I was surprised by my good friend and talented Australian Comic Book Artist/ "Rock Star", Paul Abstruse on Facebook http://www.paulabstruse.daportfolio.com/ with this review of my latest Soldier Legacy comic books. I was very touched. I don't get many reviews of the work, but what made this quick review important to me was that Paul is coming from a knowledge base in comic production/ toiling for the craft. Anyways, thank you Paul, and congratulations again on the latest Zenescope project :D
"ok buddy....just finished all four issues.
As i read it, i felt there was a nice blend of gruff bravado and call of duty that gives the protagonist's a purpose of being. With the soldiers side of the story, the tough talking internal monologue is reminiscent of Frank Millar's Sin City. On the grandson's side, he struggles with the unknown. The personal touch for his feelings concerning his ex girlfriend made the story real to me. I feel the writing was well paced. The individual page cliff-hangers worked well. I was most impressed with the layouts. I never had any trouble following the page. For the most part my eye was always directed to the right spot. Diagonal panels seem to work very well with your style. There were a couple of pages where i felt that the characters breaking out of the borders were unessarary. But that is only nit-picking. The impact panels were always large and bold, which is important. The colours work perfectly. And throughout the whole book the art is consistent. And that my friend is very hard to acheive.
And as a fellow comic book artist i can see how much work has gone into these 4 books. To write, pencil, ink, letter and prep for printing is such a mammoth task, you really have to hand it to anyone who does it. The last issue has left me biting my nails and wanting to see how the story ends. It has also left me wondering if there will be a continuation of the series once the story arc is done.
So congrats on the work you have done so far. You deserve all the recognition you get and then some. Your book embodies all that is good about comics and the australian spirit."
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The process: Rough layouts for Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes #8
Teeny little SPOILER ALERT: I mention nothing in the text below, but if you're currently reading this story arc from 'Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes' #5 & 7 (with a little bit in #6), don't try to figure out who's who and what's going on too closely, m'kay? ;D
Just throwing up some recent images of the pencil layouts for "Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes #8" Not only did I do the back up story for this (with Chris Sequeira), I also provided some layouts for the main writer/artists team story to get the book in on time. This was interesting from my point of view of not only working the opposite way to my back up story (virtually "Marvel Method", by which Chris and I discussed plot, I went away and created art, then lettered it based on Chris's dialoguing of my pages)- In the main story, I was working off a full script (written by Chris), which was one change to the method, plus the fact that in regards to the art, my job on a page was finished, only to go as far as the blocking out/pose/gestural level.
The interesting part is seeing how the main artist (in this case, the gentleman, Phil Cornell) chooses to use the panel/pages in the final printed version, or whether he chose to not use a page/panel at all/altered it (in the case of a few pages; This is by no means a problem at all, in this instance, I am merely assisting the artist in nailing the deadline by eliminating the first step in the visualizing of the script. One artist may see the scene in a different manner as to how other sees it, that what makes the collaborative process interesting in this case. It was a fun and noteworthy experience in the departmentalized approach to comic creating.
I don't have digital pages of the final product to show before and afters, but those who happen to pick up a copy at the current Supanovas running, off blackboox, or from Newsagents soon, will be able to get a "behind the curtain" view of the collaboration process. (Incidently, it was a very cool script, and I look forward to reading the conclusion to this current story arc ;D)
Enjoy :D
Just throwing up some recent images of the pencil layouts for "Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes #8" Not only did I do the back up story for this (with Chris Sequeira), I also provided some layouts for the main writer/artists team story to get the book in on time. This was interesting from my point of view of not only working the opposite way to my back up story (virtually "Marvel Method", by which Chris and I discussed plot, I went away and created art, then lettered it based on Chris's dialoguing of my pages)- In the main story, I was working off a full script (written by Chris), which was one change to the method, plus the fact that in regards to the art, my job on a page was finished, only to go as far as the blocking out/pose/gestural level.
The interesting part is seeing how the main artist (in this case, the gentleman, Phil Cornell) chooses to use the panel/pages in the final printed version, or whether he chose to not use a page/panel at all/altered it (in the case of a few pages; This is by no means a problem at all, in this instance, I am merely assisting the artist in nailing the deadline by eliminating the first step in the visualizing of the script. One artist may see the scene in a different manner as to how other sees it, that what makes the collaborative process interesting in this case. It was a fun and noteworthy experience in the departmentalized approach to comic creating.
I don't have digital pages of the final product to show before and afters, but those who happen to pick up a copy at the current Supanovas running, off blackboox, or from Newsagents soon, will be able to get a "behind the curtain" view of the collaboration process. (Incidently, it was a very cool script, and I look forward to reading the conclusion to this current story arc ;D)
Enjoy :D
Something left of field: A quick review of "No Map but Not Lost".
Ok, this is a little different, as I'm not one to actually DO reviews. Sure, I'm studying postgraduate in comic books (albeit Superhero books), and could, (given the proper amount of time, sleep and brain-function) string together a half-decent, coherent comic book review if I chose to. But, at any given point of a day, I have that many stresses and odd jobs pulling me AWAY from creating my OWN stuff, that even now as I type this I know I'm avoiding the pile of drawing I need to complete tonight and before the convention on Saturday. Add to that the constant slight feeling of inadequacy I'm sure many artists feel when producing work (be it for personal gratification or for public consumption), and the fact that I know I'll have to ditch another mind-relaxing gym session to get back on top of things, means this review is less of a proper review, and more like a "rambling thoughts on something I liked".
