Episode #171 Part IX: MegaCon 2011 Wrap Up!

I'm glad that I took the week off after MegaCon for my vacation, because it took the entire week to post everything I wanted to about my trip to MegaCon. As you can tell from the selection of panels I attended, which I posted as episodes, I love learning about the craft of comic book storytelling, as well as more about some of my favorite creators.

Since I was going to cover the DC Panel and the John Schneider panel for the Superman Homepage website, I missed out on the Stan Lee and Star Trek panels. I also missed out on the biggest story to come out of MegaCon, as posted on all of the comic book websites, Mark Waid's and Ethan Van Sciver's confrontation with Rob Granito, who apparently has been copying the work of other professional artists and selling them as his own, after making slight changes. I didn't spend a lot of time in Artists' Alley, except to buy the latest copies of Derrick Fish's self published title, The Wellkeeper. So I wasn't in any danger of buying any of Granito's fraudulent art. I was so focused on the panels that I missed out on the fun on Sunday.

There were a few panels I didn't record, or the audio was not good enough to post as an individual episode. So I will discuss them briefly here. The first of these panels was The New York Connection. It was the fourth and final panel I attended on Friday, March 25, 2011. It was about some of the comic book pros who grew up in New York City and met in the industry. The panelists were Amanda Conner, Frank Tieri, Jimmy Palmiotti, Joe Jusko, Nelson DeCastro and Billy Tucci. All of them grew up around the New York area except for Amanda, who met them when she moved to New York City to begin working in the industry. There was a bar near the Marvel offices which was a popular hangout for the Marvel staff, including the panelists. The panel was a great way to end the first day of MegaCon, a real energy boost. They told a lot of funny stories on each other and shared some of their humorous anecdotes about their careers, including getting barred from a convention for a few years because of a hotel incident after the end of the Con..

I almost missed out on the Spotlight On DC Comics Panel, which was the second panel I planned to attend on Saturday, March 25, 2011. The first panel that day ran long, Words And Pictures, The Art Of Storytelling In Comics. By the time I got to the DC Panel, it was standing room only and there was no room to squeeze in the door. I was very disappointed because I had volunteered to cover it for the Superman Homepage website. I was about to give up on it, when someone left, and another guy held the door open for me. I whipped out my recorder and caught what part of the panel I could. As it turned out I got there just in time. The panelists were Geoff Johns, Dan Didio, Steve Scott, Rob Hunter, Ethan Van Sciver and Tony Bedard. The first question I heard was about the Doomsday storyline in the Superman titles. Dan Didio said that since the Man of Steel had been out of Action Comics and Superman for a while, and they wanted to bring him back in the most exciting way possible. Doomsday made the most sense to them. Usually DC releases their events in the middle of the year, but they wanted to do something special for the upcoming Action Comics #900.

The same person expressed his appreciation for DC pulling back their cover prices to $2.99. Didio said that he guaranteed that their regular issues would remain at that price through the end of the year. That didn't mean that the price would increase at the beginning of 2012. As long as readers support DC titles, the price will remain at $2.99. The conversation moved to other areas of the DC Universe, and I decided to leave so that I could catch the Mark Waid panel.

The Future Of Comics And New Media was the first panel I attended on Sunday, March 27, 2011. I made the mistake of not sitting near the panelists table, so the audio was not good enough to post as an individual episode. The panelists were Darwyn Cooke, Terry Moore and Jim Valentino. They felt that digital comics have the potential to revive the comic book industry. Terry Moore said that his personal goal was to remove every middleman between him and his readers, and digital comic books fit that goal perfectly.

Several obstacles that need to be overcome for this to come to pass are, an app that can work across platforms like iPads, Android, etc. The price of devices need to drop more to become financially affordable for a wider audience. Most importantly, a proprietary software that can prevent digital copies from being distributed freely through bit torrent websites, so that comic book creators do not lose a well earned income from their work.

Another thing that will boost digital comics is another Siegel and Shuster creation. Just as Superman put superhero comic book son the map, digital comics need a similar creation. Terry Moore added that digital comic books need a Disney vision, a Walt as well as a Roy Disney. In other words, someone with the creative vision and someone with the business savvy to make it work.

