Wait a sec…The Image In My Head Won’t Just Magically Appear On The Page? I Would Have Thought Someone Would Have Developed An App For That By Now.

Taking a break from research this week, I am shifting my focus toward the art that will bring my comic to life. Coming into this seminar, I would do the random doodle in my notebook margins, but that was about the extent of my drawing endeavors. My lack of drawing talent meant that I would have to devote some of my time to learning some basic drawing skills.

When I first illustrated my comic for the initial “rough draft” assignment, I did not use any reference photos or seek additional instruction on how to draw my characters. I was happy with how it turned out (given my lack of experience), but understood that it was not quite up to the standard that I would like to have in my final submission. I am not going to go for Alex Ross-like realism in my comic, but I would like my characters to have some form of uniformity in their look throughout the comic. Trying to achieve this consistency would require me to determine what style and format will work best for me, while still being within my range of experience to be able to meet the deadline for completing my work.

My initial drawing research consisted of watching drawing tutorials on YouTube. I also consulted various websites such as MangaTutorials for more instruction on how to draw.  After spending some time sketching, both along with the tutorials and on my own, I have come to the realization that there may not be enough time in this seminar for me to devote to learning a drawing style. With the academic research on my topic (deals/contracts with deities), the other assignments/readings, as well as my work schedule, I need to find a way to create my art in a timely manner that will not require insane art skill. I may have found my solution with the 3D model feature in Manga Studio 5.

While I am limited to the models available, there is enough variability in the poses that allows me to setup my scenes and then take the scenes into Photoshop to do inking and (possibly coloring if time allows). My first experiment with this technique involved one of my full page scenes.

First, I used my initial sketch from the rough draft of the comic. My art skills are on full display here:

Yeah…it was a rough skecth…

I then used Manga Studio to setup the models in their proper positions and put that image into Photoshop.

Wel…it’s a start.

After reducing the opacity of the image, I created a new layer and proceeded to trace the image with my Wacom tablet.

The result of this experiment yielded something that is a little more of what I had in mind for my comic. Though it is far from being a final draft of my page, it showed me that this method is a viable option for me when it comes to my artwork.

With a little work, I think this process just might work!

With my story nearing a final round of edits, I can begin to really dive into my artwork and complete this seminar with a book that I can truly be proud of. I do not look forward to the chaos of the second half of this semester, but with proper planning, I can ease the stress by getting many of the more involved frames out of the way first. I have already planned on getting little to no sleep during the final week of the seminar as that time will be spent cleaning up all of the pages and getting them ready to be published as well as doing final edits on my research paper. Stay tuned for more news on the successful journey towards completion (or cataclysmic downfall) of this project!

Wish me luck.

Deal or No Deal : Lucifer edition

The comic I am producing for this seminar addresses the topic of dealing with the devil. With this topic comes a wide variety of research, from a wide variety of sources (with some being more reputable than others). It is not my desire to prove the validity of such deals, nor do I look to expose all records of such deals as false. What I want to research is how deals with the devil, and other deities are perceived and received by the cultures in which they come from.

To start my research, I wanted to look at a few cases of people who had reportedly done deals with the devil himself. There are quite a few historical figures throughout history that have supposedly made deals with the devil, Johann Georg Faust, and Niccolò Paganini being two of them. As a guitar player, I was more than familiar with the story of Robert Johnson, but wanted to refresh my memory on the details of his story. Johnson, a legendary blues musician, was said to have met the devil at crossroads to acquire his talents.

Robert Johnson

The story of Robert Johnson has been told and retold a great number of times in various formats. There was even an episode of the CW’s hit television show Supernatural, entitled Crossroad Blues, that began with a dramatic representation of Johnson’s final moments.  The details  of Johnson’s deal (and death) vary greatly depending on the sources that one uses.

One story states that in the 1930’s Robert Johnson traveled to a Mississippi cross roads at midnight to make the deal with the devil. He offered his eternal soul for the ability to masterfully play the guitar.  According to those who were immersed in the delta music scene, Johnson’s new talents appeared to happen overnight. Son House, who grew up idolizing Johnson and would later become one of the most highly regarded blues guitarists of all time seemingly agreed with the legend.  House, using the speed at which Johnson became great as proof, said that Johnson did sell his soul for his gifts.

