AQUAMAN IS KING

MUSIC & COMICS

MIKE DEODATO JR.

EDMUND SHERN

AND EVEN MORE

 E
es
xtra
began
So
Sequential
thislifeisasour
a free
magdigital
and magazine,
sadly, ouraslasta showcase of the
issue. It's diversity
been andjourney
a long colossalto
in today’s sequential art (in other words, comic books). Created by myself, Kris Bather and Dave
talent
theseinvolved
pages.
For the first
Lapsley seven Australia,
in Western months of ES’last year
three we issues
on-line created three
have free almost
received on-line18,issues dedicated
000 subscribers onto
comics and as
Scribd.com thewell
wealth of talented
as a Rising people
Star status behind them.
on Issuu.com, It took80a 000
with almost lot unique
of effort
page toviews
maintain
so
far.momentum outside of our normal day jobs and lives, so we waved goodbye to Extra
the
Sequential
Now, we’re moving in mid-2009.
to print, toHowever
see if you in theand
guys time since
girls then
dig our weESdid
vibe. grasp
pilot issuetwo
has wonderful
been
opportunities
published to show to bring our humble
you what we’d likemag
to dotoonprint. Onebasis
a regular of those
and nowopportunities
it’s up to you did happen, in
to spread
a the
way,wordand and support
the secondus inone
order thataour
from pilot developes
different publisherintowas
a muchoneneeded
of those,regular comic art
"circumstances
showcase. We believe that the proof is in the pages in which today’s hottest writers and artists strut
their stuff, as you’ll see here. beyond our control" scenarios. Oh well.
Our aim with Extra Sequential was always pretty simple. In fact you can whittle it down
The next issue is being created now but if you want it to see the light of day then buy your friends,
to six words: comics are cooler than you think. We hope you agree with us. This final
family and strangers in the street a copy or just tell them about how cool Angel Phoenix is and in
issue isthe
particular kindmustof have
a rawbuy edition. Computer
that is Extra breakdowns, job relocations and two hours
Sequential.
distance between us mean that frankly, this issue can't be as polished as our previous
We hope that one day this little limited edition pilot issue will be available via ebay for ten times the
ones. However, we wanted to unleash our hard work and let it be seen by more than just
cover price!
two sets of eyes, so we hope you like it and considering we're just two guys in Australia
Cheers
who love good stories and pretty pictures, we're proud of what we've accomplished.
Cheers, Kris Bather and Dave Lapsley
Kris Bather
www.extrasequential.com www.comicbookjesus.com
kris@extrasequential.com

Words bybyKris.
All articles Graphic
Kris Bather design
and graphic by Dave.
design by DavidCharacters
Lapsley. and artwork shown are trademark
Printed in ?
and (c) their respective owners.
All contents copyright their respective owners.
Contact: kris@extrasequential.com
Extra Sequential Magazine. All rights reserved.
 3

Batman TM © DC Comics, Inc. All rights reserved.

 THESE SNAZZY
CONTENTS PAGES
AREN'T INDICATIVE
OF THIS ISSUE.
STILL LOOKS GOOD
THOUGH!
5
0
Deodato Taumaturgo
Borges Filho has been
a professional comics
artist for the last two and
a half decades, but most
superhero fans would
know him as Mike Deodato
Jr. His pages are always
¿OOHG ZLWK PDFKLVPR DQG
you get the feeling that
KLV SHQFLO LV ¿OOHG ZLWK
adrenalin. From his early
stint on DC’s Wonder
Woman to his more recent
work with a variety of
...creatively, at least. I don’t plan
as an artist. Getting better - it is
care about what is the trend. I just
Marvel books, such as
She-Hulk,Amazing Spider-
Man, The Incredible Hulk,
Dark Avengers, and now
Secret Avengers the
Brazilian artist continues to
capture the intense battles
and dangerous lives of
costumed characters.
ES: Growing up, were you exposed to a lot
of American comics?
Yes -- of course! Occasionally I’d get my
hands on Marvel, DC, even Warren comics...
but a lot of stuff got reprinted down here in
Brazil, in my native Portuguese. So I got to
see all the marvelous, classic stuff - Stan Lee
& Jack Kirby, Neal Adams, all the greats.
ES: And what was the Brazilian comics
scene like at that time, and how is it
today?
American and European comics dominated
the market - then and now. That really didn’t
change, except for some manga and a few
Brazilian books popping up here and there.
As an artist who worked in Brazilian comics
for a short while, “Don’t quit your day job” was
the standard chant. That hasn’t changed,
either - you can’t make a living on what local
comics pay.
ES: Does anyone still call you by your real
name at all?
Only my closest friends and family -- and the
ones who don’t read comics. My agent calls
me Moron. At least it’s with a capital M. I
return the favor. (Laughs)
(67KHUH¶VDGH¿QLWHFKDQJHLQVW\OHWKDW
you’ve adopted over the last few years.
What was the reasoning for your new
realistic, darker approach to your pencils?
If you remain static, you die - creatively,
at least. I don’t plan ever to stop learning
and growing as an artist. Getting better - it
is just something I like to do. I don’t care
about what is the trend. I just do what I like.
It’s been working.
ES: What kind of different tools do you use
now compared to when you broke into the
business?
Right now I’m in love with my 21-inch
Wacom Cintiq. I’m doing a lot of things with
it, especially on the more “talky” pages.
(6 :KHQ \RX ¿UVW JHW D VFULSW IURP
someone do you break them all down the
same way? Are there certain things you do
with every script to make it manageable
from an artistic point of view?
Everything is in service of the story. I
read the script once, carefully, all the
way through, taking it all in, almost like
DQ H[FHOOHQW PHDO VDYRULQJ WKH ÀDYRUV
and textures and nuances. My job at this
point is to fall in love with the story. Then
on a second reading, I romance it - I do
the layouts, coaxing the best images
of the script and the most passionate
performances out of the characters. If a
layout doesn’t bring out enough heat to
ever to stop learning and growing
just something I like to do. I don’t
do what I like. It’s been working.”
the arguments, enough excitement to the
action, or enough explosiveness to the
denouement, I do it over again.
Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?
ES: When you’re drawing Thunderbolts, or
Dark Avengers, do you have an evil grin on
your face to get in the right mood?
Yes. I thought I was the only one who would
smile while drawing a smiling face, but
now that you mentioned it, I assume there
are more disturbed people around beyond
myself, I feel relieved, thanks.
ES: Do you get to catch up with fellow
Marvel creators that often?
Only at Conventions. I miss it. I really hope
Marvel sends me to some Conventions this
year. Hint! Hint!
ES: It’s a pretty exciting time to be involved
with the Avengers franchise. Are you
looking forward to fan reaction when they
see what’s next for the team?
I’m lucky if I see out beyond my work studio
window! I’ll probably learn about it second
or third hand. (Laughs.)
series,
ES: Do you follow any non-Marvel
or characters that you used to
work on?
Not really. Unless one of my idols is on it,
like Neal Adams or else. I do look at Black
Panther, because my good friend Will Conrad
draws it.
ES: What’s the best thing someone’s
said to you at a convention?
“Just that for the sketch? I’ll pay you the
double!” Kidding. My best moment was when
I introduced myself at the last NY Con to Neal
Adams and he gave me an unexpected big
hug and told me he loved my work. Better than
any comic book prize.
ES: What do you do to relax when you have
spare time?
Spare time? What are you talking about??
Let’s see...I don’t do things like Skype or
iChat or IM. I simply do not have time. I do
Karate, go out to the movies, watch a TV
show. Normal stuff. And I tell interviewers to
remind readers to buy my books and vote
for me at awards time!

ES: The classic Hulk, Wendigo, Wolverine

¿JKWLQWolverine: Origins #28 is one of
P\ IDYRULWH ¿JKW VFHQHV RI \RXUV +RZ
do you choreograph something like
that? Is there a lot of experimentation on
WKHSDJHRUGR\RXSRVHDFWLRQ¿JXUHV
and take photos?

I like to experiment all the time. Photos,

DFWLRQ ¿JXUHV HYHU\WKLQJ WKDW KHOSV PH
to make my work better, I’ll use it. For
example: Right now, I’m getting exceptional
results with new design layouts where the
small panels follow the perspective of the
bigger scene of the page.

I also recently switched back to hand-

inking my work after years of giving myself
Carpel Tunnel Syndrome burnishing down
really dark, tight pencils. And now I’m even
adding the ink wash technique. I’m thrilled
Marvel has let me take that step. In some
ways, it hearkens back to some of the

www.mikedeodatojr.com
Warren artwork that I grew up admiring. I’m
probably giving my colorist, Rainier Beredo,
HPRWLRQDO¿WVRYHUKLVSDUWRILWEXW,¶PYHU\
VDWLV¿HGZLWKWKHUHVXOWV

If you want to buy Mike’s books (as you

should) then check out his splendid work on
Secret Avengers, the new ongoing series
with writer Ed Brubaker (Captain America,
Sleeper), starring Beast, Nova, Moon
Knight, War Machine, Valkyrie, and Steve
Rogers (the original Captain America) in his
swanky new duds.
 M ore in vogue than ever, well presented anthologies are like an
irresistible visual banquet, offering short stories sure to please the masses. Hard cover,
large format, coffee table books containing more genres than your local Blockbuster
store. What’s not to like? For your ocular pleasure, we present such delights.

The aptly titled The Anthology Project has been turning heads on its tour of comic and
art centred conventions in the last few weeks. Nick Thornborrow, who along with fellow
editor Joy Ang, is also a contributor to the book, sheds some light on its arty pages.

EXTRA SEQUENTIAL: What was the reasoning behind starting the project?

NICK THORNBORROW: Almost everyone in this book works for a studio of some kind.
The main thing we wanted to do with this book was to provide an alternative creative
outlet for all of the artists involved. Our motives were a little more complicated than
that though, since there are plenty of ways to exercise one’s creative muscles. Comic
anthologies are nothing new, and there are certainly a few great ones out there. It’s
possible that we could have begged our way into an established volume, but
ZHZHUHH[FLWHGWRGRRXURZQERRNIRUDFRXSOHRIUHDVRQV7KH¿UVWZDVWKDWZHKDG
DYHU\VSHFL¿FLGHDLQPLQGDERXWKRZZHZDQWHGWKHERRNWREHGHVLJQHGDQGLWZDV
valuable to learn how to do this ourselves from the ground up instead of trying to sell
DSXEOLVKHURQRXULGHDV%XWZKDWFOLQFKHGLWIRUXVZDVWKDWZHKDGDVSHFL¿FJURXS
of friends that we wanted to collaborate with, and we were certain that the best way
to ensure we were working with this group of people, was to do it ourselves. And after
many hurdles, we can happily say that the challenges have been worthwhile.

ES: What’s the response been like so far as you’ve shown it at various conventions?

NT: The convention circuit has revealed to us just how small and just how warm the
comic community is. It’s been a very positive experience for us, absolutely.

ES: Do the contributing artists all have something in common?

NT: The group is basically a mish-mash of two groups of friends. Joy and I went to two
different art schools on opposite sides of the country, but ended up meeting at a video
game studio where we worked together. When we decided that this was a project we
wanted to initiate, we began by recruiting our friends who were scattered all over the
country working for animation studios, video game studios, or working as freelance
illustrators, and from there it grew into this collective. If you’ll allow one conceit, if I had
to pick one thing that they all have in common, it is their passion for art and story telling,
and their remarkable talent. This group really has been humbling to work with, and a
huge source of inspiration.

www.theanthologyproject.com
ED 17

MU
ND
SH
ERN
In 2005 EDMUND SHERN co-founded Imaginary
Friends Studios, a unique collective of artists
based in Singapore with the aim of connecting
Asian artists with international success. Shern
helped guide IFS’ sought after services in areas
such as concept art, graphic design, advertising
and comics, and the company was instrumental
in giving Radical Publishing a unique painted look
in series such as Hercules, Caliber and Shrapnel.
Shern then translated Mateki: The Magic Flute
for Radical which was based on Mozart’s classic
opera and adapted by famed Japanese painter
Yoshitaka Amano (Vampire Hunter D, Final
Fantasy). Since then, Shern has maintained a
close working relationship with Radical, including
ZULWLQJWKHÀYHLVVXHPLQLVHULHVFreedom Formula.
7KHVFLÀWDOHRIJHQHWLFDOO\HQJLQHHUHGDWKOHWHV
in hi-tech racing suits has been pegged by director
Bryan Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) as a
future project. These days Shern spends his time
between Singapore and Los Angeles.
ARCANA: When was the me and there was a maturity to
moment you realized you the characters that I had never
wanted to be a professional seen in other comics before.
creative type, or did you Today, I still strive for that
originally have aspirations to be impact on my readers.
DQDVWURQDXWRUD¿UH¿JKWHU"
How’s the Freedom Formula
EDMUND SHERN: I’ve always movie going? Have you had
wanted to be a comic book much involvement with it?
storyteller and even created
comics for my classmates while 7KH ¿OP LV LQ WKH VFULSW VWDJH
I was in elementary school. and I’ve had a few very good
Strangely I was a reserve calls with scriptwriter Mike
¿UH¿JKWHUDIHZ\HDUVEDFNEXW Finch, whose work I respect
never saw action (I was on the tremendously. I see my role as
extremely reserve list!). giving Mike as much ammo as
I have in my head and letting
You would have had different KLP¿JXUHZKDWZRUNVDQGZKDW
LQÀXHQFHV LQ 6LQJDSRUH WKDQ doesn’t. I loved his previous
most American creators have. script Medieval and am excited
How has that helped you as a to see what he can do with it
creator today? especially under the direction
from Bryan Singer. I also love
Being in a commonwealth %U\DQ¶V ¿OPV HVSHFLDOO\ The
country, I grew up with Brit and Usual Suspects and Valkyrie!
European comics. 2000AD, In the meantime I’ve also been
Beano, and Battle Picture reworking some of the mecha
Weekly were my weekly staples, designs to address certain
alongside old school manga and practical concerns in bringing
Hong Kong Kung Fu comics. the concepts to a live action
One day I found ROM #5 at ¿OP
my neighborhood newsstand
and I grabbed it. I was excited
that it was a single digit number
American comic! That’s when
I really wanted to be a comic
book writer. Bill Mantlo wrote in
a way that really resonated with
What was your involvement with Imaginary Friends Studios and do you still keep
up to date with what they’re doing?
I founded Imaginary Friends Studios and built it from the ground up for 3+ years, but
my partners and I decided to part ways. I still have lots of friends in the studio, after all
I personally recruited most of the staff in the hopes of giving them a platform to shine,
so I still keep track of them as artists that have a bright future if they manage their
careers well. In fact, I’m now working on various new Storm Lion and Radical proj-
ects with many of the artists who left Imaginary Friends Studios after my departure.
growing up?
, DEVROXWHO\ ORYH VFL¿ , WKLQN LW¶V WKH KLJKHVW IRUP RI HVFDSH IRU \RXQJ
boys. The original Battlestar Galactica ZDV 7+( VFL¿ HSLF IRU PH , ¿UVW
watched it in the local movie theatre that screened it in Sensurround. The
theatre seats would rumble when the Vipers launched and I was total-
ly hooked. I built paper Vipers, Cylon raiders and drew BSG fan comics.
What exactly do Storm Lion, and Velvet Engine offer?

