Ande Parks- Shouting from the Basement

Eduardo

2011-12-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

In a perfect world, Eduardo Barreto would not have drawn my Union Station graphic novel. He would have been far too busy with work that paid better. He would have been widely recognized as a fantastic draftsman and storyteller, and his talents would have been in high demand. He would not have been on the radar screens of a first-time writer, a young editor or a small press comic book publisher.

Of course, the world is far from perfect, especially where my friend Eduardo Barreto was concerned. As it turns out, Ed was looking for work - any work that paid - just as we were looking for an artist for my historical fiction graphic novel about Kansas City's gangster heyday. My editor Jamie Rich asked me what I thought of Eduardo for the book. I kinda lost my shit. I had loved a lot of Ed's work through the years, but none more than his work with Gerard Jones on the excellent The Shadow Strikes comic. That book was wonderful on so many levels, not the least of which was Eduardo's ability to convincingly depict the same era Union Station would deal with. Right after I told Jamie that he should, in my opinion, sign Eduardo if at all possible, and that I would kiss him right on the mouth if he did so, I ran to my comic collection and thumbed through my issues of The Shadow Strikes. The work was as fantastic as I had remembered. I didn't know how the hell we could get so lucky as to possibly land that same artist for our book, but I knew I would now be crestfallen if we ended up with anyone else.

We got Eduardo, and I began to hear rumors has to why. I won't go into much detail because it doesn't matter. Suffice to say, Ed had apparently had a tough couple of years. He had some things fall apart in his personal life, and focusing on his work became a challenge. I gather that he handed in some jobs that were not up to par. I always tell people that the comics business is, in a way, pretty fair. Generally, editors don't care where you came from, where or if you were educated, or much else about your background. They want to see the work on the page. If it's good, and if you're somewhat reliable and not a huge pain in the ass, you will probably get work. There's a flip-side, though. As soon as the work on the page is not what the editor was hoping for, they tend to lose your number (these days it's an e-mail address they lose... just doesn't have the same ring to it somehow).

So, the brilliant Eduardo Barreto was looking for a way to reboot his career. Jamie, Oni Press, and myself were the beneficiaries. Soon after receiving the script for the first act of the book, brilliant thumbnails started showing up from Uruguay. Here are the first two pages of my script as Eduardo brought them to life:

That first page is over-tight for a thumbnail. I imagine Ed was working things out- finding his comfort zone. Already, on the second page, things start to get looser. The storytelling is incredible. Solid without being dull. The characters live in their environment. They're not just pasted in over some photo-referenced backgrounds. The stuff is alive in every way.

Ed would go onto to do a stellar job on the whole book. I think it led to more work for him. I hope so. I know Ed eventually landed a comic strip gig, which he worked on until his health started to fail.

I only met Eduardo in person one time, at a San Diego Comicon just as we were starting work on Union Station. He was completely gracious. We signed some ashcans at the Oni booth and went out for a lunch. We talked about doing another book. He liked WWII, and wanted to draw something set in the war. I was sure we'd find a way to work together again. It didn't happen. We'd exchange e-mails from time to time. Ed was always gracious. Always a pleasure to hear from. Always a model for how to be act like a professional... a gentleman.

The news of Eduardo's passing hit the same day we learned of Joe Simon's death. Joe Simon's work meant a lot to me, but his death didn't strike me as tragic. Joe lived to the age of 98, well-respected as a legend in his field. Ed is gone at 57, having enjoyed nowhere near the career or accolades his talent deserved. Losing Eduardo Barreto is a tragedy, because he deserved more. We deserved more.

Eduardo left behind a lot of amazing work, and he left behind a legacy of grace and kindness for those who knew him. I will be forever grateful that the world was imperfect enough to allow me to start my graphic novel career with such an amazing collaborator. Although I see the flaws in my own execution, I will always cherish that book. I'm proud that Ed and I got the chance to make something good together. All thanks to Ed, Jamie Rich, Joe Nozemack and everyone at Oni Press who made it possible.

Rest in peace, Eduardo.

Anj

The Fear of Making it Real

2010-11-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

After something like five years of thinking about it, I finally started writing my next OGN (original graphic novel) this week. It's exciting and... a little terrifying.

I don't know how many creators feel this anxiousness when starting a project, but I doubt I'm alone. It's not that I don't think the project can be good. It's just the opposite. I know it can be good. I know it CAN BE very good. What scares the hell out of me is the possibility that I will somehow fail to make it as good as it can be.

I'm a good writer. I'm nowhere near a great one, but I have some talent and I work hard. I care about getting better. I take my craft seriously, particularly when the project is, like this one, something that is entirely my creation (At this point it is more or less my sole creation. That will soon change, as the artist is about to begin his part of the collaboration). Still, there is a difference between the potential of the project in my mind and the reality of the project on the page.

For example: A large part of Richard Matheson's brilliant book "What Dreams May Come" occurs in something like heaven. In this afterlife, history's great artists are busily and happily continuing to ply their craft. Now, though, without the tethers of real world concerns like paint, canvas and stone, the art flows directly from the artist's brain to creation. There is no middle man to screw the deal.

I feel something like that when I start a book. in my mind, this new project has vast potential. That potential is about to meet the reality of the page. I may be able to fulfill most of the potential I see in my mind, but I'll never be able to nail 100% of it. Even though I have written a very tight outline of this book... even though I have played out the scenes in my mind a dozen times, I'm not smart enough to have anticipated every obstacle I will encounter when actually writing the script.

The first twenty-two pages of the script is done. It's good. I know it's good. It was still hard to hit that send button... hard to officially begin the process of transforming my grand vision to a inevitably slightly-less-grand book.

The good news? My grand vision exists only in my head, and it's probably only grand to me. You can all read the book when it comes out. It'll be real, and pretty fucking good.

Anj

My Coen List

2010-09-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sick. Bored. Trapped in my studio. So, I decided to rank the films of my favorite filmmakers.

Keep in mind that this is all very relative. I like all of Joel and Ethan's work. Maybe later, when I have the energy of something more than a gnat, I'll come back and elaborate. Oh, and for sticklers who may want to bust my balls about Paris je t'aime, I'm only talking features.

In my own humble opinion, from my favorite down.

Fargo
No Country For Old Men
Miller's Crossing
The Big Lebowski
Barton Fink
O Brother, Where Art Thou
The Hudsucker Proxy
Blood Simple
Raising Arizona
The Man Who Wasn't There
Intolerable Cruelty
Burn After Reading
A Serious Man
The Ladykillers

Anj

2010-08-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

So, there is this guy named Tony Salmons. He's a genius in the truest sense of the word. His artwork is bold, visionary, consistently surprising, and unique. Unfortunately, his career doesn't measure up to his talent. There isn't enough work out there. There is no defining run on a solid comic book you can point to and say, "This is Tony Salmons." It's an issue here, an aborted mini-series there, a collection of brilliant pinups scattered across the web... and so on.

Now, I should pause to stress that, for all I know, Tony has a rich and satisfying career as a storyboard artist, character designer, etc. I hope so. Selfishly, thought, I wish there were more Tony Salmons comic books. Tony is one of those rare artists who just see and do things differently. Everything he draws, he draws in a way that I have never seen before. There is exceptional value in that. It may well make Tony's life harder. For most editors, it's just easier to hire the known commodity. But, again, I'm veering into conjecture about another man's life. There's more than enough of that online already.

The batman piece you see above hangs in my studio. It hangs where I can see it while I'm sitting at the computer where I make my living as a writer. That is no accident. This exceptional piece has been hanging in my studio for several years. I have spent hours staring at it. I have shown it to scores of visitors, and I am still nowhere near tired of it. The whole piece is so vibrant, so dynamic, so surprising... it's so goddamn interesting.

I could go on and on about this drawing. I think it's better, though, to just let you soak it up. Just look at it. Really look at it. Think about what all the players are going through in this piece. It's really a whole story in one image.

This drawing in particular, and Tony Salmons' work in general, genuinely inspire me. I'm not a genius. I have a little talent, some smarts, and I work at getting better. It's easy to envy the talent of guys like Tony Salmons, but I don't think I'd trade places with him. I think life is more challenging for true visionaries, and mine is plenty challenging enough already, thank you.

Anj

Oh, Hollywood

2010-08-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

So, one day you're sitting in Kansas and you have an idea to write a graphic novel (a long comic book) about the Union Station massacre, and the next day you're sitting in a hotel bar in Hollywood, getting drunk and wondering what the meeting with the directors will be like the next day.

It's not that simple, of course, and it doesn't really happen overnight. Looking back, though, it can almost seem that sudden.

I want to write graphic novels. It's what I'm passionate about. I want to write big fat comic books about things that speak to me... about people that I know and who I feel are interesting enough that other people should know them too. The thing is, it's hard to make a living doing this. There are folks who manage it. Some of them manage it spectacularly. In general, though, the books don't sell well enough to support their creators. We need some help. The most conspicuous form this help takes is that of a check from a movie studio. And so, while I just want to write my little comic book thingies, I end up riding the highs and lows of the movie business.

Some days I feel lucky about the way my Hollywood dealings have gone. Some days, not so much. On my more cynical days I can't get over the fact that I had a brilliant idea for a film and then executed that idea very well (I'm very much my own worst critic, but I do believe that Capote In Kansas is a very good book) only to miss out on reaping any financial benefit from the movie business by a few months. On my sunnier days, I rejoice in the fact that my first graphic novel (Union Station) still has hopes in Hollywood and the fact that my third graphic novel (Ciudad) has been optioned and led me to that hotel bar in West Hollywood.

It is both grand and depressing that the comic book business is so tied to Hollywood. It is the source of much bitching and hand-wringing, but the fact is that comic books are wildly unpopular in this country, and we need the help. I'm like any other poor bastard. I want things to be easier for my family. I want to be free of stress about how next month's bills are going to be paid. So, I eagerly jump onto the little comic book moon that orbits the movie business. I cross every digit I can manage to cross when the wonderful people I work with release a great movie like Scott Pilgrim. I suffer when the world isn't cool enough to go see Scott Pilgrim in droves. I wait by the phone. I wonder if the stories I'm passionate about telling will appeal to some faceless studio executive. I wait for the mailman, who is surely bringing my big fat Hollywood check today!

In short, I do the work I want to do. I make graphic novels. I make them on my own terms, for the most part. And then, I set my gaze on the western horizon and... wait. Such is the comic biz!

Anj

Arthur Bryant's - The Original

2010-08-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Just got home after a quick trip to Kansas City, where i had lunch with pals Kyle and Link at Arthur Bryant's.

For those of you not up on KC barbecue lore, this Arthur Bryant's is about as hallowed as it gets around here. I've been going to Bryant's since i was about six or seven. In those days, the ballpark that was home to the Kansas City Athletics (and later, The Royals) was located about a half mile up Brooklyn Ave. You could get your sandwich to go, all wrapped up in brown paper, and walk up to the game. In those days, Bryant's didn't serve drinks. You had to get your soda from a vending machine in the dining room.

Aside from fountain drinks, not a lot has changed inside Arthur Bryant's. The smoker is the same, and i like to think that sixty years of meat smoke gunk sticking to the walls add to the flavor of the current products. Bryant's has had to add a few salads to keep up with all the suburban barbecue in town. I don't really approve of salads that include dairy products being served in my old-school barbecue joints, but what can you do? Progress happens, whether you welcome it or not.

The original Bryant's sauce is totally unique. It's rich, but full of vinegar tang. It has tons of paprika (i think), and very little sweetener. It also contains lard. Yes, at Arthur Bryant's, even the sauce has lard in it. I strongly disapprove of the sweeter sauces Bryant's has added to their lineup in the last decade or so. I guess they had to respond to the KC Masterpiece crap that seems so popular with white people. Blech... White people.

My usual order at Bryant's is a sliced turkey and pork sandwich with fries. It's a lot of food, as you can see.

I don't know that Arthur Bryant's is still the best barbecue in Kansas City. There's a lot more competition these days. I do know that it's the most legendary, and that going to the original location, on Brooklyn Ave., is the experience that resonates the most with me. There is history in that dump. It's in the grease on the walls and floor, it's in the giant bottles of sauce that sit in the front windows, and it's in that ancient smoker. God love it.

Anj

Win!

2010-08-18T16:00:00.001-07:00

Checking In... Again

August 18th, 2010

Well, this is something of a re-run. It's complicated. I was going to move to Wordpress, but I hated the customizing possibilities. My first post there was going to be kind of a simple test... just re-using stuff I had posted here back in 2008. Now that I'm staying put at Blogger, I figured I may as well go ahead and put this content up. I'll be back with new stuff soon. I believe this was the first Mortimer piece I ever bought. I was collecting a lot of strip art at the time, and I just thought I should have an example from Mr. Winslow Mortimer. The ebay scan looked pretty good, but the original blew me away when it arrived.

I knew Mortimer as a solid craftsman who wasn’t especially well-suited to superheroes (ala Don Heck, to some extent). What I saw in this daily comic strip was pure mastery. The compositions are solid and clear. The inking is vibrant and lively and, more than anything, the characters jump off the page. The “acting” is just superb. You don’t often see characters this this unique and energetic. There are no stock poses here. Every gesture contributes to the feel of the characters and to the overall storytelling. Winslow Mortimer’s comic strip work was a true revelation for me. I went on to buy several more examples, and I cherish them all. Even now that I’m writing much more and inking much less, there are lessons to be learned from Mortimer’s work.

Years after I bought this daily, I found an amazing photograph of Winslow Mortimer and his wife online. It’s the kind of studio photo of a cartoonist that I absolutely love. The well-dressed artist poses with a clearly-already-finished strip or page. This example also has the artist’s lovely wife, which makes it pretty unique, in my experience.

About a year ago, I answered my phone and found myself speaking to Mrs. Mortimer. Yeah, she called me. Win has been dead for about a decade, but his widow had somehow been steered to a blog entry of mine in which I talked about this photo. She was touched that someone remembered her husband. I was touched that she reached out to me. I’ll never forget the feeling I got when this lovely woman said, “You would have liked Win… he was a good man.” I bet he was.

Come back soon, and tell your friends. I'm gonna try to get back to making it worthwhile.

Best,
Anj

SKY MASTERS!

2010-02-09T08:29:00.001-08:00

Because Max was talking about it on the Twit today, here's the Sky Masters daily I own. Pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Wally Wood. Doesn't get much better than that!

This strip ran on January 28, 1959.

Anj

Kurtzman Flash Gordon Layout

2010-02-03T08:08:00.000-08:00

Harvey Kurtzman is responsible for many of my favorite comics. He's also been a huge influence on me, as an artist and a writer. I don't think comics have ever been done much better than Harvey's EC war comics. The over-sized bound editions of Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat are constant sources of inspiration. Harvey writing concise, poignant historical fiction and providing crystal clear layouts, and then handing those layouts to some of the finest draftsmen in the history of American commercial art.

Anyway, while I love all aspects of Harvey's talents, it is his graphic storytelling that really blows me away. I don't think you could do better as an artist than to have Harvey Kurtzman provide you with thumbnails.

The great (and fucking insane, by the way... I could tell some stories!) Dan Barry was one of those blessed souls who got to work over the layouts of Harvey Kurtzman. The two did a celebrated run on the Flash Gordon comics strip. They were a great team, complimenting each other perfectly.

So, here's an example of what Harvey would provide to Dan. This would be accompanied by a written script, I assume. My pal Phil Hester uses this method quite effectively today, providing both written dialogue and drawn thumbnails.

Enjoy!

Anj

Truman's Old Fashioned?

2010-01-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

Someone reminded me that Harry Truman was a famous Old Fashioned lover. A little Googling unearthed this alleged Truman recipe.

I think I'll miss the muddling, but I'll give it a shot.

* Tiny amount of sugar
* Generous bitters
* A little water
* A little cherry juicy (1/4 teaspoon or so)
* Mix it up
* Add ice
* Jack Daniels (he used green label)
* Top with cherry and unmuddled slice of orange

The OLD FASHIONED Recipe!

2010-01-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, since the very first episode of Mad Men aired, I've been kind of obsessed with the cocktail Don Draper seems to order most often, the Old Fashioned. There is much written about this drink online. Some call it the first cocktail. There are scores of recipes to be found.

Well, I made a lot of the damn things before I settled on what I consider the perfect Old Fashioned. It's perfect for me, anyway. I'll let you decide (and modify) for yourself.

Before we get to the recipe, a little history on my pursuit of an Old Fashioned that really works for me. Most online recipes either have no muddled fruit or too much. I like the flavor you get from a little smashed fruit, but I don't like big chunks of orange gunk in my teeth. So, I have come up with a recipe that gives me some muddled fruit, all the muddled fruit flavor, but minimizes chunks. Hence the addition of Triple Sec.

You will need:
A good-sized cocktail glass (sometimes called an old-fashioned glass)
A muddler (I got a stainless steel model on eBay, which I love and recommend)
Some good ice (I'm a fan of "factory" ice for cocktails... you just can't make it as clear and as good at home)
Bitters (yes, you really need to go get some... don't skip this)
Sugar (regular granulated)
Bourbon (I just use Jim Beam... I don't think you need expensive booze here)
Seltzer (plain water will do in a pinch, but you should have seltzer)
Maraschino Cherries (sans stems and pits)
Triple Sec (cheap is fine)
An Orange (for garnish)

And, the recipe!

Place two cherries, a scant teaspoon of sugar, and a healthy dash of bitters in the glass. Muddle until the sugar is dissolved and the cherries are pulp. Add a splash (maybe a half ounce) of Triple Sec and a full shot (or... you know, a little more) of Bourbon.

Top the glass off with lots of good ice, add a splash of seltzer and stir with the sugar spoon. Garnish with a whole cherry and a slice of orange. Impaling the garnishes on one of those little plastic swords is a nice touch.

Enjoy, and don't say I never gave you nothin'!

Anj

Reborn!

2009-12-04T08:53:00.001-08:00

I finished my "last" inking deadline about six weeks ago. The quotes are because I don't want to completely close the door on my inking career. I'm trying to become a full-time writer in the long term, but... you never know.

Anyway, in the last six weeks, I have spent most of my time as a writer wrestling with the same damn pitch. It is a pitch and an idea that I love... one that I would love to write. It is also one that is wearing me out.

When I first wrote the pitch, it was pretty high concept and minimal. It was character driven, and the lead is a character I'm dying to write. It got complicated, though. The pitch was a little too similar to another book that had just come out, so I started tweaking. For the next few weeks, these tweaks occupied my mind damn near all the time. I would find a solution, sure it was the way to go. The next day, that solution was a load of crap. I woke up a few times with great ideas, only to stare at my excited scribbles the next day with disgust.

So, for the first time in the short lifespan of my new career, I did something really smart. I set it aside. A few days ago, I moved on another project... something that's been on my mind for years. That project was an absolute godsend to me this week.

Problems on the "new" project are falling away with relative ease. I'm excited to be back in this world, and while I can still feel the world of the other pitch lurking over there in the corner, it's not weighing on me anymore. I have no guarantees, but I have a strong feeling that, once this new project is resolved on paper, the one I was fighting so desperately will somehow fall in place.

It's been an interesting process, and one I'm not quite familiar with. I didn't often have the luxury to simply move over to another project as an inker. I have a feeling I'm going to be learning a lot of new tricks over the next several months.

Have a solid weekend. See you back here soon, I hope.

Anj

Thursday- Talking Truman

2009-12-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

Just time for a quick story today.

I was asked to speak to a high school English class a few years back. The class had read To Kill A Mockingbird and the teacher, knowing I had written about Harper Lee and Truman Capote (you've all read Capote In Kansas by now, I assume!), thought I could offer some insight as to the creation of Harper's masterpiece.

Well, I serve on the school board of our little town, and the last thing I need is an angry parent showing up at a board meeting asking why the hell I was teaching her little angel about the evils of man-sex. I didn't want to be dishonest about Truman's sexuality, but I didn't want to invite controversy, either.

I asked the teacher how, in talking about the character Dill and his Truman Capote life-model, she had dealt with Truman's sexuality. The smiling teacher informed me that she had simply been referring to Truman as "flamboyant!". Um... okay!

So, I did my little talk. As I walked the class through my experiences in researching Truman and Harper, I spoke at length about the Clutter killings and how I portrayed them in my book. Along the way, I mentioned that I believed Truman had, during the writing of In Cold Blood, fallen in love with one of the killers, Perry Smith.

When I asked for questions, a girl at the back of the class raised her hand a little sheepishly. "So," she asked, "Perry was a girl?"

"No," I replied, "Perry was a gentleman, as well".

Silent beat.

Girl screws her face up for another silent beat before finally offering, "Um... oh... yeah. Okay."

And we moved on. Never heard from any parents, so I guess no one was too badly traumatized.

Anj

Wednesday: Reading and Writing

2009-12-02T08:47:00.001-08:00

Just finished the first fiction I've actually finished in far too long: James Crumley's The Last Good Kiss. It had the effect on me that all good art does. It opened up possibilities. It made me want to do better.

Part of my new life as a full-time writer is more time for reading. Like I said, I haven't read much fiction lately. I've always been more of a biography and non-fiction reader, but there's been too little of that lately, too. For too long, I've clung to a stubborn belief that staying away from other people's writing helped preserve whatever was unique in my own talent. There may be some kernel of honesty there, but it's mainly a rationalization for laziness. I'm fixing it. I'm not going to be lazy about reading anymore.

Winding my way through Crumley's wonderful prose, I was struck by how you have to get into a flow to read well. I cannot stand to skim through the page. I want to really feel the impact of a clever observation. I'm not just reading for plot. I want to study what the writer has laid out for me, and that takes time. As I made my way through The Last Good Kiss I found myself more in tune with Crumley's style, and the pages flew by. It took me about as long to read the last 150 pages as it had the first hundred.

Crumley also made me wonder about writing more prose. It's something that's been on my mind lately, anyway. I've always said that I liked writing comics exactly because I didn't want to write prose. I thought I preferred writing a script that served as a guide for an artist, and letting the dialogue serve as my only accompaniment. I'm starting to wonder, though. I don't know if I could ever touch Crumley, but I can string words together. It's worth thinking about. There are practical considerations, as well. I have at least some sort of career as a comic book writer. Writing prose means reaching out to an entirely different business... one that is reeling.

