Gem City Style: October 2024

Jessica Hunter

Jessica Hunter paid a spooky visit to Monster Mark Kosobucki, who has, among many other interesting art and design projects, been responsible for the illustration on a number of the Erie Reader's covers, including this month's.

Here at the Reader, Mark Kosobucki's cover illustrations are an important part of our Halloween traditions. But his fascination with the macabre goes all the way back to his youth. I recently spoke to the talented illustrator and special effects artist, Collegiate Academy graduate, and 2015 honoree of Erie's 40 Under 40 about his influences and experiences.

Jessica Hunter (JH): Tell us a little bit about "Monster" Mark Kosobucki and what inspired you to become an illustrator? What were the early influences that put you on your career path?

"Monster" Mark Kosobucki (MK): I've always loved drawing. I'd watch The Real Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles every Saturday morning and try to copy pictures out of Tales from the Crypt comic books. By seventh grade I started watching more horror stuff and listening to music. Once I saw Bernie Wrightson's artwork in stuff like Swamp Thing, I was pretty hooked. Wrightson, Jack Davis, and Jack Kirby are probably three of the most influential artists for me. John Landis, George Romero, and Tom Savini made me want to work on movies.

JH: Can you walk us through your creative process when developing a truly unique haunting piece?

MK: Usually, a lot of revision. Which is something I didn't appreciate or utilize when I was younger. Most of my current work is sketched and then revised on a light table two or three times before I start inking. Sometimes, throwing stuff out and starting over is a helpful part of the process. If I get halfway through an image and I'm not excited about it or love it, it's not unusual for me to rip it up and start over. Or in the case of sculpting, breaking it apart and starting over. Sometimes, I'll walk away from a piece for a week and come back to it and see it completely different and start changing a bunch of things.

JH: What role does storytelling play in your illustrations, how do you convey a narrative through your art?

MK: Storytelling is always a positive. The better things I've designed attempt to illustrate some kind of concept or story. A lot of the album covers and movie posters I love do this. Compare and contrast the art from Nightmare on Elm Street which is this incredible nightmarish artwork of a woman in bed to Scream which is just a bunch of people in the movie. I don't really get to know much from looking at the cover of Scream but with Nightmare on Elm Street, there's a lot to keep me looking and guessing. However, sometimes, it's what you don't add to an image that can make something more compelling. The poster from Alien comes to mind. It's very simple but it's still telling a story.

Inside of "Monster" Mark Kosobucki's studio is a panoply of horror-related paraphernalia – film posters, collectibles, art, DVDs, action figures, and more line the walls and serve as constant inspiration for his work. (Photo: Jessica Hunter)

JH: Your portfolio is incredible. What has been your favorite project to date? Do you have anything exciting in the works?

MK: In my graphic design work, finally getting to do two images for the Misfits and one for Alice Cooper are jobs I've chased since I started doing graphic design and illustration. I wrote to the Misfits at least a dozen times before a contact put me in touch with their management. I never quite know what's next on that side of things. Some things just kind of happen. A client I do work for may open a show with this huge band headlining and the next thing I know, there's an email from their manager or something.

The last film I worked on that I really am proud of is called The Special. I got to create puppet blobs for it and puppeteer them as well as do some cool makeup in the movie. I didn't get to do all the special effects work in the film, but it's the first time I felt like I was working on something I might have watched in high school and fell in love with. The head casts of the lead actor, I did them in my kitchen and had to mail them to California. I wasn't actually part of that effects group, but in a small way I was.

I've stepped back from doing makeup since 2021 and have focused on a book project and script which I do hope to bring to screen eventually. If I get to direct one feature film in my life, it's going to be this project. At this moment, I'm still getting the ducks in a row. A lot of film projects I've been approached with feel very rushed, and I'd like to take my time on this and make it as good as it can possibly be.

JH: What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators who want to focus on horror or dark themes in their art?

MK: Absorb as much as you can and pay attention to artists who are better than you. That's tough, and sometimes I'll catch myself being jealous and force myself to like and follow a person's work. In the end, it helps me work harder and examine what I might be doing wrong. I see designers all the time do work I am jealous of and I'll zoom in on images they completed and try to figure out how they did this awesome piece.

JH: What is the last horror movie that actually frightened you? What is your favorite horror movie and why?

MK: Usually stuff like The Strangers and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer are not fun for me to watch and creep me out a lot. I'm not ashamed to say I'll avoid that stuff or turn it off. I dislike when movies get too real in the sense that the supernatural or cartoonish elements are removed and things that can actually happen are shown. There needs to be an element of comedy in horror movies. Jason and Freddy are cartoons to me. Leatherface is a cartoon to me. But, I'll skip the lake scene in the movie Zodiac every time.

My favorite horror movie? It's probably Creepshow — everything about it lands with me. It has everything I want in a scary movie. There's a perfect balance of horror, comedy, sex, and gore. I never get tired of it. All the puzzle pieces fit exactly right in my opinion. I still remember seeing it the first time when I was a kid — maybe around nine or 10, and just loving it.

"Monster" Mark Kosobucki can be found on Instagram and iMDb

Jessica Hunter can be found at jessicahunterphotos.com