You probably don’t know this but it when it comes art inspired by The Last Dragon, a cartoon illustrator from Minnesota by the name of Matt Hennen, is the Master. You may have already seen his work featured on this site or all over Instagram. I recently caught up with the Master to ask him a few questions about his work and inspirations. He also shared his newest Last Dragon illustrations, which I am very excited to feature in this article.
Matt is art your full time job?
Yes, I mainly do cartoons/caricatures. I started out doing live caricatures around the country, and I still do them to this day as a way to make extra income and stay in practice. As a freelancer I do caricatures, cartoons, illustration, character design, portraits, and just about anything art/drawing related. I have also had to work some part time jobs here and there. Trying to make a living as an artist is very difficult, but worth it.
What other interests do you have?
I like movies, health and fitness, chicks, and drawing…but not in that order.
So why do you draw and what got you into it?
That’s a good question, one I still don’t know the answer to. I think I do it because it is something I can grow in, it’s a big part of my identity, and it’s a fun, rewarding challenge that I enjoy. I have been drawing since I was five. My Dad was a graphic designer and he used to draw with my brother and I.
Your art looks like it comes straight out of a comic book, do you have a favorite comic?
I haven’t read any in a long, long time, but when I was a kid, it was Eastman and Laird’s TMNT graphic novels #1-4. There was blood, ninjas, and the characters swore…it is the stuff boyhood dreams are made of.
Oh yeah those were the good old days of TMNT before they got all Saturday morning friendly. So what inspired you to draw The Last Dragon Stuff?
This movie was a staple of some of the great 1980’s movies nostalgia that I cherish; it is an instant portal to that place and time when I was a child. I wanted to try and portray the characters in this movie to the best of my memory from those days. I figured I owe that much to such a classic.
Who’s your favorite Last Dragon character to draw?
I actually like all of the characters in this film…even some of the minor ones. There is endless material here. My favorite is Sho’Nuff…he is just so over the top that you cannot help but remember him, and it is because of this that everyone always quotes his lines when you ask them if they have ever seen The Last Dragon. Julius Carry did an excellent job. The Sho’nuff I did with the glowing fists is my favorite Last Dragon piece so far. I do have a few more ideas for some art pieces based on this movie that I hope to realize in the future, so stay tuned.
Anyone who follows this blog knows I live for Last Dragon quotes I always love to hear other fan’s Favorites, what’s yours?
“FIAAAAAAAAAA…WOO!” ~Eddie Arkadian
I was honored! I hadn’t planned on really doing anything with the images you used other than posting them to my blog for fun, so it was nice to have them in a more specifically dedicated site where they could gain some exposure.
What do you hope to accomplish through your art?
I hope to continually develop my technical skills so I can communicate the ideas/visions in my illustrations that people might relate to and find joy in as well.
Where can we find more of your art?
The main place is my blog, Mattzart. I update that most frequently, but you can also check my Deviant Art profile or Redbubble portfolio. Any other updates of a website/store will be mentioned on these accounts in the “links” area. Or, you can find me on Facebook.
One thing I forgot to ask Matt was: when are we going to get some Laura Charles? I see some sketches in there so there must be something in the works? You know the fans would love it; so Matt when you read this let us know what’s up?
You can buy some of the work above from Matt’s portfolio on Redbubble:
For more Last Dragon related artwork check out:
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