Chris Evenhuis has made his mark on the art world through comics and video games, and in 2020 he joins the ranks of Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide artists. Evenhuis took a break from his current work on the G.I. Joe comic at IDW to talk with Scoop about his artistic journey and process, comparing comics to game design, and what he likes about working on Wynonna Earp comics.

Scoop: Were you a fan of comics as a kid?
Chris Evenhuis (CE): Not nearly as much as today, and not as much as I liked drawing them. I used to read mostly then-mainstream Dutch/Flemish/French comic books like Asterix, Spirou. I was around 16 when I really got into the Storm comic books by British artist Don Lawrence. As a Masters of the Universe kid, those had all the things I loved: monsters, sci-fi, adventure, etc. They were fully painted and there was even blood in these books! Then a few years later it was The Maxx and Dave McKean’s art on Arkham Asylum that hooked me into reading US comics.

Scoop: How did you get into the industry, professionally?
CE: Before comics, I started out pursuing a ‘real’ job as an environmental biologist, because I didn’t think there would be a living in art for me. But instead, as a biologist I ended up mostly trying to fight off unemployment for a few years until eventually I was offered a job as concept designer for video games. A few years later I also started working in (Franco-Belgian) comics. First on the side, later full-time. Then a few years later I sent out my portfolio to IDW Publishing, where I soon after got to work on their Magic: The Gathering series and a few other titles as well.

Scoop: How would you describe your style?
CE: Hard to tell from my own perspective, but I generally try to aim somewhere between stylized realism and cartooning. I also tend to approach my work kind of like an animator would, especially in action sequences.

Scoop: What about your artistic process? Do you have a start to finish method or does it vary depending on what you are working on?
CE: It kind of depends on whether I’m working on comic pages or covers/illustrations, but in both cases I start with very, very simple thumbnail pencil sketches to figure out the composition for covers or the layout and flow for pages. Then I usually start inking first roughly, then do cleanup inks on top of that. Much like the inks, I do the colors mostly digitally; flat colors first, then layering the rendering on top. I try to render only the most important stuff with more complex lighting, but try to keep the rest simpler and ‘design-y.’

All of my commissioned art is done traditionally, though. Mostly inks and copic markers, sometimes graphite.

Scoop: Is there a genre you enjoy drawing more than others?
CE: Historical fiction is probably my favorite right now, but I also really enjoy horror, sci-fi, Western and usually also a bit of romance. The most important ingredient for me is fun. Even with dark or tragic subject matter, there should always be room for something to smile, laugh, or at least lightly chuckle about. Most of the writers I’ve worked with so far managed to combine several of those things with a healthy dose of fun, so I’ve been quite lucky in that regard.

Scoop: You’ve also worked as a 2D artist on games like Overlord II and The Chronicles of Spellborn. What do you enjoy about game work?
CE: Most of all, seeing your designs being translated into fully animated 3D models, voice acted and interactive and coming to life like that. That’s pretty magical.

Scoop: How does it compare to comics?
CE: There’s more of a corporate culture in games; at least if you’re working as part of a studio. Also working for a studio, you don’t get to own anything you create. In the end I felt there was much more creative freedom in comics. Plus, I really enjoy storytelling through sequential art – getting the most from as little means as possible. But probably most importantly, as a comic artist I get to work from home.

I do sometimes find myself wanting to try my hand at game art again, as a freelancer/independent, maybe. The interactive storytelling aspect about video games can be pretty amazing as well.

Scoop: At IDW Publishing, you’ve worked on G.I. Joe, Magic: The Gathering, and Wynonna Earp, among others. What are some other IDW titles that you’d like to draw?
CE: I would love to work on those four green ninja dudes some day!

Scoop: What do you like about Wynonna Earp?
CE: Too much to list! “The heir to Wyatt Earp is a hard-drinking biker cowgirl with a supernatural Buntline Special that kills monsters, who hangs out with an immortal Doc Holliday and an equally immortal Mayan warrior princess.” Every word in that sentence. [laughs] Beau Smith and Emily Andras have both managed to combine so many things I’ve loved working on; I’ve been so lucky.

Also, it has been said many times, but I’ll say it again: Earpers are the most amazing, generous, welcoming fandom I’ve ever met. Working on Wynonna Earp has been more than just a job. It’s like being embraced in a movement of kindness and inclusivity and I will always be grateful for having been a small part of that.

Scoop: How did you get involved with the book?
CE: My editor at IDW at the time, Carlos Guzman, introduced me to Beau, told me there was going to be a TV show and initially asked for a redesign of Wynonna, kind of as a tryout. They were talking with fellow comic artist Lora Innes as well, and in the end they hired us both to work on a rebooted comic book series to appear alongside the TV show; Lora on the first run of six issues, me on the next one, both of us doing our own covers and variant covers for each other’s run. Then soon after that I joined Beau and Tim (Rozon, co-writing with Beau) on the crowdfunded Wynonna Earp graphic novel Bad Day at Black Rock.

It’s been such a blast and I will be forever grateful to Beau and Carlos for inviting me on board!

Scoop: Do you have a favorite character to draw from that series?
CE: Valdez, definitely. It’s the one character where Beau, Lora, and I all worked together on the design, and it’s been a blast to then help shape her into a fully rounded, multilayered character. Dead Mary quickly became a close second favorite, even though Beau only gave me the opportunity to draw her twice (so far)!

Scoop: For Wynonna, you’re drawing characters based on the likenesses of actors on the TV show. Is it more or less challenging to draw characters this way?
CE: Oh, it can be pretty nerve wrecking to draw existing people’s likenesses, even when they’re this ridiculously handsome. A good likeness isn’t just a matter of capturing the actor’s features, but also the way their characters move, their expressions, mannerisms. It took a few episodes for me to figure most of that out, and I also adopted a rule of thumb: “when in doubt, err on the badass side.”

Scoop: How did you come up with the design for the Wynonna Earp cover on The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #50?
CE: Initially all I knew was that I wanted the cover to either resemble an epic, classic movie poster featuring characters from both the comic and the TV show, or to depict Wynonna in a super chaotic brawl scene (I love drawing bar fights). So, I did sketches for both, but still couldn’t make up my mind which way to go, so I asked [Gemstone Publishing’s Vice-President of Publishing] J.C. Vaughn to pick one. In the end I think he made the right call by picking the movie poster; I’m pretty happy with the result.

Scoop: How does it feel to join the other artists that have provided covers for the Guide?
CE: It took a while to sink in, to be honest! Even now it’s still hard to grasp, having become part of such a historical line-up. It’s a huge honor, indeed.

Scoop: What are you working on now?
CE: Currently I’m working on IDW’s new ongoing G.I. Joe reboot series with writer Paul Allor (who I previously worked with on our creator owned series Monstro Mechanica) and color artist Brittany Peer. It’s a brand-new continuity, where Cobra has conquered the world and the Joes have gone underground as resistance fighters. We’re very proud of this book and hope everyone reading this will give it a shot!

Both the soft cover and hardcover editions of Evenhuis’ Wynonna Earp cover will join the other editions of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #50 when they go on sale in the comic book market.