Where were you born? Where did you grow up?
I was born in Paraná/Londrina, but I came here to São Paulo when I was 3 months old. I grew up in São Paulo!

Have you already taken a drawing course/art training?
Unfortunately I haven’t got the financial chance to study anything but the stuff I studied on a regular school. Everything I’ve learned up ‘til now (‘cause I keep learning with each and every test and work) was because I wanted to learn more and more and develop my art, so that it becomes more professional/commercial as possible.

How long have you been working professionally in comics?
I’ve been working with comics for a very little time, though I’m always practicing and making tests. But I have a long time experience in several styles of illustration for several editorial segments, that totalize almost 10 years.

In what things -- both in art and otherwise -- have you worked on besides comics? Are comics a full-time gig for you or part-time?
Like I said previously, I work more with illustration in several styles for products and magazines, whether for publishers or studios and publicity agencies. But I’ve already been a shoes salesman, visual designer (informative anime/manga magazine called Anime<Do), events coordinator and parties animator. However, the air I “breathe” in my life is drawing, is the manga. Besides loving what I do, wanting more and more to show my talent, I live each work, each art, each dream!

 

Talk about how you broke into the business -- Was it easy or hard? Did you get through ups and downs? Any interesting anecdotes? When you held your first published work in your hands, how did you feel?
It was really hard actually, ‘cause at the time I didn’t know anything about manga/anime. What I knew was what I used to watch on the TV (Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon and others). I didn’t even know what inking is. Then, because of a magazine I started to have meetings on the weekends, where many editors and illustrators were found and I started to get an idea about manga and anime. But I was in disadvantage in comparison with the talents I’d met at the meetings, so I had to practice a lot to recover the time I lost up ‘til then, ending up doing 15 diary illustrations for practicing. And after more or less two or three weeks, I was already publishing my very first illustration, and from that point on I haven’t stopped drawing anymore.
I’ve got through many ups and downs and I still get through this because of the fact the market is unstable here in Brazil.
About the anecdotes… the funny part of this is that with my works I’ve got much success and popularity, without even publishing a single popular comic book that I gave the professionals the impression that I’m an extremely busy person, with thousand of works and that charge high prices. That’s funny, because that’s not what happens (I wish that was true though).
When I got my first work published, I’ve got a mix of sensations, ‘cause at the same time that I felt proud of get started in the business, I was sure that I’d need to improve a lot and that was the moment that I got sure it was the thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Have you already worked as an assistant of any other artists? If so, please talk a bit about these experiences.
I actually worked as comic book penciller for a very famous title called Combo Rangers. It was a huge success over the internet, so the creator/penciller called Fabio Yabu invited me to work with him in his studio and he helped me a lot. He gave me tips about what he really wished for what I was doing. It was fabulous, because that was where I knew the much more commercial structure and I felt like I was really part of a team, where it had webdesigners, animators, colorists and pencillers and the magic everyone did over there. I learned a lot indeed! It was a sales success, so that it’s generated a new series.

How did your parents take the idea of working with comics?
Actually my mother has never approved it, because it’s not a profession that I could make a living of and that couldn’t give stability in my life, but also because of not believing that drawing is a form of work. Also, my father died when I was 5, so my mother had to play the tough role that was working a lot to sustain the house, my grandparents, my sister and I.

How would you describe your work environment? Is it part of your home,
or do you go "to the studio"?
I draw inside my head, so every space is a space. But the place where I really feel good to create and make art is in the room I transformed in a studio, where I have a DVD player, an old TV, a sound system, my mangas and of course a bottle of coffee!


What work are you proudest of? What's your most embarrassing?
I’m proud of all the works I’ve done, cause in a country where the Japanese culture was just exposed (I’m referring to animes/mangas), all the works I’ve created and published are a victory and a great conquest. I’m proud of all them, absolutely all them. I learned and I learn with all them.
The one I got most embarrassed was when I was a visual designer for Anime<Do magazine and I’ve got known nationally without knowing that. I attended to an event where I was chased by fans of my art, and they even wanted to cut my hand out to find out how I draw. I got so embarrassed, blushed, cause for me, I draw just like any other illustrator.

What are you currently drawing? Comments on that project?
I’ve been working with personal projects about various tales in manga style, intended to be published independently as artbooks, zines and products. But for my sustain, I’ve been doing hentai illustrations (even I don’t like the style that much) to be able to survive while my big chance doesn’t show up.

