JOHNNY VEGA: Man of the Future
Art by Alan Bennett
Written by Alan Bennett
Johnny Vega: Man of the Future is a comic which reminds of both serial television, and comic books from the 1970s.Creator Alan Bennett has developed a main character Johnny Vega, a swashbuckling space ranger, who pays homage in my mind to the likes of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon.
However, Vega is not a solo star. He brings with him a cast of Ranger cadets, most alien in nature, from an alluring female cat alien, yes that's not particularly new, to a bipedal crow creature through to the obligatory strong guy in the form of a rock-like humanoid. The cast is a tad clichéd to be sure, but then that is part of the fun here too.
While more alien in nature, I do get the feel of those mid-1970s Legions of Superheroes (from CD Comics) in this book. The characters aren't super powered as was the Legion, but there is a somewhat similar approach to the group dynamic. Bennett himself said he draws on three main influences in terms of the work.
“As to my influences there are a number of them but three that really stand out are; the Original Star Trek series with interesting story lines and Kirk getting the ladies and the fights.
“The sci-fi movies of the 1950's in particular. "When Worlds Collide" (which John Deere is the basis for Johnny) and "War of the worlds". "Forbidden Planet" was later on as I got older.
“(And) the works of Al Williamson and Wally Wood. These two - particularly Williamson set the standard for me. I collected anything I could of his. Thankfully there was quiet a lot of artwork I could find.”
Johnny Vega is not Bennett's first work, but it is his most challenging effort to-date in the sense he has gone with a full colour book.
“Vega isn't the first project I worked on,” he said. “But, I will say that it was the first one I ever did in full colour. “The first one I ever worked on was a book called 'The Citadel' back in '98. It was a 48-page stand-alone story. There have been seven other comic books I had worked on called 'Guilded Edges' 1-7 between the time of '99 and '01.”
In terms of story, Bennett keeps things pretty standard, a planet in peril, bad guys on the loose, the Rangers, even though just cadets, are thrown in to the breech to stop the evildoers. That said, I have only issue #2 to draw from, so the story may develop along less familiar territory as it moves forward.Bennett said he has the storyline thought out through to a conclusion for the main character.
“Johnny Vega, Man of the Future is a self contained series,” he said. “Though there are a number of stories planned for him there is an end to the character's being. That's why I developed a chronology of stories and major plot points that I have mapped out for Vega. “Basically, the three stages of man but it's my answer to the riddle of Sphinx. You'll know when the change happens when I change the hair style of Johnny that he's sporting.
“But, I will say that once that last story sees print that's it. No crazy resurrections like you see in so many characters out there. Of course this doesn't include the occasional cross over, or the spin-off of the supporting characters like Corvis Corrax, Johnny's crow headed friend/sidekick. But, that is a long way off there and there is a lot I have planned for the Man of the Future.”
Artistically, Johnny Vega is a book which I found interesting to say the least. When I first thumbed through the pages I was captivated by the pastel-like digital imagery.
However, as I settled into to give the book a more thorough perusal, I found the lack of detail in many frames disquieting. There seemed too many instances where details in a frame were limited to the focus character. I felt initially that the lack of detail in some of the alien cadets in particular stole from the overall artistic affect.
That would change though as I came to appreciate the art as a whole, rather than as a specific part of a page.
The art is a bit of an acquired taste, but the bright dynamic colours, and near watercolour art effects win you over.
Bennett said going digital was a change for him, but not one which prolonged the process.
“The work on Johnny Vega in colour actually didn't take that long because I was working directly over the original in digital right over my scanned in penciled layouts,” he said.
“Lately though, I have shifted to more attention to the detail. So it takes taking me longer for each book to come out. Right now I would have to say it talking about 2 to 2 1/2 months to get a complete 24-page book to be done and off to the printer.”
In the end the art style was created in an effort to stand apart, something I feel Bennett did accomplish well.