I guess in this mindset, this is the reason why I found somewhat of a connection, or more like what resonated with me, in the reading of a wonderful book by Melbourne's Bobby Nenadovic (or pen name 'Bobby N.'), entitled "No Map, but not Lost: The Self Published Comics 1995-2001" (published by Milk Shadow Books 2012). For a start, regular readers (all 3 of you, including me)or anyone unfortunate to get stuck talking to me at a convention about comics, would know that if it's not Jack Kirby, chances are I'm not reading it (a big exaggeration, but not far from the truth). This week, I read two Milk Shadow titles (the other being Ben Hutchings's beautiful silent work "Walking to Japan"), but a number of things stood out for me regarding Bobby's work, which I'd like to touch on.
Firstly, I'll get this out of the way that I was a fan of Bobby N. the person before I'd properly read any of his work. I had seen his images from "Digested" (his series published by Gestalt Comics) from Bobby's website http://www.bobbyn.com/ , and very much dug (an academia term) his sense of design, line work, composition and overall mise en scene of the worlds he created on the page. Overall though, after meeting him, I became a fan of Bobby himself. A very nice guy, no B.S about him. He seems to listen, and gives opinions which come from a basis of knowledge of the artform, but with a realistic awareness of the comics scene in general.
But, in saying this, I tried not to let this influence the way I read someone's work, or my opinion of it. In that way, I can still enjoy an old school Frank Miller story or a Mel Gibson movie without feeling overly guilty, or that the text is tainted because of the "jerkness" that comes from the person in question....to a degree though, I'm only human ;P. So I'm saying I don't like to let the person influence my reading of their material.
In Bobby's case though, I still feel "No Map but not Lost" was such an enjoyable reading experience, and such a personal book, that I feel as though it was quiet journey that you take with him, spoken and unspoken. What I mean by that wanky statement, is that the commentary at the end of each chapter gave you the reader insight into the creative process, skill progression, comic methodology (good or bad in whether he completed the story) and overall personal thoughts into each strip he unashamedly or proudly included in the collection, but at the same time you get this unspoken journey, which demonstrates the growth and development of emotion and themes within the artwork of this fantastic cartoonist. Sure, he probably alludes to this in the commentary, or that they slowly go from "What the f$%^ was I thinking?" to one of the comments at the end of one of my favorites from the book ('Withheld') "...one story I could proudly stand behind and say 'this is mine'." But like any good sequential story teller will say "Show, don't tell", Bobby's work certainly shows, and the connection and afterthought you will develop from reading this book will certainly resonate with you too. Not only in the development of storytelling and pace, the wonderful use of scale, panel size or shadow to convey a mood or manipulate the pacing, but even in the themes of the story. Again, from 'Withheld', I'm still trying to figure out plot points/find the hidden meaning long after reading the strip.
(Maybe all those bombastic, silver age Kirby stories have melted my brain to a point where the quiet stories are both a lovely change of pace, but have destroyed my ability to "get" things ;P)
Perhaps, (and most likely why I've chosen to procrastinate more by ignoring my own work to do for this spontaneous ramble) the reason I liked this book very much was that it speaks to me as a comic creator myself. Booby N. alludes to life experiences and events in his comics and commentary that I too share, as well as the same mindset towards them (though he can probably express these thoughts better and more eloquently than I can). He also reminded me (through including the first few strips such as "Assassinator pt1 &2") of the mainly action-only strips (with no context or plot) I first started drawing as a kid. I find myself nodding my head or finding something very much in common with any points in much the same way as I connect with some of the comments 'The List' creator Paul Bedford has made in the past regarding his own comics making drive and upbringing. Particularly as I mentioned at the start of this article, many of us on the Australian scene have to sleep very little in order to fit in time around our "day jobs"/study/commutes/eating/showering etc. to be able to produce work which competes with larger, international works, produced by teams of people who do that as their only profession, with characters of unlimited marketing/cross media channels and 50-70 year publishing history.
It's a hard slog.
Often you doubt why you bother at all. And yet, Bobby N.'s book reminds me that on some level, it's important to remember that you're suppose to ENJOY the work. And, that like the lessons he learnt from Dave Sims, it's important to keep 'climbing that mountain'- I guess in a sense not just for the general public who may or may not enjoy reading your comics, but on an artistic level, for YOURSELF. In the day to day grind of life, and all its problems that pile up and threaten to crush your spirit, you need that "oasis", as Bobby N. best puts it.
I appreciate the reminder, Bobby. Thank you.
"No Map, but not Lost" is available from various comic book retails (inquire online) or from Milk Shadow book's website https://www.milkshadowbooks.com/blog/?products=no-map-but-not-lost
(Photo above: Taken at Melbourne Supanova 2012 L to R: Chris Sequeira, Bobby N., and me. Colin Wilson's awesome car on the LHS too ;) )
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
QUEENSLAND! Get These at GOLD COAST SUPANOVA APRIL 21st-22nd
My last weekend as a "Supa-Star Guest" is coming up. Bittersweet, but very thankful.
