INK TO PAPER: ROB STULL

Interview Terrell “ReaLife” Black Photograph Rob Stull

Growing up many of us were comic book fanatics and chances are it carried over into most of our adult lives. Either you were watching Saturday morning cartoons, reading comic books, playing with your favorite superhero’s action figures or even pretending to be them and fighting off the bad guys yourself. Nowadays, the same comic books that we grew up on are top crossing movies at the box office. Yet other than Stan Lee and Todd McFarlane, I can’t say that I’m familiar with any other comic book artists, let alone one that looks like me. But black comic book contributors really do exist! Rob Stull has over 20 years in the comic book world and has worked with every major publisher in the industry, including Marvel Entertainment Group, DC Comics and Warner Brothers. From a young age drawing seemed to come easy for him and with the support of his family he was able to perfect his natural God given talent. This led to him making a living doing what he loves. Validated recently spoke with Rob Stull to learn how this illustrator got to where he is today. The veteran also educated me on other black comic book contributors, the connection between comic books and hip hop culture and more.

VALIDATED: What's your earliest memory of hip hop culture?

ROB STULL: I was about 11 or 12 years of age. At that time, I saw aspects of the culture without knowing exactly what it was. I remember seeing a news expose on television about gang culture in New York. The program followed two rival gangs that would battle and “break” as a non-violent alternative to resolving their differences. It blew my mind, and this was several years before Hip-Hop was formerly introduced to the world. I also had relatives that lived in NY. I would visit my older sister in Queens and take the 7 train to her neighborhood. Along the trip, I would see all the rooftop graffiti. Those rooftops were like art galleries to me. I was captivated by all of this. But, it wasn’t until later that I connected everything (all the individual elements) together as part of a much more powerful thing. That’s when my life changed.

VALIDATED: Artists run in your family, but at what point did your artistic talents start to surface?

ROB STULL: Once again, I was very young. My father was an architect and the founder of his own firm. My mother was a dancer, and my uncles taught art on the university level. So, art was all around me from day one. The energy was undeniable. I have no conscious memory of the precise moment I picked up a pencil or pen for the first time. I just remember I was always drawing, on everything, constantly.

VALIDATED: You’re an accomplished illustrator, curator, penciler, inker, designer and creator of comic books with over 2 decades in the industry. I’ve got to ask, are blacks prevalent in the comic book industry?

ROB STULL: Yes, we are. I’m no longer active in the mainstream industry, but when I began to pursue work in comics in the early 90s, I wrongly assumed that we weren’t prevalent. I met artists whose work I followed, but had no idea were black. Artists like Larry Stroman, Kyle Baker, Steven Hughes, Malcom Davis, Keith Williams, Hannibal King, Denys Cowan and many others. These artists, at the time, were working on books like the X-Men, Batman and Black Panther. It was very inspiring. It was also reaffirming that there was a potential space for me at the table, but I had to earn my own seat.

This experience planted the seeds for my exhibit series “Sequential Art: The Next Step” in 1994. The Next Step was a first of its kind traveling exhibit spotlighting the contributions of African-Americans to mainstream comic book art and popular culture. The exhibit traveled from 1994 to 2003 and showcased over one hundred original works of art by fifteen different artists.

VALIDATED: Who are some of the black comic book artists who’ve paved the way for the next generation?

ROB STULL: I mentioned some of the artists that inspired me earlier in my comics career. Artists from my generation (and a few younger ones) that I believe had a tremendous influence on the next generation are Brian Stelfreeze, Dawud Anyabwile, Jason Pearson, Keron Grant, Sanford Greene, Khary Randolph, Afua Richardson, Ashley Woods and so many others. The community is vast, and there’s natural acknowledgement, support and respect shared amongst all of us.

VALIDATED: Can you recall when your passion for art began to surface?

ROB STULL: When I was a baby. I was drawing as far back as I can remember. I got serious about it around the third or fourth grade. By the time I was in high school I knew I wanted to pursue a career in art.

VALIDATED: Have you had any art education or are you self-taught?

ROB STULL: Both. I always had a natural ability to draw. It came easy to me, and started when I was very young. I also attended art school as a graphic design and illustration major. I’m a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA. In a lot of ways, my art school days were some of the best moments of my life. A lot of exploration and stepping outside of my comfort zone. I truly evolved as an artist while in school.

VALIDATED: You’re the founder of “Ink On Paper.” What can you tell us about it?

ROB STULL: “Ink On Paper” was inspired by my years of work in publishing, graphic design and advertising. In those industries, in one way or another, the printed/published page is literally a form of ink on paper. I also considered it an identity for myself within the comic book industry. I had my logo made into a rubber stamp, and stamped the back of all the artwork I produced for the various comic book companies I worked with. It was a way of standing out, or separating myself from hundreds of other talented artists.

VALIDATED: You’ve worked for Marvel, Image and DC comics, what were those experiences like?

ROB STULL: Amazing experiences! I was the ultimate comic book nerd when I was a kid. I even created my own comics in the third grade, and sold them to my classmates at recess. So, naturally I collected all the industry staples like Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Black Panther, The X-Men, Batman, JLA, etc. To finally realize a childhood dream and see my name on titles like that was a huge deal for me.