After reading Freedom FormulaLWVHHPVWKDW\RXZHDU\RXUORYHRIVFL¿RQ\RXU Storm Lion is our Singapore based publishing imprint under Radi-
VOHHYH:HUHWKHUHDQ\VFL¿¿OPVRUVWRULHVWKDWPDGHDELJLPSUHVVLRQRQ\RX

Cannes must have been a highlight for you. Do you have any
memories that stand out?

Meeting Jean-Claude Van Damme and Adrian Paul was

pretty cool. However the real highlight was kind of a spiritual
H[SHULHQFHZKHQDOLWWOHELUGÀHZLQWRP\URRPDQGODQGHG
on my hand. It stayed there for a good 3 minutes before it
SRRSHGDQGÀHZRII,WRRNLWDVDVSLULWXDOVLJQWKDWWKLQJV
are going well.
FDO 7KH LGHD LV WR KDYH D OLQH WKDW ZDV PRUH $VLDQ LQÀXHQFHG LQ LWV FUHDWLYH ing, mass market books and other types of publishing beyond com-
ideas and hopefully appeal to both American/International and Asian markets ics and graphic novels. Really it’s just an excuse to hang out and plot
at the same time. Freedom Formula was a great example of how a story that with my best friend, partner and mentor, Radical president/founder,
drew from Chinese historical mythology and plays with Asian versus West- Barry Levine who has been such a huge part of giving me my big break.
ern perspectives on themes such as freedom and duty, creates a fascinating
story that can resonate with today’s internationally aware readers. Velvet En- Will you be writing any more comics in the future?
gine is just my dumping ground for projects that I think are too personal to jus-
WLI\ JHWWLQJ RWKHU SHRSOH LQYROYHG LQ XQWLO , FDQ ¿JXUH D ZD\ IRU WKHP WR ZRUN
Absolutely! In addition to writing various new ideas that I have, I’m also
enjoying the process of co-writing with various writers such as Andrew
What does your role at Radical involve? Dabb (TV’s Supernatural), Tony Lee (IDW’s Doctor Who) and Bran-
don Jerwa (Dynamite’s Battlestar Galactica, Highlander). It’s been good
My role at Radical is to oversee operations at a strategic level. That involves WR H[SHULHQFH ¿UVWKDQG KRZ VRPH RWKHU ZULWHUV SXW WKHLU FUDIW WR ZRUN
ensuring the organizational structure and business strategies align espe-
cially as we expand into other areas of publishing including foreign licens-
I’m guessing you have a house lit-
tered with all kinds of DVDs, action
¿JXUHVDQGPDQJD$P,ZURQJ"
Not just a house but my studio as well.
I’m a big believer in surrounding my-
self with things and people that inspire
me. Sometimes it sucks because I
wish I could have the cool minimalis-
tic decor that they do so well in mu-
sic videos but this works really well
for me (my wife has other opinions).
What lessons did you learn from
working with Yoshitako Amano on
Mateki: The Magic Flute?
Yoshitaka Amano is the consum-
mate gentleman artist. He’s at a good
place where his art speaks for itself
and he can remove himself from the
concerns of commercialism because
everyone respects his art for what it is
and are willing to pay well for it. Hang-
ing out at his home studio in Tokyo
was an amazing experience. Every-
thing in the house was about art and
his artistic expression was all around,
right down to his personally hand
painted cups. Everything in his home
was about art and the beauty of art.
It seems like you wear a lot of hats, so
what do you say when people ask you
what you do for a living?
If it’s in a casual context, I usually tell peo-
ple that I’m a comic book creator. I think
that will always be a role where my pur-
est form of creative expression will be.
www.radicalcomics.com
www.stormlion.com
 f r o m t h e h e a r t
Here we present three graphic novels that encapsu-
late the highs and lows of love. These tales are
for lovers of sequential art, or sequen-
tial art for lovers.

40
f o r t h e h e a r t
Blankets
By Craig Thompson/ Top Shelf/
582 pages
If you’ve never laughed out loud, or cried
while reading a graphic novel, Blankets will
take you there, or at least dangerously close.
Craig Thompson’s ode to teen romance,
growing up and wrestling with faith will open
your eyes to the heights that sequential
art can attain. Never heavy handed, this
autobiographical tale of a young man’s
attempt at understanding the uncertainty of
life while reaching for some tenderness in
WKHDUPVRIKLV¿UVWORYHZLOODSSHDOWRWKRVH
who know the joy and loss that tenderness
brings.
It begins with the young Craig Thompson
¿QGLQJ VRODFH LQ KLV FUHDWLYLW\ IURP WKH
daily torment at school, before moving to
his teen years and discovering God. Craig
¿QGV D QHZ SXUSRVH DQG DFFHSWDQFH LQ
Christianity, until he goes to a church camp
and soon learns that his fellow students are
no different than the bullies he’s used to. It
is at this crossroads that he meets Raina, a
young outcast just like him. They sneak off
together into the snowy woods, hide in the
recreation room and eventually write to one
another from miles apart. It’s the simplicity
and honesty of this relationship that is the
book’s greatest charm. There are moments
of silent beauty, such as when Craig and
Raina have their parents drive them both to
a snowy rendezvous, halfway between their
respective homes, and also powerful scenes
with few words, such as the harrowing page
with a cruel babysitter in Craig’s youth.
The turning point for Craig’s life occurs
in the two week stay at Raina’s house as
her parents cope with their divorce and
he meets Raina’s family, including her two
mentally disabled adopted siblings. The pair
begin an honest intimacy, both emotionally
and physically. However like any early
UHODWLRQVKLS HVSHFLDOO\ D ¿UVW ORYH LW LVQ¶W
always easy and Craig and Raina soon start
questioning the nature of love as well as the
Christian homes they’ve both been brought
up in. It is in the bulk of Blankets, in which
Thompson shows two mature, creative
people just enjoying the comfort of each
other’s company that he really shines as both
a writer and artist. The dialogue seems like
it’s just been freshly plucked from a memory,
while the occasional poetic captions reveal
young Craig’s yearnings.
Teenager Craig Thompson is the protagonist
of Blankets but we are also given glimpses
of his childhood, including his imaginative
playing with brother Phil, in which Thompson,
the artist adopts a much freer approach to
the visuals. Blankets touches on topics such
as sexuality, spirituality and growing up and
for some, it may be too graphic or revealing,
but Thompson always adopts a graceful
position as he shows much of his formative
years.
Every page is a thing of beauty and
Thompson is not afraid to mesh fantasy and
reality to embody the waking dream that
ORYHFDQRIWHQEH:LWKORRVHÀRZLQJOLQHV
he uses negative space and the richness
of shadow with a romantic ease. From the
lettering to the layouts to the occasional
ÀDVKEDFNV 7KRPSVRQ RUJDQLFDOO\ WKUHDGV
an enchanting story, linked by a snowy
Wisconsin winter and the emotional
uncertainties of youth. Blankets has been
translated into several languages, such as
French, Italian, Norwegian and Spanish
and has an accompanying soundtrack by
the band Tracker. It is the graphic novel
equivalent of that favourite heartbreak song
you play when you want to vent and is
best enjoyed lying on the couch on a warm
Sunday afternoon with a good cup of coffee,
or a glass of wine.
As one last example of the purity of Blankets,
KHUHJRHV³5DLQDZDVWKH¿UVWWRZULWHDIWHU
church camp, and her letter renewed my faith
in the notion of making marks on paper. Her
words were lonely and lovely and comforting
and they cried for response. Thus, I found
my muse.” What’s not to love?
Shortcomings
By Adrian Tomine/ Drawn and
Quarterly/ 112 pages
Originally serialized in Tomine’s Optic
Nerve series, Shortcomings is an
XQÀLQFKLQJ ORRN DW WKH DZNZDUGQHVV RI
relationships old and new. It’s somewhat
VLPLODUWRWKH¿OPCloser, but with a more
ordinary looking cast. Asian-American
theatre manager Ben Tanaka is the
protagonist and for anyone who’s been
in love, you’ll see your own recklessness
through his stubborn eyes. A man who has
QRW TXLWH UHDFKHG WKH PDWXULW\ EH¿WWLQJ
his age Tanaka’s actions will have you
shaking your head in disbelief before
perhaps nodding in agreement at his next
decision. He struggles to connect with his
girlfriend Miko and occasionally reaches
for comfort in other forms while soon
discovering his attraction to other women,
including Caucasians, which causes even
more grief. Of course, any relationship is
a two-way street and when Miko decides
to accept a four month internship in New
York that causes literal distance between
them, hidden truths begin to surface.
Tomine weaves a spellbinding narrative as
he presents the opinions of Ben’s friends
at his actions and manages to make
sure every character is distinct in both
appearance and personality, including
Ben’s co-worker (and punk performer)
Autumn and student Sasha.
There’s plenty of harsh honesty and
profanity amidst this group of loosely
connected twenty and thirty-somethings
who grapple with the clash of expectations
DQG SHUVRQDO IXO¿OPHQW WKRXJK 7RPLQH
never seeks to make deep social or
political comments. He simply has the
characters speak their inner thoughts with
a boldness that you can only get away
with those who truly know you.
The simple line work and realistic
UHQGHULQJVRIKXPDQHPRWLRQ¿WSHUIHFWO\
with the so-true-it-hurts dialogue that it
makes you believe you’re experiencing
a documentary in paper form. This is
unmistakably a mature graphic novel for
adults who have loved and lost before.
There are funny moments, mainly thanks
to the sarcasm of Alice, Ben’s lesbian
friend, who seems to be the only person
ZKR FDQ WROHUDWH KLV VHO¿VKQHVV DQG
negativity. However Shortcomings isn’t a
feel good book, and as the title indicates
LV D UHDOLVWLF UHÀHFWLRQ RI WKH IDXOWV WKDW
we all have, even if we discover them too
late. It delves into issues of race, desire
and commitment with restrained style and
stitches together such disparate elements
ZLWK D QDWXUDO ÀDLU $V WKH VL[ SULPDU\
characters talk to each other, and about
each other, in ordinary scenarios such as
at a cafe or in front of the TV, or at work,
their dialogue sometimes comes across
OLNH ¿OPPDNHU .HYLQ 6PLWK ZURWH LW EXW
it never seems jarring. Sure, Ben and his
pals can be rude and careless, but aren’t
we all at times?
Tomine’s work reminds us that love is
not just a warm feeling, but something
that must be practical and learned;
something that requires introspection
and emotional growth. He cuts through
any romantic pretence like a surgeon and
PDNHV \RX ÀLQFK ZLWK WKH KDUVK UHDOLW\
of being yourself with another. The black
and white pages are some of the bravest
ever created in the medium of sequential
art, and I dare you to not read it all in one
sitting. The number of non-comics focused
publications that have praised this should
tell you a lot about Shortcomings. It’s one
of those rare books that you’ll pass to
your friends and then argue about whose
character’s side you’re on later.
Every Girl Is The End Of The
World For Me
By Jeffrey Brown/ Top Shelf/
104 pages
Apart from one of the best titles ever given
WRDZRUNRI¿FWLRQ-HIIUH\%URZQ¶VSRFNHW
sized tale uses snippets of a normal life
that anyone can relate to, in an honest,
yet oddly charming fashion.

Every Girl follows Brown in a 3 week

period in which various girls come in and
out of his life and is described by Brown
as a, “mostly true story, not quite true
WLWOH´%URZQLVD¿QHFUDIWHURIXQGHUVWDWHG
drama, and this book sits somewhere
between James Kochalka (American Elf)
and Harvey Pekar (American Splendor)
in its portrayal of the often blunt and
sometimes boring aspects of interacting
with friends and lovers, or any combination
of the two.

It begins with Jeffrey catching up with

Allisyn, the girl he lost his virginity to, after
not seeing her for three years and moves
on to his meeting with pen-pal Lisa and
then a series of encounters with females,
new and familiar. This is a very down-
WRHDUWK ERRN ¿OOHG ZLWK GLDORJXH DERXW
mundane topics such as work, travel,
tattoos, food, movies, sickness and other
people. There’s a handy guide to the
various girls as well as a map showing
Jeffrey’s “geographic timeline.”

Brown’s loose renderings won’t be for

everyone, but it does hold a certain, crude
charm. Blankets, this isn’t. Every Girl
LV PRUH OLNH D UHÀHFWLRQ RI WKH UHDGHU¶V
life in which people come and go and
relationships change. It’s not laugh out
loud funny, or particularly moving, but it is
simple and real.
 Let’s be honest. Aquaman gets a bad rap. Like Star Trek fans, he has
been the subject of undue mockery for far too long. The fact is though,
WKDWSHRSOHZKRUHDOO\NQRZWKHFKDUDFWHU¿QGQRWKLQJZRUWKPRFNLQJ
He’s one of DC Comics’ oldest, and most powerful superheroes. It’s
time to set the record straight and prove that Aquaman is more than
MXVW³WKDWJX\ZKRWDONVWR¿VK´

$TXDPDQPDGHKLV¿UVWDSSHDUDQFHLQLQWKHrd issue of More

Fun Comics. Created by artist Paul Norris and writer Mort Wesinger
(who also co-created Green Arrow) the character debuted as a mere
back-up feature in the series, which eventually dropped it’s superhero

ALL HAIL THE KING

stars to become yet another funny book. Moving to Adventure Comics
LQWRFODLPVHFRQGELOOLQJDIWHU6XSHUER\LWZDVQ¶WXQWLOWKDW
the sea dwelling hero received his own series. It wasn’t all smooth
sailing after that however, with the King of Atlantis moving between the
FKRSS\VHDVRIFDQFHOODWLRQ+LVORQJHVWUXQQLQJVHULHVZDVIURP
WRDQGKH¶VEHHQODUJHO\DEVHQWLQWKHHYHQWVRIWKH'&8QLYHUVH
as of late – until now, thanks to the epic Brightest Day series that
resurrected Aquaman, and hopefully his deserved star status.