Looking further into the culture of the African American communities in the south during the early part of the 1900’s exposes an interesting correlation between the Robert Johnson story and a commonly held Hoodoo belief of deals at crossroads. In both Hoodoo and Voodoo, the Loa/God Legba is often called to crossroads to make deals. It would not be that far-fetched to conclude that Legba could have been replaced by the Devil when the story was passed through Christian ears. The Hoodoo beliefs and stories were a part of the culture of the African population in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States during the late 19^th/early 20^th  century and the story of Johnson selling his souls would most likely have been seen as a plausible scenario.

The exact location of the crossroads where Robert Johnson made his pact with the devil is an often argued mystery. While his song lyrics often contained mention of his association with the devil (as in Cross Road Blues and Me and the Devil Blues), Johnson never spoke of the precise location of the deal. He also made mention of being on borrowed time (Hellhound on my Trail). Johnson’s life ended abruptly and the age of 27. While the cause of death ranges from poisoned whiskey to a severe case of syphilis, there is no official record.  Whatever the cause, legend states that Johnson’s death was a violent array of howling and convulsions, making the idea that the devil had come to collect even more tempting.

A clever take on the “deal with a devil” motif can be found in Mark Millar’s Superior. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!! In this story, a boy with multiple sclerosis is transformed into his favorite superhero by a mysterious creature (in this case a monkey in a space suit) in exchange for his soul. Without giving too much away, there is a loophole that the monkey did not plan on and he needs to pay the price for his oversight.

Deals with the devil (and other deities) are found throughout various cultures and time periods. The locations and specifics of the deals change based on which culture you are studying, but the consequences usually entail the loss of one’s soul or something that the person values greatly. I still have a good deal of research ahead of me, but I am confident that I will be able to incorporate a sizable portion of my research into my comic to give a new take on a age old story.

How Comics Are Destroying Children…or not.

Another week, another blog. This week we were asked to read an article and relate it to one of the comics we read during the previous week. While looking through the list of articles, a few stood out to me, some in more positive ways than others. The one that I ended up wanting to write this blog about was Fredrik Wertham’s piece entitled The Superman Conceit.

Fredric Wertham being “shocked” by the contents of Shock comics.

The version of The Superman Conceit that I read was from the compilation book The Superhero Reader, but it was originally included in Wertham’s book The Seduction of the Innocent (1954). In his book, Wertham argues that comic books contributed to negative behaviors in youth and should be considered a negative form of popular literature. At the time it was written, it received a great deal of praise and led to widespread banning and burning of comic books in American cities. It has also been said that The Seduction of the Innocent was a driving factor in the establishment of the Comics Code Authority, which was an alternative to government regulation that allowed the comic publishers to self-regulate their comics.

With the foundation of the Comics Code Autority, comics worked to portray clear lines of good and evil. There was very little “grey area” in regards to who was a hero and who was a villain. His attacks on “crime comics” (which included superhero and horror genres as well as the “gangster” titles) were aimed to show the violence and depravity in the pages, and how they were affecting the youth of the time. Wertham even attacked the most beloved superhero, Superman.

It is hard to believe that a character that is known for his “boy-scout” persona could be seen as a negative influence on children. However, Wertham saw Superman as someone who “undermined the authority and dignity of the ordinary man and woman in the eyes of children”. While someone could most likely pick certain panels from certain issues to support any claim against comics, Superman was a model of “the American Way”.  After the release of The Seduction of the Innocent, DC Comics pushed back and solidified Superman’s “boy scout” image. This image would follow his character into present day comics.

In Mark Waid’s Kingdom Come, the reader is shown a world that could have been torn out of Wertham’s description of comics. The new “metahumans” have replaced the older superheroes and, after cleaning up the streets, turn on each other and cause havoc for the humans. The new “heroes” are quick to judge and do not hesitate to use violent action, even if that action means killing. Superman is not happy with the current state of the world, and believes that the world does not want a superhero like him (i.e. one that will not kill). After a battle that leaves the entire state of Kansas destroyed, Superman returns to the city to stop the metahumans from doing any more damage to the world.

While Kingdom Come is a modern comic, Superman maintains his “boyscout” image. He would like to avoid using excessive force, even when pushed by his fellow superheroes to do otherwise. Even in the alternative universe of Superman: Red Son, Superman has a desire to do what is “right”, even when pressured by others to go against his morals.

