FYC replay: Some New Kind of Slaughter

For Your Consideration: Some New Kind of Slaughter ~or~ Lost in the Flood (and How We Found Home Again): Diluvian Myths from Around the World from mpMann and A. David Lewis
By Chris Beckett


The 411:
Some New Kind of Slaughter ~or~ Lost in the Flood (and How We Found Home Again):
Diluvian Myths from Around the World
Written by mpMann and A. David Lewis
Art by mpMann
136-page HC, full color, $19.95
Archaia Comics



What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

Ziusudra, the Sumerian predecessor to Noah, is restless. Having convinced friends and family to join him, they now sail across their flooded world in a great wooden ship, and he finds himself alone with the darkness, questioning the wisdom of that choice. Ziusudra erected the vessel at the behest of the god Enki, who spoke to him through a crack in the wall of the city Shuruppak. Is that the action of a sane man? He has no answer, and none is forthcoming in the damp night. Haunted by visions, Ziusudra wonders at how calm the beasts are and wishes that same solace could blanket the rest of the crew.

These visions come unbidden to Ziusudra, heightening his anxiety. A woman in his far future – our present – worries for her daughter as a hurricane rapidly approaches. In Arnhem Land, the rainbow serpent Yurlanggur raises a flood, taking the lives of two boys he’d orphaned when their mothers attracted his notice. In Africa, a magical pot that never runs out of water is carelessly shattered. Flowing endlessly for a year, the torrent it releases not only creates the great river Nile and the Mediterranean Sea into which it flows, but also drowns the family to which the pot had been entrusted. And all the while, the tale of Noah moves across Ziusudra’s visions, passing in and out among these multiple tales while the fate of the mother and daughter from his future is also revealed to Ziusudra.

One thing that makes humankind unique is our need to tell stories. Across millennia, and around the globe, bards have shared their tales of wonder and despair with all willing to listen. There were no twenty-four hour news channels centuries ago, and the spreading of news relied upon the memories and the tongues of travelers. Over time, many of these stories were lost to the ages, but just as many – if we are allowed a hint of optimism – survived in one form or another. And today the tradition continues with new stories, as well as old, being written and rewritten for a newer generation.

A close reading of these fictions, particularly the ancient texts that have survived, can more readily illuminate a culture than any direct observations. These stories open up our collective souls, and lay bare the deepest fears and greatest hopes of generations. It is interesting to note that, despite the wide expanse of geography and time, many of the same stories – or at least similar ones – can be found in almost every society. This is the motivation for Some New Kind of Slaughter by Lewis and Mann. Within this four-issue series from Archaia Studios Press, these two creators have brought together multiple flood myths from across the world – China, India, Australia, Africa, and the Americas – in order to create a compelling and emotional narrative that touches upon the most basic of human instincts – survival and acceptance. It is a creative use of ancient stories that sheds light upon the fears and desires of modern society through comics.

When I first learned of this series from artist mpMann, I made the assumption that Slaughter would be an anthology, but that would have been the easy way out and not as entertaining. Instead of taking that route, Lewis and Mann chose to create one single narrative that ties in all of these myths. For a medium that seems to thrive upon the perpetuation of the status quo, this was certainly a gutsy decision to make, and readers should thank them for taking that risk.

What Lewis and Mann offer with Slaughter is an incredibly complex story that effortlessly moves in and out of these various tales. Although the first narrative jump could be jarring for readers, once they are aware of the intricate fashion in which this series has been crafted, they can settle in for an enjoyable and thought-provoking ride. The authors utilize both written and visual cues to help transition from one period to the next, and subsequent readings will offer readers a better understanding of the multiple depths hidden within this tale.

Some New Kind of Slaughter is another step forward for the comic medium, showcasing a complexity sorely lacking in most of the comics found on racks today. Co-written by Mann and Lewis, who live on opposite coasts, it is a testament to these two creators that the text reads seamlessly, and Mann’s artwork is again a wonder to behold. His pared down style evokes more emotion than a more “photo-realistic” artist might be able to. Not only is this a well-written book, but it is also a “pretty” book that fans of great storytelling will enjoy.

The only way for comics to continue to evolve is if challenging books such as Some New Kind of Slaughter find an audience. The first issue is in the October edition of Previews, and if you enjoy great comics that are challenging and will make you think, then you should inform your local comic shop. That’s the only way to guarantee you won’t miss out. And if you want to check out a behind the scenes look at the creation of this book, head over to A. David Lewis’s website and read the production blog he is posting there. It is a rare and interesting look at the creative process.

An Interview with A. David Lewis and mpMann:

THE PULSE: Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium?


A. David Lewis: Some people have argued that we're wired for comics. That is, our brains enjoy processing images and words together, combining them together for even more potent messaging. To some degree, I agree, and that makes comics rather rare. On the other hand, I'm just a fan of good storytelling, whether it's through film, song, prose, or what-have-you. As it stands, I've simply found that I have greater success -- whether that's skill or luck -- performing storytelling through comics than through, say, short stories or poems. (Trust me on this.) It fits for me, in short.

THE PULSE: When you first mentioned Some New Kind of Slaughter as a collection of flood myths, I expected the book to be an anthology. I was very impressed at how you interwove all of the stories in order to tell one long tale. How did the idea for this book, and its narrative form, come about?

Marvin Mann: Dave is the one who first broached the idea of doing something with *all* of the world's flood myths. It was quickly obvious that we couldn't do ALL of them, but would have to give a representative sampling, with an emphasis on several, based on the similarities and differences, plus the amount of story available for each.

We settled on four.

The story of Ziusudra comes from Sumeria by way of Babylonia through the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is thus the most ancient known to us, and it became the throughline for the entire book, with the other stories occurring as his "visions.”

You can't do a flood book without Noah, and Dave went to town culling variants and developing a vision of the story that shifts the usual focus. This is the crown jewel of the book.

I was able to collapse two distinct flood myths from China into one coherent narrative, and I'm proud of the synthesis. It comes together like one story.

And the fourth story, the modern one about a woman who enters a flood zone to find her lost family highlights the theme of mankind's responsibility to the world, which runs in a minor key through most of the myths.

There are around a dozen other myths and stories that pepper the book in quick hits, and we tried to pick up themes and ideas as we run from one story to the next and back again.

THE PULSE: The storytelling in Some New Kind of Slaughter is very complex. How did you and Marv come to the decision to write it in this manner, and did you have any reservations about presenting the story this way?

A. David Lewis: No reservations here. It'll challenge the reader, but I'm not one who likes playing to the lowest common denominator, generally.

The choice of narrator is largely Marv's, I feel, but I entirely stand by the decision. When I brought the idea of World Floods to him, he was already playing with the whole Ziusudra myth in his head. And, rather than foregrounding Noah any more than we had to -- audiences already being knowledgeable with the biblical story, perhaps to a fault -- I think we opted to go with a less familiar "proto-Noah.” It kinda decenters things from the get-go and signals the reader that this won't be the traditional story she might expect.

THE PULSE: With Some New Kind of Slaughter and Lone and Level Sands, you two seem to have carved out an ancient myths niche for yourselves in the comic publishing world. What is it about these ancient stories that speaks to you and convinced you that writing them would be a sound creative and business decision? And Marv, What is it about these ancient times that appeals to you as an artist?


