NYCC 2023: Discussing Batman, `Noir Burlesque’ And AI With Enrico Marini

While popular in Europe for years, Enrico Marini burst onto the American comic book scene with his unique take on familiar characters in Batman: The Dark Prince Charming in 2017. His 2021 book, Noir Burlesque will soon be released for US audiences for the first time. Comicon.com sat down with the writer and artist at New York Comic Con to discuss his work and his hatred of artificial intelligence – and those who use it.

Tom Smithyman: We know each other from the Lake Como Comic Arts Festival, which we’ve each attended every year. Is this your first time in NYCC?

Enrico Marini: No, I’ve been here two or three times. The last time I was signing at the DC booth, but it’s my first time in Artist Alley in New York.

Smithyman: What do you think of the con? How does it compare to European cons?

Marini: The difference is that you can make money here! That’s why we like to come. In Europe, we are used to do sketches for free in books – like remarks. But some of my colleagues – not me – do masterpieces in colors and everything for free.

Smithyman: It’s just expected in Europe?

Marini: It’s just crazy. I’ve tried to copy a bit, the American way of doing things. So I started to charge, even in Europe. So they don’t like me so much there. But if I have a good day, I start to do some little remarks for free. Not here, because we are in New York. I would be crucified by my colleagues here for doing free stuff.

Smithyman: I had to laugh because your press agent described you as a Batman artist, but you have done so much else.

Marini: (laughing) They just wanted to sell some books.

I am a Batman artist but I just did one Batman. Not a bad one, I think! But I’m one of many.

Smithyman: Do you think of yourself as a Batman artist?

Marini: No, no, no , no. I mean, I grew up with Batman. I love to do Batman, and I would love to do another one when I have time and when the opportunity arrives to do something – which I think it will. (laughing) Maybe soon. Spoiler! (I am so good at selling stuff and then regret saying it!)

It was great to work with DC. The gave me freedom.

Smithyman: You really got to create your own world.

Marini: It’s a classic Batman world – respecting all the Batman codes with Jokes and Catwoman. I didn’t change their personalities.

Smithyman: But you gave them their own look.

Marini: Yes, but especially the Joker, because everything has already been done with Batman. But I made the Joker sexy. But it was a fun ride. And I have to admit I miss the Joker. It was so much fun, and DC was so cool about it.

And Harley Quinn was fun to do too. Of course the main characters in that story are Batman and the Joker, but I enjoyed giving Harley Quinn a new look. I love the Paul Dini/Bruce Timm original look so much. For me, it’s the best. And their humor is the best. What I tried to do is get back to that humor a bit. I don’t know if I achieved that. But I have read some Joker stories that are great, but there’s a tendency to make a real monster out of the Joker. The humor isn’t so present. I just wanted to have fun with my version. I had really silly ideas – and I put them in.

Smithyman: You spoke of making the Joker and Harley sexy. Noir Burlesque is pretty sexy, and you are now introducing it to an American audience.

Marini: Yes! And it takes place in New York in the 1950s. There are two main characters Slick, who is a criminal, and Caprice, a burlesque dancer who is the girlfriend of an Irish mob boss. Slick and Caprice had an affair, but Slick went to war, and the bitch didn’t wait for him! (laughing)

No, she’s a very empowered woman. She just knows how to play men. She’s femme fatale. She has the games she plays. Slick’s a bit jealous of the boss, because he now has to work for him.

I wanted to recreate the atmosphere of film noir movies that I love so much. But I wanted it to be sexy, so I show some things you don’t see in the movies. It would have been censored.

Smithyman: I ask this question a lot of creators who write and draw: Are you an artist who writes or the other way around?

Marini: I’m really not interested in drawing something I don’t understand. So I have to bring my ideas into it. When I work with a writer, which I’ve done in the past, I always contributed ideas.

But I’m sure I’m more skilled artist because I’ve practiced and practiced that for so long. I love writing, but it just takes more time for me. So I’m faster, I’m more efficient, when I draw.

When I write a comic, I write the whole script first. I have pictures in my mind and I see the scene, but I don’t do sketches. I just want to write the whole story like it was for someone else.

Smithyman: You’ve been very vocal about your hatred of artificial intelligence in art.

Marini: Yeah, fuck that shit! Yeah it’s just awful. I mean it’s it looks good it looks great – some things not all of it. But they just steal they steal art from other artists who are not getting paid. So they are just thieves, criminals. So fuck that.

A lot of artists will suffer from that. But some will use it too. I know some some colleagues who already do that. Bastards!

Smithyman: How are they using it? What is it helping them to do?

Marini: I was talking to a friend of mine about AI. He told me he was using it. But it doesn’t show in his drawings. So he’s he just create something – well “create” – with AI. It gives him a reference to start, and then he inks over it or he just changes things with Photoshop. So I said: “Yeah cool. Thank you, traitor! Go fuck yourself! (laughing)

No, I don’t like it. But you can’t stop it.

Smithyman: Have you seen your own work show up on AI?

Marini: No. They don’t dare!

Smithyman: If you could be any character that you have drawn, who would you be?

Marini: Joker would be fun, if it’s not too dangerous.