Story Studios

3.99@, color, 28 pages@, available now

Writer and artist: Scott Story

Reviewed by Kurt Anthony Krug ***1/2 in Comic Buyers Guide

For an independent comic book, the art, story, and even the colors in this mini-series are high-quality.  You’d swear this title were published by one of the larger companies instead of by Scott Story and his wife, Benita.

Johnny Saturn is a Batman-esque hero who dies at the hands of Dr. Synn, his arch-nemesis.  But death is only the beginning for both Johnny Saturn and Synn.  Character profiles bookend each issues.

Story said he was inspired by Watchmen and Frank Miller’s work on Batman and Daredevil.  There’s also a dash of Kurt Busiek’s Astro City and Neil Gaiman, as well as DC-Wildstorm’s Apollo (as seen in Story’s Utopian) and Midnighter.  The pacing remains excellent throughout, and the art is consistent, not to mention consistently good.  If you read only one independent title in the next month, make it Johnny Saturn.

In about half an hour, I’m heading out to see the new Dark Knight movie.  After all these rave (and raving) reviews, I hope I’m not expecting too much.  I realize that this flick is a financial juggernaut, but praise has been a bit over the top.  Of course, after I see it and right a review, maybe my praise will be over the top too.  Or, maybe not.  We’ll see.

I saw Hellboy II: The Golden Army last Friday.  Review is coming tomorrow, and it will not be over the top.

Las night we saw local legend, great friend, and consummate performer David Ackerman in concert.  The show also featured old friends John Stinchcomb (guitars), Pamela Ackerman (backup singing), and Mark Flight (backup singing, bass), as well as a stellar band.  It was a fantastic show, played for an appreciative audience, and the band sounded simply top notch and professional in all ways.  I’ve known most of these folks for a quarter of a century, and it was hard to leave them at the end of the evening.  In my heart, I wish I could spend much more time with them.

Yesterday, at the Indianapolis Art Center, I got out my watercolors and did a few pics that I plan to finish up on my own time.  I’m thrilled to announce that after several years of practice, I believe I’m ready to take my watercolor painting skills to a new level.  Painting nudes is all well and fun, but I’m ready for some more challenging subject matters.  More to come as this develops.

Take care!  Scott.

The Dark Knight:

It’s been a week and a day since I saw Dark Knight, and that has given me some time to consider it in detail.  In that time, I’ve talked with a good dozen people who have seen it, and twice that number who want to see it.  The people who have watched it or want to have ranged from hard-core comic fans to everyone else, making this Batman franchise another true crossover hit.

In talking with folks, and reading other reviews, some things become clear about this movie.  First, it’s not for kids, and it probably deserved an R rating rather than the PG13 it got.  Second, the casting is brilliant, giving ample screen time to Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Aaron Eckhart.  Third, even if Heath Ledger had not tragically died, granting him posthumous attention, his performance as the Joker would be the stuff of cinematic legend.  All this is true, and well reported by innumerable other reviewers.

If anything, I feel at a bit of a loss here.  I’m used to defending the underdog movies and overlooked genius, but this film puts me in the position of loving a gargantuan blockbuster of a movie!  The pacing was crisp, the plot was very tight, and dialogue was focused and to the point, the camera work was spot on, etc.  I was entertained from beginning to end of the movie, and I never grew restless or bored.  At times I was uncomfortable or horrified, and at other times I laughed.

One young lady I spoke with said that Christian Bale’s Batman voice, which is gravelly and harsh, became distracting and funny to her.  Maybe I can agree, but maybe not.  Even she agreed that this assumed mannerism was important to the character of Batman.

I’ve always been partial to Mark Hamill’s take on the Joker, as seen in many of the Batman cartoons.  Heath Ledger took the character in a different direction.  Ledger’s Joker made no attempt to be humorous—he was deadly serious, and in many ways seemed to be the sanest person in Gotham.  His Joker truly did not care if he lived or died.  In the climactic final battle, for example, the Joker stands in the middle of the street and dares Batman to run him over.  “Do it, do it…” whispers the Joker.  He has nothing to loose, and he’s into any pain anyone can dish out.  He is a true agent of chaos, with a smirking, teasing Truman Capote-like voice.

The Joker explains his philosophy, and it’s straight out of “Batman: The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore.  In essence, even the proudest and bravest are but one bad day away from dropping to the Joker’s level. 

In parting, I think it’s worthwhile to mention that Aaron Eckhart is outstanding.  I’ve been watching this actor since “Thank You For Smoking,” and he’s destined for great things.  If Dark Knight hadn’t been bursting with such outstanding talent, it would have been Eckhart everyone would have been talking about, not Heath Ledger. 