Chris Sequeira (Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes, X-men Vs Vampires, Justice League Adventures) and I will be talking all things Black House Comics on the Saturday at 11:20am in the Supanova Seminar room.
And I hope to be con sketching like a mad man. Looking forward to the turnout. All single issues $5, the Trade Paperback is only $20!
See you there :D
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Week 1 "Supa-Star Guest" Post-con jibberish- Melbourne Supanova 2012
Man, what a weekend :D
Melbourne Supanova 2012 as a "Supa-Star Guest" was just something else, and whether this be the peak of my Australian comic career or not, I am certainly grateful, and have a lot of cool stories and memories.
So this is just a huge thank you and recap of the people I met, caught up with, or have helped me this weekend with furthering my journey in this crazy career path. This recap/"thank you-fest" might seem silly or pointless to some, particularly when I thank people merely for talking to me, but being thankful for kindness or advice, and never forgetting where you came from (good or bad), is an important part of my process, and being a grateful human. I believe I'm not a "hand out" sort of person- I'll "bust my gut" (for lack of a better, less disgusting term) to work hard to get where I want my work to go, and where I myself want to be. I don't have any misconceptions of where I may sit on the food chain in different aspects of my life, or where I may be heading, but I like to think I'm not one to B.S why I'm there at a certain point without believing I have credible reason, and a body of evidence for being there. Luck, and a bit of belief from others is a massive help. Anyways, without any more waffle, nonsense and padding, here's the recap (which, is kind of more waffle, nonsense and padding too ;P)
(*I have a lot of names to cover here, I wrote a quick list, so I hope I get you all. If not, it's not because I appreciate you any less, it's because I'm STILL firing on very little sleep, and a massive pile of work still to fight through.)
Before I get into it, the massive highlights were definitely hanging out with Jim Kelly from "Enter The Dragon" (one of my childhood to adulthood top flicks)- Chris and I happened to be seated next to his table a breakfast where we talking on a range of things like Bruce Lee, his favorite directors, The West Coast, pre-fight prep...man, heaps of great stories and anecdotes. It was nice of Chris to "fact drop" the world title history- it ended up giving us some common ground and "talk a little shop"....I know, right? Jim Kelly!). Then later, I caught up with him where we talked more on Ali, and a heap on his career. What an awesome, down-to-Earth, cool guy. I got this awesome print signed too(above), there's some history there in that pic, that's for sure. He even took some copies of 'The Soldier Legacy' comic books :D Next week, I endeavor to get the photo with him. Looking forward to catching up.
Following this awesome breakfast, was a Bus ride where Chris and I chatted for a while with one of my favourite writers, Brian Michael Bendis. We'd met briefly the day before, but it was nice to be able to sit and talk. Man, there were some great little insights into his work, plus some current stuff with film and animation (and a few other hidden gems from this)- again, a cool guy, very nice to hear him say kind things about the Soldier Books I gave as a gift, and getting the photo too. Marvel artists Carlos Pacheco and Billy Tan were great to talk to as well, got a "Utimate Thor" book signed- very pleased. Even more pleased when he ask me to sign 'my' book. What a nice guy.(Billy remembers the Soldier from 'Tides of Hope', which was very cool, and it was great getting a photo too.)
Looking forward to Bendis's seminar- Quinny (the seminar man at Supanova) said the script insights were great. Should be awesome fodder for the thesis work.
Regarding the new releases of 'Soldier Legacy #4' and the first Trade Paperback; I want to publicly thank Baden Kirgan of Black House comics and Jeffries Printing services. The support regarding the deadlines, printing and shipment of stock was just phenomenal, everyone who picked up the Soldier trade on the weekend agreed on the top quality of the printing, and also, to turn around top quality and big quantities of two different books (Soldier Legacy #4 and Dark Detective #8) in a short space of time, is just epic.
I also want to thank very, very much, my collaborator, partner in crime, mentor and close friend Christopher Sequeira on another adventure-filled weekend. From hatching plans, to plotting stories & ideas, to personal advice, and for being eternally optimistic when I would be more than happy to beat myself up about things, Thank you mate. It's always a pleasure catching up and spending time on the tables with you. I'm glad people are so positive about the Dr Nikola/1880's Soldier team-up- I can't wait to begin the concluding installment, and our future projects, starting with our Parahuman #1 story.
To Supanova "Grand Master" Daniel Zachariou, and his wonderful team including his partner Libby, Missy and Felicity, and James, Norelle, Roger and the rest of the crew who ran around for us all weekend- a great show, thank you so much for your help, looking after us, belief in me and the Australian series, and I look forward to the first Gold Coast show this weekend. It's shaping up to be huge! (and Daniel, your kind words about the Soldier Legacy 'Tides of Hope' page are a highlight, thanks again.) http://www.supanova.com.au/
Tim McEwen, http://greenerpasturescomic.blogspot.com.au/ Stewart McKenny http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_McKenny(and your better half, Wendy ;D): thank you again for your company, and encouragement, I hope you dig the latest issue of Soldier. (Tim, did you spot the old Australian comic nod? ;D) Tim, your daughter Annabelle ran the 'Tides of Hope' section so professionally, I was very impressed, and the comic page wallets were very popular too.
