At 43 years old, Mike Deodato Jr. has reinvented himself a number of times. Working as a comic book artist in Brazil and the United States for more than 20 years, his story could serve as a textbook about the recent history of comic book art, from his realistic style in the '80s, to his gritty, mass-marketed '90s work, to his current more detailed, story-centered approach.

All the reinventing has apparently paid off for Deodato, who has a Marvel exclusive contract that extends through 2010. Having just come off story arcs on high-profile comics like Amazing Spider-Man and New Avengers, the artist will next be seen as a penciler on the Ultimates Annual coming out in August.

And now comes the news that he's the new penciler on Squadron Supreme starting with issue #8 in October, reuniting him with Amazing Spider-Man writer J. Michael Straczynski.

Meeting Deodato in person, his years of experience show in the gray that peppers his jet-black hair, as well as the mature, almost philosophical language he uses when discussing his role as an artistic storyteller. Yet he also exudes a sort of boyish charm, not only in the enthusiasm he shows for superheroes and monsters, but also the way he laughs at himself when discussing his artistic past -- particularly the mid-'90s -- often shaking his head and letting out an, "Aaaah, what was I thinking?"

A lifelong resident of Brazil who only visits the United States a couple times a year, Deodato warns people that he can't speak English very well, and he's correct that his accent is thick. But with a few pauses to find the right word and a lot of smiling and laughing, the quiet struggle hardly stops him from communicating and seems to only add to his charm.

As he recently visited the United States for over a month to meet his fans at several comics’ conventions, Deodato sat down with Newsarama to reflect on his career, talk about his life with his family in Brazil, and acknowledge the man who started him down the path to a lifelong love of comic books.

Newsarama: Your story started in a world filled with comic books. The "junior" at the end of your name is there for a reason -- your father was a comic book artist in Brazil. Was he the one that nurtured your love of comics?

Mike Deodato Jr.: Yes, my father was a comic book artist too, in Brazil, but he never had the chance I had outside our country because it's very hard to live and survive doing comics. He brought a lot of comics home, and I would go with him to the comics shop every week. If my sister would touch my comics, I would know that she moved it a little bit. I loved them. So yeah, he's responsible for my addiction to comics.

NRAMA: And he was supportive of you as an artist as well?

MD: He taught me a lot about drawing, and he supported me a lot as a painter and artist.

NRAMA: Does he still work as a comic book artist?

MD: He doesn't anymore. But he is still an inspiration to me. I believe that my father, if he had been given the opportunities in the United States that I have, he would be another Frank Miller. I really do believe that.

NRAMA: It sounds like you have a lot of respect for him. You two worked together a lot when you first started?

MD: Yeah. I only started drawing for money, professionally, in 1985. I did it together with my daddy. And we worked together in Brazil in comics several times, on Westerns and regional stuff, for 10 years from about 1980 until 1990. Many different kinds of comics. So, when I started doing comics for the U.S.A., I was already ready. I was very experienced. I had done all kinds of ... um ... genres? So I wasn't new when I started to draw for American comics.

NRAMA: How did that break into American comics happen? Were you discovered?

MD: Oh, no. No. When I came here in 1993, I visited a lot of companies -- DC, Marvel, Continuity -- a lot of them. I think eight or 10. All of them refused my work.

NRAMA: Every last one turned you down?

MD: Yes. Every one of them. I was doing stuff like painting Beauty and the Beast, drawing Quantum Leap and stuff like that, because it was very, very realistic. But my wish was to do superhero stuff because that is what I grew up reading.

NRAMA: So you were a fan of American comics as a kid?

MD: Yes. In Brazil, they are published there.

NRAMA: Translated into Portuguese?

MD: Yeah. Uh huh. So I read the same stuff that Americans read, with a few years of difference in the publication.

NRAMA: What were your favorite American comics characters?

MD: Captain America was my favorite.

NRAMA: Captain America? But you lived in Brazil!

MD: Yeah! (laughter) I don't know why! My dream is to do some more personal comics, more regional from Brazil. But I have a 10-year contract through 2010 with Marvel, you know, so I don't think it's going to happen.

But I love to do superheroes. I grew up reading Captain America and Hulk and The Defenders. And Steve Englehart -- I loved his stuff at the time.

NRAMA: Getting back to your early efforts to draw for American superhero comics, how did you finally get someone to say yes?

MD: I was visiting the United States, showing my art. And Neal Adams told me I would never be a superhero artist.

NRAMA: Never? Ouch.

MD: Yeah. Because my style was very realistic. And then me and my agent were at the hotel, and I was very sad. But I had bought some Image Comics that were out at the time, like Spawn and WildC.A.T.S. and I was amazed! The Image Comics hadn't arrived in Brazil yet. All the colors and the style -- I was like... aaaayeee!! I want to do something like that!

