The People’s Publisher

Hey all. News from the Gustav Hayes bar, Hole in the Wall, is that the great Daniel Bradford has completed all the pencils and inks for the book and wonderful Cristian Valdes is working hard to get the rest of the pages colored for next week. The too cool for words, Chris Studabaker, is taking numbers for what book gets lettered this week but hopefully Gustav Hayes will be lettered very soon.

No interview with Cristian for this week. My bad but I want to get rolling on the remainder of the coloring first then we will try for next week.

Well, I have finally set Diego free now that the art is all finished.  Chris is lettering the pages, and it should be finished sometime next week. The book looks great, and I am really happy with what we accomplished.

 I am now working with Greg on “Age of Heroes”.  We are choosing an artist, and we should have some art to show you by next week.  Right now we are just going over the script and thumbnailing it out.

 Until next week,

 j

Hey all. Yes this weeks Between The Staples Best Bang is very late as I took the weekend off and went to enjoy family and a wedding. So the best books for this week are the likes of The Umbrella Academy #6, Angel #4 and The Mighty Avengers #9. Due to the blah of this weeks Red Hulk, I thought its head (in a top hat no less!) would make for good rankings, as always from top to bottom.

The Umbrella Academy #6 (Dark Horse) This series started with a bang and ends with one. Best series of 2007/2008 bar none!

Angel #4 (IDW) One name. Groosalugg. Nuff said. Only downside was seeing Lorne again as it does not fit with the ending of Season 5 in which the character walked out on a high.

The Mighty Avengers #9 (Marvel) Okay I loved the first few pages which has Doom and Morgan LeFay sleeping together and trading spells. That made the book for me, the rest was so-so. Loved the last panel as well!

The Un-Men #7 (DC/Vertigo) Nice start of the next storyline for this book and characters. I think ths book is really finding its groove and I look forward to many more issues!

Batman & The Outsiders #4 (DC) I am really liking this series now. I enjoy the way the characters interact with one another. Chuck Dixon rarely lets me down.

Justice League of America #18 (DC) I hated the short main story and back-up story format. Hate it. Did not mind the issue but it did not really move forward well enough which is too bad.

Terror Inc #5 of 5 (Marvel Max) I really enjoyed this messed up horrific book with a nice anti-hero in Terror and a great few last panels.

The Boys Volume Two: Get Some - TPB (Dynamite) Collects issues 7 - 14. If it gets you off then its a good thing.

Wildstorm: Revelation #3 of 6 (DC/Wildstorm) Nemesis and the girls outwit more of the Wildstorm Universe until Grifter and Zealot show up. Nice little bit with the original Blacklash. The story decent and the art was okay but I am not fond of the parts of unfinished work bleeding out of the panels, it made the book look unprofessional and unfinished.

The Loners: Secret Lives of Super Heroes - TPB (Marvel) I was expecting more of a Runaways feel but it came out and stood on its own which was enjoyable to read. Decent.

Checkmate #23 (DC) Mix in Superman with Checkmate and Kobra and you got a good book. It is too bad that Rucka is leaving the title which gave the entire issue a strange taste. I don’t want to enjoy the book too much since I know he is leaving soon.

Red Hulk #2 (Marvel) Seriously is anyone reading this book? Its all over the map and Red Hulk goes from Godzilla/King King size to regular Hulk size and its like WTF?

The Ultimates #3 (Marvel) Wolvie leads The Avengers… I mean…. the Ultimates after Magneto and Pietro in the Savage Land. *yawn*

Countdown #10 (DC) Granny Goodiness is gone, the old Gods are back and some how the Piper is still alive. Seriously anyone reading this series?

Time flies, huh? We are already into Week 3 of Jubilant Jason Cook’s Blake Undying and let me tell you, Konsistent Kuba Kujawa is incredible. He is averaging just over a page of pencils a day. Well, they’re not really pencils, but well-defined colour layouts. Check out the Blake Undying Week 2 post for a more in-depth analysis of Kuba’s creation of Page X. He is laying out the whole book chronologically now (which according to the Comic Creation Nation process is the pencils stage), then he’ll go back and do a second pass all the while referring to the revisions Jason has asked me to pass on to Kuba (which will be considered inks). I’ll post some images next week, once we have a couple of versions to compare.

Now for something completely different…

Who is arguably the greatest cartoon character ever? Bugs Bunny, natch. And it was 70 years ago today that Winnipeger “Cartoon” Charlie Thorson drew a rabbit and gave him the name Bugs Bunny.

Like all cartoon characters (and humans too) Bugs took a few years of development, change… fermentation if you will, before he grew into his skin. He continued to ferment, and then the rot set in. Space Jam! Loonatics!