On the other hand, in these days of e-reading, maybe I could write prose without finding a publisher in the old-school sense. Well, I know I could write it and distribute it. The question, as always, would be making a buck out of the whole endeavor. Stupid bucks.

That's enough of my rambling for today. Go read some Crumley. I'm moving on to some Steve Hely.

Anj

Guess Who's Back... Back again...

2009-12-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

It's been an absolutely embarrassing long time since I posted here. I could blame all manner of things, but what's the point? I was busy elsewhere... that's all.

A lot has happened to me in the past month or two. In a way, I left a career that has treated me pretty well for nearly twenty years behind in pursuit of a new one. It's not that cut and dried, of course. Things rarely are. I know I will do more inking. I know it's possible that I'll be scrambling for inking job by this time next year. I also know, thought, that I really want to be a writer. Inking the last page of the last inking job I had lined up was an interesting experience. Likewise, embarking on what I hope will become a real career as a writer has been exhilarating, daunting, and a bit stressful.

I have a lot to say about the shift, actually. I don't want to blow my blogwad in one day, though, so I'll just pick one thing to focus on for now.

I was twenty-six years old in the summer of 1990, when my wife and I moved away from home to live in Philadelphia. She was going to work on her Doctorate at Penn. I was going to be closer to Marvel and DC Comics in New York, and to establish myself as an inker. Quick aside- screw you, spellchecker, for not knowing that "inker" is a real term.

Anyway, Cynthia and I had been married for only seven months when we hit the road. It was a big step. We weren't kids by any stretch, but it felt like a pretty grand adventure. We were leaving behind parents and relative security to find out if we really could make it in the world on our own. Thankfully, we had each chosen our partners in this adventure wisely. Me more wisely than my wife, I should add.

In short, we did it. My wife, because she's brilliant, kind, and lovable, finished her degree and entered the job market in great shape. I, thanks to a stubborn nature, a little talent, and the help of some extraordinary friends (Mike Manley, Phil Hester and John Heebink, to name a few), made a real career for myself in the comic book business. We settled back in Kansas and began the next chapter in our lives, welcoming our children to the mix.

I indulge myself, and anyone still with me at this point, in these memories because they hit me hard as I finished the last page of this last (for the time being) inking job a month ago. I found myself tinkering with that page: adding unnecessary details, picking at stuff that was really done and good enough before throwing the page on the scanner. It didn't take a lot of soul-searching to realize that I was being wistful.

Damn near twenty years ago... nearly half my life ago... my wife and I took our big first steps together. We drove to Pennsylvania to face the rest of our lives with a thick veneer of excitement and possibilities covering what had to be a lot of uncertainty. We made it. We built good lives for ourselves and our children, and now here I was saying goodbye, even if not permanently, to a job that had served as a cornerstone to that life.

I know it is right for me to move on from inking and into writing. I know that the former represents something of a dead end, while the latter represents almost boundless opportunity. I also know that writing represents challenges that I haven't faced in a long time. And, this time, it's not just me and my young wife along for the ride.

Shit... I better get to work.

I'll be back soon.

Anj

Hollywood Dreaming

2009-10-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Had a dream a couple of nights ago, and thought it was worth putting on "paper". As dreams go, it's awfully transparent. My brain was being especially shallow that night.

First, a little background. I write comics for a living (still inking some, but I consider myself a writer first these days). In the course of writing graphic novels, and trying to make some kind of a living at it, I have brushed against Hollywood from time to time. Like when a beautiful woman touches your shoulder as she moves past... nice enough, but it fades quickly and leaves you with nothing.

I guess I shouldn't say my Hollywood experiences have left me with nothing. For the most part, though, the check is still in the mail.

So, on to the dream:

I'm in Hollywood. I assume I'm there to work with some collaborators out there on a graphic novel and/or film project. Something very much like when I went out a year ago to work on the Ciudad outline with the Russo brothers.

I've been invited to a party being held by some moderately successful starlet. Not Tara Reid, but someone along those lines. Her estate is way bigger and grander than it should be for her perceived level of success. I'm hanging out in the backyard, which goes on forever. There are pretty, shiny Hollywood types all around, but I am hanging by myself. I assume I'm my usual charming self. and I'm sporting a nice enough summer fedora, but I still feel out of place... unbelievable!

I wander over to the pool. Pools, I should say. There are at least two, one of which is ridiculously large. The whole pool area glows a beautiful Maxfield Parrish blue.

I leave the pool and settle next to a decorative boulder. I don't seem to have a cocktail. Bad omen there.

Finally, someone comes over to talk to me. It's a young lady. She's been lured over by the hat, I'm sure. She asks me with just a trace of pity if I'd like to join her and a group of other revelers in the video game room.

The game room is, like the rest of the place, over the top. It's a pretty small room, packed with consoles and joysticks. The walls are completely lined with monitors. There must be two hundred of them.

I know nothing about the game these people are about to play. Still, I've been invited, and I don't want to blow what appears to be the only chance I'm going to have this evening to not be the lonely, creepy dude in the corner.

As the dozen or so beautiful people in the room prepare to begin their tournament, I suddenly realize that I'm holding a bag of some kind. Don't know where it came from or what's in it, but it's there and I have to get rid of it so I can attempt to play this game and become accepted and beautiful myself.

I walk over to the door, where there is an almost bare spot on the floor. Almost bare. There is some kind of electronic box with a switch there, but I toss the bag down anyway. It bumps the switch, and all the games and monitors in the room flick off.

Amidst the general dismay and bitching, someone offers that they probably caused the outage. To my credit, I don't allow them to take the rap. I announce to the room that it was my fault.

I wake up.

50 Word Noir

2009-10-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

My entry for www.dailylit.com's 50 word noir contest.

A Splash on the Widewalk

Wet pavement. Ceiling fans. Shot glasses. Dangerous broads walking into your office at the end of the week.

All bullshit.

It's nothing but tedium, shadows, unpleasant smells.

Grease, sweat, coffee, desperation.

Sometimes, like tonight, it ends with the sharp tang of blood.

Horrific. I vomit out the window. And wait.

A couple more Chicago Pictures

2009-08-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

I punch the hell outta AROUND COMICS' Brion Salazar.

And, I pose with my pals Pat Loika and Phil Hester.

Anj

Wizard Chicago Comic-Con Thing

2009-08-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Just back from the "big" show in Chicago. I don't have the time or focus for a full report, so this stream of consciousness rant will have to suffice.

Drive to Chicago was long, and the final hour was a complete pain in the ass. I've driven in a lot of big city traffic, and Chicago is consistently the worst. Tolls every hundred yards, and everything is always torn up and shitty.

Tiki Bar with Jain Nitz and friends was an awesome way to settle down. Also had minor fun at the Hyatt bar Thursday night.

Aloft is a cool place to stay. I did not feel too old to be there, as I feared.

Did not sleep well. Something in the room was beeping! What the fuck was that?!

The con was... weird. Every artist I spoke with made comments about this being their last one. I'm not sure if I would do it again, assuming it happens again. I've been to something like 22 of these in a row.

I think I'm going to C2E2 in April, downtown Chicago.

I love Matt Wagner.

After two months with no steak, the Cajun Ribeye at Morton's was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Drank for almost four hours at the Hyatt Friday night, and paid for not a single drink. I felt like a pretty girl. I knew this Dean Martin mystique I have cultivated would pay off.

Speaking of pretty girls, April tucked my business card into her bra. Also, she loved my hat. Bless her heart.

I have a lot of cool friends... really enjoyed them Friday night.

Poor Jai.

Better sleep Friday night, but still not good.

Bought tickets for the whole family to see Bruce in KC October 25th. Behind the stage to save money, but it's still gonna be awesome.

Did lots of sketches and sold fair amount of books Saturday. No artwork moving at all. The floor in Artist's Alley was packed. People seemed ready to spend small amounts only.

Did a lot of free head sketches. I stuck to my guns on drawing only what I damn well want to for freebies. "Yes, you can have a free drawing. No, I will not draw your D&D character for free. Enjoy your Batman, jerkoff."

It hit me how this shift in my career, from inker to writer, has changed my status. As an inker, I felt I could approach any editor in the business and credibly ask for work. As a writer, I feel I have to open with, "Um... do you know I'm a writer?"

I took three hats on this trip. I needed all of them. I mean, I need to coordinate with shirts and such. What am I, an animal?

Had a wonderful meal at Maria's with Chris Mitten and his girlfriend, Michelle Behnken. I met Michelle just a few weeks ago, and she is already one of my favorite people. Her kids are cool, too.

More Hyatt Saturday night. Ran into April again. Kyle Strahm is hilarious. Jason Latour and Clay Moore really need some therapy. I adore Adam Witt and Anne Jurack, even if Anne is something of a story killer. I love the Around Comics boys. Ditto John Siuntres.

Great seeing the Iowa boys again. Brook, Jason, Aaron, Colin.

I love Pat Loika dearly, but there are certain acts in conjunction which he should not be mentioned.

Got to bed around 2:30 again Saturday night. Better sleep, but not the best.

Shower in my Aloft room was great.

Con was freaking dead Sunday. Oofa!

So nice to see my daughter again.

Ride home was pretty painless. Drove through St. Louis to show Hannah the arch. It freaked her out.

Home. Need to get to work... now.

Anj

San Diego... Part Two!

2009-07-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

Friday night now, and...

Then, it was off to the big Oni/UTA/EA party. It was amazing. The party was held at the top floor of the ballpark that hosts the Padres. The night air was great, as were the drinks, the company, and the whole damn vibe of the night. Had a great time with Chuck BB, Jamie Rich, Chris Mitten and his girlfriend Michelle, the Oni folks, and many others. High points included humiliating myself by hovering around that new Spock dude, waiting to take his picture with Michelle, and telling my legendary M&M story (with photo, of course).

Speaking of photos, here's me with Chris Mitten and the lovely Michelle.

And, here's the same photo, with drunk-detector turned on. This is about how I felt at the moment.

After the party, it was back to the Hyatt. Saw my pal and former editor Aubrey Sitterson there, among others. Spoke to Colleen Coover briefly. but missed her man Paul Tobin. I partied pretty hard again, getting to bed at close to 3. I had not really had dinner, so I crashed equal parts hungry and tired. The next morning would take care of that, as I had a big breakfast scheduled with Hester, Ron Marz and Dan Jurgens.

First thing after the awesome breakfast Saturday morning was another signing at Oni. More good folks, including the lovely Pat Loika this time. Also saw my buddy and Ciudad collaborator Joe Russo. Then, I hit the con floor a little bit. Saw my pal Matt Wagner. The far end of the show wore me out in a fucking hurry. It was literally hard to move in some spots. Gah!

By the way... you know what is really the opposite of awesome? You're in a super-packed aisle, trying to squeeze through the sweaty masses when someone decides the need a picture of the dork in the Transformers costume walking in front of you. So, we all have to just freeze, out of some misplaced courtesy reflex, while this douche gets his photo taken. Bleccch!

Anyway, I got out of there in pretty short order. First was a meeting with my pal (and wonderful artist) Matt Haley. We had a drink at my hotel, the Marriott right next door to the show. Then, I ran up to the room, inked a sketch and took a nap. Back to the show briefly, as I really flirted with buying a really nice architectural drawing from '40s Miami. It was a gorgeous piece, but I couldn't afford it, so I settled for a crappy phone picture instead.

I guess it was the responsible decision. Then, time to get ready for dinner. Phil and I hooked up with Jon Lewis, Ron Marz, and many of the Top Cow folks for an amazing meal at El Vitral. Marz found this place and ate their three times during the show. I don't blame him. Gourmet Mexican. A meal to remember, for sure. The meal started with a remarkable cocktail... something with rum and cilantro. It tasted like an earthy, boozy milkshake.

After dinner, we stopped back at our room so I could pour myself a stiff Jack and Coke in a plastic cup (did I mention the lines at the Hyatt bars?) and stuff the flask in my pocket. At the Hyatt, I hung with Dave Gibbons (very briefly), John Layman, Hillary Barta, Seth Jones, and several of the usual suspects.

Hit the room, and the bed, after 2 sometime. Didn't sleep real well, and Sunday morning seemed too much like a morning. I was, finally, shot. Flying out early Sunday turned out to be totally the right choice. As I said above, I was home before the show ended, which was great by me. God, it was nice to be home and with the family. I brought everyone See's candy. Consumables are good. There's enough bullshit in our house without Comicon silliness adding to the chaos.

This year was probably the best time I've had at Comicon. A combination of my previously-mentioned modest goals and my newly-acquired writer comfort zone. It felt so good to go to the "big show" as a writer. It felt so good to talk to people about writing way more than inking. It felt good to talk to my Oni editor (the fantastic James Lucas Jones) with a clear conscience, with one book in the can and more on the way. And, of course, it's cool to go to the show with a light schedule and a peaceful frame of mind.

Anj

San Diego... Part One!

2009-07-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

Back from the big Comicon funny book show last night. In fact, at the time I walked through my door, the show was still happening. I arrived in San Diego Thursday evening and left Sunday morning, so I really only had two days at the actual show. Really, that was plenty. My days of wandering the floor and checking out panels are in the past. I'm there to sign a few books, see my publishers and movie guys, and enjoy time with friends I don't see enough.

I decided several years ago that too much time on the con floor made me... um, cranky. You'd call it cranky when you want to rip the liver out of every lousy, stinky motherfucker that looks at you, right? I would. So, although I think I could make a little money at the show, doing so would require me to spend more. I doubt it could ever be much more than a break even affair for me. Thus, I decided to do the show with different goals in mind. I go to do the stuff I mentioned above. I go to network and spend time with folks that are important to my career, and to my life.

I told many friends at the show that the key to a successful Comicon were modest goals. My goals were just that, and I knocked them out of the park. The highlights:

Arrived at about 5:30 San Diego time. Just time to check in, walk to Ralph's (nearby grocery) to buy a bottle of Jack (you can't carry on flasks with booze in them, you know), and then head out to a dinner with the Oni Press and Closed on Monday folks. Oni publishes my graphic novels, and Closed on Mondays reps my stuff to Hollywood. They do a dinner at a nice Thai place every year. Had a few drinks (quite a few) and some good food, along with great chat. I am genuinely fond of the people I work with, and the entire stable of fellow writers and artists. Always nice to hang out with the crew.

After dinner, it was off to the Archaia/Days Missing party. It was great, too. The party was on the roof of a club. The weather was fantastic... cool and slightly breezy by about 10:30. I grabbed another free drink and hooked up with several friends... Andy Kuhn, Rob Levin, Alex Grecian, Jai Nitz, and others. We hung out by an open fireplace... very nice. I may have consumed a found drink. If so, it appeared to be untouched. That's all I'm sayin'.

Then, with my newly-found roommate and best pal Phil Hester, it was off to the madness of the Hyatt bar scene. If you've never been, the Hyatt lobby is enormous, spanning the hotel's two towers. At each end is a bar, and people go back and forth or hang outside, consuming the drinks they clawed through ridiculous crowds to purchase. Saw more folks... kind of becoming a blur. I know I went upstairs for a drink, meeting up with my friend Angela and some other podcasting folks.

At about 2am, Hester and I strolled back to Ralph's for a snack. Luckily, the store security and manager had no problem with my open Jack and Coke. I charmed the hell out of the manager. Security was just lazy. Anyway, Phil and I grabbed some food and wolfed while walking back to the room. I had a dry chicken wrap. Phil had a sandwich and some cake. We have different vices.

Friday was an early dip in the unbelievable Marriott pool, followed by an early signing at Oni, and a meeting with the publisher and the movie guys. Got the word on the various Hollywood projects, and heard some very nice things about the newly-completed Ciudad script. Everyone seems to dig it... very rewarding, even if they are biased. Nice to see Chris and Laura Samnee, Brian Hurtt, and Cullen Bunn at the Oni booth.

After the Oni thing, it really hit me that I had not eaten since Ralph's the night before. I managed to convince Andy Kuhn to join me at the Tin Fish, a great fried fish dive across the street from the con. Tried to invite Alex Grecian, but he gave me the high hat by turning off his phone. Fuck 'im. Had a great meal at the Fish... the fried sampler appetizer. Also, stole Andy's slaw and threw some Jack from my flask into my Diet Coke. Pretty sweet, all around.

Got back to the Marriott and gave my pay Mitch Brian a call. He's a KC screenwriter guy, but I don't see him often enough. Also, we may collaborate on one of the projects I pitched to Oni as the possible "next project". It was Mitch's first Comicon, so I bought him a cherry-popping celebratory margarita, and we talked about writer stuff and golf. Then, I hit the show again, but not for too long. Did I mention that place wears me out?

Friday night was a comedy show with Jason Aaron, featuring acquaintance and fellow comic geek Brian Posehn. I love hanging with Jason, and the show was a lot of fun. The venue, the Balboa Theater, is a grand old place. The show also featured Patton Oswald and Doug Benson. Lots of laughs, and a great way to break up the Comicon experience.

That's a wrap for part one of my Comicon report. Part two tomorrow!

Anj

Saturday- Hats and Such

2009-07-18T06:51:00.001-07:00

I don't post here often enough, so I thought I'd start sharing hats.

Yesterday, I was wearing this vintage Borsalino. It probably dates from the fifties. Very soft and light.

Oh... finished Ciudad script last night, too!

Anj

Thursday... Damn That Ciudad!

2009-07-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

Before I move into discussing my current writing project, I should mention that the re-release of my first graphic novel, Union Station, is almost upon us. I think the book will be in stores by the end of July. Please keep an eye out for it. The new cover is really swell. See?

So, on to more recent activities. As you know if you've been reading this blog much at all, I've been working on a book called Ciudad more or less full-time since March. Now, it's almost done. That's the good news. The bad news is that, as they say, that last step is a doosy.

I finished the first full draft a few weeks back. I then took a little time to put together some pitches for my next project. I probably should have taken time away from Ciudad to work on the pitches earlier, but I was really determined to wrap this book as quickly as possible. It was a test I set up for myself to see if I could function as a full-time writer. I think I did pretty well, wrapping the book in record time, by my standards.

Well... almost wrapping it. After getting the pitches done, I went back to do a polish on Ciudad, only to find that pulling teeth would be a party by comparison. I flat out did not want to go back in there. I can't say why, exactly. I guess I felt like I had done that hard work already, and revisiting would be tedious. It's hard to get the focus back. But, I know the work is not quite where I need it to be, so... I am fighting through it.

One really interesting part of the process was the realization, the night of July 4th, that the character Eva was not what I wanted her to be. I was watching fireworks with a bunch of friends that night, one of whom is the 16 year old babysitter friend of mine. This girl had served as my model for Eva early on. She has the right attitude and vitality. In talking to her briefly about the script, it hit me that I had strayed from those characteristics. Eva had become too much a victim. Just a five minute chat with this young woman made it clear to me that I could do better... that Eva could be more.

So, today is the day I've set for myself to be all done with Ciudad revisions. I think it's possible. I'll let you know.

Anj

Monday - and I Saunter Back In, as if Nothing Happened

2009-07-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I didn't have the stomach to check when my last post was. I know it was a long, long time ago. Since that post, I've been on a lovely family vacation, all but finished one graphic novel, attempted to get several more started up, and done a bunch of other, less interesting crap.

So, I'm going to try to get back to blogging in a big way. As big as I can muster, anyway. I'll try to post on a daily basis for awhile. I should have enough shit to talk about after such a long break.

So, I'll start with Public Enemies. Before I get into discussing the movie, I should state up front that I have some level of personal involvement in its success or failure. If you're reading this, you probably know that my first graphic novel effort was Union Station (published by Oni Press, and being re-released any week now, with a shiny new cover and intro, since you asked). Well, my Hollywood guys have been trying to get Union Station made as a film for a long time now. At one point, we had just about everything lined up... screenplay (by the fantastic Doug Jung), director, financing... it was looking pretty solid. It was around that time that we heard about Michael Mann working on his own little gangster epic, with some actor guy you may have heard of.

So, long story short, Mann's movie got made, while Union Station didn't quite get that far along. It's still out there, and it still could get made. Of course, it's more likely to get made if Public Enemies is a huge hit. So, like I said, I have a stake here. Keep this in mind as you read on.

I like Public Enemies. I liked it a lot. I sometimes struggle with a film when I have so many expectations, good or bad, so it would probably be best to see it again in the theater, but I thought it was really good even upon the first nervous viewing.

The way Mann shot PE has been a topic of much discussion. He chose digital over film, and I thought it worked. Film might have been a little richer, but I have no problem with the digital look, even on this period piece. It looked a little grainy in a few scenes, but it still seemed appropriate to me... like we were on the scene as voyeurs. That's probably hypocritical of me, given that I hated the lens flares in Star Trek, but there it is. Like I said, maybe I'm not completely objective.

My two issues with the film are somewhat paradoxical. In a way, I wanted a little more distance. In another way, I wanted to pull in closer.

During some of the action sequences, I wanted a little distance. I understand the notion of pulling us into a chaotic gunfight almost as one of the participants, so that we feel a little disoriented. I mean, I would imagine that being in a gunfight is somewhat disorienting. Still, during the shootout at the Bohemia Lodge, I would have appreciated a wide shot that gave me more information about who was where. At times, I didn't know who the hell was driving away, who was getting shot, or who was doing the shooting. Still an effective scene overall, but an example of a sensation I had several times during PE.

On the other hand, the bigger flaw with the movie is that it needed more personal, intimate moments. I didn't enjoy the aforementioned Star Trek very much because I didn't ever care about anyone. PE was far better, but the same thing hit me... I wanted more intimacy, so I could care a little more about these people. I did feel for Dillenger and Billie at the end, but I could have cared more. I almost cared for Red, but not quite. In such a long movie, it seems Mann could have found time to slow down and let me know these people better.

On the other hand, Mann is a very thoughtful filmmaker, and I should assume that he made these choices deliberately. Maybe he wanted a surface-level view of Dillenger. I think most people have felt as I did, though... that we could have used a little more up close and personal.

