Azurek Studios Stefano Cardoselli gets the IndieCreator Interview this week. Find out more about this Studio and Stefano as Bob Heske delivers another great article.

IndieCreator:   Insights from a Newbie Comic Creator & Other Industry Pros

This is a series of bi-weekly columns by Bob Heske @ Heske Horror, creator of The Night Projectionist and Cold Blooded Chillers, featuring interviews and insights from indie comic artists, writers, creators, distributors and visionaries.

10 Questions with Stefano Cardoselli @ Azurek Studios

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Hailing from Italy, the talented and creative tandem of Stefano Cardoselli and Rita Gorgoni have pumped out quality work and built up a fanbase under their Azurek Studios shingle. Ms. Gorgoni, a writer/artist/colorist who is also married to Cardoselli, serves as Azurek's Editor in Chief while Stefano runs wild as artist extraordinaire. Stefano's resume covers a wide spectrum of impressive clients including Heavy Metal Magazine, 2000AD, Antarctic press, DC Comics, King Tractor press, Resolution comics, Chimaera Studios , Free Books and Studio 407. We caught up with Stefano over a bowl of pasta and a bottle of 2000 Bourdeux (not really, but wishful thinking). Here's what's on his mind and what's fresh and forthcoming from Stefano and Azurek:

1.      Tell us about Azurek Studios - what's your philosophy, what makes you stand out?

(SC:) It was 1998, my last year at the School for Comics in Rome when Rita and  I thought of forming a studio with all of our thoughts and our rules completely independent of certain mechanisms. Azurek Studios officially began in 2001 with the release of our  first story published in Heavy Metal Magazine's Summer Special.  

2.      We share "Six Degrees of Studio 407"; me with my vampire OGN The Night Projectionist, and yourself with Helix. Helix is about a Priest who is a former "rock star" exorcist who, through a freak accident, has his soul attached to a Demonic Legion. This story has a great "ticking time bomb" where every time the Priest uses his supernatural powers he is "one step closer to Hell." What was the inspiration for this book? Any chance it will find its way to film? 

3.      You just came out with a new book called PIECES written by Rita Gorgoni with art by yourself. What was the genesis of this project, and what can we expect to see in future issues? 

(SC:)  First of all Rita and I want to send a special thanks to Brian and Scott at Resolution Comics for all their hard work. With their help and support, we were able to realize Pieces and bring it to life. Simply fantastic guys! I love Pieces. Rita wrote this two issue mini-series in a way that is absolutely fascinating and not so obvious. I was immediately captured by the story of the characters. I tried to create the unhealthy air that you breathe in from that world captured by Rita's script. The first issue is already available or you can request it by contacting Resolution Comics ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). We're working on the second issue now.   
  

4.      You have an impressive resume of work that you've completed for other publishers such as Heavy Metal Magazine, Blue Water Productions, Alterna, Chimera Studios and the aforementioned Studio 407. Tell us about some of these books. 

(SC:)  I owe everything to Kevin Eastman at Heavy Metal. He has always believed in our stories. We've got some short stories and a few books in production for Heavy Metal right now, but I can't say more.

For Blue Water I just finished number two of Styx and Stone and now I'm working on number three. It's nice to work with Darren. He gives me the artistic freedom I need. Then for Studio 407, there's 100 Points of Hate, a pulp story set in a city called Insana.

5.      Wow! That's a lot of irons in the fire. What's cooking right now? 

(SC:)  For Studio 407 100 Points of Hate is now in the process of being colored, as is Zombie Ritual. Then we're finishing up the second and third issues of Forgotten 22. I'm also completing a submission to an End Times anthology called 2012: Final Prayer for Heske Horror - which is how we hooked up for this interview! There is no time to be bored.  

6.      Of all the things you've done, what book is your personal favorite? 

(SC:)   I definitely prefer The Disco Brothers released by Heavy Metal Magazine and Pieces for Resolution Comics.  

7.      Which artists inspired you  growing up, and who do you model yourself after today? 

(SC:)  Simon Bisley and all his works. Geof Darrow and Travis Charest are continuous sources of inspiration, not to mention Richard Corben.

8.      What does the fishbone artwork on your website symbolize?

(SC:) The logo of Azurek Studios was inspired by the central concept upon which Azurek City (where I set all the stories that appear in Heavy Metal) is based: a dark, unhealthy, polluted and corrupt city, but from which one cannot escape because it creates dependence on the Fish Bone as a rejection of a society in revolt. Completely crazy. 

9.      What's your 5-year business plan? Are you going to focus on print or move to the web and digital content?

(SC:)  Print media has a fascination. An essential perfume attraction, in my opinion. But whether paper or web, it doesn't matter. The important thing is to spread Azurek.   
 

10.       Final chance to promote yourself. Where can people buy your work and find out more about Azurek Studios?

(SC:)  Surely! Visit www.azurekstudios.com and click the "books" link on the left hand navigation menu. Pieces is the No. 1 comic in the store, and it is prominent on our home page (you can also order Pieces from Resolution Comics). Come check out our work!   

Bonus Question: What 3-4 comics would you tuck away to pass on to future generations of comic book fans? 

(SC:)  Sin City by Frank Miller, LOBO by Simon Bisley, Hardboiled by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow.

Bob Heske is creator of The Night Projectionist, a vampire horror series by publisher Studio 407 with film rights optioned by Myriad Pictures. Through his Heske Horror shingle, Bob self-published his critcially acclaimed horror series Cold Blooded Chillers. Bob's trade paperback Bone Chiller (a "best of" CBC anthology) recently won a Bronze medal in the horror category at the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards. His is currently working on an End Times anthology called "2012: Final Prayer."  You can email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .