This is simply outstanding. Now, they need to make a movie along these lines… They made Beowulf, why not this!
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Posts Tagged ‘Batman’
23 items.
Hi, Folks!
“The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies” is an eye opener, because I own most of the equipment on this site, and I still use much of it daily. Have computers changed everything that much? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, they have.
I am surprised by how few people my age are online. It seems like a good 90% of the people I grew up with have no web presence to speak of. (I’m a spry 45, for those who don’t know.) I was on the web as soon as it became widely available, and I’ve had a site of some sort since 1996, and I’m not sure how many sites I’m involved with or at least participate in. Probably 20 or 30, maybe more.
I’m looking for an ultrasonic pen cleaner, so I can continue to use my apparently antiquated pens. I found this, and this, and this. I’m not really sure when I’m going to be able to afford said cleaner, but I can be patient. I used to have one some years back, and used it till it burned out, and I really miss the danged thing.
So, I’m reading several books. First up, there is Whitley Streiber’s “Confirmation.” Then, there is Alvin Schwarts “An Unlikely Prophet.” Throw into the mix Jim Marr’s “The Alien Agenda.” I love to read, and I juggle books I’m reading based on my mood at any given time. I’m also re-reading Frank Miller’s and John Romita Jr’s “Daredevil: The Man Without Fear” hardcover.
The Alvin Schwartz book is quite interesting so far, because he wrote the Batman and Superman comic strips for seventeen years in the 1940’s and 1950’s. He has had some mystical encounters in his life, and some odd synchronicities, and the 1990’s he apparently met a tulpa, or being composed of pure thought, a “dreamed up” man. I’m about a third of the way into this one, and I’ve had trouble putting it down, to be honest.
“Daredevil: The Man Without Fear” is outstanding, as those of you who have read probably already know, and it’s created by two masters at the height of their creative power. This is vintage Frank Miller in the days prior to “The Dark Knight Strikes Again,” back when Frank created compelling stories that still affect the way I see comics. John Romita Jr.’s work is a joy to behold: Like Eric Clapton’s Guitar playing, it gives me great happiness. JrJr’s art is not about being polished, or delicate rendering, or the excesses that plagued most other comic artists in 90’s. Romita Jr’s work is about power and force, and about spot-on storytelling. In my book, he handles cartooning like no one since Jack Kirby.
Scott.
Hi, Folks:
Item: Tonight, I got my copy of the extended cut “Watchmen” DVD. Very exciting. I’ll report on the quality and quantity of the extra features as I explore them.
Item: Soon, “Johnny Saturn” 1 through 9 will be available on Panelfly, a service that goes through iTunes and reads on iPhones. I’m not positive when they will be available, because I really don’t know how much work goes into formatting it, but I’ll let you know as soon as I know.
Item: I’m still waiting on my ISSN numbers from the Library of Congress, because once I get them I’ll bring the “Johnny Saturn” series back into print, selling through Comics Monkey and Indy Planet. These new printings are updated, including all the corrections and modifications that went into producing the trade paperback.
Item: “Johnny Saturn” 1 through 9 and the Pinup Gallery are all now available on ComicsXP! These are available in CBR or CBZ formats, and ComicsXP has a reader of their own, as well.
Item: I’m reading the new “Captain America” trade paperback, the “Road to Reborn.” Honestly, I’m not sure superhero comics can get better than this. I really like Bucky as Captain America. I know Steve Rogers is coming back (he may already be back in the monthlies, for all I know), but Marvel had the golden opportunity for a changing of the guard—In effect, they could leave Steve Rogers dead, and Bucky could remain Captain America. I’ve come to the same conclusion about Batman: Leave Dick Grayson as Batman, and leave Bruce Wayne dead. I love the characters of Steve Rogers and Bruce Wayne, but the chance to really refresh and recharge the franchises seems like such a great opportunity.
Wow—Issue ten is done. One more issue, and it will be time for a new trade paperback. Mind you, I didn’t render the last twelve pages of issue 10, so I’ll have to go back and do that. And, while I have the cover firmly in mind, I haven’t drawn it yet. Hmm, suddenly issue 10 just doesn’t seem so done. It would have been more fun to bask in the satisfaction for a while.
Working on turning the guest bedroom into my den is continuing right on track. Today I cleaned out the glass cabinet of Batman goodies I stored there. Handling this collection again made me smile—I mean, there are Batman bandages, Batman chicken & noodle soup, Batman cake toppers, a Batman night light, Bat signal projectors, Batmobiles, Batman Easter Egg set, etc. etc. In my defense, most of the stuff in this collection was pretty low cost, all the Batman Pez dispensers, Batman tooth brushes, Batman suckers, Batman pencil toppers, etc.
