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Tuesday 26 March 2024
Thursday 21 March 2024
The Cougar Meets Mayfly
I opened a box and found another piece of 1980s artwork. I am sure another page may be in a box somewhere!
At the end of Black Tower Adventure no. 1 (1984) we saw a mysterious figure watching Mayfly and in the next issue she was to encounter a man who identified himself as The Cougar (no laughing!). I ended up drawing that story after the artist (Phil Horton?) pulled out. Just went totally silent on me and that left me in a lurch.
Pretty battered up page but not unexpected. The Cougar was, of course, featured in The Return of the Gods in which he was badly injured and after a bout of alcoholism/PTSD he is returning in the third volume of Adventure but it is nice to see how the characters started decades ago.
artwork (c)2024 Black Tower Comics and Books
DO I Need A Script?
I was asked by someone why I said I never use a script and yet produced Return of the Gods -Twilight of the Super Heroes (300+pp) and The Green Skies (about 300+pp)?
Well, I wrote that because...I don't use a script!
When I was doing work for Fleetway/Egmont I obviously wrote scripts because that is what those companies wanted. I would talk to an editor and they would say (roughly) what they were looking for. This vagueness meant that you thought you knew what they wanted but then they would say "Hmm. Maybe if--" and they would talk about a new angle to the idea. Therefore, if I spoke to an editor on Friday and arranged to meet them on the Monday I would have the script that they outlined -and at l;east four other variations of the story. Even then you might get "I wonder whether a twist can be added?" and I would add that twist there and then in person.
The secret is to not hold back on your imagination. I used to like playing "get a story out of that!" with other comic folk. Basically they would come up with something like "blades of grass blowing in a wind" and I would then have to come up with a brief story surrounding the moving blades of grass. In that case it started with an aircraft and ended up with petrol stations blowing up, and a huge disaster scenario that I ended with "and the grass barely moved".
Above the last minute cover to the "trade and below the A5 cover to the small press comic (1 of 3 in the Dr Morg Trilogy) incorporated into the Green Skies
Even photos or drawings are a good way to get your story telling mind working. For instance; what story can you create based on the photograph of a green cricket? How about a an image of a single shoe on a pavement (been there and done that with 6 story ideas from it) or even an oddly shaped water puddle? Exercise your imagination playing "get a story out of that!" or "See and create a story".
The other problem, as already mentioned, is second guessing a publisher/editor. "Okay, he wants a story involving a nun being followed by a mysterious figure at night". From that, having just typed it, I can get a gothic romance, horror or even a funny ending story. How many ideas can you come up with -and think the stories through! This thinking in multiple layers works for all sorts of things.
PTSD means that even a short trip somewhere has all sorts of scenarios popping up in your head and for each you then create something that counters each. Back in 1987 when we were putting together Previews Comic : New Talent Showcase Ben Dilworth got into a grumpy mood (oh yes you did!) and I was discussing a project and he asked "What happens if that falls through?" So I took him through my back-up plan at which point he asked "And what happens if that one falls through?" so I explained another back-up plan and by the time we got to his asking what would happen if the 5th idea fell through I simply responded: "Now you are being deliberately silly. If the 5th plan falls through then I will come up with a 6th plan -and don't even ask because I will have a 7th plan!"
You will find that things like that help you think on your feet and on more than one occasion it helped me as when an editor said "Yeah...I was looking for a more---" and I had at least four differently packaged comics in my bag that covered most possible configurations and I was even known to split up those mock-ups to make a wholly new one.
Oh, man -and bluffing your way in to see senior editors may not be possible today but back in the 1980s-early 1990s it was possible. Most companies are so tight arsed and corporate today that I doubt getting a face-to-face with an editor would be possible but if you can go for it.
