On this weeks episode we interview Rafer Roberts, writer on Valiant Entertainments Archer & Armstrong. Not only is he one hell of a writer he also draws his own comics, Plasticfarm and Nightmare the Rat.
Episode 91 – An Interview with Rafer Roberts
Looking for more information on Rafer? Check out his website:
Valiant Entertainment – The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong
On tonight’s episode we chat with the self proclaimed “Liam Neeson” of the comics world, David Baron. With over twenty years working in the industry, David has been the colorist on such titles as JSA all-stars, Batman Confidential, Batman, The Authority, Detective Comics, 52 and more. He recently signed exclusively with Valiant Entertainment, his books include Divinity, Divinity 2, Bloodshot Reborn, Book of Death.
Episode 90 – Colorist David Baron
If you would like more information about David, listen to the show! or click the links below:
On this episode of The Geeks Menagerie, comic book artist Steve Kurth joins us to talk about his work on the new relaunch of G.I. Joe over at IDW.
Listen to the episode NOW =)
As I was searching the inter-webs this morning I came across an interview with writer James Luceno. Robotech fans first encountered Jim’s work from when he coauthored the Robotech Novelizations with Brian Daley, the two of them shared the pseudonym Jack McKinney. Star Wars fans will know of him from Darth Plagueis and Dark Lord – The Rise of Darth Vader many more novels. You can read the interview here:
and a very cool time line:
By Rodney Ford 4-08-07
Devils Due has done an excellent job of bringing some of the coolest fantasy novels to a comic book and graphic novel formats. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s Dragonlance chronicles. R.A. Salvatore’s Demon Wars and Forgotten Realms, specifically the legend of Drizzt, books 1-5.
Comic Addiction: First off I’d like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me and our readers. Can you tell us how you became a comic book writer?
Andrew Dabb: No problem, Rod. As far as how I became a comic book writer, really I’ve just always loved the medium. Comics are the one place you can let you imagination run wild and tell all sorts of visual stories, from small character pieces to epic adventures. The possibilities are literally endless. That and I don’t have the attention span to write novels.
CA: How did you end up working for Devils Due?
AD: The first books I did through Devil’s due were MEGACITY909 and MU which were actually published by a Korean company called Studio Ice, and distributed by DDP in the U.S. Because of that connection, I got to know Josh Blaylock, Mark Powers, and the rest of the Devil’s Due staff, which lead to them asking me to work on the Dungeons and Dragons license and, eventually, play around with GI Joe a bit too.
CA: You have written the scripts for quit a few comics that are based off of novels. Have you read the Dragonlance Chronicles or any of R.A. Salvatore’s novels?
AD: Oh, yeah. I’ve been reading the Dragonlance and Drizzt novels since I was…man, in elementary school. I’m a huge fan of the books, which definitely helps in adapting them into comics.
CA: How do you go about making a comic book adaptation of a novel?
AD: First I re-read the novel, marking any bit of plot of dialogue that’s important to the story, then I figure out how it’ll all fit into three comic books (usually trying to squeeze in 100-200 novel pages per issue). Once that outline has been okayed, I start scripting. The real trick is just identifying what has to stay, what can go, and what can be shortened. With these comics, we’re not trying to do a word-for-word adaptation, but rather sort of re-tell the stories in a very visual way. It’s one thing to read about 2,000 dwarves fighting an evil army, it’s another thing to actually see it. Allowing readers to do that is the comic book medium’s biggest strength, and so that’s what we’re trying to play up.
CA: Did wizards of the coast or Devils Due have any guide lines you had to follow?
AD: Well, obviously there’s a plot already in place, so I can’t stray too far from the original novel. But beyond that, there are just a few basic things (number of pages, etc…) that I’m expected to stick to.
CA: You have worked with a variety of artists on these books, how closely do you work with the colorists, letterers, inkers and pencillers?