Tom Taylor and Colin Wilson: two gentlemen of the Australian/International Comics scene. It was awesome to be neighbors, and to touch base again. Congratulations again too, Tom, on the new digital Batman gig, and thank you for the kindness you showed on your upcoming thing (more on release). http://www.tomtaylormade.com/ It was also great to touch base with Wolfgang Bylsma of Gestalt Comics; another nice guy- and I'm going to have to chase up that book I was after- it was one thing on the list I didn't get to achieve ;S http://www.gestaltcomics.com/
Tristan Jones, a pleasure to finally put a name to the face, a top guy and great to have a chat with. I'm currently in the midst of reading 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles: Infestation'. Great story so far, it's my first read of TMNT ever, so I'm coming in fresh. Looking forward to catching up again on the Gold Coast (and at King's Comics! Great stuff mate).http://tyrannosaurusjones.tumblr.com/
Caught up with Bobby N http://www.bobbyn.com/: another top guy (I luckily know a few ;P), got his great new book from MilkShadow books called "No Map but not Lost" (James Andre, nice guy, thanks mate, great seeing you, and meeting your partner Matilde-Rose) Have read a few chapters so far; this book is basically a chronological journey through Bobbby's artistic/comic strip development, from his earliest embarrasing strips to his current stylings. It's a wonderfuly format- basically each strip ends with a little commentary on his possible influences, and not beling afraid to say "what the f%^& was I thinking?". It's inspired me to one day locate all the riducilus comic book pages I drew as a kid growing up under a heavy diet of Kungfu/action films and comics. One strip was a comic with all the top martial arts moive actors playing different roles. It was basically a Hong Kong version of 'The Expendibles', except it was detectives (Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan ;P) investigating a string of hitman-related killings (by a Chow Yun Fat....type cast much? ;P) -predating Sly by nearly 15 years... (and an Oscar-worthy idea it was too) o_O
Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah,Bobby, great book, Milk Shadow did a wonderful job too, and a highlight to catch up. Would love to get in with one of your conversations with Paul one day. I'm still laughing.
(And Brendan! Saw you briefly, will catch up more next time hopefully :D) https://www.milkshadowbooks.com/blog/
Speaking of Milk Shadow, I got to see Ben Hutchings briefly; I've been chasing 'Walking to Japan' for 6 months, since I last sat next to them at Armageddon 2011. I finally got a copy, and I can tell you- as someone who does non-stop action comics, the pace, the overall quiet, serene feeling you get when you read this beautifully done comic, I just got totally drawn it. It's beautiful. Honestly, if you haven't seen it, or have a copy. Get it. It's also unique in that being at a newspaper format, on real newsprint, it gives the comic a documentative quality to it- a use of the physical media to give the work an extra added dimension, that compliments the whimsical narrative of this journey to Japan. (do I sound like a wanker or what? ;P) https://www.milkshadowbooks.com/blog/?products=walking-to-japan
Paul Bedford: Congratulations on the impending nuptials :D and great to catch up, my brother from another mother. Can't wait to receive my ordered copy of 'The List', it looked awesome at the show, and great to finally see it in its intended form. http://www.facebook.com/thelistgraphicnovel
Darren, great to touch base mate, congrats on getting (hopefully) all the sketch variants in for "Killeroo: Gangwar", and thank you for getting the latest books. I hope you dug them :) http://killeroo.bigcartel.com/
Paul Abstruse: You too brother, thanks for getting the trade :D I know Superhero-y stuff isn't your bag, but I appreciate the support. Look forward to catch up on the GC, man :D http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Abstruse/162939740430794
Paul from Aussie Fake Tatoos, Up the Bunnies! Too bad we lost, but awesome tat, thanks again (it's starting to be a show tradition ;P)
Bruce and Quinny from (Cool) Shite & Joffre Street productions: Top blokes- didn't get to catch up much, I know you guys are always super busy, and run off your feet, but thank you again, and will hopefully touch base again on the GC. As I said you on Saturday Bruce, your podcast acknowledges my Australia comic work even exists, so I'm very appreciative of that. http://www.coolshite.net/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beginnings-Anthology/249559031765013 Emma J, Gavin, Rob of 'Beginnings Anthology': Lovely to see you again/meet (in Rob's case), great to talk to you guys a little more in person- I hope you had a good con, keep up the original content, it trumps simply pumping out prints in the long run. My brain is seriously failing here without adequate sleep and blood sugar, but keep up what you're doing :D And from the sounds of things, you have a good body guard in Alisha J ;D (great talking to you more too, Alisha, I will get to a D 'n' D soon, I swear! :) ) And great to touch base with Ben Grimshaw (ahh, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place ;P), Michelle (Good luck in South Africa!), and Sarah in her awesome Captain America Jacket (which I'm guessing is too small for me, right? ;( ) http://flavors.me/essieteric
Frank Candiloro, dude! Another great, thoughtful piece of work. Still reading it, but it's so unique, I always love the design elements you employ, and the subject matters you attempt to interweave throughout your stories fantastic and interesting. http://www.frankcandiloro.com/
Emmett, great to see you again, albeit brief, I appreciated you coming over to tell me the 'Iron Sky" director was around- I was just strapped to my table at that point. Anyways, all the best, mate.
