An Interview with Master Illustrator Bill Pulkovski
Bill Pulkovski is a master. His work, commissioned by the likes of Marvel, Disney and Lucasfilm (aren’t they all part of the same damn octopus?) for trading cards, home-goods, and countless other forms of promotion through countless forms of media, is immediately reminiscent of the sharp, classical, painted imagery of Drew Struzan. Who’s Drew Struzan? Only an amazing artist responsible for the iconic Star Wars movie posters and promotional images etched onto the collective psyches of 70s-born Star Wars fans! Anyway, enough about Struzan; this article is about Bill Pulkovski, a modern painter and illustrator providing glorious demonstrations of high art utilizing our most beloved science fiction staples. Head on over to billpulkovski.com and follow him on twitter @billpulkovski for the full expanse of his creative output. But first….the interview!
At the Wizard World convention in Philadelphia, PA, I caught up with Bill and begged him to answer a few questions regarding his artistic beginnings, his interests, and his past, current, and future artistic endeavors.
Hello, Bill! Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me today. Firstly, tell me a little bit about how you got started, and how you became interested in producing this amazing sci-fi artwork!
“I always enjoyed drawing; I always enjoyed art as a kid, and it just grew. I actually got laid off from my day job back in ’09 which gave me the opportunity to do this full time. And ever since then, it’s been great. I’ve been working on projects for LucasFilm, for Marvel, a lot of trading cards, a lot of illustration that I’m able to provide, and it’s been amazing.”
Your art is truly amazing. I mean, truly. Have you gone to school for this, or is this natural talent?
“I did go to school, I went to a local school back in Michigan called Macomb College; I’m also a teacher there now. I’ve been teaching there for probably the past 5 years.”
So, were you always a Star Wars fan?
With a little hesitation, Bill answered, “Uh..yeah, you could say that. The toys, obviously, when I was a child. Y’know, the toys were amazing, the movies are great.”
Okay, let’s have it. What was your favorite Star Wars movie?
“My favorite Star Wars movie is Return of the Jedi because that’s what I saw in the theater. I know it’s not everyone else’s favorite but it’s the one I enjoy.”
So, about how long does it take you to do a piece? I mean, they’re ridiculously intricate!
“That can vary depending on the complexity and the project. But a couple hours to a couple days.”
Wow, that’s not long at all! Some of these look like several months of painstaking effort!
Now, because I was contemplating having a personal piece commissioned featuring my likeness perched on the Force-choked neck of Admiral Motti, I had to ask about pricing.
What’s the average cost…Like, if you’re doing a piece for someone, what’s the average cost for a piece?
“That also varies depending on whether or not it’s a private collector, or a publisher. Prices can rage anywhere from $40 to $500.”
And you said you’ve done work for Marvel and Star Wars…What was it again, you said you did trading cards and….?
“Trading cards, mostly a lot of sketch cards, some base cards for Marvel, DC, Star Wars. I’ve done some work for Firefly, a lot of movie properties. It’s the whole gamut; it runs the whole gamut.”
Now, has anyone ever asked you to do interior art for a comic book?
“Yes, actually we’re working on interior work for a comic. I’m part of {inaudible} Studios and we’re putting out a book called Odd Tales. It’s about a curio shop and the items in this book have a strange past, so it’s a bit of an anthology but it’s all tied in together. We have different creative teams working on it and I’m working on a story with writer Gary Reed.”
Again, head on over to billpulkovski.com and follow him on twitter @billpulkovski for the full expanse of his creative output!