Still, I think it's a terrific movie, and I'm pretty sure I would have thought so whether people seeing it is potentially good for my wallet or not. Depp is one of the best movie stars alive, the rest of the cast is fantastic, the movie looks phenomenal, and it's lively and enjoyable overall. Don't get me started on the incredible hats... we could be here all day.

So, please go see it. It's good, and it helps me out, too. Win/win.

Be back soon... I promise.

Anj

Friday!

2009-05-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

I know... it's been awhile. I've been busy writing, etc. Nothing too exciting has kept me away, but I haven't been compelled to say anything particularly interesting, either. That's the thing about a blog... you should have something to say, you know?

And, I confess, I don't have a lot to say today, either. Had a decent week writing, especially considering the long weekend that started the week. I'm over 100 pages on Ciudad now, which is unprecedented progress for me. I hope to be done by the end of June. That would also be fairly remarkable.

We're hosting a party for the local comic book folks tonight. I've been smoking meats all week, and we'll break out the hookah. I'm also offering an assortment of delicious cocktails. Ginger/Peach Martini, anyone?

I'll find something to say next week! Enjoy your weekend!

Anj

Tuesday... Gotta Work!

2009-05-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Disgusting day yesterday, in that I didn't get much work done, and I don't really know why. It was a conspiracy of small bullshits that somehow added up to a near-complete loss of productivity. I need to make up for it today. I've hit the halfway point on Ciudad, which feels great. If I'm going to make my goal of finishing it by July, I need to really get on that thing. Today, I will write some of the quieter moments in the script... a dinner scene in which we get our only real glimpses of the main character's past. Soon after that, really horrific violence!

I can name one of the little bullshits that kept me from working yesterday. While eating lunch, I finished watching Gone Baby Gone. It left me with a sensation I get only after seeing a really great piece of work... a mixture of elation and envy - creative inspiration and creative depression. It made me feel thrilled about telling stories, but a little disgusted that I haven't done it better. Fortunately, I feel like I'm getting better at my craft almost every day, so there's still hope!

While watching Gone Baby Gone, I was really struck by how amazing Casey Affleck is. He blew me away in Jesse James, and he was almost as impressive in GBG. So, I went to IMDB to see what he was up to now. Holy Shit... turns out he's filming The Killer Inside Me, one of the best Jim Thompson novels. The lead role, to be played by Affleck, is one of the most twisted protagonists I've ever encountered, and he is perfect for it. Damn, I hope they don't screw this up! Kate Hudson concerns me.

Finally, watching Gone Baby Gone after attempting to watch Frank Miller's The Spirit (haven't finished it yet), it hit me that Gone Baby Gone is the kind of project Frank should be handling as he moves to Hollywood. That path may not be available to him now, as the guys with the money apparently want him to deliver the stylized Sin City thing. Maybe Frank can't or doesn't want to write crime stories like Gone Baby Gone anymore... I don't know. I do know that Frank once could have written a story like Gone Baby Gone, and he once could have created thrilling visuals to go with that story.

Maybe an artist's path is only half determined by the artist himself. It's easy to sit back and look at someone's career and decree that it should have gone this way or that way. Careers aren't linear, though... they're organic. Things interfere that no one but the artist can really appreciate. Opportunities arise and fall away. Financial situations do the same. Shit, sometimes you watch a movie like Gone Baby Gone, get inspired, and dedicate the next two years to telling a gritty, urban crime story. Sometimes, in the middle of that process, you realize you just don't have that story in you.

In short, it's pointless to guess about what leads an artist one way or another. I hope my career will unfold a certain way, but it may not. As I've said many times: In ten years, I could be a successful screenwriter, or I could be managing a Taco Bell... one is about as likely as the other.

And... I'm off to work. Can't afford another Monday.

Anj

Friday... Goodbye, Shitty Week!

2009-05-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a doozy. Lots of school board meetings, lots of stress, lots of poor sleep, and not enough work done or quality time with family spent.

So, I'm behind the eightball today, trying to make up for the lack of production a little bit before heading out to a dinner with the family tonight. Ciudad script is still going well, and I have been able to adhere, thus far, to the outline I spent so much time on.

I gotta get to it, but I do hate to leave you with nothing visual. So, I grabbed a sketchbook and found a page I wasn't ashamed to share. I have to admit, I do very little of this kind of sketching these days. As you know, I'm trying to write more, and the drawing skills just don't seem as pressing right now. Even at the height of my inking career, I didn't do as much drawing as I should have. But, I would go through little spurts of sketching, and it was always relaxing and good for the inking.

Here's a little sample.

Now, go... enjoy your weekend! Oh, and if you're in Kansas, consider coming out to see me and a lot other cool comic cats at the 2009 Free State FreeCon, in Lawrence. http://www.kcfancon.com/freestate4.html

Anj

Whew

2009-05-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

I can't/won't bore you with all the details, but we had another rough school board meeting last night. It ended well, actually. I was able to do what I thought was best, and no one is too pissed off today. Kansas is really cutting school budgets for next year, but we have a plan in place to deal with the shortfall. It's tough, but feels a lot better today than yesterday.

I need to get back to inking a little more. Phil Hester pages for an issue of The Darkness are trickling in. Exciting, and I need the money, but it's hard to break the writing routine and get back to the board.

On the writing front, I will hit the halfway point on Ciudad this week. That feels really good. I wish I was even further along, but this progress is, for me, unprecedented. I hope to be done with the whole thing by the end of June. I think I can do it. That would be pretty amazing for a book I had originally planned to finish in December of '09.

Pretty soon, I'll have to start thinking about the next writing project. I've got four things listed as possibles right now. I need to really spend some time with those ideas, figuring out what would really get me excited. I think any of the four could be good... I want to find the one that can be excellent, if I don't screw it up. That's the foremost concern. Commercial appeal would be a great bonus, but the main thing is nailing something I can really get excited about every morning - something so good that I'm a little scared about living up to the project's potential.

That's all for now. Well... I should leave you with something visual... lemme see what I can find here.

Okay... here's something that makes me laugh. From the desk of the late, great Mike Wieringo.

Later!

Anj

2009-05-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Whew - the end of a busy week. I don't know what to offer about the writing projects that you haven't already heard. I'm hard at work on Ciudad, which will come out next year, I suppose. I hope to be done with it by the end of June, but since the art has not been started yet... well, it'll take some time. And then there's Union Station, which will ship in June with a new cover and intro. Please ask your retailer to score you a copy of that one.

Since I don't have anything too enlightening to say about the writing projects, I'll share some more old inking. This time, I'm offering pencils and inks from Ant-Man. Phil and I did some interesting work on that book, I think. We try to do something a little different on each project. On Ant-Man, we used a lot of white on black line art. Most of this was done by me in Photoshop, following Phil's notes on the effect he wanted.

I think this spread gives you a pretty good idea what I'm talking about. The crashed Hellicarrier was drawn conventionally, and then reversed in Photoshop. The glowing effect on the spotlights was done old-school, using a toothbrush loaded with white paint. Of course, you have to use masking tape to protect the rest of the art when you start slinging the white ink around.

Enjoy, and I'll see you next week!

Best,
Anj

2009-05-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm under the gun today, trying to get a lot done despite feeling kinda... blech. So, a couple of quick hits:

First, the legendary Steve Rude critique by Alex Toth, now with commentary by The Dude himself!
http://www.illdave.com/comicbooks/history/toth-critiques-rude.htm

On the writing front, I'm finding, to this point, that the tight page-by-page outline for Ciudad is really paying off. The scripting is going well, despite a really challenging week in which to attempt to get work done (sickness in the house). I put a lot of work into the outline, so I'm thrilled that it seems to be paying dividends.

And, finally, a word from Doctor Doom.

Anj

Pitching at Comic-Con

2009-04-29T15:00:00.001-07:00

Spotty week of blogging last week. It was a stressful, tired time. I'm feeling a lot more refreshed today. Hopefully, I'll turn that into more writing, here and on the pages of Ciudad.

C.B. Cebulski was just twittering about pitching as a writer at comic book conventions. His point was that you shouldn't get your hopes too high. That's true to an extent, and it reminded me of my experience pitching Union Station six years ago. So... blog post!

The two weeks before the San Diego Comic-Con where I first pitched are a blur of frenzied activity. Of course, I'd been working on the project for much longer... probably about two years by that point. Figuring out the right project, research, writing, etc. I wasn't working on US full time, but I had a lot of energy invested by the time it was ready to pitch.

I knew I wanted to have a substantial, attractive package to distribute at the big show. In the final packet were: one-paragraph description, themes, character bios, marketing, format, longer synopsis, a sample scene with art and lettering, and the complete script for the first third of the book on cd. Putting all that together, including revising and inking the art for the sample scene, was a daunting task, especially since I was dodging my usual inking commitments at the same time. Needless to say, I showed up in San Diego feeling not just anxious, but also exhausted.

I had a handful of publishers in mind - people with whom I had some relationship and I knew would take the packet respectfully. I figured I would find some other people to hand it off to, as well. I tried to get the packets handed out early in the show, before the heavy crowds of Saturday. It went pretty well, as I look back on it. Of course, the reality didn't live up to my naive expectations, built up by the anxiety of the whole process. I had a lot on the line, and I'm not just talking about the work I had invested in the Union Station pitch itself. I felt like all of my aspirations to become a writer were being thrown out there, waiting to be accepted or rejected.

So, I put the packets into the hands of several publishers. I smiled, thanked these men for taking the packet, told them I'd be in touch, and then went back to my hotel room to completely dissolve into a jelly of self-doubt. My ego as a writer had never been so exposed, and I became convinced that, upon getting back to their offices and reading the product of my labors, these publishers would all phone each other and have a big. long laugh at my expense. I vividly remember sitting there in the Embassy Suites bar, thinking it was okay. Of course, no one would want this piece of crap I just dumped into their hands, but that didn't mean it was over. I would publish it on my own. I'd do silk-screen covers, slowly write and draw the Union Station story on my own. I would get it out there somehow. Maybe I wouldn't ever be a professional writer, but I still had options!

Yeah, it was that bad. I don't know what I had expected. I guess there was a little part of me that thought these publishers would glance at the packet and say, "Holy shit... I've been waiting for THE Ande Parks to bring me something just like this! Thank God you showed up to save my company!" That didn't happen, of course. Almost everyone who took the packet, though, thanked me and did as they said they would - they got it back to their office and replied when I followed up a few weeks later. As a quick aside, I still hold a completely petty grudge against those who took the packet, promised to get back to me about it, and then completely blew me off when I attempted to follow up. Kim Thompson and Larry Young, I'm looking at you. See... told you it was petty.

Anyway, this is where my story parts ways with C.B.'s words of advice. In my case, my first pitch actually went over as well as I could have expected. Within a month of the convention, I heard from two publishers that they wanted the book. One of those two was Oni Press, my first choice all along, and the guys I knew pretty well already. I'm still working with Oni, and quite thrilled about it.

So... yeah, C.B. was right in a way. Don't build your expectations up to ridiculously absurd levels. On the other hand, my story demonstrates that, if you put in the work and behave professionally, you can achieve the outcome you're after. I am not the most talented writer out there - not by a long stretch. I just had a good idea, and enough talent to put it together well enough for people to see that it was good. It's a relatively simple formula... not as intimidating as we sometimes make it out to be.

So, get to work, people! But please, don't hand me your crappy proposal at this year's Comic-Con. I'll likely be too loaded to take it seriously.

Anj

Tuesday

2009-04-28T08:01:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to drop in and say that I don't have the time or state of mind to drop in and say anything today. Stressed out and tired...

I'll get back with something tomorrow.

Thanks,
Anj

Oh... screw it. Here's a scan of something I own. What a giver I am! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present, straight out of 1936, Mister Milton Caniff.

Back At It!

2009-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Seems like much of the last week has been school board business, and that continues today. One long meeting this morning, and another tonight. As a bonus, tonight's meeting will deal with a very tough personnel decision and new budget concerns. Oof. Why did I sign up for this again?

On the work front today, I'm trying to finally wrap up the Ciudad page-by-page outline. It has dragged on way too long. Part of that has been me not working on it as much as I would have liked, and part has been just struggling with it. I've been forced to face some things that worked in the abstract, but did not work perfectly when really put down on the page. I think I have cleared the last of the big hurdles now- the emotional beats that will really make the story work. So, it's down to a lot of chasing and shooting. Easier to write, but a little trickier when it comes to nailing down exactly how much space it will consume.

Finally, a little art to share today. I loaded a bunch of stuff to my eBay store last night. I thought I'd show off one of those items here. Phil Hester and I have moved to a blue-line inking process, where Phil sends me a digital file instead of the actual pencils. I then print that file in blue and ink on that printout. Thus, we can now offer both pencils and inks for sale. I think it's kind of cool. We'll see how the market responds. God knows I wish Jack Kirby had been working this way on Thor. Damn you, Colletta!

So, enjoy!

Anj

Thursday

2009-04-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Had a great day yesterday. Went to Costco, spent too much on fancy food and booze, ate Arthur Bryant's barbecue, played a little golf, and spent the rest of the night out carousing. The only thing missing was quality time with the family. I'll make up for that today.

Yesterday's antics have also left me feeling behind on the Ciudad page-by-page plotting, which I really wanted to wrap up by tomorrow. I still have a ways to go, but the big chase//action sequence at the end should go pretty quickly. I think I have a chance to get it done.

Before I get back to that work, I need to vent on the torture issue again. Andrew Sullivan, who has really become a hero of mine, nails it again today.

An excerpt:
For me, the most telling moment was when president Bush gave his convention speech by satellite for John McCain. Bush had to avoid using the word "torture" to describe what the Vietnamese had once done to McCain. Because if the Vietnamese were torturers, so was Bush.

And, with that, I'm off to start my day's work. Yippee!

Anj

Oof!

2009-04-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Been a rough start to the week, and I'm feeling kind of buried. I'll try to get back soon with some more cogent analysis, but I'm not feeling it this morning.

I do have something to offer, though! A couple of years ago, I got to ink one of my all-time heroes, Rick Leonardi. It was really challenging, thrilling, and rewarding. Here are pencils and inks of one the coolest pages.

In inking Leonardi, I try to accomplish several things: First, I want to make it as readable as possible (this is always my top priority, no matter who I'm inking). Next, I want to preserve Leonardi's unique line, while pulling the stuff together a little bit. Finally, I want to bring something of myself to the party... again, without overpowering Rick's fantastic style.

Enjoy!

Anj

Friday... what a week.

2009-04-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's been an up and down week. As I mentioned before, I spent my writing time this week working on the outline for Ciudad. It's going well, but it's been tough. Plotting is not my favorite part of the job. I thrive more on the character moments, and would rather coast on those, letting those moments dictate the flow of the story. There are too many other concerns on Ciudad, though, to let that happen. There is a page count restriction, and I've been developing the book with my co-creators (the awesome Joe and Anthony Russo... look them up on IMDB), so we already have a loose outline that we've all agreed on. While I am changing things along the way, I need to respect the time we all spent as a team as we bashed out our story.

So, I've been stewing a lot this week. Good work has come out of all that staring at the wall, though. I feel better about the big beats between my main characters now, and I'm clearer on everyone's motivations. I'm behind on what I hoped to get done this week, but I've got the tight outline down to the last big action sequence and conclusion. I also think that the reader will buy what goes down between Tyler and Eva now, which feels really good.

It hasn't been all work this week, though. Since I was just stewing a lot, I had time to restore an old fedora I had in storage. The hat was probably born in the '40s. When I got it, the only thing worth saving was the felt. The sweat band was shot, the liner had disintegrated, and the ribbon was too stained to save. This week I stripped the hat, cleaned the felt in Coleman fuel (kerosene, more or less), stitched in a new sweat band, added stiffener to give the hat shape, made a new bow, and sewed on a new ribbon. It's a lovely hat now, and it feels great to have saved it from the dump. Picture below. Please take a second to appreciate my fabulous bow... I'm so proud.

Also had a lot of school board this week, including a really challenging personnel decision that I still have to face. Added to that was the memo release yesterday that proved that my country completely lost its way under the Bush/Cheney torture doctrine. I read a lot of that crap yesterday, and was so filled with rage and sadness that it was hard to be productive. The 9/11 attacks were horrific, of course. What may have been worse was the fact that our president reacted by chipping away at the core ideals that our country stands for. We are not the Khmer Rouge. We are not supposed to torture people... ever. Hopefully, we never will again. I read a lot of Andrew Sullivan yesterday. I would encourage you to do the same.

Oh, there was one other overriding emotion as I read the torture memos and reactions to them... relief. Eight years was more than enough. Thank god it's over.

Okay... I gotta get to work. Thanks for wading through this... both of you. Sorry about the political rant. I want to use this space to promote my projects, but I also want to be able to speak my mind. This isn't worth doing if I'm not going to express myself honestly. Of course, these are just one man's opinions... worth what you paid on most days.

Have a great weekend!

Anj

Taking a Step Back

2009-04-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

I reached a point this week in the Ciudad script where I felt I needed to pause and think about the overall structure a bit more. As is always the case, I spend a lot of time thinking about the first act- planning it, setting up the cool moments, etc. It's not that I neglect the rest of the story in the outline stage, but I don't seem to have the brilliant, chess master brain to nail all the detail ten steps down the line.

So, I'm taking a break from the regular Ciudad scripting, and going back into outline mode. This time, though, I'll be working on a tighter outline than I have done for this book so far. I want to work out a page-by-page breakdown, outlining the entire book. That is daunting, but it'll really pay off if I can get it done.

Just so you know exactly what I'm talking about, one page of this new, tighter outline might look something like this:

PAGE 62
Tyler wakes, finds Eva against him in her sleep. He's uncomfortable with the closeness. He gets up, goes to bathroom, studies his wounds (and his face) in the mirror.

You can see how having that done for the entire book would be a big load off. The problem is that, to do a page-by-page outline that tight, I really have to nail the characters and their motivations for the whole book now. I need to know how Tyler is going to react a situation in the third act, knowing how he feels about Eva at that point in the story. If I don't have all that nailed, the tight outline becomes nothing more than an exercise in plot, and the characters become puppets to that plot.

So, that's my life as a writer this week. Challenging, but it beats real work.

Anj

More Union Station Behind the Scenes

2009-04-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

No time to be insightful and witty today. Stayed up too late last night, and now I'm behind the eightball on the day.

So, here's a little more script and art from Union Station... continued from two posts ago.

Anj

Panel Three
Vetterli sits on the edge of the cot, his head in his hands, trying to wake himself up before he rises completely.

Panel Four
Vetterli stands in front of a mirror in a public bathroom, just down the hall from where we just saw him. He now wears pants, socks, shoes, and the t-shirt. He’s wetting his face with a cupped handful of water. He looks exhausted… there are bags under his eyes and he has lost some weight since we last saw him.

Oh, Neal!

2009-04-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Monday's post on Sunday night, because tomorrow is gonna be crazy. Oh, I'll get back to the Union Station process stuff again soon. I just have something else on my mind right now.

So, I'm going to post something I just wrote on the Bendis Board. They've been talking about the Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams Batman reprints. I jumped in about the alterations Adams has been doing as the new hardcovers come out. First, here's a before and after:

Great example. He revisited Batman's close-up on that page, too. Man... being able to see every individual incisor really makes the page!

It's a shame. I bemoaned all this on the comicart Yahoo list when the first new edition came out, and ended up getting into it with Neal's family... not what I had in mind, and I felt bad about it.

Still, I will repeat here what I said there. I wish Neal would embrace the old stuff for what it is, realize that it is good, despite any flaws he might perceive, and move on. I'd rather see a new Batman story. Hell, I'd rather see that damn Two Men Talking in a Bar graphic novel we've been waiting for than watching Neal waste his time stepping back to fix what ain't broke.

Finally, I would add that, in my own humble opinion, Neal used to be a better comic book inker than he is now. That's not saying he's no longer a great artist, or that his inking isn't perfectly appropriate for commercial work. I just think the decades of cranking out storyboards (excellent storyboards, I'm sure) have eroded the skill sets that he used to possess and apply to comics book art.

Don't like the coloring, either, while I'm at it.

Anj

Union Station Process!

2009-04-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Heavy on content today, but light on my spouting. Win/win!

I thought I'd continue the Union Station promoting today, by showing some behind-the-scenes process stuff. So, we're going to look, over the next several days, at script and art for a scene from Act II.

I am still, six years or so after I finished Union Station, probably a little wordy in my scripting. During US, I was probably a lot wordy. I'm learning how to strip things down, but this early effort shows how much I had to learn.

Art, of course, by the incredible Eduardo Barreto. You could not ask for a better, more professional, or more gracious collaborator on your first graphic novel. What a lucky prick I am!

So, we're going to look at a scene from early in Act II. It's a quiet little scene, in which the local KS FBI agent (Vetterli), a man who was wounded at the Union Station Massacre, meets Hoover's surrogate (August), and realizes that his life is taking a turn he's probably not going to be very comfortable with. I sympathize with both parties here. Vetterli was in over his head, and needed firm assistance. On the other hand, Hoover was incredibly heavy-handed and consumed by self-promotion.

One other note: I told Ed to draw August as Mike Mignola. He did a decent job of it. Oh... you won't see August for several panels yet. Well then, dear reader, consider that a tease!

Oh, and remember, ask your retailer to order you a copy of the Union Station re-release. It drops in June. It's on page 281 of this month's Previews!

Thanks, and have a great weekend!

Anj

UNION STATION
ACT II
PAGE FIVE
Panel One
We’re transitioning to a new scene here. The setting is a small room in the same building as the Kansas City FBI office… the office we saw at the beginning of the book. This space is barely larger than a closet, but it contains a cot, a set of shelves, a chair, and a small table next to the cot. There is one window, as well. An alarm clock sits on the table. The shelves contain file folders, books, and a few empty coffee cups (I think the ‘30s are too early for mugs). A suit jacket is draped over the back of the chair, along with a shirt. A tie and pair of pants sit on the seat of the chair. Black shoes sit under the cot. There are Venetian blinds over the window, and early morning sunlight streams in.
Asleep on the cot is Reed Vetterli. He wears socks, underwear (boxers, of course), and a t-shirt. He is covered by a sheet and a plain blanket. There’s a small pillow under his head. He does not look comfortable on the cot. One hand hangs off the edge of the cot, and his head is barely on the pillow. Some light from the window is hitting him in the face, but his eyes are still closed.