For the friends and fans from Melbourne or interstate, who took the time to talk to me, and/or buy the comic books, I thank you. I'm nothing without you and your support.
(Australian Comic guests with Supanova staff Norelle :) L to R: Me, Chris, Norelle (hope I'm spelling that right...or even getting that right :P), Wolfgang, Tom, Colin, Stewart and Tristan. An honour to be in this picture).
Well, I'm wiped. I'm struggling to put together the most basic of sentences, so I'm signed out. I look forward to the possibilities of an even bigger and better Gold Coast show this weekend :D
UPDATE: In my half-asleep-ness, I totally forgot to mention we touched base with Darren Koziol of Dark OZ, home to the Australian Horror Comic Magazine 'Decay'. Nice to touch base again, and Chris mentioned to me we might be doing a couple of pages for them sometime this year. Totally left of field for me, but look forward to the challenge ;D A lovely guy, and works hard to continuly promote his publication. http://www.darkoz.com.au/
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Post comic deadline week drawings inc. Batman
So, in the wee hours of Easter Sunday morning, I officially completed and sent through to the publishers the final files for 'The Soldier Legacy #4' and 'Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes #8'. Count the Soldier trade paperback, and you have 3 months of non-stop, intense comic book making. Not just penciling, but writing, colouring, lettering, and book production. I can't wait to see if I pulled it off ok when the printed versions arrive in Melbourne for this weekend's convention.
I am very much looking forward to the next couple of weeks, as it is my first time as an official comic book guest at Supanova for Melbourne and Gold Coast. I am a little embarrassed, sure, as I have yet to crack an american gig (my goal), as opposed to everyone else on the comics guest list. But I humbly remember that this time last year, I was still a little self-publisher with a little creator-owned, Australian comic book. Realistically, it was May/June 2011 was when I officially went onboard with Black House, and the approach for the TV commercial wasn't until August/September, if I remember correctly. Now, with the first collected TPB out this week, and issue 4, AND a team up in Black House's Sherlock Holmes series, it's still all a bit of a whirlwind which I feel I've yet to sit back and enjoy, as I've been chained to the drawing board/computer since January. But, having said that, only I am in control of if I get anywhere at all in this crazy, volatile field, so it's probably best that I continue to press on with the process, and be polite, hardworking and persistent as I can. I am very thankful to be a guest of the cons due to this creator-owned title, and I am also grateful for the help and support I have received from guys like Chris Sequeira, Baden Kirgan, and the rest of my Black House family, plus the Supanova team for the opportunity.
Anyway, it's 2.30am so I'm probably rambling more than I intend to. Two things I'd like to post here. One is a sketch cover commission I was invited to partake in for the recent launch of the latest Killeroo comic book "Killeroo: Gangwar". I had a lot of fun, and it was great to be a small part of a talented Gallery of Artists with different styles and mediums.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360159970701629&set=a.339345682783058.98281.123322107718751&type=1&theater
Also, it's not "live" yet, (as I only just sent it in, due to the fact that my body clock is still ruined from the weeks of late nights/little sleep), but this week's OZcomic Drawing challenge was one I couldn't ignore- 'Batman'. Being one of the only DC Comics I purchase (thanks to the beautiful work of Greg Capullo), I was previously a huge fan of the trades. I have all of Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale's works on the character, no doubt because it feeds directly from the story threads/universe established in Frank Miller's 'Batman: Year One', which is one of my favourites. But, I couldn't go past the chance to do one of my all time favourite Graphic Novels, and a homage to Frank Miller/Klaus Janson's "Clint Eastwood-ish", grizzly, bulky, no-holds-barred Batman from the many layered 'Dark Knight Returns' from 1986. There's so many great scenes in the book, I almost did the mud hole fight ("This isn't a mud hole, it's an operating table, and I'm the surgeon!"...or something to that affect). But, since I still have a few commissions to do before Melbourne, and since I'd already started drawing the cape (:P), I decided to stick with it, cut time by NOT having to draw mud all over him, and whack that mutant in there he busted through the apartment wall to take out. So scribble and a slap around of colour, as this is what I got.
I'll stick a link up when it's up on the OZcomic site. Until then, I've gotta run. Thanks for putting up with the nonsense, talk about something substantial soon ;)
UPDATE: Link here :D http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=386267194737794&set=a.385599681471212.90204.241043559260159&type=1&permPage=1
Paul.