“One of biggest issues (not a pun) I found with the readership - not the companies or the editors, is that they all want something that's new and different that they feel they can make a worthwhile investment in, not a copy of say like a Michael Turnner or Mike Mignola or any manga but something that stands apart,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with those art styles but I have a problem when companies hire on knock off artists rather giving other talented artists the chance just because it's the flavour of the week.”
Bennett said in his case art has always been an interest, and comic books are a medium to express that interest through.
“My background goes back as far as I can remember from finger painting while I was going to wash my hands,” he said.
“But officially, I studied at the Art Institute of Seattle for about a year and a half out of a two-year program. The rest of my comic book knowledge comes from me asking questions to professional comic illustrators living in my area. The other was simply picking up a book on the subject.
“My art technique is always evolving which should be goal of any artist. In looking at both issues #1 and #2 you'll see a very big leap in the art. In doing the story I realized I was no longer simply doing a black and white comic with colour added but a full colour digital book. So I decided to do away with the heavy black eclipse line around the figure. Let the colour and shade define the character. Since Vega is a science fiction story why not use the tools of science like the computer to work for the story? The same is true when you are working for a horror story. You don't want to use bright and cheery colours to evoke a sense of impending dread do you?”
You can check out the book, and find out how to acquire a copy at http://blackboxcomix.vpweb.com/
-- CALVIN DANIELS
Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Review -- THE PISTOLEERS
THE PISTOLEERS
Art by Dan Nokes
Written by Dan Nokes
You can rarely go wrong with a comic based on the old west. At least from the perspective of a 49-year-old reviewer who grew up on books such as the Rawhide Kid.
So I was pretty excited when The Pistoleers (Chapter One of Three) arrived.
Interestingly artist/writer Dan Nokes said he wasn't a western fan as a kid.
“The Pistoleers was originally like my previous series 'The Paranormals' derived from a single sketch I did back in 1996, or so that got buried in an art bin for about nine years,” he said. “In 2005, or so, I was half way through 'The Paranormals' when I came to the conclusion that I was sick of The Tolkienesque fantasy epic and wanted to do something more grounded. I dug through said storage bin, saw the pic and was inspired to elaborate.
“As to being a western fan, I can say now yes! Most definitely.
“When I was a kid no, most certainly not. The fascination came in my early 20s for sure.”
Now a comic tends to live and die by its art work. Let's face it we all thumb through the pages to check out the art before we shell out the green to take it home.
With The Pistoleers Nokes offers up an artistic style which sort of has a feel of something done in an earlier era. There is a roughness to the art, a sort of simplicity which hearkens back to a different time.
“As to artistic influences I am self taught,” said Dan Nokes in an email interview. “It's a matter of the Edisonian method of trial and error as to how I learned to draw. “
Nokes said as a youth it was some well-known comic artists he admired most, and that has tended to be the same as he as matured, always being influenced by good artists from the comic genre.
“As to artistic influences, when I was a kid it was John Byrne, and Walt Simonson all the way.
“As a teen I was caught in the 90's boom and became a huge fan of Jim Lee, as well as Mark Bagely, Sam Keith and others.
“These days guys ranging from Chris Bachallo to John Romita Jr. to Jack Kirby, and John Cassaday influence my art.”
In some respects I think of the early Steamboat Willy cartoon art, when looking at The Pistoleers, in respect to its rawness.
Rendered in black and white only adds to that 'feel'.
The look tends to grow on one, although it doesn't necessarily impress at first glance.
Now to overlook this comic would be a mistake, because Nokes writes a darned good tale of the old west, tieing the story's roots to the Civil War, and including the interaction of a black youth, and his adopted white family.
Of course there is a reoccurring villain, tied to the war, who resurfaces by the book's end, which might be a bit clichéd, but some genres survive because there is a formula which works.
I will say there is one panel early in the book, that of an old photograph that foreshadows the answer to the question at the end of the book 'will the Marcus Brothers Escape From Their Bonds?' but otherwise the suspense builds nicely.
Like a lot of indie comics, The Pistoleers took some time to go from idea to comic book.