Now, when it came to Return it had started out as a proposal for a book titled Invasion Earth back in 1986. I had a rough idea what was going to happen and in the 1990s I changed things slightly so it became The Cosmic Fulcrum and then things went wrong withe the artist simply not wanting to do the work (after I had sold the idea to a publisher based on his art pages) and so, eventually, I decided to get the story out of my system and in the mid 2000s published a newer version in Black Tower Adventure vol. 2 number 1-6 and that came to 96pp. The original scripts were for a six issue mini series and fully written but I threw those out because for various reasons I wasn't sure I'd get to finish it and so sat down and drew those 96pp and after releasing it as a "trade" I felt so much was left out and I took a deep breath and turned it into a full 300+pp and re-lettered every page.`
Someone liked the idea that when heroes thought back on Neo Olympus not all of them had super powers and were simple crime-fighters and one panel seemed to be a favourite. In it Hornet crept up behind a "god" and whacked him out with a piece of lead piping. And, yes, I did have a back story in case anyone asked where the lead pipe came from! Lead piping to bludgeon someone is very old school villain practice and as Hornet dealt with crooks rather than super menaces I just automatically drew him using the lead piping.
I did hand write loads of notes about what would happen in The Green Skies and the conclusion but then I changed that as well as the ending. I literally put a sheet of blank paper on a board and draw and have no real idea where the story goes. At one point I drew the death of a hero and stopped. I didn't want the character to die -he had been with me since the 1970s! So I tried again and nothing would work or flow unless he died. Even now I wish I had not killed off two more of my oldest characters from the early 1970s but it happened and for me if a character dies he dies. No re-boot or returning from the dead otherwise the whole concept of heroes fighting evil and putting their lives on the line is a flop.
We have seen it with Marvel and DC where every comic universe and character has been destroyed/killed off so many times that the characters are no longer relatable to readers so there is no shock when they 'die'.
The sub-plot and even the ending to Green Skies was made up as I went along and the final ending for me was a tad depressing. There was some humour and so many twists and turns that by the end I had to put everything down and re-read it all then re-read it again and again (I hate reading and looking at my own work -ask Mr Dilworth!) until I realised it worked but was completely different to the original story idea.
Everything came together including stories from 40 years ago that linked into this final big one and luckily it all worked or I'd be in a psychiatric hospital mumbling "Look at all the little people in colourful costumes!" One thing I seriously was not expecting was how a minor character, Jack Flash, became pivotal to the whole thing.
For my own work I never use scripts -I did try to draw using one of my scripts but having to be told what the page set up and panels had to be never worked! And, no, I do not pre sketch pages or follow a thumbnail storyboard -everything is drawn straight from brain to paper.
Wednesday 20 March 2024
Oh Yes. It's Coming!
Oh yes, he may be on holiday but a tour of Europe seemed to be a good idea. A rest from the constant attempts to kill him. So Krakos's loyal servant Ahmed bought tickets to a nice quiet old style country called the Grand Duchy of Stahl.
What could possibly go wrong?
Keep an eye open for any Bat-like monarchs.
It'll be fun. 😏
In case you need the hint; in 2010 I promised William A. Ward's The Bat versus Krakos the Angel of the Burning Death and guess what? I intend to make it happen and work is already in the planning stages even though the story has been in my head for over 15 years.
Now so long as I do not get Covid part 3 2024 ought to be interesting.
Wednesday 6 March 2024
It's...Tower Tales of Terror Special!
From robotic alien invaders dealing with ancient barbarians (or barbarians dealing with them), Dene Vernon Ghost Investigator, The Iron Boy (seriously), Cast Iron Chris, Ingy Roob, Bring 'em Back Hank, Devil Fish Treasure, The Iron Warrior and much more. It's special -there you go!
Oh and did I mention there is a beautiful colour cover by none other than the great Richard Anthony Pester? Well I have now!
80+ pages £8.00
Once I have seen the proof copy and it';s approved I'll post out links.
Monday 4 March 2024
Tales of Terror 5!
Once again the library of the Black Tower is opened and its files delved into. Robert Lovett -back from the dead for vengeance?
A mysterious case of two men falling into a strange dimension -the Black Abyss! The Living dead!Saturday 2 March 2024
Some Thoughts On D-Gruppe and Whether The First Truly German Super Heroes Are Dead and Buried?
There is no reason why German super heroes/adventurers should not sell in a market in which super hero books flourish. But it is getting the books into the right places and hands and making it easy to order online with no international shipping is not doing it.
We'll see as D-Gruppe are mixing it up in my head daily and I need to exorcise those comic folk!