Most people would be aware of the Atlantean character perhaps thanks

to the parodies suffered at the hands of Family Guy or Robot Chicken,
or with more dignity as seen in SmallvilleRUDVWKHVXEMHFWRID¿FWLRQDO
¿OPLQWKHEntourage TV series. He has also appeared in animated
IRUPEHJLQQLQJZLWKKLVVHULHVZLWK6XSHUPDQ+HWKHQVWDUUHG
as one of the Super Friends during the
µVDQGKDVVKRZQXSPRUHUHFHQWO\
in Justice League and as a rousing
swashbuckler in Batman: The Brave and
the Bold.
Recently writer Geoff Johns revived the
character, along with many others, as
part of the Green Lantern epic, Blackest
Night. Up until then he hadn’t been
VHHQIRUDOPRVW\HDUVKDYLQJEHLQJ
replaced by a sword swinging upstart,
and becoming a rarely seen squid like
creature known as the Dweller of the
Depths. Yes, it’s complicated, but he is
after all a superhero that’s been around
since WWII. However, here are the basic
Aquaman facts.
More than just another superhero in a
bright costume, Aquaman is a king, a
general, a world-class soldier and ruler
of two thirds of the planet. An imposing,
VHULRXV¿JXUHKHLVDQWDJRQLVWLFDQG
always ready for action. He’s surly at
times certainly and isn’t the most friendly
fella at Justice League gatherings, but
he gets stuff done. He’d much rather be
feared and obeyed than be popular.
Aquaman was born as Orin, the product
of a tryst between Queen Atlanna and
the wizard Atlan in Poseidonis, the capital
city of the undersea kingdom known as
Atlantis. You’d think having royalty and
sorcery in your genes would be every
kid’s dream. However, Orin was born with
blond hair, which is known as the Mark
of Kordax by the fearful, superstitious
Atlanteans, so baby Orin was left to die
on Mercy Reef. Such exposure to air
would kill most Atlanteans, but as his
soon to be subjects would discover, Orin
was not like most Atlanteans. Discovered
by a kindly lighthouse keeper, Orin was
raised as a human child, and given the
name of his adoptive father – Arthur
Curry. Orin eventually discovered his
Atlantean heritage and journeyed to the
undersea kingdom, where he married
Mera, a red haired queen from another
dimension. In between his new leadership
role, he also became public, was granted
the name Aquaman and became a
founding member of the Justice League
of America.
Writer Peter David took the helm in the
VDQGKHOSHGGH¿QH$TXDPDQIRU
a new generation, much like he did with
The Hulk for Marvel. In a controversial
move in David’s second issue of
Aquaman’s ongoing series, the King
of the Seven Seas lost his left hand,
thanks to the evil Charbydis and some
very hungry piranhas. This would serve
to shatter any misconceptions about the
classic character. Not only did he receive
a golden harpoon appendage, which he
controlled via telepathy, he also received
a new look and attitude. Gone were the
clean-shaven appearance and vintage
gold top and green pants. Now Aquaman
looked like a hairy gladiator, with a
metallic shirt and a menacing disposition.
This was an unhappy, withdrawn king, but
David made it work. The series focused
primarily on Aquaman’s dealings with his
undersea expanse, political power plays
and all the tumultuous events, injustice
and horror that accompany any huge
kingdom.
Aquaman’s history has always been one
 quaman’s bilities
(pre-Brightest Day resurrection)

One of the most powerful members in

the DC Universe, Orin/Arthur Curry is no
stuffy old king. With a body tempered by
the immense pressures of the ocean he is
DEOHWRZLWKVWDQGPDFKLQHJXQ¿UHDQGKDV
strength enough to lift a tank. He can swim
at incredible speeds and can breathe on
land just as easily as he can underwater. He
has super senses allowing him to see and
hear (and talk) in the complete darkness of
the ocean’s depths. Apart from simply talking
telepathically with all sea life, he’s also used
this unique ability on any being evolved from
marine animals, such as humans, and has
exhibited minor telepathic abilities such as
mind reading. Aquaman also had the ability
to form his watery hand into hard weapons,
open mystical portals, dehydrate enemies
via touch or shoot scalding water jets.
Aquaman’s fans are a loyal, and vocal,
bunch. Aqua-fans Bill Reed from
comicbookresources.com and Rob Kelly
from aquamanshrine.com were kind enough
to give their thoughts on King Arthur. In
fact their thoughts are far too good to
shorten, so prepare for some unashamed,
and well deserved, Aquaman praise.

ES: Why does Aquaman tend to languish in
the perpetually cancelled series domain when
KLV'&FRQWHPSRUDULHVÀRXULVK"
BILL REED: A combination of circumstances is
to blame. The Super Friends stigma Aquaman
VXIIHUV DV WKH ³XVHOHVV JX\ ZKR WDONV WR ¿VK´ LV
one, which has turned Aquaman into a paragon
of lameness in the cultural consciousness.
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman will
continue to exist in comics even after we’ve
cut down all the world’s trees and a new comic
book issue costs 50 dollars, because they’ve
SHUPHDWHGJOREDOFXOWXUHWKH\¶UHP\WKLF¿JXUHV
Your average person on the street can identify
them at a glance and explain their concepts in
a sentence or two. Aquaman doesn’t have that;
yes, he’s more recognizable than, say, Firestorm
the Nuclear Man, but he’s remembered at the
butt of superhero jokes. No one’s ever quite got
a handle on him, because he has no conceptual
stability. Superman and Batman and the like have
undergone many permutations, but they always
snap back to their classic portrayals, how we
know them best. Aquaman’s been a stoic family
man, an angsty loner, a king, a superhero, a
guy with a harpoon for a hand, a wizard, etc.
He’s accrued massive supporting casts who all
disappear with the next writer’s revamp. Each
successive attempt to “revive” the character leads
to ever-diminishing returns. DC’s currently trying
to “return him to form,” but how long will that last if
VDOHVGZLQGOHRUIDQVRIWKHVHUD$TXDPDQ
take over writing duties?
52% .(//< 'XULQJ WKH V $TXDPDQ ZDV
just as much a “star” as Flash, Green Lantern,
etc. If you look the advertising DC did at the time,
Aquaman was pictured just as much as any other
'&FKDUDFWHU+LVVRORERRNUDQIURP
and he was appearing in JLA plus various team-
ups, back-up strips, etc. He had his own cartoon
series, as well.
%XW LQ  $TXDPDQ¶V ERRN ZDV FDQFHOHG
HYHQWKRXJKLWVROGZHOOSDUWO\GXHWRLQWHURI¿FH
squabbling between DC and the people that
worked on it. I’ve always felt that that break was
probably the single biggest negative moment in the
FKDUDFWHU¶VKLVWRU\$QHZJHQHUDWLRQRIIDQV¿UVW
discovered the character via the Super Friends
cartoon, and while that was great for Aquaman’s
overall visibility, I think this general “also ran”
status on that show sort of doomed him as a
B-lister. With no solo book where he could really
ÀH[KLVPXVFOHVWKHUHZDVOLWWOHWLPHDQGVSDFH
to really grow and develop the character’s history,
like DC did with Flash and Green Lantern.
Following that, he’s been the victim of constant
rebooting, to the point where he has multiple
RULJLQV¿QGDQ\WZRSLHFHVRIPHUFKDQGLVHWKDW
feature him, and there’s a good chance they’ll list
different histories to the character) and I think that
gives potential readers the feeling that following
WKLV FKDUDFWHU LV JRLQJ WR EH ZRUN MXVW WR ¿JXUH
out who he is.
Another thing that would help would be if DC
didn’t seem to go out of its way to bash its own
character. I can’t tell you how many quotes
Aqua-Fans have sent me where Dan Didio said
this nasty thing about Aquaman, that nasty thing
DERXW$TXDPDQHWF,WVFRPSOHWHO\EDIÀLQJWRPH
from a business perspective--why run down one
of your own properties? Over at Marvel, Stan Lee
had the attitude that every character the company
ever produced was nothing less than The Greatest
Hero of Our Time, whether it was Spider-Man,
Thor, The Inhumans, She-Hulk, Kid Colt Outlaw,
or Machine Man. Sure, that was mostly total b.s.,
but I think that sense of potential has been in the
DNA of the company from the beginning.
Contrast that to some of the statements coming
from Aquaman’s corporate owners, and you think
“Why would you say this about one your own
children?” Not to overdo this comparison, but
imagine a parent saying of one of their kids, “He
has limited potential.” You’d look at them like they
were nuts. So Aquaman’s rep as a sort of a loser
character isn’t helped when DC itself spreads it.
ES: If you were given the task of writing a new
Aquaman series what would you do?
BR: Oh boy. I would forgo any attempts to make
Aquaman cool, and just write him as though he
was always cool-- which, of course, he always
KDV EHHQ 7KLV LV D PDQ ZKR UXOHV  RI WKH
(DUWKDQXQGHUVHD$GRQLVZLWKELOOLRQVRI¿QQHG
friends. He’d be the Brad Pitt of the DC Universe,
an ambassador to the surface world, a champion
of animal rights, a defender of the seven seas and
all the world’s shores (BP’s oil spill? Capped!).
I’d give him an almost zen attitude, aiming more
towards the stoic version of the character from his
best era. The undersea environment would be a
vast, bizarre, magical world, his Atlantis a hybrid
of Arthurian legend, ancient magic, and Jack
.LUE\ VFL¿ 6XSHUKHUR .LQJ $UWKXU XQGHUZDWHU
A round table? Sure, why not. Myths and
PRQVWHUV" <HV *LDQW VHDKRUVHV" 'H¿QLWHO\ ,¶G
weave together a larger tapestry of sea-based
DC properties, expand Aquaman’s rogues
gallery (let’s borrow Starro, The Shark, and the
Deep Six, and create a lot of new enemies),
UH¿QH DQG H[SDQG KLV VXSSRUWLQJ FDVW ZKHUH
necessary, and probably utilize a renewed sense
of environmentalism, in line with our modern,
greener viewpoints. Aquaman crosses genre
OLQHV VWUDGGOLQJ VXSHUKHUR VFL¿ DQG IDQWDV\
adventure, and resides in a universe of vast,
untapped potential. Aquaman comics should be
imaginative and exciting, and very, very “new.”
Keep watching the seas.
Oh, and one more note: Verisimilitude. What
would it really be like to be the champion of the
oceans, the undersea Superman? Let’s really
explore how Aquaman’s world works, and how
he functions in that world. I once dared DC to let
me write the book for a dollar. They didn’t bite, but
the offer is still open.
RK: I’m always hesitant to answer that because
A)I’m not a writer, and B)I don’t have to deal
with all the myriad complications that come from
actually writing the character, for a company that
is part of a huge corporation, and dealing with all
the rules and egos that must be part and parcel of
writing comics for a living. Its easy to say “So and
so should just do X” when you’re sitting at home
writing a blog.
That said, I would write the character with
two simultaneous tracks--make him more of a
superhero, get him away from Atlantis. I think
that’s been done, and its too foreign a concept to
really hook a reader on (if I read one more story
where Aquaman complains about being a king...).
I’d give him a recognizable homebase--a coast
city like San Francisco, let’s say--and build up
KLV5RJXHV*DOOHU\VRKH¶VQRWMXVW¿JKWLQJ%ODFN
Manta and/or Ocean Master all the time. I’d keep
Mera (especially after Geoff Johns has done so
much with her in Blackest Night), and add in the
new Aquagirl.
So while on the one hand I’m making him more
like other superheroes, I’d also play up the
environmental angle, which is unique to him.
More than any other DC hero, Aquaman has a
connection to the environment that always been
one of my favorite elements of the character,
DQGLWKDVWKHEHQH¿WRIEHLQJH[WUHPHO\WLPHO\
With global climate change, the Gulf spill, and
other environmental concerns being so much
a part of our daily lives, I think tying Aquaman
into that would be a way of making him more
contemporary. I’ve said for years I wish DC did
more of those “PSA” type comics, trying to teach
young kids about social issues. I think a series
of Aquaman comics centered around the world’s
oceans and sea life would be a great way to
hook kids into the character (like the Brave and
the Bold cartoon show is doing, albeit in a much
different way).
And while you didn’t ask this exactly, if I could
pretend to be editor for a moment instead of
writer--I’d try my best to keep whatever creative
team is on Aquaman in place for a while. In the
80s, DC scrapped the old Wonder Woman and
brought her back with George Perez at the helm,
and he almost single-handedly put WW back
in the spotlight. Perez stayed on that book for
VRPHWKLQJ OLNH  LVVXHV DQ DVWRQLVKLQJO\ ORQJ
run nowadays. I think if you had someone who
really got Aquaman, loved the character, and
knew how to do it, it would help tremendously to
have that same person on the book for as long
as possible.
ES: Are you hopeful for Aquaman’s future?
BR: That depends on his status after the current
Brightest Day series. I think it’s clear DC’s
prepping him for another go at a regular series,
but its success rests solely on the shoulder of its
creative team.
RK: More than I was when I started the Shrine
EDFN LQ  , ZDV VRUW RI DIUDLG WKDW WKH QHZ
Sword of Atlantis Aquaman would really catch on,
and Arthur Curry would be forgotten entirely. But
now that we have a genuine Aquaman fan--Geoff
Johns--at such a high level in DC, I think that
bodes well for the character. I’m looking forward
to seeing what DC does next to capitalize on the
momentum Aquaman and Mera have coming
off of Brightest Day. Combine that with his huge
presence on Brave and the Bold, I think we’re
going to see a new generation of kids who think
Aquaman is cool. Which is good, since I’ll need
someone to take over the Shrine when I retire!
F AMOUS F ANBOY
47
Allow us to introduce one of the world’s
top professional cyclists, and proud
comic fan Dave Zabriskie. Dave has
won national, and world cycling honours,
hung out with Lance Armstrong and on
occasion grown a crazy mustache. He
even created his own chamois cream
to protect one’s ‘junk’ whilst riding.
Dave is a real world superhero going at
superhuman speeds on a bike, in a bright
VNLQ WLJKW RXW¿W EXW DIWHU WKH JUXHOOLQJ
training, non stop international travel,
intensity of competition, marauding fans
and being a husband and father he still
¿QGVWLPHWRHQMR\DFRPLFRUWKUHH
ARCANA: You are well read and enjoy
FRPLFV VFL¿ DQG YLGHR JDPHV DOO WKLQJV
geek) but that’s unusual for an elite athlete.
Why do you think that is?
DAVE ZABRISKIE: I grew up doing those
things and I really enjoyed them. I don’t think
it’s that rare for athletes to like the stuff. Look
at Shaq - he is crazy about Superman. They
connect me to my youth and remind me of
how I want to be.
When you’re battling on a bike, muscles
straining, lactic acid biting at your throbbing
quadriceps, huddled down in an impossible
aerodynamic position, over a bike NASA
would be proud of, going at super human
speeds do you ever imagine yourself as a
superhero?
<HV GH¿QLWHO\ WKHUH DUH WLPHV ZKHQ ,¶P
training, but when it’s race time it’s just me.
If I’m out there thinking, I usually don’t have
a good ride.
When did you start reading comics and who’s
your favourite character?
I’d say my earliest exposure was the
Superman movies, and some cartoons. I
didn’t start comics until I was in middle school.
I started out with a lot of Batman comics.
Like all good superheroes you’ve had your
share of battling inner demons including the
untimely passing of your father and a broken
leg and wrist after a head on battle with a SUV
that left you in a wheelchair for a number of
months. How did you overcome these and
what drives you too keep pushing and putting
in training sessions on the bike in all weather
IRUKRXUVDWDWLPH"
Yes, like most humans I have had to overcome
some things. I do that by making the choice
to do it. Not to say that I do not go through all
the depression and tears, but then I decide
enough is enough and I choose to overcome
- to be the best I can be. Training for me is
a real pleasure. It is my life. When you like
it, it is easy.
2Q WKH ÀLS VLGH OLNH PDQ\ VXSHUKHURHV
you have lived the American superhero
tale. Young kid in dysfunctional family,
overcomes problems to become a
sporting great and marries child
hood sweet heart. Is it as good as
it sounds being a real live Peter
Parker?
I am living a really blessed
life. There isn’t a day that
goes by where I don’t say
“living the dream” because
that is what it feels like. My
childhood wasn’t nearly as
bad as some people have.
My father had his issues
but I truly felt loved and he
gave me great insight on
the world and life. And my
mother is one of the most
loving people in the world.
And without those experiences
I would probably be just Dave
Zabriskie working somewhere in
the corner.
You and Lance Armstrong are good
buddies, is he the new Superman?
I’d say more like Iron Man.
Do you have a comic shop in Salt Lake City, and
have you ever ventured inside?
I live close by Dr. Volt’s. I haven’t been in there
in a long time though.
You’ve just one the American National Time Trial
Championship again. Was it just so you could
keep those stars and stripes on your back and
continue to impersonate Captain America?
7RXUGH)UDQFHLQIRUGD\V,VWKH0DLOORW
Jaune (the yellow jersey) the ultimate superhero
costume in cycling?
It’s a good one if you are battling the Green
Lantern I guess.
Finally any thoughts on comics, professional
cycling, geeks, the world, and the future for
Captain Nutz?