“As to putting together a clear picture of what I wanted to do with the series, it was cultivated, outlined, and formulated over a three-year period, while I was working on Paranormals #6-12,” he said.
The western is the third title for Nokes in his career.
“As to my pre-history with comics, that started in 2002 with my 67 page one-shot 'The Reptile and Mister Amazing',” he said. “It was a straight out superhero comic about a geriatric ex-superhero teaming with a dinosapien janitor from a parallel earth to take on an omnipotent homicidal game show host.
“The Paranormals came next. It was a 12-issue maxi series I did between 2003-2008.
“In short it's an end of the world story where your heroes include: A feeble minded robot, a chain smoking English vampire, an alcoholic binge eating Australian Aborigine werewolf, a teenage witch, and angry Scottish dwarf. I just collected and will be releasing the first six issues of the book in TPB (trade paperback) format.”
As for The Pistoleers, Nokes said it is a finite story.
“The series will definitely end with issue #3!,” he said. “It's rough to do a continuous series in the indie comic world. You have to compete with the big boys for shelf space which is like a local microbrew cola competing for shelf space at the 7-11 against Coke and Pepsi!
“Besides after 'The Paranormals' I want to keep down to one shots, graphic novels and mini series of four issues or less.”
Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.myspace.com/21sandshark
-- CALVIN DANIELS
Art by Dan Nokes
Written by Dan Nokes
You can rarely go wrong with a comic based on the old west. At least from the perspective of a 49-year-old reviewer who grew up on books such as the Rawhide Kid.
So I was pretty excited when The Pistoleers (Chapter One of Three) arrived.
Interestingly artist/writer Dan Nokes said he wasn't a western fan as a kid.
“The Pistoleers was originally like my previous series 'The Paranormals' derived from a single sketch I did back in 1996, or so that got buried in an art bin for about nine years,” he said. “In 2005, or so, I was half way through 'The Paranormals' when I came to the conclusion that I was sick of The Tolkienesque fantasy epic and wanted to do something more grounded. I dug through said storage bin, saw the pic and was inspired to elaborate.
“As to being a western fan, I can say now yes! Most definitely.
“When I was a kid no, most certainly not. The fascination came in my early 20s for sure.”
Now a comic tends to live and die by its art work. Let's face it we all thumb through the pages to check out the art before we shell out the green to take it home.
With The Pistoleers Nokes offers up an artistic style which sort of has a feel of something done in an earlier era. There is a roughness to the art, a sort of simplicity which hearkens back to a different time.
“As to artistic influences I am self taught,” said Dan Nokes in an email interview. “It's a matter of the Edisonian method of trial and error as to how I learned to draw. “
Nokes said as a youth it was some well-known comic artists he admired most, and that has tended to be the same as he as matured, always being influenced by good artists from the comic genre.
“As to artistic influences, when I was a kid it was John Byrne, and Walt Simonson all the way.
“As a teen I was caught in the 90's boom and became a huge fan of Jim Lee, as well as Mark Bagely, Sam Keith and others.
“These days guys ranging from Chris Bachallo to John Romita Jr. to Jack Kirby, and John Cassaday influence my art.”
In some respects I think of the early Steamboat Willy cartoon art, when looking at The Pistoleers, in respect to its rawness.
Rendered in black and white only adds to that 'feel'.
The look tends to grow on one, although it doesn't necessarily impress at first glance.
Now to overlook this comic would be a mistake, because Nokes writes a darned good tale of the old west, tieing the story's roots to the Civil War, and including the interaction of a black youth, and his adopted white family.
Of course there is a reoccurring villain, tied to the war, who resurfaces by the book's end, which might be a bit clichéd, but some genres survive because there is a formula which works.
I will say there is one panel early in the book, that of an old photograph that foreshadows the answer to the question at the end of the book 'will the Marcus Brothers Escape From Their Bonds?' but otherwise the suspense builds nicely.
Like a lot of indie comics, The Pistoleers took some time to go from idea to comic book.
“As to putting together a clear picture of what I wanted to do with the series, it was cultivated, outlined, and formulated over a three-year period, while I was working on Paranormals #6-12,” he said.