VALIDATED: Which well-known comics have you worked on?

ROB STULL: My first mainstream superhero work was with Marvel in the early 90s. It was an issue of “What-If” featuring the Hulk. I was inking legendary artist Larry Stroman’s pencils, and taking way too long on each page. I didn’t care. It was my first superhero gig and I didn’t want to disappoint. Shortly after that, I received my first full-time assignment on a Spider-Man title with industry veteran and long-time Spidey artist Alex Saviuk. In the years to follow, I bounced back and forth between Marvel and DC and worked on Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Force, Deadpool, Batman, Nightwing, Firestorm, Wonder Woman, JLA, The Legion of Superheroes and a ton of one-shots and guest spots, too numerous to mention. I also worked with additional publishers, Image, Crusade, Aspen, Top Cow, Lion Forge, Dark Horse and others.

VALIDATED: How many people does it take to complete a comic book from start to finish, typically?

ROB STULL:

1. Writer

2. Penciler

3. Inker

4. Colorist

5. Letterer

6. Editor

VALIDATED: What does art and freedom of expression mean to you?

ROB STULL: Everything. I’m completely at peace when I’m creating. Even if I’m struggling with something. When you’re producing art for yourself, as opposed to the work you would produce for a publisher, you have greater sense of freedom. The sky is the limit.

VALIDATED: In your opinion what’s the relationship between comics and hip hop culture?

ROB STULL: Hip-Hop is a global cultural phenomenon created by American urban youth, which transcends race, class and gender. Comic books are a staple of American popular culture. The two are intrinsically connected.

VALIDATED: How has art and hip-hop influenced your life?

ROB STULL: I was born into an artist lifestyle by way of my family. All praises due to my mother and father. They saw the spark and made the conscious decision to guide me in the right direction.

Hip-Hop was this huge juggernaut that totally dominated my youth. Subsequently, as an adult, it’s infused into everything I do.

VALIDATED: You created a visual response to “Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation.” How did the collaboration come about?

ROB STULL: In 2019 I was commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as the first African-American artist-in-residence, along with fellow MFA Boston artist-in-residence Rob “Problak” Gibbs. We developed the “The Mural Project,” a multipart project highlighting the intergenerational connections and importance of youth participation in cultivating Hip-Hop culture.

My residency work with the museum was in conjunction with the first-ever exhibition to feature the late Jean-Michel Basquiat in Boston, and featured additional artists A-One, ERO, Fab 5 Freddy, Futura, Keith Haring, Kool Koor, LA2, Lady Pink, Lee Quinones, Rammellzee and Toxic. I have old clippings from New York newspapers about legendary art shows at “The Fun Gallery” and “Fashion Moda” in the 80s. My introduction to movies like “Wild Style” and “Style Wars,” and books like “Subway Art” by Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper, were defining moments that changed my life. So, I was already well-aware of who these artists were and their individual contributions to the culture. I wanted to capture each artist in tribute form as a way of saying thank you for everything they represent. I produced illustrations of Basquiat, Futura, Lady Pink, Lee Quinones and Rammellzee. If time had allowed, I would have done all the artists represented. The exhibition focused on a specific era in NYC graffiti culture within Hip-Hop’s evolution. In my opinion, the individuals celebrated in this showcase (and others) defined that era, and are responsible for moving the culture forward. My work was featured in the exhibit and the Basquiat, Lady Pink and Futura illustrations were made into 25-foot-tall banners that were displayed on the Museum’s front entrance. The first time in history that a Boston artist’s work was featured on the MFA Boston’s facade.

VALIDATED: You recently wrapped up your “Writing The Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation” exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. What can you tell us about the exhibit and the closing reception that included special guests Fab 5 Freddy, the godfather of graffiti, Futura and others?

ROB STULL: It was mind-blowing to be in the presence of some of the cultural icons that helped define a worldwide movement. The closing reception/celebration was invite-only. It involved a final walk-through of the exhibit, a private dinner reception, and a public viewing of the classic movie “Wild Style,” outside on the MFA Boston’s front lawn and introduced by the film’s director Charlie Ahearn and Fab 5 Freddy. The exhibit’s curators Liz Munsell and Greg Tate, along with artists Futura, Lee Quinones, Lady Pink, the Basquiat estate, Cey Adams, Roger Gastman and Shepard Fairey were also in attendance.

VALIDATED: What are a few of the highlights/rewards of where your artwork has taken you so far?

ROB STULL: I’m very grateful to be able to do what I do. After 30-plus years of working professionally, I have no intention of slowing down anytime soon. That alone is reward enough. I think the most significant highpoint was the day I approached my mother and father and told them I wanted to be an Artist.

VALIDATED: What’s next for Rob Stull?

ROB STULL: Stay Tuned!

VALIDATED: Where can the readers find you on social media and the web?

ROB STULL:

Instagram: robstull24

Facebook: iamrobstull

Twitter: robstull24

Web: robstull.com