George Pratt
George Pratt has had an enigmatic career.
Despite being one of the finest painters
ever to work in comics, his name still rare-
ly comes up in typical debates about the
medium’s best practitioners. Maybe that’s
because in the public consciousness Pratt’s
not easily associated with any one charac-
ter or series, any
one publisher,
or even
any particular
movement. If he had
come from an earlier gen-
eration he might have been a
perfect fit for EC, and likely routinely
placed in the pantheon among some of
the medium’s most respected and revered
artists. As it is, Pratt is still most readily
identified with his first significant com-
ics work, Enemy Ace, which is easily as
complex and textured as the best of EC’s
legendary war comics. The 1990 graphic
novel, published in DC’s premier format
was based on the character created by
Robert Kanigher and originally drawn by
Joe Kubert, and immediately announced
Pratt as a formidable talent within the
medium.The intensely researched Enemy
Ace (which Pratt spent three years
Painting in four colors
The Comics Interpreter Issue #2 Page 
laboring over) produced authentic aircraft
that would’ve made George Evans proud,
and military uniforms that might’ve even
forced Harvey Kurtzman to keep the cap
sealed on his red corrections pen. While
not a huge hit stateside, the book’s depth,
artistry and attention to detail nonetheless
resulted in multiple translations worldwide
and Pratt recieved personal accolades from
World War veterans touched by his empa-
thy and respectful accuracy.
While Enemy Ace was clearly a labor
of love for the then-budding artist,
George Pratt continues to put ample
research, energy,
and creative vitality
into even his most commercial
projects. Never shortchanging the
readers or himself in the process. Pratt sty-
mies lazy conventional criticism that artists
can’t imbue mainstream work with person-
al statement by infusing his own themes
and interests into even the most crass com-
mercial characters. To that end he was rec-
ognized with a 2003 Eisner Award as Best
Painter/Multimedia Artist for his work on
Wolverine: Netsuke. In that work, as well
as his 2000 graphic novel Batman: Harvest
Breed, Pratt still managed sequences de-
tailing the stark horrors of war and the in-
evitable human toll; both emotional and of
INTERVIEW BY ROBERT YOUNG
the flesh. Be it feudal Japan, Vietnam, or a
World War, Pratt’s fascination with large-
scale human conflict is one that even the
artist can’t explain fully. Still Pratt’s rumi-
nations on the brutality of war are perpetu-
ally relevant, and never moreso than in
eras of false patriotism, jingoism, and war
profiteering. All of which sadly symbol-
ize new millennium America.Thankfully
we’re not quite a half-decade into the next
thousand years. But given his past history
and current interests it figures that George
Pratt will continue to touch on similar
themes in his future projects, regardless of
the political climate. No doubt he’ll also
continue to pour the same ar-
tistic vigor and passion
for the craft into
his work,
regardless of shal-
low trends and false
movements; undaunt-
ed by inferior artists
trumping his sales, if not
his considerable talents.

Robert Young: Let’s start with your
various artistic peers? You’re good
friends with Jeff Jones, Jon Muth,
Kent Williams, Bill Koeb, John Van
Fleet, Scott Hampton, and Tommy
Lee Edwards, among others. Is it
just a case of all the painterly types
in comics sticking together? Mutual
aesthetic?
George Pratt: Well, John Van Fleet,
Kent Williams, Mark Chiarello and
myself all went to school together
and became friends there. We found
that we had the same influences,
generally, and that sort of pulled us
together artistically. Scott Hampton
I met while in school, as well as Jeff
Muth. Jeff I met at a convention
while in school and he sort of took
me under his wing and allowed me
to come to upstate New York to
paint with him. Very
cool. So there’s no
conscious thought
there of everyone
sticking together
because of the
painter thing, just
a by-product of
knowing each
other. Happenstance.
Young: How big a role do your
artist friends play in how you
approach your work and in your
The Comics Interpreter Issue #2 Page 
own artistic development?
Pratt: Early on, cer-
tainly, that played a
much bigger role than
it does now, at least in approach and
technique. Now we just sort of help
bolster each other and keep each
other in line or keep each other
cranking. A nice support group. But
early on Kent Williams and I spent
loads of time together figuring out
drawing and painting. Kent was my
real spiritual painter buddy and we
learned an awful lot from each oth-
er. One would stumble onto some-
thing and pass it on to the other. It
was an extremely exciting time for
us. When you’re just
starting out everything
is a plateau, growth
comes in great
strides. As you get
older those pla-
teaus start
George Pratt Painting in four colours
to level out and you have to work
harder to continue to grow. The nat-
ural tendency is to slow down and
sort of repeat oneself. That’s death.