So I took out two pages and I drew in that style. I colored it myself with airbrush, and I did the lettering. I did everything. Two big pages in color.

And I took it to Neal Adams, and he hired me right away.

NRAMA: After what he had said, he hired you?

MD: Yeah. I was so nervous to work with him, because he was my idol. I think my biggest influences in comics are Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. They are my main influences. The more that I try to get rid of that, if I try, I cannot. It is my roots. That's just the way I draw. You can't get rid of that.

NRAMA: Everyone has his or her own style.

MD: But I like it. I like that in my work.

NRAMA: Communication must have been difficult when you first started trying to get work in the United States.

MD: Oh yes. Back then, in Brazil, it was almost impossible to get in touch with editors. I didn't speak the language, so it was very hard. Nowadays it is much easier to get in touch with them. There is the Internet and email. Back then, no Internet.

There was no way to communicate. All during the beginning, I had very little communication with the editors and writers, because I didn't speak English.

NRAMA: So that's why you had an agent to represent you in the United States?

MD: Yes. I have been working most recently with Glass House Graphics. I know now there is no market, no space for agents in comics because there is not much money. But at the time, I needed it because of the language. Now I probably don't need agents, but we are friends, so we keep working together. I like it. It works very well.

NRAMA: You do pretty well with English now. When did you learn the language?

MD: Oh, I'm not that good with the language! (laughter) With the trips I did to the United States, I realized that the stupid agent of mine was learning to speak English. I thought, "hey, he can speak it, so I can try to!" So I got a teacher to teach me at home while I am working, and it worked out for me.

NRAMA: What was it like when you first started working for American companies while living in Brazil? Now, pages are commonly emailed back and forth. Did you have to mail all your pages to America?

MD: Yes. And use smoke signs. (laughter) It was bad. I had to send the pages with Fed Ex -- two days to go, two days to come. Nowadays, everything is via email. I scan it in. Right now, my inker lives near my town in Brazil. I tried to send my page to him, but it took one week, because he lives in a small town. Then I thought, "oh my God." So I send it to my house, then to my nephew, then he personally delivers it.

NRAMA: So your inker lives in Brazil?

MD: Yes. In Brazil. He's a very good inker. Joe Pimentel. But he -- he lives in a cave! (laughter) He doesn't like to come out to people. I always liked to ink my own work. When I was doing Hulk I was doing tight pencils -- you shoot directly from the pencils -- in the first half of my run. And then, I wanted to do the ink. So I talked to Axel [Alonso]. "Oh, no problem. You can do." So I start doing my own ink. But for Spider-Man, they wanted me to do the whole thing. So I finally found Joe Pimentel, who does great work. When I don't like what he does, when I get the page, I correct it all the way I want. That is why I wouldn't want to have an American inker because I wouldn't have access to the page after it is inked. I like to do it the way I want so I am satisfied.

NRAMA: What was the first American comic you drew as an interior penciler?

MD: It was Santa Claws for Malibu Comics -- before Marvel buy the company. It was 30 pages, and I did the ink and the painting. Very good story. Of course, nobody paid attention to my stuff. A lot of my stuff then, nobody noticed.

NRAMA: But you did finally get noticed. When did that start for you? Was it Wonder Woman?

MD: Yeah. I heard a friend of mine was doing something for DC. Somebody from the same agent that was representing me was doing something for a big company, and I was not. So I was jealous! I said, "Hey, he's doing it. I want to do something for them too!" Then they say, "Well, there is this Wonder Woman comic. They need an artist, but it doesn't sell well. Nobody wants to do that." I said, "I want to! I want to!"

But you know, I hate drawing women. I prefer drawing monsters and stuff like that. But I said, "I want to do it!"

NRAMA: You hate drawing women?

MD: Yeah. Even though, for a good part of my career, I am recognized for drawing women.

NRAMA: So how did you get the Wonder Woman job?

MD: Again, I did two big pages, colored, to show what I could do. And they hired me.

NRAMA: That two-pages technique came in handy more than once.

MD: Yeah!

NRAMA: So you got to draw Wonder Woman, even though you'd rather draw monsters.

MD: I got to do Wonder Woman. In three months, the sales doubled and tripled or something like that. Because they gave me freedom to do whatever I want. It was not said, but I kept doing things and I kept making her more ... um ... hot? Wearing thongs. I talked to Bill Loebs at a convention, and he said his friends call his run on Wonder Woman with me "porn Wonder Woman." (laughter) OK. Thanks for letting me know. But back then it worked. Every time the bikini was smaller, the sales get higher.

