An Olympic Message from former Olympian - Northstar!

That winning Beaubier smile!

Alo! Canadian celebrity, superhero, author, CEO, teacher, circus aerialist, former terrorist and deceased ninja assassin, one time elfin royalty and disgraced Oly*p*c skier, Jean-Paul Beaubier here. But you can call me by my trés chic, code name -- Northstar! (accent on the 'star', naturalment.)

As my countrymen compete with the best in the world at Vancouver 2010 Olympics, my heart has swelled with uncharacteristic pride. And so I promise on behalf of Comicanuck at least one more week of comic book Olympic goodness to help you get through those curling and short-track speed skating withdrawal pains.

Mostly I'm doing this because I need somewhere to channel all this Olympic spirit now that my so-called friends' in Alpha Flight couldn't score me a seat to today's Canada-U.S.A. Men's Hockey final. You'd think a certain hardcore hockey fan by the name Puck would be able to pull a few strings. Quel connard.

Go Canada... or else!

To start us off, mes amis, for this final day of official Olympic festivities, we have a cover gallery of comic book Olympic moments!

The Olympics have long been fodder for comicbook storytelling. It provides a recognizable hook (or macguffin as Hitchcock referred to them) and also a straightforward narrative structure -- Two or more characters compete in a variety of events to determine the eventual winner.

Add to that a kidnapped kid sidekick, a cheating or doped up competitor or what have you and the stakes are suitably raised. You can also return to the idea every few years to coincide with the actual Olympics and cash in on the buying public's awareness and spirited desire to take part in some way... like purchasing your fine comic perhaps.

The Games can also serve as a compelling and unique backdrop or setting for a tale, even if the events of the story have little to do with the Olympics themselves.


But enough of this. Let's move onto the events that are near and dear to my Quebecois heart -- the downhill events!

Ahhh... the speed and aerial acrobatic grace of my beloved skiing and snowboarding events.

How telling is it that I miss it less for the joy of competition than for the fact that no one shoots plasma bolts at you or tries to remove your head from your torso while crying out, "Die, X-men!" when you compete there?

Such a comforting memory.

Sigh... I shall pour another chianti while you and these covers conquer that mountain!



A big part of selling a comic is to make sure your character stands out to the buying public and your cover is a key to doing that. So why not put them in an unusual but relatable situation? Afunny gag sevres much the same purpose for a humour book. The cover must amuse and also reveal somethign about the main character or the contents.



Something like a super hero skiiing or, in the case of the Blackhawk shown, prehistoric cavemen on flying skis with futuristic weaponry, can draw the eye away from more the mundane covers surrounding it and raise questions in the viewers minds. The only way to get those questions answered is to buy the book.





For some fun write-ups on comic book Olympic tales check out Mark Engbloms Comic Coverage post, An (Interplanetary) Olympic Moment, Pat Curley's Silver Age Comics follow-up post, The Olympics. You can also check the Grand Comic Book Database to see the whack of stores that grooved to an Olympic beat... Sorry, I have been hanging out with Dazzler a lot lately.


And now I must content myself to watch the gold medal Mens' hockey game on my plasma screen instead at rinkside with my selfish Alpha Flight compatriots. Onwards and upwards my friends!

Beavers Up!

Wally Wood - Look Beneath The Surface

It’s hard not to love the snazzy new ComicsComics website run by Tim Holder, Dan Nadel and Jason Miles with the kind of writing we’re seeing from it lately. Dan recently contributed a terrific summary of why Wally Wood was one of the most talented journeymen in comics history - Wally Should Have Beaten Them All - in which Nadel summarizes Wally’s undeniable talent and the key weaknesses (emotional and creative) that kept him from moving further during his lifetime.

Nadel grounds his insights firmly with concrete examples rather than relying on his opinion alone, which places the piece on a higher plane than much of the fan-based comics writing available on the web. But his writing is beautiful in of itself. Not only is it concise and direct, but the dude can also turn a beautiful phrase, as when he beautifully sums up the early, detail-obsessed Wally:

“…Wood was a maximalist in a business that could not afford the indulgence. Comics were and remain published on a tight schedule and demand quick turnarounds.”