Talk about your family: Parents, siblings, home situation. Are you married? Do you have kids? What are their names? Do you have anecdotes about married life? How does it relate to your busy schedule? If you have kids, do they understand your job? What do they say about it? Do they read comics?
Like I said, either my mom and the rest of my family think that drawing is something you watch on the TV, something for kids that only works out with Walt Disney and in Japan. I’m married and yes, I take care of a house and two puppies (dog and cat). They appreciate it, but nothing else than that. And about an anecdote about my married life is that everyday is an anecdote, because only the ones who draw know the value of having peace, concentration for drawing. And that we need to be alone, but everyone is always messing me up, always! Ahhhhhhh! And no, they do not read comic books. If I give them, they rip it off!

What projects do you hope to work on in the future?
I feel like I’m able to work on everything as possible. Nowadays everything is so advanced, that I intend to learn how to animate either in 2D and 3D. I have the dream of working for Marvel and DC Comics, produce my tales and that they have success, make character designs for games, create collections for products, make cartoons, make illustration collaborations with other artists, show my art and with that break up the boundaries, work with CLAMP group, Joe Madureira, Scott Campbell, Walt Disney, Tokyo Pop. What I want is work, drawing manga and keep going like that ‘til I get old!

Where do you see yourself in five/ten years?
I don’t know where (though I hope I’m still alive, healthy and happy), but I know how I see myself: drawing of course! But I hope to see myself and being seen with works, recognizement, respect, admiration! And of course, success!


How big is the interest in comics in the place you live? Do your friends and neighbors know you make a living from comics? How do they react?
Here in Brazil, the interest is big, though the space for national illustrators is a rare thing, due to the American and Japanese titles that cover up more than 99% of the Brazilian market. Well, my neighbors don’t know what I do and I believe they don’t have interest in it, but my friends and family all know and appreciate it, only appreciate it! They pray for me and support me for I can make all my dreams come true and conquer all my projects!


Tell us one thing we'll always find in your refrigerator.
Fruit juice, but the first thing I always search for is coffee.

What's your favorite food?
Spaghetti with tomato sauce, basil and vegetables.

What are your favorite interests? (i.e.: movies, music, TV, sports, any other hobbies, etc)
I love horror and suspense movies, but I like everything a little actually. I’m currently in love with eastern movies and its cinematographic vision. Fantastic! I’m an ever romantic, so I’m moved by music and the divas voices that make my heart explode with too much emotion! I’m in love with Celine Dion, Maaya Sakamoto, Kotoko, CoCo Lee, Mònica Naranjo, Lara Fabian, Thalia and some more. I don’t usually watch TV, I use to see animes I own, Walt Disney classics, movies, and Brazilian comedies. Ah, but I love watching a Discovery Channel show called A Haunting. My hobby is walking out with my portable CD player and sports. Nowadays I walk more, but I already was a junior volleyball player.

Have you ever thought about writing your own stories?
Yes, I even have a few with several themes and segments where I look for being the more professional and commercial as possible, exploring strong points of the Japanese storytelling, with the American agility and objectivity. And this is one of my biggest dreams, to be able to publish my own tales!

Have you ever been in a gang?
Never. Only the volleyball fellows while I was a player. Now, after I turned myself into a professional illustrator, all the free time I have is for my family, friends and home, cause I work all the time, I produce a lot of stuff, so that when the chance comes, I’m prepared!

What an average day in your life is like? Walk us through a typical day.
Well, I wake up early, at around 7 am, sometimes at 6am. I prepare the breakfast for my family. I wash the dishes, put the clothes for washing, make the bed and then I take my dog for a walk (listening to music). At 8 am I come back home, set my videocassette to record The Justice League and The Justice League Unlimited and I start to prepare the lunch. At 9 I start working, at 1 pm I stop for having lunch, at 1:30/1:40 pm I get back to work and I only stop at 9 am to watch the drama on the TV. After that, I get back to work again and I go till 1 am. It’s usually like that, but when I have just a few work to do, I go to sleep earlier, or when the deadlines are tight, I record the drama and I watch it on the weekend, so I don’t have to stop drawing.

Do you have any humoristic or interesting anecdote about the comic book market to tell us?
The best anecdote is that the Brazilian market is American and Japanese nowadays. Does it has better anecdote than this one ?

Do you have any great unsold projects in your files that nobody's got to see published?
I do. Here are mine:

Devaneio – O Nascer de um Imortal – It’s a medieval story that tells about the meeting of souls, vengeances, big loves and huge battles for reigns and power (adult and detailed lines).

Titans in Hell – A shoujo tale where it shows a girl that finds out she has the power to destroy and save in each one of her hands. But she has lost her memory and she doesn’t know what option she chose and now she’s gonna find it out, since she has woken up. (teenager and female lines).

