Interview with Peter Ricq

Wlfmrs: Hey Peter, how's the gallery lookin? (Peter is prepping for a show at Ayden Gallery called Robots and Monsters, opening Friday Oct 23rd)

Peter: gallery is a mess right now

Wlfmrs: I bet it is. The switch over is always a gong show. Alright.. how you feeling? you ready?

Peter: sure, I'm ready. Do I really need to be ready?

Wlfmrs: I don't know, do you need to grab a beer or anything?

Peter: no, if I do, I won't tell you.

Wlfmrs: Fair enough. Alright then... start with the basics...state your age and location for the record

Peter: 28, Vancouver B.C. Born and raised in Montreal.

Wlfmrs: When did you hit the coast?

Peter: 2 and a half years ago in 2007

Wlfmrs: What brought you out this way?

Peter: Well a few colleagues and myself sold a concept for an animated tv show 2 years prior to that date about super villains to a Vancouver animation studio called Nerd Corps Entertainment. Phil I Vanusic, Davila Leblanc and I were asked to come down here to start production on the animated series now called "The League of Super Evil".

It now airs on Cartoon Network, YTV, canal +, BBC and 80 or so other countries

Wlfmrs: So you've been working on this show for 2 years now? That's pretty amazing! Are you constantly stoked about it?

Peter: kinda, it's really easy now and it was hard in the beginning because I had to prove myself to all the old timers. Now that I gained there trust, they leave me alone and let me do my thing which makes work a lot more enjoyable. I'm stoked depending on the script

Wlfmrs: I'm not sure how it works, what is your roll with the show? Are you animator, supervisor...?

Peter: I'm the Art Director, so I look over all the designs and models. I design all the characters. In the first season I must have designed a little more than half of what you saw in the show. I want to do more animation directing, I've directed two 30 second shorts which turned out very well. I've been promised to do more of that in the future which I'm quite excited about.

Wlfmrs: Are you planning on making any crazy changes with your show?With you being more hands on...in the future, will you be challenging yourself with your animation with the show?

Peter: We try to make the models better and have stronger designs. Half way through the first season, I had already gained there trust so what would make things better would be to have more time on each show, but TV budgets are not so big

I don't think I'll be directing on this show but more so on new shows that are currently in development

animation directing that is

Wlfmrs: Ahh, see, I told you I didn't know how it worked. Animators have to be such tight artists. You must have been arting for quite some time before the show, obviously.

Peter: I had just finished school and I came here. I actually never graduated. my parents were quite disappointed in me at first but now they keep tell me that they are proud of me so that's quite nice to hear.

I've got other shows that I've created in Development, one more at nerd corps and another at cartoon saloon in Ireland and another at Nelvana. So If all goes well and everything goes in production, I'm hoping to make the jump into features after that, which is my goal in the end. to direct live action features

I've produced to live action music videos this summer and I'm learning a lot and I enjoy doing it. I want to end up doing features though.

Wlfmrs: So, you know how insanely talented you are then, right?

Peter: I work hard, I'm not talented more than others. I just apply myself more. My dad is a workaholic

Wlfmrs: well said. And you enjoy what you do so you're pretty much winning all around.

Peter: He made me feel bad whenever I wasn't working and it's been with me since I became an adult. I enjoy when the finished product is quite nice, it's satisfying. It's somewhat depressing when it doesn't come out right.

Wlfmrs: would you call yourself a perfectionist?

Peter: you just wasted 2 to 10 hours on something you could've done better and can't fix it or don't know how...sure, sometimes I give up though. Better to start over new.

Wlfmrs: fair enough.. there is a breaking point

Peter: and sell it for cheap

Wlfmrs: Getting to your painted work...do you have a love of paint over digital?

Peter: I like paint for selling artwork and putting on your wall knowing you have the only one in the world for work digital is way better cuz it's faster, easier, and I like the end result better actually, for animation that is.

Peter: I was into art before, my father introduced me to a bunch of the greats like echer, magrite and his friends work christian deberdt. They aren't friends anymore though, lost touch which is too bad. I later got into comic books and attended a comic book school during college. that's where I learned anatomy, perspective, storytelling because in university and college, they don't teach that. They expect you to do great work without knowing the basics.

Wlfmrs: With your painted work, do you incorporate digital aspects like photoshop or anything like that? It's just that many of your pieces have such an insane amount of detail.

Peter: No photoshop. I just lately started doing my color studies in photoshop before I start the actual painting but if I do digital work it stays digital I rarely do digital art for sale.

Wlfmrs: wow then! I was looking at your work on the Internets with another artist and he was saying that there was NO WAY the details in your buildings were freehand... he was pretty blown away!

Peter: I use 0.05 microns, those are really small tips. Actually Steadlers 0.05 cuz the tip isn't as sensitive

Wlfmrs: So how deep is your involvement on the gallery scene?

Peter: umm... I'm a bit involved. I have a few pieces here and there, in Van mostly

Wlfmrs: Is it a focus for you? Are you pushing for more shows or are you just rolling with it?

Peter: The Robots and Monsters show is the only show where I've actually helped in making it happen. I used to be more involved in producing shows before but not recently. After this show I'm taking a break because there's just not that much money to be made unless you really have a name for yourself. I want to produce short films, music videos and animated shorts. Also music is something I want to focus more on

Wlfmrs: You obviously have a fan base, do you experience this more because of your animation work, painting or from your band, Humans?