It’s for many reasons. I like the suit, there is no In terms of comics, I wish I had more time to
doubt about that. geek out. On the pro-cycling front, it’s pretty fun
and a good form of employment. My future!
Is your son Waylon into superheroes yet? well who really knows!

Not yet!he seems to like bikes and anything

that gets plugged in. www.davezabriskie.com

You have your own cream for cyclists which, as

you put it, “protects your junk.” Does DZNutz
give you any special powers on or off of the
bike?

No special powers - just keeps me comfortable

so I can train day in and day out.

You’ve worn the yellow jersey for leading in the

- Born January 12, 1979 in Salt Lake City.

:RQWKH861DWLRQDO7LPH7ULDO&KDPSLRQVKLSÀYHWLPHV
- Became the third American to wear the leader’s jersey at the Tour de
France.
- Made his professional debut with the Colorado Cyclist Team in 1999 at
the tender age of 20.
- Nicknames: The Green Hornet, DZ, Dizzy, Captain America, Zup.
- In 2005 he set the record for the fastest ever time trial in the Tour de
France, clocking an average speed of 54.676 km/h.
- Stage wins in all three Grand Tour stage races (France, Italy & Spain).
- Now rides for Team Garmin Slipstream.
 IRON
INVI
Iron Man is one of Marvel’s most treasured
characters, but his current reign as superhero
star is a fairly recent rise. Tony Stark was co-
FUHDWHGE\6WDQ/HHLQDVWKHGDULQJ
opposite of everything a comic book hero was at
the time. Stark was a womanizing industrialist,
who made his fortune building weapons (a bold
creative choice in the midst of the Vietnam War).
He was also an occasional alcoholic to boot.
7KDQNVWR¶V¿OPPDQ\DUHQRZDZDUHRIWKH
foundations upon which the character has been
built, i.e., weapons manufacturer wounded, taken
hostage, builds suit and changes his life. The
¿UVWODXQFKIURP0DUYHO¶VRZQ¿OPVWXGLRLWZDV
the surprise hit of the year. May’s sequel is also
directed by Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey
Jr. as Stark, and Gwyneth Paltrow as his faithful
Support
assistant Pepper Potts. Bad guys in the form of
the Russian Whiplash, industrialist Justin Hammer
and spy Black Widow are provided respectively
by Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell and Scarlett
Johansson. Replacing Terrence Howard as
 51

N M A Ns
NCIBLE
Stark’s pal James Rhodes is Don Cheadle, who will
make fans’ hearts leap when he suits up as War
i

Man or the instant cool of X-Men, Stark’s comic

book success over the decades rose and fell like
It wasn’t until Warren Ellis and artist Adi Granov
Machine. It’s one more stroke in this new franchise
WKDWKDVDOUHDG\FODLPHGWKHXQRI¿FLDOWLWOHRIPRVW
IDLWKIXO0DUYHO¿OPHYHUDVFOXHGLQYLHZHUVZLOO
attest after seeing the post end-credits scene with
6DPXHO/-DFNVRQDV1LFN)XU\LQWKH¿UVW¿OP
Before his cinematic debut, Iron Man was one of
Marvel’s most troubled heroes, both in his world
and ours. Lacking the global popularity of Spider-
the stock market. Across his own series, and in
various Avengers titles Stark has had a life like a
soap opera (as all good superheroes should). He’s
gained and lost his fortune, fought his own armor,
and others copying it, battled with his alcoholism in
the classic Demon in a Bottle storyline, and even
temporarily reverted to his teenage form in a case
RIVH[FHVV
ZKRVHGHVLJQVZRXOGLQVSLUHWKH¿OPSURGXFHG
their story ExtremisLQWKDW6WDUN¶VVHFRQG
OHDVHRQOLIHEHJDQ7KHLVVXHVWRU\OLQHIXVHG
Ellis’ penchant for future tech and Granov’s photo
realistic art to great effect. It also fused Stark to his
own armor. Over the decades Stark had carried his
armor in a suitcase, or parts of it under his Italian
business suit, but now, thanks to a hi-tech virus
imbedded within him, Stark held the armor inside
his own body.
Ever since then Iron Man has been at the
forefront of the happenings within the Marvel
Universe. The events of Civil War propelled him
to take Nick Fury’s job as head of the military
organization S.H.I.E.L.D, though Norman Osborn
would replace him with far less noble intentions.
/DXQFKLQJZLWK)DYUHDX¶V¿OPZDVDQHZVHULHVIRU
the golden Avenger, The Invincible Iron Man. Written
by Matt Fraction (Uncanny X-Men, Punisher War
Journal) and penciled by Salvador Larocca since its
inception it has put Stark in a place he’s getting used
to – the spotlight. The pair deservedly picked up an
Eisner Award last year for Best New Series for their
work on Invincible.
Aside from driving the monthly adventures of Marvel’s version of James Bond, Fraction (real
name Matt Fritchman) is now also writing one of Iron Man’s fellow Avengers, Thor. Similar
WR,URQ0DQLQWKDWKH¶VDFKDUDFWHUFRFUHDWHGE\6WDQ/HHLQZLWKKLVEURWKHU/DUU\
Lieber and artist extraordinaire Jack Kirby) whose had his own ups and downs, Thor is
also the next superhero to get the Hollywood treatment in Marvel’s efforts to create several
GLIIHUHQW VROR KHUR ¿OPV EHIRUH XQOHDVKLQJ VXSHUKHUR WHDP The Avengers upon cinema
screens. Thor is being directed by British actor/director Kenneth Branagh and stars Aussie
actor Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, A Perfect Getaway) as the titular hammer wielder, with
Natalie Portman as love interest Jane Foster, Anthony Hopkins as Thor’s father and Asgard’s
ruler Odin and Jackson as the eye-patched Fury once more. More like The Lord of the Rings
than a typical superhero blockbuster, Thor will hopefully familiarize cinema goers with the
blonde Norse god of thunder as Iron ManGLGDOPRVW\HDUVDJR7KRUKDVDOVRKDGDUHFHQW
resurgence on the printed page. His current series was relaunched by writer J. Michael
Straczynski and artist Olivier Coipel. Their new ongoing series not only returned Thor to the
land of the living, but his fellow gods and their city of Asgard, which is now magically hovering
over a huge part of Kansas, and attempting to survive an onslaught led by Osborn’s paranoia
and the might of his twisted team of Dark Avengers.

Fraction has just added Thor to his expanding resume (he’s already written the character in
several one-shots) as he continues to write The Invincible Iron Man as well and now has the
enviable task of guiding two of Marvel’s oldest characters as their parallel rise to cinematic
stardom begins. He’s also returning to fan fave Image series Casanova, the series that helped
VKRZFDVHKLVZULWLQJVNLOOVZKHQWKHRIIEHDWVHULHVODXQFKHGLQ2ULJLQDOFROODERUDWRUV
(and twin Brazilian brothers), Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, are also involved.
_EXTRA SEQUENTIAL: Why choose the name Matt Fraction, and were there any other
options that almost made the cut?

_MATT FRACTION: It wasn’t really... it was something a telemarketer called me, mangling
P\DFWXDOODVWQDPH,XVHGLWDVDXVHUQDPHRQWKHROG:DUUHQ(OOLV)RUXPDQGDVP\¿UVW
comics work came from the people in and around that forum, it seemed to me it was pretty
much the only marketing hook I had. So, uh, there you go.

_ES: Iron Man and Thor are two pretty big keys to the Marvel kingdom. Did you do a lot
of research on the characters before you started writing their stories?

I’ve been a long-time reader of both, so I didn’t need to do much continuity-reading. I did go
back and reread the Norse myths and do research in that wheelhouse. But in terms of the
characters themselves I had a pretty good working knowledge at the start.

_ES: Iron Man is Marvel’s most hi-tech hero while Thor is almost the opposite. Do those
differences allow you to use your writing muscles in different ways?

Well, I think that depends on what you determine hi-tech means. Arthur C. Clarke wrote that
³$Q\VXI¿FLHQWO\DGYDQFHGWHFKQRORJ\LVLQGLVWLQJXLVKDEOHIURPPDJLF´ZKRVHWRVD\WKDW
Asgardian “magic” isn’t like what an iPhone would appear to be to mediaeval peasants?

That said, yes, each character is a wildly different writing experience.

_ES: Which one can you most closely relate to?

'HSHQGVRQWKHGD\KRQHVWO\,QDVHQVHWKH\HDFKVKDUHWKHVDPHÀDZDNLQGRI
impetuousness born of a belief that they can control more than they can control, and a belief
that they have the power to make the world spin in the way they wish simply because they
have the power to wish it. And each man has paid a price for that... hubris? Impetuousness?
However you contextualize it.

Anyway I can connect with them both. And sometimes I wish I had a big damn hammer and
could just go smash stuff.

_ES: Do you have a certain routine when you sit behind the keyboard? Do you have to
be wearing your favorite socks, while drinking a vanilla latte and listening to ‘80s power
ballads or can you get in the zone anywhere, anytime?

1DK,W¶VDOOFDWFKDVFDWFKFDQ0HZULWLQJLVOLNHWU\LQJWRFDWFKEXWWHUÀLHVZLWKDVWLFNGLSSHG
in honey. Messy, counterintuitive, ineffective...

_ES: You must be pretty excited to be getting into Casanova again, and the fans
certainly seem to be. Do you feel pressure upon revisiting it?

,GLGQ¶WXQWLO,ZHQWEDFNDQGUHUHDGWKHVHULHVIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHVLQFH,¶GSURRIHGHDFKLVVXHDV
they’d gone out the door. I’d remembered it better than what it actually was; I feel like it’s my
creative calling card and reading it was like stabbing hot needles into my heart. I feel pressure
to write the book I’d mistakenly believed it to be.

MAN! What a downer answer.


_ES::KDW¶VWKHJUHDWHVWEHQH¿WDERXW
working for Marvel?
It’s allowed me to write for a living. To
care for my family by daydreaming and
typing and playing with some of the most
iconic and mythical toys in the modern
heroic toybox.
_ES:How exactly did you work with the
,URQ0DQ¿OPPDNHUV":HUHWKHUH
a dozen strangers with name tags in
a room with a whiteboard and free
bagels?
There was a whiteboard and bagels, but
there were only six of us in the room; Jon
Favreau, the director; his assistant Karen,
-XVWLQ7KHURX[WKH¿OP¶VZULWHU.HYLQ
Feige, the head of Marvel Studios; and
-HUHP\/DWFKDPDSURGXFHURQWKH¿OP
lastly there was me, a yokel. Amazing.
:HWDONHGDERXWWKH¿OPWKHVWRU\WKH
myth, the characters. About Tony. About...
well, everything. About planet Iron Man.
_ES:You also helped write the Iron
Man 2 game. Do you think this kind of
multi-media strategy is a good sign for
comics?
It’s a good sign for the multimedia
industries that have sprung from comics’
brow! We’re winning. We’re taking over.

_ES:I believe you come from an
advertising background. How does that
experience help you when imagining
the visuals of the script you’re working
on?
narrative beats. I suspect it annoys the
hell out of my collaborators as I try to do
their job for them!
www.mattfraction.com

