Roger Koch
This month I decided to interview a horror Artist named Roger Koch, who I met on Facebook. As soon as I saw his paintings I was fascinated by his artistic talent and made it a point to interview him.
Tell us a little bit about yourself: What got you interested in this kind art?
I’m 66 years old, married and have one daughter and one grandson. I live in the U.S. and am retired. I was taken to many monster movies as a child and have loved them all my life.
What is your preferred medium and why?
My preferred medium is pastels. The only art ‘training’ I’ve ever had was from observing an outstanding pastel portrait artist for a very long time. I also work with graphite and charcoal pencils and acrylic.
Do you have an online portfolio or a blog where we can view your work?
Not really, because I’m not trying to sell my work. I do have an art page on Facebook called Roger Koch aka Zombie Dad. There are hundreds of drawings and paintings there in the archives. I’ve also been posting my art (as ‘Zombie Dad’ ) on the Member Art Gallery of The Classic Horror Film Board for a number of years.
What is your favourite horror movie and why?
My favourite movie is the original KING KONG. Other favourites include PSYCHO and the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. These are all ground-breaking and unforgettable films.
When did you start painting horror related paintings?
I began with some oil paintings in the mid Seventies; a very late beginning for me.
How do horror movies inspire you as an artist?
They make me want to capture the feeling which they give to me. I like to think that my art is more about the movies than about myself.
Can you remember one of the first things you drew? What makes it memorable?
I drew a dinosaur from one of the Turok, Son of Stone comics. I loved those!
Do you have any other interesting hobbies or maybe a fun story about an experience involving your artwork?
In the mid Eighties, I became discouraged and stopped doing any art for over 30 years because I had been trying to make a living as a portrait artist. Keep in mind there was no internet back then. Years later, my daughter found some of my old pieces, photographed them and posted them on The Classic Horror Film Board. The response to my old work inspired me to begin again. I’ve been drawing ever since and I received a Rondo Award for Best Fan Artist of 2011.
Where can we reach you if we are interested in commissioning you for our own projects?
I no longer accept commission work. I cannot work under pressure any more. I do what I do for my own personal relaxation and therapy.
And finally, I would like to give you this opportunity to share three to five images and tell us a little about each:
This is my own design collage from PSYCHO. Done with pastels.
One of many drawings from KING KONG. Charcoal pencils and pastels
From Hammer’s THE BRIDES OF DRACULA. I used colored pencils, charcoal pencils and pastels on brown Canson Mi-Tientes paper.
From George Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD. Scott H. Reiniger as ‘Roger’. Pastels on tan construction paper.
My own design collage from ARMY OF DARKNESS. Acrylic on canvas board
Categorised in: Horror Art, Interviews, Others (Horror Related)
This post was written by Albert Saliba