Panel Two
Pull in closer to Vetterli. He raises a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight. His eyes are barely open. We can also see the time on the clock… ten after seven.

Busy Day

2009-04-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Short post today, as my day is super-packed. School board in the morning, some inking commissions to finish, some ebay shipping, a shopping trip. Oh yeah... I need to write some, too.

I will write briefly about the current writing project, Ciudad. If you're a regular reader here, you know that it's a South American kidnapping story, that it's been optioned by Paramount, and that I developed the book with a couple of Hollywood directors (Joe and Anthony Russo). It's a really intense, realistic action book, set in a very dark, corrupt place.

So, this book is going to be dense. There's a lot to get done in the 150 pages I've allotted myself. In addition, action in comics takes some space. You can't do multiple actions in the same panel very effectively, so a big action sequence requires a lot of panels to play out in a way that reads well.

Because of this, and the fact that the development of this story was rather cinematic, I decided to write the book on an eight panel grid. That does not mean that every page will have eight panels. It just means that the underlying structure is a grid that consists of four tiers of two panels. On almost every pages, I'm trying to feature at least on wide panel that joins two of those panels. Placing these wider shots is an interesting exercise. Sometimes I do it to establish the setting. Sometimes I do it for emotional impact. Sometimes I just want to hit the reader with a bold image.

This is not the way I really prefer to work. I just thought it was best for this particular project. Time will tell, but I'm happy with how it's going so far. Now... we gotta talk this super-talented young man into drawing all these panels...

That's it for now! I'm off to the drawing board, literally!

Best,
Anj

UNION STATION

2009-04-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

Okay... no opinions today. Well, only opinions that are self-serving, I guess I should say.

I just want to ask you to consider ordering the upcoming reprint of my first graphic novel, Union Station. It's an historical fiction gangster story, dealing with Kansas City's Union Station Massacre and its aftermath. It's good. I can say that without loss of humility because, even if the script sucks, the art by Eduardo Barreto is undeniably fantastic. Don't believe it? Well, check this out, suckas!

And, as if that ain't enough, here's a review you should check out.

Okay, enough of that. It is a solid book, dear reader. Furthermore, I don't know exactly what the new cover might be, but it's gonna be awesome, and it will almost certainly feature a guy shooting a gun right atcha! Damn... you better order two!

Anyway, it's in Previews right now, page 281. It will ship in June. Please ask your retailer to get you one, two, or more.

Thanks,
Anj

Tuesday Morning

2009-04-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Various stuff today. I really don't know what I'm going to write about as I start typing. We'll just see where it goes.

First, I am really bummed about the fire at comic book writer Len Wein's house. Len is one of the real greats, having created Swamp Thing and Wolverine, and generally produced some of the finest scripts in our medium of the last forty years. I'm glad that Len and his family are safe, but I can't get a visual out of my head: Len watching his dog run back into the home to die, and knowing that a fortune in comic book art is being destroyed while he watches helplessly. According to HARLAN ELLISON, Len lost some truly irreplaceable treasures: art original art to the first Wolverine story, the cover to Giant-Sized X-Men #1, and a lifetime's worth of comics, hardcovers, awards, and other things that are just gone forever.

As far as I know, Len does not participate financially from the Wolverine franchise. With the Wolverine film about to hit, that's not e-fucking-nough for one guy to deal with? Jesus. I'm not a religious man, really, but I will be doing my own private version of praying for Len and his family. They will be in my thoughts over the next several weeks.

Next up on the agenda is the item of car chases. Car chases on film are cool. In comics, they seem dull. The two mediums are different- they have different strengths and weaknesses, and the motion of a car chase is a strength of film and, in my opinion, a weakness of comics.

I bring it up because I have reached a spot in the Ciudad script where the outline calls for a car chase. I'm not going to delete it, but I'm going to minimize it somehow. In the film, this would be a key sequence. In the comic, it's going to be a few pages that are filled with enough dialogue or narration that the reader doesn't get too bored too quickly. Maybe I'm wrong... maybe a car chase can be executed in comics that rivals the thrill of a great film sequence. I haven't seen it, though, and I've read Alex Toth's Hot Wheels comics.

That's all for today. I'm off to work!

Best,
Anj

Okay... Transitions

2009-04-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I was gonna write earlier. Had a whole post just about done, as a matter of fact. Then, I re-read the damn thing, and it was too much. I was too mouthy and negative for my own good. I put off blogging for a long time for this very reason- I was afraid that if I was honest and blunt enough to be interesting, I'd be shooting myself in the foot. That's how the whole art collection commentary came to be. And then I got too lazy for that, and here I am anyway...

So, I'll try this again, and I'll try to behave this time.

I've been writing a lot of scene transitions in Ciudad. This first act features a lot of quick hit setups, and I've been trying to find cool ways to link stuff together and engage the reader. Most often, it's a trailing bit of dialogue from the previous page. If I'm good or lucky enough, the dialogue either smoothly fits with or contrasts with the art on the new page. Alan Moore does it much better, but I try.

The problem I have is that I'm deathly afraid of being clever in my work. Like my hero Orson Welles, I want whatever craft I bring to the work to be as transparent as possible. In Orson's case, he had insane amounts of talent to pull him through. I only have handfuls, so it's more of a challenge.

The point is that I don't ever want to be one of those writers that you read and consciously think, "Ohh... that was really clever the way he did that trick there." Blech... I cringe at the thought of it. So, while I do enjoy writing clever transitions, I'm terrified that those transitions might ever be recognized as being... you know ... clever.

So... that was my week in a nutshell. See how hard it is for me to be a writer? I guess there are some writers who just throw it down and walk away, confident that they've delivered what was called for. I doubt that will ever be me. I throw it down, sheepishly step back, and then rush to pick it up again and apologize.

And so, thanks to a few shots of Jack, a blog about transitions has turned into a blog about my fragile writer self-esteem. Be here Monday, folks, when I dissect my body image!

That's it for now. Have a cool weekend, and check me out again next week.

Best,
Anj

Friday... back to normal!

2009-04-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hey gang,

Sorry about the spotty posting the past few days. I am one of the world's worst sick people. I don't get sick often and, when I do, a simple cold knocks me the hell out.

I'll be here Friday morning, talking about the art of scene transitioning.

Anj

Sick

2009-04-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

Got a cold last night. Struggling just to stay awake and get a little work done. Back with something substantial tomorrow, I hope.

Thanks,
Anj

Quick Hit- a Great Quote Swiped from Andrew Sullivan's Blog

2009-03-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read my blog much in the past, you may not know about my appreciation for Andrew Sullivan. I think he is wonderful... a political blogger I completely respect even though I don't share all of his views. Please check him out at his blog.

At the top of that blog right now is an amazing quote of the day from Democratic Senator Jim Webb. This is a subject I'm really passionate about, and one that I think most Americans have closed their eyes to. Most of us say, "More prisons! Longer sentences! Get these monsters off the streets!" It ain't that simple. I think our whole penal system is dysfunctional. I'm gonna write about it someday... unless, of course, it gets fixed before I can get to it.

Anyway, the quote:

"Let's start with a premise that I don't think a lot of Americans are aware of. We have five percent of the world's population; we have 25 percent of the world's known prison population. There are only two possibilities here: either we have the most evil people on earth living in the United States; or we are doing something dramatically wrong in terms of how we approach the issue of criminal justice," - Jim Webb whose criminal justice reform bill has won some encouraging support on the right.

That's all for now!

Anj

A Li'l Inking... A Li'l Later...

2009-03-31T07:16:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna share some inking work later today... probably pencils and inks of a commission. But, I can't get to it until later today. Didn't want to break my early morning posting streak, though... so you get this snippet for now.

Check me out later in the day!

Anj

Back to the "Real World"

2009-03-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Attended Planet Comicon in the KC suburbs this weekend. Good time, and saw a lot of folks that I see too infrequently. Kind of a bizarre weekend, thanks to the little spring blizzard. Saturday afternoon, I had to drive from the con to talk to some kids about comic books at a museum about fifteen miles away. That was an interesting trip... I saw a handful of freshly-ditched vehicles along the way. Got there and back, though. Four brave kids and their folks even showed up to hear what I had to say at the museum.

So, this morning, it's back to Ciudad. I have the first third or so of the book almost written... fifty pages, to be precise. Trying to go back through today and fine-tune it all, as well as finish the last several pages, which don't have dialogue yet. I continue to be somewhat concerned about pacing, but I came up with some good ways to simplify some of the setups last week. It's challenging for me, working from an outline that is not entirely mine. I'm hesitant to change it too much. It takes me awhile to remember that this is not a film, and I can do what I need to with the comic book script to make it work for that medium.

That's all I have today. I gotta hit this thing hard while I can. Tonight, more school board work... the fifth long meeting in the last week. Oofa!

See you back here soon!

Anj

Artists

2009-03-27T07:32:00.001-07:00

My pal Gordon Harries asked me about how I have been able to come up with great artists to draw my two graphic novels so far, so that's the topic of the day here at blog central.

When I approached Oni Press with the Union Station proposal I had an art team in place, and the pitch packet included some sample pages. For various and complicated reasons, after Oni accepted the project for publication, that plan fell apart. So, Oni and I started looking for someone who could draw the period well, from the cars to the suits and dresses to the guns. Oh, and they had to be able to do so for, frankly, less than a ton of cash.

We danced around with several possibilities without much success until I got an e-mail from my editor Jamie Rich one day that said, "Eduardo Baretto is available... we think he might be the guy." My head spinning, I ran to my comic book collection, pulling out my cherished issues of a book Eduardo had done with Gerard Jones called The Shadow Strikes. That series was set in the same era as Union Station and, holy shit, was it beautiful. Done, thank you.

So, probably over-confident that lightning would strike twice, I pitched Capote In Kansas without an artist in place. Oni said yes, and we began beating the pavement again, looking for the right fit. Again, various flirtations produced no results until a young (I mean... young!) Chris Samnee entered the picture. We weren't sure he was ready initially, but after Chris did a couple of sample pages... sold!

Since Capote In Kansas, I have had my first project accepted at Oni that I actually co-created with an artist. That project, Blood Red, is on hold now, because that artist found higher-paying work. So it goes. I also have another graphic novel in the works for Oni, the South American kidnapping story called Ciudad. Again, no artist in place and, once again, we are on the prowl. We thought we had a guy, and... no. We think we have a guy now... not positive yet. So it goes.

In short, unless you're writing and drawing the whole thing yourself, you have a tall hill to climb in finding a collaborator. Unless you get a movie deal, there is not a ton of money involved in making these books. There is some money, thank god, but it's nothing like drawing a book for the big two. That reduces the options to people who are hungry and ready to prove (or re-prove) themselves. Well, actually, I guess an independently wealthy artist who just loves the material would work, too. Haven't met that guy yet.

Every now and then, I threaten to draw one of my books myself. My good sense has always talked me out of it, to this point. I'm not good enough to satisfy myself, really. I'm certainly not fast enough. It may happen someday, but I kinda doubt it. So, I will continue to be, like so many writers I know, on the lookout.

Do me a favor, willya? If you're a brilliant artist in search of a project with a reasonably talented writer to collaborate with... drop me a line?

As always, your humble servant,
Anj

I'll be here tomorrow... promise!

2009-03-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

My day was all crazy for two reasons: first, I got up and saw the kids off to school, as a little present to my wife, who had a birthday yesterday. Also, I had to get the car to the tire shop this morning, which blew a lot of the early hours.

So, I didn't get to posting here before I felt I had to start writing, and then I had a school board thing at night... and then the day was gone.

I'll be here tomorrow, with some thoughts about my history of finding artists for my writing projects.

Thanks,
Anj

Ciudad Structuring

2009-03-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank everyone who offered support after yesterday's post. I really appreciated the kind words.

Okay- I thought I'd talk a little bit about the project I've been writing lately. It's called Ciudad. It's the story of a mercenary extractor who has to go into a really dangerous city in South America and bring a kidnap victim out safely. If you're so inclined, you can google Ciudad del Este.

I didn't come up with this idea. The concept was brought to my publisher (the wonderful Oni Press) by a couple of film directors, Joe and Anthony Russo. They made the films Welcome to Collinwood and You, Me, and Dupree, and they worked on the tv shows Arrested Development and Carpoolers. Very talented guys, and as nice as they could be. I've been really lucky to end up working with down-to-earth people as I first encounter the craziness of Hollywood. Anyway, Oni approached me about collaborating with the brothers, developing a graphic novel at the same time they're developing the film.

Since we started work on this thing a couple of years ago, we've had a lot of discussions about the setting, characters, and overall structure. We spoke with former CIA guys about Ciudad itself, and we hammered out what we wanted to do with this story. Near the end of last year, the project was optioned by Paramount, and the pressure to write both the film and the book was stepped up. Paramount agreed to fly me out to LA, so we could all bash out an overall outline. With that done, Joe Russo got to work on the screenplay, and I started on the graphic novel script.

So, that's where we are right now. I've been running behind Joe so far, and that's one of the reasons I really felt I needed to find more time in my schedule for writing. I've been able to up my script output quite a bit, and I'm getting close to a third of the way home now.

I think the work is good so far. My only big concern is the pacing. Our outline was heavy on setups and character details in the first act, and I have been really hesitant to trim any of that crucial stuff. The problem is that this is supposed to be a 150 page book, and I'm not quite done with the first act, sitting at page 50. Something is going to have to give here pretty soon.

At this point, I haven't done a tight outline that is unique to the book. Instead, I've been working from the outline we put together for both the book and film. One of the big differences in those two mediums is the way action plays out. As I said, there is a lot of action in this book, and that stuff takes some time in comics. You can't cram multiple actions into one panel, so a big action sequence eats up a big page count.

I will get there. Once these 50 pages are tight, I'll lay out the rest of the book as tightly as possible. I'll probably have to lose some of the stuff that will end up in the screenplay, but I'll get there. It's an exciting process. Most days, it beats inking!

That's all... I'm off to work!

As always, your humble servant,
Anj

My (kinda) New Career as a Writer

2009-03-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

I've been paying the bills (more or less) as a comic book artist for eighteen years. I have been an inker, to be precise... but this isn't the time to explain the subtle art of tracing. It's been a good job. I have made an okay living, set my own hours, and have been able to stay home and be an active part of my kids' development.

In recent years, though, I found myself wanting more. Inking was still a cool job, but it was no longer providing the creative buzz that it once had. It may seem silly to some of you that inking drawings of guys in tights punching each other ever satisfied my creative side. To those of you, I would ask that you dig deep into the archives of this very blog. There you will find posts where I dissect the art of inking. Even if you can't relate to that art, you may be able to appreciate that it is real to me.

Anyway, I'll drop the defensive attitude and get back to the matter at hand... my creative juices. I wrote my first graphic novel, Union Station, about six years ago. That process was grueling, challenging, and extremely rewarding. For the first time, I had a product on the shelf that was really mine... something I could stand behind as a full creator (Union Station was drawn by the great Eduardo Baretto, lest anyone think I was the only creator involved)... something that, if it proved touch a nerve with its audience, would benefit me directly. It was also a genre and a subject that I was passionate about. In short, it was mine, and it felt good.

I followed Union Station with Capote In Kansas, another piece of historical fiction set near my home. Again, it was tough, but extremely rewarding. With a full-time job as an inker, writing these books was taking a long time, as well as a toll on my time with my family.

Since Capote In Kansas came out, about three years ago, I have developed several projects. I've written a couple of Daredevil things for Marvel Comics, as well as a few other short projects. For a number of complex reasons, though, I have not been able to complete another graphic novel. Some of those reasons were out of my hands, but much of the fault lies with me and my schedule as a guy still making a living drawing guys in tights.

My regular art partner (Phil Hester) and I finished our latest superhero commitment just after the new year. After that book, a cool project called El Diablo, wrapped, I sat back and really assessed my career, and my life in general. When I evaluated where I was at this point, and where I wanted to be, I became really frustrated with myself. I know that I want to be a writer. I know that I want to own the projects to which I dedicate my creative energies. I know that I do not want to be dragging my old ass to the drawing board ten years from now, squinting at the page, trying to figure out how many straps there are on some superheroes boots.

So, I went to the wife to make my case (to both of us, really). I told her that I wanted to ink less and write more. I told her I thought it was time to make the same kind of leap I made eighteen years before. I told her I wanted to really give whatever talent I have a chance. Finally, I told her this would mean less money coming in. Being the best wife in the world, she simply said that she trusted me. Christ, I love that woman.

To be clear, I have not stopped inking. I am still committed to inking Phil Hester. Phil has a successful writing career of his own, though, and is drawing a lot less than he used to. Thus, there is a lot less to ink, and less money to be made there. I have not, for example, inked a comic book page since January. What I have done is made an attempt to rebuild my life around a career as a writer.

It's a challenge. Writing is certainly more rewarding than inking. It's also a fuckofa lot harder. I struggle with sitting in a quiet room and forcing myself to do the hard work. I struggle with the stress of less money coming in. I struggle to push myself as far as my talents (such as they are) can take me.

I've been working on my South America kidnapping story, Ciudad. It's going well. While I used to rarely reach my goal of ten pages of script a week, I am now struggling to reach my new goal of twenty. I'm behind, like always, but light years ahead of what my old schedule would have allowed. In addition to Ciudad, I've done some research for two other projects, and approached a friend or two about writing collaborations. So far, so good. I like this new career. I like being a writer, and I like not having to juggle two full-time careers.

So, that's the latest. I'll be using this space to loosen myself up each morning, and to fill you in on what I'm writing about.

Oh, and if you catch me at a bar anytime soon, maybe you could get the first round? Times is hard for a fledgling writer!

As always, your humble servant,
Anj

So... Here I Am!

2009-03-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly two months since I last posted here. In that time, I have thought about the blog quite a bit. In fact, I've been thinking about my entire online presence. I've added Twitter to my daily routine, and have tied my updates there into my Facebook page. I even conned a friend into helping me do something with my pathetic website, so that should be viable again someday soon.

Which leave this blog. I resisted blogging in the first place for a long time. I figured that I didn't want to do a blog unless I could make it unique somehow. When I hit upon the idea of posting scans from my art collection, it seemed like a natural... something I enjoy talking about, and something that I hadn't really seen anyone else do on a regular basis. For a few months there, it was golden. I was getting read by quite a few folks, and I thought I was actually opening some eyes about what makes good, solid comic book art... well, good and solid.

It was, however, hard work. Choosing images, scanning, finding new things to say... it got tough to keep up the schedule I had laid out.

So, I have decided to change to format here. I plan to blog every weekday (I know... I've said that before), but the posts will not follow any specific format. I'm going to stop by in the morning, before I begin my career writing, and offer whatever I can think of. I may talk about my work. I may talk about something political. I may talk about the new hat I've purchased. Who knows... I may even show off a scan from my art collection.

So, please... stop by again soon. I've got a lot of cool stuff to talk about. Well, for a few days, at least.

Your humble servant,
Anj

2009-02-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

I know I just came back to the blog after a long layoff, but now I have to neglect these pages even further. I'm off for several days of golfing in Las Vegas. I can't wait. I love Vegas, and getting to golf out there with my dad and brother is about as cool as it gets. Just wish I didn't have to leave the wife and kids behind. I miss 'em. Guess I'll have to drown my sorrows in booze and buffets.

Anyway, here's a little parting gift... something to tide you over for a week or so.

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of guys with whom I would gladly trade talents in the comics business. At or near the top of the list is Kyle Baker. He writes well, he draws well, he paints well... he may be one of our very best cartoonists. If you have not read Why I Hate Saturn or You Are Here, please go check them out immediately!

Everything Kyle does makes me happy. This cool little drawing of Superman is no exception. Enjoy, and I'll see you back here in a week or so. Hopefully, I'll leave Vegas with my wallet and my dignity intact.

Anj

Thursday- I'm Back, and I Brought Frank Robbins with Me!

2009-01-29T07:26:00.000-08:00

Again, sorry about the long lapse in posting. I'll try to get back to sharing some art a couple of times a week. As an apology, today I bring you something special- an entire, glorious Johnny Hazard daily by the immortal Frank Robbins.

Before I begin ranting and raving about Robbins' work, please click the image, so you can see this thing at full size. You really should see this thing that way to appreciate what I want to discuss.

Since I haven't posted in awhile, I'll repeat the main theme of this blog; great comic art happens when the artist tells his story well and efficiently. I do not believe that comic art is about making the prettiest lines, or even the loveliest drawings. The best comic art isn't always pretty, but it is always effective. Frank Robbins is a perfect example.

This wonderful daily comes from the '60s, which is a little past Robbins' prime, in my opinion. Still, it is masterful. Everything here helps tell the story. The drawing is simple and evocative, the writing is sharp, and the flow of the strip is smooth as silk.

I could go on all day about little things that make this strip effective, but I really want to focus on one element. If you look closely at the first panel, you can see a brighter white behind the background figure. That brighter white is whiteout, applied by Robbins to get rid of a background he had drawn in that space. That's what I'm talking about!

Robbins spent some time drawing a cool background and then, once the strip was done, he wiped it out. Why? Because it reads better this way! Often, a background would help pop a figure forward in the reader's eye. In this case, though, when the figure is a bold, almost entirely black shape, nothing makes that figure pop more effectively than the empty, white space.

No one asked me, and they're not likely to. In my opinion, though, every young comic artist in America today should be studying Frank Robbins, and learning how to simplify their work to make it more readable. We need less careful, precious drawing in comics, less photo-tracing and less detail. We need some Frank Freaking Robbins!

That's enough outta me! See you back here soon.

Anj

Sunday... Gearing Back Up!

2009-01-25T11:32:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to drop in and say that I'll be back at the whole blogging thing this week. A month has passed since my last entry. You can chalk that up to the holidays, deadlines, and just enjoying being away from the computer a little more.

But, I have some interesting stuff to share, so I'll be dropping in twice or so a week again.

