I am now not that far from that goal, even if the whole Casper/Richie Rich period is seriously lacking. Anyway, I think it's time to offer you what was the "meat" from Scarce #77, a gigantic interview of Ernie conducted over almost a year, if not more.
Here is the first part of this interview. In french, as it was published in #77, and then the original english version just below:
ME: You are born in 1931 in Puerto Rico. Were you parents also from there and did you stay there during your childhood?
ERNIE: Yes, they were and I lived there until age ten.
ME: At what age did you start to draw? Was becoming a penciller your childhood dream?
ERNIE: I remember drawing from age six and always wanted to be a comic book artist.
ME: Were you a comic book reader? what did you enjoy back then?
ERNIE: Growing up, I was a big fan of Milton Caniff, then Will Eisner. I never enjoyed Superheroes--with the exception of the early Captain Marvel. That character had humor and didn't take itself as seriously as all the other snarling, furious products of DC and Marvel.
ME: Do you have brothers/sisters and did you share your interest in comics/drawing with them?
ERNIE: I have eight sisters. They're scattered in age and location, so no, I haven't been able to share my art experience with them. Some of them follow my work and we e-mail each other.ME: What did you draw mostly during your childhood? Would you create your own thing or mostly try to copy your favorite artists?ERNIE:I did both. I loved to draw battle scenes--especially those in the air. When I started drawing, airplanes were still mostly double-wingers from WWI. And, of course, I drew the gansters I saw in the movies.
ME: What course did you follow at school?ERNIE: The high school I went to was The School of Industrial Art, which became The School of Art and Design. My major subjects were illustration and cartooning. The cartoon teacher was an expert in silk screening, but had no clue as to how to teach the cartoon course. He was a martinet and made life a misery to most of his students. His idea of critique was to come up behind an unsuspecting student, lean over his shoulder and tear up whatever he was working on. He only did that to me once. My reaction stopped him from that and from even approaching me thereafter. He gave me a good grade.All considered, they did not prepare students for the world of commercial art or for the world outside. But then--few schools do
ME: If I'm not mistaken, your complete name is Ernesto Sierra de Cordobes Y Lopez Colón , isn't it? Can you explain to our readers its origin?
ERNIE: My name is Ernesto Colo'n Sierra. Sierra is my mother's maiden name. In Hispanic countries, the woman does not lose her name when a child is born. However, that is not my last name--it is Colo'n. So, to avoid confusion, I dropped the Sierra. As to that long name--it was a joke that has followed me through the years. Cordobe's is my granma's name and Lopez my father's.
ME: Some american comics artists with "spanish" names choosed to change it for something less revealing, less "ethnic".(like Pasqual Ferrandis changing his name to Paschalis Ferry, then to Pascal Ferry ). I may be mistaken but before 1980, there was some comics in which you were credited as Ernesto Colon. Was it something that you had to take in account? Is there really some kind of discrimination in the comics field if you have an "ethnic revealing" name (sorry, it's difficult to find an appropriate term, I hope you understand what I mean by that)
ERNIE: I found discrimination in other employment--never in comics. Talent was the only criteria. Simple office politics often determined someone's employment or lack of it--never ethnic origin.My father and I have always been called Ernie. I use Ernesto for more formal or official applications--driver's license, etc.
ME: What was you first paying job?
ERNIE: I was hired by Ham Fisher to ink in the backgrounds of a popular Sunday newspaper strip of the day--"Joe Palooka". It was a great thrill and opportunity. Unfortunately, it was short-lived--Mr. Fisher committed suicide within a month. My more morbid friends attributed this tragedy to the quality of my work.
ME: What year would this Joe Palloka assignment be?
ERNIE: Don't recall--shortly after graduating high school--that was 1950.
ME: Since you were at the School of Industrial Arts, I supposed you moved to New York and spend quite some time there? Are you still there?
ERNIE: I lived in Brooklyn at the time. I now live in Long Island
ME: Did you parents were supportive of your dream of becoming a comic book artist?
ERNIE: Very much so. They didn't quite know what to make of my ambition, but they respected and supported it.
ME: With such a big family, were there any money concern and did you feel any king of pressure on you to find a good paying job?
ERNIE: My family consisted of me, my mother and my step-father--who was a father to me. All other members were in Puerto Rico and eventually scattered throughout the U.S. Pressure in finding a "good paying job" was and is, something I share with everyone who hasn't inherited wealth.
ME: After the Joe Palloka assignment, what did you do?ERNIE: Couldn't get a job in comics. Did a few years of factories, messenger and delivery work.
ME: Were you confident in making a living only drawing comics back then?ERNIE: No, I wasn't. My dreams were colliding with reality.
ME: The early 50's saw the rise of romance comics. Were you a fan of this genre, of what for exemple john Romita or Gene Colan were doing with it?ERNIE: I was not a fan of romance comics, though I liked their being part of a wide choice for readers--mystery, westerns, science fiction, etc. Somehow the superhero took over, narrowing the field and forcing the general public to regard comics as childish or, at best, adolescent. John Romita and Gene Colan are two of the very best. They did everything well.
TO BE CONTINUED
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