Tadd Galusha [Interview]

Hello Folks! I am so very excited to share this interview with you all today. And it is not only because we are featuring our very first comic book artist and we always love to break into new territory here at Trainwreck’d Society, but it’s more about WHO the artist is himself. It’s Tadd Galusha, Everyone!

For long time followers and/or readers of TWS, you know we have had a very close affiliation with one of the finest podcasts in existence, the wonderful Super Geeky Play Date. We worked on some duel coverage of another acclaimed comic book artist’s, Kevin Eastman, Kickstarter campaign for his book Drawing Blood. And I had the distinct honor of appearing on the show shortly after the release of the masterpiece/absolute disaster (depending on which host you ask) that was The Last Jedi in December of ’17. I love this podcast so damn much, and am always excited when it pops up on my Laughable playlist.

So of course I had to do an interview with their mortal enemy.

Well, to be fair, Tadd is only the enemy of one of the show’s host, who shall remain nameless (for now, keep reading), which may or may not revolve around the idea that he has been forced into an open relationship with his “podcast wife” Big Sexy Bry Fieri (a.k.a. Bryan Bales) and Galusha, as Bry and Tadd host the also brilliant comic book (and more!) centric podcast Blue Tiger. Tadd has made some amazing appearances on SGPD that are also not to be missed.

Hailing from the northwestern region of the United States, Tadd Galusha is a comic illustrator and writer currently living in southcentral Alaska. He has worked for numerous publishers including IDW, Oni Press, Dark Horse, Critical Entertainment, and Western Horseman. When not in the studio, Tadd can be found wandering the Chugach Mountain Range with his malamute, Nikita. His current publication is Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers for IDW. Cretaceous, written and illustrated by Tadd Galusha, will be released by Oni Press on March 26th, 2019.

We are so excited to check out Cretaceous, and most likely share it with you all here, and we are so happy that Tadd was able to take some time out of his busy schedule to share some words with us here today. He’s a hell of a nice guy (despite what one SGPD host who is not named Metal Mattson might say), and we know you are going to love this interview.

So Folks, please enjoy this incredible interview with the brilliant artist, Tadd Galusha!

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When did you first discover your passion for comic book illustration? Was it a skill and drive you picked up as a youth, or did you just happen to find yourself in the world of comic books one day?

I didn’t discover a love for comics until later in youth, some time during my college studies at Washington State University. I always read comics from time to time and was an absolute Captain America fan. I never missed an issue after discovering Cap Wolf in a grocery store in Columbus, Nebraska (life changing experience for a 6 year old. Not the strongest of the Cap runs, but it holds a special place in my heart. I was always drawing as a kid, so looking back it was inevitable that I would end up doing what I do now. 

What was your very first paid gig as an artist? And where there any lessons learned from that project that still impact your work to this day?

My very first paid gig, as in professional gig, was while I was in my second year of art school. I was hired by some design company to illustrate images and designs for MMA t-shirts out in New York. It was when Affliction and Tapout were popular. Honestly I can hardly remember the gig. I just remember that I got paid practically nothing and they constantly wanted revisions and stuff. I ended up quitting by the start of the next school year. Lesson learned: know when to walk away from a shitty employer. There are other gigs to be found.

 What are some common traits that you tend to look for when you are considering a project that is being offered to you? What are some “must have” elements that you prefer to have when taking on a new project?

I try to find projects that are good stories and have a budget that justifies the amount of work that it’s going to take in creating this thing, as in visually bring it to life. As a commercial or professional artist, unfortunately, it comes down to the budget. This is how you pay your bills and sometimes even the companies that hire don’t quite put that together. So it might be the greatest story ever written, but you have to pass because you’ll be homeless in month trying to meet their demands. I try and make a balance.  I have the work that satisfies my life and the work that satisfies my soul. Ultimately the goal is to combine those two into one…. I’m working on it.

 The comic book industry seems to be another sector that seems to be moving towards being showcased more in a digital space. As an independent illustrator having worked in the business a number of years, and have worked on digital based projects, what are your thoughts on this manner. Are we destined to see physical comic books go the way of vinyl records, and just be a rarity that some people are avid collectors of?

Good question. I think comics are already like vinyl. The really good stuff you have to have on your shelf so you can pull it out now and then and just take in its beautiful existence because it does something for you on an existential level. The digital stuff is great too because it’s there for instant reading and if you really like it the collection is always available. Both platforms are incredibly important and valuable. The biggest thing about digital is as an artist you can do what you want now. You can negate the validation of a publisher and still cultivate a solid viable readership. It puts everything on you as a creator, but you own everything, the potential is limitless.

What would you consider to be the most challenging, yet rewarding, project that you have done thus far in your career?

The most rewarding thing I’ve done up to this point is Cretaceous, which will be released March 26^th, for multiple reasons. I wrote and did all of the art and Oni Press helped make it a reality in supporting the project and releasing it out into the wild. It feels like a bit of a “Rocky” moment for me. I had some big, big names early on when I was writing and loosely pitching the idea around tell me “it wasn’t marketable”, “it was a waste of time,” “ it needed jungle babes,” (I kid you not). Basically I was told NO early on, so it was a form of vindication to have Oni Press come aboard and say “YES, we see what you’re doing here, lets do this!”

 Can you tell our readers a bit about the podcast that you co-host with friend of TWS, Bryan Bales entitled Blue Tiger Podcast? How did the name and concept of this fine program come about?

Blue Tiger Podcast! It’s something that Big Bry and I do for fun. We just chew the fat on weird news and what’s going on in the world of comics. How’d we get the name? Go read up on the Maltese Tiger. A rare and magnificent creature, does it exist? Some say it does, deep in the eastern forests of the Taiga. That’s us, possibly existing deep within the metaphorical forests of pop culture.

Who is your least favorite podcast host and why is it Brady Berserker from Super Geeky Play Date? 

I don’t like to name names, but my least favorite SGPD podcaster is this guy (Brady) who really thinks he knows what’s going on, but hasn’t got a clue (Brady B.). The dude operates with the surgical proficiency of a chimpanzee with a shot gun. I never know what he’s talking about, his co-hosts don’t know what he’s taking about, I could go on…. But I don’t like to insult people or name names (Brady Berserker… B.R.A.D.Y.). He tries, so I’ll give him that. Luckily he has amazing co-hosts to steer the ship and provide quality content.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug to our readers?

Well, I’ve got a couple things in the fire, so to speak. Cretaceous comes out in March. I’ll be releasing a daily web comic starting the end of [this month], as well as bringing back my web comic, The Backwoods , for Volume 2. Both comics will be 100% free over at my site: TADDGALUSHA.COM. I’ll be linking them to a Patreon for the first time, so if people like the comics and want to help support it they can and I will just provide more and more content. I’ve been writing and developing a bunch of different concepts over the last couple of years and I’d like to start getting them out there. So we’ll see. The more support, the more content I can create. I just want to tell stories.

What was the last thing that made you smile? 

The last thing that made me smile? Probably my wife, she’s a secret comedian behind closed doors. A regular Maltese tiger of hilarity.

To check out more work work from Tadd and to get your own copy of Cretaceous this March for yourself, find details at taddgalusha.com.

And be sure to check out the Blue Tiger Podcast, available on iTunes, but also available on the far superior podcast app, Laughable.