Matt C Stokes’ key Inspirations!

Thu 27 Mar 2014 by Amy_Rogers

Matt C Stokes

1 Daniel G Clowes
One of my favourite graphic novelists, creator of the awesome Ghost World (pictured). He marries the melancholy, the mundane and the comedic very well. He also did the amazing Art School Confidential as part of his comic Eightball. See his work here. I'm also a massive fan of Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb, Chris Ware, Chester Brown, Joe Matt & Jeffrey Brown...but it'd be boring just to have 10 comic writers & artists.

2 Brighton
A cliche, but I'm very lucky to live here. Stuff comes to us. Creativity is on our doorstep. How motivational do I sound!?! Here's an illustration I did about Brighton, simply because I don't want to find a rubbish one off the internet.

3 Philip K Dick

Got a good idea? He already had it. I love his books so much. Am trying to limit my reading of them so as I haven't actually read them all yet. He's the great mind behind all those awesome films: Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly...and even Paycheck with Ben Affleck...

4 Morrissey
I don't take myself too seriously, but when I do, I like to be brought back down to earth by someone who thinks far too much of themselves...

 

5 Sci Fi O Rama
A great blog on science fiction art, Sci Fi O Rama features beautiful book cover illustrations created for throwaway fiction in some cases, and great concept art and storyboards. It showcases lots of great work by the likes of Ralph McQuarrie and Moebius. Spaceship porn - great for putting off doing actual work.

 

6 Running
It is good to do something else other than illustration. It gets me away from the desk and clears the cobwebs from my brain. Running my second marathon this year. The views are the inspiring bit, not the aching.

7 Chris Achilleos
I love this guy's illustrations, and look through his books when I'm stuck in a rut. Check out his website here.

8 Toys
I can never take a toy to the charity shop. This one would certainly never go to a charity shop, Jimmy Corrigan from Chris Ware's masterpiece. I keep everything, and the toys I have dotted around my flat inspire me. When I die it will be because I've been suffocated by the mountain of action figures that I call my home.

9 Blade Runner
The best film ever. "It's too bad she won't live, but then again who does?" I could watch this on repeat. In fact I think I've been having Deckard's dream recently.

10 Erik Satie
When in a rut I put on his tub-thumping beats, they provide all the inspiration I could need, other than the other 9 points listed in this article. Obviously.

 

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