Recently, a friend and I were talking about the different types of superheroes operating in Spire City, and I realized that there is a pretty wide spectrum. As a group, we call them meta-humans, but this isn’t all inclusive. I imagine I’ll return to this subject and flesh it out many time in the future. Here is the short list:

• Android: A robot that appears sufficiently human to easily pass for a human. Tara 5.0 is a prime example of an android.

• Cyborg: A human surgically augmented with scientific implants. Many of Dr. Wissenschaft’s mercenary soldiers are cyborgs.

• Gadgeteer: A human who invents or adopts gadgets of some sort to work as a vigilante. Tilt counts as a gadgeteer, as does Staff of Life, Captain Barometer, and Hyperspace.

• Mad Scientist: While technically norms, superhuman brilliance is arguably the most potent meta power. Combine this with mental illness (Dr. Synn) or amorality (Dr. Wissenschaft), and you have a foe not to be taken lightly.

• Mecha: A robot with an onboard human driver or pilot. The difference between a mechanaut and a mecha is often one of size; if the driver can wear it, he’s a mechanaut; if the device is large enough to be a vehicle, it is a mecha.

• Exonaut: These are normal humans who wear powered exoskeletons, wearable robots, or other similar costumes that scientifically augment their wearer. Examples would be Tactical and Deco. Mechanauts are sometimes also called human tanks and power armors. Non-powered armor, such as a bullet-proof vest, does not make someone a exonaut.

• Meta-human: Any person who is “more than human,” whatever the source of that power. Most of the superheroes and super villains in Spire City fall into this category. There are subgroups of meta-humans, such as Speedsters (Hotfoot, Celerity), Brutes (Alaric, Skorn), and Winged Wonders (Peregrine, Free Ranger).

• Mystery Man: Non-powered, themed vigilantes more common in the 1930’s through the 1950’s. Johnny Saturn I would be a good example of a classic mystery man.

• Norms: Within the meta community, standard humans are usually called Norms. Martial artists are still usually norms; if they adopt a theme and become vigilantes, they graduate to mystery men.

• Paranormal: This covers all humans (and other creatures/entities) that are magically based. A standard human adept in magic would be a paranormal, as would angels and demons and elementals. Examples include Persephone Synn Underhall, Norgiel the demon, and Turiel the angel. Many characters who are living avatars/embodiments of certain principles belong to this group, as do mythological humans (such as the late Musclebound, son of Hercules).

• Robot: Artificial scientific constructs. These often have humanoid shape, but they cannot pass for humans as can androids. A robot with a human pilot is a mecha. A good example of a robot would be the self-aware Oppression Wave.

• Zomborg: A clinically dead human that is surgically augmented and turned into a mindless cyborg. Dr. Wissenschaft regularly recycles his slain mercenaries and cyborgs into zomborgs.

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.

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.

I’m going to start taking commissions soon, so if you have something you’d like me to draw shoot me an email.  I try to stay away from drawing comic characters owned by other people (such as Marvel or DC), but that still leaves characters from Johnny Saturn, characters in public domain, your own original characters, monsters, whatever.

The public domain covers a huge cast of characters, from the Black Terror or Fantomah, to Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, dragons, werewolves, Hercules, Artemis, etc.  I have a long pedigree in fantasy art too.

I know some of you have been interested in buying Johnny Saturn shirts, and that’s coming quite soon.

I’m busy rendering that block of pages that were flatted but not fully colored from last year, at the end of issue 10 and the beginning of issue 11.  This is what has held me up from publishing issues 10 and 11, as well as getting the second trade paperback ready for publication.  But, it will happen!

As you can tell, we have all sorts of activity going on at Story Studios, LLC.

Scott.