One of the great takeaways from the article, quite apart from the cautionary tale Wood’s alcoholic, chain-smoking, overworking life provides us all, is the famous “22 Panels That Always Work": or some interesting ways to get some variety into those boring panels where some dumb writer has a bunch of lame characters sitting and talking for page after page." Wood created as a reminder to keep his work simple (at least in comparison to his ‘maximalist’ compulsions). The original art and some additional background are posted at JoelJohnson.com.

As Nadel notes, “It’s an infamous document, as ingenious in its craft as it is telling about the industry it comes from.”

Like Wood and his work, the panels are deceptively simple, but in fact they provide a sophisticated insight into comics and how they work. The key is not to assume these panels provide a one-stop secret weapon for interesting panel design (because that would make a decidedly unengaging and repetitive comic) but rather to learn from what the panels reveal about the comics form itself and how it can tell a story in ways no other medium can duplicate.

The Wood document (apparently notated at Marvel Comics years ago by Larry Hama) gives us examples of separating foreground, midground and background with black, white and grey. It shows how dynamic framing and design can direct the eye and how focusing on a portion of image can add intensity to a simple moment. So study it but look beyond the surface to find out what the pictures are really telling you underneath the surface.

Beavers Up!

And Lo, A Child Shall Write, Pencil and Ink - Let go of your adult critic and start drawing!

 

I've been checking out the hilarious Axe Cop by Ethan Nicolle (Chumble Spuzz) and his five-year old brother Malachai. It's fun, hilarious and hit much-deserved, official viral phenomenon status almost the moment Ethan chose to post it online. There's nice interview with the pair over at Geekchicdaily.

It also brings to mind another generational collaboration from here in Canada -- the delightful Chocolate-Face Grace by brilliantly insane Canuck cartoonist and raconteur Rob Walton and his daughter Grace. If you haven't read it check it out.  Rob's delight in his daughter and her devious (perhaps frighteningly so) mind is evident every panel.

 

There's a freeing, "anything is possible" quality to Malachai and Grace's writing that we adults can learn from. Over the last two busy days I have contemplated returning to a ridiculous, silly comic idea I had in my youth. But my desire for perfection stops me before I start when it just needs for me to let go - draw and write without fear.

 

Alexa Kitchen gets her foot in the comic biz door

The most famous young person cartoonist today is probably Alexa Kitchen - a comic convention staple for years with her Mom since the age of 5 or 6!  Comics hold no fear for Alexa. It's her chosen method of communication. Her youth is a perfect hook, speaking to inspiring kids but also encouraging curious adults to check her out. They inevitably find themselves delighted by her work.

Layne and Peri Toth are the other famous, pre-teen creators vying with Alexa for attention. With the help of Chris Yambar, their creation Faith: Warrior Princess has sold well with its playful, Christian-friendly adventures. 

 

On his website, Yambar recently posted that he has granted all his rights to Faith back to the Toth sisters to do with what they will.  There website doens't have much information but does list a number of graphic novel "properties" they are working on.  Methinks these girls take a more cutthroat approach to the biz than many grizzled vets.

The advice for the day is -- Follow that childish song in your head and create with no fear. So what if it's not perfect or takes a surprising twist.  That's part of finding the delight and imagination that used to be a constant part of our lives.

Beavers Up! 

Mark Millar Calls for Artists - Even the best writers need an inspiring artist

I hope writers seeking an artist for their comic ideas took note of my recent post, What are artists worth? and especially the dialogue that inspired it, which was summarized in writer Mike Luoma's blog post at Cosmic Comics, Shut Up and Put Out Your Comic!  If you didn't, it's too late.  Mike's post is now gone.

