CLEMENT 'WYCLEF' SAUVE
An interview Clement Sauve, background penciller for Yanick Paquette by Jonathan Ellis.

Clement Sauve has only been an actual part of this industry for a few months and has already worked for the two foremost major companies in the biz. Clement spends his time drawing something very important that a lot of artists neglect to do, backgrounds.

How did you become a background penciller?

I got hired by Yanick Paquette after he saw the samples that I had sent for my last submission. That's it.

How did you get involved with your current studio?

Last summer I was preparing some samples for the Wizardworld con and after Yanick saw my stuff he told me that if I didn't get a job in Chicago, he'd giv me one. One week after I came back from the con I had a message on my answering machine from Yanick, asking me to doADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 575 with him. I moved into the studio in which Yanick was working with a couple of aspiring artists, and then we moved into a smaller studio in the middle of ADVENTURES 577, right after Yanick got his regular assignement on GAMBIT.

What are the range of responsibilities a background penciller has to attend to?

I basically draw everything that is technical, like backgrounds, cars, guns and props.

Are you a hiree of the company or the studio? How do you adjust to the exclusion of your name from the credits in a book? You can't really add a book to your credit when your name isn't in it.

I work for Yanick, not for Marvel, that's one of the reasons why I'm not credited in the book. I knew from the start that I wasn't going to be credited, so it doesn't really bother me. It's pretty much Yancik's decision. I took the job because I wanted to learn and it's really what I've been doing.

Havng already worked for the two foremost major companies in the biz, it must be quite a task. Do you find that you're stilling trying to adjust or have you begun gloating like mad while all your friends plee 'help me out man, i got a great idea for a story'?

It's kind weird that I've already worked for both Marvel and DC even thought I've been doing this for only 6 months, but I still don't consider myself a pro artist. I still work on my submissions and still believe that I've got a lot of stuff to learn. I was kind of nervous when I drew my first line on DC paper but that faded out pretty quick. Most of my friends are more excited than I am.

Should we expect to see any fully pencilled pages from you sometime in the future?

As soon as I can manage to put togheter a good submission and get hired. I'm hoping that it'll be sometime around this summer. I already got really positive repplies from a couple of editors and most of them asked for more stuff, so I guess that a good start. I'll litterally flood Wildstorm with samples until they give me a job : )

Why comics? How did you come to the choice of comic books as your career?

I always liked to draw so I went to college to study the only thing that involved drawing, Graphic arts. I realized while in college that I really wasn't that good in graphic design, so when the students went on strike I just stayed home and started drawing everyday. When the strike ended a month later, I just didn't go back to school. I figure I must have done the right thing because it has worked well do far.

What's a typical day in the life of 'Clement' the background penciller?

I get up, get ready, and get my ass to the studio around 10 am and I usually come back around 8 PM, sometimes much later. I then watch a little TV or play a little Playtstation and I go to bed around 1 am. I know it sounds boring, but believe me, it's even worse than it sounds. It's great thing that we have friends in the studio that is right next to us, because that way I get the impression that I've got a social life.

Do you have any personal beliefs as to why the current industry is in a slump? Being a Canadian yourself i know you must be familiar with ridiculously high cover prices.

Yes I do, but I don't want professionnal enemies this early in my carrer, so I'll keep it to myself.

You've just been given a chance to rework the industry starting with the major companies, what do you do? What DO, YOU DO?

I'm not and editor, I'm not a publisher, and I certainly do not believe that I hold the secret to saving the industry. I'm just a guy who draws stuff and I believe in doing good books. One thing I would do though, is make sure that people stop swipping from the Matrix like if it was the bible because it's wearing pretty thin.

Some interview games;

What's the worst trick you've ever played on someone?

I once made my ex-girlfrined believe that she had broken my back and that I was unconscious. I couldn't stop myself from laughing when she panicked and got out of bed to call 911.

Of choice;

What is your drink of choice? Iced tea and Coffee

Restaurant of choice? For fast food it's Subway, for more healty stuff, any Thai restaurant will do.

Past time? Playstation and going to the movies.

Music? Beastie boys

Books?Last book I read was "Feel this Book" by Janeane Garofalo and Ben Stiller.

Artists? Jim Lee, Travis Charest, Ryan Benjamin, Whilce Portacio, Micheal Golden, Norman Rockwell, Francq and Jean Giraud.

Movies? The Proffesionnal and Aliens

etc? Read PREACHER and Ryan Benjamin's GHOST. Watch Norm and the Simpsons and buy the Beastie Boys anthology.

What Advice would you give to those trying to make it in the Biz today?

Learn your basics. Read about storytelling, buy a good anatomy book and don't throw away those Sears catalog. Don't be afraid to show your stuff at conventions and don't be afraid to send you samples to the big ones. Also, don't bring your girlfriend to your portfolio review. I've never done it personnaly but I've seen a lot of guys with their girlfriend at editor tables in Chicago, and the last thing you want is Scott Dunbier to make you his bitch in front of your girlfriend.

Current titles everyone SHOULD be reading?

Everybody should be reading PREACHER and PLANETARY. And if you can read french, LARGO WINCH.

Favourite character(s), title(s) to hopefully some day work on?

I hope that I'll get the chance to work on BATMAN, but more importantly I hope to get the chance to work with Scott Williams and Chuck Dixon.

Comics journalism, in any form, how important is it?

Comic journalism is very important, but a particular magazine out there should really learn the meaning of the word objectivity. There a really big difference between doing comic book reviews and doing a 12 pages special about Joe Madureira's studio.

And now...
Plug time! this is where you plug as many things as you want, comics, websites, movies, your collection of blackmarket 'burned' videogames, novels, anything old, new, current and upcoming, cheese, just cheese, where to buy your books, art, and whatever else. Anything that could somehow lead towards a incredibly obscene amount of cash in your pocket, and then we, the reader, go out and spend of course.

I really don't have anything to plug except an amazing webpage that one of my friends discovered lately: http://www.mulletsgalore.com If you have any questions, comments or if you think that I'm an ass, just e-mail me at wyclef@total.net

Thanks Clement

PopImage and I would like to thank Clement for participating in this interview and recommend you pick up GAMBIT as of issue 15 and if you haven't already, grab a hold of ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN 575 and 577

All characters, titles, images mentioned or shown are copyright and trademark their respective creators.

Jon Ellis is Interviews Editor of PopImage.

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