My Signs – My most cartoon tale about 12 girls of each zodiac sign that meet themselves in an only girls’ school, where they find out they’ll have a lot more to do but simply studying. To be approved they’ll need to face an Astral tournament with all the other signs and all the different astral forms (children’s lines, commercial, more directed to the Disney animations, but without any similarity).

The Fool Circus – That’s a special I have with the greed, selfishness and solitude as themes. This is something more poetic and I think of it as an one-shot book (adult and more refined lines, where I explore more the androgyny of men and the innocence of women).

Taking Chances (or Estrela Mágica) – This is a shoujo manga, for teenagers, where I talk about a girl who has in her hands the greatest chance of her life and she takes it, chasing her dreams, taking two friends with her, the search for her so dreamed great love and the meeting with a magic star that’ll make her live moving adventures! Besides she’s kind of a crazy girl!

New Alliance – Since I love Justice League, I created this tale as a tribute. The world finds out that all the superheroes and villains died, without even knowing the reason why. A great mystery. But, no one has known this heroes had disciples, people up till then ordinary (teenagers) that now have to become adults and heroes of a world, confronting all the problems the villains disciples have caused. (Manga comics style)

Catx – This is a tale I made in tribute of my favorite cartoons, Thundercats and X-Men. It’s a group of teenagers that find out the spheres of life of the ancient legendaries Gatos Trovões, the cats that had habited a long time ago the Third World and for coincidence they find it out under the laboratory of the university campus. But at the moment they set these cats spirits free, they also set a frightening mummy free. Each sphere has besides the cat spirit, mutation X powers. The frightening mummy spirit embodies an innocent kid, a sweet girl and these teenagers will have to save her getting back to the past and setting the girl free from the spirit. They only have 7 days to do that, otherwise the mummy spirit will take the girl’s body forever (detail, this girl is the younger sister of the boy that had the spirit of Lion of fire).

If you weren't a comic-book artist today, what would you be?
I’d certainly be a volleyball player, even being small for that (1,82cm).

Have you ever taught anyone comic book art or had any assistants? If so, talk about that.
I teach art and I learn art in every single work I do. And I’ve never had an assistant. I’ve always worked by myself and I miss working with a team, help, assistants, cause I can produce lot of stuff, but the finishing takes a lot more of time and with help it’d go faster!

The thing you'd most like to be remembered for in your life is...
For I had been a human being that believes a lot, that will never give up on his dreams and that have fought a lot to show his work the best way as possible.

 

LIST OF CREDITS:

Covers and illustrations:

Pokémon Club official magazines (all them)
Card Captor Sakura official magazines
Herói informative magazines
Animenation magazines
Anime>Do magazines
Anime>Do Especial
Anime>Do calendar
Henshin magazines
Neoanimation magazine
Nintendo World magazine
Aniparo magazines
Dragão Brasil magazine
Venice Magazine
Drop’s Magazine
Hiper Comics magazine
Animax magazine
Smack magazine
Todinha Sua magazine
Holy Avenger magazine

Several works:

Dragon Ball Z Cards Box (drew all the cards)
Coloring and cutting magazine (paper dolls to dress up)
Card Captor Sakura
Hentai Master illustrative magazine
2 hentai comic books (Hentai Master magazine)
Dojinshi illustrative pocket book
Classical Tales pocket books (Pinocchio, The Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Chicken of The Golden Eggs, Cinderela, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs).
Musical illustrative magazines (Sandy & Júnior, Hanson, Backstreet Boys, Thalia)
Illustration for Kanetsu fanzine
Illustration for Visões Heróicas (Thundercats and She-ra) for an exhibition in an anime/manga event.
Mascots creation for Anime Festival SP/Santos and Belo Horizonte event
Mascots creation of famous groups and singers for magazines of the same genre
Mascots creation of the professionals for publisher
Characters creation for the column Signos em Ação of the Smack magazine (the most successful column of the magazine)
Comic books of the great internet success Combo Rangers
Comedy comic book Hiper Comics
Stamps/Characters creation for products line for babies for China
Creation of a character called Mônika for a nightdress line for teenagers of the brand Jogê
Banner creation of the year 2000 for an university, symbolizing technology
CD cover creation (characters) for a pop/rock group called Doutor Góris
Stamps creation for t-shirts (band characters transformed in manga) for a pop group marketing.
Huge poster of Herói magazine with all the most famous animes in Brazil (illustration and layout are mine)
Haircuts posters for a hair saloon in ABC
Cartoon art exhibition in two decorated spaces of a decoration event in ABC (Casa & Arte Decoração)
Mascots creation for a lan house
Character creation for an educational book for a multinational company called EDS-Ilustrações and hentais illustrations for erotic websites (more than 500 illustrations)
Pokemon movie release poster