A. David Lewis: For my part, I sort of backed into it. I mean, I didn't say, "You know, I should really focus all of my comics writing on adapting myths and biblical stories for comics!” So, at first, it really wasn't any sort of business decision. But, back when I was self-publishing my Mortal Coils comic, I found that's where many of my stories kept going: While set in the modern day, they all started naturally developing ties to various myths, classic stories, or pantheons. I found that I was writing pieces that were more satisfying (for myself, at least) if they had these nuggets lying in their cores.

After a while, though, I was inclined to go straight after those "cores" themselves -- thus, The Lone and Level Sands. There were aspects of the Exodus story that never sat right with me and, frankly, no adaptation had ever addressed in a way that worked any better. (Most often, these hiccups and obstacles were swept under the rug by, say The Ten Commandments or Prince of Egypt rather than confronted.) In collaborating with Marv on the project, I didn't know if it would be profitable or a quiet financial failure; I just knew that I wanted to do it and had a great artist (and storyteller in his own right) to do it with.

The Lone and Level Sands, ultimately, worked. And so, we were a little more inclined and a little less shy, I guess, about going after a whole world of sacred or mythic traditions for Some New Kind of Slaughter than only sticking with the Judeo-Christian-Muslim source. In a way, the full title of the series somewhat reflects how wide we're aimed with this one: Some New Kind of Slaughter, or Lost in the Flood (And How We Found Home Again): Diluvian Myths from Around the World. That's a lot to deliver, but we're eager to do it.

Marvin Mann: I wanted to do sword and sorcery.

Well, that's a flippant answer, but there's a kernel of truth. I like ancient history, and myth and origins. I also like to read books on evolution and cosmology (for laymen, mind) and stories about the gods. And these stories are the foundation of Conan and other sword and sorcery tales.

Still, I didn't set out to do this; it just developed, and my next project will be a comedy/horror western, so there's a change of pace. But I've some projects for next year that will bring me back to the ancient world.


THE PULSE: Since you were writing and drawing Slaughter, how did the creative process go for you on this book? Did you work from a full script or prefer to thumbnail and dialogue from that?

Marvin Mann: I work from a full script, mostly to develop the dialogue and narrative captions. My panel descriptions tend to be lean, and focused on the emotional nuance to be projected. Sometimes I'll indicate close ups or full shots, and key elements that must be included. For talking head scenes, it's not much more than the dialogue and emotional intent.

Dave and I went back and forth quite a bit on the first chapter, both during outlining and in the first draft. As we figured out what we were doing, the mutual edits became lighter. Dave had done huge research on Noah, and that was his chief focus. I tended to take the lead in pushing things forward, with Dave's consent, but the initial idea was his and this book would never have happened without him.

THE PULSE: What did you learn from your experience writing Some New Kind of Slaughter, and how will you be able to apply that to your artwork, and your writing, going forward?

Marvin Mann: I've had difficulty in drawing things I've written in the past. It becomes too precious, I think. Doing this gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to partner with myself in the future.

THE PULSE: For aspiring writers reading this, what is the most important piece of advice you can share that is often overlooked by untested talent?


A. David Lewis: It's important to remember that you're not just creating comics; you're creating stories. Therefore, it's important to be versed in storytelling both within the comics medium but also from traditions well outside of it. How stories are told are as important to me as what stories are told -- or why. Therefore, knowing your motivation, knowing your message, and knowing your medium is as important as your plot (or, heaven forbid, your style). Sometimes I manage to figure out all four!

THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell readers about?

A. David Lewis: I had the opportunity recently to be part of Jason Rodriguez's Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened with art by Danielle Corsetto (Girls with Slingshots). And, I've done a little bit of changing gears for a bit by writing a series of upcoming role-playing adventures for Archaia Studios Press's Artesia: Adventures in the Known World system. Meanwhile, I'm co-planning a big academic conference at Boston University called "Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books and Graphic Novels" taking place in April. (Our patron, the Luce Foundation for Scripture and Literary Arts, has it listed on their site at http://www.bu.edu/luce/calendar/ .) Lastly, I'm developing a new series that still requires a lot of research, tentatively titled Stitches, but that won't surface for at least a year, if not more...

FYC Replay: the work of Alex Wilson

For Your Consideration: Inconsequential Art and The First Noel from Alex Wilson, et al.
By Chris Beckett

The 411:
Inconsequential Art #1 & 2
Written by Alex Wilson
Art by Dennis Culver (issue1), Jenna Huisken (issue 2)
12pp. 3.5”x2”, b/w
$1 each or 8 for $5
alexwilson.com

The First Noel
Written by Alex Wilson
Shot by Jack Lucido
28pp. photo-comic
Available online



What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

Alex Wilson has many hats in his closet. He writes prose – a short story of his ran in the WHAT issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction – creates poetry, has experience as a short film and stage actor, and has contributed gaming features to periodicals such as Dragon Magazine, along with a number of multimedia creations that can be found on his site. But comics is in his blood, and his love for the medium helped birth his recent mini comics, which are about as mini as one can get.


Inconsequential Artissues 1 and 2 are the size of a business card, and they have something often missing in today’s comics, an abundance of fun. Playing off the title, Wilson slides tongue firmly into cheek and plays with the possibilities of the medium. The first issue includes a silent comic titled “The Amateur” drawn by Dennis Culver whose artwork matches nicely with the farcical nature of this story. In these seven pages, readers are treated to a young man doing what all young men do best, making an ass of himself while trying to impress an attractive young woman, who he has just met outside his favorite coffee house. The problem is, this girl smokes, but the guy does not. He quickly hatches a plan to facilitate becoming more tolerant of the cigarette smoke in order to get closer to this woman. The thought process behind his strategy should be familiar to many, as well as the warped logic behind it all. The results are humorous, and the final page brings a climax filled with humor and irony that emerges directly out of the previous events. In the end, it is the only ending that fits, and yet readers will not see it coming.

The second issue of Inconsequential Artdoesn’t actually have any comics, though it does contain a gag cartoon drawn by Jenna Huisken as its centerfold. The meat of this tiny comic is an interactive story in the “choose your own adventures” mode, with Wilson’s sarcasm firmly ensconced within the options and consequences. This one took me back to when I was younger and picked up a number of Choose Your Own Adventure “novels” based upon Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings cycle. I loved those books and would pore over them daily, trying to work my way through to the end without being devoured by a dragon or sliced up by orcs. Having grown up – a bit – in the intervening years, the caustic irony Wilson laces the story with is a welcome relief for this mid-30s cynic. Like the first issue, this one will bring a smile to readers’ faces and transport many back to the wonder of their youth. And with the many choices available, readers are rewarded with a different tale each time they open it up.


The final mini, The First Noel, was actually produced as a short film – utilizing still images as with the short film La Jetée – a few years ago, but Wilson was not happy with the results and translated it to comics where the static images could play to the strengths of the narrative. Like the first issue of Inconsequential Art, this is a silent comic, but unlike his other minis, The First Noel is more serious in tone.

Living alone in a cramped apartment, the protagonist of the piece is experiencing – it certainly could not be described as celebrating – Christmas Eve. In the middle of his living room, if one can call it a proper room, he is eating a microwave dinner as he watches television on his small TV. He is alone, not well off, and yet, throughout the story, he is playing with his wedding band. This facet of the narrative compels readers to ask why is he alone and what happened to drop him into this sad state.