Not just a bunny, but one who bugs. He bugs because he is being bugged. He is a counter-revolutionary surrounded by revolutionaries (nuisances such as Elmer Fudd), reactionaries (over-reactors like Daffy Duck) and, to a lesser extent, goofballs (to wit the half-wit Elvis Buzzard). Bugs Bunny is a septuagenarian now, and in those years he has developed and grown up along with three generations of human beings.

Cartoonist Robert Crumb credits Bugs Bunny as being a major influence on him in this interview from 1991:

“Yeah, I was sexually attracted to certain cartoon characters when I was like five, six years old. Bugs Bunny was one of them, yeah. I had this picture… of Bugs Bunny which I carried around in my pocket for a long time.”

I stopped by the Cartoon Characters Retirement Village in Beverly Hills where Bugs was gracious enough to grant me the following intimate interview.

Julian: Well Mr. Bunny, let me start off by saying what an honour it is to meet you.

Bugs Bunny: Thanks, sonny. Please, call me Bugs, alright?

J: Alright Bugs. Uh, here’s my first question to you then: “Eh, what’s up, Doc?” (laughs).

BB: Oh brudder! As if I haven’t been asked THAT one a million times a day! Look doc, I don’t have much time here so get on with the real questions!

J: Uh, sure thing Bugs. Well then, um, let’s start at the beginning. Where were you born?

BB: I was born right here in Beverly Hills. Now the cartoons I starred in will have you believe I had a Papa Bunny and a Mama Bunny when I was a little Baby Bugsy Bunny…

J: Like in the cartoon Bob Clampett directed you in called The Old Grey Hare?

BB: Exactly! But I have no Mama or Papa, well no Mama really, but I do have almost a dozen fathers!

J: What do you mean?

BB: Well, the first guy to draw me and give me my name was a fellow Canuck of yours named Charles Thorson. That was in 1938, 70 years ago to the day.

J: Ah yes, I often visit Cartoon Charlie’s grave over in the old section of Mountainview Cemetery in East Vancouver.

BB: Charlie’s more like me granpaw to me though. A slew of other directors, character designers and animators like Freleng, Clampett, Jones, McKimson shaped me into what I am today: a washed-up old has-been.

J: Well, it is a fact that your output of work progressively diminished over the years, but you have consistently been in the public eye, entertaining audiences for three generations now.

BB: Look doc… if you think I had anything to do with any so-called projects featuring Bugs Bunny over the last 15 years, then you are mistaken.

J: You mean you had nothing to do with films like Space Jam and Looney Tunes: Back in Action or television properties such as Loonatics?

BB: I saw Space Jam and let me tell you bub, the guy they got doin’ me in that film looks, sounds and acts NUTHIN’ like me! And Loonatics ain’t even pretending to be me! Some new kid the Warner executives found named Buzz Bunny. The stories take place hundreds of years in the future, so I’m already dead in that universe. Any new so-called Bugs Bunny vehicles are bein’ fronted by imposters. They got an army of look-alikes for all us old Looney Tune folks.

J: Gee Bugs… I just figured with make-up, cosmetic surgery and CGI they could take years off your appearances.

BB: CGI? What the hell’s that?

J: Uh, Computer Generated Imagery…

BB: Look around you pal… no amount of smoke ‘n’ mirrors is gonna bring these characters back to life. Lookit ol’ Elmer there in the corner, all palsied and misshapen, lying in bed and dribbling pureed carrots. Daffy is so crazy now he can’t even have visitors or be allowed to mingle with the rest of us. The real Taz died in an Australian brushfire along with Hippity Hopper and his life-partner Sylvester Junior about ten years ago. And we all know what happened to the poor old Roadrunner. In fact, Wile E. is still managing his successful chain of Arizona Fried Road Runner drive-in restaurants and Coyote Ugly bars. I could go on, but I’ll just say none of us originals have done a film in over twenty years.

J: Interesting. Uh, well let’s just change the subject and talk briefly about another aspect of your celebrity, and that is your counter-revolutionary politics.

BB: Yeah, a lot of that is due to the father I feel closest to: Charles M. Jones.

J: Indeed, as Putterman once said: “ Jones redefined our understanding of Bugs and Daffy… where Bugs’s self-knowing stasis constantly defeats Daffy’s frenetic overreaching”. I also have a quote here from Chuck Jones where he states:

“Bugs was a counter-revolutionary, not a revolutionary at all. He didn’t go out to bug people, people bugged him and then he fought back. And I think that counter-revolutionaries are a damned sight more intriguing than revolutionaries.”