Could I give an A+ for the Dark Knight?  It would be a first for me if I did.  Yet, I cannot think of any reason to not give this movie an A+. 

Grade: A+

Hi, Friends!

Lacking, as I am, any truly random thoughts tonight, I have decided to instead ply you with a short review of Grant Morrison’s and Andy Kubert’s “Batman and Son” trade paperback.  I’ll let you know right off the bat (hehehe) that I enjoyed this book.  It’s Batman, right?  Why wouldn’t I love this book?  Well, I fail to enjoy many of the Batman projects that are published, which is one of the reasons I quit buying monthly comics and wait for the trades.  The real question should be, ‘why’ did I enjoy it?

Could it be the writer?  Grant Morrison is my favorite comic writer, and I’ve often said that he is the smartest man in the world.  I’ve also mentioned in the past that he’s the real deal, or that he’s pulling the wool over our eyes and laughing his way to the bank.  Either way, I am real fan.  I originally got into Grant by reading ‘The Invisibles,’ an absolutely insane, brilliant, and revolutionary work that I make of point of re-reading in its entirety every year.  I believe it was my third reading where I started to get a clue as to what it was about.  Or not!  If Grant Morrison really is the smartest man in the world, then I may well be deluding myself!  Morrison’s run on JLA was magnificent, and the series was never the same after he left.  Animal Man was outstanding, and it really introduced American readers to a style of meta-fiction that was not well known on this side of the Atlantic, at least not for comic readers.  I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here.  I will say that it was not solely for the writing that I enjoyed “Batman and Son.”

Could it be the artist?  Andy Kubert is very skilled storyteller, with dynamics out the metaphorical wazzoo!  His characters twist, and bend, and wildly foreshorten, all while looking very cool indeed.  But, no, the art wasn’t what I enjoyed about this book the most.

No, what I enjoyed about “Batman and Son” was that DC was willing to take such a giant leap in continuity!  Characters that are decades old can be very resistant to change; characters that date from the Great Depression especially so!  The introduction of Damien, the clearly sociopathic eight-year-old son of Batman and Talia Al Ghul adds such a cool dimension to the Bat mythos.  The concept was originally explored in “Batman: Son of the Demon,” a long out-of-continuity graphic novel by Mike W. Barr. 

Changing old characters is risky business, and adding additional layers to their back-stories often fails.  Sometimes it works, as in Frank Miller’s “Daredevil” run.  Other times, it fails, as in the Spider-Man “Clone Saga.”  This time, it appears that a forgotten footnote in Batman lore has come back into continuity.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the prose Joker story that split the book up.  Sure, it was interesting, but it was just as likely to be forgotten by all future Bat writers.  The digital art by John Van Fleet wasn’t my thing, either.  I’ve seen Van Fleet produce some very interesting, even haunting art before, but his foray into Poser looked awkward in many places to me. 

So, overall I give “Batman and Son” an A- grade.

A new week is upon us, and my poor brain is a-whirl with the possibilities!  Or, maybe I’m just dizzy . . . sometimes it’s hard to tell.

I went to the Indiana State Fair yesterday, and I marched around for about six hours with a Johnny Saturn t-shirt on.  This might have once seemed a bit odd to me, but then I saw a multitude of people wearing shirts with Batman or Superman or Green Lantern emblems, and a host of other DC or Marvel licensed likenesses.  Well, I had Johnny Saturn on, so I get all the cool, Indie cred!

There were a lot of groups displaying what they do and how to join them in the “Our Land” building: “Our Land,” of course, meant “Indiana” in this context.  I was less than delighted to find they had cockroach racing, live veterinarian demonstrations neutering live animals, and some crazy sculptor making a two-ton cheese sculpture.  At first, I wondered why the Indiana Web Cartoonists didn’t have a table there, but then I figured they couldn’t possibly compete with live operations on a dog.  (No, I did not stay and watch the operation.  Once the vet drew an incision line on the dog’s shaved belly, I was out of there!).  I can also say that I was uncomfortable with the wastefulness of the ridiculous cheese sculpture, even though the artist claimed that it would all be re-processed as a binding agent for animal feed.

Anyway, Benita and friend Sandy sat spinning and promoting the benefits of the fiber arts in the “Our Land” pavilion for four hours.  They had good crowds, and educated the public on what they were doing.  Modern people are a long way from the farm, and seeing people spinning, weaving, or practicing any of the other traditional crafts is a new experience to them.  According to Benita, one fellow didn’t know what a sheep looked like, and attempts to tell him simply further confused the matter.