I am very much looking forward to the next couple of weeks, as it is my first time as an official comic book guest at Supanova for Melbourne and Gold Coast. I am a little embarrassed, sure, as I have yet to crack an american gig (my goal), as opposed to everyone else on the comics guest list. But I humbly remember that this time last year, I was still a little self-publisher with a little creator-owned, Australian comic book. Realistically, it was May/June 2011 was when I officially went onboard with Black House, and the approach for the TV commercial wasn't until August/September, if I remember correctly. Now, with the first collected TPB out this week, and issue 4, AND a team up in Black House's Sherlock Holmes series, it's still all a bit of a whirlwind which I feel I've yet to sit back and enjoy, as I've been chained to the drawing board/computer since January. But, having said that, only I am in control of if I get anywhere at all in this crazy, volatile field, so it's probably best that I continue to press on with the process, and be polite, hardworking and persistent as I can. I am very thankful to be a guest of the cons due to this creator-owned title, and I am also grateful for the help and support I have received from guys like Chris Sequeira, Baden Kirgan, and the rest of my Black House family, plus the Supanova team for the opportunity.
Anyway, it's 2.30am so I'm probably rambling more than I intend to. Two things I'd like to post here. One is a sketch cover commission I was invited to partake in for the recent launch of the latest Killeroo comic book "Killeroo: Gangwar". I had a lot of fun, and it was great to be a small part of a talented Gallery of Artists with different styles and mediums.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360159970701629&set=a.339345682783058.98281.123322107718751&type=1&theater
Also, it's not "live" yet, (as I only just sent it in, due to the fact that my body clock is still ruined from the weeks of late nights/little sleep), but this week's OZcomic Drawing challenge was one I couldn't ignore- 'Batman'. Being one of the only DC Comics I purchase (thanks to the beautiful work of Greg Capullo), I was previously a huge fan of the trades. I have all of Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale's works on the character, no doubt because it feeds directly from the story threads/universe established in Frank Miller's 'Batman: Year One', which is one of my favourites. But, I couldn't go past the chance to do one of my all time favourite Graphic Novels, and a homage to Frank Miller/Klaus Janson's "Clint Eastwood-ish", grizzly, bulky, no-holds-barred Batman from the many layered 'Dark Knight Returns' from 1986. There's so many great scenes in the book, I almost did the mud hole fight ("This isn't a mud hole, it's an operating table, and I'm the surgeon!"...or something to that affect). But, since I still have a few commissions to do before Melbourne, and since I'd already started drawing the cape (:P), I decided to stick with it, cut time by NOT having to draw mud all over him, and whack that mutant in there he busted through the apartment wall to take out. So scribble and a slap around of colour, as this is what I got.
I'll stick a link up when it's up on the OZcomic site. Until then, I've gotta run. Thanks for putting up with the nonsense, talk about something substantial soon ;)
UPDATE: Link here :D http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=386267194737794&set=a.385599681471212.90204.241043559260159&type=1&permPage=1
Paul.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Soldier Legacy #4 Cover- book available April 2012
Available along with the Volume 1 trade paperback at Supanova next week for the new price of $5!
More updates before the show :)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
WQ Magazine Interview by Jason Nahrung. Profile: Paul Mason
(WARNING: This post is a little self-indulgent, I admit ;). But I am very pleased to be interviewed, and I believe it's the first time that I'm featured in a magazine or newspaper NOT for being in a tournament or kicking someone (I'm sure I still have cringe-worthy clips on VHS somewhere :P), but actually for the work I'm trying to put in to get somewhere positive with my comic work. So I hope you get something out of my thought in pumping out comic books :D)
I got a great email during the week from Jason Narhung, editor of 'WQ Magazine'- it was the latest magazine for April (ISSN 1444-2922), featuring a Profile that Jason wrote on me of all people (I know, right? ;D), based on a phone conversation we had earlier this year.
http://www.qwc.asn.au/connect/wq-magazine/
From the magazine:
"WQ is the monthly publication of the Queensland Writers Centre(QWC). QWC is the leading provider of specialised services to the writing community of Queensland. Through its annual programs, it promotes skills development and professional practice and works to advance the recognition of Queensland writers and writing, locally, nationally and internationally."
I am very grateful for the interview, and appreciate the support. As the magazine goes out via the Queensland Writer's Centre, I thought many of the Soldier fans might not get the chance to see it, but Jason has kindly allowed me to post his article in its entirity here. There were also some great artilces about writing and comics by some of the guys from the Brisbane-based 'Ashcan' comics. If you're keen to find out more about the Queensland Writer's centre, I urge you to go here: http://www.qwc.asn.au/
So here it is, guys, and thanks again:
Article pp4 WQ Magazine #217 April 2012. Edited by Jason Nahrung and published by the Queensland Writer's Centre.
Profile: Paul Mason
By Jason Nahrung.
Paul Mason’s comic series The Soldier: Legacy is on the
march. The title began its life as a self-published university
project, then was picked up by Australian publisher Black
House Comics and gained further exposure through an
insurance company television ad.
It’s been an affirming couple of years for Mason, who traces his
interest in creating comics to his childhood.
‘When I was 13, I got for my birthday a book called How to
Draw Comics the Marvel Way (by Stan Lee and John Buscema).
I’d always loved drawing, but I hated the idea of tracing or just
copying an image, or: step 1, draw a circle; step 2, add a line
to it … This book was about the principles and methodologies
of Marvel artists that you could adapt to your own work; not
necessarily shoehorning you into a particular style, but giving
you the tools to be able to structure a character or a scene,
composition, perspective, foreshortening ... that kind of thing.’
