Nick Roche
Animator
What I do
I’m lucky enough to draw giant space robots fighting each other as my job! I write and draw Transformers comics, and I also help design some of the toys and video games from time to time. I’ve worked on other comics but my favourite by far has always been the Robots in Disguise!
How I got my job
I’d been drawing Transformers for fun ever since I was young. I wanted to grow up to draw comics in general, but it was a dream come true to actually work on the Transformers comics themselves. When IDW Publishing got the rights to make Transformers comics, I was lucky enough to have a good friend who passed on my portfolio to the editor, and suddenly my lifelong wish came true!
What I love about my job
I get to write about characters I’ve loved since I was young, and get to decide what they’re going to say and do. I really enjoy drawing big action scenes, and squeezing as much life and energy as I can into these characters. It’s great to be inspired by what else is happening in the Transformers universe, like the brilliant Season 1 of Transformers: Prime. Seeing the cool new character designs in the TV show inspires me to up my game in the comics!
What’s difficult about my job
It takes a very long time to draw them! It’s difficult to get the details just right – and the readers will always let you know if you get them wrong! Luckily, I’ve got the new Transformers: Prime DVD to pause and rewind, to make sure I don’t leave anything out.
Where to start
Write, write, write and draw, draw, draw! Don’t stick to just the one subject; you need to be able to draw people of all ages and shapes, vehicles and believable backgrounds for your stories to be set in. Show your work to as many people as you can and get feedback. Going to college to study art is also a great idea. If you think you have what it takes, get yourself and your artwork online and show it to other professionals and editors – they’re the ones that can give you a job. Be patient, be good and be lucky!