In the Family Arts Building, I had the chance to wonder through the art entries at leisure.  It seemed that a reasonably large percentage of these works were done by artists associated with the Indianapolis Art Center, and I recognized many of the names of people I knew as well as many of the models I had often drawn in the pictures themselves.  It had never occurred to me to enter work in the state fair, but apparently I was somewhat unique in that oversight.  Still, because of the subjected nature of judging this type of event, it seemed that many works of stunning beauty or powerful artistic statement were overlooked.  I guess this is how it often is, but still…

Yet, I wonder, isn’t that subjective nature representative of the artist’s life?  Once we put our work out in the public eye, we can’t control how the public perceives it, or what it does or does not mean to them.  There’s some deeper wisdom to found in this observation, I’m sure of it, but it escapes me at the moment.

Scott.

Johnny Saturn
By John Wilson

Johnny Saturn issues #1-6, Scott and Benita Story, Story Studios LLC

This is a comic that defies characterization. Is it a superhero book? Definitely. Is it a fantasy book dealing with demigods, demons and angels? You bet. Is it an allegory of the common man’s struggle for justice? Sure. A cautionary tail that sometimes bad things must be done for the greater good? Without a doubt. Scott and Benita have crafted a story that is all these things and more.

The story follows Johnny Saturn, a street level non powered hero how does what he can and what he must to foil the activities of the evil Dr. Synn. Johnny is not a Meta human or powered in any way. His body is a map of the destruction he has physically suffered in his quest. Every bone in his body has been broken, some many times. He requires pills just to move. He does not suffer fools, especially super powered heroic ones that try to interfere with his work and is a firm believer in the ends justifying the means. Even death can not keep him from his tasks. Johnny is the classic street level hero. A Batman without the money and gadgets, The Shadow sans the mental manipulation, Daredevil with no radar sense. Just a man doing what he must because it must be done. And along the way, Johnny becomes a savior, an inspiration, a leader and punches out an angel! Who could ask for more?

The Storys tap into the iconography of superheroes and put their own unique spin to make them all their own. The Utopian is on the surface a hero in the Superman ideal, but scratching that surface shows a hero that sees himself above the common man in more than the obvious physical sense. From Johnny, The Utopian learns the true nature of hero and of sacrifice. On the surface the heroes that The Utopian leads are just an ad hoc Justice League, but they too have quirks and tweaks that push them beyond their surface iconography and make them special. This hurts all the more when many of them do not survive the story. We know little about these characters but we become connected. That is the earmark of great storytelling.

Scott Story’s artwork is an unmistakable draw to this story. In an era of over processed, over rendered and generally overblown art, it is refreshing to see line work and style that harkens back to the best days of the Silver Age. Scott infuses meaning in just a few lines and establishes mood and character for all his creations without having to beat the reader over the head with overblown visual trickery. He is an incredible talented colorist as well. His work is layered and vibrant without being gaudy. It is easy to see that this is a labor of love for both creators because that love is evident in every panel.

Thankfully, the story does not end with these six issues. The world of Johnny Saturn is alive and well in new adventures every Monday and Wednesday at www.scottstoryillustrator.com/johnnysaturn/. While there, make sure you check out every area of the site by these two stellar creators (no pun intended). They are every bit as eclectic as the world that they created.

Blog post for 11/7/2008 4:56:45 PM
Spotlight on: Johnny Saturn by Scott and Benita Story

This spotlight is on Johnny Saturn a graphic novel webcomic by Scott & Benita Story. It’s a superhero comic but let’s not get fooled by thinking it’s your run of the mill Saturday morning superhero cartoon or Marvel/DC comic that pretends to be edgy.

Johnny Saturn IS edgy. It has complicated and well thought out plots. Citizens and supers alike have enough thought put into each and every one of them that you imagine this was written as a book and put into graphic novel form.

I can only compare Johnny Saturn with Batman from DC… if Batman actually wasn’t a pansy who never got hurt. Ever notice how Batman never *really* get’s hurt… in ALL those fights he’s had his body isn’t torn up with scar’s and traces of fighting, if there ever was a fight and he got hurt, two panels later he’s fine and dandy.    Johnny isn’t and it shows that he’s worked hard to protect the innocent.

My song pick for Johnny Saturn will probably surprise Scott Story himself who suggested alot of older 70′s style songs.   This song by Oingo Boingo really struck me with it’s fast  individualistic energy and determination.   .. “Who Do You Want to Be” by Oingo Boingo.

To read this with all the pretty pictures and music included, please go to this link

Hi, Folks!

Over the years, as I have continued working on my art and webcartooning, I have been asked one question again and again: Why do you do long-form comics? Why not do a gag-a-day strip? Gag strips are easier to promote, and they are generally more popular, are they not?