The western is the third title for Nokes in his career.
“As to my pre-history with comics, that started in 2002 with my 67 page one-shot 'The Reptile and Mister Amazing',” he said. “It was a straight out superhero comic about a geriatric ex-superhero teaming with a dinosapien janitor from a parallel earth to take on an omnipotent homicidal game show host.
“The Paranormals came next. It was a 12-issue maxi series I did between 2003-2008.
“In short it's an end of the world story where your heroes include: A feeble minded robot, a chain smoking English vampire, an alcoholic binge eating Australian Aborigine werewolf, a teenage witch, and angry Scottish dwarf. I just collected and will be releasing the first six issues of the book in TPB (trade paperback) format.”
As for The Pistoleers, Nokes said it is a finite story.
“The series will definitely end with issue #3!,” he said. “It's rough to do a continuous series in the indie comic world. You have to compete with the big boys for shelf space which is like a local microbrew cola competing for shelf space at the 7-11 against Coke and Pepsi!
“Besides after 'The Paranormals' I want to keep down to one shots, graphic novels and mini series of four issues or less.”
Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.myspace.com/21sandshark
-- CALVIN DANIELS
Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Friday, June 12, 2009
Review -- THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI
THE UNDERSEA ADVENTURES OF CAPT'N ELI
Art by Jay Piscopo
Written by Jay Piscopo
Oh man does Capt'n Eli bring back the memories.
This is a comic which is really ideally suited to younger readers, and I initially wondered how I would get through the book, being well, a long long way from being a younger reader.
Yet, the story just pulled me in, part because it's a darned good yarn, but also because it has a nostalgic feel to it.
This is a story that is reminiscent of old television series like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and comic books like Charlton's The Phantom. When I was young those were much enjoyed shows and books because they opened a world of adventure, mystery and fantasy, all things Jay Piscopo wraps up nicely here as well.
Capt'n Eli is a genius kid who is in the midst of a grand undersea adventure, complete with secret submarines, unknown undersea races, mystery and intrigue.
Accompanied by his trusty mutt, and a 300-year-old talking parrot, Cap'n Eli moves through the adventure with the awe of a kid, and the savvy of a hero.
Interestingly, Capt'n Eli spun out of an ad campaign.
“Initially Capt'n Eli was created a a mascot for Captn Eli's Root Beer. Fred Forsley wanted to create an entertainment property in support of the soda,” explained creator Jay Piscopo in an email interview. “... Fred brought me in to help develop the project and basically gave me free reign to create what I wanted.”
Piscopo said he basically drew on those shows and books which captured his imagination as a kid.
“The time I grew up in was pretty magical for superheroes comic books, cartoons and movies. The Silver Age was still in full force. Hanna Barbera cartoons designed by the one and only Alex Toth dominated Saturday Morning. Star Trek was in syndication, and had a mystique to it that was there before the word trekkie was invented. Ray Harryhausen movies were the epitome of adventure to me.
“So characters like Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, The Fantastic Four, Captain Nemo, were imprinted in my brain at an early age.
“I rolled all this up and The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli was the result.”
Once read I knew this book was ideal material for young boys aged seven to 13, and Piscopo said that was a market he wanted to focus on.
“That's the ideal audience, but at the same time I'm trying to adopt the attitude of creators like Jack Kirby who understood comics of their time to be a children's medium, but adults would read as well,” he said. “That's why we describe the book as all ages. Involving kids back into comics is very important to me, as well as creating something for the kids that never grew up.”
In terms of art, Piscopo keeps it clean, and varied, just right to hold a young mind's attention, drawing on a number of styles.
“Well, the obvious influence is Doug Wildey's Johnny Quest and Alex Toth's Hanna Barbera work,” he said. “A big Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood influence too.
“And, a huge influence from Japanese animation and European comics with the 2D and 3D integration.”
At more than 100 pages an issue, in square bound trade paperback format, these are as much a children's storybook as it is a comic.
