Joel Folda, cover & story artist for Tasq Force

The great thing about these new publishers publishing the Phantom is the new artists from all corners of the world drawing our hero. Joel Folda from Italy is one of the latest artists who has created two covers and a short web comic for Tasq Force. We were lucky enough to spend some time getting to know him and able to share with all.

Jermayn Parker: Thank you for joining us. Can you tell us about yourself?

Joel Folda: My name is Joel Folda and I'm Italian, but I currently live in Malta. I finished my studies at the

Academy of Fine Art in Naples and during that journey, I officially started my career in the comic book industry in 2020 as a colorist. I eventually started getting my first works as a drawer later in 2021. This started with the strip released monthly, about the history of Naples, for a local Magazine called Informare.

JP: Can you tell us about your history with the phantom?

JF: I got to know about Phantom when I was very young; I had a lunch bag themed with The Defenders of the Earth. It was explained to me that Phantom, Flash Gordon, and Mandrake were previously published in Italy in the seventies by Fratelli Spada and ever since then, I have tried to get as many comic books as possible. Later on, I got to know the work of the astonishing artists Sy Barry, Roy Felmang, Sal Velluto, Massimo Gamberi and the divine Angelo Todaro. I owe a lot to these wonderful artists.

JP: What appeals to you about the Phantom?

JF: I have always loved old-school characters. Additionally, I adore this interesting fact of how Phantom is colored differently in several countries. The color red was very predominant during my childhood; you can even call it the color of heroes, especially in Italian culture. And of course, as you all surely know, Phantom in Italy was always colored in red.

JP: How’d you get the gig of the covers with Tasq Force?

JF: I owe the pleasure of working on the phantom to Mr. Eoin McAuley, who I met for the first time at Malta Comic Con back in 2023. He believed in my work and gave me the possibility to do my best with the character.

JP: What is your process for the covers you have created for Tasq Force?

JF: In general, when I draw a cover, I pass through the canon phases of drawing a sketch and then continuing with the pencil work, inks and colors. With interior stories, I firstly start with conceptualizing the layout and storyboard; following this, I advance to pencil work, lettering, ink, and finishing off with the colors.

Before I start sketching, my work is mostly dedicated to the documentation. This is initiated by collecting every kind of reference or photo to understand visually and conceptually how the story will evolve.

When it comes to working on the Phantom, my focus is more on giving a lot of time to the phase of the documentation. This is crucial, even before starting to work. My main focus is to ensure that the characters are recognizable, and the artist I use the most as a reference is Sy Barry.

JP: Can you tell us about the short Christmas-themed story?

JF: It had started with an idea to be posted on social media as a Christmas postcard. After proposing my idea to Eoin, he kindly wrote the dialogue. From my side I took care of the drawings and lettering, with the colours being taken care of by a good friend of mine, Antonio Pirro. He is a long-standing collaborator and talented artist.

JP: How can phans see your work & follow you on social media?

JF: I post very regularly on my Instagram handle, @into_the_space_of_comics, and also on my Facebook profile under the name of Joel Folda. It would be fantastic to hear from any of you kindly reading this interview. I am always up for a conversation!

JP: Do you accept commissions?

JF: Yes, I am open to commissions.

JP: Thank you for your time, and on behalf of all phans, thank you for your work, and we look forward to your next cover and hopefully even a longer story.