Marco Marella’s Bio

Where do you live?

i live in venice, italy

Where have you lived?

apart from an year in london in the 80′s, i’ve always lived in venice. i’d like to try living in new york for a while. maybe when bush is gone.

What medium do you use?

mostly computer, but i often use hand painted and hand made collage backgrounds

How do you stay inspired?

i read a lot, i watch around a lot (very few people really do this), i travel as often as i can, i take my time with friends and family

Where do you buy your art supplies?

the oldest venetian shop: ‘testolini’ near st. mark’s square and not far from my studio

Do you work traditionally or digitally?

now, mostly digitally

What color combination are you most excited about right now?

pale blue, brown, orange, black. i find it hard to imagine something without black.

What blog(s) do you read?

i read no blogs.

Why do you like being an illustrator in 10 words or less?

i hardly imagine to be anything else

If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be?

i guess i’d like to do something involving the use of arms and hands, something in the open air, something away from the crowd

What illustration job would you love to get (your dream job)?

a ‘time’ mag cover, of course

Name something you do in your spare time.

i read, but never newspapers: they are depressing, the worst way to start a new day. i play with flickr.

What’s the strangest work experience you’ve ever had?

i’ve been a ship-boy, a life-guard, an army officer and many other things but illustration is by far the strangest

What are you reading now?

‘one thousand splendid suns’ by khaled hosseini. a good story or, better, a good tragedy.

What recent book do you recommend for a good read?

‘I Served the King of England’ by czech writer bohumil hrabal, a true work of art, but my favourite book ever is yourcenar’s ‘memoirs of hadrian’

Where would you like to travel to next?

mars, but i will probaly go to croatia

What’s your favorite TV show?

i do not watch tv shows, i like ‘little britain’ and ‘scrubs’ tv series, but i have to say that i do not watch television too much

What’s your favorite NPR show?

i have no idea of what an NPR show is. and maybe i’m lucky

What movie have you seen several times?

’101 dalmatians’ still holds the record

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

snow white

What is your favorite cheese?

creamy gorgonzola: try it if you’ve never did before, with italian red wine of course

If you could name a nail polish, what would you name it?

shining. and i’d put jack nicolson hallucinated face peeping from the door on the label. a ‘niche’ product, by the way.

Do you wear shoes when you do art?

if crocs are shoes, yes

What do you listen to while you work?

all kinds of music, from reggae to classic iranian music, and sometimes an audio book, when the work does not require too much concentration. but i often spend whole days in complete silence.

What artist are you reincarnated from?

i guess i am on the same lineage of ancient venetian painters and eclectic craftsmen: there were really a lot here, as well as illustrators: the editorial market was born here, in the 16th century, after all

What do you wish your middle name was?

‘doctor’ or, better, ‘architect’ . who needs a degree if you already are a doctor or an architect? seriously: i do not need one more name.

If you could eat only one food, what would it be?

fish

How do you stay in shape?

i practice shotokan karate, jogging on the beach

How don’t you stay in shape?

italian food and wine. i like it too much.

What is your current favorite font?

i draw ‘fonts’ myself

How do you take your coffee?

very hot, short, black and no sugar. but i mostly drink unsweetened green tea

Whom would you like to meet?

jesus christ: i have some questions

What question would you most like to be asked?

what’s the meaning of life? i’m afraid i have the answer.

What recent illustration job have you enjoyed doing?

my last job for the ‘village voice’, new york

What was your favorite illustration assignment?

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