AD: I’m always available to answer questions, but I don’t look over their shoulders too much. I’m a big believer in getting the right person for the job, and then letting them do the work. Besides, they already have to deal with the editor and Wizards of the Coast, who are much tougher bosses than I’ll ever be.
CA: When writing the scripts do you leave any notes as to how a scene should look or do you leave that up to the penciller?
AD: I script out what I see in my head, but I’m not averse to the artists taking some liberties, especially in action sequences. I try to provide enough panel description that everyone knows what’s going on, without drowning the artist in a lot of minutiae. I work with great people, and I trust them. So far it’s worked out well.
CA: I know a lot of Dragonlance fans love the LEGENDS series above the
rest. Are there any plans for an adaptation of the trilogy?
AD: As far as I know nothing’s set in stone. But as long as the adaptations
keep selling, I can’t imagine Devil’s Due will stop. And after
Chronicles, Legends is the next logical choice, so…
CA: The comic industry in general seems to be shifting there focus from artists to writers. What do you think of this trend?
AD: I think its fine, but not a major shift in the industry or anything. Creators have always ruled and right now, for whatever reason, you see more writers out there creating than artists (with some exceptions, like Darwyn Cooke). Mostly because writers can work on 3-4 books a month, while artists are pretty much limited to one. But I’m sure the pendulum will swing back eventually, that’s just the nature of these things.
CA: Are there any comics you enjoy reading in your free time?
AD: Too many: Wake, Fables, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Punisher, Stray Bullets, Conan, Authority, Wild CATS, Deathblow, Wasteland, Hack/Slash, Hellblazer, GI Joe, Ultimates, Negative Burn, that’s what I can remember off the top of my head. The true numbers is probably double or triple that.
CA: If you had a chance to write your favorite character or title what would it be?
AD: I don’t really have a favorite character I’m longing to write. I like working on my own things above all else. But it would be fun to write for Spider-Man (obviously) or John Constantine. I also have a weird affection for the Wildstorm Universe; I’d like to play around in it one of these days.
CA: What personal projects are you working on? Can you tell us about the
DESCENT graphic novel?
AD: DESCENT is a story I’ve been working on with artist Erech Overaker for
about three years now. It’s got creeping insanity, crazy homeless
people, eerie prophecies, and, of course, murder. Obviously it’s a big
departure from elves and action figures, but it’s good to stretch every
once in awhile.
CA: When will Descent be released and will DDP be publishing the book?
AD: We haven’t decided on a publisher for DESCENT yet, but I’m expecting it
to be out around the end of the year.
CA: What else do you have coming out in 2007? From Devils Due or other projects?
AD: Hmm, let’s see, there’s quite a bit in the planning stages right now, but here’s what I know for sure: A lot more Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms, probably a GI Joe project later this year, more Atomika from Mercury Comics and I’m contributing a few short stories to Negative Burn as well. It should be a good year.
Synopsis:
The life of Thomas Arashikage has taken him down paths that have allied him with both G.I. Joe AND Cobra. Now he’s away from both sides of the war, and getting into trouble all his own! Storm Shadow returns in his own monthly title written by his creator Larry Hama!
With the upcoming release of GIJOE – Storm Shadow #01 from Devils Due publishing, I had the pleasure of interviewing Larry Hama about this book.
Rodney Ford: As a bit of back ground info, Storm Shadows first appearance was in GIJOE #21(marvel comics 1982), “silent interlude”. Can you tell us a bit about how Storm Shadow came into being the assassin we all know and love?
Larry Hama: I got to the end of ARAH #21 and got the idea to use him matching hexagrams bit. I didn’t even really know what the connection was between the two characters at the time. But that was the first link. Hexagram 65 of the I Ching (chi chi,) is called “After Completion.” It connotes the instability of perfection because the trigram K’an (water) strives to move downwards, while the trigram Li (fire) pushes upwards. I actually chose that hexagram because the symmetry made it easier to remember, but the meaning turned out to be synchronistically apt. Jung would have been amused.