BB: You know, I just wanted to be left alone. I was always mindin’ me own business, lying in bed eatin’ carrots or singin’ an old song. But without fail there was always some nuisance or over-reactor distoibing my peace. I’d use a whole bunch of tactics to outsmart all dem dime-store dumdums, including puttin’ on a dress and make-up and goin’ counter to me own gender. Worked every time ‘cept that one instance with Elvis Buzzard in Robert McKimson’s Backwoods Bunny.

J: You put up brave physical, emotional and psychological battles with your so-called enemies for many years. When did the strain of fighting back all the time begin taking its toll on you?

BB: Near the end of Rabbit Rampage produced in 1955. I’m pleading with Elmer in frustration: “Why can’t we be friends? Maybe we can both benefit… do something revolutionary”. That was when I first started to think about retiring, which I finally did in 1979 after the release of The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie. I did make a brief appearance in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit and that was my last public appearance.

J: Well Bugs, I understand visiting hours are coming to an end so I’ll end our discussion now by asking you if you have any words of advice for the millions of fans you have out there?

BB: Yeah, don’t obey the rules but do it gracefully.

J: Goodbye Bugs.

BB: Bye kiddo. I’d walk you to the door but my mobility is somewhat limited since losin’ me lucky right foot to Yosemite Sam while shooting my last unreleased film.

J: That’s all folks!

BB: Oh brudder!

Toodles!

Julian

Hiya all,

Sorry for missing our blog time for Gustav Hayes yesterday. Things have been so busy with the book that I got caught up in it’s development. As you can see, the coloring and toning of the book has begun. The toning/coloring on the book is to give it the old school 1950’s-1960’s comic book feel of the Benday Dots printing process. The idea is to make Gustav Hayes have a different, unique look and feel to accompany the fun of the book itself!

Bradford is feverishly working on the inks and almost the entire book is done, a handful of pages remaining. Once we get half the book colored and approved then it will move onto lettering in the final stretch of Gustav Hayes.

I am hoping to have an interview with Cristian, our colorist, for next week plus more lovely artwork to tease you all with.

We are just wrapping up the last little bit of colors and inks on the Bros. McElroy. I know you guys are going to love this book! The art should be wrapped up this weekend, with the lettering following shortly. Once again I have a few more pages to show you.

In other news, I also have the priviledge of working with Gregory Robinson to bring Age of Heroes to life. I am really excited out this project, and I will be working with another group of fabulous artists.

Stay Tuned!

j

Welcome to another week of Between the Staples Best Bang for your Comic Buck. This week Simon Dark #5, Fantastic Four #554, Suburban Glamour #3 take the top honors while Countdown looks slightly less worse than X-Farce out this week.

To quote Grandpa Simpson’s, “A little from column A and a little from column B“, I got books from Hourglass Comics and Elfsar this week. Given that X-Farce came out this week, lets have those beady little red eyed, black costumed team be our voting stars for the books. As always, from top to bottom:

Simon Dark #5 (DC) This book has enough creep, wonderful artwork, great colouring that keeps me reading week to week. The story of Simon Dark grows more background in each issue with a lovely style of back story, flashbacks and current horrific theme. Thank you to all who make this great comic come out. This is how you do smart costume vigilant comics!

Fantastic Four #554 (Marvel) Okay. I will eat the crow. When I first mentioned about Mark Millar on FF when it was first announced, I thought for sure I was going to be berating this book from start to finish but I cannot. This was a good back to basics for the Fantastic Four. The entire team getting to their roots. Reed being drawn into some great world ending catastrophe, Johnny doing another crazy thing with his life, Sue trying to reach out and be the mother to the world and Ben just off having a good time between saving the world as a family. Now can Mark Miller keep this up? That I question and wonder but I am onboard the FatasiCar for now!

Suburban Glamour #3 (Image) I never got this issue when it first came out but wow this is a great book. The artwork, the story, the dialog, the colouring - all of it comes together to give you a lovely, graphic tale of Fae, magicks and life. Great use of the lettering as well. Overall wonderful comic and look forward to the finale and the trade when it comes out!

Gotham Underground #5 0f 9 (DC) The panel layout of this book made this one of the best books out this week! Top that off with a nice story moving along with all the criminal underground of Gotham mixing, fighting, planning and strutting. Great book!

Green Arrow & Black Canary #5 (DC) I enjoy this series. I know that its Judd Winick writing but man I really do like the current storyline, the characters and the situation they are put in. The wedding was great (Superman watching the front door and Batman watching the back), the flashbacks and the big climax keeps me entertained which is exactly what a comic book should do. Kudos!