Yes, gag strips are more popular, by many magnitudes, than long-form webcomics. There are a few exceptions, but none I can really think of. Girl Genius is long-form, but it usually has humor and often includes humor. The Dreamland Chronicles? Maybe.

Here are my reasons for doing a long-form webcomic.

• This is the story I want to tell. It’s tragic, dramatic, and edgy, but it’s rarely funny.
• I don’t know how to write jokes. In person I can be funny and I’m good at getting the laughs, but I have no clue how to communicate that in a comic.
• I grew up reading titanic tales of adventure, both in prose and comics. I didn’t read funny animal comics, or humor comics, so I don’t have much history with that.

Back when I read monthly comics, my favorites were usually team books, such as JSA, JLA, the Avengers, the Defenders, and the like. As far as the individual characters go, Batman, Captain America, Daredevil, Thor, Conan, these are what I dug. Later on, it was books like Planetary, the Authority, and Hellblazer. You can probably see elements of these teams and characters in Johnny Saturn.

Those are the kind of stories I loved. This is why I produce long-form adventures. I loved Calvin & Hobbes, Far Side, and Bloom County too, but I just didn’t feel the call to follow that path.

Superheroes in comics are defined by violence and their ability to kick ass.  That doesn’t work for real-world superheroes.  The law is not sympathetic to vigilantes, and beating the crap out of criminals can result in jail-time, fines, and serious judgments against the hero.  State and local laws vary, but for the most part taking justice into your own hands is frowned upon.  There are professions that allow this, such as security guards and bounty hunters, but they work under strict guidelines.

The real-life superhero movement has been called a reaction to 9-11.  Maybe, but I personally doubt it.  My guess is that the superhero has become a more powerful archetype for change in the last ten years due to all the successful live-action superhero movies.  I would say that it is also a response to the human desire to put on a mask and become someone else for a while.  Has there not also been a corresponding growth in Halloween costumes?  Has the cosplay community not also grown?

There is a comic book, and a movie spawned by it, called Kick Ass, about a would-be superhero.  The real world superhero movement far precedes Kick Ass.

Will this trend continue?  Great question.

On a related note, here is the cost, as figured in Forbes Magazine, to become Batman and maintain his high-rolling lifestyle.

The Bottom Line
Final Cost: $3,365,449

The Training: $30,000
The Suit: $1,585
The Belt: $290
The Car: $2,000,000
The Cave: $24,000
The Alter Ego: $1,109,574
The Butler: $200,000

In America, we are surrounded by superheroes.  They inhabit our movies, television shows, advertisements, and they have also crept into sports, music, and pretty much any corner of pop culture you can imagine.  Is Save-A-Bunch Man going to save you money at the thrift mart?  His cape, tights, and big smile say “yes.”  Wrestling, a strange mix of sport and theater, long ago succumbed to superhero imagery, but now many major sports figures in other sports have also taken on superhero nicknames, complete with tattoos and jerseys.  This is just a continuation of the old practice of naming children after saints, a bid for the blessings and protection of the holy intermediary.

The origin of the superhero genre has been much discussed.  It has been described as adolescent power fantasies and a modern mythology.  Both are true, I suppose.  I favor the mythology theory, because I believe superheroes are largely allegorical in nature.

By allegorical, I mean that character’s nature is evident in their physical appearance.  Comics are a graphic form, as much as they are literary, so why not?  That unique blend of pictures and words makes it a perfect medium for allegorical characters.

It would be easy to explain all this in terms of traditional superheroes, from the Messianic, Zeus-like Superman, to the Hades-like Batman, the Loki-like John Constantine.  It’s a fun exercise in correspondences and archetypes, really.  It’s no different in the Johnny Saturn setting, where characters wear their strengths and flaws as graphic elements and they descent from mythological archetypes.

One unfortunate meme that got attached to the superhero archetype is that of muscularity.  This is nothing new, of course: All the Greek gods had bodies like, well, Greek gods!  Hercules was huge and strong, as were many other mythological heroes and gods.  Physical supremacy was included in the superhero myth from the beginning, but by the 1980’s and 1990’s the rise in the popularity of weight-lifting and body-building had transformed most superheroes into bloated grotesques.  Even Spider-Man was looking hugely beefy in the 90’s.  Overdeveloped physiques had become associated with superheroes, and live-action actors who played these parts had to wear ridiculous and insulting rubber muscle suits.  Luckily, in comics themselves, hyper-muscularity began to give way to well-developed musculature as the 90’s ended.  Some characters now look simply fit and trim, which is also a vast improvement.