ROBERTA PARES
 
 

Name:Roberta Pares Massensini 
Position/Job Description: Penciler

     
FEATURED ARTWORKS
 
 
 

INTERVIEW  

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?  
 
 I was born in Campinas - SP, but I was raised in  Itatiba - SP. 

Schooling? Art training?  
 
No. But I received a scholarship in 99,at the Mangacon’s contest , however I didn’t finish the course due to health and family’s problems.

How long have you been working professionally in comics?  
 
 I don’t consider myself as a professional, but I have art works that were published in some magazines, initially the Figther Dolls, but I believe that Tsunami, in 2004, was the real beginnig.

What things -- both in art and otherwise -- have you worked on besides comics? Are comics a full-time gig for you or part-time?  
So..my first profession is bank clerk, as a banking attendant. The art works I’ve done, as ilustrations and comics were all done after my regular working period. Weekends, vacations, holydays and at night... 

Talk about how you broke into the business --was it easy? Hard? Ups? Downs? Any interesting anecdotes? When you held your first published work in your hands, how did you feel? 
 Well, I never saw myself as a penciller, eventhough because lacks me a lot to be called such like this. It’s hard to enter the market, since for us amateurs there’s a lot of resistance, and also, we barely know where nor how to show our portfolios and this kind of thing. The first step is complicated. I was lucky because friends helped me at the first step, believed in my potential. To see an art work being published is a great joy, no matter how small it is. It seems surreal in my case. It’s even better when people like it, because it impels you to go farther and to believe in yourself.

Did you work as an assistant to any other artists? If so, please talk a bit about those experiences.
No, I’ve never had such experience.

How did your parents take to the idea of working in comics? How would you describe your workspace? Is it part of your home,  
or do you go "to the studio"?
 
 
My parents, such as me, didn’t think that I could enter in this market. Well, and considering the little valuation of the professionals in my country, nor if it’s possible to live by doing it. There were many times when they told me to let it go, that it wouldn’t bring me any return and that that I should enjoy my free time with another thing, that didn’t consume me so much. But I like drawing, so I keep on doing it, trying, even doing this for me or friends. But to say that I had dreams of fame, well, I didn’t, I guess my fett are way too much on the ground. But my parents were always proud of me and of my art works... 
Well, I don’t properly have a space. Sometimes the kitchcen table, over here next to the computer, or, most of the times on the ground. I’ve never worked on a studio.

What job are you the proudest of? What's your most embarrassing? 
 
More proud of...well, I guess I’m not on that stage yet, of getting proud of soomething I’ve done.  What gets closer to this is the serie Dungeon Crawlers, because I had more pages to work on and to perfect it, to put my efforts on it. More ashamed, I guess it was a story of Fighter Dolls, there were just four pages, but it was all made in 1 day, with no script, only just with some points talked by telephone. So it wasn’t possible to make something better...

What are you currently drawing? Comments on that project? 
 
I did an art work to F.L.Suzuki, a cover and some illustrations to his book that was published last december. I also did two other illustrations for his promotion. Apart form that, just tests.

Talk about your family: Parents, siblings, home situation. Are you married? Have kids? Names? Anecdotes about married life, how it relates to your busy schedule, etc. If you have kids do they understand your job? What do they say about it? Do they read comics?  

I’m single and live at my parents’ house, now, only with my mother, with two brothers. Recently (march of 2006) my father past away due to an esophagus cancer...it is being a very difficult period in our lives, it was very suffering for him, in every way; we were always by his side and kept our hope untill the end, but there was no solution...it’s a very tuff  and sad disease...there were two years since the discovery and my father was a fighter, had so much streghts that surpassed the doctor’s expectations. He was a very strong and determined person. We miss him a lot, and ended up very depressed. We’re moving on. Most of my art works reduction is due to that, since I had no more spirit, focus, to draw. Now I’m getting back. I hope to get better to help my family, and also to grow and to become a good professional.

What projects do you hope to work on in the future?  

I’d like to work in a bigger series, to learn more and more. After all, only with rythm of work we can develop our work and grow.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?  
 