Each panel of this comic is a window into the story, into this man’s life. The audience is able to experience his anger, his frustration, and his sadness through these windows, and it is as palpable as the emotions evoked by any good film or novel. The First Noel is a touching and heartbreaking tale that is related brilliantly through the choice of images and use of long shots that not only expose the meager surroundings in which he lives, but also shares the isolation he must be suffering on what should be the happiest night of the year. This is really an amazingly effective short comic, and one I would heartily recommend to your attention.

An Interview with Alex Wilson

THE PULSE: Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium?

ALEX WILSON: I'm a visual thinker, and comics are about as dynamic a mass medium as you can get without utensils. And by that I mean a chunk of audio (music or spoken word) requires at minimum an audio player, film requires a media player, video games require a console. But to have a self-contained pile of story that doesn't require any tool to enjoy, you've got prose and comics printed on dead tree.


I've written and created in a number of media but almost every story for me starts as a comic. In a perfect world, the story would dictate the medium, but at this early point in my career, given a choice between (a) selling a prose story to an existing publisher and collecting $400+ or (b) creating a comic, from hiring an artist to setting up distribution channels, and paying $2000+ for the privilege... it's easy to choose prose in most cases. Hell, I'm hoping the former can pay for the latter eventually.

A lot of the prose stories I've written, I had to re-imagine for a non-comics medium during the creation process, simply because the prose world has slush piles where I have a one-in-a-thousand shot, and my queries don't earn replies from even the smaller comics publishers. But I'll keep at it. Comics are my first love and no publishing realities can take that away from me.

THE PULSE: The First Noel and Inconsequential Art #1 and #2 are mini comics in the most literal sense. What went into the decision making process for the format of each book?

ALEX WILSON: I remember giving someone a self-printed business card with my URL on it and a month later he Googles me to find my site. I was lucky he bothered. He didn't hang on to the card. And why should he? It was an ad for my benefit more than his.

An artist might add value to that card with a slice of her work. A pretty man might put his photo on it. But how can a storyteller add value when the narrative canvas is no bigger than a credit card? Foldable business cards gave me four pages. Three foldable business cards stapled together like a booklet gave me twelve pages, including cover. I met artist Dennis Culver at Warren Ellis's The Engine forum, and he "got" what I wanted to do. He illustrated the main 7-page story and cover of the first issue, which is garnished with a 12-line science fiction story-poem about NASCAR and Einstein's special theory of relativity. The bulk of the second issue is a text choose-your-own-adventure piece I first published in the humor e-zine called Planet Relish. I'm a literary guest at Trinoc-Con in August. I'll put my panel schedule on the back cover of IA#2 and see how it flies.

THE PULSE: The First Noel is a heartfelt story that comes across as biographical. What was the inspiration for this mini comic?


ALEX WILSON: Thanks! I'd worked as an actor with a director named Jack Lucido. He wanted to collaborate on a piece for a local holiday film festival. Our limitations included no cast/crew but us two, just a few hours to shoot, and little/no sound equipment other than the on-camera mike. I wrote shot lists for two stories, one humorous and one serious. I kept those limitations in mind and wrote to their strengths, which allowed us to film both. The humorous one ended up working quite well as a ten-second film grenade (available on my site and YouTube as "The Three Rs") and won probably the most audible reaction from the audience at the festival, but I won't spoil it by describing the sound. The serious one isn't biographical, but that type of personal resonance sans dialogue was what I was going for. It was a series of still images. We imagined La Jetée, but the result was a slide show. But again it's about letting the story dictate the medium. I just wanted to let the story exist and what I had with those images was sequential art. I turned it into a standalone webcomic story (available on my site as "The First Noel") last year.

The minicomic version I showed you was little more than a proof of concept, to see what the challenges would be to produce a story in the printed form with the least amount of cost. I probably created a dozen copies total, and I ultimately decided that the images breathed more freely as the webcomic than they did in the black-and-white mini. But it got me past the technical challenges that allowed me to create Inconsequential Art.

THE PULSE: Why Inconsequential Art as a title for your minis?

ALEX WILSON: I don't know, but for novels and other thick, grand projects, I like small titles, like "Zounds!" or "Percussing Billy.” For short stories and other morsels I like big titles, like "Stabbing Ain't Nothing But the Eskimo Word for Nookie" or "You Know More Things to Do with Wet Shorts Than Anyone I Know.” The more prepositions the better, because it gives you these beautiful capitalization minefields.

The most obvious play on the word "Sequential Art" is "Consequential Art." Not only would that title feel pretentious, but it's also incorrect if you're describing these little business card-sized comics. So "Inconsequential Art" it is. And you know it's long enough when it barely fits on the cover of an issue. And neither Culver nor the artist I'm talking to for issue #3 have felt that it was a slam on them (calling their particular work inconsequential) so it looks like I got away with the title.

THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell readers about?

ALEX WILSON: Head on over to alexwilson.com. Click on "Find My Work" or for the latest and greatest.

In a few weeks, a story illustrated by Mario Boon will appear in the upcoming fund-raiser anthology Hope: New Orleans, from Ronin Studios. I've got a five page Future Shock-style story currently being illustrated for the British comic anthology series FutureQuake, but I'm not sure about the timeline for that.


Steve Milligan, easily the best cinematographer I know, has directed a few films I've worked on, including a comedy-ish short, "Fin de Siecle," (co-written by Jeremy Pinkham) which goes out to its first festival slush pile this month, and the action-short "Intermission" (working title), which we start editing this summer. Steve was also DP on Brian McGinn's "Otherwise Pandemonium," a Nick Hornby short story I helped adapt for film, which just needs to get cut to original music before it can hit the festival circuit as well.

But of particular interest to comics readers might be the Captain-America-in-Vietnam parody I wrote, animated, and voice-acted a few years back, "All's Fair in Love and Police Actions.” It was an iFilm "Pick of the Day.” Brian K Vaughan called it "F--kin' tops," and Cory Doctorow (science fiction author and blogger for Boing Boing) called it "amazingly funny and well executed."

Lessee, I release free and cheap spoken word audio files regularly at an online project called Telltale Weekly. One of my favorite narrations is my (free) recording of Kelly Link's "Most of My Friends Are Two Thirds Water." The New York Times called it "worth downloading," and they tend to do research and stuff.

And I've always got a few dozen stories in slush piles. I just hit the 400 total submissions milestone after almost nine years, and I'm finally starting to break out of the slush piles and into the magazines I grew up with.

FYC Replay: White Picket Fences

Continuing the archiving of my columns from the Pulse spotlighting small press and self-published comics. This time it's White Picket Fences from Ape Entertainment created by Matt Anderson, Eric Hutchins, and Micah Clark Farritor.

Enjoy,
chris


For Your Consideration: White Picket Fences by Matt Anderson, Eric Hutchins, & Micah Farritor
By Chris Beckett


The 411:
White Picket Fences
Written by Matt Anderson & Eric Hutchins
Art by Micah Farritor
3-issues, full color
32 pages, $3.50 each
http://www.apecomics.com



What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

For those who remember enjoying bad science fiction movies on a rainy Saturday afternoon, White Picket Fences will be a wonderfully nostalgic romp. The team of Anderson, Hutchins and Farritor capture the feeling of those classic films beautifully and create an exciting comic tale within that milieu. Set in the 1950s, the story takes place in the town of Greenview somewhere in the Midwestern United States, but not our United States. This is the world that all of those bad (in a good way) black and white sci-fi films inhabit – Them!, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. It is into this world that Anderson, Hutchins, and Farritor throw their readers – a world where alien invaders from Venus were handily destroyed by the United States with some help from our Martian neighbors.