In the meantime, here's something I discovered today, thanks to Andrew Sullivan. I don't much dig Ellen, but this Gladys is a find!

Anj

Wednesday- The Wonders of Photoshop

2008-12-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

To be honest, my writing career is in an odd kind of holding pattern right now. Things going on, but not too actively at the moment. So, I'll skip the promotional blather today, except to say that El Diablo is still coming out, and it's a really good book. Jai Nitz writes, Phil Hester pencils, and I provide the inks. Please look for it.

Now, speaking of El Diablo, today's art post is a scan from issue five of that very book. In looking for something to talk about today, I happened across this page in my studio, and thought it might have something to offer.

My art partner, Phil Hester, and I have been playing with negative effects in our work for several years now. We both like to fill the page with blacks, so I guess this was the natural end result. It became part of our style on on Marvel book, Ant-Man. Phil would indicate where he wanted this effect, and leave the method to me.

I quickly decided the the simplest way to accomplish what Phil was after was the Invert command in Photoshop. Yeah, making the selections is a hassle, and you have to occasionally add some lines to make things clear, but it beats doing it any other way... by a long shot.

Today's scan was a particularly labor-intensive example of this technique. As I mentioned above, making the selection to be inverted took a lot of time, and there was a little tweaking to do afterwards, to be sure the forms weren't getting lost. It took about an hour to do in PS, but it was time well-spent, I think. We got the effect we were after, and I didn't have to go to a copy shop or hold a brush loaded with white-out for hours.

The computer has changed my life in a number of ways in the last several years. I used to have to rush to the Fedex box to ship my pages off to the publishers. No more. Now, I simply scan the page myself and send them off electronically. This process also gives me more control over the finished product. I can tweak and clean up the pages, to be sure the scans are exactly what my penciller and I had in mind. And, of course, when I need a big, old negative effect...

That's enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Saturday... Exhaustion and Sinatra

2008-12-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

Sorry I blew the art post Thursday. I've been fighting two inking deadlines. I will try to bring something beautiful to the table next Tuesday.

For now, I just wanted to check in and mention that Frank Sinatra's Only the Lonely album is freaking perfection. After a long day's work, I'm trying to get sleepy with a bourbon (Knob Creek) and Coke (okay... I admit, it's a Coke Zero), some iphone blackjack, and some Frank. Christ, what an album.

The best track is One For My Baby. In fact, I think it's one of the best vocals ever recorded. There;s nothing too flashy about it. Frank sounds relaxed, enjoying the perfect arrangement and the lovely tenor of his own voice. This song, though, perfectly captures how Sinatra himself said he wanted to be remembered- as a good saloon singer, sitting next to a piano in the wee hours.

If you don't own the album- if you've never heard it- please get it soon. And, if you want to really savor the genius as intended, do what I'm doing right now. Listen to Only the Lonely by yourself, in your basement in the middle of the night, with a stiff drink at hand.

Anj

2008-12-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time indeed since an art post. What can I say... I've been busy! But, I am going to aim at getting back on the twice-a-week schedule. We'll see.

Today I'm offering a nice panel from a Superman job by Dusty Abell and Terry Austin. Abell is a solid artist- kind of a cut-rate Michael Golden. Believe it or not, that is not intended as an insult. No one else is Golden, after all. The guy I really want to talk about though, is the great Terry Austin.

Terry's work has meant a lot to me. At his peak, even though I would never try to ink anything like him, I drew a lot of inspiration from Austin. His '80s work over John Byrne and Marshall Rogers is simply amazing. Terry has not done a lot of superhero work lately, and what little he has done lacks some of the delicacy he possessed at his peak. Still, there is something to learn in every Terry Austin job.

I mention Terry's work a lot when I'm reviewing inking portfolios at conventions. I tell a lot of guys to go look at Terry to get a grasp on one thing that is crucial to good inking- confidence. When you make a mark on a page, it has to look like you meant it. You have to sell that line, even if it's the wrong line. In fact, you have to sell it a hell of a lot more if it is the wrong line. Young Kubert knew this. Caniff knew it, too. Ballsy inking can cover a multitude of sins.

That is not to say that Terry Austin routinely makes the wrong line. Quite the contrary. Terry is a good cartoonist. Still, what really makes his work shine is the boldness. When he makes a mark, he makes it boldly and with purpose. Look at today's example. Every line is strong. You can argue that the work could be finer in places, but it's all readable. There is also a certain sheen to everything Terry inks, but I think it works for him.

Oh, and before I go- a cool bit of trivia. Terry inked, with Dick Giordano, one of the most stunning pieces of superhero comic art ever produced, Muhammed Ali vs. Superman. Neal Adams wanted the best for that book, so he got Terry for the backgrounds, and Giordano for the figures (I think Neal pitched in there himself, too).

That's enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more Thursday!

Anj

Friday... Hillary on My Mind Again

2008-11-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

I've spent a lot of time this evening trying to wrap my mind around the rumors about Hillary Clinton being offered the job of Secretary of State. I worry about her towing the line on Obama's foreign policy, I worry about Bill's role, I... I just worry. It's probably just residual worry from the election cycle, but I can't help it.

Anyway, I sought out Andrew Sullivan's blog for guidance, and he didn't disappoint.

"I defer to Marc's reporting. But this idea just resonates with me as classic Obama. I don't think Clinton as secretary of state would be mere symbolism. And I think it's a brilliant way to coopt her without in any way demeaning her. More to the point: Dick Morris is furious and Drudge is trying to wish the story away. That tells you what smart politics this would be. The more I think about it, the more I support it. She did her duty this fall. And she is the kind of toughie who could be a real Iron Lady type with the Russians and Iranians. That global presence would be a better prep for a future presidential run (yes, I'll jump off that bridge when we get to it) and help separate her from her hubby. And if she turns Obama down, her leverage against him is weakened anyway. He did his best. Due diligence, and all that.
But I don't think it's a head-fake. And I think she may say yes."
- Andrew Sullivan

I'll see you all back here next week, I hope. I plan on getting back to the art posting.

Anj

Tuesday... Living in America

2008-11-05T06:33:00.001-08:00

That, my friends (tip of the hat to McCain there), was quite a night. Most of my hopes were riding on Obama, and he delivered in more ways than one. Watching a smart, confident man address the nation last night as our leader was so breathtaking. Forget about the racial issues, forget about red vs. blue- we have a president who is strong, calm, and smart as hell. Feels good. I feel like my country and I are back on the same page.

As I've mentioned here before, I had a lot more riding on the results of last night's elections than the presidential race. I had friends and relatives running for Kansas offices. That went well, but not perfectly. My good friends Tony Brown and Tom Holland won state rep and state senate seats, respectively. Unfortunately, my uncle narrowly lost his bid to go back to the state house. My uncle is a republican, and I guess he got swept away in the democratic wave. It's really a shame. He's such a good man, and he would have been such a positive force for education in our state.

On a personal level, there was a local issue I was very involved in- a school bond issue. Early returns didn't look good, but it did pass by 300 votes (of about 4000 cast). Despite Obama's great night, the bond passing was the most emotional moment for me. When we got the word, I hugged my wife and all the bond supporters around me as I teared up. I'm really proud of my community. We had a lot of things working against us: the economy, the fact that we put the bond out there on a presidential election day. Still, our town saw the value for kids, and did the right thing.

I'll be back soon with nonsense about comic art or tv shows, or movies, or whatever.

Best,
Anj

PS- Huge props to Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com. We was my life raft when I got depressed about the presidential election, and he nailed it. I shoulda had complete faith in Nate the whole time... would have saved me a lot of stress!

Thursday... Inking Machine!

2008-10-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

I've had precious little time to write lately. For a number of reasons, El Diablo deadlines have gone from tight to "Holy Shit!" tight. Thus, I have been inking like a madman for the past several days. The good news is that I'm getting a lot done, and the work is looking lively and exciting. The bad news is that I have two comics I should be writing. Hopefully, once this inking deadline is over, I'll be able to focus on the writing more effectively.

A crunch like this drives home the odd place in which my career resides right now. I want to be a writer. I think I'm on the verge of being a good one, if I could only find the freaking time. It's hard, almost impossible, to get past the initially mediocre writing in little bursts of time. I need to get into the project- really let it roll around for a day or two, but the time is hard to come by.

Yeah- I know... "Whahh! My comics career is too damn busy! I can't find enough time to be brilliant!" Point taken. I shouldn't use this blog just to bitch about my own selfish time constraints.

So, I'll talk a bit about the best tv show I've seen recently, Mad Men. The show's second season was tough to take at times, but it was always brilliant. The finale was really spectacular. It is really getting hard to find anyone there to root for, but you just can't stop watching.

Mad Men has a harsh, semi-realistic vibe that reminds me of The Sopranos, but the setting changes the tone completely. The Sopranos existed in gangster-world, where things were grounded, but not real. When those people acted like monsters, it was kind of expected. On Mad Men, when the characters do reprehensible things, it's more in your face, because they exist in a setting that is easier to relate to. It is hard to take, but hard to turn away from. I'm already looking forward to next year.

I gotta get back to the board. See you here again soon.

Anj

Tuesday... I'm Drownin' Here!

2008-10-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

Whew. I am in the shit this week, my friends. The book I'm inking is on double secret probation deadline, I'm trying to jam on two writing projects, and I've got last minute stuff to do in support of our school district's bond issue.

So, I won't be able to do the art post thing for awhile. I don't have the time or energy right now. I don't want to post an amazing piece and say, "Hey... isn't that amazing?!" I really want to be able to comment a little on what makes the work special to me.

Until I get a little more above water, I'm going to try to just check in from time to time and share whatever. The blog will be more conventional, but at least I'll be staying in touch.

First up on this streak of random posts is some musing about the great Tom Jones. I got (thanks again, Netflix) the first dvd of "This is Tom Jones", which was his variety show in the late '60s. The wife and I were checking it out the other day, and it's pretty great. In the first episode, Tom sings quite a bit, flirts with hot chicks, and hosts talents like Richard Pryor and Peter Sellers. Not bad.

Unfortunately, most of the singing on the show is lip-synced. At the end of the episode, though, you get Tom just cutting loose on a couple of numbers. Holy shit, is that dude fantastic. In the first episode, he sings "Goin' to Kansas City", and "Danny Boy". The latter wasn't too special, but he really tears up Kansas City. I've always said that Tom is one of the few singers who need almost nothing in the material to make you interested. Of course, Sinatra rules that court, but Tom holds his own. He can take a complete turd of a song and make it worth hearing. His phrasing, his tone, and his energy always shine through.

You know I adore Tom Jones. Only he and my kids get to smile down at me when I sit at my drafting table. I have a signed photo hanging right there, offering skeptical encouragement (courtesy, I believe, of my pal Jason Caskey).

That's all for now. I'm shot. I'll check in again with other random bullshit soon.

Anj

Friday- Just Saying "Hey!"

2008-10-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hey gang,

Just back from my whirlwind trip to L.A., where I was jamming on the Ciudad story with my collaborators, the lovely and charming Joe and Anthony Russo. Good trip, with some very interesting moments. I made a new fiend or two, and learned that Heather Graham looks like a movie star in person.

I don't have time today to work up an entry with an art scan. So, I thought I'd do something a little more conventional. I've been pretty obsessed about the election cycle this year. I'm a huge Obama supporter, and I have a lot on the line in local elections, as well. I've been spending a lot of time online, staring at polling data and reading the opinions of various politicos.

Today, I want to plug Andrew Sullivan. If you don't know who that is, you can check out his wiki entry HERE. He is not a man I really should agree with much. He's a libertarian conservative, and I'm a pretty liberal Democrat. I respect Sullivan immensely, though. He is what I consider a true conservative, and he stands by his guns. He has no use for W or the modern McCain, and his analysis of this election cycle has been spot on.

Please check Andrew's blog out HERE.

See you back here soon!

Anj

Saturday... It's Win Mortimer Day!

2008-10-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry I wasn't able to post Thursday. It was a rough deadline week. Of course, I also continue to work on our school bond issue, and stress mightily about the presidential election. Overall, it's a rough life, man!

Anyway, I'll be away next week, too. I'll be off working on my Ciudad book. I'm excited about really getting into this thing again.

So, since it may be a week or so until I can post again, today's scan is a little special. You get not a single panel, but a whole daily strip by the great Win Mortimer. Even better, you get this amazing photo of the artist in his studio.

How cool is that?! I love everything about this picture: the studio space, the window, the finished dailies spread out on the table, the great old chair, Mortimer's attire, the lovely wife... it's all perfect.

I've spoken about Win Mortimer here before, so I'll keep it brief. He's a vastly underrated artist, a guy known best for his Superman work, which was pretty pedestrian. As a strip artist, he is a rare talent. His characters are so full of personality... they just jump from the page. You can really feel the acting here. I can't get enough of Mortimer's work.

Okay... I gotta run! Enjoy the genius, and come back for more next Tuesday!

Anj

Tuesday... A Little Rambling, and a Whole Lot of Scott McDaniel

2008-10-14T22:30:00.001-07:00

Hard to find time to post these days. I have writing to do, and I've taken on an extra inking assignment to help pay the bills. On top of that, my school board is taking a lot of time these days. On top of the stress about Obama v. McCain and some friends of mine who are running for state office, our district is trying to pass a bond issue November 4th. Thus, I have a lot of meetings going on right now, and a lot of stress. I suppose a wiser, more centered man would just assume that his country, his state, and his town will do the right thing. It ain't that easy for yours truly.

Enough whining. We're all busy, right? In other words, shut the hell up, cartoon-boy, and show us some pretty art. Okay... I get it.

So, on to today's scan. But first- a story!

A few years back, I received a package I didn't expect from my editor. The package contained a half issue of pencils waiting to be inked. Nothing unusual there, right? Well... wrong. These pencils were not by the artist I was inking for that editor at the time. It was not an artist I had ever inked, or a job I had discussed with my editor. Puzzling.

To further complicate the issue, the package arrived a few days before Thanksgiving. So, the editor was not available to answer questions from a confounded inker. Was this a job I was supposed to go ahead and start on? Based on the quality of the pencils, I was kinda hoping so. But, alas, such was not the case.

I did enough detective work on my own to figure out that this job was intended to be inked by someone else. I tracked down that person and sent the pages along. Too bad, as I would have loved to tackle the job. Sucks sometimes... being an honorable man.

So, this mystery job had been drawn by an artist I really admire. Scott McDaniel is a rare beast in comics. He's a relatively unique combination- a guy who is really reliable, but also visually exciting.

Scott's work is incredibly tight, but his style is so interesting that it never seems boring. Basically, when I look at his work I think, "Damn it looks fun to draw like that."

That's enough outta me for now. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more Thursday!

Anj

Thursday... Uncle Slam's Cover, and Some Pure Kevin Nowlan!

2008-10-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

Remember, folks... UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK shipped to comic book stores this week. If you haven't yet sought out a copy, do so now!!! Here... now you know what to look for:

Uncle Slam is owned by ME!

Today's art scan is a little different. It's a whole page thumbnail by the great Kevin Nowlan. This is page one from a Jack B. Quick story, by Kevin and Alan Moore.

I'm not going to go on and on about this page. Really, Kevin is, in my opinion, one of those guys that it's kind of hard to learn from. Why? Because the first step is always going to be, "Get as talented as Kevin Nowlan."

Now, I confess that I have spent a lot of time studying Kevin's inking techniques. He is on the short list of guys I routinely turn to when I don't feel like I know what the hell I'm doing as an inker. Looking at his work always inspires me. I can't really ink like Kevin, but looking at his work helps me think about drawing while I ink, about texture, and about being clean without looking labored or dull.

As a penciller or, in this case, a layout artist, though... I'm just struck by what a unique talent Kevin is. The drawings are so completely charming. The layouts are so clear and clean. The lettering is so perfect. He just does everything well, and he does it as only he can.

Still, there are certainly lessons here. This layout measures about 8 inches tall. I don't know if Kevin started off with an even smaller thumbnail, but I doubt it. Nailing down compositions, including how the lettering fits, at this size is essential, but something that a lot of young artists ignore. Kevin is really doing all the hard work at this size. After this step, he knows where things go, and how the storytelling flows, including the lettering. All that's left is the drawing. If your name is Kevin Nowlan, that part is easy!

I should close by adding that Kevin, in addition to being a fantastic talent, is a fellow Kansan, and a very sweet guy. I wished he lived a little closer to yours truly. He probably doesn't share that wish... as I'd be bugging him all the time if he did.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more next Tuesday!

Anj

I assume that Jack B. Quick is owned by Alan Moore and Kevin Nowlan.

Tuesday... Uncle Slam Hits Tomorrow, and Gene Colan and Johnny Freaking Craig!

2008-10-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

Whew... been working like a bastard the past several days. The good news, for me, is that I've been doing some writing. Writing is harder for me than inking these days, but also more rewarding. I'm enjoying getting back on some projects I've been neglecting for too long.

More about those projects later. For now, I should mention that UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK should hit stores tomorrow! Please, please, please, check it out! It's got fun, corn dogs, and robots!

Now, on to the art scan of the day. This panel isn't really spectacular, and it doesn't come from a spectacular page, but I do love it for a number of reasons. First, it comes from the final issue of one of my favorite Silver Age comics, Tales of Suspense. I discovered Tales of Suspense back issues when I was first getting back into comics, when I was in Junior High. I'm not sure which came fist- my discovery of Takes of Suspense, or my love of the book's two leads, Captain America and Iron Man. Either way, it's a book made for me... aside from the fact that I didn't discover it until long after its demise.

This image also showcases two of my favorite artists, Gene Colan and Johnny Craig. Craig we have spoken about here before. He is a true artist's artist, and an underrated genius. I have not spoken about Colan on these pages before, but he is a unique talent that I also have a ton of respect for.

This issue, Tales of Suspense #99, came out just as Colan was really hitting his peak, in my opinion. His work from this era is amazingly inventive, but still solid as hell. He would become more cinematic... more experimental later in his career, but the structure would sometimes suffer. At times, I love his later work. At other times, not quite so much.

Ironically, some people feel just the same way about Johnny Craig's work at Marvel, and I disagree. I guess I have to concede that his EC work is stronger, but I really love a lot of what he did for Marvel, particularly on jobs like this one, where he was inking another strong artist.

I know this is a panel without a ton of stuff going on, but I think there are things to learn here. Colan was not an easy guy to ink. There were a lot of grays in his pencils, and that can send a weak inker to the madhouse. Tom Palmer was probably the best at converting Gene's grays into line art. He did it brilliantly for many years. I think Craig does a very credible job here, though. He has created the effect of speed here with amazing facility and efficiency. I love the way the bold, brushy shapes of the car blend into the speed lines.

We also have a lot of depth in this simple panel, which is due, in large part, to how Craig handled his line weights. The car in the foreground pops nicely, even though it's barely in the composition. The car in the background recedes nicely, thanks to Craig's delicate work there.

I'll show off more of this page soon. That's enough outta me for now, though. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more Thursday!

Anj

Saturday... El Diablo, and a Whole Damn Page of Adams and Giordano!

2008-10-04T16:59:00.001-07:00

I'm back! I was jamming on El Diablo last week, which is why I was unable to post. So, I thought I should share some of the goods. Here is a cropped portion of issue three's two page spread, by Mr. Hester and me.

El Diablo is owned by the fine people at DC Comics.

Since I shorted you all for a few days, I thought I'd share something extra special today. Many years ago, I got a fantastic gift from my friend Phil Hester (yeah... the same dude who draws El Diablo). Phil had managed to purchase a page from a convention retailer for a pretty ridiculous sum. The page was under-priced, even if it had been drawn by an average artist. It wasn't drawn by an average artist, though, it was drawn by Neal Adams and inked by Dick Giordano. As such, it was a freaking steal. Phil, knowing that I was a fat bigger Adams fanatic than he was, was kind enough to pass the page on to me. It hangs in a special spot in my studio, both as a token of my friend's generosity, and as a nice piece of work from Neal Adams' career.

Neal did this issue of The Brave and the Bold very early in his DC career... sometime, I believe, toward the end of his run on the Deadman series. This job also marks one of the first Adams/Giordano pairings. In my opinion, it's a moderately successful pairing at this stage. Frankly, while Dick would go on to do some great work over Neal, he would never ink him as well as Neal could have himself. In this early effort, you can really see Dick fighting to come to grips with Neal's fine, expressive pencils. The inking is still a little ham-fisted, as Dick tries to convert Neal's grays to black and white.

Still, the inks are solid, and they reproduced well. Dick understood the printing limitations of his art form better than almost anyone, and always worked accordingly. Yeah... I wish I had a page from this era that Neal had inked himself, but the art is only slightly diminished by the slightly insensitive inking.

I would not have posted this page in sections, as is my usual policy here. Neal's page layout is too complex- the panels too inter-dependent- to chop up. So, since I wanted to do something a little special today, I thought this whole page was appropriate. Again, this is early Neal... he would get a lot better. But, there is a lot to admire here.

The layout is pretty spectacular. It doesn't flow as naturally as possible, or even as naturally as Neal would do just a few years later. It does flow, though, and it works in getting the reader into the battle between Batman and The Creeper. I particularly like the first panel. The design accomplishes a number of facts very efficiently. The height of the rooftop, Batman's vulnerable position, and the Creeper's agility are all set up, seemingly with little effort. I also like panel two, with the money shot of Batman, and the flipping prowess of The Creeper. I still think it all works pretty well here. Things get a little less clear from here on out, but I don't mind. What the young Neal sometime lacked in clarity, he more than made up for in sheer excitement. I particularly like the laughter sound effect, and the sweeping motion of the girder in the final two panels.

As with a lot of the pieces from my collection, I love this piece for its exuberance. You can sense Neal at play here... a young man having a blast with the toolbox of a new medium.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more next Tuesday!

Anj

Both Batman and The Creeper are owned by DC.

Thursday... I got nothin'

2008-10-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry, faithful readers. I am too slammed to post right now.

Just wanted to pop in and tell you I'll be back with a real post in the next day or so.

Anj

Tuesday... the Pure Genius of Noel Sickles!

