Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC) 2016 has just unveiled its line-up of renowned pop culture personalities — including Stephanie Hans, an extremely talented French illustrator, working mostly for Marvel as a cover and interior artist!

Stephanie’s ethereal style refers often to classical and traditional painting. She’s been working on covers for Storm, Journey into Mystery, Angela, Thor, Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy, and many more. As an interior artist, she painted pages for Inhumanity: Superior Spider-Man, Ant-Man & the Wasp, Fearless Defenders, Angela: Asgard’s Assassin, Angela: Queen of Hel, Witch Hunter Angela, and The Wicked + The Divine.

Stephanie took a couple of minutes off from her busy schedule to answer a few questions about her art, how she got started in the business, and some advice from the heart for fellow artists.

How did you get your start in the industry?

I Started as a comic book artist for the French market around 2004. I didn’t really know what kind of illustrator I wanted to be at the moment. I just was looking for work. I stumbled on my first editor in a children book fair in Paris and submitted him a few stories I had written. But being in the same time writer and artist was a lot of pressure and I switched to cover art after a call from Hachette Publishing.

I did a lot of covers for the young adult literature industry. It suited me more because I still had a lot of things to learn as an artist (and still do) and I could put all my efforts and focus on one single picture.
After a while, I had the chance to offer my work to Marvel’s talent scout: CB Cebulski — thanks to Olivier Jalabert, and he saw potential in it. He gave me my first gig 2 years later, and since then, I have been a mainstream comic book artist.

Who are your major influences as an artist and illustrator?

I have a lot of classic references. Mucha, Egon Schiele, Bilibine, Klimt, Delatour, Manet, Le Caravage, and also
more recent illustrators like Bob Peak, Liendecker, Norman Rockwell, Bill Sienkievicz. I have a thing for elegant and Dark illustration.

Your original characters are your babies so we won’t ask who is your favourite, but among the characters you worked on with Marvel, who was your favourite and why?

I think it will always be Loki. Most precisely Kid Loki but I have a soft spot for him in every shape and age.
Journey into mystery was my first regular job for Marvel and I remember this period with a real fondness. It was a title without pressure for a long time. I didn’t have a lot of other jobs, so I had all the time to challenge myself, we worked really as a team and this created links that still shape my career since I still collaborate regularly with Kieron Gillen.

But really, it was the readers that made the title special. They felt in love with the character and so did I, through their eyes. For the last issue I set up a meet up with the cosplayers at NYCC where I offered them silk prints. The editors came, as well as Kieron. It was a very beautiful, bittersweet moment.

What was the most surprising thing you experienced while working with comics, as opposed to traditional art?

My first american Comic con I guess. The exuberance of it, the unleashed expression of candid love. It was so faraway from french conventions.

If you could share one piece of advice with female artists who would like to break into the market, what would it be?

Maybe don’t think yourself as a female artist. You are an Artist. Be focused, keep working, anything can happen to courageous hearts! More than anything, be authentic. Your singularity will make you shine.

Get to meet Stephanie Hans at STGCC 2016 — slated to take place from 10th to 11th September when Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC) takes centre stage at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Level B2, Halls E and F. Tickets are priced at SGD19 for a one day pass and SGD28 for a two day pass. Click here for more VIP package details.

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Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2014 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC)

The Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention combines the best of pop culture from East and West to Asia, uniting the worlds of comics, anime, toys, collectibles and games. It is the pre-eminent event in the Asian market that fits with other shows in the Reed pop culture portfolio, including New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Star Wars Celebration, PAX, NYC – Special Edition and OZ Comic Con. STGCC will reach out to a whole new world of fans in Asia and opens a vast market with exciting opportunities for companies to break into the Asian market and/or reinforce a growing presence. Fans will experience a showcase of pop culture’s coolest and latest products, and be thrilled by personalities and characters from the worlds of superheroes, villains and realms of fantasy. STGCC’s vision is to deliver quality content and spread the currency of cool in Asia and aims to be the leading catalyst for the pop culture industry.

magnetic-rose.net is an Official Media Partner of STGCC 2016.