The Brisbane-based storyteller studied a Bachelor of Animation
at Queensland College of Art, operated through Griffith
University, completed an honours year in 2009 and is now
pursuing a Doctorate of Visual Arts.
‘You still do quite a hefty thesis component but there’s quite a
big studio component as well. If I want to get into the comics
industry here and overseas, I need that studio component.
The companies don’t want to read a thesis – they want to see
the work produced. I’m pretty much focused on different
methodologies of comic artists. There’s no real rules about how
you write or how you draw a comic book page, but there are
fundamentals.’
The first issue of The Soldier: Legacy was a project for his
honours, self-published in April 2010 and acquired by Black
House in mid 2011. Two trade paperbacks and three issues are
due this year.
The comic stars both a masked Australian soldier’s feats during
World War II and a descendant fighting crime in modern
Brisbane.
‘It’s a concept of trying to tell an Australian story or an
Australian sentiment in an art form that’s inherently American.
‘We can do an action or superhero type thing and it doesn’t
have to be set in New York. It doesn’t always have to have
American characters in it. You can tell a story you don’t cringe
at when you read it – there’s still a cringe factor when you see
certain Australian films. I try to steer clear of that. If a kid or
a teen reads (Soldier) and decides to google something about
what we did in World War II for instance – that’s something we
don’t see in American stories.’
The Australian industry, producing a diverse range of material
outside the superhero genre, is still at a cottage stage, he says,
with only a few professional publishers operating.
‘Anyone could come up with a decent concept, put together
a book and head to a con and start selling and be a part of the
industry.
‘A lot of the time the comics are coming together from the love
of writing and the love of drawing. You have to find the right
combination of people. That’s why you get a lot of anthologies
– it’s a bit less commitment to having to write a 22-pager every
month or two months.
‘If you’re a writer, you can be a lot more productive than a
penciller, for instance, because you can be in a lot more books.
‘You can write a short story and you don’t have to know how to
draw. If you are able to structure something out and describe
it visually to someone and have an idea of how many pages
you want, you can have an artist put together that sort of thing
and come back later; you can have several artists juggling at
the same time and really, that’s what Stan Lee was doing in the
’60s – he had a handful of guys who he trusted. He’d dictate the
stories to them.’
Lee, the legend behind Marvel comics, is one of Mason’s idols,
along with Lee’s collaborator Jack Kirby. Lee is a guest at this
year’s Melbourne Oz Comic-Con, the first year the US-founded
event has been held in Australia (an Adelaide event has just
run).
‘I’m a big Jack Kirby fan; he was the work horse of the two,
pumping out the artwork and the characters, and I did my
thesis on that.’
While digital printing has helped reduce printing costs and the
internet has facilitated networking and collaboration, the form
still holds its own challenges.
‘The hardest part … for a comic book artist is you have to
construct the world yourself. It’s choosing what you need
to show in terms of being able to tell the story with clarity
– clarity’s the number one thing – but also telling it in an
entertaining and visual way,’ Mason says.
‘You want to make sure the words and the art are working
together as one entity. That’s the part that takes all day. I’ll sit
there and I’ll have a particular scene I want to get down, and by
the end of the day I’ll have four or five bits of paper with little
scribbles on it, and “is that all I did”? That was the agonising
over how the pieces were going to fit together to tell the story.’
Further information
Paul Mason’s website, www.pm-comic.blogspot.com.au
Black House Comics, www.blackhousecomics.com
Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, 30 June–1 July, ozcomiccon.com"
Thank you again Jason, a pleasure talking to you. And I did notice too, some kind words later in the publication, such as from Mitch Knox's article "Writing for Comics: The Big Picture":
"Black House has delivered some fantastic local titles such as
Paul Mason’s The Soldier: Legacy (see page 4) and Christopher
Sequeira and Phil Cornell’s Sherlock Holmes: Dark Detective.
The publisher is taking submissions for their bimonthly zombie
anthology After the World and their new superheroics-themed
collection ParaHuman."
Updates to come re: Soldier Legacy #4 as I battle to finish up and send to print. Good news is too, the Dr Nikola vs. Soldier Legacy part two for Dark Detective #8 is virtually in the can :D
I got a great email during the week from Jason Narhung, editor of 'WQ Magazine'- it was the latest magazine for April (ISSN 1444-2922), featuring a Profile that Jason wrote on me of all people (I know, right? ;D), based on a phone conversation we had earlier this year.
http://www.qwc.asn.au/connect/wq-magazine/
From the magazine:
"WQ is the monthly publication of the Queensland Writers Centre(QWC). QWC is the leading provider of specialised services to the writing community of Queensland. Through its annual programs, it promotes skills development and professional practice and works to advance the recognition of Queensland writers and writing, locally, nationally and internationally."
I am very grateful for the interview, and appreciate the support. As the magazine goes out via the Queensland Writer's Centre, I thought many of the Soldier fans might not get the chance to see it, but Jason has kindly allowed me to post his article in its entirity here. There were also some great artilces about writing and comics by some of the guys from the Brisbane-based 'Ashcan' comics. If you're keen to find out more about the Queensland Writer's centre, I urge you to go here: http://www.qwc.asn.au/
So here it is, guys, and thanks again:
Article pp4 WQ Magazine #217 April 2012. Edited by Jason Nahrung and published by the Queensland Writer's Centre.