Like any young boy, Charlie Hobson yearns for adventure. Warned against setting foot on the old Miller farm (it’s haunted), Hobson does what any inquisitive boy in his shoes would do. He goes right in and explores the dark and weathered barn. Finding no ghosts, young Charlie instead discovers a strange metal contraption encased in a glass pedestal that rises from the middle of the floor after he unknowingly flips the hidden switch (a trowel hanging on the wall). Taking this device home, Charlie is blissfully ignorant of the chain of events he has set in motion.

The next morning, the inhabitants of this sleepy town are awoken by the rumbling of an Army convoy in their streets. The alien trigger mechanism that Charlie Hobson found discharged and took out an unmanned satellite high above the planet. An alarm was sent through the upper echelons of the United States military establishment, and General Horace P. Whitman now leads a cadre of troops into Greenview. The troops are greeted with cheers, and although nobody knows exactly why they have come to town, most realize that something big is looming on the horizon and they should be ready for whatever hits.


Fallout shelters are prepped by some while others go down to the city park to greet the General as the mayor presents him with the key to the city. General Whitman is gracious, at least in public, but once they make their way to city hall he soon takes over, declaring martial law and placing himself in charge. The mayor protests but is unable to do anything and finds his office relocated to a janitorial closet.

As members of Captain Odyssey’s Space Rangers, Charlie, along with his friends Tommy Hamilton and Parker Jenkins, go to City Hall and offer their services. The soldiers’ laughter that greets them is unexpected and embarrassing but does not deter them. The three boys go around to the back of City Hall where Charlie makes his way through the ventilation ducts and ends up an anonymous observer to a meeting between the General and the Martian ambassador. The discussion is tense, ending with the ambassador from Mars storming out as the General berates him. Once they depart, the boy leaves a walkie-talkie beneath the mayor’s desk so the Rangers can learn what is going on. And what the boys discover is that they are right in the middle of this whole thing.

As a bonus, the creators include short back-up features in each issue starring everyone’s favorite space hero, Captain Odyssey. Whether defeating the Mutants of Magmos or saving the Knights of Salamandria, these short stories are fun additions to an already enjoyable comic. Done in the style of old science fiction comics, the ideas and action are big and bold, imbuing this book with that sense of excitement we all felt as kids whenever a new issue of our favorite comic would hit the stands.

The creators of White Picket Fences have really done their homework, or else they were reincarnated. The writing is very authentic; all of the characters talk as if they walked right out of 1950s America, and the inclusion of fallout shelters, the “Red” menace, and dinner discussions about “Jenkins in accounting” all add to the flavor of this series. Couple this honesty with what is also an exciting story that makes one long to be a ten-year-old boy again and you have a recipe for a great book.

I would be remiss if I did not also make mention of the artwork. Micah Farritor’s style matches the story perfectly. The images are playful while also ably grounding White Picket Fences within the time it resides. He too must have done some research in order to make everything look so real. From Charlie’s father in his long robe and pipe, to the old rotary phones and the clothing styles worn by the characters, it is a lesson in attention to detail that adds so much to this tale of adventure and excitement, allowing one to travel back to that age of wonder more easily. Farritor’s style is uniquely his own and I look forward to seeing more work from him in the future.

White Picket Fences is a book that evokes a feeling one cannot find in many comics today. It showcases the fun one can have working in comics, and shares a story of the wonderment these three creators must have felt in bringing this story to life. If you are looking for something new, and something unique, then you should definitely try out White Picket Fences from Ape Comics. It’ll be worth your time.


An Interview with Matt Anderson and Eric Hutchins

THE PULSE: Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium?

MATT ANDERSON: For me personally, comics are hands down the best form of entertainment. No matter what mood I’m in, what time of day or night it is, etc., I can always read a comic. So when I began to develop an interest in writing (around the same time I started reading comics – coincidence? I think not!) I naturally looked in the direction of comic books. While I would love to take a crack at writing a screenplay one day, I am more than happy to make comic books my permanent creative home.

ERIC HUTCHINS: Also, like film, it’s a highly visual medium. The primary difference from a creative standpoint being: If we want to show Martians, flying saucers, massive military mobilization etc., it doesn’t cost millions of dollars in special effects. If we can think it, and Micah can draw it, we’re in business.

THE PULSE: What was the inspiration for White Picket Fences?

MATT ANDERSON: Very simply, I’m a huge fan of both 1950’s science fiction films like The Day the Earth Stood Still and 1950’s Leave it to Beaver type sitcoms. Using those as a springboard, I wanted to create a world where we saw alien invasions, rampaging giant bugs, and other such wacky situations filtered through the naïve and innocent eyes of the perfect suburban family.

THE PULSE: With White Picket Fences, you have really captured the feel of a 50s-era science fiction tale. One thing that stands out for me is the dialogue and the cadence I can hear in my mind when I read it. Did this require any research on your part, or does the setting of the story stem from an affinity for this type of story?

MATT ANDERSON: I think it’s a combination of both. The affinity for the subject material was the main driving force behind the writing and the initial creation of White Picket Fences, but as with all things, you have to do your research. Thankfully for me, the research entailed the raiding of my own DVD collection and watching a bunch of movies and TV shows I love!


ERIC HUTCHINS: I mainly got the speech rhythms from Matt; I mean this era is his passion. The hardest part in many ways is accepting “period” specific words and phrases (like “swell” and “neat”) into your writing vocabulary. Once you do that, the characters just take over.

THE PULSE: The artwork adds a lot to the feel of the book, evoking the fun, retro sci-fi tone of White Picket Fences. Was this calculated or a happy coincidence, and how did you find Micah Farritor?

MATT ANDERSON: I’ve known Micah since high school, and we’ve been planning on working together for a long time. Once White Picket Fences came up, he was the first person I went to with it. So in that way, his artwork was very calculated because he was the first and (thus far) only artist to work on the book.

That being said, I really think Micah brings a very fresh approach to what is essentially supposed to be an old television show. If he had wanted to, he could have just coasted through the book by adhering strictly to the look of the movies and shows, but instead he brought all of his own sensibilities to White Picket Fences and still managed to capture the precise feel of the (fictional) 1950’s.

ERIC HUTCHINS: Absolutely. Micah was great to work with as a collaborator as well. We’d write a scene, or a panel, or a specific description and he’d call and ask “what about this,” or “wouldn’t this be cooler.” Well, sometimes he’d call, other times he’d just do it and we’d look at it and go “YES! Why didn’t we write it like that?”

THE PULSE: Do you guys have any other projects you’re working on that you would like to speak about?


MATT ANDERSON: We have a 48 page White Picket Fences special in the works right now. I’m really excited about it because we are offering two 20+ page stories – the first is written by myself and illustrated by Micah, the second is written by Eric Hutchins (co-writer of everything White Picket Fences) and illustrated by the super-talented Tim Lattie – who has recently joined the White Picket Fences creative team. If that’s not enough, the book rounds out with another short story starring Captain Odyssey (who first appeared in the back-up feature in each issue of the first series) – which will be written by Eric and myself, and illustrated by Micah.