But, back to my future den. This is going to be my secret hideout, with a wall of shelves holding all my graphic novels, prose fiction books, and art glass, and maybe some upper end action figures. When I’ve got it done, I’ll post pictures. My grandfather’s easy chair is going in there, as well as my Alan Lee framed print. Soon, we’ll paint the room (this room has never been painted, and still has primer colored walls) and tear out the nasty old carpet.
Today, at the Indianapolis Art Center, I enjoyed a three hour pose with a model dressed head-to-toe as a Roman Centurion. The costume is impressive. I kind of blew it, because I got in a hurry and didn’t take the time the picture deserves. But, that’s OK! I’ve got pictures, and I will pain this to my satisfaction.
Last night, I watched the video of Dr. Steven Greer’s speech to the exopolitical crowd in Barcelona, Spain. The show was about an hour long, and it had some very intriguing moments. I’m not sure what to think of Dr. Greer, to be honest; he is vain, self-impressed, and a name and innuendo dropper, yet he also seems to believe what he’s fighting for. Much of the disclosure that has happened is a result of Greer’s pressure in the higher levels of government. He is a showman and a committed believer at the same time, so I find him perplexing.
Are traced photos the future of comic book penciling? I’m starting to wonder. I understand that the minimum threshold is much higher now than it was, say, in the 1980’s. I really became aware of this trend when Greg Land went public on his technique—the controversy has raged on to this day! Well, as you can imagine from my work, I prefer hand drawn and inked comics, but traced comics, if done well, can be quite beautiful too. Here’s the crux of it: If the traced photos are stolen from other media and photographers, that’s bad; if the penciler took his own photos and traces from those, that’s good. I don’t really care for comics traced from Poser figures, either, but I reserve judgment on whether the artist can make it look fluid and good or not. So far, my experience has been “not.”
I haven’t read any of this Blackest Night event at DC. When the trades come out, I will probably read the main series, but skip most of the supporting series and crossovers. I’m looking forward to it, though, because the concept is cool and Doug Mankes’ art is really impressive. I’ve been a fan of his since the Seven Soldiers’ “Frankenstein” mini-series. To be honest, I also hope they use Blackest Night to return some of their cooler dead characters to life. While I was still buying the monthlies, it seems DC comics were all about death, death, and death, and it was getting me down.
What change will Disney’s acquisition of Marvel have on the content of their books? I’d like to think “none,” because many of their titles (Captain America, Daredevil, Avengers (whichever title) are outstanding. In fact, with this current group of writers, including Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Millar, Ed Brubaker, Greg Pak, and Matt Fraction, this has been the richest time in Marvel comics since the 60’s. Needless to say, I’ve been bowled over by their books in the last few years. Let’s hope Disney doesn’t mess this up.
Have I rambled enough? Let’s say yes.
Scott.
I love comics. I just don’t love the amount of room they take up in my house, or how heavy those darn long boxes are.
I really like trade-paperbacks. I do not like single issues, which now cost $2.99 to $3.99. As far as I’m concerned, the economics are way against collecting the floppies.
Dick Grayson makes a fine Batman. Is it really important to the franchise that Bruce Wayne returns? Sure, I know it’s only a matter of time before he’s back, but does that make for a better story?
Norman Osborn is a fascinating character. I love the way Brian Michael Bendis’ mind works, because the Dark Reign stuff makes for a compelling read. This is one of those cases where the villain makes a lot more sense than the heroes, after all. I love villain-centered stories, and I wish I had dreamed this up first. Alas, I did not.
Digital comic distribution seems to have arrived. As usual, the way was paved by the pirates and all their file sharing. ComicsXP is my favorite of the new digital distributers, and you can watch an excellent presentation about it here.
Does comic coloring seem darker and more dingy than it used to appear? Overall, I’m tempted to say “yes.” It seems to me that the current technique in widest use, coloring from dark to light with lots of screen effects, is the cause. Many of these colorists, very talented in their own right, seem to have forgotten the need for clarity and contrast.
In my opinion, Freddie E. William’s book “The DC Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics” is perhaps the most important book on cartooning written this decade. I like “how to” books, but most of them cover the same time-tested material again and again. William’s book is something new, a new way to cartoon.
I’ve been reading Ed Brubaker’s run on Captain America. It’s easy to see why he won his Eisner’s. Because of the rich supporting cast and super writing, the book has continued on for several years with the main character dead. I haven’t read any of the Rebirth material yet, because it’s not collected into trades, but I have high expectations for that too.
