August 15, 2006
Tricks of the Trade

   Growing up, I was never a fan of Jack Kirby's Eternals (I'd thumb through my cousin Sean's copies because my mission statement as a child was: Read every comic you can get your hands on)! Now, nostalgia fuels my interest in all things Kirby, so when the Eternals Hardcover Omibus was solicited, I initially passed, but the week it came out, I had my art dealer, Tom Fleming, grab me a copy from his store. I won't read it until I have a day or two off, so I can savor it. An outrageously funny blurb is on the dust jacket, which is a larger version of Eternals #1(1976) . Replacing the original cover blurb "Still only 25 cents" is "Still only $75"! In the back of the Omnibus is a long treatise retroactively explaining The Eternals' role in the Marvel Universe (which the late Mark Gruenwald began in a series of backup stories in the first run of What If?). There's a good possiblity I won't be able to get through this text piece without growing stalactites on my brain. When Kirby's New Gods was incorporated into the DCU proper, it worked because the events took place on the other side of the galaxy, but in Eternals, Kirby proposed that the Celestials (amazingly complex character designs that Kirby wisely made colossal wordless giants) created everything on Marvel Earth! I'm interested in what Gaiman and Romita Jr. are doing to, frankly, make sense of this continuity speedbump when the new miniseries concludes.

   HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Rough Stuff ($6.95, Twomorrows). My favorite section of Back Issue magazine now gets it's own quarterly publication, edited by one of my longtime inking inspirations, Bob McLeod. For those of you with comic art aspirations, this is a must-have. If you're an musty old pro like myself, you'll still marvel at the glorious pencils and inks from the all-star cast of Bruce Timm, Alan Davis, Art Adams, Nowlan (who deservedly gets full interview treatment), Perez, Byrne, Simonson & Garcia-Lopez! The artists add succinct anecdotes showing that these much-examined legends can still surprise. McLeod's provided a perfect format which showcases the diverse approaches/directions that artists may take on the journey to the finished page. Delicious stuff! McLeod also provides a firm-but-fair portfolio review of a penciller who's trying to break in the business.

   To put the icing on the cake, Mcleod's article, "Tight Pencils: The Answer or the Problem?" is the best annotation of how the penciller and inker roles have evolved over the past quarter-century. Included are extremes in contrast: Alfredo Alcala's lush ink renderings over John Buscema's Conan layouts vs. a modern, tightly-rendered Superboy page which solves all the problems for the inker, basically a trace job. Most pencillers I've worked with since breaking in during the '90's have been tight. Early on, I wasn't ready for finishes, but as years went on, my confidence grew. One assignment that stands out where I got to make more of a statement in the inks was the final issue of Wildstorm's Team Zero. It was grittier than I'd usually ink, but I had less than a week to turn around half the issue. Since it was a WWII story with guns ablazing, buildings crumbling and a high body count, I felt the rougher textures were justified and everybody seemed happy. I wouldn't use the same appoach on Supergirl or JLA unless they were in a similar environment (and deadline!).

   I'm currently wrapping up week 26 of DC's 52 and I'm pleased that the series is selling so well, considering that superhero comics with rotating characters traditionally don't. I think the fact four of the top writers are peppering the stories with some outlandish ideas helps. Just wait'll you see Lobo's return, teased in a recent Wizard article - it won't be what you expect!

   I was never much of a Lobo fan originally, but I bought the first few years of his ongoing title. "Why?", you say aloud to your monitor... John Dell's inks. I mentioned last blog that I was attempting to ape John's style on my issues of 52. I've since talked to him on the phone, and he humbly said: "I didn't know I HAD a style." So I told him what I thought were the key elements of his style, currently on display in Ultimate Spider-Man. I was careful in my wording, because no artist wants to be pidgeonholed, but I can think of the best elements of Dell's style off of the top of my adorable fuzzy pate.

   John's inks are the ultimate (no pun intended, no really) in adding what I call a "Superhero Sheen" to pencils. Even John's debris is pretty. There's a spun-glass quality to it that makes the environment almost magic, which is desireable for most superhero comics. Also, no matter how detailed the pencils, John will add MORE lines to provide extra depth. (I don't mind sharing his tricks because I doubt anybody can get close to imitating his style). John does what he calls "splitting a line". For example, if a single curved line is used to denote a jawbone, John may flare the line at the bottom to a three-pronged fade. This adds just a little more dimension that may flesh out the figure more than the pencil version, which is generally what pencillers and editors like. You know how a Nine of Diamonds from a card deck looks? John incorporates a much thinner version of that diamond-shape in his rendering, much like Gaijin Studio's Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story do. This is done by starting a brushstroke thin, bear down for a slightly thicker mid-point, then flick it off so there's a point at both ends. This is done in one fast motion. I would'a provided more of a tutorial with images this week, but I only have so much time to write this blog so I can get back to my paying gig. If you see me at a convention, I'll show you how it's done. Bear in mind, these are not the only tricks John has up his ink-stained sleeve, because he's versitile, and that's the best way to stay on top in the comics biz. When working late, I sometimes ask myself: "What Would John Dell Do?" Is there a wristband with that saying available?
 
 
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