In addition to the special, we are currently in the early stages of the next 3-issue White Picket Fences mini-series. Eric and I have the plot broken down, and we are going to be turning the scripts in to Ape Entertainment in early September, so hopefully we’ll have more to say about that soon!

Beyond that, I’ve got several ideas I would love to pitch to DC, I just need to get their attention first!

ERIC HUTCHINS: Matt and I also have a web comic that will be launching soon called Lazy Days, illustrated by Matt Jordan. Kind of a day to day slack fest based on our lives up till now.

If people want to stay up to date on White Picket Fences news, they can check out Ape Entertainment’s website at http://www.apecomics.com and also our ComicSpace page at http://www.comicspace.com/white_picket_fences

On Alan Moore

So, a few weeks ago, Jason Aaron utilized his CBR soapbox in order to rebutt remarks made by Alan Moore in an interview with Bleeding Cool a while back. Aaron took umbrage with Moore's denunciation of the comic medium (to which, Moore means the major corporate publishers, Marvel and DC) and its talent (by stating he didn't believe they even had "bottom-flight" talent, Moore was trying to make a point that creators are hampered in the corporate system, not allowed to create while having to maintain a decades-old status quo in which nothing - or very little - of meaning can be related through these stale narratives; a bit harsh, yes, but not meant to be taken literally). Here's a link to Jason Aaron's full column Here's the full Bleeding Cool interview with Moore This column by Aaron - a creator whom I respect, and whose work I've enjoyed - spurred a lot of dialogue on the CGS forums, and I thought I would share some of my half-formed thoughts now. Someday, I might write a more refined piece on Moore, but for now, here you go: First, neither man in this instance is completely right, and neither one is totally wrong. That may sound like I’m straddling the fence, but it’s just a statement of fact. If Aaron feels the need to speak out against Alan Moore’s statements, that is totally his prerogative. But, I feel he is missing the larger point, which Moore has stated for many years, that the “mainstream” comic industry is stuck on a treadmill, churning out derivative pap while not allowing the creators they’ve hired to really develop new and challenging narratives within the medium. (Ironically, Aaron is one of those distinct voices who has brought new and exciting projects to the medium). And, by saying “fuck you” to Alan Moore, he is squandering an opportunity to further this important discussion. Moore, for his part, is right in his assertion that Marvel and DC should be looking ahead rather than back (though, as consumers, it is fair to say that, IN GENERAL, readers prefer comics that are, essentially, telling the same stories over and over again. Neil Gaiman has written to the point that he has fans clamoring for his next work, but when that next work is not THE SAME as the last work, e.g. Sandman, there is always a vocal minority disappointed.). But, Moore uses broad generalizations to make his argument, which – particularly if one is new to his work and knows nothing of Moore’s history – can certainly be taken as an attack on all creators within the medium. Again, ironically, with works like The Other Side and Scalped, Jason Aaron is one of those writers creating new works with a distinct voice unbeholden to the “industry,” which in Moore’s mind would be the primary superhero universes of DC and Marvel. In the end, I back Moore in this debate. The fact that superheroes dominates this tiny medium is disappointing. Sure, they’re fun, and I enjoy them. But if the medium is to remain vital, we need the wealth of diverse works that have been emerging for years (decades) now. This is the crux of Moore’s argument – which, I feel, is obvious when one chooses to see this larger picture rather than parse the details of the text – and one that I feel is often missed by those who want to rant against the “crazy old man.” THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH IN THE FORUM THREAD, AND EVENTUALLY I CHIMED BACK IN TO THE DISCUSSION, REMARKING ON TWO SPECIFIC POINTS: With regard to Watchmen, this is spot on.

DG_Now, on 07 January 2011 - 02:10 AM, said:

Yes, he intended to use the Charlton characters, but the very fact that he couldn't proves (to me) that it doesn't matter. Watchmen wasn't only about the characters included in the story. Nominally so, yes, but the graphic novel was far more (again, to me) about the craft of creating a comic book. They told a story -- as the movie proved -- that was most effectively told in sequential art with word balloons. The true genius of Watchmen isn't that it's an interesting alt-world story about man's role in the nuclear age (although that is pretty good), but that it's essentially a murder mystery presented and solved on the very first page of the comic yet explored for several more.

The brilliance of the book is not in the plot or the characterizations - although they are very good - but in the way Moore & Gibbons crafted the book. They use symbolism, foreshadowing, thematic parallels, and other "literary" devices throughout the narrative. And Moore's words when juxtaposed with Gibbon's art offer up multiple meanings/levels of meaning within the entirety of the book. Single comic panels offer us triple meanings. Decisions or comments made early on have very different connotations and/or produce significant ramifications later on. The level of craft within Watchmen is the highest we've seen in the medium - especially with regard to what can uniquely be done with the comic medium.

torchsong, on 07 January 2011 - 09:43 AM, said:

Here's my take on the "But Moore Uses Old Characters In His Stories" discussion: It's true that he's used everyone from the Charlton heroes to Lewis Caroll's Alice in his storytelling, and on the surface you'd think he's crazy to call out others for doing the same. What I think we miss is HOW he uses existing characters compared to how the Top-Flighters are using them: Moore: Takes a pre-existing character, and our pre-existing expectations of them, and crafts something wholly different out of them. The Invisible Man's a prick, Superheroes are pretty damned evil sometimes, Alice, Wendy and Dorthy are really...REALLY horny, etc. Moore's not beholden to us to give us what we clamor for. He owes us a story, and we owe him the decision to read it or not.

And I agree with this wholeheartedly, and this is the crux of this entire "Moore uses old characters too" argument. Moore takes these characters we know and reinvents them in order to tell a completely new story. He is innovating. And he is utilizing the thematic elements from these characters to give us a totally new perspective on their stories. Swamp Thing before Alan Moore and after Alan Moore are two very different characters (and yet, he did not circumvent any of the prior continuity). Miracleman/Marvelman before Alan Moore and after Alan Moore are, again, two completely different characters. The Invisible Man. Mina Harker. These are different characters before and after Moore as well. And the list goes on. Moore is railing against editorial not encouraging innovation, not encouraging stories that will have "meaning" because they are freed from the constraints of the corporate mindset. He just wants honest stories - and, tangentially, honest negotiation between creators and companies - from writers and artists who are allowed to create something new rather than rehash worn concepts.

FYC bonus: Bryan Talbot's "One Bad Rat"

While I was writing for the Pulse, I had the opportunity to interview via email a number of creators whom I had admired for a long time. One of these creators was Bryan Talbot, creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Alice in Sunderland, and Grandville, among many other classics. Sadly, the piece on Bryan Talbot never made it to publication before my association with the Pulse ended. Now, I get to change that. And I need to thank James Robertson, curator of the great Bryan Talbot site, for setting this up for me back in 2008. If you are at all interested in the works of Bryan Talbot, check out www.bryan-talbot.com, it is a wealth of information and art.