Darwyn Cooke said that digital comics has the potential of creating a new storytelling vocabulary. Readers of digital comics can have the ultimate control over experiencing a comic book. For instance, in a chase scene, it would be possible for a reader to touch on a pop up map to show where everyone is at any stage of the chase. Also, they could read the story in the pencilled, inked or finished stage.

The topic of digital comics touched on a number of panels I attended. Several pros expressed some frustration with the top comic book publishers, who are resistant to the future of digital comics. A number of pros felt these publishers were making the same mistake the music industry made with the rise of digital songs.

The other panel I covered for the Superman Homepage website was the John Schneider panel. It was the second panel I attended on Sunday. The Digital Comics panel ran long, so I got there a little bit late. But I did get to listen to most of it. John Schneider was a very warm person to the audience, and had a great sense of humor. He shared many anecdotes about his acting and music career, including playing a southern redneck for his audition for The Dukes of Hazzard TV show, even though he was from New York State.John also had a lot of stories about his time on Smallville, including a few non spoiler stories about filming the series finale. He talked about one scene in the first part of the final episode, when he has a conversation with Clark, telling his son how much he believes in him. John also shared about his charity work, including being one of  the founders of the Children's Miracle Network.

The final panel I attended for MegaCon was The Do's And Don'ts Of Comics. Originally, the final panel I was going to attend was Creator Owned Comics, which had Terry Moore, Billy Tucci, Jim Valentino, Ron Marz, Brian Pulido and Jimmy Palmiotti. Terry had to leave early to catch his flight back to Houston, so the panel was rescheduled to the same time as the Do's And Don'ts panel. Since golden age Marvel/Timely artists Allen Bellman was on this panel, I decided to attend this one. Joining Allen on this panel were Steve Scott, Frank Tieri, Nelson DeCastro and Paolo Rivera.

Some of their advice about applying for comic book work was very basic, such as dressing appropriately and having good body language. They advised prospective pros to self publish to get their foot in the door. Good communications with other pros they're working with, as well as good relations, is very important. Also, it's best to be careful when dating inside the industry. A relationship ending badly can really hurt a career. Leave the ego at the door. The most important job is to create the best comic book story possible. Think visually like a movie, using a variety of shots to add variety to a story.

The door seems to be open wider than ever before for women and minorities in comics. A large number of women work at all levels of the industry, and are present in larger numbers in graphic design schools.

The only bad thing about MegaCon was that I overspent on comic book t-shirts. I intended to get a replacement for my worn out Superman t-shirt. I wound up getting a second Superman t-shirt with the logo, as well as Incredibles and Mighty Mouse shirts.

Next year, MegaCon is scheduled for February 17 - 19, 2012. Check their website periodically for updated information as the convention approaches.

Next Episode: Superman Comics Cover Dated September 1958: Superman #124 & Action Comics #244!


Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Episode #171 Part VIII: MegaCon 2011 Spotlight On Amanda Conner Panel!

Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti

This was the third panel I attended on Sunday, March 27, 2011.

Amanda Conner began the panel by reviewing her career. She began her career in the mid 1980's working for Marvel, Archie Comics and Disney. Amanda drew such characters as Bayou Bill, Archie, Barbie and Gargoyles. She had a lot more fun drawing Vampirella. Drawing licensed properties such as Barbie was more limiting because of corproate restrictions. Amanda also enjoyed drawing Power Girl.

Currently, she is working on a project for DC Comics that hasn't been announced yet, and Captain Brooklyn (working title) with Frank Tieri and Jimmy Palmiotti serving as co-writers. A character she would love to work on is Catwoman.

Someone in the audience asked her what her standard daily schedule was? Amanda said that it depends on her schedule. For instance, with Power Girl, she had a few months head start, which was handy because she said she isn't a fast artist. It helped that there was a skip month between issues six and seven. But with the last several issues she basically worked around the clock with only nap breaks. At the end of the twelve issues she attended WonderCon in San Francisco, and after visiting family and then attending a Chicago comic book convention, she contracted chicken pox.

A normal day, when she is doing covers and commissions, is to first drink coffee, then after eating something work from 11 - 8. When she is doing a comic book project or pressed for a deadline she will work until 2 or 3 in the morning.

Another person asked her is there might be any more stories with The Pro. Amanda said that she wished. Whenever she talked with The Pro writer Garth Ennis, he reminded her that the character died at the end of the story and he wanted to leave her dead. So she is still wearing him down, as Amanda put it.