“We describe it as a Graphic Novel series,” said Piscopo. “Tintin is a big influence, but unlike Tintin, each book is a part of a much bigger story.”
In terms of the bigger story Piscopo said more is certainly on the horizon for Capt'n Eli.
“We have plotted up through issue 4 with concepts to go beyond,” he said. “I'm working on issue 3 right now, as well as a spin off Sea Ghost comic book
“And, another spin off of Commander X Adventures free online comic for this Christmas.”
As for the first two issues of Capt'n Eli, I know I would have reread this tale until the pages were ragged when I was a kid, and it is certainly recommended since Dad won't mind reading this one to younger children either.
Check it out at www.captneli.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week Web Xtra
Art by Jay Piscopo
Written by Jay Piscopo
Oh man does Capt'n Eli bring back the memories.
This is a comic which is really ideally suited to younger readers, and I initially wondered how I would get through the book, being well, a long long way from being a younger reader.
Yet, the story just pulled me in, part because it's a darned good yarn, but also because it has a nostalgic feel to it.
This is a story that is reminiscent of old television series like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and comic books like Charlton's The Phantom. When I was young those were much enjoyed shows and books because they opened a world of adventure, mystery and fantasy, all things Jay Piscopo wraps up nicely here as well.
Capt'n Eli is a genius kid who is in the midst of a grand undersea adventure, complete with secret submarines, unknown undersea races, mystery and intrigue.
Accompanied by his trusty mutt, and a 300-year-old talking parrot, Cap'n Eli moves through the adventure with the awe of a kid, and the savvy of a hero.
Interestingly, Capt'n Eli spun out of an ad campaign.
“Initially Capt'n Eli was created a a mascot for Captn Eli's Root Beer. Fred Forsley wanted to create an entertainment property in support of the soda,” explained creator Jay Piscopo in an email interview. “... Fred brought me in to help develop the project and basically gave me free reign to create what I wanted.”
Piscopo said he basically drew on those shows and books which captured his imagination as a kid.
“The time I grew up in was pretty magical for superheroes comic books, cartoons and movies. The Silver Age was still in full force. Hanna Barbera cartoons designed by the one and only Alex Toth dominated Saturday Morning. Star Trek was in syndication, and had a mystique to it that was there before the word trekkie was invented. Ray Harryhausen movies were the epitome of adventure to me.
“So characters like Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, The Fantastic Four, Captain Nemo, were imprinted in my brain at an early age.
“I rolled all this up and The Undersea Adventures of Capt'n Eli was the result.”
Once read I knew this book was ideal material for young boys aged seven to 13, and Piscopo said that was a market he wanted to focus on.
“That's the ideal audience, but at the same time I'm trying to adopt the attitude of creators like Jack Kirby who understood comics of their time to be a children's medium, but adults would read as well,” he said. “That's why we describe the book as all ages. Involving kids back into comics is very important to me, as well as creating something for the kids that never grew up.”
In terms of art, Piscopo keeps it clean, and varied, just right to hold a young mind's attention, drawing on a number of styles.
“Well, the obvious influence is Doug Wildey's Johnny Quest and Alex Toth's Hanna Barbera work,” he said. “A big Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood influence too.
“And, a huge influence from Japanese animation and European comics with the 2D and 3D integration.”
At more than 100 pages an issue, in square bound trade paperback format, these are as much a children's storybook as it is a comic.
“We describe it as a Graphic Novel series,” said Piscopo. “Tintin is a big influence, but unlike Tintin, each book is a part of a much bigger story.”
In terms of the bigger story Piscopo said more is certainly on the horizon for Capt'n Eli.
“We have plotted up through issue 4 with concepts to go beyond,” he said. “I'm working on issue 3 right now, as well as a spin off Sea Ghost comic book
“And, another spin off of Commander X Adventures free online comic for this Christmas.”
As for the first two issues of Capt'n Eli, I know I would have reread this tale until the pages were ragged when I was a kid, and it is certainly recommended since Dad won't mind reading this one to younger children either.
