Roland Paris on Marvel, CrossGen and a career in comics
Comic book inker Roland Paris shares his journey through Marvel Comics, CrossGen and the craft of comic book art in this POP nakaro video interview. The Louisiana artist’s credits include Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, Runaways, City of Heroes and Marvel’s adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. He explains how an inker interprets penciled artwork, shapes the finished page and balances creative expression with another artist’s vision.
Raised between New Orleans and Slidell and now based in Baton Rouge, Paris traces his career from childhood fascination with Aquaman to studying illustration at Ringling School of Art and Design. Portfolio reviews, convention visits and hands-on guidance from fellow inker John Dell helped him develop the skills to work professionally.
Early assignments with Chaos! Comics and Image led to a staff position at CrossGen in Tampa, Florida, where working alongside accomplished comic artists became an education in sequential art.
Paris remembers CrossGen as an opportunity to learn through daily collaboration, inking different pencillers and studying techniques with colleagues. When the publisher folded, a dinner with Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada opened the door to the next stage of his career.
At Marvel, favorite projects included the self-contained stories of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man and The Odyssey, which paired writer Roy Thomas with artist Greg Tocchini. Paris also discusses the demands of freelance comics, from page rates and deadlines to years spent balancing graphic design work with nights and weekends at the drawing board.
Filmed at Tommy’s on Thomas in Hammond, Louisiana, the conversation offers practical advice for aspiring comic artists: finish the work, learn from it and keep creating. Paris also reflects on encouraging new talent and making convention encounters meaningful for the readers who support the medium.
