Jack Kirby on Entertainment Tonight - 28 Oct 1982

Cool little Clip, there's not a lot of video footage of him that I can find but it's great when you do.

Remaining Images from Experimental

Combination Gradient colour, Airbrush with Secondary light/highlight points.


Ink Line- Quick pencil tool cut edge with Low opacity White and Black.

Pencil Line, paint colour (opacity brush)

Quick Inked with Wacom, painted colour.

Polygon Lasso tool cut edge, Quick Shade/Highlight (Low opacity White and Black)

Airbrushed with Low opacity White and Black (applied to the layer).

Progress on Experimental project

Oh and I'm in supply of Blue Line pages again. So Novel rolls on...once this project/presentation is out of the way. In the meantime, this is a slightly different colouring method, Brush tool with 20% opacity.

Comission Sketch "The Soldier"

Thanks Dave for the request for the image. The other image is below, Dave requested the comedic scene with the Punisher, Wolverine and Ghost Rider. Thanks again Dave.

New pages...and I'm all out of Blue Lines

Problem is I can't draw more pages until the blue lines arrive from the states...hopefully when I got into the city to check on wednesday I'll have word on when they might be in.

Vigilante story: Draft 2

Re-reading this as I created this post, once again I'll state: I'm not a writer (!) But I try, that's the main thing :) The main thing that I want to show (apart from the artwork) is perhaps the concept- And at least it will be enough for someone to sit and look through it and get an idea of what the characters are about. Anyways, I'm waffling. Below is the revised draft of the second part to the graphic novel which will join in with "The Soldier" story. Still can't pick a title, and don't really have an original name for the guy, but I just that sort of suits the character- he's not a colour-wearing heroic superhero type- the outfit is just practical streetwear; so why would he even bother with a name. The dialogue and some onf the event details have changed a bit more than the Solider script did- it was an attempt to tie the two stories together a little bit more and talk a little more about his motivations for being on the street and show a little bit of vulnerability (fear) than just "I have no powers and I'm out here to be a normal bloke superhero"...*shrug* you get the idea.

WORKING TITLE: “CITIZEN’S ARREST” REVISED DRAFT 2

PAGE 1: INT. VIGILANTE’S BEDROOM – EVENING

A VIGILANTE sits on the edge of his bed. At his feet is
a small metal box with old World War 2 photos, rising
sun pin and slouch hat scattered on the floor. In the
VIGILANTE’s hands he holds an old face mask which he
stares at intently. The mask resembles the mask worn by
a soldier in a photograph at the VIGILANTE’s feet.

Page 2- 3 (double page spread)

Panel shots of News Anchors on different news programs
juxtaposed with shots of VIGILANTE weight lifting,
punching the bag, taekwon-do pattern training, push ups
(?)

Various News reports in alternating panels each other.

NEWS REPORTER 1
Police are on the hunt for a gang
of youths believed to have sexually
assaulted an elderly woman in her
South Brisbane home...

NEWS REPORTER 2
...The drugs and hydroponic
equipment were seized during the
raid of the suburban home, with a
total street value of $80,000...

NEWS REPORTER 3
...shots were fired from the
vehicle, seriously wounding two
officers and several bystanders...

NEWS REPORTER 4
...hunt for the Serial Arsonist
continues as the Death toll
continues to rise. Police say...

NEWS REPORTER 5
...the girl is in a critical
condition in hospital after the 5
year old’s uncle violently threw
her from a moving car...

Next Page
EXT. UNDER AN OVERPASS- BRISBANE FREEWAY – NIGHT

Text: Pacific Motorway, Outside the City...

A young man stands under an overpass of a Freeway in a
Suburban area of Brisbane. He puts down his back pack
and unzips the top. He begins to dress himself in dark
clothes, gloves and a mask.

VIGILANTE (CAPTIONS)

Do you ever read the papers or
watch the news at night and think
“What the hell’s wrong with
people?” Was society always like
this? Or do we just hear more about
it as technology and communication
improves?

