The Tadeo Factory
by Jerald Uy
Ed Tadeo works like a machine. He can pencil, ink, color, paint and has also ventured into writing an indie comic featuring the swamp warrior, Jacara Zar. Save for editing, he may have filled up every creative position in making comics.
The fact that he carries the most enviable hairstyle in the industry complements his stature as one of comics’ rock stars. So what else can he not do?
“I can’t ride a bike!” the 37-year old prolific artist admits. This confession could either give aspiring artists an ego boost, knowing that they have a skill that Tadeo does not possess. Or his fans could be jumping for joy, because their idol can’t ride a bike too. Remind Tadeo to get a fully-loaded car nearby when the zombie apocalypse hits.
While he may have raised the white flag in cycling, Tadeo has had his share of dealing with naysayers — sometimes the people closest to him.
“My mother used to yell at me in college ’cause I’d rather skip meals than not to buy Marvel comics,” Tadeo recalls. “My father said, in a good way, ‘walang katorya-torya ang ginagawa mong komiks!’” Treating resistance from his parents as a challenge, he joined his friends in a visit to Image Comics founder Whilce Portacio’s studio. Tadeo hoped to be scheduled for a tryout and patiently waited for weeks.
And then, the call came—Portacio wanted him to assist Gerry Alanguilan on inking Roy Allan Martinez’s pencils for Image Comics.
“My first work Grifter #10 came out and I was very excited to see my name printed on it. Unfortunately I wasn’t credited,” he says.
For him, it was just a matter of time that he could finally see his name on a comic book page. That time came when he inked on Leinil Yu’s pencils for Wolverine.
“It was the first time I saw my whole name—not a nickname—printed. It was overwhelming!” he shares.
The rest, as they say, is history. He started receiving projects left and right. But Tadeo does not want paint a picture that artists who have worked for the Big Two should be complacent.
“Even though I’m already in the biz, I still get rejections. Especially when I’m applying to a different level like (transitioning) from inker to penciller,” the artist says.
Tadeo may have given up but he always put a good face when facing setbacks.
“The first time I received a rejection letter from Marvel, instead of becoming angry or mad, I became happy because the editors took time to look at my work and then encouraged me to do my best. So that was what I did,” Tadeo says.
Much like a well-oiled machine, Tadeo pushes himself forward.
About Ed Tadeo: Ed is currently working as an artist for Dynamite Entertainment and also freelances from time to time at Marvel Comics. Visit his official website at http://www.edtadeo.com to know more about him and his works. Or drop by at KOMIKON 2012 on Oct. 27, 2012 from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM at the Bayanihan Center, Unilab Compound, Pasig City to get his signature, take a photo with him, or just get his awesome art. Entrance ticket is P100.