He's the guy who drew the Clerks comic book for Kevin Smith and he wrote and drew Grrl Scouts. He's also done the art at some of the popular clubs around Tempe and Scottsdale, including Club Boston's, Club Insomnia, and Nita's Hideaway. He's Jim Mahfood.
When many people imagine a comic book fan, they imagine an over weight middle aged man, still living in his mothers basement, wearing a faded Star Wars t-shirt that is too small and in desperate need for his hair to be washed and cut like in the Simpsons.
However, not everyone interested in comic books fits into this stereotype, such as Mahfood, a local artist and comic book artist.
He could fit in as Joe Q. Student here at ASU with his slightly faded t-shirt, cargo pants and tennis shoes, his skateboard propped up near the door to the comic shop. And for the record, his hair and beard are neatly trimmed.
"I prefer to draw down-to-earth guys, like Jay and Silent Bob," Mahfood explains.
Mahfood began drawing as a child, inspired by his favorite cartoon superheroes, especially Sesame Street and the Electric Company. Unlike most kids though, he never stopped.
He drew incessantly, and graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute with a degree in illustration and design in 1997. He chose comics books for his focus, because he is a huge film buff who loves good stories, but did not want to go into the film business itself. He describes comics books as the "poor mans film."
"Breaking into the art business is incredibly difficult," Mahfood said.
He was hired in high school to ink comic books for Artline Studios in his hometown of St. Louis, Mo. In college he met Mike Huddleston, a friend who is now his partner for their company, 40oz Comics. Together they self published Grrl Scouts, a popular independent comic book which Mahfood wrote, drew and inked his own material.
His career took off when he met Scott Lobdell of Marvel Comics who asked him to do the art for the Generation X Underground, a former X-Men spinoff. While he hasn't worked with Marvel since then, he hopes to work with them in the future.
"I would love to do some work on Batman, Batgirl or Spiderman," Mahfood said.
Although his ultimate goal is to be able to do a five-year run with some of his original characters, or more on Grrl Scouts, a lack of money may prevent him from accomplishing it.
Mainstream comic companies, such as Marvel and DC, exert more control over their books, but pay better than the independents companies, which are smaller and not as widely known.
Mahfood's style, laid back and angular, much like he is.
His unique style is a double-edged sword. While his distinctive work helps him gain recognition, the Mahfood flair attributed to his work also prevents some editors from hiring him.
That's okay for Mahfood, though, because with him what you see it what you get.