Check it out at www.captneli.com
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week Web Xtra
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Review -- THE HUNTER
THE HUNTER
Art by David Golding
Written by Adam Hamdy
It's always a good thing when a comic book goes back to the good old basics of what makes the genre click, strong storytelling, and clean, effective art.
That is exactly what the team of Adam Hamdy and David Golding have done on their four-issue series The Hunter.
Hamdy has created a believable superhero storyline simply by playing off many of the political realities of the real world, including former United States – Soviet Union distrust, and the current threat of terrorist attacks. Set against a world very much mimicking our own, the writer has created a realistic vision of why and how those with superpowers came to be.
In an email interview Hamdy explained, “this is my first published book, and I’ve been blown away by the response. Ain’t It Cool News compared it to the best of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s work at Marvel, which is unbelievable praise for a first effort – I had to pinch myself.”
In some respects the approach isn't so different from that taken with early Marvel comics where superheroes such as Spiderman faced some of the real world's realities and problems, making the character more believable and accessible.
That is the same feel you get with The Hunter. It's easy to buy into the story here because so much of the world is familiar to us.
“The Hunter was inspired by what’s been happening in the real world; the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the end of the perverse balance provided by the Cold War,” said Hamdy. “I used super villains in place of WMDs and gave the story a lone superhero, because at the moment it seems real heroes are in short supply and the odds are stacked against them.”
It is interesting The Hunter was not initially envisioned as a comic book, although it blossoms with the medium.
“The Hunter started life as an original feature film screenplay, but it was such an obvious candidate for a comic,” said Hamdy. “I started work on the screenplay in the late summer of 2006 and we started production on the comic in Spring 2007.”
That said the writer from Britain said he has always been a fan of comics, and it shows in the detail afforded The Hunter.
“I first started buying the Beano and Dandy when I was six, (and, yes, I was a member of the Dennis the Menace fan club),” he said. “When I was eight my family moved to Egypt and the only comics I could get were MAD Magazine and mainstream DC and Marvel titles; Spiderman, Thor, Fantastic Four, Superman, Batman etc. That was my first exposure to superheroes.
“I started getting serious about comics when I was 12 and would go to Calamity Comics in Harrow, West London to add to my out of control collection – Calamity was a great shop that started life as a small market stall. I was drawn to the medium by the fantastically escapist characters and stories. Extraordinary themes to inspire the imagination."
Artistically, Golding has a perfect hand for this tale. He has a clean approach to putting together a page.There is fine detail in the work, and he moves from full page art splashes, to multi panel montages easily, mixing the two to create a great story.
On flashbacks he uses a style that hearkens back to an earlier time in comics and that is a sweet touch too.
Check it out at http://www.darecomics.com/
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Art by David Golding
Written by Adam Hamdy
It's always a good thing when a comic book goes back to the good old basics of what makes the genre click, strong storytelling, and clean, effective art.
That is exactly what the team of Adam Hamdy and David Golding have done on their four-issue series The Hunter.
Hamdy has created a believable superhero storyline simply by playing off many of the political realities of the real world, including former United States – Soviet Union distrust, and the current threat of terrorist attacks. Set against a world very much mimicking our own, the writer has created a realistic vision of why and how those with superpowers came to be.
In an email interview Hamdy explained, “this is my first published book, and I’ve been blown away by the response. Ain’t It Cool News compared it to the best of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s work at Marvel, which is unbelievable praise for a first effort – I had to pinch myself.”
In some respects the approach isn't so different from that taken with early Marvel comics where superheroes such as Spiderman faced some of the real world's realities and problems, making the character more believable and accessible.
That is the same feel you get with The Hunter. It's easy to buy into the story here because so much of the world is familiar to us.
“The Hunter was inspired by what’s been happening in the real world; the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the end of the perverse balance provided by the Cold War,” said Hamdy. “I used super villains in place of WMDs and gave the story a lone superhero, because at the moment it seems real heroes are in short supply and the odds are stacked against them.”
It is interesting The Hunter was not initially envisioned as a comic book, although it blossoms with the medium.