So, the Black Widow is the new Captain America’s (James Buchanan Barnes) girlfriend. Natasha has been around the bend a few times, also having had relations with Hercules, Daredevil, Hawkeye, and Iron Man. There are probably others, but I just don’t remember them. She doesn’t rank as the most sexually active Marvel character, though, because that seems to be a long-running contest between Tony Stark and Matt Murdock. Those dudes get around!
I’ve got an interview coming up in the new ComicsXP magazine, available free at http://www.comicsxp.com. This magazine has not been released yet, but the interview is by John Wilson, and some of my answers may surprise you.
After coming to the conclusion that I have no place to sit in and read in our house, I have taken it upon myself to remodel our guest bedroom into a hybrid bedroom/den. I have idyllic visions of myself, sitting in my grandfather’s easy chair, drinking coffee or perhaps tea, and reading in a pleasant, well-lighted environment. I’m only about halfway done clearing out the room, however, because I’ve managed to hurt myself several times working on it, and most recently I sprained my drawing hand. I remain undaunted.
I have taken it upon myself to create a master Photoshop resource file on my computer, one that includes all the brushes, textures, tool presets, custom shapes, custom paths, filters and patterns that I’ve either collected or created myself. This file also contains my photographic morgue, as well as Sketchup files I use regularly. I backed this file up a few days ago, and it took two DVDs to hold it, and would have taken 9 CDs. Yikes.
Lately, when I do watercolor, usually at the Indianapolis Art Center, I’ve foregone drawing the subject matter in pencil and gone straight to watercolor. I’m so used to using a brush that this is not that difficult for me to sketch in color. Yay me.
Over at the Webcomic Planet Collective forums, I’ve been given two sub forums to run, one on Photoshop, another on Sketchup. These will be collections of resources, and advice, and initial reactions to these are positive.
Scott.
Hi, Folks!
Sorry I’ve been away from blogging this week—I’m working really hard to get ahead on Johnny Saturn and build up at least a minimal buffer. Plus, I’m drawing a fight scene, and those sure are fun!
Has everyone noticed the rise of television shows on the net? Shows that never air on TV proper, but get distributed on the internet in smaller chunks? I’m sure you have. In fact, I’m reasonably sure you’ve watched a fair number of such things. I first noticed this trend when documentary makers, unable to get picked up by television, began putting out their shows on Youtube. I guess what hadn’t really dawned on me yet was fan films on the internet, professional or nearly professional grade shows made by fans for fans. “The Hunt for Golum” is one such, as is “Star Trek: Phase II.” These not-for-profit copy write infringers sometimes get major pushes, with original stars making appearances, original writers penning episodes, etc. I had no idea so much of this material was out there, and just how serious fans are.
I have always had an ambivalent attitude about this trend. My first reaction has always been one of ownership: Why develop additional material for a franchise or character that doesn’t belong to you? If you dig Star Trek, make up your own space opera and incorporate the things about the TV show you loved into your own creation.
Yet, I am sure that the fine and very creative folk involved in making these fan-based shows have other ways to look at it. For them, their love for a show might be very specific–they love a character or setting. They’ve loved it for years, and they want to be involved, make it their own. Legally, they cannot do that. Emotionally, they certainly can.
About eight years ago I determined that I would never do any fan art. My sketchbooks have no pictures of Superman, Batman, Dr. Doom, etc., included in them. I decided this in reaction to all the artists I saw at conventions who were willingly and repeatedly ripping off the big publishers and selling goods with those characters’ images. It further bothered me, because these unlicensed character shots were occasionally pornographic, and the characters engaged in acts that their owners would never publish. So, I determined I would make my own characters up. You’ll find plenty of those in my sketchbooks.
Will I watch “The Hunt for Golum” or “Star Trek: Phase II?” Since no money is changing hands, I suppose there’s no harm in that. Would I contribute to such ventures? No.
Scott.
Alan Evans of Rival Angels had some marvelous words to say about us:
Since joining the Webcomic collective, I’ve been looking forward to plugging a comic that I’ve been reading for a while now, Johnny Saturn.
First things first: I grew up on superheroes, love, love, LOVED me some Spiderman and Batman. When I got to fifth grade, I started collecting comics and never looked back. Fast forward to the new century with everything that is wrong with comics. Such as, gimmicks, crappy stories that include deals with devils and other out of character nuances with smug, money hungry EIC’s laughing their asses to the bank with just enough pandering to keep me away from superheroes for a good long while.