The VIGILANTE clips on weapons straps and conceals a
homemade Blackjack in his jacket sleeve. Next to the
back pack, a digital camera, black texta pen, street
map and stick of gum lay at his feet

VIGILANTE

I’m Afraid. Not just because I’m
out here, but because I’m afraid of
a world where terrible events occur
almost every day, and we shrug. We
think “That’s sad” and carry on
with whatever we were doing. I
guess we have to.

But I can’t.

As he finishes suiting up, He peers down at the street
below and takes a deep breath.

VIGILANTE (CONT V/O)
So why me?

The VIGILANTE slides down to the footpath, darts across
the four lanes of traffic into the bushes.

VIGILANTE (CONT V/O)
A man appeared during the second
World War who wore a mask. He was
my Grandfather. I don’t think
anyone knew his identity, let alone
why he felt the need to wear it.

The VIGILANTE runs through back gardens, across a park,
though the trees, and across streets.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
He wore it at a time where he felt
that lives needed to be saved
outside the “regular” system.
Something he needed to do. A
promise that he made.

The VIGILANTE pauses at the sound of smashing glass. At
the end of the street, he spots a street light go out,
smashed by a brick. He runs into the shadows.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
I realise it was war. There’s still
war today. I could have joined the
armed forces. At home, I could have
joined the Police force. What do
you do?

Fight overseas problems or dispense
speeding fines?

Don’t get me wrong,
these are brave men and women I’m
talking about. And one day I
noticed that they do make a
difference. But I notice other
things too.

EXT. SMALL ROOF TOP – NIGHT

The VIGILANTE scales the side of a guttering and
perches in the shadows on the top of a shop roof.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
My neighbour’s house has been
burgled 3 times in the last 8
months.
The elderly couple down the street;
stabbed and robbed in their own
home. Junkies looking for another
fix.
Below, a gang of four spray paints graffiti all over
the shop front. One gang member kicks over a bunch of
garbage cans while another whacks the plexiglass
windows with a crow bar.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
The Local Shopkeeper has been held
up twice, struck with an iron bar
last time .35 stiches.

The VIGILANTE takes digital photos of what the gang
members are doing to the shop. He takes the memory card
and slips it into an envelope. With a marker he writes
on the front “To Springwood Police”.

VIGILANTE (CONT V/O)
I don’t need to be sent overseas to
fight. There’s a war right here.

Doesn’t mean I’m any less scared
out of my brain...

As he stuffs the envelope and camera back into his bag,
the VIGILANTE looks up to see two of the GANG MEMBERS
harassing a YOUNG LADY walking through the street. GANG
MEMBER 2 pulls out a knife as GANG MEMBER 1 tears at
her clothes, attempting to grope her. The VIGILANTE’s
eyes widen.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
@#$!

The VIGILANTE jumps down on top of GANG MEMBER(4),
breaking his fall. He finds himself in front of GANG
MEMBERS 1 and 2, who have grabbed the girl.

GANG MEMBER 2
Who the hell you s’pose to be?!

VIGILANTE
Listen dude...You don’t want to do this...

GANG MEMBER 3 emerges from behind and grabs the
VIGILANTE in a head lock.

GANG MEMBER 3
This @#$@ thinks he’s Spider-man!

VIGILANTE (V/O)
No time to be scared. Just fight.

The VIGILANTE reaches over, grabs the face of GANG
MEMBER 3 and leavers his leg to lift and drop the GANG
MEMBER (3) onto his knee.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
Don’t freeze up; I do and we’re
both in the Emergency room.

Disposing of GANG MEMBER 3, GANG MEMBER 2 Slices the
VIGILANTE across his arm.

VIGILANTE
AAARRRGGHH!

As GANG MEMBER 2 tries again, the VIGILANTE quickly
slips under the arm of GANG MEMBER 2, dislocating the
elbow across his shoulder causing him to drop his
knife, reverse elbowing him in the throat with the
opposite arm and drops him with a back kick to the
stomach.

GANG MEMBER 1 holds a knife to the YOUNG LADY’s neck as
the VIGILANTE approaches. The YOUNG LADY swings her
hand back and smashes GANG MEMBER 1’s groin, causing
him to recoil.

VIGILANTE (CAPTION)
Smart Lady.