-chris

For Your Consideration: Bryan Talbot’s The Tale of One Bad Rat
By Chris Beckett

The Tale of One Bad Rat
Written and Drawn by Bryan Talbot
136 pages, full color
HC: $19.99
Dark Horse Press, 2010 (2^nd ed.)

What It Is (with apologies to Dave the Thune):

Helen Potter is living rough – begging for food on the London streets as the chill of December sets in. A teenager, she has run away from home, following a similar path of her hero – Beatrix Potter. Her only friend is a pet rat. Living in Helen’s coat, it keeps her company as she tries to survive and figure out what to do next.

Walking along the banks of the Thames one evening, Helen is accosted by a drunk who tries to take advantage of her. Luckily, a group of boys roughly Helen’s age come to her aid, relieving the old sod of his wallet and Rolex in the process. They invite Helen to stay with them in their squat. She begs off initially, but the rain thrumming on the box she calls home changes her mind, and Helen makes her way to Kensington.

Helen finds comfort here for a while but is still plagued by the visions that have pursued her since she was young. She whiles away her days re-reading her Beatrix Potter library and copying the drawings found within. Helen feels a strong connection to these books and to their author. She tries to fit in with the others but when one of the cats kills Helen’s rat, she moves on once more, leaving the city behind to follow Beatrix Potter.

Heading into the countryside, Helen Potter is joined by a large apparition of her now-deceased rat. In the Lake District, Helen finds what she has been seeking – the peace needed to come to terms with her past and what her father did to her. With the understanding Helen gains from her self-reflection, she comes to realize that she must confront her father in order to finally move on with her life.

The Tale of One Bad Rat is a brilliant piece of fiction that feels far too real. Not just an expertly crafted piece of drama, One Bad Rat is also an important and relevant narrative that speaks to one of the most important and discomforting issues of our day – child sexual abuse. Tackling this subject is not an easy task – tread too far one way and one can be accused of “preaching,” while falling too far on the other side destroys the integrity of the work. But Talbot is at the top of his game with One Bad Rat and manages to weigh each of these priorities – telling a good story while conveying an important message – in order to produce an incredibly powerful comic.

The pacing of One Bad Rat is delicate, with Talbot teasing things out in an unhurried fashion. He intersperses the contemporary narrative with flashbacks, giving readers insights into Helen’s past, which in turn illuminate her current state of mind. Through these memories, the audience learns quickly what her home life was like. It’s not pretty and explains a lot about how readers have seen her act prior to this revelation. Uncomfortable with new people, unable to trust them, Helen is afraid of getting close to anyone and has an understandable problem with people trying to be affectionate with her.

Over the course of the story – originally broken up into a four-issue mini series – Helen grows as a person. She comes to grips with her past, moving beyond the guilt she once felt to anger at being taken advantage of. In a moving scene, Helen climbs the Old Man of Coniston, a mountain half a mile high, and, in the rain, releases her pent-up frustrations, screaming into the darkened sky. This is the turning point, the moment in which she knows she can finally confront her father.

Talbot is also an accomplished artist, and his work is as crisp and clean in One Bad Rat as in any of his other works. His landscapes in this tale rival Geof Darrow for their detail, and the facial expressions of his characters are second to none. There are some scenes that go on for pages sans dialogue, and Talbot conveys the emotion and the meaning of these scenes beautifully through the body language of the characters. It’s a classic example of using restraint to enhance the storytelling.

Talbot also utilizes the nine-panel grid with a facility rarely exhibited by other comic artists. In order to control the pacing of the story, he warps the nine-grid, stretching some panels right to the edge of the page while other smaller panels are overlaid on larger ones expanding across the background. He also combines panels to create larger ones when it suits the story, giving readers the comfort of the nine-grid while pushing at its boundaries to enhance the storytelling. It’s subtle but engaging, a master storyteller using all the tools available to create an important work of art.

Though the linework and layouts in One Bad Rat are impressive, the coloring is what really stands out for me with regard to Talbot’s art. There are many pages where it feels like he is using watercolors to achieve his effects. Much of the color feels it was applied with a brush, giving the art a more natural feeling than the flat coloring found in so many comics. The overall effect is that I find myself drawn in even more because of the classical beauty of the art. Even fifteen years removed from its initial publication, these four issues stand out against the “rest of the crowd” found on the comic racks in 2010.

An Interview with Bryan Talbot (originally conducted in 2008)

Chris Beckett: Why comics? What was it that attracted you to this storytelling medium?

Bryan Talbot: I've been reading them since before I went to school, before I could read, in fact, following the stories without the words. I started drawing my own comics when I was about eight. I just continued reading them as I grew up. I love illustration. I also love stories. With comics, you get both! What could be better?

Beckett: What was your inspiration for The Tale of One Bad Rat and what aspirations did you have for the book?

Talbot: The original idea was to set a comic in the English Lake District, a place I know very well. One day I visited the house of Beatrix Potter, the writer and artist of children's storybooks who died in 1943 and it occurred to me that she told stories using a mixture of words and pictures, as did I. After researching her, I didn't think that I could make an interesting graphic novel based on her life. The recent movie "Miss Potter" made it interesting by cheating - they just made things up, departed from the truth somewhat. I didn't want to do that.

Then I saw a teenage girl begging in a London subway station. She was being harassed by this huge Jesus freak, who was trying to get her to go somewhere with him. She looked so mortified, as if she wanted the ground to open and swallow her up. It put me in mind of descriptions of Beatrix Potter at her age: "painfully shy". That became the first scene in the book.

Beckett: How much research went into the creation of One Bad Rat, and was it difficult for you to work on a book dealing with such uncomfortable subject matter?

Talbot: It wasn't all that difficult. I just had to make sure that I wasn't being preachy or simplistic. I was careful not to make her father, the abuser, a two-dimensional monster. Like the vast majority of abusers, he's just an ordinary guy who's so selfish and thick-skinned that he doesn't consider his daughter's feelings.

I did a great deal of research. I read about a dozen books on the psychological after-effects of abuse, though one would have done. They all repeat the same things in different words. I also read transcripts of abuse survivors talking about their experiences and talked to friends who had been abused. The same phrases are repeated again and again, both in survivors’ descriptions of what they felt and still feel and in the coercive language of the abusers.

When I was plotting the story, I needed an excuse for her to run away from home. Sexual abuse is often a reason for kids running away and I put it in, almost without thinking. It was only after I'd done the research that I realised that this was far too important to be a marginal story device and that it had to be what the book was all about.

My primary concern was to tell a good, gripping story

I also read over a dozen books on Beatrix Potter.

Beckett: I like how you broke the story up into different sections that fell at natural points within the narrative ­ Town, Road, & Country. But these didn't fall within the prescribed 32 page increments when initially published. How did you approach the initial mini series and were any revisions necessary for the story to work in the standard comic format?

Talbot: No, it was just a matter of where to cut the story. That's why the comic page count varies in each edition. The story was structured as a novel. The book is really in two halves, Town and Country - a reference to Beatrix Potter's tale of the town mouse and the country mouse. Road is just a short linking sequence.

Beckett: You are an artist who has managed to achieve success within the comics medium on your own terms. That said, what advice would you give to aspiring creators hoping to break into comics?

Talbot: Persistence seems to be the overriding factor. If you have the talent and really want to do it, don't give up. Bad Rat was rejected by every publisher of illustrated books in Britain. This is before the current boom in graphic novels, when "comics" was a dirty word.