Enter Johnny Saturn. Here’s a webcomic/comic book that is something that can help fill the big void left by the greed of the Big two. It’s not a comic for children, and I like that. I like a webcomic that is written with my tastes. It reads alot like Austin Grossman’s exceptional book, ‘Soon I will Be Invincible.’ Just like Austin Grossman’s book, there is a wonderful nod to the old school heroes and the way that they conducted themselves but leaving out the camp and frivolity.
The writing and stories of Johnny Saturn are smart and well-written. The stories are so character driven that you get caught up in the characters lives, whether they’re ‘good guys’ or ‘bad guys.’ The distinction isn’t always clear, who’s good or bad and that’s something that will entertainingly keep you on your toes. The pacing keeps things from bogging down or accelerating at a breakneck speed. You won’t help nodding approvingly when you get taken for a ride on one of the story twists.
The art is fantastic. Every update always has top notch art, always solid. Always good angles, anatomy, perspective and the coloring fits the mood. Scott doesn’t seem to take a day off or skimp on the details. Trust me, the art, especially the covers are amazing.
Come for the story, stay for the art. You’ll be happy you checked it out.
Hi, Folks:
This review can be found on J.’s blog over at Mysteries of the Arcana, a supernatural dimension hopping tale that has quickly become one of my favorite comics. I love this type of story, so I endorse it wholeheartedly.
| Johnny Saturn | By JGray |
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My love for superhero comics goes backa ways. In fact, “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, the twelve partmasterpiece by Marv Wolfman and George Perez was my introduction tothe concept of multiple universes; something heavily explored here onMysteries of the Arcana. In the last several years, though, thebig publishers have done a lot to tick me off. I won’t go into mylaundry list because I could rant for hours. Instead, I’m just goingto be thankful that Scott and Benita Story came along and took up thechallenge of creating new heroes as the centerpiece of theirwebcomic, Johnny Saturn. The series starts off with the death ofthe title character. Johnny Saturn has been fighting the good fightfor over a decade, using only his fists, his wits, and the sort ofbody armor you can order from the back of Soldier of Fortune. Fromthere, things get really exciting. The archive is worth spending timewith. Better yet, order the print version so you can lovingly thumbthrough it. I won’t give away the plot. Instead,I’ll explain some of the things I love about Johnny Saturn. Thing #1 My favorite scene involves JohnnySaturn battling a group of powered villains. We get to see what he’sthinking as he fights. The mental narration is terse, almost like achecklist. Speedster? Telegraph your moves so you know where they’llhit, then hit them. Problem neutralized. I love it, because in myopinion characters like Johnny Saturn (and Batman and other mysterymen) aren’t amazing because of their fighting skills or detectiveabilities but because of their sheer tactical genius. Thing #2 There’s a phenomenon in comics known as“Women in Refridgerators”. Female characters are often raped,beaten, murdered, depowered, and stereotyped as bitches or sluts. Insome cases it seems like the writer has some sort of axe to grindwith women, in others ancillary female characters are used as plotdevices to promote the “growth” of male characters. Thephenomenon was named after a heroes girlfriend was murdered andstuffed in his fridge. The hero then tracked down her killer and, atthe last minute, decided to deliver the villain to justice ratherthan go the old eye for an eye route. Thus, the hero grew, proving hewas just and noble and all it took was the brutal murder of a woman. Johnny Saturn isn’t like that. Thefemale characters are interesting. The costumes can be a bitrevealing, yes, but the women have character. They aren’t twodimensional. They aren’t there to make the men look good, and theyaren’t there to satisfy the writer’s craving for revenge on all thegirls who rejected him in high school. In fact, the most powerful and(in my opinion) most intelligent superhero in the Johnny Saturnuniverse is a woman named Staff of Life. I can’t wait to see more ofher in action. Thing #3 There’s a whole lot to explore. Thecomic’s well written and focuses primarily on Johnny Saturn but theother heroes are just as interesting. The world, too, holds a lot ofpromise and begs to be explored. Truth be told, the setting deservesmore than just one comic. If I could get an artist and permissionfrom Scott and Benita I think I’d jump at a chance to crack open asecondary story there. Let me be clear. This isn’t a goldenage or silver age comic. There’s plenty of blood and violence andJohnny Saturn’s body bears the realistic consequences of a decade offighting crime. However, it also isn’t a Frank Miller-esque, over thetop splattercomic either. Instead, Scott and Benita have found a wayto balance the need for realism that marked comics in the 80s/90s andcombined it with the need for escapism that marked comics in the50s/60s. Go read Johnny Saturn. You won’t besorry. |
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Hi, Folks!