I hope it helps me write more visually; to

think in terms of visual storytelling and
 “There's a place for dark, brooding and troubled heroes but
Character Design - Holloway
I wanted to move away from that and make Nick the kind of
F LY N N guy who for the most part is happy, enjoying his life and what
he does. Although Nick is strong, brave and dangerous when
ADG: Holloway is Nick’s closest friend and often his partner-on-the-job, the two of
them having worked together for several years. I wanted him to dress smart/casual
and at the same time I also wanted him to be a man clearly in good shape for his
age, since although Holloway is well-mannered and polite, he also has this air of
necessary, he's also pretty easy-going and down-to-earth; the H[SHULHQFHDQGNQRZVKRZWRORRNDIWHUKLPVHOI+HGRHVKDYHD¿UVWQDPHEXWWKDW
kind of guy you'd have a few beers with.” So says Alex De- isn’t going to be revealed anytime soon.
Gruchy about Nicodemus Flynn, monster hunter extraordinaire.
RN: It never occurred to me while designing Holloway, but now it seems to me he’s
basically Alfred the butler but can kick more ass!
The writer of various short stories for Alterna Comics and Ronin Studios explains
that Nick’s father, “an expert in the arcane and supernatural, showed his son that
Character Design - Anthony Klein
there was a hidden dark side to the world that most people never became aware of
ADG: Klein is like Nick in that he’s a hunter who specialises in the supernatural, but
throughout their entire life. Although monsters, demons and the supernatural were
unlike Nick, Klein is in it for the money. He and Nick have crossed paths in the past
FRQVLGHUHG¿FWLRQE\PRVWRIKXPDQLW\WKHWUXWKZDVWKDWFRXQWOHVVVXFKEHLQJV
and although their relationship is slightly antagonistic, there is also this grudging,
existed all over the world.” Part of that ugly truth is a savage, powerful beast knows
unspoken respect that exists between the two men. Robin gave him some nice visual
as the Pariah, who has been resurrected by an arrogant occultist. “Centuries ago,
WRXFKHVVXFKDVWKHFUXFL¿[DQGEHOWEXFNOHDQGDOVRWKHUHYROYHUZKLFKLQVSLUHGPH
WKH3DULDKZDVHYHQWXDOO\NLOOHGE\DPDQZKRVDFUL¿FHGKLVOLIHLQGRLQJVR´'H
WRJLYHWKHJXQVRPHVLJQL¿FDQFHWR.OHLQE\DGGLQJDEDFNVWRU\WRLWRQHZHOHDUQ
Gruchy elaborates, “and as Nicodemus Flynn hunts the most relentless creature he
later on in the story.
has ever faced, the question arises - will history repeat itself? The Pariah will not
falter and it will not stop. But neither will Nicodemus Flynn.”
RN:.OHLQ¶VDSSHDUDQFHZDVYHU\PXFKLQÀXHQFHGE\WKH2OG:HVWZLWKKLPZHDULQJ
cowboy boots and a revolver on his thigh. I thought it was a cool way to differentiate
Coming soon from publisher Com.x Nicodemus Flynn is an original graphic novel
him from Nick, since they have the same profession but are from different countries.
(OGN) given vivid life by De-Gruchy and self taught Malaysian artist Robert Simon
Ng. De-Gruchy reveals the tale, “came from me wanting to tell an action/adventure
Character Design - May Marsden
story with a supernatural angle and one that also drew from genres such as pulp
ADG: May gets caught up in Nick’s hunt for the Pariah while pursuing her own agenda,
adventure and superhero. There are certainly elements of characters such as
although they soon realise that they share a common goal. I’d always thought that
Indiana Jones and Batman, for example, in the character of Nick Flynn.” He admits,
the story needed a prominent female character but it wasn’t an issue I really worked
«I try to keep the characters and action fairly grounded in the real world to make the
at until Eddie and Ben [publishers Deighton and Shahrabani] at Com.X pushed me
characters and the world in which they live more three-dimensional and believable,
WR¿JXUHLWRXWDQGWKH\ZHUHDEVROXWHO\ULJKWWRGRVRDV0D\DQGKHUVWRU\KDYH
but at the same time keeping the supernatural side of things so open offers a
become integral parts of the book. Robin worked hard when it came to May’s design
huge amount of potential in terms of what I can put into a story.” As for the rugged
and we eventually decided on a look that was cool but still realistic.
vigilante of the title, the writer explains, “I really wanted to make him a decent guy,
one who tries to do the right thing but at the same time really doesn't consider
RN: I think May’s design was quite straightforward. A female assassin should be sexy
himself a hero.
and deadly. Wanting her to look different from what’s already out there is what made
LWGLI¿FXOW
The creators of Nicodemus Flynn discuss their thought processes behind the look of
each of the main characters, as well as share their insights into a few pages of the
Character Design - Sturges
book itself.
ADG: I don’t want to say too much about Sturges as he has an interesting backstory
WKDW ,¶P RQH GD\ SODQQLQJ WR WHOO EXW KH¶V D P\VWHULRXV DQG YHU\ GDQJHURXV ¿JXUH
Character Design - Nicodemus Flynn
who plays his cards close to his chest. Visually, I wanted him to be something of a
ADG: ,WKLQNWKLVZDVWKH¿UVWSLHFHRIDUWZRUN5RELQFUHDWHGIRUWKHVWRU\DQGHYHQ
contradiction in that he has the Old West-style moustache but at the same time he
though I’d already seen samples of his work, when I saw this I was just blown away.
carries a sword, which you instinctively think of as more of a Far Eastern kind of
He’d really nailed the look I wanted for Nick, who turned out exactly the way I saw him
thing.
in my mind. Robin’s artwork really does combine the best of both worlds as far as I’m
concerned - it’s bold and dynamic while still having this amazing attention to detail.
RN: As you can see in the sketches, one of Sturges’ facial designs has a clean look,
without his moustache, which just seemed wrong. His facial hair and his personality
RN: While working on the initial look of Nick, I thought the stubble looked great on
are like two sides of the same coin, it just works so well on him.
him, and he has it in the opening scene of the story, but as the story progressed, the
stubble seemed out of place for a man living in a mansion. It made him look messy.
The clean look better suits his character.
 Issue 1 - Cover pencils

ADG: Originally I was thinking of Nicodemus Flynn as a mini-series and this was Robin’s
design for a potential Issue 1 cover. I think it’s great - I really like the fact that it’s not
\RXU W\SLFDO ¿UVWLVVXHVW\OH FRYHU ZLWK D ELJ LPDJH RI 1LFN LQ VRPH JHQHULF KHUR
pose. There’s a lot more than that to Robin’s design here and that image of Nick and
the skull is just fantastic.

RN: I got this idea from the Inside Man movie poster. The layout really works
because I wanted the cover to feature other characters as well as Nick and at the
same time have something different from the typical comic book cover.

3URPRVNHWFK¿QDOSHQFLOV

ADG: Com.X asked for a promotional image they could use at a convention, so Robin drew some
sketches and we chose this one. It was ideal since I didn’t want to reveal too much of the
Pariah at such an early stage. I also really like what Robin has done with Nick’s pose and
body language here, the image is very cool and attention-grabbing but in a subtle way.

RN: Well, the initial idea was to not give too much away but still feature the main
character, so I thought what’s better than showing the back of the character? From
there, Alex and Eddie came up with this cool idea to have the Pariah in the darkness
right in front of Nick.

Chapter 1 - Page 3 Chapter 1 - Page 17 Chapter 2 - Page 11

ADG:,ZDQWHGWRRSHQWKHVWRU\ZLWKDEDQJVRZKHQZH¿UVW
meet Nick he’s a little battered and bloody and in the middle
of escaping a demon-infested castle. This scene doesn’t
waste any time in showing that Nick is very dangerous and
very capable when it comes to weapons, whether they are
guns, blades or his own body. The Abahgor - the demons
WKDW1LFNLV¿JKWLQJKHUHDUHMXVWRQHRIWKHPDQ\W\SHVRI
demon that exist in Nick’s world. Also, near the end of this
opening scene, Nick jumps out of a window, because it’s
just not an action scene without someone jumping out of a
window.
ADG: Nick’s father died when Nick was a boy but his
mother, Jennifer, is still alive and the two of them are close.
The thing is, Jennifer doesn’t know what Nick really does
with his life – she thinks he runs his own climbing equipment
business, a lie that Nick told her years ago. Although Nick
has never liked lying to his mother, he knows that if she
knew the truth, she would only worry about him, and he
doesn’t want to burden her with that kind of stress. Having
Nick hide the truth from one of the people he is closest to is
obviously a nod to the superhero genre and the concept of
the secret identity.
ADG: We get to see Nick taking on human opponents in
WKLVVFHQHDVKH¿JKWVDORQJVLGHKLVIULHQGDQGSDUWQHURQ
the-job Holloway. We see Nick diving into a situation where
the odds are against him and we also see here that when
it comes to hand-to-hand combat, along with his martial
arts knowledge, Nick’s not above improvising and brawling
ZKHQQHFHVVDU\$OVRWKLV¿JKWLVDQH[DPSOHRIKRZ,WU\WR
incorporate a certain level of realism into the story alongside
the more fantastical elements - I want the action to have
weight and impact, and I think Robin’s artwork certainly
delivers on that front.

RN: I remember the excitement of doing this page, way back
at the beginning of this project. It was also a challenge for
me to translate the script, in which it sometimes seems like
all the action’s happening at once, into panels on a page.
So I said, okay, we’ll take an action at a time and break it
GRZQ7KHGHPRQ¶VVZRUGZDVYHU\PXFKLQÀXHQFHGE\WKH
swords of the Uruk-hai from the Lord of the Rings movies. In
the last two panels, I wanted to give the readers an action-
and-effect kind of feel - you see Nick’s strike and then the
result of his attack.
RN: This was a very interesting page to draw, even though
LWMXVWVKRZVWZRSHRSOHKDYLQJDFRQYHUVDWLRQ,QWKH¿UVW
panel, I tried to show more of the scenery - the building
and the gardens - which I thought was a great way to not
bore the readers, which could happen if it was just panel
after panel of talking heads. Since much of the page would
be taken up by speech bubbles, the last four panels are
long, vertical ones, showing mostly sky as the background.
At the same time I could still zoom in and out to focus on
the characters.
RN: This scene was an enjoyable and challenging process.
Working on this scene, I was able to put my obsession with
kung-fu movies to good use. I remember playing a particular
DVD in slow-motion to try to make sense of how a certain
move was done. With a scene where there are a lot of
things happening at the same time, it’s always a challenge
WREUHDNLWGRZQLQWRSDQHOVDQGVWLOOKDYHLWÀRZQLFHO\
www.comxcomics.com
www.nicodemusflynn.blogspot.com/
W e’ve come a long way
since The New Kids on the
Block had their own comic
in the early 1990s. The last
3 years in particular has
seen the increasing love
affair between music and
comics grow exponentially,
thanks in no small part to
the success of The Umbrella
Academy. The brainchild of
Gerard Way, the frontman of
popular band My Chemical
Romance, the series
launched in 2007 with artist
Gabriel Ba and publisher
Dark Horse to immediate
acclaim. Writer Grant
Morrison famously declared
it to be “an ultraviolet
psychedlic sherbet bomb
of wit and ideas,” and
said that the seven unique
children behind the series
were, “the superheroes
of the 21st century.” With
two successful volumes
collecting The Umbrella
Academy’s adventures
(Apocalypse Suite and
Dallas) and a third on the
way (Hotel Oblivion) other

67
publishers are perhaps
looking for the next big thing
with cross-over appeal.
The last year in particular
has seen an outpouring of
new series with well-known
names behind them, as
musicians declare their
love of comics and welcome
the new storytelling
possibilities the medium
offers.
And a little thing called Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark premieres this year. Yes, a
Spider-Man musical. On Broadway. Written by Bono and The Edge and directed by
Julie Taymor (the Lion King musical, the Across the UniverseÀOPWKHSURGXFWLRQ
has more credibility than may be initially apparent upon hearing the concept.

Amidst this sequential symphony is indie publisher Poseur Ink, the brainchild of
writer/artist Rachel Dukes who launched the company in 2003 as a small press
SXEOLVKHUDQGDOWHUQDWLYHDSSDUHORXWOHW%HVLGHVWKHFRPLFVLQFOXGLQJWKHLUÀUVW
anthology in 2007 devoted to music, entitled Side A: The Music Lover’s Graphic
Novel, Dukes along with partner Mike Lopez also continuously create witty shirts,
posters and buttons. With perhaps a rebellious sensibility that sits somewhere
between punk and hippy the often humorous merchandise makes such declarations
as, “Christopher Walken for President,” and “Make Comics Not War.”

Their most recent anthology, Side B is touted as “the music lover’s comic anthology,”
and that’s exactly what it is, with tales examining the connection between the two
art forms. Dukes explains just what it is that allows comics and music to work
together in pitch perfect harmony.

ARCANA: What makes the link between comics and music an obvious one?

RACHEL DUKES: Music completely drives our day-to-day life. Drawing, e-mailing,
driving around town... whatever it is that we happen to be doing, there’s a soundtrack
behind it. We knew we were not the only people who lived this way - most of the
artists we know are equal parts comic and music nerds - and thought it would be
LQWHUHVWLQJWRVHHKRZPXVLFGLUHFWO\LQÀXHQFHVWKHOLYHVRIRXUSHHUV,WKLQNWKH
key here - what makes the link so obvious - is that people are inspired by art in
general. Comics and music are just our favorite mediums. And, you know, both are
topics people take very seriously. (Except when you say you want to do either of
those things for a living!)

Will there be a third anthology?

Possibly... probably7KH¿UVWERRNZHGLGUHFHLYHGKDUGO\DQ\SUHVVDQGHGLWLQJ
WKLVVHFRQGHGLWLRQGH¿QLWHO\WRRNLWVWROORQXV7KHVXEPLVVLRQVZHUHRSHQIRU
months and we only had about two weeks to edit the whole thing together to make
sure the book got to the distributor on time (February) for the release date (June).

This certainly doesn’t mean that we don’t want to do a third installment but, when
WKHWLPHFRPHVLWZLOOSUREDEO\KDYHDPRUHVSHFL¿FWKHPHUHJDUGLQJPXVLFDQG
have a set contributors list before we start. That way there’s less chance for people
to tell the same stories over and over, as everyone would be working together from
the get go. It would also mean we would have less stories to go through before we
even began the proper edits, which would be helpful!
 What do the unique t-shirts and buttons add to Poseur Ink?

Given that Mike and I are both artists - illustration and graphic design,
respectively - we love to create things. Be it comics, shirts, buttons,
posters; whatever, we’re very keen on creating things that come
to mind. While Poseur Ink has become more and more known for
our comics (a good thing) it’s not all we do, or all we intend to do.
We like expanding into related media regardless of whether the
content is based on the comics or simply our own imagination/
humor.