Complacency is murder. I continu-
ally struggle to find ways to interest
myself as I work.
Young: Outside of your circle of
friends are there any current comics
artists whose work you particularly
admire?
Pratt: Dave Mazzuchelli’s work is
always fantastic, and he’s a super
nice guy. Mike Mignola’s work I
always enjoy as well. Mike does go
back to the old days when we were
all in school, though he was in Cali-
fornia we met several times in New
York. Most of the comics that really
turn me on are either European or
from the 40’s - 70’s. Milton Caniff,
Hugo Pratt, Alex Toth, Noel Sickles,
Dino Battaglia, Attilio Michelluzzi,
Jacques Tardi, Hermann, etc. Just
brilliant stuff. These days I really
enjoy Dave Cooper’s work, Dave
McKean’s work, mostly
the work he writes
himself, Seth,
Jeff Brown
and Chester
Brown as well as Dan Clowes (who
incidentally was my roommate at
Pratt). I think Toby Cypress has an
interesting style. I always love what
Tony Salmons does, so wacky and
bold. Great black and white work.
Young: As a fellow painter in com-
ics do you have any thoughts about
the enormous commercial success
of Alex Ross?
Pratt: Alex hit a nerve with people
and it’s great to see that painted
comics can command that much
attention. More power to him.
Young: It has to be asked: There are
numerous paintings in your comics
that, if they appeared on the covers
or interiors of say The New Yorker
or even The Saturday Evening Post,
would immediately be taken more
seriously (or posited as fine art) than
they ever will be as long as they’re
inside a comic with Wolverine or
Batman in the title. Have you ever
had second thoughts about pouring
such artistry into mainstream com-
ics?
Pratt: Not at all. I do gallery work
as well and painting is painting.
The comics work has different
goals, namely to tell a story, keep
the reader turning the pages and
reading the story. They shouldn’t
be getting too caught up in the art.
Again, it’s about the story. If they’re
getting hung up on the paintings
then it’s working against itself,
whereas my gallery work is paint-
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ing for painting’s sake. I’m not try-
ing to say anything profound in my
paintings for galleries, they’re ve-
hicles for paint. It is a dialogue with
the material that’s interesting to me.
And there I want the paintings to be
paintings. I’m not interested in ap-
ing nature at all, everything is sec-
ond best in that attempt, even pho-
tography really. But paintings that
are paintings bring something else
to the table.
Young: Also, do you enjoy any
specific comics where the art holds
little or no aesthetic appeal for you,
but the storytelling is so deft or
personal that you’re drawn in any-
way?
Pratt: Definitely. Though even then
there’s a certain aesthetic at work
there that is part and parcel of the
appeal. This is something that I’ve
had to nurture in myself because
my initial reaction is always to be
swayed by the eye candy of great
art. And great art can save a sorry
story, at least for me. I can stom-
ach a lame story if the art is nice.
I can just wallow in the beauty of
the art and forget the story. But a
great story cannot always save bad
art for me.
But more and more I find my-
self trying various books because I
want a satisfying read, I hunger for
a good read. So I’m getting better
about trying books where the art is
less than inspired, but carries the
story in a different way that has
nothing to do with flash and pomp.
There’s something quiet in some
of the work that is just right for
the story they’re telling. Nothing
else would have been as effective.
So I’m growing to appreciate all
the different approaches and that’s
opening up my own work as well.
Young: You’ve done some teaching,
specifically at Savannah College of
Art & Design. What’s the most im-
portant message you try to convey
to your students?
Pratt: I don’t try to teach anyone to
draw or paint like myself. I show
them ways of approaching tech-
niques with various media and
push them to find their own way
with it all. But basically go where
Page from Wolverine: Netsuke. Artwork by George Pratt.
you need to go, but learn how
to truly draw and paint first. Don’t
blow off the hard work of really
learning how to draw. If you can’t
draw then nothing you say will
come across. You have to learn how
to speak before you can sing.
T C I
 George Pratt Painting in four colours

The Comics Interpreter Issue #2 Page