EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW !      

THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES: ARI SHAPIRO
RAGING CHEETAH TALKS WITH VETERAN ART COLLECTOR
AND CONVENTION NON-GOER ARI SHAPIRO

May.07.2008
By Andrea Randall
Staff Writer

Raging Cheetah continues our series of exclusive interview content: THE COLLECTOR'S SERIES! We sit 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: According to your email footer, you're located in Miami, Florida. Please tell us a little bit about your area.
Ari: I live in sunny South Florida, right outside of Miami Beach. It's a paradise here, which makes working an indoor job tough. I am a hop, skip and a jump away from South Beach, which is the hot spot, and from the MIAMI [AMERICAN AIRLINES] ARENA which houses our basketball team, the Heat, may it rest in piece (for this season anyway). The weather here is beautiful in the winter (all two weeks of it), but our summers are brutal.

RC: What comic book shows do you regularly attend each year? Which is your favorite show?
Ari: Tough question, as I've never been to one. I guess I can serve as an inspiration to those who haven't the time to make it to cons. You can be a collector of comic art even if you can't ever make it to a con. I have a pretty extensive collection, and have never made it to a convention. I have buddies attend several cons for me every year. Bunch of cool guys who love the hobby so much, that they are willing to wait in line to get me art.

RC: Who are your top five artists right now? And who would be your hands-down, all-time favorite artist?
Ari: Wow, this is a tough one because I like so much of what I see. Right now, I am really getting a kick out of [David] Finch, [Ivan] Reis, [George] Perez, [Darwyn] Cooke and of course, Jim Lee. All-time favorite is... wait for it... wait for it... John Byrne.

RC: What books you reading? Any particular storylines you're following?
Ari: I gave up on comics for a while, but these days I follow lots of storylines and lots of artists. I LOVE Savage Dragon. That Erik Larsen is a nut, in a good way, and his book is loads of fun. I was religiously picking up all things DC, but too many countdowns/crossovers drove me away. I like where they've been taking Green Lantern though. I follow the Spirit. I was a HUGE The Last Man fan. Just darn good reading. The Batman books have been pretty solid lately, especially on the art. I am following the Skrull storyline that is making its way through MARVEL right now, but mostly out of nostalgia.

RC: Gotta ask for your favorite sketch-related experience so far.
Ari: I'm gonna modify this one just a bit and discuss my favorite commission experience. I commissioned a piece from John Byrne and was told that the turnaround would be a month or two. The next day--yes the very NEXT day, he completed the piece. How's that for service?

RC: Nice! Also gotta ask for your least favorite commission-related experience so far.
Ari: I've been really fortunate. The artists I've dealt with have all been really great. They've all delivered stellar work and usually done so pretty quickly. The few times that artists have been unable to meet deadlines that they thought they could, they've been VERY gracious and tossed in extras.

RC: What do you think about the recent comics and toy related movies that've been out? Anything you're looking especially forward to watching?
Ari: I am thrilled with what's been happening the last few years in various media outlets. Anything that broadens the exposure of these characters is a good thing, both for me as a collector and for the viability of these characters. That's not to say that I've liked everything I've seen, but I love that these characters I've grown up with are getting the royal treatment. Who didn't get chills when they saw Batman Begins or Spider-Man? I'm a bit more ambivalent when it comes to toy lines being translated to film because the characters just aren't as fleshed out in some instances, but, and it is a big but, I judge these things by a coolness factor, and the movies almost always have something cool to offer.

I'm very excited to see the next Batman movie. It looks astounding. Ledger's last performance looks to be a memorable one, and Nolan has really captured the Dark Knight. Other than that, Iron Man looks fantastic.

RC: Based on your (Comic Art Fans) CAF gallery, I'll guess that Batman is one of your favorite characters. (Mine, too!) Who else would round out your top five comics characters? Tell us why the love.
Ari: So many cool characters. Batman has always been a favorite of mine because the story just captivates me. A boy who suffers such tragedy, who is so scarred but who uses that emotional trauma, who transcends it to become the ultimate hero, the ultimate protector of life. Batman's costume is also just so fluid, so open to interpretation. It can be done (and has been done) so many different ways. When a character can be interpreted by literally hundreds of different artists, you know you have a winner.

My other four would be Superman, Green Lantern, Spider-Man and Wonder Woman. Superman is just a character that appeals to the kid in me. All those powers--who wouldn't want them? Every kid wants to fly. Plus, again, the simplicity of his story. A boy with all these powers, but he can't save his own world. A god grounded by his humanity. And of course, always a happy ending. Always in the light.

Green Lantern: That Gil Kane was just brilliant. The costume is perfection and the concept of an intergalactic police force is incredibly cool.

Spider-Man: Spider-Man is the Marvel Universe just rolled into one. The costumed hero who is a smart aleck, but when the chips are down he's there for you because one time he wasn't. Guilt ridden heroics at its best.

Wonder Woman: She is a character I learned to appreciate as I got older, but the idea of a warrior princess who preaches pacifism is intriguing. She is a paradox, but in her lies hope. Incredibly powerful and beautiful, both understanding war but always looking to avoid it. She is a teacher and a student. And George just made her wonderful, as did Waid in Kingdom Come. He fleshed her out so well.

RC: You've got some incredible Batman pieces - the Scott Kolins, the Van Sciver, the Finch Batman Moon. If you had to pick, which piece is tops in your robust collection?
Ari: Again, another really tough question. I like all of them. However, I'm a sentimental guy, so I'd have to go with my Marshall Rogers commissions because of the way I got it. People had been trying to get on Marshall's list for years, and I happened to ask at the right time and somehow got on his list. All I told him I wanted was Marshall Rogers Batman, and what he gave me... was classic Marshall Rogers. The piece arrived in my hands and two weeks later to the day, Marshall was gone. It is my most sentimental piece, and one I could NEVER part with.

RC: Any convention secrets or tips to our readers for getting that tough sketch or commission?
Ari: Kiss up to the artist LOL. Seriously, these guys are talented and you should let them do their thing. I always try to give the artists the liberty to take chances to go places they want to go, to interpret the character the way they want to. Also, and it sounds ridiculous, but bears mentioning, be nice. These guys are human beings, not robots. They have feelings. they have families. Treat them well, and they will treat you well.

RC: Will we ever be seeing you at a comic show?
Ari: My buddies have been hounding me to finally show my face at a con, so who knows. If you see a guy hounding an artist about a Batman piece--that may be me.