I guess I look for to live more the present, because we don’t know how tomorrow’s going to be. We’ve got to live the present, to have fun and work as well, because tomorrow it might be late. 

What is the interest in comics where you live? Do friends and neighbors know you draw comics for a living? How do they react?  
 
Around here, in my town, I don’t see many people interested on that; I like manga a lot, but I don’t know people that enjoy this type of reading such as me. Even so, my co-workers (at the bank) get impressed when they get knowing I draw (well, for them, laypeople, what I do is to draw) and keep asking me why don’t I leave my job to live doing this, since for them I’m really good. My friends live in other cities, and we have a lot in common, they love manga, many of them draw, so they always give me their support. And a lot of support, because if it was different, maybe I wouldn’t even try to go farther than the fanarts.

What's 1 thing you'll always find in your refrigerator? 
Cold water. =P
 
What's your favorite food? 
 
 Candies, ice cream, cakes...pizza...pasta...but, I can’t keep on eating that, because I’ve got to get in shape.

What are your favorite interests --Movies? Music? TV? Any hobbies? Sports? 
 
I’d rather like thrillers and comedies, animations can’t get out of my list as well. Music, depends on the ocasion, I don’t like anything in particular. I almost don’t watch T.V, just part of the shows, soap operas, the news, animations. My favorite hobby is to draw.
 
Have you ever thought of writing your own stories? 

Yes, but it’s complicated to write something good and I feel I can’t do that. However it’s nice to put your characters in a story, althogh mines don’t ever leave my head and go to the paper.  

Ever been in a gang? 

Hehehe...no, I practically don’t leave my house.
 
What's an average day in your life like? Walk us through a typical day. 
Well, actually I get up at 6 A.M and I walk for an hour. I take a shower, change my clothes, have breakfast (but not always) and go to work. There’re times when I work 8 hours a day (9 including lunch time), so I get back home around 6/7 P.M. There’re times I work 6 hours a day, starting at 11 A.M untill 5 P.M. So, in the middle time, I help my mother with the house dues, or advance some rough drafts or ink when there’s work to do (at lunch time, when I work 8 hours a day I use my time to do that too). When I get back I take a shower, I have supper, spend sometime at the P.C and drawing, or just drawing, when there’s something to be delivered and finally I go to bad around 10 P.M (except when there’s a lot of work to do and I’ve to be awake untill 2 A.M in case I can make it).
 
Do you have any great, unsold projects in your files that nobody's gotten to see published?

I don’t think so, but Dungeon produced by me was never released.
Do you have any funny or interesting anecdote to tell about the COMIC’S market?

Oh, I don’t know any. Except that I’m so lucky that every art work is to be done for yesterday, and when I need the P.C (generally for painting), the program always gets some problem, I loose files and have to restart it all over again.

Full list of published credits:
Ilustrations for the book “Toshio – Knight’s disciple, Manga Mania Magazine (about “how to draw”), “Fighter Dolls”, “Tokio defensors”, illustrations to “Tormenta” from Talisma and to Dragon Slavers from Manticora. Participations in fanzines such as “Kanetsu”, “Ethora” and “Tsunami”, private comissions.
If you weren't a comic-book artist today, what would you be? 

Hehehe, a bank clerk? 

Have you taught comic-book art or had any assistants? If so, talk about that. 
 
No, nothing like that.

 
The single thing you'd most like to be remembered for in your life is...? 
 
Maybe for being a good person, honest and worthy.

 
Any closing words for your fans?

Hehehe, to whom? Oh, I’m sorry, if there’s any, all I’ve to say is: Thank you very much for enjoying my work! I’ll strengthen myself for everyone to keep on enjoying it. Thank you very much, sincerely.



IMAGES  

Below are works done by the artist. 

Click thumbnails to view full image

PENCILS - COVERS AND PIN UPS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
           
  SEQUENTIALS  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
           
           
           
 
To inquire about Artist availability and rates, please contact david@glasshousegraphics.com

 Dead links? Please report to webmaster@glasshousegraphics.com

Copyright © 2007 Glass House Graphics , Inc. All rights reserved.