Beckett: What other projects are you working on that you would like to tell readers about?

Talbot: I'm writing the next CHERUBS! book, which is now being drawn by Mark Stafford. The first graphic novel in the series was published recently by Desperado. Mark is the hottest Indy comic artist in the U.K. and his work on CHERUBS! is amazing. I can only compare him to an Evan Dorkin or Bob Fingerman, though his style is clearly his own. The book is a supernatural comedy-adventure, featuring a bunch of gonzo cherubim loose in New York on the eve of the apocalypse.

I'm also about halfway through my next graphic novel. It's called GRANDVILLE (published by Dark Horse, 2009) and is a steampunk detective-thriller.

previously unpublished Joe Quesada interview from 2001

Back in 2001, Dan and I and a few other friends started to discuss creating our own comics & prose anthology. If you read the introduction, you know how that endeavor went and how it eventually led to Dan and I finally publishing the first issue of Warrior27. But, back in the spring/summer of 2001, I managed to get one piece of that initial puzzle completed.

At the time, Joe Quesada was just a year into his tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics. With the advent of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely on New X-Men, Brian Michael Bendis on Daredevil, and J. Michael Straczynski on Spider-Man, I was excited about Marvel Comics again. So I emailed Joe Quesada, introduced myself, explained that my friends and I were putting together a self-published anthology, and inquired as to his availability to answer some questions. To my surprise, he said yes. And even after I cut and pasted the questions into my subsequent email, leaving Mr. Quesada with a page of illegible nonsense, he was incredibly gracious.

What follows is the article as I wrote it back in 2001. This is the first time it’s been published. I hope you enjoy.

-Chris

Joe Quesada, in a relatively short time, has risen to prominence within the comic publishing community. After working on Spelljammer, part of DC’s TSR line of comics from the early 1990s, his work was showcased in the 1992 four-issue mini series The Ray. This was followed by another four-issue mini series, written by legendary Batman scribe Denny O’Neil, entitled Azrael. With these two series, Quesada was now fully within the sights of comics’ fandom.

After some more work for Marvel, DC, and Valiant Comics, Quesada started his own independent company with Jimmy Palmiotti called Event Comics, which published the series Ash, among others. This venture led to Quesada coming to work as editor of the Marvel Knights line of comic books, which has produced well-received projects such as Daredevil, Black Widow, Marvel Boy, The Inhumans, and Punisher by such noted creators as Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Grant Morrison, Paul Jenkins, Jae Lee, Kevin Smith, David Mack Brian Michael Bendis, Greg Rucka, and J.G. Jones, as well as Quesada and Palmiotti – a virtual who’s who of today’s top-notch writers and artists. And now, Quesada is a year into his tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, arguably one of the most high profile jobs in this business. The following interview was conducted via email, and I would like to thank Mr. Quesada for taking the time to answer my questions.

CHRIS BECKETT: Given the amount of enthusiasm and love for your job you convey, is it safe to say you are comicdom’s biggest fan boy?

JOE QUESADA: I really am beginning to hate the term fanboy. Do movie buffs call themselves Moviemaniacs? It’s kind of self loathing in a way, but that’s a conversation for another day. Am I comics biggest, fan? Nah, I think Stan Lee is!

BECKETT: What do you see as Marvel’s place in the industry? And, along those same lines, what do you see as your place in the industry?

QUESADA: Marvel’s place is as the industry leader. That doesn’t just mean sales, it means the leader in making the public aware of all the different types of comics that are available and what they’re capable of. Of course, Marvel had trouble doing that in the past because we got to the point where we were only doing one type of book. We also have a responsibility to be a positive voice for our industry! My role in all of this is a simple one - just try to keep the place on track.

BECKETT: Movies are able to tell stories visually and with action, books allow us to use our imaginations when experiencing the story, and television lets our interaction with the story be a very personal thing. As a storytelling medium, what does the comic book industry bring to the table that is unique unto itself?

QUESADA: It brings you the wonderful meshing of all these mediums. It captures moments in time and combines them with intriguing narrative that, if done well, suspends the readers’ belief in the fact that they are simply staring at still pictures. It’s a feast of the senses and mind that I believe can’t be found in other mediums. Similar to TV we offer something that movies can’t and most books don’t. We offer our stories in a continuous serialized fashion. Like TV, when we do this well we tell the best stories on the planet. For the most part, especially if you go to the movies a lot, you’ll notice how little care is taken with stories. On average, when done well, you get more bang for your buck with comics.

BECKETT: Why should somebody pick up a comic book or a graphic novel and read it? What is your argument in favor of comic books as an exciting way to tell stories?

QUESADA: This is one of those tough questions because either you get the excitement of comics or you don’t. Most of us have an immediate reaction to great art. For me it runs especially deep with illustrators like [Norman] Rockwell and [Alphonse] Mucha. These are artists that are conveying a story, or trying to, with a single image. So I just imagine the thrill of seeing beautiful artwork telling a story in multiple images. Not every artist is a Rockwell, but we have so many different types of styles available in our industry that there’s sure to be something for everyone. The problem is making them aware of it. Comics are also man’s most basic and oldest form of expression. Just look at cave walls and you’ll see that we’ve been telling stories with pictures for a very long time. I think the problem is that we’ve placed such a stigma on stories with pictures that most adults don’t see it as viable. But who among us can say that they haven’t read a novel and at one point thought about how cool it would be to have an illustration or two sprinkled about? I mean, we’re already doing it in our mind’s eyes anyway.

There is also a larger emotional connection to a great comic. You can curl up with it and savor it, or breeze through it – whatever mood strikes you. It is the perfect synthesis of a great epic movie and a wonderful thick novel!

BECKETT: What graphic novel would you lend to someone to spark their interest in comic books and why?

QUESADA: The usual stuff. Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Marvels and Watchmen.

BECKETT: Before ascending to Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, you began as an artist. Who were some of your influences and what did you learn from these artists, either by observing their actual work or from discussions you may have had with them?

QUESADA: Frank Miller, Jack Kirby, Alex Raymond, Mike Mignola, and Alphonse Mucha were among my biggest influences. I learned basic design and placement of blacks. Graphics have played a very important part in my artwork based on these artists and their influence.

BECKETT: As an artist, would you rather work from an intricately detailed script like Alan Moore’s or from a basic plot like the “Marvel Method” made famous by Stan Lee?

QUESADA: It really doesn’t matter to me. I’ve worked with both. The key is that if you’re working with a writer who writes full script, you have to hope he or she has a visual sense to them. What Marvel method does is it cures a lot of stagnant talkie scenes that non-visual writers are prone to writing. This is what I’ve discovered in my days editing here at Marvel. If you have a writer with a great knack for dialogue, this particular writer may write the most amazing scene between two characters as they walk down the street. This can go on for five pages and the writer, even the editor, may not suspect how bland the action is because they are so overwhelmed by the naturalness of the conversation. This works well in novels, but in visual mediums it usually puts the audience to sleep. What happens normally is that nobody knows it’s dull until the artist calls up complaining about the scene. In the Marvel method, you’re forced to describe the action and then let that dictate the patter afterwards. What happens in this case is that if the writer knows that the characters are going to have a long five-page chat, he or she will find themselves writing, “Page One, they walk. Page Two, they walk some more. Page Three, they . . . oh darn!” At that point, they realize that visually there’s nothing going on, and the editor sees it very clearly as well. What I find really works well is a mixture of the two. A quick action description by the writer with a block of dialogue of what’s going to be said on the page so the artist can pace accordingly.