Essentially, the shirts and buttons are just another vehicle

for self-expression. The shirts give us the opportunity to
be silly in a way that the comics don’t. It also provides us
with merchandise for people that are nerds who may not
be into comics and minis. Having merchandise that’s
unrelated to the comics also gives people the opportunity
to see more facets of our creative process. Something that
www.poseurink.com could hopefully lead to more related creative opportunities in
Perhaps no-one embodies the music/comics
collaboration better than Claudio Sanchez, the wild
haired lead singer and guitarist of popular prog-rock
band, Coheed and Cambria.
In October the singer/songwriter launched Kill Audio,
a believer that storytelling in music doesn’t always have
to be literal and revolve around lyrics.There is just as
much story in the progression of the music itself, whether
it be a guitar riff or even the choice of an instrument for
a song. Everything tells a story really. In my experience
making music and comics, the blending of the mediums
Kill Audio tackles some pretty big themes like
immortality and creativity, but in an unexpected
way. How did Echert and Sheldon help you achieve
that vision?
Having a quirky, non-traditional creative team was
a unique mini-series focusing on an indestructible
troll looking for answers to his immortality. Along
ZLWK KLV ÀDQFpH DQG FRZULWHU &KRQGUD (FKHUW DQG
artist Mr. Sheldon, Sanchez has unleashed a raucous,
entertaining adventure.
Sanchez is no stranger to the world of sequential art
creation. His tie-in series, The Amory Wars, from his
Evil Ink publishing company has worked hand in hand
with the release of each new Coheed and Cambria
album (the latest of which is an upcoming prequel
IRUSHRSOHVHHPVWRFRPHQDWXUDOO\2QHKHOSVWR¿OOLQ
the blanks left by the other.
Are there any particular comic writers, or novelists
whose work you follow?
It’s hard to stay current with monthlies when I’m on the
road, so with this little bit of down time at home, I’ve been
catching up on a lot of Bill Willingham’s Fables trades
and Eric Powell’s The Goon. I’m about to start on Warren
Ellis’ Transmetropolitan as well.
KDOI WKH EDWWOH &KRQGUD P\ ¿DQFpH DQG , KDYH VXFK
different writing strengths, but basically the same sense
of humor, which I think gives Kill Audio its life and
unexpected depth at times. Plus, being able to work at
all hours of the day is the perfect brainstorm situation: If
one of us has an idea for a character description on the
way to dinner, we’ll turn the car around, grab Chinese
WDNHRXWDQGJRKRPHWRÀHVKLWRXW:HIRXQGZKDWVRPH
have called a “kindred spirit” in Sheldon, who did a color
YDULDQW FRYHU IRU WKH ¿UVW Amory Wars Trade. We had
him do some Kill Audio character sketches early on that
WRWKHVHULHVLQUHYHDOLQJDVFLÀHSLFFHQWUHGLQWKH
galaxy of Heaven’s Fence.
ARCANA: Do you think the storytelling possibilities
between music and comics share more similarities
than have yet to be realized?
CLAUDIO SANCHEZ: I would agree with that, though I’d
expand it to include books in general. A big part of my
youth was spent reading comics and listening to music
and I feel a big connection with both of the mediums. I’m
blew my mind and that was it. We like to give the artist
How have the Coheed & Cambria fans responded room to do what they do without feeling restricted by the
to your comics so far? script and Sheldon’s not a passive artist that just draws
what’s written. Most of the scripted panel layouts are just
Coheed’s fans have always been extremely receptive of suggestions which he’ll crunch into something twisted
the venture in a very hands on way. They’re understanding and awesome.
and enthusiastic about the stories I want to tell and will
EH WKH ¿UVW SHRSOH WR FDOO PH RXW RQ VRPHWKLQJ WKDW LV www.coheedandcambria.com
done half-assed or off schedule. I like to think we have
a supportive, almost familial relationship when it comes
to the comics.
Publisher Com.x may not produce
a lot of comics, but when they do,
they get noticed. Cla$$war and the
more recent 45 are the UK based
company’s calling cards, and now
a unique melding of technology,
dazzling visuals and superb music
looks set to take its place amongst
WKRVH ÀQH ERRNV &UHDWHG E\ ZULWHU
Brian Cowden, artist Jon Lam and
renowned Hollywood composer
Rolfe Kent (Up in the Air, Sideways,
The Men Who Stare at Goats)
Passions Requiem is an intriguing
graphic novel which promises to
deliver an unusual, yet satisfying
reading experience. At the story’s
centre is Sarah Orr, described by
Com.x as, “an attractive but uptight
woman who experiences a night of
incredible passion with a mysterious
stranger she believes has saved her
life. In reality, this person is the (her)
Angel of Death. This night of passion
and her awakening takes place in the
ÀQDO PRPHQWV RI KHU OLIHµ 6HWWLQJ
Passions apart from other projects
on the shelves is its integration
of music. According to Kent, the
soundtrack album for Passions,
“will be a free download for anyone
who owns the book. Sequences of
the story will have a musical score,
FRPSRVHGDQGUHFRUGHGVSHFLÀFDOO\
for those pages to add to the
immersive atmosphere of the story.
There will be footnotes on pages of
the book to play the relevant track for
the sequence.” Passions Requiem is
an artistic example of the language
of song and story enclosed in one
attractive package. Here the three
creators describe the tale in their
own words.
W riter
EXTRA SEQUENTIAL: Why do you
think a project of this ambitious
nature hasn’t been done before?
BRIAN COWDEN: It boils down
to evolution. Art forms evolve; the
blending of different disciplines
could be a dead-end experiment or
a progressive step. We believe the
latter and will enhance the reader’s
experience to be transported away.
ES: Do you think the average
comic book reader is ready for a
new reading experience like this?
BC: The intent of the artist is to reach
the broadest audience as possible.
The inclusion of different disciplines
will always attract interest. Hopefully
this interest will translate into a larger
readership as well as attract other artists who
will bring new energy and perspectives. Plus,
technology is always evolving which opens
up possibilities that didn’t exist before. Last
year there was no such thing as an iPad. How
cool will it be to read text with accompanying
music on a next generation iPad or whatever?
A rtist
ES: Were you privy to Rolfe’s
music as you were creating the art?

JON LAM: I like to have something on in the

background while I do work. I had Dexter running
in the background, so it was the best of both
worlds. Listening to my favorite show, and to
Rolfe’s amazing score to put me in the mood.

ES: Fittingly, the story seems very

passionate and heartfelt. Did you
have to be careful not to overdo it in
the comic alone, and allow room for
the soundtrack to work in the reader?

JL: It’s a very collaborative effort with Rolfe and

Brian. We are always communicating about how
the story will affect the page’s composition, and
I feel we have an understanding of what the
other wants to express. I feel that good art, no
matter the medium will complement each other.
C omposer
ES: There’s a lot of musicians writing comics
these days, and the two art-forms aren’t the most
obvious pairing, so what makes comics and music
create such beautiful art together?

ROLFE KENT: I think both art forms allow for a huge

breadth of expression, anything you can imagine
really. Sure there are conventions, but we are all
pushing those boundaries. Here’s the opportunity to
collaborate on something truly original. In Passions
it’s been fascinating for me to see how Jonathan
imagines, interprets and renders the script, because
it’s kind of similar to how I work, but in a whole
different medium. His work is rich and atmospheric,
and so you have these delicious visuals, and I can
add tonal color with the music and sound, deepen the
emotion, create a whole ambience around the reader.
So these arts really compliment each other in creating
one hell of a powerful experience!

ES: Do you often have a soundtrack in your head

when you’re reading a story? I guess that’s a
IULQJHEHQH¿WIURP\RXUFDUHHU"

RK: I don’t usually have music in my head as I

read. I am inspired by images, and in this case
the combination of Brian’s incredible narrative and
Jonathan’s involving art really got my imagination
sparking. That’s why I didn’t start composing until the
images were well under way, because I am simply
supplementing them, and needed to work with and
around them and be inspired by them.

ES: What can music do that other forms of art

can’t?

RK: Firstly music can have an impact on you without

you really noticing, for example, it can change your
time perception, making things seem very fast and
intense, or slow and sensual. Music can also create or
intensify an atmosphere, and this is the score’s main
role in Passions Requiem; to really draw the reader
into the world of the book, and connect emotionally
with the story. Jonathan’s work has a great sense of
space, and that has a big impact on what the score
can be, what kind of atmosphere is created, and the
spatial character of the soundscape.

ES: What’s the strangest instrument you own?

RK: Probably my Indian “banjo”, which is made of old

typewriter keys and strings. Sounds nothing at all like
a banjo but has a kind of junkyard charm all its own.
ES: How did you all come together on this project, and
did you know each other beforehand?

BC: Rolfe and I have known each other for a long

time. It was Rolfe’s idea to explore the possibility of
producing Passions Requiem as a graphic novel with an
accompanying soundtrack. When we looked into it, we
realized what a novel approach this was and decided to
dive in and see what might come of it.

RK: After Brian showed me his story I was really amazed

by it. It’s got this incredible intensity and passion, and it
made me think it might be a great opera. When we decided
to create the book I just wanted to make some kind of
contribution, which is why the idea of composing some
music came up.

ES: With the melding of art, music and technology

ZDVLWGLI¿FXOWWRFRQYLQFH&RP[RILWVSRWHQWLDO"7KLV
isn’t exactly a normal comic. I can imagine a lot of
publishers being wary of taking something like this on.

RK: Com.X were fantastic. They are really creative people

and they were really struck by Passions’ great story. That’s
where everything starts; all the other ingredients, the
artistry, the music, have to live up to that. I think that’s what
got all of us together; the opportunity to tell an unusual and
passionate tale in a gorgeous and dimensional way.

BC: I agree with Rolfe; Com.X has been instrumental in the

development of Passions Requiem at every level and are
excited about the addition of music. For the launching of
Passions Requiem, Eddie’s (Deighton, Com.x co-founder)
plans are for Rolfe and an ensemble to perform the music
OLYHDV-RQDWKDQ¶VDUWZRUNÀRZVDFURVVVFUHHQV7KLVZLOO
be done at the different conventions and will be spectacular.
The music of course will be an integral part of Passions’
web page. Think how cool it will be to be reading off an iPad
with the music playing to pull the reader into another world.

ES: Can you see more projects of this magnitude being

done in the future, either by yourselves, or maybe
others that might be inspired by Passions?

BC: Of course; we’re already putting together the next

one. We were inspired by others, so yeah, others might be
inspired by us.

RK: I certainly want to. It’s such a great medium to work

in; free of constraints that exist elsewhere. We have been
having exciting discussions about what we might do next.

www.comxcomics.com
 P
ARCANA: In this age of prequels, sequels and re-imaginings,
on Lewis Carroll’s much-loved 1865 do you think it’s actually more difficult to convince
audiences of the entertainment value of the original work?

74 artners John Rep-

pion and Leah Moore are used to
novel and its 1871 sequel. The four issue
mini-series features interior art by Erica
Awano and covers by John Cassady, who
JOHN REPPION: I think it’s more a case of the originals being
in danger of being overlooked. Dracula is probably the best
example; ask people to name ways to kill The Count and most
will list “sunlight”. They’re wrong. In Stoker’s novel Dracula has
less power during the hours of daylight than he does after dark

working together by now. Reppion has also provided covers for the Dracula and but he can happily walk about in the sunshine without crumbling
to dust or bursting into flames. These iconic characters and

contributed to books, and magazines such Sherlock series. Each issue of The Com- tales have been around so long that the original stories almost
become lost beneath the huge amount of derivative works. The

as Fortean Times. Moore long ago plete Alice in Wonderland is a 40 page mythology surrounding Count Dracula or Sherlock Holmes takes
on a life of its own and other people’s ideas get mixed in with the

proved herself as a unique voice outside of adventure suitable for all ages and serves original ones. With Dracula and Alice we’ve tried to get as close
to the originals as we can, hopefully exposing them to a new

her father Alan’s (legendary writer of as a more faithful approach than the lush audience. With Holmes our approach is slightly different – we
want to remain true to Doyle’s stories (and to fans of them) while

Watchmen, V for Vendetta) shadow. Disney feature film just around the corner. expanding things a bit by losing Watson’s narration. In all cases
we’re not trying to re-invent or re-imagine but add faithfully to

Together the English duo have written the original works by adapting them for the comic book
medium.

Wild Girl and Albion for Wildstorm, Both Sherlock Holmes and Alice in Wonderland have
as well as Witchblade: Shades of Gray, now both received recent Hollywood treatment. What
do you think when you see other artists adapting the
stories for Gene Simmons’ House of same tales? Are you filled with curiosity or slight
apprehension?
Horrors and the Doctor Who: The
John & Leah in Wonderland

LEAH MOORE: I think that apprehension is

Whispering Gallery one-shot. always there just because a Hollywood film
has so much budget and so much space on
Recently the pair has had suc- the screen they can always find new ways to
make something terrible. I have to say that
cess with their faithful ex- with the classics being adapted, there has to
always be curiosity too, because you want
aminations of classic literary to see how they coped with your favorite bits.
Sometimes a couple of entertaining scenes can
works for Dynamite Enter- be worth the price of admission on their own. It’s
hard to really judge one adaptation against
tainment, consisting of The another because one could be faithful but
really dull, and another could be a complete
Complete Dracula, The Trial reimagining that doesn’t stick to the story
at all, but is vastly more entertaining.
of Sherlock Holmes and now, That said, I have to say our versions
of these stories are the very best…of
The Complete Alice in Won- course!