She runs out of the way as the GANG MEMBER buckles
over. As he looks up, tears in his eyes, the VIGILANTE
knocks him out with a massive right hook to the jaw. As
the last GANG MEMBER falls, the VIGILANTE clutches his
arm, blood seeps through his sleeve.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
...that went well...

He stops and looks around at the out cold GANG MEMBERS,
then looks at YOUNG LADY, who smiles slightly.

YOUNG LADY
Thank you...are you ok?

The VIGILANTE turns his head to the sound of police
sirens. The YOUNG LADY turns her head, and turns back
to find the VIGILANTE gone, with the Large envelope in
his place.

She picks up the envelope as the Police car pulls up.The VIGILANTE watches silently from the bushes, smilesand runs into the shadows.

NEWS REPORTER (CAPTION)
...Police are wanting to question a masked
man who is believed to have
prevented a potential Sexual
assault south of Brisbane last
night which left 4 men in hospital. The incident was said to
have been sparked when a young
woman came across her attackers
vandalising a local corner store in Springwood around 10pm.
This marks the third incident in a number of weeks where a masked man has been spotted in the streets. Despite the outcome and Young Woman escaping unharmed, Police wish to warn citizens against taking the law into their own
hands...


END

Progress continues: Experimental

The above image is the next step in colouring after I completed the flats. (see previous experimental post.) Basically flat colours would be what you would see in a 60's style comic book; the next step was shading/rendering the characters in a "cut edge" style of colouring (or at least trying to :P) using penicl tool and lasso. Shades are basically a darker CMY mix.

The image here is adding highlights to the characters in the same fashion as the shading. Really, it could have been a step that could have been skipped to keep the above cut edge image simple, but I just wanted that extra rim-light-like light source. Plus it allowed me to try a basic "knockout" technique with thor's lightening where the black lines were coloured yellow with a basic glow added to the layer.

To finish the image and "clean" up the file, a grey layer was added over the black channel; this is a mix of CMY and appears on all layers under the black line: basically in creates deep blacks in the black areas, eliminates the white areas missed under the black line and between the colours and if printed, will not expose errors if the prints don't line up exactly .( As the book explains :) )

Two things I need to consider when colouring my graphic novel: the characters will not be as brightly coloured as the avengers here, and also the environemtn light sources in the comic will be predominatley at night. So perhaps in my experiment I should change a light source, and try colur in a different method to suit a nighttime atmosphere? I've discovered early my lack of ability and patience with Brush inking, so maybe experiments with just colouring methods may be the order of the day? Maybe a different pen method (scratchier?) to contrast with the thick lines I inked the image with originally?

"Official" Draft 2: Soldier story

Below is a second draft to the Soldier story. I've refrained from giving myself too strick of visuals and page/panel breakdowns just so I can mainipulate the sotrytelling more in the physical page-layout/roughing stage. Otherwise if a panel doesn't suit the page and I have to push it along (or cut something), then I ruin the page structures for the remaining story. Plus I think better as a drawer than I writer I believe...

“THE SOLDIER” DRAFT 2 BY PAUL MASON

BLACK page

“Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is
no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country,
they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will
fight hard.”
-Sun Tzu - The Art of War.

DIALOGUE FOR COMIC BOOK

EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 – DUSK- PAGE 1

Full Page Close Up of shadowed SOLDIER.

Text: New Guinea Jungle – 1943. Matilda tanks unloaded
at Scarlet Beach were needed inland. The treacherous
push through dense jungle and steep terrain toward
Sattelberg was to be fraught with danger, especially
for the Brave men of the 9th Division AIF providing
protection for the tanks from Enemy Soldiers.
Amongst the day and night battles with roadblocks,
intense skirmishes and moving sweeps of Enemy soldiers,
word spreads of a Digger who wears a leather mask,
who’s forearms bear the Aussie Southern cross and who
fights like nothing they’ve ever seen.

He is the Soldier.

Page 2

Dense wet jungle. Faint sounds of gunfire can be heard
in the distance. A lone SOLDIER emerges from the
shadowy trees.

SOLIDER (V/O)
Seperated from my Company.
Ambushed. The Enemy flanked us.
Stupid. Should have been paying
attention. We we split so quick all
we could do was scatter.Low on
Ammo, Covered in mud (goes without
saying here.) Mild malaria. Haven’t
slept for days. Blood on my arm.
Don’t think it’s mine.