Modern comics certainly have their fair share of violent “heroes”. But there are also strong role models for the youth of today. Though it has been cancelled as of this writing, Charles Soule’s run of She-Hulk­  portrays a strong, independent female hero that is equally adept at using her mind, as well as her strength. The portrayal of superheroes throughout history varies greatly and is heavily reliant on the writers and intended audiences. I cannot say that what Wertham wrote was entirely incorrect about some of the comics that were being released (or are still being released), but I can say that his claims that “comics”, as a whole, are a negative influence on children is easily proven as false.

To cast a broad assumption that all comic books contain excessive amounts of violence and portray crime in a glorifying manner is not right. Though his work rallied a great deal of parents to protest and ban certain comics, Fredrik Wertham’s The Seduction of the Innocent made claims that were found to be extreme and, in some cases, false. Whether his data was valid or not, did not detract from the influence that his work had on the world of comics. There was a heavy push to “clean up” comics and the establishment of “comics code” that stayed around until 2011.  We can see in modern comics like She Hulk and Kingdom Come, that there are role models for young children to look up to within the pages of comic books. There are so many genres and styles of comics that there will most likely be something that is offensive. It is up to the reader to decide whether or not they feel that the comics speak to them, and whether they choose to read them or not.

Charles Soule’s She-Hulk: A lawyer writes a storyline where the main character is a green lawyer….and it is good.

One of the required readings for the seminar was She-Hulk: Law and Disorder by Charles Soule. This trade paperback collects the first six issues of Soule’s now canceled run of She-Hulk. Having never read any stories involving She-Hulk (her first appearance in a comic was 1980), it was nice that the book started out with a brief summary of who the character was and how she acquired her abilities. I appreciated the fact that I did not need to have knowledge of the history of the She-Hulk character as Soule did a good job introducing the reader into the world.

Jen Walters had received a blood transfusion after sustaining a serious injury. The donor of the blood was her cousin, Bruce Banner (Yes. That Bruce Banner.). Banner’s gamma-irradiated blood leads to Jen receiving a similar green “Mr. Hyde”. The big difference between Bruce and Jen, is Jen’s ability to control herself while in her Hulk form. Another difference is Jen’s skin color while in her human form is green, though I believe she is able to control that as well, she is just comfortable with the green. However, she does suffer from the same misfortune as Bruce of ripping whatever clothes she happens to be wearing when she transforms.

Law and Disorder contains stories that see Jen setting up her own law practice and being involved with legal disputes with Tony Stark (over a patent case), Doctor Doom (over the immigration of his son), as well as a mysterious case (contained in a blue folder) she and other superheroes were  involved in, but have no memory of.  To help her with her law practice, Jen hires a quirky paralegal by the name of Angie Huang. Huang, ever accompanied by her monkey Hei Hei, is a curious character who appears to be more than just talented paralegal when she goes to investigate the “blue folder”. It is apparent that future issues will contain plenty of Angie and Hei Hei.

The inclusion of Matt Murdock(Daredevil) was a nice surprise in Law and Disorder. It makes sense that, as he is also a lawyer/superhero, that he could be a person who Jen can consult with. Through reading a synopsis of what Soule covered in the entire run, I know that the story leads to a courtroom showdown between Murdock and Walters with Captain America on trial.

Soule does a masterful job of showing the delicate balancing act that Jen must perform between her superhero life and her professional career. From the very beginning, this series makes it a point to show on the professional side of She-Hulk. While she is seen and referenced to doing “super hero things” (as a member of the Avengers and fighting alongside the Fantastic Four), there is more of her work as a lawyer being highlighted. Some readers may be put off by this focus; I see it as a refreshing change from the action-first mindset of many current titles. The fact that the story keeps the reader engaged, while remaining somewhat dry is a testament to Soule’s ability as a writer. Soule’s personal history in the legal field most likely played a role in the direction that he took with the story, and it is his experience as a lawyer that brings realism to the characters. Soule also does a good job of not making the dialogue too dry, as “legal-ese” can often be.

Charles Soule

Soule’s own law office website hints at where his inspiration for the She-Hulk storylines may have come from. Out of the three areas of law that Soule’s firm focuses on; immigration, corporate, and entertainment law, two of them (immigration and corporate) are featured within Law and Disorder. The scenes that take place in the courtroom show Soule’s knowledge of the type of dialogue that occurs during legal proceedings that is often lacking when legal issues are tackled by less informed writers.