“The Hunter started life as an original feature film screenplay, but it was such an obvious candidate for a comic,” said Hamdy. “I started work on the screenplay in the late summer of 2006 and we started production on the comic in Spring 2007.”
That said the writer from Britain said he has always been a fan of comics, and it shows in the detail afforded The Hunter.
“I first started buying the Beano and Dandy when I was six, (and, yes, I was a member of the Dennis the Menace fan club),” he said. “When I was eight my family moved to Egypt and the only comics I could get were MAD Magazine and mainstream DC and Marvel titles; Spiderman, Thor, Fantastic Four, Superman, Batman etc. That was my first exposure to superheroes.
“I started getting serious about comics when I was 12 and would go to Calamity Comics in Harrow, West London to add to my out of control collection – Calamity was a great shop that started life as a small market stall. I was drawn to the medium by the fantastically escapist characters and stories. Extraordinary themes to inspire the imagination."
Artistically, Golding has a perfect hand for this tale. He has a clean approach to putting together a page.There is fine detail in the work, and he moves from full page art splashes, to multi panel montages easily, mixing the two to create a great story.
On flashbacks he uses a style that hearkens back to an earlier time in comics and that is a sweet touch too.
Check it out at http://www.darecomics.com/
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Review -- FACELESS SOLDIERS
FACELESS SOLDIERS
Art by Steven Golebiewski
Written by Steven Golebiewski
Period piece stories are always intriguing to me and that is the first thing which caught attention with Steven Golebiewski's Faceless Soldiers #1. The writer/artist has set the story in Poland in the years just after the First World War. It's an interesting locale and era against which to set a story.Golebiewski said the setting was one he had a connection too, so he used it.
“Being 100 per cent Polish myself, I already knew a decent amount of Polish history and geography ... but I still studied extensively,” Golebiewski explained via email. “Library books, Internet, interviewing relatives, you name it. Since my story has large amounts of horrific fantasy, I wanted the real stuff to be as real as possible.”
In the case of Faceless Soldiers, we have a story which draws on the reality of a post-war era in a volatile area of Eastern Europe, a foundation Golebiewski uses to good effect, as he begins to create a nicely twisted tale of weird undead creatures harrowing a village.
Again Golebiewski draws on his heritage for inspiration.
“The story was sparked by a combination of my love for the supernatural and the stories told by my grandparents. My grandfather and grandmother were raised in Poland, and were only children when World War 2 hit them,” he said. “Needless to say, they've seen a lot in their time. “Their stories always involved the military (their own or foreign), survival, and hard times.
“The idea for my story first came to me when I realized something; all of their stories were extremely down to earth. No fantasy, no mythical monsters, no ancient folklore. My grandparents were faced with real horrors for their entire lives, so any kind of fantastical horror just seemed childish to them.
“That's when I got the idea, what if those supernatural horrors weren't so mythical? What if my grandparents were faced with inhuman enemies? Would they know what to do? Would they know where to start? What would they even call these monsters? With those questions, Faceless Soldiers was born.”
With an already stark time in terms of real history, and the addition of undead, the black and white rendered art works well here. Golebiewski's style has just the right blend of realism and interpretative flare to work. The art has just enough crudeness to fit what the story is portraying. It wouldn't work as well for a costumed-hero tale, but it works here.
The book is quite unique in its blend of historical era, and realism twisted with myth. It fits into a niche where there is a ton of comics, and that too is good, since variety is generally a positive. Golebiewski said that was sort of what he himself looks for in a comic.
“This book is my dream book. It's the type of book where, if I didn't make it myself and saw it on the rack, I'd b-line to it,” he said.
As a creator, Golebiewski said he is also pretty happy with what is his debut comic release, although he notes “I've been making comics since I was eight-years-old all the way to the end of college. However they're all locked away securely. For my own sake, as well as the sake of others..”