A woman in the audience asked her if it was harder to break into the industry because she was a woman. Amanda said that she was blissfully unaware if any rejections were because of her work or her gender. When she began attending the Joe Kubert School Of Comic Book Art, Joe told the beginning students that the comic book industry would be very hard, so she wasn't caught off guard when she had early struggles breaking in.

Jimmy Palmiotti joined the panel around this time. He said that what he likes about Amanda's artwork is that she always puts interesting things in the backgrounds.

Amanda was asked which comic books she read. She said she loves Terry Moore's Echo. Jimmy said that Echo was always on time and is a great story with a strong female lead. Amanda added that she likes Fables and Ed Brubaker's Incognito.


Someone asked why Vartox was brought in to Power Girl. Amanda said his sexiness. Jimmy, who was a co-writer on the title, got tired of being told by various DC editors that he couldn't use any villains he suggested because of different reasons. When Jimmy asked which villain he could use, Dan Didio suggested Vartox. Jimmy said that he decided that Vartox would fall in love with Power Girl. He wanted to show that she wasn't always angry as she had been in past stories. Amanda said that she wanted to show what serious people do when they are around silly people.

Jimmy said that while he enjoys superheroes, he prefers the relationship aspects of superhero comics. He developed Power Girl's relationship with Terra as a mentor relationship. He felt that Amanda was the best artist to pull of the version of Power Girl he wanted to do.

Another question was how the story about the comic book nerd developed. Jimmy said that he wanted to put Power Girl in the real world, instead of punching her way out of problems. He wanted to establish her personality and show her compassionate side. Amanda said that she wanted to know where she came from and portray her making a new life for herself.

So Jimmy put a comic book shop in her neighborhood, and had one of the customers learn her secret identity.  So he wanted to show how she handled the kid, and how he handled her, and show her compassionate side.

Someone asked Amanda and Jimmy's opinion about the coming digital revolution. Amanda said that it was a new delivery system. Jimmy said that digital comics won't be a threat to comic book stores if they keep up with the times. Meltdown Comics brings a food truck on Wednesday and creates an atmosphere where fans can gather to talk about comic books. Jimmy talked about Isotope Comics in San Francisco. That store has a lounge where people gather to have conversations.

When he's writing, Jimmy likes to listen to music. Amanda likes to watch TV shows that are dialogue heavy but not visually distracting, like judge shows. She's learned a lot about civil law that way.

Amanda and Jimmy were asked what each other's most annoying habit is. (Amanda and Jimmy are engaged.) Amanda said that when he steps out of the shower, Jimmy gets water all over the bathroom floor. Jimmy, smartly, said that Amanda doesn't have any annoying habits. He just has to wait for her when they're going somewhere.

Amanda's upcoming projects are an unannounced DC Comics project, an Image creator owned project and Marvel covers.

Next Episode: MegaCon 2011 Wrap Up!


Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Episode #171 Part VII: MegaCon 2011 The Art Of The Cover Panel!

(Clockwise from top left:
Michael Golden, Joe Jusko,
J. Scott Campbell & Dave Johnson.
Not pictured: Frank Cho,
Amanda Conner & Tim Sale.)

This was the fourth panel I attended on Saturday, March 26, 2011. The panelists were Frank Cho, Michael Golden, Tim Sale, Amanda Conner, Joe Jusko, Dave Johnson and J. Scott Campbell.

The panelists began with a discussion of doing covers versus doing interior comic book art. Scott Campbell has found that, while he exclusively does covers now, he does miss creating interior art, but returning to drawing stories would mean a pay cut..

Amanda loves doing covers. It's good exposure and pays better, but she loves doing interior art more. She loves making the story happen on the page.

Joe Jusko prefers doing covers, but Tim Sale prefers interiors, designing the story on the page.

Michael Golden doesn't find a difference between the two, other than the time factor. While the process may be different for both, they require the same skills and the same priorities. He finds that drawing covers does offer a greater range of artistic freedom and layout design.

Frank joked that he has a short attention span. When he is drawing covers he prefers interiors, and when he works on story art, he prefers covers. The grass always seems greener on the other side.

The panel was asked on the pleasures of collaborating. Michael said that a collaboration is both rewarding and pure hell. Everyone comes to the table with a vision. An editor's job is to accommodate those visions while making sure they suit the project.