Despite numerous cries to keep it running (i.e. Here and Here), She-Hulk has been cancelled by Marvel, with the final issue (Issue #12) having been released in January 2015. Soule has stated that the door for new She-Hulk adventures has not closed, but as of now, I have not seen any concrete plan to release new stories. I look forward to the release of the trade paperback in April 2015, which will collect the final six issues (7-12) to see how this story plays out….and to find out what is up with Angie and Hei Hei.

And so it begins…

Going into the Representing Religion in Comics  seminar, I was not quite sure what to expect. I knew the overall goal would be to produce a comic book that dealt with issues of a religious nature and that our reading list would consist mainly of graphic novels and comics…but that was about it. When we were told on the very first day that we had a week to produce a twenty-two page comic, I was not the only one who was a bit freaked out by the task. Though the assignment was intense, I understand why we were told to do it and I believe that it was helpful in identifying my strengths and weaknesses in regards to creating a comic. The process of writing, illustrating, and inking a comic book seems straightforward…until you try it. The creation of the initial comic has taught me a great deal about what I must do to ensure that I complete my final comic on time.

For me, coming up with a story idea was not too difficult. Adding detail, refining, and condensing the story into something that could be conveyed through a twenty-two page comic was the hardest part of my writing process. Even after the completion of the assignment, I was still not happy with certain aspects of the story but those can be addressed as I move forward in the seminar.

One thing I have to do going forward is trying to refine my story so I can include all of the pieces that I want, while not making it into a fifty-plus page comic. Along with polishing up the storyline, I want to develop the dialogue between the characters so that it is concise yet not overly-simple.Also, properly scripting out my story will be benficial when it comes time to illustrate the comic. One site that I have found that is helping me get a grasp on scripting is The Comic Book Script Archive. With a variety of professional scripts available to review, I am able to find a format that I can use that will be easy to follow, as well as contain the important art-related information that will make illustrating my panels a bit more straight-forward.

The illustration process was the most time consuming part of the comic creation process. Part of this time was spent trying to figure out how many panels I wanted and what each panel would contain. If I had a properly written script this process would have not been as tedious. I have little to no experience in drawing apart from the doodles I make in my notebook margins while sitting through a lecture. This lack of skill became painfully clear as I began bringing my creation to life on the page. Instead of the Caravagio-esque images (thank you Art History for that reference) I had in my mind, it took the form of a collage of grade school art that could have once proudly graced a family refrigerator. The one week time crunch played into the gradual degradation of my art from the first to last page. I had not expected my pages to take so long to draw. Going forward, I need to consider the amount/quality of artwork that I can feasibly produce in the remaining time of the seminar.  Sites such as http://www.toadhollowstudio.com/ and http://www.drawspace.com/ , as well as numerous YouTube videos will provide me with some much needed help/tutorials in the drawing department.

One of the “first draft” pages I drew for my comic.

I plan to ink my comic digitally (you can see my rough inking in the picture above) . I am slowly getting used to using an electronic drawing pad. I feel that doing the inking process digitally will be a benefit to me, as I will not need to go through large amounts of paper copying my art or risk destroying the work that I had done if I chose to ink over my pencil. I used Photoshop CS5 for inking my first draft and plan on using that  for my final project. Unlike the path of decreasing quality that my artwork took, my inking was, in my opinion, improving as I finished my comic (or at least it was getting quicker). I need to work on using different brushes and line sizes to enhance my original art and prepare it for possibly coloring the comic.  As of now, I most likely will not color my comic, but I may put in the extra time if I feel it will enhance my comic in some way.

Another thing that I discovered during the first draft of my comic pertained to transferring the images to the digital format for inking and coloring. I had used my all-in-one printer to scan my original pencil art into my computer. Granted, my pencil drawings were on the light side and pretty messy. This lack of definition and clarity led to some poor quality in the art and some discoloration  due to the lower quality setting that I used while scanning them quickly. I am going to experiment with settings to see if my scanner is capable of getting the results I want and to clean up my pencil sketches before the scanning process.

Though the comic assignment for the first week of the seminar was intense, I am grateful that I had to do it. It highlighted many of my weaknesses and got me thinking about ways that I can improve them in the time that we have left in the seminar. I believe that my focus going forward will be to refine my art style and create characters that can be easily replicated throughout the comic. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but the twenty-two page comic assignment has done a good job of preparing me for setting a plan of action for completing my comic on time.