2008-09-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Only time for a brief post today. I'm jammed on deadlines this week... inking El Diablo and writing Blood Red.

But, I do have time to post one of the more spectacular pieces from my collection, a great illustration by one of the true legends of modern illustration and comic art, Noel Sickles.

I've already discussed the fact that Sickles shared a studio with Milt Caniff during the great early period of Terry and the Pirates. At the same time, Sickles was doing amazing work on his own groundbreaking strip, Scorchy Smith. After a relatively short run (about three years) on Scorchy, Sickles left the funnies behind to become an illustrator. Jesus... did he ever.

The guy drew like a sonofabitch. His sense of design was bold and innovative. He could ink like a master, and he handled tones and color well. He was the absolute entire package. He was a hero to any number of other fantastic artists, including Alex Toth, who may have been his most vocal booster.

The piece I own is so incredibly rich. There is something going on in every square inch of this piece, but the eye lands on the focal points comfortably before drifting to other eye candy. The inking (or painting, if you like) technique separates the planes of the picture with great clarity. Look at the boldness of the foreground luggage, and then compare that to the crispness of the middle ground, or the casual handling of the background elements.

I also love the textures in this piece. Look at the train. The shine of the lamp contrasts so brilliantly with the smoke. It's all handled perfectly, and none of it looks labored.

I could stare at this piece all day, and never tire of it. It hangs in a spot in my studio where I can see it from both my drafting table and computer workstation. It is a constant source of inspiration.

Oh... and I'm not selling it to Howard Chaykin anytime real soon, no matter how nicely he asks. ;)

That's enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more Thursday!

Anj

Thursday, Part Two... Some Convention Boldness

2008-09-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Just found this image as I was getting pictures off my cell phone, and I wanted to share it.

Phil Hester and I did this Captain America sketch back in the spring, at Kansas City's Planet Comicon. That day at the show, I took a look at what Phil had pencilled for me and grabbed a #5 sable brush. That is a much bigger brush than I usually use for inking. The brush I typically keep at my drafting table is a #3. With this fantastic sketch that Phil handed me, though, I saw an opportunity to get really bold. I wanted to channel some of that old-school comic book inking. What was really in my mind was Don Heck's inking over Jack Kirby on a gods portfolio. Someday, I'll post an example. For now, though, you're stuck with my efforts.

I loved the way this sketch came out. I got the effect I wanted... bold lines, with more attention paid to the overall impact of the piece than any ind of small details or rendering. As I recall, the only place I used any pen (small marker, probably) was on the face and costume details. I especially enjoyed rendering the chain mail texture with the brush.

Forgive the bad scan. Again, this is from a cell phone picture.

Okay... check it out for yourself. Have a cool weekend, and I'll see you back here Tuesday (if not sooner).

Anj

Marvel Comics owns Captain America.

Thursday... Blood Red, and the Incredibly Ridiculous Talent of a Young Neal Adams!

2008-09-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

I've been working pretty hard on my Blood Red book this week. In case you've forgotten, it's a revenge story set on Mars. It is drawn by the Jesus-Serpico of comics, the hugely-talented Shawn Crystal. It'll be awhile until the book comes out, but it'll be worth waiting for, I think. I know this guy thinks so-

Blood Red is owned by Mr. Crystal and myself.

Today's art scan is a panel from a Ben Casey daily strip, drawn by Neal Adams... when he was all of twenty-two freaking years old. Holy Shit... just think about that for a second. This daily isn't the best strip work of it's day, by any stretch. It isn't as good as Neal would end up producing decade or so down the line. It is, however, pretty goddamn amazing for a kid just barely old enough to buy a drink.

As we've discussed here before, Neal comes from the school of realistic photo-reference typified by the likes of Stan Drake and Alex Kotzky. Neal would go on to revolutionize the comic book industry by bringing that sensibility to the world of stretchy pants. Judging by the pencil roughs I've seen, I think Neal became so good at his pseudo-realism that he eventually all but dropped his reliance on photos. At the time this Ben Casey was drawn, though, I assume he was still taking and using his own reference.

The drawing in this example is solid as hell, and Neal's inking, as always, really sells it. I have no idea where a kid of 22 got the balls to attack the page like this. It's really pretty mind-blowing. The inking on the clothing is incredibly lively. Look at the lines on the angry man's suit jacket. I don't quite buy the rendering on his right arm, but everything else is so sharp and perfect. Likewise for that man's hair.

The composition is also very nice, and something of a bold choice. I think most artists would have drawn this confrontation in profile, to fully show the angry man leaning into the doctor's space. The way Neal has drawn it, though, has a more subtle and impressive impact. The doctor (the strip's lead, Ben Casey) is cool and detached here, separated from the rage by the vast expanse of desk.

One technical note: this strip was drawn on a special paper called dou-shade, or benday board. The paper was manufactured with two tones built in. Those tones were invisible until the artist applied one of two special solutions that brought them out. Many artists used this paper to good effect. It was a simple way to add tones to black and white art without the hassle of cutting zip-a-tone screens. Neal uses the tones really well, combining them with his great, textural inking to create a very rich effect. There is one problem with using dou-shade board. You can't use whiteout on the page, because it would make applying the developer to the board directly impossible. Thus, there is little room for mistakes. I used dou-shade on a comic book mini-series once, and it was fun, but stressful. Neal didn't have much to worry about, I guess... there is no hint of whiteout on the daily I own.

Of course, being as good as Neal was as young as he was can be a mixed blessing. It must be tough to carry that incredibly promising start with you throughout your career. Neal has met that challenge with mixed results, but he's certainly one of the giants of comic book art.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more next Tuesday!

Anj

Does someone own Ben Casey? Somebody has to, right? Anyway, if you wanna use the good doctor, do a search and figure it out before you get in trouble, okay?

Tuesday... Uncle Slam is STILL Coming, and a Great Sampling of Swan/Ordway

2008-09-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I had a very exciting and busy weekend, spending time at the Mo-Kan Comics Conspiracy convention with the likes of Stan Sakai, Tom Luth, Sergio Aragones, and Mark Evanier. I heard a lot of good stories, and enjoyed a lot of fine company. But, of course, the time away put me behind the eight ball when it comes to deadlines. So, I'm cutting back to a few times a week for regular posts here, with the possibility of other rants from time to time.

Before I get to the art scan thing, I want to mention my UNCLE SLAM book again. It will hit the stores the first week of October, they tell me. Please look for it. The book is called UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK. It is fun, especially if you like Keith Olbermann.

Now, on to today's art scan. This is one of my favorite pieces from my collection. It's a pinup from DC's WHO'S WHO books, featuring Superman supporting characters Pete Ross and Lana Lang. It was drawn by one of the most legendary men to ever draw the folks of Super-world, Curt Swan. It was inked by my favorite Swan inker, Jerry Ordway.

We've spoken about the Swan/Ordway pairing before. I think it's the best Swan ever looked, which will be hard for Murphy Anderson fans to swallow. In my opinion, though, Ordway does everything Swan needs. He augments Swan's drawings, and he keeps the work spontaneous.

I love everything about this piece: the layout is simple and effective, the poses are natural, and the expressions are completely charming. What really takes my breath away, though, is the texture work by Ordway. Jerry really shows here what a master can do a few simple tools.

Ordway's method is pretty simple. I asked him about it many years ago, after almost wearing my eyes out studying a few originals, trying to figure out how he made those amazing lines with the tools I was holding in my own, apelike hand. Jerry is about as nice a guy as I've ever met in comics, and he was happy to share his wisdom with a dumb kid trying to learn the craft. Anyway, Jerry goes through the page with a crowquill pen first... a Hunt 102. With the pen, he inks the contours of the figures and major shapes. He does whatever detail work he needs the pen for, and generally inks the page, minus any especially bold lines or blacks. After the pen work is done, Jerry hits the page with a brush and that, in my humble opinion, is where much of the magic happens. Jerry doesn't use the brush to simply fill in his blacks. He uses it to lay in bold lines and throw texture all over the damn place.

In the pinup I'm sharing today, you can clearly see the magic of the pen and the brush, as wielded by Mr. Ordway. The pen work is masterful. Look at the car. There is incredible texture and depth there, all created with a simple tool and a pretty narrow range of line weights. Look at the casual line work in the trees. It is descriptive without becoming predictable.

Now, check out how Jerry incorporates his brush work into the pen framework. Something as simple as the car tires becomes rich here, as Ordway casually hits the spaces between the pen lines with his brush, again giving us a textural pattern without boredom or repetition. The clothing in this piece is really incredible. Jerry has laid in a strong framework with his pen, and given everything real substance with his brush.

The magic of Ordway's inking work is that his work reproduces incredibly clean, but he never makes a boring or predictable line. Of course, because he draws so well, he's also able to find and augment strengths in the drawings he tackles. And, most importantly, he always remembers his primary job as an inker... to tell the story.

Okay, that's enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more Thursday!

Anj

Changing the Schedule

2008-09-23T09:01:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to pop in and let my faithful few readers who check in each day that I'm going to a twice a week schedule for awhile. I'm too jammed up on both inking and writing to commit to a solid piece every weekday right now.

So, art scans an commentary will be showing up on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But, if I have anything to say outside of that regular feature- something like, "I can't believe I sat through another horrible episode of TRUEBLOOD after swearing I was done with it!" I may just drop by and do that.

Art scan later today!

Anj

Friday... Something Nice from Big John Buscema and Li'l Bill Sienkiewicz!

2008-09-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today about something I only own a scan of. It's getaway day for me, as I'll be headed out for the MO-KAN COMICS CONSPIRACY later this afternoon, where I'll be hanging out with the likes of Mark Evanier, Segio Aragones, and Stan Sakai! If you're in the KC area this weekend, please come check it out.

Speaking of the convention this weekend, I just finished this UNCLE SLAM promo image. We'll be selling it as a convention exclusive this weekend.

Again, I don't own the piece I'm showing off today. I just saved a scan of it years ago, and just came across it again on my hard drive. Since I have scans of both pencils (layouts, actually) and inks, I thought it would be interesting to show it off here.

What we have here is a layout by the legendary John Buscema, and finishes by the super-talented Bill Siekiewicz. We're going first name from here on out, because typing Bill's last name wears me out.

I don't know if Bill finished this piece from the layout we have here, or if he got full pencils. Frankly, I think it would have been a waste of Big John's time for him to provide Bill with anything tighter than this. Bill is gonna do his own thing, whether you give him fully-rendered pencils or not. All he needs to go to town is a foundation, and no one ever provided better foundations that Big John.

John's layouts are all about the gesture and the composition. If you've ever seen "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" you know that John was almost incapable of producing a stiff gesture drawing. I own several of his sketch sheets and layouts, and they are just awesome to behold. His drawing is so casual and so strong. He really had few peers in the history of the medium when it comes to drawing natural and dynamic figures.

Of course, Bill is also one of the most talented artists to ever grace the comic book page. He's nowhere near the comic book storyteller that a guy like John is, but he can draw and paint like a bastard. He finishes this strong John layout with such authority and grace. The lines are fine, but the overall impact of John's drawing is completely intact.

Okay, that's enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Thursday... UNCLE SLAM and his pal Dick, and Behind the Scenes with Rick Stasi and Dick Giordano!

2008-09-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened. I completely missed posting yesterday. Honestly, I was so busy that I didn't even realized I had missed a day until after midnight. Sorry about that, loyal readers. To make up for it, though, today's art scan is extra large!

But first, another word about UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK! It'll be out in about two weeks. It is funny stuff, unless you happen to be this man--

TM- Halliburton Corporation

Today's art scan offers a nice look under the hood of comic book production. This is a cover for a DC book that was never published. Kansas City artist Rick Stasi pencilled this cover, and then-DC editor (and always brilliant inker) Dick Giordano inked it. Well, most of it, anyway. Obviously, this piece was never completely finished or published. Dick, like many successful inkers, used background assistants extensively. What you see here is as much work as Dick was ever going to do on this cover. The rest would have been handled by Dick's background guy. If you live in an area where you can find local assistants, it's a nice system. The assistant gets good on the job training, the work gets done faster, and the main inker gets to take on more work. I've had help from buddies on jobs from time to time, but I've never used a background assistant on a regular basis, for two reasons. First, I don't have a local guy here in Kansas that would fit the bill, and shipping the pages around isn't very convenient. Second, I'm just too much of a control freak.

Anyway, there is a lot to be learned here. I left the scan extra large, so you can see (I hope) some of the pencil work under the inks. Rick did a solid job on this cover, but Dick improved it immensely, without any drastic re-drawing. Dick was so good that he could just casually tweak things as he inked. Look at the main figure's left pant leg. Dick streamlined that form, making it sharper and more descriptive of the leg underneath. Likewise with the cuff buttons on that character's sleeve. He also made the woman's dress flow better, using sharp brush strokes to define the forms without over-rendering.

Dick left out little things, too. I guess he thought the rendering on the lady's stockings was too much, so he just left it out in the inks.

In essence, Dick did everything a great inker does here. He left Rick's drawing intact. He left Rick's style intact. He also made things flow a little better. He made everything a little cleaner and sharper. He added his own voice without overwhelming the penciller.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Whoever these people are, I'm guessing they are still owned by DC Comics.

Tuesday... Uncle Slam is Coming, and Alex Kotzky was Awesome!

2008-09-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Checking in late today, but back to the "regular" format. First, a little reminder that UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK is coming up fast. It'll be in comic stores before you know it, probably the last week of September. It's fun, funny, and biting in a crazy liberal way. It is published, by the way, but Oni Press. Please check it out!

Now, on to today's art scan. When I was born, the heyday of the comic strip was at its tail end, but there was still plenty enough brilliance to go 'round. One of the brightest, and most enduring stars, was the amazing Alex Kotzky. Kotzky comes from the same school of photo-referencing as did Raymond and Drake (already discussed here). Kotzky's line was especially rich, and he used his reference to great effect, filling the many young women that occupied his landmark strip, Apartment 3-G, with amazing personality.

I will admit that Drake's work appeals to me more than Kotzky. I like Stan's sharper line. Still, I great admire Kotzky. He uses his photos much as Drake did, shooting his own reference and making the work fresh and lively in the inks. Kotzky used brush, though, while Drake preferred a pen. That difference makes Kotzky's work a little softer, perhaps a little more sensual.

Check out the panel I offer today. The lines are soft yet precise. You can get lost in the line work on the woman's skirt. In the drapery on that single figure, Kotzky does so many things that are fantastic... simple to the eye, but incredibly hard to master. He drops lines that are not needed. He turns complex folds into simple swipes of the brush. He perfectly delineates the figure under the clothing without making the clothing itself look like it is structured. Yeah, there was likely a photo used here, but Kotzky knows his forms well enough that he uses the photo as a tool, not a crutch.

The overall panel is very well designed. I love the round desk, which is not only stylish, but also leads us through the panel and into the next. The man's figure does the same... it guides us naturally, without seeming like a device. The setting is very rich. Kotzky fills the panel with objects that are more than just there. Everything contributes to the "modern" vibe, right down to the abstract painting on the far wall. That painting, by the way, is a great touch. Kotzky could have (and most artists would have) continued the pattern of the windows. By placing the painting behind the background figure, though, Kotzky not only keeps things more visually interesting- he also draws more attention to that figure.

You should really check out the link I provided above. That site is a great resource, and the material on Kotzky is especially good. There is a quote about Kotzky from his son... a quote that makes me marvel at Kotzky's work ethic, it also makes me sad. In effect, Kotzky's son says that his father worked ALL the time. There was no time off, no family vacations, no relaxing in the evening... it was all work. Well, I like the work, but spare me the lifestyle, please. I'll take a well-rounded life and a career of, well... of something less than what Kotzky left us.

And, that is more than enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Monday... a couple of repeats- True Blood and Jess Marsh!

2008-09-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, first off, I am done with TRUE BLOOD. I just watched the second episode, and it is just silly. I really can't think of any better, or more illuminating word for it. I don't give a rat's ass about any of these people. Maybe Alan Ball is trying something grand here... maybe it's all a metaphor for being gay or different. I don't know. I also don't care. Too bad. I could certainly watch more of the hot waitress chick. Anyway, life's too short.

By the way, Mad Men continues to be excellent. This week offered one of my new favorite lines, "I was right. There's only one book about Moby Dick."

And, while I don't have anything especially new to offer as an art scan today, I do want to share a new Jesse Marsh image a pal sent me. Holy shit, was Marsh amazing! Look at the composition, the negative spaces, the bold drybush. It's a fantastic image. Of course, Tarzan saying something totally cool doesn't hurt, either.

That's all for today. I'm too upset about my poor, pitiful Chiefs to write more. I'll regroup and get back to normal tomorrow.

Anj

Friday... something different, and a li'l Frank Robbins!

2008-09-12T08:27:00.001-07:00

I'm gonna write a bit today about something besides comics. I watched a few tv shows in the past week, and I figured I'd spout off about them today, because each left me with strong feelings.

The first show I'll talk about is HBO's new things, TRUE BLOOD. I'm not a vampire nut. I've never seen an episode of Buffy. But, this show was created by Alan Ball, whose work (American Beauty, Six Feet Under) I've really enjoyed, so I figured I'd check it out. All in all, it was pretty dreadful. Heavy-handed character development, clumsy direction, a silly premise, and generally not so good. Really kind of shocking after the overall brilliance of Six Feet Under.

And, that said, I'll probably keep watching, at least for another week or two. I dunno why, for sure. Hell, I continue to watch Entourage, and I think it's pretty vapid. Call it a guilty pleasure. In the case of True Blood, I guess Ball outsmarted me, to some extent. There was enough melodrama there for me to want to come back. I'll probably be still watching, and still bitching, three years from now.

If that does prove to be the case, maybe I'll be rewarded, as I have been with the other show I'd like to discuss, MAD MEN. I watched the show all last season, and I came to it with high expectations. I love the era, the creator, and the premise, but I thought the highly-touted pilot was clunky. You could cut the clever with a knife, right down to the obviously-conflicted-gay dude in the office. It was, alternating, brilliant and plodding. Again, I stuck with it because of the stuff I liked. The acting is great, I love the sets and fashions, and there was some very smart writing.

This season, Mad Men has started strong. I like the leap of over a year between seasons. The performances continue to be really strong, and the show seems to be really finding its feet now. The last episode to air, "The Gold Violin", was amazing. The gay character I used to cringe at has come into his own, and Don Draper (the lead) is becoming as interesting in his disgusting way as was Tony Soprano (well, almost).

If you haven't seen either show, you should check them out. Mad Men is becoming a real work of genius. True Blood is anything but genius, but it will probably keep you entertained in a fun, shallow way.

And, just to keep the theme of this blog intact- here, without comment, is a scan from my art collection. More pure Frank Robbins genius!

Enjoy, and see you next week.

Anj

Thursday... A quick hit- Silvestri and Baker!

2008-09-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have to make this quick today and, for the first time, I may actually have to miss a day tomorrow. My schedule as a school board member has been really heavy this week. We're trying to pass a vital bond issue here in lovely Baldwin City, KS, and there is a lot of work to be done. Of course, that's on top of the usual inking, writing, and trying to enjoy my family a little bit! So, dry your eyes and bear with me if I need to take a wee break, please.

I do have time to offer an art scan today, and comment briefly. This is a panel from a Spider-Man book from the late '80s, pencilled by Mark Silvestri and inked by Kyle Baker.

I've always enjoyed Silvestri's work, and Kyle Baker is a huge hero of mine. Artistically, and as a writer, Baker is one of those guy that both inspires and depresses me. It ain't fair that the damn guy is so freaking talented!

Anyway, back when he was first starting to make a living in comics, Baker used to crank out a page or two of comic book inking before going off to work at an ad agency. Baker is a fine artist and a brilliant cartoonist, but he didn't quite fit the mold as a Marvel superhero inker. That's fine by me. His work was different... probably not entirely to the liking of his editors or the guys he penciller, but I find it fascinating.

Baker is doing here what we have spoken about so may times before. He's helping to tell the story. He has stripped Silvestri's very solid work down to its very essence. No pretty lines, no delicate rendering... just action and clarity, stripped down to just what has to be there. I love the high contrast approach. As I recall, this issue came out at a time when Marvel was playing with a new printing process, and a lot of fine lines were dropping out. That was somewhat disastrous for guys like Baker, who were using really extreme line weight variations. Still, the work was exciting and inspiring to me.

Balloons and sound effects fell off this page, hence the stains and empty spaces here.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Spider-Man is owned by MARVEL!

Wednesday... Uncle Slam, and the Amazing Work of John Prentice!

2008-09-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

More UNCLE SLAM promotion today! The book will hit the stands in a few weeks. While we were a little too late to comment on the lipsticked person who wants to be our illustrious VP, we do have plenty of McCain, Cheney, and other party animals.

Check it out! This dude really wants you to!

Uncle Slam is owned by ME!

Today's art scan comes from one of my favorite comic strips, RIP KIRBY. The strip, which featured a dashing bachelor P.I., was created by the legendary Alex Raymond (best known for his seminal work on FLASH GORDON). While I prefer Foster's Prince Valiant to Raymond's work on Flash Gordon, I like Rip Kirby better than both of those more famous features. Raymond's work on Rip Kirby speaks more to my love of sharp, modern, illustration. Rip Kirby was photo-reffed without being stiff, as Raymond inked the strip like the true master he was. The line is so bright and spontaneous, and always informed by Raymond's incredible draftsmanship.

Unfortunately, Alex Raymond died at the peak of his powers, killed in a car crash that also injured Stan Drake, who we've discussed here previously. In the silver lining department, the syndicate found a very capable replacement in John Prentice. Prentice would go on to draw Rip Kirby from the time of Raymond's death in 1956 to his death in 1999! By the end of the run, the work was getting pretty shaky. In Prentice's heyday, though, he was a very worthy successor to Raymond's legacy.

