Art, Anatomy, and Humanity with Jonah Lobe

A respected figure in his field, Lobe has presided over international workshops on art and creativity, spoken at game conferences and podcasts, and served as Creative and Artistic Director on multiple projects. His massive illustrated book, Marvel Anatomy: A Scientific Study of the Superhuman, was released in 2022, and his first graphic novel, Quiet: Level One, is set to publish in 2026. Art & Object got to talk with Lobe about his evolving craft and latest projects.

Megan D Robinson: How did you get into character design? 

Jonah Lobe: I always liked to draw characters– human or otherwise… I think really good characters stick in the mind, they stay with you. Every face tells a story. When we're talking about monsters, every monster's body and face tells a story: where it's from, what it does, what its personality is like…I like creating creatures that leave an emotional impact.

MDR: You're influenced by folklore and mythology. Do you have specific traditions that you draw on, or does it depend on the project that you're working on? 

JL: It depends on the project. I think the best fantasy can be created when you borrow from different cultures and reimagine them in new cultures, reinterpreting things. What I like about mythology and storytelling is it has a resonance that modern media doesn't always capture. These are stories that have been handed down generation after generation. They've been worn smooth, like river rocks. There's a deeper truth and a deeper understanding in them. That truth at their core resonates, it touches on a global human experience. 

MDR: You have been involved in some iconic character designs that have inspired artistic give and take, where people create art inspired by your work. How does it feel to be involved in that sort of creative loop?

JL: So fun! I am really lucky to have gotten that chance. (He shows off a wall display of Dragon Priest masks, each one created by a different Etsy artist). I love whenever my work inspires somebody else– that's a good thing.

MDR: Do you use different tools and skills when you're doing different kinds of art?

JL: Certainly. I think all art is complementary, whether it's sculpture or painting, or other art forms. I've always tried to make sure that whatever I'm doing is enhancing my understanding of art as a whole, because I did very much position myself as an art educator and someone who's passionate about art. 

When I worked in games, I was much more committed to creating standalone pieces of art, in the creation of creatures or weaponry or suits of armor. Once I started working more in pen and ink, I started tackling composition. Now that I'm working in the comic book arena, doing Quiet Level One, I'm very focused on composition, and I've limited my scope of tool sets to almost entirely black and white. It feels nostalgic, and it forces me to think much more clearly and much more precisely about my use of values in my work and how values pull and push the eye around. 

A lot of the principles of contrast, shape, and language remain constants. But, when you move from one medium to another, you definitely need to acquire a different tool set. When working with a different audience, in a different medium, different rules apply. 

MDR: Do you have any advice for young artists who want to get into character design or comic book creation? 

JL: When it comes to character design, anatomy is definitely important. To sell a realistic character design, you need to have a strong understanding of muscle and bone and fat and age. Because when you have only a surface level understanding of these things, even if it's a strong surface level understanding, it shows. 

Bodies are beautiful things– human or otherwise. They're biological machines that have been perfected over millions and millions of years. And, getting to mix and match (when creating monsters) is pretty fun!

With comic books, understanding the principles of storytelling is really important. Being able to not just depict things, but also to compose those things in a way that will pull the eye to where the eye needs to be, is important. Composition controls where the eye of the viewer goes.

Studying the medium is important– and studying what different artists do in that medium. A number of different artists and writers out there are doing very different things very effectively. 

MDR: Is there anything you want people to know about your art? 

JL: I enjoy adding storytelling into my artwork, and I try to give reasoning for doing what I'm doing. I want things to feel real and meaningful and purposeful. I hope that's reflected in my art. 

When it came to Marvel Anatomy, I wanted to get across the vast differences of personality of the 60-something different heroes. Every one of them is somebody's favorite.  

Humanity is important. Humanity and storytelling are what I value most.