RF: Did you ever think Storm Shadow would be as popular as he has been for the last 25 years?
LH: I didn’t think ninjas would ever catch on. But then, I worked on one of the first US Nintendo print ad campaigns for Dentsu Y&R and I remember thinking that such a weird product name would never catch on in America.
RF: Storm Shadow is one of the most recognizable and popular characters throughout all of the Gijoe franchise. What do you think makes him such an appealing character?
LH: His story is about the power of redemption. He masters arcane arts and disciplines and is a loyal and good friend to Snake-Eyes, but he is torn apart by envy and pride. Somehow, he finds the strength to get it all back together. Okay, he’s got cool ninja outfit and neat weapons and kicks major butt, but I think his back-story is a major appeal to
those who actually read the comic continuity. I really can’t say about the animated material, since I have not really seen more than an episode or two.
RF: Tommy has gone threw a lot of changes in the last few years. Will this story focus on his inner war as opposed to his war with Cobra and the Joes?
LH: Intrinsically, it will be all about his inner war, but not overtly. I really hate stories where characters sit around and talk about how they feel. I think we should get that information from the action of the story. This is not radio drama.
RF: How did the Storm Shadow ongoing series come about? Did Devils Due approach you to write the series?
LH: Yep. Mike O’Sullivan e-mailed me.
RF: Can you give us any details about the series? Will there be any guest appearances?
LH: Ah, those are surprises.
RF: Have you worked with DDP before? How has your experience been working with there incarnation of GIJOE and subsequent characters?
LH: I’ve done one four issue arc of one series, a four issue limited series and a short story. But I haven’t really worked with the new incarnations and the newer characters. I feel more comfortable in my own turf.
RF: What do you think of Mark Robinson Pencils? Do you feel his style compliments your writing?
LH: Difficult to say at this point. I only have a few pages to judge from and some of them are not in order. It’s impossible to judge continuity without the whole thing there, “After Completion,” you know. But from what I have seen, his drawing is very solid, and his acting has some cool subtlety to it that is a welcome relief from the usual snarling
and teeth-grinding.
RF: If I where to ask you why I should pick up this book, what would your response be?
LH: You put me in a difficult position. I always felt that blatant self-promotion was, well, unseemly. Whatever I do at any time is always my best shot within the real world parameters of the job. I only had a week to write and draw #21, but I gave it all I had. When I have more time to do a job, I tend to get carried away on the research. I am most comfortable with writing and drawing. I’m NOT a good salesman. A cobbler should stick to his last. I would say, please try this book. You might like it.
RF: Do you have anything else in the works with Devils Due?
LH: No, but I have some episodes of Robot boy coming up on Cartoon Network next season and five graphic history novels from Osprey. Also a video game for Curious/Game Lab that I have been working on for a year, and a new secret project with Pepe Moreno.
By Rodney Ford
As a follow up to my review of Star Wars – Legacy #8, I’m proud to share with all of you my interview with Adam DeKraker. Adam was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding his work on this issue and what projects he has worked on in the past. He is a very talented penciller and Inker, having done work for DC comics, Marvel comics, Topps, Upper deck Entertainment, and Nickelodeon Magazine to name just a few.
RF: How did you get the opportunity to pencil a Star Wars book?
DeKraker: I just kept bugging the editor, Randy Stradley, whom I’d met at a convention a couple years back. Just kept sending him the stuff I was working on and let him know I’d be eager to give it a go at Dark Horse. Luckily, the project that opened up was this cool Star Wars gig.
RF: I noticed that there was no inker listed on this book. Did you ink this issue or did colorist Ronda Pattison?