Benita and I had a nice weekend, but I’m completely pooped. We went to Indianapolis Art Center yesterday, and model was quite good, but I was so tired that I lost my focus and found it hard to draw. I hate that, because I love going to the Art Center and drawing, and leaving early seems so wasteful. Ah, well.
I’ve caught the first two episodes of the cartoon “The Brave and the Bold,” and I love it! I had no use for the weird, anime version of Batman that had been running for some years, with its ape-like, barefoot Joker, so this new take came as a pleasant surprise for me. By “new,” I guess I should say “retro.” The art is a mix of Dick Sprang’s Batman, Alex Toth’s “Superfriends” Batman, and the Adam West Batman show from the 60’s. From what I’ve seen, Batman plays something of a father figure to younger, learning heroes.
In “The Brave and the Bold,” we learn a few things. For example, Batman can fly whenever he wants, because he has a folding jet pack, and (like the recent movies) he can make his cape solid and use it as a glider. He also apparently has enough fuel and good enough insulation in the bat-suit to fly from the ground into outer space, and there tackle an incoming asteroid. Yikes! Talk about suspension of belief!
Cartoons often take tremendous liberties with physics. There was that scene in the Batman/Superman animated movie where Batman leaped about 30’ feet straight up while fighting giant battle-bots. Neat trick.
Well, however you look at it, Warner Brother’s new “Brave and the Bold” cartoon is excellent!
Scott.
“The Watchmen” is too big and important to cover in a single review. Books can, and have been written about the graphic novel, and the movie will probably inspire the same.
I know people who think that superheroes don’t lie, and that they would never fight other heroes. It’s easy to see where they got this idea, because, outside of comics, superheroes are portrayed as one-diminsional, bright, optimistic do-gooders, sort of boy scouts in tights. They always do what’s right. It’s never hard to decide what is right or wrong. Good always wins over evil. Good deeds never have unforeseen, bad consequences.
In comics it’s another story all-together. Well before the “Watchmen” or “Dark Knight Returns” were published, comics had already shed much of its innocence and stories often pushed the accepted boundaries and dealt with drug abuse, alcoholism, pornography, addiction, and any other vice you can think of. Most often these vices were dealt with tastefully, and moral conservatism won over depravity. When heroes fought each other, it usually began with a cliché misunderstanding, a short inconclusive tussle, and then a congenial team-up to deal with the “real” problem.
I would argue that what ”Watchmen” and “Dark Knight Returns” brought to the comics scene was mental illness: the superhero as a sociopath, or psychopath, or some other such behavioral dysfunction. For example, Batman has spent the last thirty years wound so tight and out of touch with his human emotions that he is regularly described as psychotic.
This war for the soul of the superhero is at the heart of Watchmen. Dan/Nite Owl is a decent person, one unwilling to abandon his morals or dish out jackbooted oppression. Comedian has completely surrendered to his dark philosophy of brutality, and he believes in stark, ugly “truths.” Rorschach is a one-man judge, jury, and executioner. Ozymandius exemplifies putting the ends before the means, and in service of his goals he has placed himself high above his fellow humans.
Dr. Manhattan is easier to nail down. He belongs to the old archetype of the non-human who is more than human. Pinnochio, the Vision from the Avengers, Data from Star Trek, and many others fit this role. Dr. Manhattan believes that he is now divorced from humanity and their concerns, yet it is the tears of a woman (Silk Spectre) that change his mind and bring him back to earth one last time. Still, it’s curious to note that for most members of this would-be human archetype, most aspire to become human, as if that were innately superior to their non-human status. Not Dr. Manhattan. We come away with the suspicion that he left for another galaxy and he would do well and good without his human traits.
The soundtrack to Watchmen is outstanding. In addition to the original score for the movie, which is moody and a little threatening, there are old songs worked in to great effect, including Bob Dylan’s “Times They Are A-Changing,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Simon and Garfunkels “Sounds of Silence,” and the Jimi Hendrix version of Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower.”
Scott Kurtz of “PvP” labeled Watchmen as superhero porn. I respectfully disagree. Clearly, this movie is Superhero Noir, a dark, serious alley off the brightly lighted streets of traditional superhero fair.
It’s safe to say this movie isn’t for everyone. If you expect that you are going to watch something like Superman returns, or Iron Man, or the Fantastic Four, you are going to be quite disappointed. Watchmen is darker even than Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Don’t take your kids. The teenagers that shared the theater with me seemed less than diverted, and they came and went often to get refreshments.