BECKETT: What are the inherent advantages and disadvantages of these two differing styles?

QUESADA: See above for the disadvantage of full script. The Marvel method can be disastrous if you have an artist that doesn’t understand pacing and storytelling or is one of those throwbacks who only care about big pinup images, leaving the writer nowhere to go.

BECKETT: Many fans think of inking as an easy job because it “only involves tracing” the pencils. Obviously, there is more to it than that. What is it that a top-notch inker brings to a project?

QUESADA: Well, for starters it is an art of control. A great inker brings with them drawing skills of their own that can help enhance a penciler’s work. They can add dimension to pencils or that certain x-factor that really makes the art sing.

BECKETT: From a layperson’s point of view, it is fairly obvious what an artist needs to do in order to try and break into the business of creating comics. For writers, it is a little more difficult. When looking over blind submissions from aspiring writers, what are some things you look for if you are seeking to hire new talent, and what are some tips you could pass along to aspiring writers regarding their submission and how to better their chances of getting into the business?

QUESADA: A short proposal. That’s the first key. If I see paragraph upon paragraph, I tune right out. Any great idea can be described in a short paragraph, any brilliant idea in a sentence!

BECKETT: With the Ultimate line, Backpack Marvels, the Marvel Knights and Ultimate Marvel magazines, MAX, the upcoming mature line, and the weekly War Machine series, there has been a lot of experimenting going on at the House of Ideas. Regarding the War Machine series, you cite the popularity of manga in Japan as part of the reasoning for this project. Keeping with the manga theme, is there any chance we may see an anthology of original and diverse material from Marvel anytime in the not too distant future?

QUESADA: By now you’ve heard about our Manga 5^th week event in January. We have a few more big announcements for that launch, but if it does well, who knows, maybe we’ll create an imprint around it much like Marvel Knights!

BECKETT: For a number of years, it has been the perception that DC Comics has been ahead of Marvel in having top-notch talent such as Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Charles Vess, and others, as well as offering a wider variety of projects in genres other than the typical superhero stories that are a staple of the industry. However, this has certainly changed with many big name creators coming to work for Marvel, along with the expansion to a mature line and a creator-owned line. How has this major change for Marvel Comics come about? What is different now at Marvel that is allowing these changes to take place?

QUESADA: Well, for starters, it’s not a perception. DC did have the big guns. Granted, a lot of what they did later was inspired by early Epic, but there’s no doubt that they did it better. I think that the creative community has been waiting for Marvel to change its ways; they just had no idea how long it was going to take. We’ve changed our way of doing business creatively. It’s a simple philosophy. Hire the best creators and let them do what we hired them for!

BECKETT: One of the biggest problems still facing comic books is the prejudice that they are only for kids. What are some ideas you have for educating people about the medium and overcoming this narrow-mindedness?

QUESADA: Getting rid of the [Comics] Code was a start. Also, no offense to the Vertigo line, but since Marvel is so good at getting mainstream press, I think that the MAX line will be a big boost towards changing those perceptions. Also, stuff like the Cartoon Network launching adult cartoons late at night will help the perception of comics as well.

BECKETT: Another problem facing the medium is the perceived lack of return on one’s financial investment. Some people feel they are not getting their money’s worth when they can finish a $20 trade paperback collection in less than two hours. Marvel’s Essential line of trade paperbacks is a big step in the right direction regarding this. What are other ways to tackle this problem?

QUESADA: Well, with print media it’s very difficult because of the high price of paper and the low volumes. Hopefully, as readership increases, publishers can be more aggressive with the print numbers and prices can be lowered. Another option is the dot comics, which make a large amount of material available without paper costs.

BECKETT: Late shipping books are another problem that seems to plague the industry. Whether it is a week or a month or six months, these delays in shipping can become annoying to consumers and end up driving fans away. Can you tell us what Marvel is doing to try and alleviate this predicament and what are some other things that you feel need to be done in order for these books to ship in a more timely fashion?

QUESADA: We took a very aggressive approach by hiring Bob Greenberger as our new Managing Editor. Bob was instrumental in setting up a system years ago at DC that kept the trains running on time and as smoothly as a line that large could.

BECKETT: What audiences do you feel are not being reached by the comic book industry, and what would you do to tap into these markets?

QUESADA: Young girls. Outside of Archie [Comics], no one can come near them. It’s tough. At one point, Marvel had Barbie Comics, but they went the way of the dinosaur as well. We’re looking at a number of different properties for girls, but it’s really a crapshoot.

BECKETT: Other than direct market stores and bookstores, where should comic books and graphic novels be sold today? Why?

QUESADA: Everywhere! Toy stores, music stores, you name it!

BECKETT: What are some other problems you see that are holding the comic book market back, and how would you suggest handling them?

QUESADA: We have a big distribution problem, but I’m hopeful it will fix itself. I’m going to bet that in the next few months book outlets like Barnes and Noble are going to see the profit potential in comics and increase our exposure. As long as we continue to improve our content and provide readers with stories and art that they want to read, this trend will continue to increase.

Scripting via Poutine

NOTE: I've pulled all but the first image (leaving it as a teaser and placeholder) because I've managed to place the story with an online anthology, but they prefer first-run work, so I'll do my best to abide by that. I'd rather not say any more right now (superstition and all), but once it goes live the images will return here. Thank you very much Noel for the kind words and to those that have checked this short story out. It's much appreciated.
-chris

Over at the Poutine website - the collective home of Canadian artists Noel Tuazon (Elk's Run, Tumor, The Broadcast) and Jason Copland (Perhapanauts and collaborator on this UFO story for Ape) - Jason has thrown up 11 pages of art he did while in Las Vegas. He had no narrative in mind while drawing them, and has offered the pages up to writers who might wish to script a story with them. In his blogpost, Jason states that one can rearrange the pages as necessary to create the story, but I chose to keep them in the order offered, a nice writing challenge.

Below are the lettered pages as scripted by me. I hope they make sense. There's a bit of non-linear storytelling going on due to the restriction of keeping the pages in order as they are on Jason's site. maybe I'll return to this after the holidays to see what other narratives I can come up with, as this is really the beginning of something. Click the images to get a better look.

Artwork © 2010 Jason Copland

Enjoy,
chris

Colored version

and here is the final version of my Aquaman piece for the Comic Geek Speak secret Santa list:

enjoy,
chris

Inks

Yesterday I threw up the pencils for my Secret Santa sketch at the CGS boards. Today, the inked version.

Enjoy,
chris

some amateur art

So,

I'm participating in a "Secret Santa" activity over at the Comic Geek Speak boards. You put your name on the list, one of the other members "draws the names," and for whomever you get, you draw a sketch of their choosing (regardless of artistic talent) and send them 3 comics from your collection. This is the first year I've been involved, and it's a pretty cool idea. And, I thought I would share the evolution of my sketch, which was for any JLA character. and, since I've enjoyed his characterization on the few Brave and the Bold cartoons I've seen, I went with Aquaman.

Here is my initial penciled version for the sketch. Hope you enjoy.

chris