DeKraker: This book was “shot from pencils,” something that’s becoming more common these days as technology has advanced. I scanned in my finished pencils, which, unlike a traditional comic’s page destined for inks, included some gray tones and shading. I fiddled with the pages a bit using Photoshop on the computer, and then sent the files off to Dark Horse. After that, Ronda did all the coloring magic. There is no proper “inker” on a book shot from pencils, but I think it’s fair to say that ideally both the penciller and the colorist put in a little extra work to mind the gap, and “complete” the art, by keeping the penciled work more precise than it may have to be if an inker is working over it, or choosing which lines to darken to make them look black like ink.
More and more books are being shot from pencils these days, with pretty mixed results. The end result can look more painterly with a talented colorist on hand, which can be nice, or the whole thing can just look washed out and unfinished. Unfortunately, I think the latter tends to be more common. Skipping the inker saves on time and money for a publisher though, so it’s becoming something you see more often.
Luckily for me, Dark Horse did a nice job on this. It’s the first time I’ve worked on something where I knew there wouldn’t be an inker and I was pretty nervous about how it’d look in the end. But, I think Ronda did some nice work here.
I still prefer an inked book, generally, but I do look forward to playing around like this again.
RF: What did you enjoy most about working on this issue?
DeKraker: Well, it was my first chance to do work shot just from pencils, so it
was fun to see how that turned out in the end. Having been nervous
about it initially, it made seeing the end result more rewarding.
Beyond that, getting the chance to work on something John Ostrander had
written was quite an honor. And to have it be Star Wars to boot, an
honor, and a bit intimidating!
RF: When you got the script for this issue how did you go about laying out the issue? Or did John already have notes regarding how he wanted it to look?
DeKraker: Generally, the layouts were up to me. Certain sequences or panels had specific directions, but I’d say the majority of the “visual storytelling” decisions were left to me. John’s script was very detailed in terms of what he wanted to make sure was on the page, and he had the script broken down into panels, but after making sure those
elements were there and that it was hitting the same beats, the actual layouts were pretty much up to me.
RF: Are you going to be doing any more issues of Legacy?
DeKraker: If they’ll have me back, I’d love to! I hope so. We’ll see.
RF: So I read some where that you also do inking. Do you have any inking projects in the works?
DeKraker: No straight inking projects in the pipeline right now. I’ve been doing a fair amount of inking over my own work on various little projects lately, like some Upper Deck trading cards and some special promotional projects at DC, as well as some pin ups that’ll be popping up here and there, but it’s been awhile since I inked another artist. Inking someone else can be a nice break from working in your own style, allowing you to stretch a bit. It seems Nickelodeon Magazine often reprints some of the stuff I do for them, so you can always keep an eye out for some of that.
RF: What are you working on now and what do you have coming out in 2007?
DeKraker: I’ve been doing a lot of strange little side projects lately. Like over at DC, I worked on the adaptation for the new Court TV series Til Death Do Us Part, starring John Waters as the Groom Reaper (crazy, right??), and illustrating all the photos for a Daily Planet newspaper for a Con Edison promotion. Collections of my work on Birds of Prey and Super girl & the Legion of Super-Heroes are hitting the stands in the coming months, and there are various pinups and trading cards and things that’ll be popping up here and there. I’ve got another project I’m working on, but not prepared to announce.
RF: One final question Adam, What title would you most like to pencil for? (Favorite character or title)
DeKraker: I really am a big super hero fan, so all the usual suspects, I suppose. At some point, working on the JLA is my dream, but right now I really enjoy the more second tier characters at both companies. I think I’d do a great job on Robin at DC. There’s a ton of weird characters I’d just get a kick out of working on, like Ragman, the Creeper, Iron Fist, or Animal Man. I’d kill to work on a project with a film noir vibe.
There are certainly some writers I’d jump at the chance to work on. I’d love to do something with Brian Bendis or Peter David.
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I hope you enjoyed this interview, please feel free to visit my comic space page for updates on upcoming interviews and reviews. Once again I’d like to thank Adam for taking the time to do this interview with me and I look forward to seeing what else he can bring to the comic world in the future.
Don’t forget to stop by Adam’s web site at adamdekraker.com
The Geeks Menagerie 