6-23-2006

Mike Bohatch is a graphic artist who specializes in the horror genre. He has a number of book covers, CD covers, and film credits under his belt. I generally interview authors, publishers, editors, and creators of writing-related software here at Writer’s Inkwell. Mike is the first artist I’ve interviewed with good reason. I am completely taken with his vision. If you’re looking for an artist to do a book cover (or anything else), I highly recommend Mike. Check out samples of his work at his Eyes of Chaos web site, http://www.eyesofchaos.com.

Carl Hose: First off, thanks for the interview. You did the cover to a zombie anthology called Cold Storage, which contained my story Scoring. That was my introduction to you, and I’ve been a fan ever since. That cover, to me, still stands out as a prime piece of work. Do you remember anything about its conception?

Mike Bohatch: Thanks Carl, very cool of you. Yes, I was sort of in my earlier years on that piece so I was doing more horror / surreal presentations. I didn’t have any stories to go off of at the time, so my approach was more or less a menagerie of images into something with a psychological nightmare take. A collected sort of monsters from within approach. Though all in all it was fun. I’ve since, though, learned a lot about cover presentations and their composition.

Carl Hose: How old were you when you realized art was what you wanted to do as a career?

Mike Bohatch: Oh, actually I was pretty much into a full career in music when in my late 20s, I think 29 or so . . . I took a turn for a passion I didn’t know at the time what to do with. That was this lifelong interest in horror. I used to get in trouble in school a lot for doodling monsters on my notebooks in grade school. I guess then I should have known, but it remained pretty subdued till I put myself through art school. It was then that my interest was starting to take form.

CH: Who or what were some of your early artistic influences? Do you have formal training or are you self taught?

MB: I did attend many community colleges for art classes and put myself through four years of art school, but my approach, my imagination, and my style are purely from within. The art part is where you go, hmmm, what to do, what to do? then you decide what to throw down on canvas or such. I stopped naming my early art influences because then people tend to start making comparisons, though these days my influences are primarily films, directors, and music. For music, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Korn, and Gary Numan come to mind. I tend to watch more movies for inspiration than look at art being produced.

CH: As far as artistic ability goes, do you believe it’s something a person either has or doesn’t have, or do you believe anyone with enough drive can develop it?

MB: Anyone with drive can develop skills. Imagination and passion are two things that have to come from the individual. Say a person can do a great portrait, but can’t lay down simple concepts on paper . . . that sort of thing. Techniques can be learned. Imagination is something of the soul.

CH: The next few questions will probably be questions you’ve been asked more than a few times, but I’ll include them for the sake of those who don’t know you, and especially for any beginning artists that might read this. First, what is your software of choice?

MB: Adobe Photoshop and After Effects(video), Quark Xpress, Illustrator.

CH: Is there one graphics program you absolutely can’t see yourself without?

MB: Yes, all four of the above.

CH: Do you feel it’s essential for a graphic artist to have a background in, or at least an understanding of, traditional artistic mediums such as painting, sketching, etc, or are the two mediums entirely different worlds?

MB: A background is always recommended because you can bring techniques, approaches, and disciplines that you can’t get from a simple program. The background can be as simple as studying color for picking your color selections or composition training to understand how to place your objects.

CH: I generally refer to you as an artist in the horror genre. Do you do any other type of work, and are you open to projects in other genres?

MB: I do graphic design and pre-press locally to help pay bills, but for the illustration I have no interest in subject matter outside my realms. I would rather spend the time watching films or working on the yard. I also think its important to not get side-tracked from what’s important to you. I’ve trusted my gut feelings and its only brought me into arenas that I otherwise would have no part of. I was recently asked to take on a line of DVD cover work for a Euro-soft porn series being released. I declined even though it meant money coming in, due to not wanting to be associated with that subject matter.

CH: Are there any of your pieces you’re particularly fond of?

MB: Oh, I get asked this a lot, and of course every year it changes. I’m more of a look-to-the-future guy, so I don’t dwell a lot on previous pieces. I have really liked the book cover art lately as the presentations are getting tighter than my early covers.

CH: What are your work habits? Do you prefer working during the day or at night? Do you have a studio? Do you wait for inspiration or do you plan pieces?

MB: I work at night and some weekends. I work out of my home, but my office is set up for everything I need. These days you don’t need ten computers to get stuff done, just one really beefed up works fine. Also, it’s important to keep a reliable archiving system. Everything is streamlined to be fast, so time is not spent on waiting for things. I often pre-plan pieces, especially with commissioned work. Everything starts with basic notes, scribbles, and idea thoughts on pieces of paper. Then I’ll implement the construction. That might include a special photo session to capture what I need.

CH: What are some of your favorite books, movies, and music, and do any of these things play a role in your art on an inspirational level?

MB: Movies and music, of course. Books vary, as I spend more time reading manuals and technology-driven books than fiction. Favorite movies is hard because on average I watch five to eight a week. Recent faves I found inspiring . . . let’s see . . . Silent hill, Room 6, Boo!, Death Tunnel, Master of Horror, Madhouse, Saw 2, and History of Violence.

CH: If someone would like to contact you for a project, what is the best way to go about it? Do you prefer to be pitched an entire idea, or do you spend time working on concepts with your clients?

MB: Both ways are fine. I get all sorts of inquiries. The more information you have for me, the better. They can contact me per: Mike@eyesofchaos.com

CH: Are there any projects you’re currently involved in you’d like to talk about? Anything we need to look for coming from you?

MB: Yes, while you still can expect to see a trickling of illustrative stuff from EOC . . . my interests as of late have gone mostly into film-making. It more or less rained down overnight, but I’ve been putting a lot of focus into my business and moniker Nightmare Kinetics. The focus is not necessarily making films but contributing to the creatives. I’ve been doing a lot of film intro credit pieces, concept art, creature development and such. This also includes the more illustrative work of posters and DVD art.

As of late, though, I’ve been asked to co-direct, which is an exciting new challenge. I’m also in the process of film proposals that I’ve created. I will be first to admit I had no film-school training, with the exception of some post-production stuff, so essentially I’m a new breed of contributor. A lifelong commitment to horror and visuals being brought to the table to jump into the film-world under that perspective rather than the schooled directorial perspective. In the least, expect interesting things to develop. I owe it to the genre that inspired me to give something back . . . and now soon in a theatre near you.

CH: Is it possible to purchase your work in any format, books, prints, etc?

MB: Yes, www.eyesofchaos.com has a section called Art Store - that will take you to various product offerings.

CH: Again, thanks for talking to me. I truly do dig your stuff. Good luck with everything that comes your way.

MB: My pleasure, thank you.