Joe said that when he switched to painting, he found he was not fast enough to do a book. Also, when he looked at artists work when inked by others, he didn't want to risk his own work being destroyed by someone else. He also mentioned that he is a fan of narrative covers. Otherwise a comic book cover is only a poster. Joe feels that the cover should tell something about the cover.

Scott mentioned that on occasion he has done covers for new series, which has been a challenge when he wasn't involved with designing any of the characters, or familiar with the story.

Amanda felt that the cover should show something from inside the book. She said it's also important for a colorist to work with the cover penciller.

Tim said that since he is color blind, his covers are high contrast like his interiors, so he inks his own work.

Michael admitted that he never liked collaboration, not because of ego, but because of a lack of consistency in the production process. Now, with the abilities of computer graphics, he is able to do all of the work himself so that he can ensure that what's on the computer screen will appear on the printed page.

Tim added that editors used to discourage collaboration among the creative staff. Now it's common. Amanda also mentioned that collaboration works better when the creative team communicates well together.

Scott said he was always nervous when he worked with someone new, because he didn't know if he could trust that person.

Frank said that he works with the same colorist. Because his own pencils are so loose, he inks his own work. He hates collaboration because there is a lot of miscommunication. The end product feels compromised, and he isn't satisfied with it.

Another question was about the panelists' influences both in and out of comics, and the best criticism they received. Scott said that when he first began doing covers, he enjoyed not having to be so narrative. He liked the ability to be more abstract. He likes his covers to look like a movie poster. Marvel mandated that covers be without clutter. Scott said that some comic book artists feel that they have to fill a cover, but sometimes the elements on the cover cancel each other out and compete for attention. He has found that the simple approach works best.

Dave Johnson said that he was a big Michael Golden fan. He also learned a lot from graphic designers and novel covers, and brought that into his comic book work. Dave prefers a minimalist approach. He said that a motorist has 2.5 seconds to understand a billboard, and that looking at a comic book cover should be as simple. Alex Toth's critique of Steve Rude showed that Dave was doing some things right.

Amanda didn't have many influences. When she first began to do covers, she tried to cram as much information as she could into the image. After going into many comic book stores, she was attracted to the stark, simple covers. Now she is influenced by movie posters from the 1960's and 1970's. She tries to mesh communicating a lot of information in a good design. Amanda likes the storytelling aspect of a cover and tries to make it graphically stimulating.

Tim Sale looked at other media, such as paperback covers that were clear and powerful. There was no reason that couldn't translate to comic books. He feels that anything can tell a story, such as portraits. What does the pose say about the person.

Frank's biggest influences were the golden age of illustration, such as Norman Rockwell. His jog as a cover artist is to sell books. He mentioned that Julius Schwartz once said that a cover with a gorilla on a bike, a volcano in the background and the color purple is a winner.

Amanda said that they should all draw that cover.

Next Episode: MegaCon 2011 Spotlight On Amanda Conner Panel!


Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Episode #171 Part VI: MegaCon 2011 The Many Faces Of Mark Waid Panel!

The Mark Waid panel was the third panel I attended on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Mark didn't spend any time talking about himself. He said that at similar panels in other conventions he always did a question and answer session, and opened the floor to questions.

Someone asked what made Mark want to return to the title Ruse. Mark said that after Disney bought the rights to the CrossGen titles, including Ruse, then Marvel, he was called to see if he was interested in returning to the title he had created. The characters' voices returned to him quickly, and it's been fun.

Another question was what appealed to Mark about comic book writing? He said that it was the dynamics of comic book storytelling, which is different from movies. Mark said that the most important thing was to think visually. While at Boom! Studios he would receive scripts about men in suits talking for three pages. Comic book writers need to write visually. Tell the story as concisely as possible in a limited number of pages. If a scene takes more than four or five pages it's probably too long for an average comic book issue. Every line of dialogue must have a purpose, either to advoance plot, develop character or both.

He was asked why he liked the Legion of Super-Heroes. The group seemed hard to write for, with the number of characters. Mark said that it was his favorite team book since he was a boy. The problem with the Legion after the Superman reboot was that the foundation of the Legion had been removed. Rebooting the Legion after the Zero Hour event mini-series didn't work, because DC was retelling old Legion stories, adapted to a new audience.