In its place is a notice stating that all Mike requested the removal of all his articles "due to a difference of opinion."  I can't really comment on an argument I have no knowledge of. I an only say that I hope it wasn't one of those petty fights passionate fans get in leading them to consider one another dead to them.  I'm just disappointed such a good overview of a discussion I took part on the business networking site LinkedIn, is no longer available for reference.

The original exchange was lengthy but confined to members of the Comic Book Business for Creators and Creations discussion group.  If I ever get a whole day or two to devote to it, I'll make an effort to summarize it myself.  But that may be a little ways away.  Good things are worth waiting for.

In the mean time, you're not the only writer looking for an artist/collaborator. So is Mark Millar. The hotshot Scottish writer is the mind behind Marvel's Ultimates, Civil War, a run on Wildstorm's The Authority and creator-owned projects like Wanted, Kick-Ass and his latest, Nemesis.

Millar posted a call for unknown artists on his Millarworld message board to partner with himfor a new project. Mark is seeking inspiration outside the comic book mainstream to work with someone with a unique style.

 "If you're anime, painterly, non-sequential, cartoony or just a traditional superhero artist please post a sample below. Fame and fortune awaits."

The best part is seeing the wide variety of artists who responding to the call. Check them out on Mark's forum thread, I'M LOOKING FOR AN UNPUBLISHED ARTIST! BIG, SPECIAL NON-MARVEL PROJECT!

Beavers Up! 

The Sorceress’ New Clothes – Zatanna’s new outfit doesn’t “etiuq krow"

Serinda Swan as Zatanna on Smallville's 

8th season episode, Hexed.

I’m feeling a little whiny today. So what shall I complain about?  How about DC Comic's superheroing sorceress, Zatanna?  


Is anyone else finding the new costume for DC’s new series by writer Paul Dini and artist Stephane Roux a bit of a mash-up?

I know it's Zatanna we're talking about here but this uniform is missing the mark slightly. Zatanna is far from the first superheroine to have a costume wholly inappropriate for crime fighting or supernatural menace slaying, but her original outfit does at least match up with her stage origins.

Carmine Infantino's original Zatanna.

Zatanna followed in the footsteps of her famous father, stage magician (and actual wizard) Zatarra.  As an old-school (read that as, non-stripping) burlesque magician she wore a somewhat tarted up version of her father’s top hat and tuxedo jacket crossed with the sort of stockings and tights she might have worn as his assistant growing up. 

Zatanna’s stage magician look belies her actual supernatural talent. She's a hero who hides in plain site, couching her inherited magical abilities power in stagecraft and misdirection. And as drawn by the brilliant designer of Carmine Infantino, her costume looks like a million bucks. (Though one could be forgiven for assuming she was just there to sell cigarettes, gum or a tray full off shooters.)

Our backward’s talking sorceress’ first appearances in the sixties were in a number of DC titles as she teamed with various DC heroes in search of her father, who had disappeared mysteriously. The early team-ups were featured as a back-up stories in various DC titles (including turns with Hawkman, The Atom, Batman, Green Lantern and even the Elongated Man). Eventually her quest me tit’s end in the pages of the Justice League of America. It was a gentle precursor to today’s multi-title, event crossovers.

It took all of Zatanna’s wits and power combined with those of the entire Justice League to free her wayward father from the magical dimension he as imprisoned in. DC recently reprinted the entire quest in JLA: Zatanna’s Search. This edition has a cover by Brian Bolland, who definitely sold Zatanna’s dressy duds with typical Bolland aplomb.

When Zatanna eventually joined the Justice League in the eighties, no less than the master himself, George Perez, designed a new costume for her new, more heroic role in the DC universe. The cape and the wide sleeves kept an element of her “nothing up my sleeves” magic while the skintight purple and white bathing suit and billowing cape lent the ensemble the necessary dose of four-colour superheroics. And I even dig the fab earrings. Zatanna always does things with style.

