LOS ANGELES ? No less than Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, and John Malkovich star in ?Jonah Hex,? a movie adaptation of a comic-book series co-created by legendary Filipino artist Tony DeZuniga and writer John Albano.

As we write this column, Tony and his wife Tina have just come home from the ?Jonah Hex? premiere in Hollywood.

?It was a great experience,? Tony told us via e-mail. ?My wife Tina and I really enjoyed it. The people were cheering inside the movie house and I was surprised that they put my name in the credits. My name was very visible. People will not miss it ? it was separate from everybody else?s, except for the names of the writers. Warner Bros. Pictures did an interview with me as side comments about the character and the movie for the DVD release. This was an experience of a lifetime.?

The film adaptation is one of the many career highlights of Tony, a distinguished alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas.

Since the late 1960s, when he started working for DC Comics, Tony has earned a reputation as one of the masters of comic-book illustration. He drew an impressive array of comic-book characters from Conan the Barbarian to Batman. The US Postal Service honored him by using his Spider-woman art for a stamp that is part of the Marvel Super Heroes stamp collection. He designed video games for Sega. Also an award-winning painter, Tony donates his work for worthy causes, including raising funds for the Typhoon ?Ondoy? victims.

Below are excerpts from our e-mail interview with Tony, who lives in the Los Angeles area.

What was your reaction when you learned that Josh Brolin and Megan Fox would play Jonah Hex and Lilah, respectively?

I know that Megan Fox played a big role in this movie because they had to shoot more scenes with her. People were so excited for her in this role. Josh Brolin did a good job in ?No Country for Old Men.? He is a good actor. I was excited about the casting of John Malkovich. I enjoy watching him in his movies. The trailer looks good and shows what people want ? action, sexy scenes and lots of boom and bang.

Were you consulted during pre-production?

They asked me and the writers of the comic-book series, Justin Grey and Jimmy Palmiotti, to come to the set so we can give them pointers. Unfortunately, I was hospitalized for pneumonia from April to June last year. I was in a coma. It took me until August to start working again. I had to rush and finish the graphic novel, ?Jonah Hex: No Way Back,? which was released to coincide with the movie?s opening. When I was ready to travel in October last year, we called the production. They said they were done shooting and they were already editing the movie.

What do you remember most when you drew Jonah Hex for the first time in 1977?

I?ve loved the western ever since I was a kid. I even did a cowboy story in the early 1960s in the Philippines. The title was ?Medallion.? I wrote the story and did the drawing. LVN Pictures was going to buy it to make it into a movie. But another producer got the rights to the story and never made a movie from it.

When John Albano told me the plot of ?Jonah Hex,? I went to Arizona to learn the cowboy ways ? how to ride a horse, how to put the saddle, what kind of saddle, boots and other things cowboys use. It was so much fun for someone who loves the western. When DC Comics published the books, everybody was so excited because it was something different. Jonah Hex started in the ?Weird Western Tales? book but since the character became popular, he got his own book.

What makes Filipino artists good comic-book illustrators?

Filipinos are very meticulous and are natural, good artists.

Why do you think the character has lasted this long?

Actually, Jonah Hex?s popularity died down in the 1980s when they made the story futuristic. In 2004, they issued reprints of the old ?Jonah Hex? books and they were selling like crazy. So they decided to bring back the ?Jonah Hex? book with new writers and artists.

Aside from Jonah Hex, who among the characters that you?ve drawn are important to you as an artist?

Conan the Barbarian is one of my best works. Working with John Buscema made it a lot better. I also did four covers for the ?Star Wars? comic book. The ?Tales of Gothic Romance? and ?The House of Mystery? were my early works at DC Comics. ?X-Men,? although I only did one issue. My favorite character is Thor. I only did a few issues. I also worked on Batman, Superman, Amazing Spider-Man, Supergirl, The Punisher and The Incredible Hulk.

Another important character which I did was Spider-Woman. The Black Orchid was also another character that I designed for DC Comics that became popular.

Can you please share 10 highlights of your career?

1) When Imelda Marcos gave me an award for bringing the publisher of DC Comics to the Philippines so they can hire more Filipino artists to work on their books;
2) Receiving the Sega President?s Award. I was the main conceptual designer for Sega Japan;
3) Receiving the US Postal Service acknowledgment plaque when Spider-Woman was chosen for the stamp;
4) Working as art director for Fernando Poe Jr.;
5) Working as creative director for Yabut and Associates;
6) Being named 2003 Artist of the Year in Sacramento;
7) Winning Best of Show at the 2002 Delicato Winery Art Show with ?sabungero? as my subject;
8) Earning six major awards at the 2002 Mondavi Winery Art Show;
9) Being named by the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco as one of the outstanding artists in 1994;
10) ?Jonah Hex? made into a movie.

How often do you go home to the Philippines? What do you enjoy doing when you are there?

We go home as often as we can. We went home in 2007 to do my first art show. We also went home last February to help raise funds, along with other Filipino artists, for the Ondoy storm victims. All the artists donated drawings which were compiled in a book called ?Renaissance: Ang Muling Pagsilang.? The original art is being sold and the proceeds will go to the Ondoy victims.
I love to meet artists, young and old. I always enjoy seeing my old friends Ephraim Samson, Rico Rival, Jun Lofamia, Ernie Patricio, Malang, Olazo and our gallery owner friend, Sari Ortega. When I meet the great young artists, I feel young just being with them.

My friend, Noy Del Mundo, owns a property in Anilao, Batangas, that?s just breathtaking. I love that place so much that when I was sick, my wife reminded me of Anilao. I felt that I had to get well so I can go visit Anilao again.

What advice can you give aspiring comic-book artists?

It?s not only about coming up with a pretty picture, but also about how to tell a good story. Practice makes perfect. You should know anatomy.

E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com.