The Legion has a reputation for being inpenetrable, Mark said. When he did his reboot with Barry Kitson around 2003 - 2005, new fans loved it but old fans hated it. The title still earned okay sales. But the Justice League Lightning Saga story threw a wrench in their plans, and their version of the Legion was relegated to an "imaginary story." Mark kept wanting to use Superboy, but the legal battle over the character prevented that, so Supergirl wound up being used instead.

Mark gave some tips on writing comic book scripts. Write one page of script to one page of comic book art. Don't complicate life for the artist by concluding a comic book page on a second script page. It's natural for an artist to assume that the entire comic book page will be on one script page. When writing a comic book script, don't try to impress your audience, but keep your focus on communicating the story to the artist. Don't treat the artist like a robot, leave room for the artist to contribute to the story, and allow him to cut what he feels is excess description that takes away from the scene.

Someone asked Mark if he read mythology. He answered that he was a science kid; mythology didn't impress him. When he wrote Kingdom Come, that came out of 20 years of reading comic books and absorbing the culture.

A fan of Mark's Boom! Studio title Irredeemable said that he loved the title and asked Mark if the title has an ending. Mark said that he did have an end point, but he didn't know when he would get to it. He considers it as an open ended series, although he originally thought it might last about a year. The title still sells at first issue numbers, which is rare, and the trades are doing well also. That has put the ending off further.

Another fan asked Mark about the implications of digital publication on comic books, a subject that touched on a number of panels at MegaCon. Mark thought that the digital publishing had a great potential for the comic book industry. He compared it to the new version of the old newsstands, which, in its time was the cheapest and most efficient way to get magazines to a mass audience. It has the potential of tapping into an audience that has been ignored for 20 years. Mark didn't think that digital would kill comic books. The industry seems to be doing a good job of killing itself.

He also wasn't interested in killing the comic book retail business. The challenge is to drive the audience to the material. Presently, the four major metropolitan areas of the country contain a little over half of the comic book stores in the nation. Mark does feel that half of the present number of comic book retailers will go out of business in the next few years, and the rest will become pop culture stores. He sees digital as a way to distribute content to an audience cheap enough to cover production costs and break even, then print in whatever form suits the material. Digital can become a reliable revenue stream.

I asked Mark about his relationship with Julius Schwartz. Mark said that Schwartz was the greatest comic book editor ever. He had been Ray Bradbury's and Lovecraft's literary agent, and was one of the founders of science fiction fandom. Mark has to credit Julius for developing much of his writing style. Above all else make sure page 1 has a hook to draw the reader into the story.

Mark first met Julius Schwartz in 1984. The greatest day of Mark's life was when he sold Julie, as Schwartz was called, his first comic stories in 1985, for Superman. Mark described Julie as gruff, easily bored and impatient, but kind. Waid liked the fact that Schwartz never forgot that he was a fan as well. He took pride in bringing new fans like Mark into the industry. Julie took new writers who showed potential under his wing, and never looked at fans as beneath him. Mark credited Schwartz with reinventing comic book in the 1950's, so, according to Waid, if not for Julie the comic book industry possibly could have become extinct. Mark reiterated what a huge debt of gratitude he owed Julius Schwartz.

Mark also discussed his upcoming run on Daredevil. He hopes to make Daredevil more of a swashbuckler, a little more of a lighter character even though the world around him will remain dark. Mark wasn't interested in writing a dark Matt Murdock, but also didn't want to return to the goofy silver age Daredevil.

Next episode: MegaCon 2011 The Art Of The Cover Panel!


Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Episode #171 Part V: MegaCon 2011: The Art Of Storytelling Panel!

This was the first panel I attended on Saturday, March 26, 2011. The panelists were Amanda Commer, Terry Moore, Dan Panosian, Billy Tucci and Darwyn Cooke.

Storyboard artists, who create the blueprint for animation as well as live action films, were first discussed by the panel. They talked about how storyboards break down the story as far as timing each scene, and lead the animators or film makers in telling the story.

Darwyn asked Amanda how she worked out the story. Amanda said she laid out the script in thumbnail sketches, deciding what's important, pacing the story and working out the characters' emotions in each panel, what they're thinking. Then she sketches the page at 4" x 6", and blows that up to a comic book page. After that she draws the page in ink. Amanda said that she learned a lot from Frank Miller's Daredevil, pacing and conveying emotion.