The SOLDIER turns his head towards the bushes and cocks
his Owen Machine Gun.

Page 3 - (splash-credits)
SOLDIER (CONT V/O)
Rustling in Bushes. Too quiet for
soldiers.

He props himself behind a tree, Gun raised at the
ready. Listening intently, Birds fly out of the trees.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Hmmph. Gotta keep moving. Smells
like rain’s coming.

Page 4
Establishment shot of the Jungle. The SOLDIER continues
his journey.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Trail’s gone cold. Lost the
Footprints at the start of the
river. Jungle’s so thick though, it
wouldn’t give a those bastards with
hostages too many options.

The SOLDIER reaches the trail again and crouches down.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Christ I feel like a steak...

page 5

The SOLDIER remembers a barbeque in the past.

SOLDIER
Sunday Arvo Barbie, Mate’s kids
running around, Footy on the
Wireless, Elizabeth laughing and
joking...
Those beautiful blue eyes, warm
soft skin. So peaceful...

The SOLDIER shakes his head

SOLDIER
No. Focus. Can’t go home to her if
you’re dead, can you?

Page 6

The SOLDIER slumps onto his knees in the mud.

SOLDIER
Why am I even here?...No. Gotta
find the boys.
Stay Strong. Get up.

I made a promise.

page 7

EXT. MAKESHIFT CAMP NEW GUINEA JUNGLE – DAY
Australian Soldiers sitting in scattered groups,
writing letters, detailing maps. A smaller soldier sits
against a tree reading a comic book.

TEXT: 9th Division Headquarters, somewhere East of
Jivevaneng. The Past.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Kevin Kirby, barely out of school.
Stupid little bloke, young, brash,
loved his comic books. All about
heroes or something. Masked men,
Bushrangers. Always going on about
‘em. Drove the rest of us bananas.

The SOLDIER (unmasked) stands with his arms folded over
the smaller soldier.

SOLDIER
S’pose to be cleaning weapons.
Instead I find him bludging under a
tree.

I tell him “Bushrangers were
Robbers, Killers. Some heroes you
look up to, Private.”

SOLDIER (CONT)
Kevin smiled. “Most were killers,
this bloke’s different.

Still panels from KEVIN’s comic book show a masked man
battling Bushrangers and rounding them up.

SOLDIER (CONT)
He does have powers like other
comic heroes, he’s just a bloke
like you and me who he just felt he
needed to act. Not a copper, not a
robber or a killer, just someone
who kept his home and family safe,
and the lives of others safe.”
He chose to wear a mask, and fight
fire with fire. Not as just an
ordinary man, but as something
more.

The SOLDIER dismisses Kevin’s story and walks away.

SOLDIER (CONT)
A need to act? I shrugged at Kevin.
Wasn’t my thing. I was fighting
thousands of miles away from home.
Campaign after campaign, watching
my mates die. I was tired. I didn’t
want to hear Kev’s stupid story.

Cut to:
EXt. New Guinea Jungle 1943 - Dusk

The SOLDIER pauses, before running into the bushes.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Why am I here? It took a Brave man
to show me.

CUT TO:
FLASHBACK EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE TRAIL – DAY

Australian soldiers batten down in a jungle trench
under enemy fire. The SOLDIER returns machine gun fire
to enemy soldiers in the bushes ahead.

KEVIN
How we doing?! Is the roadblock
clear?!

THE SOLDIER
Bloody Hell Kev, just stay down
alright?!

CUT BACK next panel.

EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - NIGHT

The SOLDIER sprints through the bushes and perches onto
a branch overlooking the enemy soldiers and hostages.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Those bloody comics; me and the
boys thought Kev was too young, no
good to us.

CUT TO: NEXT PANEL
FLASHBACK EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE TRAIL - DAY

Australian Soldiers continue firing at enemies. An
enemy soldier from out of the jungle launches a hand
grenade into the Australian trench. Kevin yells, and
without hesitating, rips off his helmet, shoves SOLDIER
aside and dives in towards the grenade.
There is an explosion, Black rest of page.