Profile: Paul Mason
By Jason Nahrung.
Paul Mason’s comic series The Soldier: Legacy is on the
march. The title began its life as a self-published university
project, then was picked up by Australian publisher Black
House Comics and gained further exposure through an
insurance company television ad.
It’s been an affirming couple of years for Mason, who traces his
interest in creating comics to his childhood.
‘When I was 13, I got for my birthday a book called How to
Draw Comics the Marvel Way (by Stan Lee and John Buscema).
I’d always loved drawing, but I hated the idea of tracing or just
copying an image, or: step 1, draw a circle; step 2, add a line
to it … This book was about the principles and methodologies
of Marvel artists that you could adapt to your own work; not
necessarily shoehorning you into a particular style, but giving
you the tools to be able to structure a character or a scene,
composition, perspective, foreshortening ... that kind of thing.’
The Brisbane-based storyteller studied a Bachelor of Animation
at Queensland College of Art, operated through Griffith
University, completed an honours year in 2009 and is now
pursuing a Doctorate of Visual Arts.
‘You still do quite a hefty thesis component but there’s quite a
big studio component as well. If I want to get into the comics
industry here and overseas, I need that studio component.
The companies don’t want to read a thesis – they want to see
the work produced. I’m pretty much focused on different
methodologies of comic artists. There’s no real rules about how
you write or how you draw a comic book page, but there are
fundamentals.’
The first issue of The Soldier: Legacy was a project for his
honours, self-published in April 2010 and acquired by Black
House in mid 2011. Two trade paperbacks and three issues are
due this year.
The comic stars both a masked Australian soldier’s feats during
World War II and a descendant fighting crime in modern
Brisbane.
‘It’s a concept of trying to tell an Australian story or an
Australian sentiment in an art form that’s inherently American.
‘We can do an action or superhero type thing and it doesn’t
have to be set in New York. It doesn’t always have to have
American characters in it. You can tell a story you don’t cringe
at when you read it – there’s still a cringe factor when you see
certain Australian films. I try to steer clear of that. If a kid or
a teen reads (Soldier) and decides to google something about
what we did in World War II for instance – that’s something we
don’t see in American stories.’
The Australian industry, producing a diverse range of material
outside the superhero genre, is still at a cottage stage, he says,
with only a few professional publishers operating.
‘Anyone could come up with a decent concept, put together
a book and head to a con and start selling and be a part of the
industry.
‘A lot of the time the comics are coming together from the love
of writing and the love of drawing. You have to find the right
combination of people. That’s why you get a lot of anthologies
– it’s a bit less commitment to having to write a 22-pager every
month or two months.
‘If you’re a writer, you can be a lot more productive than a
penciller, for instance, because you can be in a lot more books.
‘You can write a short story and you don’t have to know how to
draw. If you are able to structure something out and describe
it visually to someone and have an idea of how many pages
you want, you can have an artist put together that sort of thing
and come back later; you can have several artists juggling at
the same time and really, that’s what Stan Lee was doing in the
’60s – he had a handful of guys who he trusted. He’d dictate the
stories to them.’
Lee, the legend behind Marvel comics, is one of Mason’s idols,
along with Lee’s collaborator Jack Kirby. Lee is a guest at this
year’s Melbourne Oz Comic-Con, the first year the US-founded
event has been held in Australia (an Adelaide event has just
run).
‘I’m a big Jack Kirby fan; he was the work horse of the two,
pumping out the artwork and the characters, and I did my
thesis on that.’
While digital printing has helped reduce printing costs and the
internet has facilitated networking and collaboration, the form
still holds its own challenges.
‘The hardest part … for a comic book artist is you have to
construct the world yourself. It’s choosing what you need
to show in terms of being able to tell the story with clarity
– clarity’s the number one thing – but also telling it in an
entertaining and visual way,’ Mason says.
‘You want to make sure the words and the art are working
together as one entity. That’s the part that takes all day. I’ll sit
there and I’ll have a particular scene I want to get down, and by
the end of the day I’ll have four or five bits of paper with little
scribbles on it, and “is that all I did”? That was the agonising
over how the pieces were going to fit together to tell the story.’
Further information
Paul Mason’s website, www.pm-comic.blogspot.com.au
Black House Comics, www.blackhousecomics.com
Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, 30 June–1 July, ozcomiccon.com"
Thank you again Jason, a pleasure talking to you. And I did notice too, some kind words later in the publication, such as from Mitch Knox's article "Writing for Comics: The Big Picture":
"Black House has delivered some fantastic local titles such as
Paul Mason’s The Soldier: Legacy (see page 4) and Christopher
Sequeira and Phil Cornell’s Sherlock Holmes: Dark Detective.
The publisher is taking submissions for their bimonthly zombie
anthology After the World and their new superheroics-themed
collection ParaHuman."
Updates to come re: Soldier Legacy #4 as I battle to finish up and send to print. Good news is too, the Dr Nikola vs. Soldier Legacy part two for Dark Detective #8 is virtually in the can :D
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