BENGALURU: Raymund Bermudez’s venture into a career as an illustrator was a risky affair. Earning a decent living as a director and concept artist at an advertising company in the Philippines in 2013, the window to his dream opened up when CB Cebulski, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, announced a talent hunt in his hometown.
“I had to grab it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I was fortunate to be one of the finalists at the competition. After it ended, it took a while, almost a year and a half, for me to actually start working as an
illustrator. I had even quit my job against my wife’s wishes,” laughs Bermudez, who’s first project as a professional illustrator was not for Marvel but for their rival DC Comics.
Having worked for both Marvel and DC over the course of the past decade, Bermudez now works as a full-time senior concept artist at Zebu Animation Studios, a Thiruvananthapuram-based computer animation studio who have two of their three offices set up in Karnataka: one in Bengaluru and the other at Hubballi. Known for his intricate artwork of popular characters such as Hellboy and Venom, Bermudez was one of the main attractions at the Comic Con Bengaluru held over the weekend.
In fact, he feels this has been his best experience at a Comic Con. “This is my first time in India and I have been around the world attending similar events, but this has actually been my best experience at a Comic Con so far. The fans were amazing,” quips Bermudez, who had come to the event accompanied with his wife, a fashion designer.
Bermudez prefers to work for DC than Marvel. “Well, I enjoyed working for both. Both tend to be a little strict with their deadlines but they’re good people to work with. I only prefer my time at DC because I worked for them more. Usually, people who work for DC used to work for Marvel and vice versa, so you end up meeting a lot of the same people,” he shares.
He feels with the advent of social media, opportunities for independent comic creators have increased multifold. “Social media has given a huge platform for independent illustrators and smaller companies to get a following. Everyone from the artists, the writers to the colourists have a space to get known now. I had to take a leap of faith and win a talent hunt but now it is much easier to get your work out there and be noticed.” says Bermudez.
This year has also been one of tragedy for him after the famous South Korean illustrator Kim Gung Gi, whose work had greatly influenced Bermudez, passed away on October 3. “When I was got the news of his passing, I didn’t believe it and thought it was a mean joke. Over the years, he had become a friend of mine as well. So when the news was confirmed, I was really affected. He was one of the world’s best in our field. Someone like that passing at a young age of 47 is a grave loss for the community,” he concludes, adding that he has always tried to incorporate elements of Gi’s artistic style in his work.