derland. The latter is based Has all the research you’ve had to do
in your recent projects inspired you
as writers?
REPPION: Definitely. We’ve both always enjoyed researching
projects anyway but Dracula was the first time we ever found
ourselves doing it at an almost academic level. The work we did
on The Complete Dracula totally transformed the way we think
about our work, not least because it was a bit like having a guided
tour “behind the scenes” of the way Stoker worked. Thanks to
books such as Miller & Eighteen-Bisang’s Bram Stoker’s Notes
for Dracula and Klinger’s New Annotated Dracula we were able to
deconstruct this iconic novel and see it as it truly is – warts and all.
It might sound odd but it’s the little mistakes or errors that Bram
Stoker made in the novel that really made me love it and want to
do it justice. These things humanize the author but also, to me at
least, make the work more personal. Knowing that these huge,
important texts are by no means flawless gives me confidence as
a writer – no-one is perfect but a good writer should try to improve
with every work. That’s pretty inspiring, much more so than reading
something and thinking “that’s just perfect, I wish I could do that”.
What did Stoker, Doyle and Carroll have that today’s
novelists don’t?
MOORE: They had a limited market. There weren’t millions
of people all churning out similar stuff to be stacked high
in supermarkets. There wasn’t the awareness of writing as
a big money business where if you hit the jackpot you get
to go and live next to J.K Rowling. The writers we love
from the past were always writing in totally different
circumstances and for totally different reasons. The
most modern of the above I think in terms of the reasons
for writing, would be Doyle, who killed off Holmes at
the height of his popularity, but was then forced by
money and public outcry to bring him back from the
dead in a Dallas style twist. I think Doyle must have felt
very differently about his character after that, and might
see the adaptation and merchandising of Holmes today
as just the natural progression from that moment.
Alice in Wonderland appears to be such an
adaptable series of novels, especially in comics.
It‘s one of those rare timeless tales that every
generation gets a hold of. Where does its
longevity come from?
REPPION: Again it’s partly familiarity I
suppose but, as with Dracula, most people
are more familiar with adaptations than
they are with the originals. I think Carroll
managed to capture the timelessness of
a true fairy-tale in the Alice stories but there’s
much more to them than that. The wordplay,
the poems, the comedy, all these things make
the books as appealing to adults as they are to
children. Wonderland and Looking Glass never
talk down to their readers. In fact some of the
more complicated stuff most probably goes
over the head of most adults too. There’s a
section where Alice is trying to check that she
is still herself. She decides to try to remember
her times tables, “Let me see: four times five
is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and
four times seven is—oh dear! I shall never
get to twenty at that rate!” This seems like an
amusing bit of nonsense at first until you learn
that Alice’s calculations are actually correct: 4
X 5 = 12 in base 18!!! For all the visual fun
you can have with the Mad Hatter, Humpty
Dumpty and all the rest it can be quite difficult
getting all that cleaver prose into a comic book
too.
Does Alice in Wonderland have an
equivalent today? If so, what would it be?
Harry Potter? Twilight?!
MOORE: I’m not sure it does, because Carroll
told it originally only to Alice Liddell, the little girl who
inspired it. She asked him to write it down, and then the
classic children’s book grew out of that. There probably
are children’s books written initially for the writer’s
own children, which then go on to be published, but I
think that would always be a business decision on the
parent’s side now, rather than the child’s suggestion.
I think that there are stories which obviously capture
children’s imaginations in the same way, but I doubt
they will be as long lived, or seep so deeply into our
culture. Alice in Wonderland is part of us now, so it’s
not simple to find another one just like it!
The TPB of Moore and Reppion’s The Complete Alice in
Wonderland is available on February 24. Tim Burton’s Alice in
Wonderland film, starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and
a 19 year old Alice returning to Wonderland, opens in most
countries on March 4.
www.dynamiteentertainment.com
www.moorereppion.com
Images ® & © DFI 2010.
 -RVK 0HGRUV ZDV MXVW JHWWLQJ QRWLFHG
with his detailed work on series such
as Frank Frazetta’s Swamp Demon
76
for Image and Chucky and G.I. Joe for
Devil’s Due Publishing when he was hit
with a rare form of cancer. It was not
long before friends, strangers and the
Hero Initiative charity came on board
to help Medors in any way they could.
His original art was sold to raise funds
for the medical bills, donations were
PDGH EHQH¿W DXFWLRQV ZHUH KHOG DQG
job offers started to arrive. Over 2 years
later and Medors continues the good
¿JKWDVDIDWKHUKXVEDQGDQGWDOHQWHG
artist.
ARCANA: How did you come to discover
you had cancer and what was the initial
reaction from yourself, your family and the
doctors?
JOSH
JOSH MEDORS: It was actually an accident.
I was helping out at my son’s basketball
practice. If I remember right, it was adults
against the kids. I went for a stray pass and
twisted my knee. I remember thinking the
whole way to the emergency room “man
this sucks getting old.” Well to make a long
boring story short, my back started hurting
me. The pain in my back was horrible. I
told my orthopedic surgeon about it when
MEDORS
he was looking at my knee. He had me
get an MRI. I was lucky (or unlucky) that I
had a doctor’s appointment later that day.
I knew something was wrong as soon as
the doctor walked in the room. She told me
about the tumor, and said I had to go in for
surgery that day. I was scared shitless. I
had been a healthy person my whole life,
and now this tumor. I was in surgery for
six hours. After the surgery the doctors
told me that they had got all of the tumor
and it was benign. Two months later my
symptoms started to return. I went back
in for another MRI, the results showed the
tumor had returned, and now they were
saying it was malignant. After several
pathology reports, the last one coming
from the Mayo Clinic, they told me the
type of tumor I had, and how rare it was. I
was in shock. It was like I won the cancer
lottery. The doctors were clueless on how
to treat it. They pretty much started trying
different things. Having to deal with these
treatments, and the knowledge that if they
FDQ¶W¿QGDZD\WREHDWWKLVLWZLOONLOOPH
really put a lot of strain on my marriage.
My wife and I spilt up shortly after I started
treatments. The treatments really tore me
up. I could barely walk, or eat. It didn’t take
me long to realize how much I needed my
wife. Eventually we worked things out. We
knew if we were going to beat this we had
WR¿JKWDVDIDPLO\
I believe you’ve had some rather odd
treatments. Where does your mind wander
when you’re getting chemo, or is it even
able to?
The doctors started out treating my cancer
with radiation, although they went all out
RQWKH¿UVWWUHDWPHQW,IRXQGRXWDIWHUWKH
treatments were done, that they had given
me the maximum dose allowed. I was
XQGHUWKHLPSUHVVLRQWKDWLIWKH¿UVWURXQG
of treatments didn’t work they could radiate
WKH WXPRU DJDLQ$IWHU , ZDV ¿QLVKHG ZLWK
WKH  UDGLDWLRQ VHVVLRQV , ZDV WROG WKDW
the radiation was unsuccessful. The place
where I was taking radiation treatments
seemed hesitant about what would be the
next step in my treatment, so I started trying
WR¿QGDKRVSLWDOWKDWZRXOGDSSURDFKP\
illness aggressively. I was really starting to
lose hope. I was about to just give up when
I set up an appointment with a doctor that
was recommended kind of off hand. You
know one of those (“Oh hey I heard this
guy was awesome you should try him out.”)
it turned out to be some of the best advice
,HYHUKDGDQGFRPHWR¿QGRXWWKLVGRFWRU
practiced at Ohio State University James
Cancer Center, right in my back yard. This
doctor was amazing. He wasn’t afraid to
try new things, and he was aggressive. We
started out with chemo, that didn’t work so
he tried a different type of chemo, once
again it didn’t look as if that was working,
so he wanted to try a different method
that was a bit different. This new method
involved cutting and peeling back a section
of my scalp. Next he would drill a hole in my
skull. He then would insert a tube in between
the two halves of my brain. This sounded
scary as hell, but I was up for anything at this
point. After the surgery I would meet with the
doctor once a week. At these appointments
the doctor would take a needle and stick it
in the port in my head and inject a new type
of chemo. I made it though four of these
sessions. After the fourth session I had a
severe reaction to the chemo. I blacked out
on Tuesday and didn’t wake until Friday.
I found out later that I came very close to
losing my life during those four days. I ended
up staying in the hospital for two weeks.
During the chemo treatments (they last
of really supporting creators in need and it’s
VRPHWKLQJ \RX ZRXOGQ¶W ¿QG LQ DQ\ RWKHU
industry necessarily. How have they helped
you so far?
I was amazed by the reaction of the comics’
community. Jay Fotos, my editor and colorist,
at the time, put together a charity auction at
Emerald City Comicon. I was blown away
by the response he got when he sent out
the email letting everyone know about
the auction. The comics community really
stepped up. It seemed just about everyone
who has something to do with comics
donated something. To make a long story
short, the auction went off! Raised more
money then I could have imagined. I was so
touched. I couldn’t believe that a community
it, it would have been almost impossible to
VWD\DÀRDWZLWKWKHELOOVWKDWZHUHSLOLQJXS
Has the cancer changed you as a person,
and as an artist?
It has made me realize that life is short. It
has hade me appreciate each day that I am
given. I spend more time with the people
I love. I realized that my time with them is
limited so each minute spent with them is
precious. I have done some of my best art
VLQFH ¿QGLQJ RXW DERXW P\ FDQFHU , WKLQN
that’s because I spend more time at the art
desk.
Are you still able to work at the same pace,
RUGR\RX¿QGGD\VZKHUH\RX¶UHUHDOO\QRW
GD\DQGQRZ,DPOXFN\WR¿QLVKXSDSDJH
Are there any strange positives to this whole
experience at all?
I mentioned that my wife and I split up
VKRUWO\DIWHU¿QGLQJRXW,ZDVVLFN,WDNHIXOO
responsibility for this. I turned into a complete
jerk. I am lucky my wife was nice enough to
take me back. This split made me realize
how important my wife was to me. I found
out that I can’t live without her, and that I was
an idiot to try. Since getting back together
things have been perfect. Our relationship is
better now then it has ever been. So I guess
that would qualify as a strange positive.
You’ve done a lot of horror and fantasy work,
DERXWKRXUVHDFKWUHDWPHQW,ZRUNHG,
don’t think I would have survived if it wasn’t
for my art. Being able to draw kept me going.
For a while there were talks of me losing the
use of my arms. I think that was when I was
the most scared. I knew that my art and my
family was the only thing getting me through
this. When things got bad all I had to think
about was my art or family.
The comics’ community has a unique history
of people, could come together for someone
they didn’t know. In what other industry could
\RX¿QGWKDW"2KDQG,¶PQRWGRQHQRWRQO\
did the community do this for me once, Dave
Kopecki (the guy who spends his spare
time selling my original art) put together
another auction, and the response was just
DVDPD]LQJDVWKH¿UVW,DPEOHVVHGWREH
working in an industry among such fantastic
people. The money raised in both auctions
couldn’t have come at a better time. Without
motivated to get behind the drawing board
and would rather stay in bed all day?
There are days, that because of the meds,
I just can’t get out of bed. Some days I try,
I drag myself out of bed and to the drawing
desk. On those days I end up asleep with
my head on the page I am working on. On
the days I do feel ok, I can’t work at the pace
I used to work at. That really bothers me. I
used to be able to knock out a few pages a
and are also a child of the wonderful time
NQRZQ DV WKH ¶V ZKHQ WKRVH JHQUHV
were at the forefront of pop culture. Do you
have any fond memories of those days as a
kid watching The Goonies, or whatever?
I was a huge horror fan as a kid. I think
my parents thought I was pretty weird, but
there were cool and kind of let me do my
thing. I remember at one time I had Jason
and Freddy posters covering the walls of the
room I shared with my brother. I would wake
XS WR ¿QG WRZHOV WDFNHG RYHU WKH SRVWHUV
Eventually he gave up trying to sleep in the
room and moved to my other brother’s room.
You know my studio resembles my room
from back then.
Were you always known as the kid in
class who was always drawing and selling
handmade comics to his schoolmates, or
did your artistic desires and abilities develop
later in life?
I always was in some sort of trouble for
drawing in class. However, I always got out
of that trouble because I played football and
baseball!. I guess you could call me a jock.
Yes it is true jocks get away with everything.
I remember my junior year in high school a
EXGG\ DQG , GLG DQ DFWXDO  SDJH FRPLF
We had it printed up and we sold it. I think
the print run was around 500 and we sold
RXWZLWKDFRYHUSULFHRI:HWKRXJKW
we were rock stars! I own one copy of that
comic and I will never show it to anyone!
$UHWKHUHDQ\FRPLFV¿OPVRU79VHULHVWKDW
you’re addicted to at the moment?
Hmmmmm! not really, for a while my wife
and I were hooked on Lost, but after season
three we kind of lost interest. I read the
Ultimatum series that Marvel did. I picked
it up because I love Finch’s art. Other than
that that there’s really nothing. I am either
at the drawing table or coaching my son’s
football team.
What are you working on now, and what’s in
the pipeline?
Right now I am taking a break from deadlines.
I am trying to catch up on some long overdue www.heroinitiative.org
commissions, and just sketching and having
fun.
Are there any dream projects you’d love to
have a go at?
I would absolutely love to have a shot
at Batman!! I think my style would work
perfectly with the Dark Knight. He has
always been one of my favorite characters
to draw, and I think I could rock out on
some Batman. I’d also love to take a shot
at Spider-Man as well. McFarlane’s Spidey
is what made me want to draw comics for
a living so Spidey will always be up there
on my list of characters I’d love to draw.
What makes you laugh?
Small wind up robots that dance.

Radical have become known as a publisher with
a consistently beautiful array of new books, with
Hotwire and The Last Days of American Crime
being prime examples. Aladdin: Legacy of the
Lost will surely be added to that list. A new 3 issue
mini-series by writer Ian Edginton (Warhammer
40 000) and artist Patrick Reilly, Aladdin is
another deft adaptation/reinvention of a classical
tale; a strategy which was worked well for Radical
with their Hercules and Caliber series.
7KLVSDJHIXOOFRORXUGHEXWLVVXHLVDWKLQJRI
beauty and should be embraced by those with
a fondness for the Prince of Persia games, and
XSFRPLQJ ¿OP 8VLQJ WKH EDVLFV RI WKH P\WK DV
a springboard into Tolkien territory Edginton and
Reilly present an unabashed adventure story.
There just aren’t enough swashbuckling tales like
this in comics today.
Edginton explores this myth, which is strangely
XQWRXFKHG E\ D SRS FXOWXUH ¿[DWHG RQ SLUDWHV
Vikings and such, with boldness. Newcomer
Patrick Reilly drips the pages in ancient wonder
and Middle Eastern charm while making sure
every costume, creature, character and city is
¿UPO\VHWLQDULFKIDQWDV\FRQWH[W
This is a fast paced book, with daring action
scenes which are mainly concerned with running,
as Aladdin does so from an angry crowd in
6KDPEDOOD LQ WKH ¿UVW IHZ SDJHV DQG WKHQ IURP
KXJHLQVHFWVLQDFDYHLQZKLFKKH¿QGVWKHODPS
thanks to a scheming sorcerer named Qassim.
Aladdin is the key to the power of the lamp and the
3 wish granting Djinn contained within it, but the
young pick pocket seems in no rush to part with
KLV VHO¿VK ZD\V DQG DFFHSW WKH UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV
of his heroic bloodline just yet. With a surprising
appearance by Sinbad as a potential mentor and
visuals that use light and texture to great effect
Aladdin is an exciting start to a new sand and
sorcery epic. #1 of this monthly mini-series is
available now.
Creator James Kochalka is one of the rare breed
of writer/artists who is able to cross genres with
ease. His autobiographical American Elf series
has offered up whimsical, yet mostly real daily
slices of his life over the last decade, whereas
his Johnny Boo series of kids’ books never fail
to entertain and enchant with their child-like
simplicity. SuperF*ckers is a different book entirely,
although Kochalka’s distinct art style remains the
same. This TPB collects the Top Shelf four issue
mini-series of the same name, as well as a new
intro and a chapter focusing on Jack Krak. If Larry
David of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame teamed up
with the guys from Robot Chicken, this is what
you’d get; madcap antics with a generous dose
of fantasy and immature relationships. There’s
a guilty laugh on every page and the impish
cartoon visuals and blinding colors make it all
VHHP VOLJKWO\ GLVDUPLQJ ,W RSHQV ZLWK  VKRUW
VWULSVIRFXVHGRQDOHDIZLWKWKHSRZHURIÀLJKW
DQG6XSHU'DQDQGKLVIULHQG3HUF\¿GGOLQJZLWK
the reception on a TV in Dimension Zero while
awaiting rescue. From there, the weirdness
continues as we are introduced to the members
of the titular team. All of them are dressed like
members from a glam rock band, from the angry
Jack Krak to the blonde who gets her powers from
brushing her hair exactly 1000 times. There’s
also the drug use of the slime drippings of their
blobby team-mate Grotus. (It smells like “burning
dirty armpits.”) Also included is Radical Randy’s
simple attempt to win the tryouts and become
part of the team, aided by his sidekick’s “power
grip” to open a childproof bottle of pills. As you
can guess by now, this isn’t one for the kids. In
anyone else’s hands it could be almost too much,
but Kochalka knows when to pull back and give
the poor reader respite before the next profanity-
laden tirade or barrage of violence. The “Slap
Down Count-Down,” “Computer Fists Activate,”
and the struggle of two lonely, pink creatures to
get inside the team’s house – it’s all in here and
WKDW¶V MXVW WKH ¿UVW LVVXH $OPRVW DOO RI WKH 
pages will force an evil laugh from your lips, and
LW¶VGH¿QLWHO\RQHIRUWKH South Park and Family
GuyEULJDGH7KLVFROOHFWLRQRIFULPH¿JKWHUVZKR
GRQ¶W¿JKWFULPHLVDYDLODEOHRQ0DUFK
REVIEWS
“I folded the day, erased it forever from the
history of men.” So says the protagonist
behind this expansive offering from Archaia.
The unique 5 issue mini-series is presented
in this Hard Cover collection, with a bunch of
great extras, including a dazzling cover gallery,
sketchbook section and a great making of
IHDWXUH $OPRVW  SDJHV RI WLPHWUDYHOOLQJ
humanity saving goodness. Phil Hester and
Frazer Irving set up the intriguing premise in
WKH¿UVWFKDSWHULQZKLFKZHPHHW7KH6WHZDUG
LQKHOSLQJWRVROYHDYLUXVLQ6ZD]LODQG
We learn that the mysterious white haired ‘man’
has been watching humanity forever, (and was
quite lonely during the age of dinosaurs.) He’s
Earth’s secret protector and when we face
days of particular horror, he erases them, or
rather replaces them with alternate days in
which he leads us to victory. Each issue is
focused on one of those days and is produced
by a different creative team. 1815 is the setting
RILVVXHLQZKLFK)UDQNHQVWHLQ¶VFUHDWRU0DU\
Shelley appears and The Steward intervenes
in the raising of the dead. Other stories are
created by the likes of Ian Edginton, Lee Moder
and Matz, with Hester and Irving also creating
WKHVHULHV¶EROGVFL¿FRQFOXVLRQ
The concept behind this story is ambitious,
but the talented roster of creators behind it
make it work. It’s certainly not an action driven
VWRU\ WKRXJK WKH  VHW th issue is rather
rollicking) but for those attracted to great
dialogue, philosophical musings and grand
ideas, Days Missing will satisfy, and is available
RQ)HEUXDU\
79
 Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford are long-time friends, and founders of
Blacklist Studios. Together Hall, the writer and Bradford, the artist, have given
the world the three issue mini-series Robot 13 which impressed many with
its bold sense of style and simple adventure tale focused on the mysterious,
WLWXODUKHURZKR¿JKWVPRQVWHUVRIP\WKZKLOHDWWHPSWLQJWREHIULHQGKXPDQV
(which isn’t hindered by his appearance which consists of a skull enclosed in
a transparent bowl, sitting atop a nimble mechanical body.) Also out from the
self publishing duo is the four issue mini, KING!¿OOHGZLWKD]DQ\VHQVHRIIXQ
as former Mexican wrestler Jessie King, with a look inspired by a certain rock
QUROOLFRQ³SXWVDQHQGWRWKHIUHDN\DQWLVRFLDODEQRUPDOPLV¿WVWKDWWRUPHQW
the common Man and threaten Freedom and Fried Foods everywhere!” He
may look like a Las Vegas Elvis impersonator, but don’t be fooled. The real
Elvis didn’t kill dastardly creatures with his Blue Suede Colts.