“Overall, I'm happy with it's turnout and how it's coming along,” he said. “The story, as I've said before, is my ideal mix of supernatural and real life horrors. My art style has always had a dark or evil twist to it, which also caters to the story. I've had some criticisms about both departments, but I've been working everyday to improve. The great thing about drawing, and writing your story is you can always change or tweak things at the last minute. It's insanely hard work, but there's nothing like having complete control over your own idea!”
The entire story will be told in the span of five issues, which the creator said will later be condensed into a graphic novel. He added, he already has ideas for potential sequels as well, which is intriguing news given the hook of Issue #1 of this tale.
This is definitely an independently produced comic that should be found and enjoyed. A very solid debut, and a story that leaves you wanting Issue #2 to arrive soon.
You can purchase Faceless Soldier at http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1781
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Art by Steven Golebiewski
Written by Steven Golebiewski
Period piece stories are always intriguing to me and that is the first thing which caught attention with Steven Golebiewski's Faceless Soldiers #1. The writer/artist has set the story in Poland in the years just after the First World War. It's an interesting locale and era against which to set a story.Golebiewski said the setting was one he had a connection too, so he used it.
“Being 100 per cent Polish myself, I already knew a decent amount of Polish history and geography ... but I still studied extensively,” Golebiewski explained via email. “Library books, Internet, interviewing relatives, you name it. Since my story has large amounts of horrific fantasy, I wanted the real stuff to be as real as possible.”
In the case of Faceless Soldiers, we have a story which draws on the reality of a post-war era in a volatile area of Eastern Europe, a foundation Golebiewski uses to good effect, as he begins to create a nicely twisted tale of weird undead creatures harrowing a village.
Again Golebiewski draws on his heritage for inspiration.
“The story was sparked by a combination of my love for the supernatural and the stories told by my grandparents. My grandfather and grandmother were raised in Poland, and were only children when World War 2 hit them,” he said. “Needless to say, they've seen a lot in their time. “Their stories always involved the military (their own or foreign), survival, and hard times.
“The idea for my story first came to me when I realized something; all of their stories were extremely down to earth. No fantasy, no mythical monsters, no ancient folklore. My grandparents were faced with real horrors for their entire lives, so any kind of fantastical horror just seemed childish to them.
“That's when I got the idea, what if those supernatural horrors weren't so mythical? What if my grandparents were faced with inhuman enemies? Would they know what to do? Would they know where to start? What would they even call these monsters? With those questions, Faceless Soldiers was born.”
With an already stark time in terms of real history, and the addition of undead, the black and white rendered art works well here. Golebiewski's style has just the right blend of realism and interpretative flare to work. The art has just enough crudeness to fit what the story is portraying. It wouldn't work as well for a costumed-hero tale, but it works here.
The book is quite unique in its blend of historical era, and realism twisted with myth. It fits into a niche where there is a ton of comics, and that too is good, since variety is generally a positive. Golebiewski said that was sort of what he himself looks for in a comic.
“This book is my dream book. It's the type of book where, if I didn't make it myself and saw it on the rack, I'd b-line to it,” he said.
As a creator, Golebiewski said he is also pretty happy with what is his debut comic release, although he notes “I've been making comics since I was eight-years-old all the way to the end of college. However they're all locked away securely. For my own sake, as well as the sake of others..”
“Overall, I'm happy with it's turnout and how it's coming along,” he said. “The story, as I've said before, is my ideal mix of supernatural and real life horrors. My art style has always had a dark or evil twist to it, which also caters to the story. I've had some criticisms about both departments, but I've been working everyday to improve. The great thing about drawing, and writing your story is you can always change or tweak things at the last minute. It's insanely hard work, but there's nothing like having complete control over your own idea!”
The entire story will be told in the span of five issues, which the creator said will later be condensed into a graphic novel. He added, he already has ideas for potential sequels as well, which is intriguing news given the hook of Issue #1 of this tale.
This is definitely an independently produced comic that should be found and enjoyed. A very solid debut, and a story that leaves you wanting Issue #2 to arrive soon.
You can purchase Faceless Soldier at http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1781
-- CALVIN DANIELS
-- Appeared on Yorkton This Week WebXtra
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
