RCMG - RAGING CHEETAH MEDIA GROUP

THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES: MICHAEL GOWCHARAN
RAGING CHEETAH CHATS WITH LONGTIME COMIC ART COLLECTOR AND CONVENTION VETERAN MICHAEL GOWCHARAN

March.24.2008
By Alan Y. Shih
Senior Editor
Staff Writer

Over the next several months, Raging Cheetah will begin a new series of exclusive interview content: THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES! We'll be sitting down with the fans - veteran collectors of comics, original artwork, commissions and convention sketches, to hear their stories and share their experiences from shows like Wizard World, Anime Expo and Comic-Con. So if you're a fan of comic book shows worldwide, read on!

RC: Whereabouts are you located, and what comic book or anime shows have you regularly attended through the years? Do you have a favorite annual convention?
Mike: I'm located in Ocala, Florida. Over the years I've been to the Orlando Megacon, Heroes Con, Wizard World Chicago and a few of the earlier NY Cons, however my favorite is the Orlando Megacon. It's very laid back and very easy to get commissions.

RC: Which artists - past or present, domestic or abroad - would you most like to get something from right now?
Mike: It's a tie. Travis Charest and Joe Maduiera.

RC: I feel your pain. Both guys are very tough for us, too! Give me your single favorite sketch-related memory.
Mike: My favorite would have to be one of my first sketches ever. It was a Spider Man sketch by Stephen Platt. I used to live in NJ and found out that Steve would be at a store sigining in upstate NY. So me and my buddy drove 2 1/2 hours to meet him. He was probably the coolest guy to get a sketch from, and it was one of my treasured sketches till it was stolen.

RC: Yikes, sorry to hear about that! What would be the highest amount you've ever splurged for a single commission piece?
Mike: The highest I've ever spent was 2500 for a Jim Lee Spider-Man/Black Cat commission. It was my cherished piece, however I did sell it. I hated doing it, but I was buying a house and need some more money at the closing to get the deal done.

RC: Congratulations on your house. Tell me a little bit about your life outside of this hobby. Where would I be most likely to bump into you outside of the seasonal comic conventions?
Mike: Well I'm a Personal Banker for Compass Bank. So most likely you'll see me at my office but I have two other hobbies. I'm an Avid poker Fanatic and a huge basketball fan.

RC: Yeah, go Trojans! Okay, maybe not this year.... Ahem, in the Leinil Yu section of your CAF gallery, you show the progression from original pencils to Photoshop finishes for the New Avengers #37 cover. How did this come about? How did you get your hands on the progressive steps?
Mike: I actually got this from Leinil himself. He had this on his Deviant Gallery.

RC: You've got two Jim Lee pieces in your CAF gallery. What is your best piece of advice for someone new to the scene looking to get a hold of a Jim Lee sketch?
Mike: Wow this is tough. My very first one is from a friend of mine. I sent him my sketchbook and Jim did it for free. However on that scenario I would recommend have some sketches already in it. Jim is very competitive on the artwork that has been done in it.

The most recent was a little harder. Jim's line was so huge. However I new the store owner so I got to go up first. I know Jim's a baseball fan so I brought some San Diego Padres cards with me [as] a bribe. And as you can tell, it worked.

RC: Yes, it did. Yes, it did. Thank you for your time!

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