I was having a lot of fun. I wanted people to see my work. I had a lot of energy. I think the word for my work at the time is energy. Now I have experience. The main difference is now I try to do storytelling. Now I know my main reason to be doing a book is to tell a story.

NRAMA: You didn't know back then that storytelling was important?

MD: I didn't know back then. You might think it's obvious, but for me it was not. I just wanted to do big, flashy pages and leave the other panels around it.

NRAMA: But now?

MD: Now, it's different. I want people to be touched by a story. I want them to forget they are reading a comic book. Forget they are looking at a drawing. Just focus on the story and get emotional about the story. If I put a panel in this shape or that shape, I should only be doing that if it helps the story. If not, I don't do it. I have to make the reader get into the story, and if I put a big panel in there, it has to have a reason in the story. Not to see the drawing. Not because it looks nice. If they forget the drawing, I accomplished what I want. But it took years for me to understand that.

You know, it's interesting. I couldn't see that. Editors told me that. I knew that. But it couldn't get into my mind. But then suddenly I realized, I have to tell a story. I am there to serve the story.

NRAMA: Is that why your style has gone through changes? Because you've changed your focus as an artist toward storytelling?

MD: My original style, back in Brazil, was very realistic. Then I saw the Image guys and wanted to draw just like them. And then I got tired of that. Actually, at the time, I was doing three or four books a month. It was crazy. I had a studio with guys working for me -- not a physical studio, but working in different locations. And my art was getting bad, and I was doing very bad stuff. And also there was the overexposure of my name. I was everywhere. And all of this together, and the pressure of working -- I was working too much. That was crazy.

NRAMA: When was that? The mid-90s?

MD: 1996 to 1998. Crazy.

Of course, I started going to littler companies and getting less jobs and less jobs. And then I realized, I have to do something. I had to get back a love for comics. I was just wanting to get rid of pages as fast as I can, and I wanted that to stop. So I decided to work less to do a better job on every page. And even though I get less money, I will be satisfied with my work. And in the future, I will get more for working less because the art will be better.

I started taking more care. I didn't want anybody to help me, not even an assistant. It worked.

NRAMA: What was the first comic where you had this new style where you paid better attention to your work?

MD: X-Men Unlimited. It was a new detailed style the way I wanted. The story was Nightcrawler. I think it was an 11-page story. The editor liked it a lot, and he was going to give me an X-Men book, but then the editor got fired. And I did some other work for Marvel, and a lot of it went nowhere. And after that, I did some covers, and then, finally, Axel Alonso asked me to do the Hulk.

NRAMA: You must have loved that, since you like doing monsters.

MD: It was my best run ever, because my style matched perfectly with Jones. I love the way he wrote. Man, he knows how to build suspense, and he plans every sequence like a movie. The angles and everything. You just have to draw what's written. The way he builds the story -- it's fantastic. He used to say to me that I would draw it exactly how he imagined it.

He doesn't have the ability like Straczynski with the psychological stuff and dialogue. He's very good on that kind of thing. And I think Bendis is good on doing the story and characters while also doing things like a blockbuster movie. He can do both at the same time.

NRAMA: What is your favorite issue you've done?

MD: My best issue ever was Hulk #70. First, it was one self-contained story. And it was one of the best stories because it was like Bruce Jones did the whole story to... what's the word? To show to my strengths.

NRAMA: Yeah, to play to your strengths.

MD: Yeah, like he used a lot of scenes in the dark and windows projecting onto the walls. And silhouettes, and the rain. And also the colorist was Hermes Tadeu. He is dead now. The best colorist. I knew him for years, and I convinced Marvel to let him color my covers on Hulk, and then I convinced them to let him do a whole issue of Hulk. And that's the one. He didn't finish. When I was going to do the last page, he was murdered.

NRAMA: That was in Brazil, right? He was only 25 when he was killed.

MD: Yes. Somebody tried to steal his camera and shot him. It was such a terrible waste of talent because he was going to be one of the best. If you look at that issue, you will see that.

NRAMA: It sounds like your run on Hulk was special to you.

MD: I loved my run on Hulk. They wanted Hulk to be scary. I love that stuff. Man, it was fun to do the Hulk. It was fantastic.

NRAMA: But you've done some pretty high-profile projects since then.

MD: After that, I did Amazing Spider-Man. And just because I loved doing the Hulk does not mean that I didn't like my run on Spider-Man. But Spider-Man, I had to adapt to ... like a blockbuster movie. Everything was more clean, and I don't think I fit very well.