Wolverine #62 (Marvel) Jason Aaron hits this book running with the “Divided We Stand” X-Men shakedown. The book has a nice mix of action and flashbacks. Wolverine is a one trick pony which works when its good and lame when it doesn’t. This worked and I look forward to see how the story Jason Aaron is writing will come together.

Salvation Run #4 of 7 (DC) William S mentioned a while ago on BtS that he thought many of the DC books are boring these days but Salvation Run is not one of them for me. I enjoyed all the little bits here and there through-out the issue. Even when Matthew Sturges has stepped in for Bill Willigham to finish the series. Gorilla Grodd and Vandal Savage are two characters I just love and enjoyed what is happening with them in the series.

Nova Annual #1 (Marvel) First off, the Title on this issue was far too long with just a little star in the corner to tell me that it was an annual. A big loss, I thought but inside it was a nice build up for the series. A good backstory plus nice “alternate” Nova future story into the mix. I am enjoying this series quite a bit!

Ghost Rider #20 (Marvel) Another Jason Aaron debut title and the artwork and story was hard for me to get involved in. At times both had peaks and valleys which worked and did not work. It is interesting if they can make Ghost Rider a horror comic for Marvel.

The New Avengers #38 (Marvel) I rant about how much I hate the emo in the X-Books but somehow they decided to creep that into this weeks issue of NA and it got tiresome. Either the Luke Cage / Jessica Cage split is true and Jessica has some distorted idea that the Avengers Tower is the safest place in the world for her baby OR it’s a work. The work being that either Luke and Jessica talked and are doing this just so Jessica can get in deep with Tony and his crew. Iron Fist coming through for the teams new digs was alright but too many pages too late. The issue just dragged on but I think it was suppose to, I just wonder if it worked. Enough with the emo - on with the story. I do want soap opera crap on NA? No, I want good fun! Plus somehow explain to me how this was a Secret Invasion tie-in/lead up means either Luke or Jessica are Skrulls else it wasn’t and the Marvel Marketing Machine was over-hyping yet another book.

Tiny Titans #1 (DC) Cute. That is the only great way to describe this book with a zillion short stories is cute. Sadly nothing more but cute. Cute sells issue #1 but is it enough to sell more? Maybe only to young kids and some select other fans. Maybe.

Green Lantern Corps #21 (DC) Not a bad issue but I am not a fan of Boodikka character so this entire issue was a bit of a quick read for me but it was not a bad issue at all. Decent art, good pacing, and decent dialog. Look forward to more with Kyle and Guy so I can handle some “filler” issues until then.

X-Factor #28 (Marvel) More fallout of the “Divided Marvel Falls“… I mean “Divided Mutants Sell More“… sorry, the “Divided Marvel makes more money” x-storylines. Rahne skips out on the team, Theresa is pregnant with Jamies baby, Rictor is lame, Strong guy is filler and just what is Peter David trying to say about Layla? First he insiuitates that she and Jamie will be hooking up and now there is a Laylay look-alike teen hooker on the streets of mutant town. Hmm… honestly the book really didn’t do much for me and reminded me of why I stopped picking it up.

X-Farce Uno (Marvel) Man is it ever cool that X-Men kill people. I love when Wolvie rips bad guys open with his claws. Its what he does and what he does is COOL! Weapon girl twenty-three is hot and can kill as well plus she has claws popping out everywhere! Black Ops are cool. Wolvesbane is hot, she so needs to be killing people though! The knife wielding Native Indian mutant guy is kewl, he’s like a big Wolverine. Oh did I mention that Wolverine is leading them. So Cool! Oh and these bad guys broke into S.H.E.I.L.D. and stole something to make Bastion(?) come back to life from parts of Nimrod(?). Oh yeah the team has Black Costumes with red glowing eyes. Triple X Cool!

Countdown #11 (DC) Seriously. Is anyone paying any attention to this book? SO much happening that I believe no one cares about. Blah.

Hey there everyone out there in Internetland. How are yeh? I’m swell! And let me tell you, Jazzy Jason Cook’s Blake Undying is bananas! The script is hee-lariously dark, and Krazy Kuba Kujawa is kreating some of the sweetest, sickest art in Komics today!

Here, I’ll show you.

As you know from all the editors’ previous blogs, we here at Zeros2Heroes are creating comics following an original, creative, tried and true process developed by a passionate bunch of comics-lovin’ inkstuds here in the ‘Couve, Canada. So you know what I mean when I say that Page X was a breeze.