After a spin in the original Books of Magic mini-series and guest appearances in a variety of titles, Zatanna took centre stage as one of Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers of Victory, with fantastic artwork by Ryan Sook. Though Sook took Zatanna’s costume to a slightly more sexual extreme, he still sold it as a stage costume. One got the feeling that it was like Zatanna putting on a character and if a little leg showing helped distract her opponents, all the better.

Let’s be honest. Zatanna isn’t a hero who’s going to get into a bare-knuckle barroom brawl. She fights magic with magic. So with high-kicks out of the picture stiletto heels are just fine, thank you very much.

And now, DC has announced a new Zatanna ongoing series by Dini and Roux. I find this an exciting prospect and gobbled the yummy preview art they’ve released at DC Universe the Source -- Zatanna Strikes Out on her Own.

 But there are a few little things about Zatanna’s look that aren’t working for me just yet.

In trying to make Zatanna’s costume more his own, Roux dresses Zatanna -- the most put-together fashion-wise hero in the DCU -- in a bit of a mish-mash of mismatched items. It’s as if she’d stolen pieces willy-nilly from the window of a vintage shop.

Part of it is a pet peeve of mine. I have with artists who are so used to drawing muscular men that when they clothe someone in a suit they have no idea how to fit it around the human body.  Truthfully, it bugs me all the more because I share this fault in my own art.

I should first say that Stephane Roux is hell of an artist. His characters are rendered with verve and loads of personality. His acting is extremely believable and his layouts are quirky but clear.  And let’s face it, his Zatanna has exactly the kind of likeable, fun personality a character would need to be a successful stage performer and mystical buckler of swashes.

But Z’s costume is just… a little off. But why?

I think part of it may be that Roux has dispensed with the tails, effectively turning the tailcoat into a bolero jacket. In short, Z was an entertainer before, now she’s Julie, our cruise director.

That alone may not have bothered me except Roux has replaced the tails with a cape, I suppose to add an element of superheroic derring-do to the proceedings. 

But this is not just any cape. This cape has tuxedo-like tails at the bottom. Um, if he missed the tails so very much why add them here?  

It’s exactly the kind of detail an artist hits on to make a costume more “his own”.  But in this case, the effect feels a little forced and equally fails as both a superhero element and as a magicians cape for me.

Now on to the vest. But is it a vest or a wide belt?  In his effort to showcase Zatann’s ample bosom, Roux has drawn a vest that doesn’t fit her body in any way gravity would allow.  

Again, this isn’t entirely Roux's fault. Other artists have done the same thing and I’ve rarely felt it works. It looks silly to me.  It’s such a simple thing to redraw the angle of the vest to go up instead of across. It would feel more realistic and in no way would interfere with the appreciation of Z’s boobs.

Roux has followed tradition  kept the fishnets and dancewear covering her bottom and I can’t really blame him for the hooker boots. Again, past artists have tried the same thing. I came across another Brian Bolland version of our resident, backwards talking, "ssertsim fo cigam" that features the thigh-high boots and the same trick with the vest. I must confess Bolland makes it work. So perhaps I’m being too hard on poor Stephane.

But there is one other, little thing.  Does it bother anyone else that Z's top hat doesn't sit on her head correctly?

It floats two inches above her in most panels. Perhaps the rabbits she hides inside keep pushing it up.

Sigh... On the other hand.

Truthfully, after studying the art to write up this rant, Roux’s version of Zatanna is growing on me every time I look at it.

Trading the tails for a cape-with-tails seems silly but overall,Roux's layouts look bombastic and playful.  He’s adding a lot of charm to Zatanna's face and is playing around with the new characters, who are all well-defined and fun looking. Check out this line-up of fabulous characters!

Now that my curmudgeonly fanboy complaints are all out in the open, the many good elements of Roux’s artwork are shining forward in sharp relief.

And now I can’t wait to see the book, dang it!

Darn. Serinda Swann is making me eat 

my words about Zatanna's thigh highs.

But the classic look still 

rocks the house.

srevaeB pU!