Few artists inspire me in such a way that I immediately wish to buy everything they produce and make an exact costume replica. Tess Fowler is certainly at the top of that very short list. You may recognize her name from her extraordinary Apocalypse Princesses that are inspiring cosplayers (myself included) to breathe life into these gorgeously dystopian creatures. I had a chance to chat with her recently and managed to pry her away from her insane number of commissions for a quick interview.
What/who inspired your works for the Apocalypse Princesses?
A lot of folks were requesting my take on the Disney princesses for quite some time. This was before Brave, before Tangled and before The Princess and the Frog. So I was a little annoyed at the pervading idea of the Disney Princess as a whole.I warned people they wouldn’t like my take on the classic ladies. Each and every one of those princesses in their respective movies were sexual. I don’t care how you want to skew it. They dripped with sex. With their tight little outfits, and their pouty lips and their big doe eyes. They were all fantasies. Even Mulan. Be it by the symbolism of their situations, or the actual physical attributes they were given, they were colorful representations of females in male dominated worlds.
I drew them still clad in the colorful symbolism they were created in. But I turned it on its ear. Behind every one of them is evidence that she’s on her own, and that her male love interest has either died, is missing, or has been murdered in a couple of cases. They are recognizable because of the colors and costumes they still wear. But evidence of the changes are very much present. They took what was at hand and used it. Some have changed a lot. Some not so much. You’re looking at the demise of their perfect happily ever after storylines. THAT is the Apocalypse.
So to answer your question? Rage. Female rage inspired them. Haha.
Do you have a personal favorite of your Princesses?
If I absolutely had to pick just one favorite it would have to be Wendy. She’s the character I was the angriest with when I first saw her. But she’s also the one I identified with the most. I like the idea that she stayed to take care of the Lost Boys in Peter’s absence. Second favorite would be Tink.
How do you feel knowing that so many groups and individuals want to cosplay your Apocalypse Princesses?
I feel like there is going to be a Pat Benatar ”Love is a Battlefield” group flash mob at a LOT of conventions in the 2013-2014 con season. Haha
Is there a particular artist/person you identify most with? If so, how so they influence your work?
I don’t know that I really have ever identified with anyone. I’ve been inspired on many levels throughout my life. One of my earliest inspirations/influences was Wendy Pini. When I read Elfquest, I was overwhelmed by the way she imbued her characters with a sense of individuality while also making them beautiful. Each character told a story with their clothing, their stance, and their eyes. She did this with such flamboyance that I was affected instantly. She is one of many influences, but her work was among the first to imprint onto my psyche at a time when I was just coming into my own as a person.
What is your personal favorite piece of artwork overall? (Can be yours, someone else’s, or both!)
Just one?! Gah! That’s practically impossible. Okay how about my most current favorite? Since that spot can be held by a million and one pieces at any given moment? It’s this one, by Andrew Robinson: George Harrison
Breaks my heart every time I see it. He’s going to have a Beatles graphic novel coming out soon, and I’m dying to get my hands on it.
How long have you been working as an artist, and how has your worked developed over the years?
I’ve been working professionally, meaning being paid for my work, since I was 17. I used to thrive on doing photorealistic portraits, but my goal was always to be able to tell a story in sequential art form. That’s my passion. That’s what makes my little heart sing. I was first published as a painter in 2007, and in comic book form in late 2009/early 2010. After a short stint doing a few comics I quit looking for work at companies and struck out on my own. Now I have a handful of comic book projects in the works with various writers, and I’ve also got a creator-owned string of books on the horizon.
In the past few years I think I’ve grown by leaps and bounds. I settled into my own style and I’m exploring new ways to improve upon it by studying as much as I possibly can. And of course working daily. I’ve also started attending live model art sessions to improve my anatomy skills. I think overall I’ve gotten cleaner, and braver with my lines. But that’s just my opinion.
When did you first realize you wanted to pursue art as a career?
I don’t recall the exact moment. It was just something everyone assumed I would do from the time I was small because I was drawing even as a toddler. I’ve never done anything else. It was a grotesque compulsion that no one could talk me out of. I told stories with my art from the time I was very young. I recall a time when my older brother’s best friend found one of my stapled together books and talked to me about it. He told me I was talented, and wanted to talk to me about why I’d made certain decisions for my characters. I was shy, but very serious as I told him what was going on in the pages and what it meant to me. I was seven.
What is your biggest challenge as an artist?
Overcoming my need to prove myself with each new piece I do. I fail miserably every single time. Haha. I always need the new piece to be better than the last one. When it comes to my skill set, I feel like I’ve been racing non-stop toward a goal line since I was a tiny girl. And once I vault over that goal line I am going to keep running until I am on my way out of the stadium. I have to keep going. I have to keep working. I have somewhere to be.
Do you have a particular artistic specialty?
Speed. When it comes right down to it, I’m pretty darn quick. The passion hits so hard that most pieces come out in a blind fury.
How do you feel when people interpret your artwork differently?
Apocalypse Princesses has been an interesting phenomenon. The ladies who have been building costumes are taking the initiative and creating tangible realities out of my work. But they often take the images into new fantastic directions. There is a Tink costumer who sent me a shot of her costume, and she interpreted a small detail that I remember drawing while on auto pilot, into this really cool militant style 3 dimensional detail. I’d never intended it that way, or even really thought about it. But she took her expertise and turned that minor detail into something better than my own take on it. That floored me and excited me all at once. I find it so thrilling.
How do you unwind and relax when you’re not producing amazing artwork?
I don’t unwind or relax. I should. I really should. If I get any kind of down time it’s usually between errands and I grab a few lines out of the nearest book. I keep books in every room of my apartment for that exact purpose. If my hands are idle I want to be holding a book. But they’re so very rarely idle.
Do you have any favorite/funny/fan affected stories?
When I get recognized out in public when I’m not even at a show. That always makes me laugh. And anytime someone tells me that I inspired them to create art. That means everything to me.
Any advice to aspiring artists?
The internet is your friend. Never has knowledge been so accessible, or artist to audience connection been so easy.
Will you hosting any artist booths this con season?
I will be at WonderCon in Anaheim, and at the San Diego Comic Con. Look for me in Artist Alley at both shows.
Do you have any websites fans can visit and purchase your art?
[Prints are available on] Etsy and all other info can be found at tessfowler.com.
Be sure to like her Facebook page! Thank you so much, Tess!