Prentice wasn't quite the draftsman Raymond had been, which is no insult... who aside from Foster could claim that they were? Prentice's inking isn't quite as lively as Raymond's and he couldn't morph into different styles as readily as master, but he was a phenomenal talent. As you can see here, the work is a perfect mixture of great drawing and fresh, lively finishing. The foundation is rock solid, and the inking makes it fun and exciting. Check out how free Prentice is with the background elements. Nothing is ruled or drawn with a dead, technical line. It's all so carefree. I also love the inking of the foreground character's jacket. Prentice has laid down a framework with his pend, and then he just attacks the forms with his brush, inking only what is needed to define the forms.

This strip was drawn within the first year of Prentice's tenure on the strip, so he's really still in his Raymond mode. He was probably still feeling like it was Alex's strip at this point. After a decade or so, Prentice would feel more free to make the work his own.

One technical note. You can see the missing word in the first balloon here. Old school artists worked on such good, heavy paper that, when called for, they could simply razor out mistakes without cutting all the way through the board. As I often tell people showing work at conventions, using quality materials is a vital part of making good work. There's nothing like working on a really well-made piece of paper. It just opens up new possibilities.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Someone probably owns the rights to Rip Kirby, so don't be a pain in the ass about it!

Tuesday... Uncle Slam is Coming Soon, and the Weighty Brilliance of John Buscema and Kevin Nowlan!

2008-09-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

More UNCLE SLAM promotion today! The valiant troops at Oni were putting the book together all through the night, tweaking the lettering and such. If you don't check out this book, you are spitting on their efforts! These people have feelings, folks! Please, unless you're a raging Republican with no sense of humor, ask your retailer to score you a copy!

Uncle Slam is owned by ME!

Today's art scan represents the blog's first repeat performance, as John Buscema becomes the first artist represented twice. That's appropriate enough for one of the true giants of the field. Today, we have John inked by another brilliant inker, albeit one with little in common with the first Buscema finisher I talked about, Tony Dezuniga. Today's panel was inked by the amazing Kevin Nowlan. Kevin is, of course, a unique talent... a wonderful, visionary penciller, one of the finest inkers ever, and a good painter, to boot. He also happens to be a fellow Kansan, which is a nice bonus for yours truly!

A little detour now about inking:
While I will often sing the praises here of the type of inker who can be versatile, bending themselves to suit a wide range of pencillers, while always letting the nature of whoever they're working with shine through, many of the guys I respect do not fit that mold. Jerry Ordway, Klaus Janson, Kevin Nowlan... all these guys come close to overwhelming whoever they ink with their own artistic personality. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's what I love about their work. They bring a lot of themselves to the party, and they have a lot of skill to bring. It's not what I do... it's not what I'm capable of, and maybe that's why I so enjoy what these guys can do. I am not draftsman enough... I don't have the built in artistic vision, to do what those guys do, so it seems magical to me. I would imagine that a few pencillers have pulled their hair out upon seeing what Ordway, Janson, and Nowlan have doen to their precious pencils, but I never get tired of looking at their work, and I feel they almost always leave the work better than they found it.

Anyway... back to Nowlan over Buscema. I believe this may have been the last full job Big John Buscema did. I have not seen the pencils, but I would assume that there was a lot of innate greatness in the work, but it was probably not as tight and inspired as John would have been at the peak of his powers. Hiring Nowlan to ink this job was a brilliant choice. He maintains the weight, power and grace of Buscema's work, but he also tightens the work, pulling it together with his incredible line and drawing ability. There is a lot of Nowlan here, but Buscema also shines.

I mentioned the weight of Buscema's figures, and you can really see that here. I don't think the man was capable of drawing an insubstantial human figure. While there's not a lot of action here, the figures are full of tension. You can feel the weight of each guard shifting. The composition is interesting. This is the kind of "pull back and show us where the hell everybody is" shot that too many artists today are clueless about. Buscema does it without boring us. That's a special skill.

I love what Kevin has done with texture here. The shiny helmets, the fabric, the stone floor... all of it is handled convincingly and efficiently. The figures are so well crafted. Kevin doesn't render as Buscema would have (or, certainly, as Dezuniga did), but his line is completely appropriate- attractive but rustic. Jesus... I'm resorting to fashion show language now.

My favorite thing about Nowlan's work on this page is the stuff he doesn't ink... the little elements that are shaped by negative spaces. Look at Superconan's leggings, or the chains, or (most impressively) the crowd in the background. Kevin has simplified the crowd with such skill! I could stare at the choices he made there for hours. It's so brilliant to render the first row or two completely and simply, and then to drop into nothing but bold shadows as you move further back. He's doing what we've talked about before... he's using his skills as an inker to help tell the story!

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Superconan, or whatever might be going on here, was published by DC Comics, and they own it!

Monday... Uncle Slam is Coming, and Some Good, Old-Fashioned Goodness by Sal Buscema and Joe Sinnott

2008-09-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

With El Diablo #1 on the stands, you're going to be hearing a lot about my next upcoming book, UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK. It will ship at the end of September, and it features a lot of hilarity surrounding the presidential election. McCain, Cheney, Schwarzer- Szhwarzeneck-- shit, I dunno... that movie star who runs California now, they're all there in Uncle Slam Fights Back.

Check it out! This man really wants you to!

Uncle Slam is owned by ME!

Today's art scan is a little glimpse into old-school Marvel superhero comics. This time, it's an issue of ROM from the late '70's (I think). The art is by two of the most solid craftsmen you could imagine, Sal Buscema and Joe Sinnott. When I need to pull the name of a penciller out of my brain to typify a solid craftsman... a guy who will always get the job done, and will rarely take your breath away, Sal is usually the guy. He's a solid draftsman, a very solid storyteller, and his work is always clear, concise, and accessible. Sinnott, through his association with Kirby on their long run on Fantastic Four, some of the best superhero comics ever done, is more highly regarded than Sal. His work, though, typifies the same kind of ethic. Joe's work is similarly solid, predictable (and I do not mean that in a negative way), and accessible.

Together, these guys make a comic that is everything a kid could ask for in a fun, well-crafted superhero book. When I was a kid, I loved ROM for a couple of reasons. First, I was there when #1 hit the stands, and that was a big deal for me. It was exciting to know that I could get each and every issue of a book, no matter the quality. Second, ROM was cool looking! When I saw that first cover, of a shiny robot with a glowing eye, I was sold!

This panel comes from that batch of pages I bought at the show in New York for four bucks each. Not bad, huh? This flashback panel has so much going on! It's a great example of how to pack a panel with information and depth without making anything confusing. Sal knows how to put the information out there so clearly, so efficiently. He makes it look easy and, believe me, it is not.

As for the inks, well... I will admit that Joe isn't really among my favorites. I tend to prefer guy whose line is more spontaneous- more lively. Don't get me wrong, Joes line isn't boring by any stretch... but it is a bit more monotonous than guys like Giordano, Drake, and Robbins. Still, I greatly admire Sinnott's work. There are a number of things that make it successful, even if it doesn't specifically fit my tastes:
1- Solid drawing ability underlines everything Sinnott does. For me, this is not always a good thing. I wish, for instance, that he had left Kirby a little more raw. But, he knows his stuff, and he makes sure that everything his brush touches is well-formed and attractive.
2- Textures! Joe is a master at using texture to create depth and a sense of comics shorthand realism. This is a tiny panel, but we see it here. Check out Power Man's hair, inked with such boldness and precision, even though Joe is just dotting at the page with a splayed out brush.
3- Confidence! This is a crucial part of any successful inker. Each line Sinnott makes looks as if he KNEW it was the right line. He sells each and every mark he makes.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the old-school genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

All characters owned by Marvel!

2008-09-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, since starting this blog, this is the closest I have come to missing my goal of posting each and every weekday (holidays aside). But, here I am, before midnight my time. Later than usual, but here I am!

So, first up today, a little bragging, I guess. I've spoken here before about the South American thing I'm writing, and now I guess I can talk about it openly. After all, it was announce in Variety yesterday. I mean, the article is mainly about my collaborators, the Fabulous Russo Brothers, but I'm in there, too! Go... check it out now!

'Dupree' duo sets sights on 'Ciudad'

I won't say too much about today's scan. As I mentioned, it's late, and it's been a long day. Hell, after the Ciudad news hit the trades, I didn't stop drinking tequila 'til dawn!

As you may have heard here before, my own beloved Uncle Slam returns to the comics world in a few weeks, with UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK! I only caught a glimpse of McCain's big speech last night, but I saw enough to crack a smile. You'll know why once you read our book, as our own version of McCain delivers a real cracker of a speech in those pages.

And, all this leads me to today's art scan. I met Bruce Timm for the first time about 15 years ago, at WonderCon. He crashed at the Action Planet table for awhile, doing sketches and hanging out. It was a pretty astonishing thing to observe. Every time I would look over at his work, a little gasp would escape from my lips. It was like, "Oh... that's the best Daredevil drawing I've ever-- Oh... that's the best Conan drawing I've-- Oh... that's the best Iron Man--", and so on.

Bruce is a fantastic cartoonist for a number of reasons. He draws well, his work is incredibly accessible, he knows how to tell a story and, most essential in my eyes, he knows how to distill the very essence of every character he touches into each and every amazing drawing.

You can imagine how annoying it was to ask Bruce for an Uncle Slam sketch, and then watch as he captured the essence of what Phil Hester and I had been trying to do with Slam in his very first attempt. This drawing nails the attitude of Slam. And, of course, it's a fantastic drawing.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Uncle Slam is owned by... ME!!!

Thursday... It's El Diablo Day at Elite Comics, and the Magic of Jack Kirby's THOR!

2008-09-04T07:05:00.001-07:00

EL DIABLO HITS STORES TODAY!!! That's right... this is the one and only day you can run out and buy this book the very first day it's available. And, if you happen to be within driving distance of Overland Park, KS, you can meet the creators in person! That's right, Jai Nitz, Phil Hester and I will be appearing all afternoon and evening at ELITE COMICS! Buy the book, meet the guys that made it... do it all, baby!

Meanwhile, here's the line art for issue #1's cover:

El Diablo is owned by DC Comics.

Today's art scan is something that's really special for me to talk about. It was a panel from a Jack Kirby issue of Thor that first inspired me to really get into comics, and Kirby's run on Journey Into Mystery and Thor is still one of my very favorite things. I won almost every issue... it's one of the few comics I have sought out like a rabid collector over the years. So, for at least fifteen years, from the time I first started buying original art, I really wanted a Kirby Thor page.

Unfortunately, while there are hundreds of such pages out there, I was somewhat picky. While I accept the the issues inked by the great hack Vincent Colletta are the way they are and there's nothing that can be done about it and I love those books just as they are... I didn't really want that hackery hanging on my wall, staring at me each day. There's quite enough hackery going on in my studio already, thank you very much. Over the years, I saw a lot of Colletta pages from Thor for sale at conventions. I would spy the page from across the room and think, "Wow... that really looks nice. Maybe Vinnie really tried on that one." When I got close to the page, though, it was always the same... blech!

So, I decided to seek out a page by another inker. Several other guys inked issues of Thor here and there, including the great Bill Everett. Only one issue, though, was inked by my favorite Jack Kirby inker, Frank Giacoia.

Giacoia was one of those incredibly talented old-school inkers. Of course, he was a solid artist in his own rights, but his inking is really what made him special. He was always bold, but lively. He strengthened everyone he inked (aside from maybe Neal Adams, on whom Giacoia was a little lost) but, at the same time, he let the penciller shine through. That's what I love about his work over Kirby. The work is more that just pretty tracing (Royer), and he doesn't pretty the stuff up too much, either (Sinnott). Now, don't get me wrong... Royer was great, and Sinnott was perfect for The Fantastic Four. That work isn't as directly Kirby, though, as what Giacoia does. Giacoia is the perfect inker for Kirby (whose work was so strong that it's all but bad inker-proof), in my opinion.

To complicate my art-buying mission, Giacoia only inked one issue of Kirby's Thor. It is actually an issue of Journey Into Mystery... issue #115, to be precise. Still, I was patient, and a page from that issue eventually fell into my hands. Oh, around the same time, about thirteen hundred bucks fell out of my pocket, but that's another story. Not only is this Kirby and Giacoia on Thor, but it also features the first appearance of one of my favorite villains, The Absorbing Man. Nice!

Today I'm posting one of the less exciting panels from the page I own, but I wanted to share this one because it's so rich... so lush. The composition by Kirby is at once complex and clear. The arranging of figures gives the image such depth, and Giacoia is a master at adding to that depth through line weights and textures. Giacoia spots blacks perfectly, but he's also not afraid to hash it up a little, no doubt following the lead of Kirby's pencils.

This is rich, solid work by two of the best ever, and it hangs right behind my chair while I work. It stares down at me, reminding me each and every day how I'm nowhere near as good as... okay, let's not go there. This is a fantastic image. I love that little Thor figure, flying down to lend a hand to these poor little humans.

And... no Matt Fraction, we are not cutting this page up and smoking it. I don't care how many times you ask.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

The comic book version of THOR is owned by Marvel Ent. Group. The god version is owned by history!

Wednesday... El Diablo, and the Amazing work of Jesse Marsh!

2008-09-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

EL DIABLO HITS STORES TOMORROW!!! I mean, c'mon people! You should probably be lined up outside a comic book store, and not wasting time reading this damn blog! Okay... you can read this post, but then you really should start making plans to get El Diablo #1 into your hands as soon as possible.

Here's another li'l sneak peek, from Mister Hester and myself:

El Diablo is owned by DC Comics.

I have to confess up front that this is a touch day for me to keep this post streak rolling. I'm tired from working too late last night. I have too many things to do, and I have an appointment soon that I have to run out for. Yeah, I know... who gives a shit. You're right! Just wanted to explain up front why this post may be brief. Ah... who am I kidding? I'm sure I'll get on a roll and ramble on and on, like always.

So, today we're going to talk about one of the truly great, overlooked comic artists, Jesse Marsh (look, usually I offer these links without comment, but you really should check this one out... it's fantastic). As his wiki article points out, Jesse is best known for his work on Tarzan, and he was the first artist to ever draw original comic book Tarzan stories. Jesse was an incredibly consistent and prolific artist. Off the top of my head, I would put him behind only Kirby in that category. He produced twenty straight years of Tarzan comics, and I'm talking pencils, inks, and letters!

Marsh is a hero of mine, because he makes incredibly effective comics without great draftsmanship. I'm not sure how the fact that I love that combination speaks to my own skills as a draftsman (okay, that's a lie... I am sure), but it doesn't matter. Marsh's work is magical to me. I love how he throws around black spaces on the page, thinking far more about how to direct the reader's eye than any realistic concern. I love the inking, particularly on panels like this, where he just attacks the page with his brush.

Look at the jungle that surrounds (and perfectly frames) the characters. Marsh's way of rendering that jungle is wild, crazy, and completely effective, particularly given the printing and coloring of the day. The figures are solidly built, but not pretty. There is no prettiness here to distract you from the telling of the story, and I like that. For the record, so did Alex Toth. He was a huge fan of Jesse Marsh.

I also love the lettering, the square balloons, the open panel borders. It's all part of the unique universe that Marsh created for Tarzan, and it all works for me!

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

I looked into it a little bit, and it's unclear to me who owns the publishing rights to Tarzan in the states. It's either public domain or owned by the Burroughs estate. Do me a favor, huh? If you wanna makes a Tarzan comic, go look into it your own damn self.

Tuesday... A Smidge of El Diablo, and a big Slice of Garcia Lopez and Giordano!

2008-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

Look, it's two days now until EL DIABLO comes out, so you will listen to a little more hype about it, and that is that! Hell, I won't even say anything today. I'll just offer this tantalizing peek from Hester and myself.

El Diablo is owned by DC Comics.

Today's art scan is a piece of original art from the legendary DC Style Guide. I don't know how many years of his career the great Jose Louis Garcia Lopez has spent on this kind of material, but it's a big number. What is the DC Style Guide? Well, if you've ever purchased a lunchbox, notebook, or pair of underwear with DC heroes on them, the art on that item probably came from some incarnation of the style guide.

I believe the first big Style Guide book was printed by DC in 1982. I know the definitive early guide came out that year, but I guess I don't know if that was the first one. I also don't know if Dick Giordano inked the entire guide, but he definitely inked the piece I own... this amazingly iconic Aquaman drawing.

I could write all day about Garcia Lopez. He draws as well as almost anyone who has ever drawn comics. His figures are dynamic. They have weight, but they're always graceful. He composes pictures brilliantly. He just does everything exceptionally well. In the world of superhero comic art, he is the ultimate artist's artist. You will be hard pressed to find an artist who isn't a huge fan of Garcia Lopez. While it isn't usually my job here to talk about the personal qualities of the artists I discuss, he is also a humble and gracious gentleman.

Dick Giordano was my first inking hero. His work was so sharp and clean, and he was the most versatile inker I had ever studied. No matter who he worked over, the penciller was still there, but the work had that signature Giordano snap. He is the guy I modeled my career after. I wanted to be like Dick... able to ink almost any kind of artist and preserve what made them special, while adding just a touch of my own personality.

So, here we have this perfect picture of Aquaman. Remember what these images were being created for. These were to be iconic drawings of DC heroes doing what they do, so that anyone could see these images on any product and instantly recognize the brand. You have all that and more in this piece. Aquaman is heroic in every way here, and he's doing what he does as a hero! To make it even better, you get not only Aquaman swimming, but you also get a gorgeous close-up, drawn as only these two guys could do it.

Look at what makes the inking so special here. Giordano is such a master at mixing up his line weights. Check out the contour of the close-up's jaw, and then look at the same contour along the eye socket. Look at how, in the swimming pose, the underside of the legs has a heavier line, which indicates a light source, but also adds depth. Mixing line weights like this is what makes a drawing pop. We spoke about Klaus Janson in an earlier post. He mixes line weights as well as anyone, and he learned it from Giordano. The inking on the hair is also fantastic. It is organic and free, but still retains the shape beautifully.

This is a great drawing... one that conjures up everything clean and pure about the genre of superheroes. I'm so thrilled to own this piece. And, to top it off, this image fills only the bottom half of a page. There's another awesome drawing on the top half!

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

DC Comics owns Aquaman.

Friday... El Diablo is Almost Out, and a Thrilling Image by Milton Caniff!

2008-08-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'll keep it brief today. I'm jammed up on work, and too high on the Obama speech tonight to stay at this for too long.

I will take time, though, to mention again the EL DIABLO comes out next week. Jai Nitz writes, Phil Hester pencils, yours truly inks, and Guy Major colors. It's a damn good book. Please check it out. At the very least, take it from the shelf and just flip through the damn thing. I think you'll dig it.

Okay, onto today's art scan. I hope the ghost of ol' Milt Caniff will forgive me for giving him short shrift. This panel is clipped from the TERRY AND THE PIRATES strip that hangs directly over my computer workstation. It was published in 1937, as Caniff was really coming into his own, thanks in large part to his studio partnership with the amazing Noel Sickles. By the way, a Sickles hangs right next to the Caniff strip, much to the chagrin of Howard Chaykin, but that's a story for another day.

This is the first panel of the strip, and look at the action we have jumped into. Hard to believe it was cool back then to show a dude with his whole damn head on fire in a popular strip that kids were reading, but there it is. No worse than what was going on in Chester Gould's brilliant Dick Tracy strip at the same time, now that I think of it.

This panel is fascinating and exciting to me. The composition is pretty static, but the action is so thick that I think it works. We are certainly being led into the next panel efficiently.

One more technical note, thanks to Derek asking: Caniff used a blue wash on his original for a few years to denote where he wanted the syndicate (or the papers... not sure how that worked, actually) to apply a gray tone. He didn't do the work himself, I assume, because a consistent dot screen was the best way to ensure good results, and the printers could offer a better approximation of what would work than Caniff could. Or, maybe it was a time-saver for him, or maybe he couldn't get good zip-a-tone... I guess I can't say for sure. I do know that the blue wash adds a very nice depth to the originals.

I always say that a great work of art has to do one thing well... it has to make you FEEL something. This panel makes me feel something very intensely. It makes me feel exuberant. The crazy lettering, the incredibly bold inking, the action, even the fact that Caniff's pen snapped on him and he didn't bother to white out the little ink explosion (under the flaming guy's right arm)... it all speaks to Caniff's joy in creating his work.

When I look at this strip, I see Caniff and Sickles, pushing each other to creative places they could not have found alone. I see two young men rejoicing in what they can do with this medium that we love. After a long day at the drawing board, a long day sometimes spent feeling uninspired or under-talented, looking at this strip makes me feel like a kid again.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius! The blog and I will be taking Labor Day off. Have a great holiday weekend, and I'll see you back here Tuesday.

Anj

I wonder who owns publishing rights to Terry these days... Fantagraphics, perhaps? Anyway, someone does, so be good!

Thursday... Uncle Slam Fights Back is Coming, and- The Brilliance of Neal Adams' Godfather, Stan Drake!

2008-08-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

First up today, I think it's time to mention UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK again. The book will be shipping in September, in time for all that delicious pre-election hoopla. The book is really fun, and full of my own left-wing craziness. Please check it out.

Here's a little peak from UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK artist, T. J. Kirsch.

Uncle Slam is owned by ME, so keep yer stinkin' mitts off!

Since we looked at the amazing work of Neal Adams yesterday, I thought it was appropriate to talk about Stan Drake today. While I'm not sure Neal very often (if ever) says as much, Drake is the seed from which Neal's sharp, illustrative style blossomed.

Drake's life story is really something. You can check out a great interview with him HERE. He was almost a movie star, he worked at one of the great ad agencies in New York when the Mad Men era was really thriving. He drew a long-lived strip called The Heart of Juliet Jones, and then went on to draw the legendary Blondie strip until his death. Along the way, he did tons of illustrations for Golf magazines, inked a lot of so-so comic books, drew the great Kelley Green graphic novels, and was sitting in the passenger seat of the sports car during the crash that killed Alex Raymond.

Drake was a master at using photo reference, combining the realism of his models with his incredibly lively and razor-sharp inking technique to produce work that never look dead or photo-stiff. I'll write another day about the varying levels of photo-ref and tracing in comics, and how many of today's artists are content to live their careers are nothing more than glorified Xerox machines. For today, I'll just present a wonderful illustration, produced by Drake when he was really at the top of his game, probably in the mid '50s.

