For our November issue, we spoke to Sheffield-based artist and freelance illustrator Rob Richardson about all things FatRobot.
Hi Rob, can you begin by telling us a bit about how you first got into illustration?
Following a foundation course in fine art at Barnsley College, I got a job at Nostalgia And Comics, a Sheffield comic shop, and whilst there I began freelancing for The Leadmill. I drew loads of posters for bands such as The Damned, Green Day, Bad Brains, and Monster Magnet (Green Day singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, really liked the poster I did for them!). Soon I was working regularly on Leadmill flyers, record sleeves, T-shirts, comics strips, badges… I was the illustrator for the Rise clubnight at The Leadmill, and they’d run full page adverts in music magazines, which led to me getting jobs from all over. I went on to work in video games and feature animation for a few years before going freelance.
What were your early inspirations and have they developed since?
Comics are my first love and, as a kid, I’d pore over the 1970s Marvel and DC books, old 1950s EC stuff like Vault Of Horror and Tales From The Crypt, and the UK anthologies Star Lord, Battle, and 2000AD. I still gravitate to comics and newspaper strips from 1930s-1970s. I’m really into classic illustrators from the golden age onward, especially the mid-century American magazine and book cover artists. I have a weakness for vintage memorabilia and merchandise – those toys you used to get in breakfast cereals, dodgy TV and film cash-ins, bubblegum cards, PEZ dispensers, action figures etc.
How was FatRobot Illustration born?
I started FatRobot Illustration after getting made redundant from my job. I’d had years of experience drawing, painting, animating, and it felt like the right time to go for it. I work on storyboards for TV, film and commercials, corporate training comic strips, video games, and everything in between. More recently I’ve been pushing toward more illustration and design work in my own style, focussing on horror and sci-fi themes. I do a lot of work for burlesque artists and events, who’ve really welcomed me into their fold, and have a range of T-shirts, greeting cards and prints under the Astro Diablo banner.
Are there any projects which you are particularly proud of?
I was bowled over to have done storyboards for the Sky Atlantic mini-series, Little Birds. I got to work with Stacie Passon, an amazing film director who’d flown over from Los Angeles for the project. She’d previously made a great feature film, Concussion, and directed episodes of Marvel’s The Punisher, and American Gods. That was really cool to be involved with.
I was also chuffed to design merch for the 2019 Fame reunion (the Fame TV series was enormous in the 80s), and I got to see some of my childhood heroes rehearsing for the show. One of the Fame performers, Jesse Borrego, wore my T-shirt on BBC’s The One Show!
Music is another passion of yours, and you’re a member of Sheffield ‘mad zombie’ band Iron Sphincter. What does a band made of the undead sound like?
Iron Sphincter are a staggering barrage of rock! We play skin-peeling versions of crowd pleasers by Boney-M, The Cramps, Johnny Mathis, Bob Marley, Johnny Cash and many more. Our Christmas carol services are really something to behold, with traditional Christmas standards and carols blasted at ear-splitting volume and bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the original singles. All this from a wayward group of four decaying zombies, one mad scientist, and a mutated clone with four arms (that’s me!).
How do you find the arts community in Sheffield?
The arts in Sheffield are thriving, there’s always loads going on from some incredible and diverse artists, musicians, cartoonists, photographers, designers, filmmakers et al. I’ve found everyone to be really supportive of each other. Also the city’s streets are alive with colour thanks to our local street artists.
Are there any projects you are currently working on?
I’ve been doing designs and promo artwork for a Ghost Train being built in the US, which is great fun. Otherwise it’s mostly smaller jobs that I’m trying to get through – a few burlesque T-shirt designs, a range of vintage motorcycle T-shirts, and backgrounds for a young adult graphic novel.