Sure, it took a number of iterations, but Page X is the money shot (actually Blake Undying has several money shots, this one just happened to truly represent the spirit of the book as a whole). Anyhoo, Jason and I we’re immediately on the same page when it came to choosing Page X. One of his first messages to me on the Dashboard was on Page 16 where he wrote: “Early contender for Page X”. He had one other page picked out, but I had already edited it with its facing partner into a two-page spread to make yer eyeballs ejacu-bobulate (like the Mask, another Zero to Hero). Gold!

So here is the page as thumbnailed by yours truly based on Jason’s description:

Kuba got the script and the Vision Document and created this rough based on the script and thumbnail:

Now Kuba doesn’t pencil. He just goes right into roughs that are blobs of colour. The page looked good, but Jason has a very vivid vision and requested the following revisions:

Subtle, but effective. As an editor I work with the creator/writer/client to translate their concepts into graphic narratives.

A few more revisions follwed, and the ta-dah! Nailed!

Once Jason approved the page I sent a message to Charismatic Chris Studebaker (who, by the way, is lettering the new ReBoot comic I edit) and let him know Blake Undying’s Page X is ready for his magic:

I tell yeh, this comic’s got the goods. And the bads!

Julian

Pencil ‘em up, Ink ‘em up,
Color ‘em up, Letter ‘em out,
Edit ‘em on, blog ‘em out Gustav!

As the rip on the Rawhide song goes, Gustav Hayes is rollin’ right along. Later today will will have half the inks done plus the coloring has started. It’s a busy busy time on the book these days and I need to get back to it so here is a great bio and interview with Gustav Hayes artist Daniel Bradford…

I live in the deserts of Arizona with the lizards, tumble weeds, cow skulls, my wife, and three daughters (whom I generally count among the lizards). I’m interested in pretty much all aspects of the comic book industry and am trying get familiar with it all. I’ve done work on numerous as an illustrator, colorist, lettererererer, and logo designer. I’ve yet to actually write a book because I suck.

I don’t like avocados. They’re slimy.

1. How did Zeros 2 Heroes get in touch with yourself?

Just sent me an email asking if I’d be interested. Pretty simple.

2. Your artwork is wonderful and shows off a great deal of influences from the likes of Mike Mignola, Steve Niles and others. Who are your influences?

Mignola is an obvious big one. Stephen Gammell, however, is an even larger influence for me. Most people that I’ve talked to have no clue who he is by name, but when I mention the children’s book series “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” their eyes bug out and they something to the effect of “Oh snap! That guy’s art scared the crap out of me when I was a kid!” I seriously get lost in his art…you can just feel the moisture and smell the rot in his work. Give the man a pencil and he’ll draw the creepiest crap.

Jae Lee is another huge influence for me. I really can’t think of another artist who can create such beautiful atmosphere and mood quite like Lee.

I have an arsenal of artists that really motivate me to draw, but when it comes to influences it really just boils down to those three. I’m sure there’s others, but none that have made such an impact on me as a studying artist. If I’m stuck, or I’m backed into a corner artistically I just look at my WWGD, WWMD, or WWLD wrist bands and go from there.

3. After working on Gustav Hayes, a beta book that is about a post-apocalyptic future with a reluctant hero, who is your favorite comic book hero?

Batman.

4. Gustav Hayes based in an eighties post apocalyptic world. What was your favorite eighties fad?

Pete Burns.
…wait, eighties FAD!? Sorry…read that wrong. I would have to say the heavy use of neon colored shapes and squiggly lines in 80’s design. And the fashion. The punk look was so brilliant then. Now it’s rubbish and smelly, but back then it was totally rad to the max.

5. Your favorite comic book(s) on the stands these days?

Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse.

6. You go by Daniel so Daniel Rand (Iron Fist) or Dan Garret (original Blue Bettle)?

Daniel Ketch.

7. You’re an artist, who is your favorite comic book artist?

I LOVE Chris Bachalo’s art. Ever since Death: The High Cost of Living I’ve adored his style. The man has a knack for combining cartoony art with emaculate detail…very groovy.

8. What tip(s) would you give an artist trying to break into the comic industry?

Take your time, find your artistic heros, and drown yourself with their work. Take criticism from your elders VERY seriously. They’ve succeeded in what you haven’t yet.

9. Who is an upcoming creator in the industry that you follow or support?

Ben Templesmith. He makes me laugh.

10. Being that Gustav Hayes himself is a singer, what music do you listen to while working on Gustav Hayes?

Well…normally I listen to talk radio while I work. But when it comes to music, I usually listen to alot of Tool or Nine Inch Nails. Something that gets my mind off what I’m working on. I seem to focus better when I’m distracted.

Great to get more insight on Daniel Bradford. Next week, more on the progress of the book, lettered Page X and hopefully an interview with Cristian Valdes! Same Gustav channel er blog, same Gustav time!