Drake used photos here- photos he almost certainly took himself. He uses that reference as a basis for his illustration, but he doesn't let the photos dominate. The inking is so bold and lively that the work stays fresh. The textures aren't overwhelming. They inform the shapes and materials being represented, and they help pull the drawing away from the boring sheen of a photograph. The faces are a wonderful blend of realism and idealism.

I own this illustration, a comic book page or two, and a handful of Juliet Jones strips by Drake, and I never tire of his energy, or the snap of his line. Even while taking every shortcut he could muster to crank out a daily strip, the work is inspiring.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Hey... I don't actually need a copyright notice here... nice!

Wednesday... Me Drawing Batman, and Something Magical by the Best Guy Who Ever Drew Batman!

2008-08-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

First up today isn't exactly promotional. Yeah, I will get back to pushing my wares as a writer and inker again soon. I just figured we could all use a li'l break. Besides, as I look around on my hard drive for art to share here, I keep finding stuff of my own that I'd like to offer.

So, not much commentary required here. Just a Batman Sketch I did a few years back. I draw Batman more than anyone else (aside from Green Arrow, I guess, if you count all the free GA head shots I've done over the years). He's always been my favorite superhero, and he's fun to draw. It's pretty rare, though, that I produce anything very memorable. Batman has been drawn by a lot of guys in a league that I can only aspire to. Still, I like this drawing because of its power and immediacy. The drawing is okay, but it's got a confidence and a power that I'm proud of.

I ink most of my paying work these days with a pen, but I do love to play around with a brush. This sketch was done with a flat watercolor brush.

I would certainly hope that, by now, we all know that BATMAN is owned by DC Comics.

I have to confess that I no longer own the piece I'm showing off today. I used to, though, and since I made the rules of this blog, I say that's good enough.

As soon as I saw Neal Adams' work, I was a huge fan. I think only Kirby connected with me as instantly and as powerfully as Adams did. I sought out everything I could get by Neal: comics, fanzines, posters, prints, and portfolios. Among the portfolios were three packages that reprinted Neal's fantastic Tarzan paperback cover paintings. These images really blew me away. They were dynamic, and the drawings were incredible. Neal's color sense isn't the most revolutionary, but he paints well enough to tell his single-image stories.

I also quickly became obsessed with the way Neal drew with a pencil. Some of the fanzines I had gotten my hands on reprinted pencil sketches, and they were just awesome. Neal used a pencil like no one else I had ever seen. Come to think of it, I still don't think Ive seen anyone wield a pencil like Neal did. There is so much there... so much beauty and grace, but always delivered with such vitality. Just amazing.

So, when I started collecting original artwork, Neal's work was at the top of my list. Many years later, I came across the drawing I'm sharing today. I jumped on it. While I don't know that this drawing was part of the process in developing one of the Tarzan covers, it certainly seems likely. Eventually, I would sell this piece off to help pay for an upgrade... two larger prelims for the same Tarzan cover. You'll see those another day.

For now, just soak up what Neal can do with a pencil. I have left the file size quite large on this one, because I want you to be able to really see each and every line. Remember that this drawing measures no more than 7 inches wide. Damn, what I wouldn't give to be able to draw like that. I have a theory that artists often end up admiring other artists who can do what they themselves struggle with. I'll revisit this point with examples at some point, but for now, you can consider me a prime example. I draw more like the gorilla on the left side of this picture than I do like Neal Adams. What he does just seems magical to me, which is probably why I never get tired of his work.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Anyone know who owns Tarzan these days? At any rate, someone does, so don't be a pain in the ass about it!

Tuesday... Old Godness by Me and Hester, and Even More Old Goodness by Buckler and Janson!

2008-08-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

First up today is something I just rediscovered while scouring my hard drive for art scans. About a decade ago, Phil Hester and I worked on a Vertigo book called BRAVE OLD WORLD. To be perfectly honest, I don't remember much about the book. I believe it was written by my old Wonder Woman collaborator, William Messner-Loebs. I also seem to recall that Guy Davis provided layouts (as much as I respect Guy, a silly role considering the storytelling prowess of my pal Hester).

Anyway, Phil and I produced one really memorable piece of work during the Brave Old World run. We're not really known for our detailed settings or fine rendering, but we manage it pretty well, I think, in this 2/3 tier of a two-page spread.

Sadly, the original art for this piece was lost somehow. The production folks at DC made a stat (copy) pasteup of this spread, which was returned. The original art, though, was never seen again by Phil or myself. I wonder what became of it? Anyway, the digital version is still alive and well... enjoy!

I assume this Brave Old World stuff is still owned by Vertigo/DC.

The year after I moved to Philadelphia I went to my first big, East Coast comic book convention. Turns out, it was one of the biggest comic conventions ever, in a certain context. I believe the event was held in late 1991, shortly after the launch of Jim Lee's X-MEN comic, which sold something like 7 million copies... enough for each and every comic book reader in America to own about 20 copies each. These were the heady days of comic book speculation. Marvel had gone public, comics were being ordered by truckload by sports card store owners, and the gravy train was never going to stop rolling... right? Hell, the publishers were putting out so much crap that even a kid from Kansas who didn't really know what the hell he was doing could get inking work! Well, that was the hope, anyway.

At any rate, in that over-crowded hotel near Madison Square Garden, I spotted a pile of original artwork for sale on a dealer's table. The price tag for everything in this stack? How about four freaking bucks?! Well, I wasn't loaded, by any stretch, but I did have twenty dollars burning a hole in my pocket. I walked away with a Shogun Warriors page by Trimpe and Esposito, a Human Fly page by Lee Elias, a Superboy page by Brown and Giordano, a Rom page by Buscema (Sal) and Sinnott, and a Battlestar Galactica page by Buckler and Janson.

Presented today is a panel from the Rich Buckler/Klaus Janson page. It's not a stunning panel, but there is a valuable lesson here. That lesson is: There are valuable lessons to be learned even by careful study of seemingly pedestrian work. In this case, despite some odd storytelling choices here that may have been the writer's fault, the composition is clear and strong, the figures are solid and gestural, and the inking is ballsy as all hell. I won't go on and on (yeah... too late). Just look at it for a minute... study it. You can learn a lot by checking out how these two old pros got the job done.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the gen... okay, I can't really go with genius here. I don't think Rich or Klaus would mind if I say "Enjoy the deadline-driven solid workmanship!"

Anj

I have no idea who owns the publishing rights to this old, original Battlestar Galactica stuff. Let's just agree that it ain't you, okay?

Monday... Something a little different- Me Inking Duncan Fregredo!

2008-08-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

I'm mixing it up a bit today. While looking for an art scan for today's post, I came across something of my own that I had almost forgotten about. I think it's interesting enough to share.

About five years ago, just when my wife was about to give birth to our son, Henry, an editor I didn't know called me from Marvel. When a new editor calls, it's almost always good news. More often than not, it means new work, and getting new work is the best part of the job. In most cases, it's way better than actually doing the work.

In this case, the news wasn't quite that good. The editor, Nick Lowe, did like my work, and was interested in working with me. In fact, he was interested in having me ink an artist I adore, Duncan Fregredo. Unfortunately, I had to jump through some hoops first. Turns out they did like my work up at Marvel, but they liked a few other guys, too. So, they wanted some samples done... without pay, of course.

Normally, I would say no to such an offer right off the bat. I'm not arrogant about my skills or place in the business as an inker, but I do think I've been around enough to not have to do samples without pay. In this case, though, I REALLY wanted to ink Fregredo, and I doubted the opportunity would ever present itself again. He almost always inks his own work.

So, I agreed to do the samples. But, with the birth of my son imminent, I explained that I could only do two of the three pages they wanted. They agreed, under the circumstances.

For today's scan, I'm presenting the results of one of those sample pages. Even though the pencils were very intimidating, I'm happy with the results. I didn't get the gig (not that bad a deal, overall, based on what I heard from the guy that did, but that's another story), but I did prove to myself that I could ink a guy like Fregredo credibly.

The main challenge on this page was to preserve the subtlety of Fregredo's beautiful drawings. The faces here are lovely, but delicate. A heavy hand could easily lose an expression or turn an attractive face ugly. There were also a few things that were just hard to convert to line art. The hair in the last panel is probably the best example of something that works well in pencils, but is harder to pull off in ink.

Okay... enough outta me. Enjoy the, um... competence (on my part, at least), and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Characters are owned by Marvel Entertainment Group.

Friday... One more El Diablo Image. and THOR by RYAN and JANSON!

2008-08-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Who's tired of seeing promotion for my upcoming book, El Diablo?! No one, that's who!

Okay, you all know by now about EL DIABLO, shipping in two weeks from DC Comics. Demons, violence, and horses by Nitz, Hester, and myself. Please check it out. Here's the cover for #3:

I should mention here that El Diablo is owned by DC COMICS.

And, on to today's art scan. This half-splash from an issue of Thor about ten years back was drawn by a guy named Michael Ryan. To be honest, I don't know Michael Ryan's work at all, and he is not why I bought this page. I mean, it's a solid page and all. The composition is nice, and the drawing is solid. Ryan may be a huge talent for all I know, but I bought the page for the inks by the amazing Klaus Janson.

Klaus is one of the most interesting, original inkers in the history of comic books. He routinely does everything I want to do, and can never quite pull off. His work is bold, graphic, and always visually stimulating. Check out this panel... the line weights are so varied! Klaus isn't afraid to drop a hug outline around a figure, and then play up that line by using delicate linework right behind it. This variation of line is what makes stuff pop. When I see young inkers at conventions, their portfolios in hand, I can predict before seeing their work that they are not going to get this key point. I'm always telling guys to vary their line weights more, and I have never seen a young inker who pushed this point too far.

I could go on and on about the genius of Klaus, but I'll just stress one more point today. Klaus, as much as anyone in the business, understands what the job of an inker is. Believe it or not, there are many people working in comics who do not understand this point, and many of them are inkers! So, I'll say it simply and clearly right now...

THE MAIN JOB OF A COMIC BOOK INKER IS TO HELP TELL THE STORY!

There, I said it. We'll pause now, to let it soak in.

The real job of the comic book inker is not to make the prettiest lines, or be the most faithful to the pencils, or to make the coolest textures on the page, as important as all those skills are. The main obligation of the job is the same as everyone else who works on the books, to help tell the story being told as clearly as possible. Getting back to Klaus, he gets that... big time.

Okay... enough of my spouting. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more Monday!

Anj

Marvel Entertainment Group owns the superhero called THOR, and you don't.

Thursday... that EL DIABLO dude again, and the Genius of JACK KIRBY and WALLY WOOD!

2008-08-21T06:53:00.001-07:00

Okay... I know I mentioned EL DIABLO yesterday, but the damn thing is almost out, and I'm going to talk about it again! I can't stress enough how much fun this book is to work on. Not only am I inking my pal and favorite artist, Mr. Phil Hester, but I also get to work with my talented and lovely friend, Mr. Jai Nitz. That's not all, though... I also get to work with one of may favorite editors, the charming Nachie Castro. And, in an embarrassment of riches, EL DIABLO is being colored by my old friend and Green Arrow mate, Mr. Guy Major!

Phil got to design this new incarnation of EL DIABLO, and the character is really fun to play with. Here's another li'l peek:

I should mention here that El Diablo is owned by DC COMICS.

Now, on to today's art scan. As Barry Smith (screw his "Windsor") once said, failing to acknowledge that Jack Kirby dominates the comic book art form is about as foolish as failing to recognize how important Pablo Picasso was to 20th century fine art. I own a few nice Kirby pieces, including today's example, inked by another brilliant artist, Wally Wood.

Kirby and Wood worked together in the late '50s on a space/action strip called SKYMASTERS. Of course, over his fifty year career, Kirby was inked by a wide host of talented (most of the time) inkers. Standouts included Joe Sinnott, Mike Royer, and my personal favorite, Frank Giacoia. The paring of Kirby and Wood, though, is truly unique, and truly special.

I don't remember ever seeing copies of Kirby's Skymasters pencils, but I assume they were pretty loose. These days, most pencillers work as if their inkers are nothing more than glorified Xerox machines, nailing down every little detail as tightly as possible. Not so in the olden days of the '40s, '50s, and '60s. Back then, the pencillers worked fast and loose, confident that their inkers would have the skills to not only faithfully render the work, but also add depth, texture, and blacks as needed. On Skymasters, you can see the vitality of Kirby underneath, but it's all covered by that unique and lovely Wally Wood sheen.

In today's example, which was the final panel of the strip I own, Kirby has designed a great closing shot. The lead character is framed by his two friends, looking out at the reader, having just seen something the reader should desperately want to see. It's a great cliffhanger moment, composed perfectly by The King.

Wood adds his own stamp to this panel, applying his fantastic double lighting technique to the faces as only he can. The faces are still Kirby, but Wood has definitely prettied them up. The inking on the hair (something that really separates the inking men from the boys) is amazing. It's also cool that this panel includes some of the famous Wally Wood gadgetry in the background.

Take a good look at that gadgetry. When you see Wood's spaceship interiors in print, they look very tight and clean. When seen up close, though, these tech elements are really quite loosely rendered. I think there's a valuable lesson there. Templates, french curves and technical pens are no way to make exciting comic book art. Wood's approach of handling even clean, technical elements with a little spontaneity results in a much more visually interesting finished product.

Okay... enough of my spouting. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

I honestly don't know who owns Skymasters at this point. Do me a favor, though... check it out thoroughly before doing anything stupid!

Wednesday... Don't forget about EL DIABLO- and INKING, with Jerry Ordway!

2008-08-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

First off, I need to remind everyone to check out my new comic with Jai Nitz and Phil Hester. El Diablo ships at the beginning of September, from DC. It reads great, looks great, and features a demon-dude on a horse. C'mon... you gonna pass that up?! Here's a li'l sample.

Now, on to today's art scan. I thought I'd talk about the job of inking today, and I have an great example of someone doing it really well. I may show off my own humble skills someday but, for now, I'm sticking with real talents. There are a few modern inkers who I will check out each and every time I see some of their work on the shelf: Klaus Janson, Kevin Nowlan, Jerry Ordway, Bill Reinhold, and Jesse Delperdang come to mind immediately. Today, I want to talk about Ordway.

Jerry is, of course, a fantastic all-around artist. He also happens to be one of the very best when it comes to inking someone else's work. Today's sample pairs Jerry with a great, underrated artist, Curt Swan. I know I may be in the vast minority, but Jerry is my favorite finisher over Swan's work. I think he infuses Swan's work with a freshness that no one else manages. I have tons of respect for Murphy Anderson, but Jerry's work over Swan seems more alive to my eye.

I met Swan back in the late '80s, at a small show in Kansas City. At the time, I was collecting Batman sketches, so I commissioned one from Curt (who was, by the way, one of the more gracious gentlemen I've ever met in this business). Yeah, I know... one of the most famous Superman artists of all time, and I get a Batman sketch. What Can I say? I was young! At least I didn't blow it as badly as the guy in front of me. He commissioned a sketch of the Starship Enterprise.

So, Curt did a very nice drawing of Batman for me. It's a stock pose, and probably not particularly inspired, but it's nice, and it captures that innocent superhero spirit like only Curt could. Curt drew this piece on some kind of heavy vellum, and over the years the drawing got a little smudged and dirty. Finally, I decided that it would be nice to have an inked version of the piece... something more permanent that I could display without fear of harming the original. Thankfully, I had sense enough not to ink it myself. Instead, I went to Ordway, who I had gotten to know a little by this time. Jerry kindly agreed, and the results are below.

So, back to the job of inking. I won't go into too much depth here and now. I've rambled too much already. What I really want to say today is that a great inker does just what Jerry has done here. He enriches the piece, adds a little of his own voice, but retains the vision of the penciller. Jerry certainly changes this drawing... adds to it, but he does not overwhelm it. Curt Swan is still there. Jerry has simply polished him up a bit.

Oh, I should also mention that Jerry was kind enough to ink this piece over a copy of the pencils on a lightbox. Thus, I now own both the untouched Swan pencils and the Ordway inks. Perfection!

Okay... enough of my spouting. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

BATMAN is owned by DC Comics and/or Warner Brothers. You know that by now, right?

Tuesday- very little me, and a good deal of WIN MORTIMER!

2008-08-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm fighting the clock tonight and tomorrow, with the start of the school year and such. So, I will have to cut today's post short. The good news is that, while I may skimp on my promotional rambling, I will still deliver the usual helping of art scan and commentary!

I have long known about a competent, somewhat dull Superman artist named Win Mortimer. When I discovered Mortimer's work as a strip artist about six years ago, though, it was a revelation. Winslow Mortimer, free to draw and ink his own material, shines in this format. His work is fresh, lively, and completely representative of a bygone era of comics strip art.

I have pulled this panel from a two panel strip from 1958. The strip was called David Crane, and I don't know much about its storylines. I gather the strip was centered around the drama of life in a small, rural American town, but I don't know much more.

The staging in this panel is just remarkable. Mortimer fills the panel without compromising the storytelling. He uses blacks and tones (the tone on the suit on the right side of the panel is drawn by hand, while the suits on the left are zip-a-tone screens*). Also, look at how the spotted blacks in the middle of the crowd draw your eye to the cameraman. This is good stuff, people! Put down the latest over-rendered, magazine photo-referenced, ultra-shiny Adventures of Shinyman and soak this shit up! Look at how Win knows that he doesn't have to render every detail on the camera... that leaving something up to the eye of the reader is more satisfying.

The character acting here is superb, as well. There are no cookie cutter faces here. Every character has his or her own look, and every face tells a story.

I look forward to showing more Mortimer in the future. The guy is a big freaking find... a largely forgotten master.

Anj

* If you don't know what the hell zip-a-tone is, keep checking in. I'll cover it in depth at some point.

David Crane is owned by the Hall Syndicate.

Monday- My Next Appearance... and DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI!

2008-08-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd mention that I'll be appearing at the MO-KAN COMICS CONSPIRACY September 20-21. It's a good show, where you can really spend quality time with the guests... and they have some great guests this time around. Please check out the site, and come by and say "Hi!"

And now, the incredible genius of David Mazzucchelli. I was lucky enough, a few years back, to have the chance to purchase a page from the last issue of Miller and Mazzucchelli's DAREDEVIL:BORN AGAIN. Not only did I get A page. I got, in my opinion, THE page of that issue. I'm going to tease you today by not showing the panel that really kills me from this page. Instead, I offer the first panel, which features my favorite Marvel character, Captain America.

Frank Miller is probably at the top of my list as far as comic book writer influences go. As I told Frank himself when I met him, I have a lot of bookshelves in my studio, but only two small ones right next to my drawing table. Frank's work dominates those two shelves, and it is what I turn to first when I feel lost as a creator.

Frank has hooked up with a number of phenomenal artists over the years, none more so than Mazzucchelli. David takes what Frank gives him and runs full speed. In this panel, as Captain America enters the General's office, he tells us everything we need to know about the setting and the characters.

Cap himself stands near the middle of the panel, stock straight and rigid. His posture tells us that he stands at attention out of respect for the General's rank, but it also tells us something about Steve Rogers (for those non-geeks, that's Captain America... well, used to be, anyway). In the foreground the General dominates the composition forcefully. His more casual, stooped posture tells us what kind of man he might be instantly. Mazzucchelli has told us what was going on before we got here without showing us much at all. We can sense the General sitting at the desk with his feet up, scrambling when Cap bursts into the room. In the background we have the humble soldier, looking puny and intimidated next to America's Hero.

The setting is also perfectly and efficiently presented. We get just enough to define the space without overwhelming the characters or the story. Take note, young artists, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DRAW EVERY FUCKING THING! I know that won't change anyone's method... that weak artists will always draw everything in every panel to the same level of boring sheen and perfection, but it felt good to say it anyway. Anyway, I love how Mazz uses the ceiling here to make the characters seem bigger than life.

Of course, the drawing here is superb, and the inking is (are we noticing a pattern in what I like from inkers?) wonderful... confiedent and casual. The textures are great (I really dig the folds on the General's uniform), and the spotting of blacks is... uh, spot on. Squint at this panel, and it reads well. The blacks in the foreground grab you, the blacks along with bottom lead you along, and the blacks on the left side of the panel frame Cap, so the primary colors in his costume will be free to pop him out of the center of the composition.

Okay... that's enough of my spouting for today. Enjoy the genius, and come back for more tomorrow!

Anj

Captain America and the publishing rights to this page belong to those pesky Marvel folks again. Let's not run out and make our own prints of this image, or do anything else illegal, okay?

Friday... my writing projects- and RINGO

2008-08-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

I'll keep it short today. Busy weekend ahead, and too much to do.

I thought I'd recap my various writing activities at the moment. I know you all are on pins and needles about when my new stuff will be hitting shelves. Least I could do is make things nice and clear.

UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK- 40 page one-shot from Oni, ships in September
The script it done, the art is nearly so, and it should be off to the printer in the next few weeks. Look for it!

BLOOD RED- 100 (or so) page OGN from Oni Press, ships next year, I think
We're only 25 pages into this thing, but we're making headway again. Grim, violent, and fantastically-designed by Shawn Crystal. This is gonna be very fun. Lots of updates to come.

SOUTH AMERICAN THING- OGN from Oni Press, ships sometime next year, I hope
Can't say much yet, but I'm done with research, we have a plot we all like, and a little chunk of script is done. I hope we're about to land a great artist, and away we will go! I hope to be able to come back and say more about this project here very soon.

That's it in a nutshell. I have another thing or two in development, but I can't say much more at this time. I have enough on the plate for now, anyway.

And now, on to the art scan for today:

I'm doing something a little different today. I do not own this artwork... I only have scans. We lost Mike Wieringo a year ago last week, which is still hard to believe. Mike and I came up at DC at about the same time. Thanks to the fucking up of the worst editor of all time (oh... how I want to name the little prick), we never got to work together, but we always wanted to... said we would.

Mike made his job look easy, and he made comics that were full of fun and wonder. I miss him and his work, and we're all poorer for his passing. Rest in peace, Mike.

Anj

Hey... The Fantastic Four are owned by Marvel. Is your name Marvel? I didn't think so, so don't be stupid, ya moron.