Rippaverse Team Interview – Igor Teixeira
The Soskas interview the Rippaverse's Art Editor and Lead Illustrator
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Jen & Sylvia Soska
Introduction
One of the best parts of my job at the Rippaverse is getting to work with so much talent that I admire. I love art. I love comic books. And I love to grow as an artist myself. One of the hardest-working team members here who has been here from the very beginning is Igor, our lead artist, who works tirelessly making designs of our awesome characters. You have definitely seen his work on posters, t-shirts, and every time a new campaign hits. His specialty is monsters, and his Magus Nuummite absolutely floored us!
Whether it is a hideous bug man creature from another world or a sultry anti-hero like Yaira, there is nothing Igor cannot do. He also works with our collective of artists, pushing everyone to do their best and also continue to grow as artists. It is my esteemed pleasure to have this opportunity to chat with him today!
Meet Igor “Chakal” Teixeira – Lead Artist at the Rippaverse
Hey Igor!
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. It’s a pleasure to get to speak with you. You are such a badass at work, create the most outstanding art, and have the kind of beautiful hair most women would murder for, haha. It’s really wonderful to get to share your awesomeness with our fans.
Please take your time answering these, as we know we keep you very busy here, haha. Thank you for your time and answers!
What has been your favorite part (lol) of working at the Rippaverse?
That’s a tough one to answer. Is there a bad part about working here? Haha, I guess drawing the villains is the best part, it’s when I have more fun!
What comic book series or character(s) made you fall in love with comic books?
The first comic book that actually caught my eye was the Streets of Poison run, with Captain America. So, I started reading a ton of Captain America and X-Men comics. For a bit, that was all I read. When I turned 11, I started reading One Piece and Berserk a bit after that, and never stopped.
Who are your favorite characters to draw in the Rippaverse?
Magus Nuummite, no doubt. Like I said, the villains are my favorite to draw. Another great character I loved drawing was Chadran. I like the exaggerated anatomy and monster-like features that some of them have.
What is your best advice for an artist who wants to work in comic books?
Focusing on fundamentals is key, in my opinion. Anatomy, perspective, light and shadow, composition—those are the tools that are gonna help you improve your comics a lot, at least on the art side of things. You will never be good enough in any of those, and you will be constantly studying and improving more on each of those aspects, like a spiral that keeps revolving and adding to itself.
So you shouldn’t be afraid of making comics just because your drawing is not good enough. Your first or second comic doesn’t have to be perfect. As you grow and make more art, you will pick up on new things and trends that you can add to your own work, and that way, you build your own voice and style.
Who are your artistic influences?
My main artistic influences are Bernie Wrightson, Kentaro Miura, Steve McNiven, and Stuart Immonen. More recently, I’ve really been enjoying the works of Jorge Jiménez and Jason Fabok, too!
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How did you meet Eric July?
I used to do design work for a massive Facebook page called Being Libertarian, and I got to engage with Eric on their communities because of our love for comics. As I grew more confident, I started working on comic book strips and cartoons of current events for them.
When Eric announced that he was starting a comic book company, I got tagged by a bunch of people and sent him my portfolio. That was more than 3 years ago, before Rippaverse launched.
How has it been being our translator for our artists who don’t speak English as their first language, like Debora Carita and Joe Bennett?
I used to be an English teacher in Brazil, so it was good to go back to the olden days of translating text and audio, hahaha. It was my pleasure to work with these awesome artists and help get their word out there for the world! Interviewing Joe Bennett is for sure one of the highlights of my career!
Honestly, how did you get such gorgeous hair, and how do you maintain it?
Hahahaha, I never liked going to the barber and cutting my hair, so it was pretty easy. Just don’t cut it, and it will grow! hahaha
But really, my father is a salesman for a hair-product company, so I get stuff that he sells at a discount. I also get all the expired shampoos.
Where can people see more of your work outside of the Rippaverse?
I’m currently working on a comic with Paul Thayer and Enzo Amore, called Lethal Leopard, coming out in 2025, and I’m super excited for people to see my sequential work there! I have also contributed to ESL animations for Dota 2 tournaments and as an artist and illustrator for Alpha Clash, the trading card game.
What would you like newcomers to know about the Rippaverse?
We certainly have a story for you, and if we don’t have one yet, it’s coming! We love branching into new genres and listening to feedback from our fans, so make sure you get your opinion out there! For us, it’s all about the fun!
Where can people find you online?
I’m pretty active on Instagram at @chakal.igor and on X (formerly Twitter) as @chakal_igor (silly Twitter doesn’t allow me to use the same handle as Instagram).
Feel free to send me artwork—I love looking at fan art and helping new artists in any way I can!
Thanks so much, Igor!
We’re grateful to have you as a pillar of the Rippaverse artist team!
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