TEXT: They shall grow not old, as
we that are left grow old. Age
shall nor weary them, nor the years
condemn. At the going down of the
sun and in the morning, we will
remember them.

LEST WE FORGET

CUT TO: NEXT PAGE

EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - NIGHT

The SOLDIER grits his teeth then leaps down in between
the hostages and the Enemy soldiers.

SOLDIER (CONT)
I understand Kev. A need to act. To
keep lives safe.

The enemy soldiers freeze. The SOLDIER raises his
Machine Gun. As he pulls the trigger, the gun jams.

SOLDIER (WORD BALLOON)
Bugger.

The enemy soldiers realise and raise their weapons. The
SOLDIER swings the butt of his gun into the head of the
closest enemy while two others fire.

SOLDIER (CONT)
He was more than the ink and paper
comic heroes he read about. He was
a flesh and blood hero who died
saving my life and the lives of his
mates.
It’s only fair that I continue his
bravery. His courage.

Jumping to the side, He grabs two enemies by the collar
and tosses them into trees. The SOLDIER Uppercuts the
next enemy, head butts another and sidekicks the
stomach of one attacking from behind.

SOLDIER (CONT)
So for him, for my mate, for my my
country, and for Elizabeth...I now
act.
To keep lives safe.

The dust settles, all the enemies lay scattered out
cold. The SOLDIER begins to untie the hostages’ hands.

HOSTAGE 1
Thank Christ for you mate...

The SOLDIER quietly touches his brow as a salute.

END.

Experimental project-progress

Image scanned, channel layers set for colouring, with a black copy.

Flats In Progress- pencil tool and lasso.

Ok, got through the paiful process of inking a picture- Experiment A.) inking with Pen/marker. Without going too detailed (saving that for the presentation). Tried to keep the basic inking rules (as I can't ink) by keeping the image readable, varying the lineweight in the foreground/background and keeping to a rough light source.

Colouringwise, above is the process of scanning the inked image, prepping it for basic flats in CMYK. I didn't go too in depth into laying out a particular colour scheme; at this stage I just wanted simliar "silver age" Avenger colours, with a variation of reds so that the characters with red in their outfits don't look the same. More to come.

Project update:

Completed 2nd "official" drafts of The Soldier and Vigilante stories for Graphic Novel. Kept the dialogue/action down to 5 pages each still, but buffed up the text a bit as the graphic novel will allow for more dialogue on the page than dialoglue in an animated short.

Also have almost pencilled 8 pages- still waiting on Blue Line pages ordered a couple of weeks back. Taken notes for animated trailer, semi-thumbnailed. Hoepefully have storyboards and animatic done soon, but the Graphic Novel is the important one.

More later.

Experimental project- ink and colour

Image for experimental. Selected Stan and Jack's 'Avengers' because of the variety of colours-

Basically, the experiment I wish to try is what methods/process I intend to use to complete a comic page before the colouring process. Traditionally, I am a penciller, but for this Graphic Novel I am going to have to somehow "ink" my work in order for the drawings to have bold line and depth. But there are a number of methods to ink/prepare the work before colouring, and there are a number of colouring styles that can be applied to the work and therefore I want to test the look of the artwork with various inking/colouring styles.
These processes take a different mindset to plotting/layouts/pencilling the work and will be a consideration I’ll need to take.
a.) Pencils, ink with pen only, scan and colour with basic flat colours and highlights ( colours like Jack Kirby/Tim Sale art)

b.) Pencil, ink with pen and brush, scan and colour using basic flat colours and highlights

c.) Pencil and ink as in b.) but rendered colouring (airbrushed looking- more modern look (with cut edges?)

d.) Pencil, digital ink with wacom tablet, colour as above.

e.) Pencil, no ink, fully rendered Photoshop colour work.

Experiment will check efficiency in time, whether the style of artwork will look better inked with pen, pen/brush, digital or no ink and colour-wise; in a flat colour style, rendered colour style or fully rendered Photoshop painting.

More pages

A little distracted last week with the thesis, and kind of a little overwhelmed to the point where I don't know where to work next on what task, but still doing what I can till my order of blue lines come in from the states. In the meantime, here's page 5 and 6, currently on page 7. Typing some sort of layout for the 'animated trailer' and revising the script/s.