Peter: I don't think I have a fan base actually, they are more like friends who support my work and look for things to do on a long weekend and have fun with me and all of our other super nice people we hang out with that don't want to fight people and talk shit about anyone.

Wlfmrs: On the contrary. I was throwing your name out there a bit while preparing for this interview and quite a few people know your work...the ones I talk to know your work mostly from painting though.

Peter: Really? Wow, I had no idea.

Wlfmrs: You don't fight!? Awesome, such a good quality in a friend!

Peter: I would fight if it came down to it. I had a friend who said to me once "Pete, if you don't have my back, I understand". I was quite insulted. I told him to never ever think of me that way.

Wlfmrs: haha golden dude! golden. Nice of your friend to understand though.. that you'd rather not fight... just sayin..

Peter: haha, I'm not a fighter meaning I don't pick up fights but will fight to protect the ones I love and fight back for myself too.

Wlfmrs: Good stance to have. Tell me about HUMANS. I freaking love your music with Robbie (Slade) . So good! Where does your musical inspiration come from with you two?

Peter: I met Robbie a year ago at the robots and monster show. he was bartending and I had a bunch of art up. I have this one character that I draw a lot "Parnell" who is the mascot from my Montreal art "parnell collective", this Parnell guy actually looks like Robbie strange enough.

So after talking about music for so long, he said that I should Jam with his band some time in the near future. 3 months later we did jam and I did the t shirt illustration for his band "Family Room". I enjoyed jamming with them and asked if I could record some of their singing and riffs for my solo electro musical project "Autacoid". Only Robbie came that day and we ended up making that Bike home track. A month later Cole and Robbie came and we did the song, Always Around. After that, family room sorta broke up. I asked Robbie if he wanted to start a band together this summer. he was like "fuck yeah", so we produced more tracks together and played a lot shows.

I'm more of the electronic guy and Robbie more of a folk guy and so humans is a mix of two different dudes working together and loving what the other guy brings to the table. We got three shows coming up this next week and after that, we want to write more songs as to put out an album

Wlfmrs: And you guys have a video out now. Was that just another dream coming to fruition? It was seriously super funny.

Peter: we made a game plan early in the summer and I said I'm gonna put a music video together for humans. Robbie came up with the idea of cops busting a party and then becoming the party. He originally wanted us to play the cops but I thought the puppets would make things easier and better. The video production came out of my pocket, it cost about 1800$. I did most of the work so it was more affordable also, I want to get into feature live action and that was sort of a learning experience

Wlfmrs: and a CD out as well, is that right?

Peter: kinda, it's got seven songs and it's totally DIY. I make them myself. They cost me about 1.50$ to make. We sell them for 5 but give so many out to labels, magazines, promoters and radio that we don't see any profit.

Wlfmrs: Are you guys looking to go big? How would you even have the time for that, what with all the other fantastic things you do?!

Peter: I told my boss "what if I get signed?" he said I could get time off.  I'd love to do a tour, it's a dream since i was a teenager just like so many other individuals out there, I hope it'll happen sometime. It's not easy, no one gets back at you. (meaning labels and all)

Wlfmrs: That's frustrating hey? Everyone says that you're so amazing, yet the people who can take you where you want to go aren't calling. If you got into a tour and you had your pick, where would you want to go first?

Peter: hmm... Europe, Japan, anywhere really. The states. I think Europe would be the best since there are so many people over there and so many people that like to dance to music which is what humans is all about.

Wlfmrs: So you are like a trifecta of amazing creative talent, if you had to choose just one, what would it be?

Peter: hmmm... filmmaker because I can do it all in that medium and when your film is completed, you get to travel the world to promote it

Wlfmrs: Before I forget to ask...favorite beer or boozy beverage?

Peter: I drink anything really, usually the cheaper the better but it's got it's limits..like no Wildcat

Wlfmrs: What are you listening to these days? ... other than your own, of course

Peter: I love metronomy, late of the piers, bumblebeez

Wlfmrs: Any artists these days you're stoked on?

Peter: like visual artists? Music, almost anything from ed banger aswell

Wlfmrs: yeah, I guess... like painter. you're a tough one to ask since you are dipping into everything.

Peter: but metronomy and late of the piers are my fave fave...umm ok, eyvind earle, ashley wood, jeremy fish, vania is sick, mike mignola and travis charest

Wlfmrs: What are your next steps..music, art, animation.. pick one.. or all, it's up to you.

Peter: Music is to get on tour. Art to sell work that equals my hourly wages at work. Animation to make more films and more awards. My last film, (Glitch) my graduate film won 8 or 9 awards, but I'd like to get a prestigious award that could qualify me for an Oscar.

Wlfmrs: Damn straight son! Nice to see you working for something like an Oscar! I never hear that people are working towards an award like that. That's rad

Peter: I got into Annecy, the biggest animation film fest in the world that takes place in a small town in southern France. It was soo much fun and they have you party for a full week straight, top of the line. I want to go back. Everything is paid for except your plane ticket

Wlfmrs: no doubt! What a trip man. Do you have a 5 year plan for that or what's your timeline like?

Wlfmrs: Whatever I can get is my plan. nice dude. Oh yeah, I wanted to ask about your last name, where is that from?

Peter: it's french from France. My dad's french and my mom German

Wlfmrs: ahh, right on.. you have a good strong liver then. Alright man, any last words?

Peter: thank you?

Wlfmrs: Dude. thank you!


Make sure to head over to Robots and Monsters 2009 @ The Ayden Gallery tonight (Oct 23rd) to check out Peter's chrome and ghoules.