EXTRA SEQUENTIAL: What’s the inspiration behind the name Blacklist Studios?

TH: Daniel came up with that. One day he just told me that he wanted us
to call ourselves Blacklist Studios, and I liked the ring it had to it. I think
it’s a name that we have grown into more than anything else. When people see
that we call ourselves Blacklist, they have an expectation that we aren’t doing
everything in an expected and “safe” manner, and I like that. We need to keep
pushing ourselves, and I guess the name is part of that. Keeps us honest, I
guess.

DB: That’s actually a VERY good question. I have no idea. I really don’t
remember why I thought of it. It was something I kinda had rolling around
in my head around the time Tom and I began working together and needed a
sort of mark to give us an identity of sorts. I seem to
remember that it was just something of an attention getter as a name. I’m sure
we’ll come up with a meaning for it at some point.

ES: How did you two end up working together?

TH: I saw some of Daniel’s work online, and I just loved what I saw so
I sent him an email. It was kind of a fan letter, really, and at the end I
slipped in there that I’d love to write something for him. He got back to me
pretty much right away and we talked about a lot of stuff and found we both
KDGDORWLQFRPPRQ,WKLQNZKDWKDVNHSWXVWRJHWKHUIRURYHU\HDUVKDV
been our respect for what the other person brings to the table and our mutual
drive to do this. It takes a ton of work and commitment to do comics, and it’s
great to have someone I know is putting as much effort and ability if not more
into this as I do. It’s been a great partnership and I don’t see us stopping

SKELETON CREW
anytime soon.

ES: How do the advantages of being a self publisher compare to the

disadvantages, and how do you remain motivated to continue creating?
 DB: The motivation comes from two things for me. First would simply
be the love and challenge of storytelling and using sequential art as the
method. I believe I speak for both Tom and I when I say that neither one
of us began doing this for the money. We both have separate jobs and do this
on the side when we can. It’s just that strong desire to tell a story. Not just start
LWEXWWR¿QLVKLW

The second motivation would be the readers. These stories are meant to be
told to other people so the more readers we have, the stronger the desire to
keep telling stories. It feels great when we’re told how much somebody enjoys
RXUERRNVDQGLWMXVW¿UHVXVXS

Self publishing is a pain in the ass. It’s way too stressful, way too expensive,
EXWZKHQ\RX¿QDOO\JHW\RXUERRNLQ\RXUKDQG\RXFDQ¶WKHOSEXWWKLQN
³'DPQ,GLGWKLV$QGQRZ,JRWWDVHOOLWDZZFUDS´7KHEHQH¿WRIKDYLQJ
self published R13 is that I learned a tremendous amount about comic book
production. Tom handles the marketing stuff so he can expand on that, but
from my experience the production of a comic book has been seriously
FKDOOHQJLQJIURPSUHSWR¿QLVKSHQFLOVWROHWWHUV$QGZKHQLW¶VGRQH\RXJHW
the greatest feeling of accomplishment.

When working under a publisher a lot of those duties are lifted off your
shoulders so that’s good. Less stress is always a good thing. But it’s that whole
“It takes a village” thing with a publisher. There are several hands touching
your baby and in the end it’s not really your baby anymore. Sure it still looks
OLNH\RXEXWLWJUHZXSXQGHUWKHLQÀXHQFHRIVHYHUDORWKHULQGLYLGXDOV7KDW¶V
both good and bad, depending on the publisher. Hopefully it was a good village
that raised your baby.

TH: Motivation for doing comics is pretty easy. I love telling stories, and I
especially love working with someone like Daniel who gets how cool it is
to see your work come to life like this. I wouldn’t say the creation aspect comes
easy, because it often doesn’t. The third issue of Robot 13, for example, went

89
through more than a dozen drafts and a couple of them were scrapped front
to back in the process. It happens that way sometimes, and it’s frustrating to a
point but it’s also part of the motivation. You get the idea in your head that you
FDPHWKLVIDUDQG\RX1(('WR¿QLVK\RXUZRUNVWURQJ6RWKHFUHDWLQJDVSHFW
of comics just comes out of love for writing and for the medium for me.

Motivation to self publish, however, is a whole different animal. Originally we

were motivated by the bad contracts we were offered and the somewhat shady
situations that smaller publishers tried to pull us into. Most of them wanted the
majority of our rights, some even wanted us to give them everything and allow
them to kick us off our own books if they wanted, and none of them seemed
WRKDYHPXFKWRRIIHULQUHWXUQ:H¿JXUHGWKDWZHZRXOGVWDUWVPDOODQGVHH
if we could build a following a little at a time. KING!RQO\KDGDSULQWUXQRI
copies and we got some notice from
WKDWVRZH¿JXUHGZHZRXOGSULQW
RIRobot 13 and see where
hard work could get us. We found out
it was a ton of hard work, and now
I think we are motivated by the fact
we put our money and all our hard
work on the line for this. Not having
Diamond to distribute the book was a
big hurdle, but so far we have gained
a bunch of new stores with every
issue we put out, and the feedback
we are getting is that our books are
selling well. That the fans like the
book and retailers are happy does
make it worth it to us. But it’s still a
tremendous amount of work.
ES: Has KING! changed much from
your original discussions through to
WKH¿QDOSULQWHGSURGXFW"
DB: Ok...some background
on KING!:HDFWXDOO\¿UVW
SXEOLVKHGWKHERRNLQZLWKD
SULQWUXQRIRQO\,WZDVDWHUULEO\
rushed job that, despite how beautiful
it, indeed, turned out, I was never
very happy with it. So many things I
wished I had the time to do differently.
Now, 3 years later, we’re reworking
the book at a larger scale...more
pages (completely redrawn save for
a few panels), new designs, more
zombies, and a much better looking
monster. So has it changed much?
Absolutely. But the heart of the story
LVVWLOOWKHUHERWK¿JXUDWLYHO\DQG
literally (take that how you will).
But to answer your question more
in line with the intended context: our
books always change from initial
discussion to the printed product.
There are situations we discuss
for the story that end up not really
working out, so we problem solve.
Other times I just don’t know how to
draw what Tom is conveying so we
talk about alternatives. I can’t draw
cars so the dude walks. Actually, in a
previous book there was a sequence
where two characters are talking
while one of them is driving. I just
couldn’t get it down right so we gave
them a driver that you see in one
panel. Boom. Problem solved. AND
we upped the character’s tax status
which I’m sure he appreciated.
TH: Stories always change
from the idea stage to the point
where you are going to print them
if you want those stories to be any
good. There is a reason why editors
exist and it’s not to make writers and
artists break out in a contagious rash.
It’s because even the best ideas need
work, especially when you have as
many processes involved as you do
with comics. Ideas need to become
scripts, and those scripts need to
be turned into pages of sequentials
which have to be inked, colored and
lettered. Even if one person handles
all the visual stuff, there are tons of
places where, potentially, you will
have to make changes. With the
¿UVWKING! one-shot, we literally had
ZHHNVWRJRIURPLGHDWRSULQWHG
book. When that sold out, we wanted
to re-print it and go on from there, but
looking at it we realized that it could
have been so much better. So now,
we are taking the time to do it right,
and that is giving us the opportunity
to make the subsequent issues that
much better as well.
ES: Do you believe readers are more
open these days to trying new series
outside of typical superhero stuff?
 DB: Not only more open but actually desiring
it. There’s some great stuff in the hero books
right now but sometimes a reader really wants to
know how Jesus would kill zombies. Or how an
isolated town in Alaska would survive a vampire
attack. Wanna know how a corpse controlled by
a worm helps to maintain the balance between
dimensions? Or who would win a war between
zombies, robots, and Amazonian women? Not
gonna get any of that in Spider-Man or Justice
League. The hero books will always be there and,
generally, you know what you’re gonna get with
those. But readers have come to realize that there
DUHVRPHDPD]LQJVWRULHVRXWWKHUHWKDW¿WDQLFKH
all their own and they tell the stories you’ll never get
from the Big Two.

7+/RRNDWHYHU\RQH¶V%HVWRIOLVWVDQG
you will not only see a lot of non-superhero
comics, but you will see a bunch of them very high on the lists.
It’s not that people who read comics hate superheroes all of the
sudden, but it’s that telling good stories is coming back in fashion.
I have always been more of a left-of-center type comic fan, in that
I gravitate toward indie books and the more unusual superhero
stuff anyway. As a person who always favored that stuff, I
DOZD\VNQHZWKDWLWZRXOG¿QGLWVGD\EHFDXVHWKHUHLV62
much going on beyond superheroes and there has been
for years. It just took some of us who like telling those
VWRULHVLQFRPLFVVRPHWLPHWRUH¿QHRXUVWXII5LJKW
now is a great time for comics, because people can
get some really amazing superhero stuff and they can
get stuff like Chew or Scalped or Robot 13 too. It’s
exciting and I hope the trend continues.

ES: Where would you like to be in 5 years?

DB: Watching my kids play with their Robot

DQG.,1*DFWLRQ¿JXUHV

TH: Daniel and I have enough ideas to

keep us going at least that long, so
hopefully they will all see the light of day.
Other than our projects, who knows?
Maybe DC would want us to take a
stab at Detective Comics. Other than
something like that, I hope we have just
done really good work. That’s the most
we can hope for really, to do stuff
that’s good and that people really
like.

www.blackliststudios.com

KING! #1LVRXWQRZDVLVWKH¿QDO
issue of Robot 13, which you can
DOVR¿QGDW

www.robotcomics.net for your

iPhone and other portable
devices.
Released:DVDLVVXHPLQLVHULHVCreated By: Writer Mark Waid and artist Alex
Ross. Published By: DC Comics. The Basics: Kingdom Come is one of the best things
DC has ever made. Inspired somewhat by the Biblical Book of Revelation, the story
focuses on a possible future in the DC Universe in which Superman retired decades
ago due to personal loss and a crisis of faith. Within this vacuum of heroism, his fellow
Justice Leaguers have either given up or are operating on the fringes of society, allowing
a new, harsh breed of super “heroes” to rise up with no care for protecting the innocent.
Bloody, devastating battles occur with familiar characters taking surprising sides, leading
WR DQ DOO RXW ZDU WKDW SHUVRQL¿HV ³HSLF´ )RU QHZ UHDGHUV WKH ZHDOWK RI VXSSOHPHQWDO
PDWHULDOLQWKHRYHUVL]HG$EVROXWHHGLWLRQLVDKXJHERQXVDVHYHU\SDJHLV¿OOHGZLWK
costumed characters that we know and love, or their children or successors. It may be
overwhelming to DC-newbies, but it’s eye meltingly gorgeous and Waid’s characterisations
are pitch perfect. The Spectre guides preacher Norman McCay (based on Ross’ own
father) through this new, shattered world, bringing a greater humanity and much needed
everyman perspective to the disturbing events. Filled with drama, cataclysmic action and
more than a few surprises, this is the way Kingdom Come should be enjoyed, with behind
the scenes info, interviews with the creators, character sketches, annotations and more.
 Coming up in Ex- 95
CIVIL WAR: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE

tra Sequential #2
It began with an explosive battle (literally) in Stamford, Connecticut and ended with the assassination of Captain America,
(don’t worry, he got better) and in between there was a lot of bloodshed and betrayal. This was Civil War, created by
Scottish writer Mark Millar (Wanted, The Ultimates) and Canadian artist Steve McNiven (New Avengers).

In 25 Words Or
Since Stan Lee and co. began populating the Marvel Universe with a treasure trove of superheroes in the early 1960s,
they’d often be seen together battling supervillains. Most of Marvel’s epic tales continued this tradition, including such
highlights as the 12 issue Secret Wars series in the mid-80s. However for the majority of Civil War’s 7 issues in
2006-2007, they were fighting one another. Each issue was long-awaited, and filled with surprises and cliffhangers,
from the return of the deceased “Thor” to Spider-Man unmasking at a news conference (a move which would soon be

Less: Civil War

undone in the controversial Brand New Day storyline) to long-time buddies Captain America and Iron Man using their
ideologies against each other as well as their fists.
Like any event of superheroic proportions, there were a few deaths and lots of fisticuffs, but the frequent action scenes
were simply the icing on the cake. Millar managed to successfully build tension and create curiosity in the readership

NEXT ISSUE...
A-Z Of Charac-
about which characters would be Pro-Registration and which would be Anti. The spine of the plot being the creation of the
Superhero Registration Act was a great foundation on which to build, as every superhero had a tough choice to make, ie,
should they become a legal hero and reveal their secret identity to satisfy the growing distrust of the public, or should
they keep their identity private to protect their loved ones and become an underground vigilante.
McNiven was made to draw epic tales like this and every page conveyed the raw emotion inherent in the tale with superb

ters: Batman
skill. Drawing dozens of superheroes and villains in combat amidst enormous devastation, he created the constant sense
of danger and intensity usually found on HBO. His striking, detailed line work (aided by inker Dexter Vines and colorist
Morry Hollowell) made a few of the issues late, which caused ripples in the dozens of tie-in issues, but when read as a
complete story it fits together perfectly, and created the groundwork for the current dark state of the Marvel Universe.
Civil War’s story was revisited as the backbone of last year’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 next-gen video game, and Millar

Mike Deodato Jr.

and McNiven would reunite on the highly successful Old Man Logan storyline in Wolverine’s ongoing series that depicted
the short Canadian in a future, war ravaged Earth, a world in which the majority of superheroes have been killed. The pair
are also currently working on the new mini-series Nemesis. A part of Marvel’s creator-owned Icon imprint (like Millar’s
Kick-Ass) Nemesis centers on the world’s only supervillain, who possesses Bruce Wayne-like resources and Joker-like
criminal insanity.

and much more.

Civil War will be slightly bewildering to those new to the superhero set, with its multitude of characters and nary a
backstory in sight, but for loyal Marvel fans, or those who want to see the heights that superhero comics can attain in all
their brazen glory, it’s a must have.
THANKS FOR READING!
KRIS & DAVE