I think it was good because of drawing Mary Jane and Peter Parker and all the emotional stuff. The art was more realistic. But I don't know if I fit well because I like darker stuff. But it was a good exercise for me to use one of my strengths in showing the emotion of the characters in their faces. And I'm good on that, so I had the chance to do it. I tried a lot, but I don't think I made it great. I wanted it to be great.

NRAMA: There aren't many artists who look at their own work with 100 percent satisfaction. There's always something you wish you could do better.

MD: That is true.

And then people at Marvel and Brian wanted me on New Avengers. I hate Brian Michael Bendis with all my heart (laughter). Eight panels per page! And nine panels per page! And nine characters per panel! And 60,000 zombies fighting the Avengers. But it's a great story. He knows how to write the superheroes where everyone is fighting and it looks like they are going to lose, and then the Sentry comes! And of course my favorite, Captain America.

NRAMA: That wasn't the first time you've drawn Cap though.

MD: Yeah. I drew Captain America 10 years ago in The Avengers. I did a 10-issue run. That was in those crazy years when I was working so much though.

NRAMA: And now you're going to be on Squadron Supreme.

MD: Straczynski wants me on Squadron Supreme. I've just finished reading the whole Supreme Power series. Amazing. Can't wait to start with Squadron Supreme. I'm a team player, so I'll go wherever they want me to go.

NRAMA: Sounds like you're in demand.

MD: Well, I think I'm just a guy who delivers work on time and tries to do good quality. And I try to tell the story the best I can.

NRAMA: So you've gone wherever they need you. But what is a dream project for Mike Deodato?

MD: Marvel has told me to come up with a dream project that I want to do. So I gave them some ideas. I want to do something darker with werewolves or something that matches with my style. I also mentioned some other options that I would love to do. I'm very happy with Marvel. That's why I renewed my contract without even looking for offers from DC or any other companies. I feel very well there. They treat me very well.

NRAMA: It seems that you've found satisfaction in your work after all those crazy years of working too much and not being happy with the results in the mid-'90s.

MD: Yes. And working too much doesn't work. I have learned that I have to have some time to have fun, because it's part of being creative.

NRAMA: What kind of things do you do for fun?

MD: Basically movies. And dating (laughter) -- I can say that, right?

NRAMA: Sure. But you're not saying you're a playboy, are you?

MD: No, no. I do not know the right word. But I am dating with a girlfriend. That's a good way to have fun. You know what I mean. And I live near the beach, so I go to the beach. And I go with my daughter to the mall and to parks.

NRAMA: You have a teenage daughter.

MD: Yeah. She is 16. She lives with her mother, unfortunately. It's best for her, but I would love to have her live with me. She's a good mother and has taken care of the difficult part of raising a kid. I give the emotional part. My daughter is very ... um ... temperate? I think that's the right word. She is beautiful. I think we did a great work.

NRAMA: So you are divorced from her mother?

MD: Yes. The divorce was terrible. Not because of the divorce, but to have to live away from my daughter. I was heartbroken. It was terrible. But now I know it was the best for us. Even though I was working at home, I wouldn't give her the attention she deserved. When I left home, I gave her more attention than when I was living with her. In the end it was good. And I am happy leaving the marriage. So, it is good. Even though... you know... there were two.

NRAMA: Two divorces?

MD: (laughter) Yeah. Actually, I'm not counting the last one. The marriage was four months. No, five months. Aaayeee! That doesn't count. And I'm a friend with all of them. So it might count. And all my mothers-in-law and fathers-in-law -- they love me.

NRAMA: You still have the in-laws liking you? Irresistible charm, huh?

MD: (laughter) Maybe.

NRAMA: It's interesting that you think having fun is linked to your creativity.

MD: It is. You have to enjoy the work, and if you are working too much, you cannot do it. Like right now, I am in the United States working. It used to be, when I would travel to conventions, I never had the time I want to do the things I want. So now, I try to have fun while I am doing the things I need to do. When I travel to conventions, I go to other places while I'm there. Because I could just say that someday when I retire, I will travel where I want. But nope. I am not waiting. I realize that you have to have fun while you are doing things now. That's part of life. Have fun while you are working.

Man, it took a lot of time for me to understand things. I wish I would have understood a lot of this stuff when I was 30 or so. I guess I was dumb. (laughter)

NRAMA: Everybody grows as they age. Or at least, one would hope so.

MD: I guess so. I hope I have.

The best thing is that I recovered my love for comics. I grew up reading comics. My childhood was great because of them. Now I have come the full circle. I am drawing them and loving it again. After that period when I was working too much, when I had lost the focus -- now when I get a page, I really like what I am doing. Finally, I understand what I am doing, trying to tell the story well, and loving what I do. Loving comics again like when I was a kid.