Darwyn added that in animation he learned that one of the foundations to storytelling as a storyboard artist is that dialogue is not static. As a comic book artist he learned to take as many panels as needed to allow the scene to happen. Sometimes it takes several panels to allow the character to act through the scene and bring the dialogue to life.

Billy Tucci mentioned how he liked how Darwyn let the art convey sound effects, without having sound effect words inserted into the art. Darwyn said that he got that from Jack Kirby. Comic book art can't show motion, but can show flying debris or smoke. If the art can convey motion in that way, then the reader can hear it. Billy said that he hated written sound effects.

Billy then asked Terry Moore about his two comic book series, Strangers In Paradise and Echo. Billy wondered if there was any transition from SIP to Echo, or was it an easy change in storytelling. Terry said that before doing comic books he was in video editing for 13 or 14 years. One thing he was able to translate to comic book storytelling was finding the key moments in a scene, and then convey those key moments. He added that people who are attracted to create comic books tend to be media kids.

Tucci added that comic book artists need to become their own editor, and be willing to cut their favorite panel when it doesn't tell the story.

Terry said that comic book storytelling is the marriage of two things, tell the story and memorize the mechanics of how to draw it. Both Darwyn and Dan Panoisan talked about how sometimes, when you're not sure how do it, you have to wing it.

Darwyn added that when reading the panel description, instinct will suggest whether that panel needs a close up, medium or long shot

Amanda added that sometimes an artist has to think of how to do something new. Terry said that the coolest thing is finding new ways how to draw ordinary objects like clouds. trees or animals, in order to keep from cloning yourself as an artist.

Darwyn said that in his second Parker novel, the book's second act was a series of robberies committed by random criminals. The challenge was how to draw all of those robberies while keeping them fresh and not boring. His solution, "stolen" from artist Dan Clowes, was to draw each robbery in a different art style which fit that particular scene. For instance for a humorous robbery, Darwyn drew the thieves in a similar style to the Flintstones.

Terry asked the other panelists how they injected cultural relevance in titles such as New Frontiers or Sgt. Rock. Dan Panosian said that in X-Men Origins: Sabretooth he made sure to include iconic period pieces of furniture in the background, in order to capture the feel of the time being portrayed. Darwyn said that he conveyed a feel for the time period through the style of graphics used in New Frontier.

Terry Moore added that being fluid in you art style is important to convey the scene. While Echo has been very disciplined because of the type of story being told. With Strangers In Paradise anything was fair game. For instance, when characters got into a childish argument, he drew them in a more cartoony style the more childish they became, until they resembled Calvin & Hobbes.

A question from the audience was how the panelists broke down a script?

Darwyn said that he read the script, found out where each scene began and ended and how many pages it would take to tell the entire story. Usually it would work out to more pages than were available, then he had to nail each scene down to fit the available page limit. Then he drew a thumbnail in light pencil then drew in ink. If a scene feels long, it probably is, so cut it to keep the scene strong.

Billy Tucci added that an artist needs to cut the stuff he loves but isn't necessary to tell the story. Terry added that you must be willing to kill your "darlings."

Another question was about solving a problem in story pacing, what to cut and scene transitions.

Terry suggested read interviews with writers to learn what they go through, because they enjoy talking about writing. Pay attention when they discuss story problems they've had to solve and apply them to your own storytelling. Is the scene pure action or more filled with dialogue. Ask yourself why the reader should care about this character. He mentioned that the length of an average comic book script is about the same length as a 30 minute TV show. Cross reference, don't feel stuck just writing for comic books.

Darwyn said that to shorten scen transitions, watch films and pay attention to how they work the scene and convey the information visually.

Someone else asked what was the biggest problem the panelists had working with a new writer.

Darwyn said that it was describing a character doing more than one action per panel. He said the most important rule of comic book writing was to convey one thought and one action per panel. Stick to that andf go step by step through the story, and keep it simple.

Amanda suggested visualizing the story in your head, which writer and artist Jimmy Palmiotti does.

Terry suggested mixing action and character development. Readers won't care what happens to a character if they don't care about the individual.

Another question was how to pick a balance between showing too much or too little and boring the reader. Darwyn suggested to use yourself as a measuring stick. What works for yourself will usually work for your audience. Terry added that all musicians only have eight notes. It's what they do with them that matters.

The final question was if the process will change for digital readers. Darwyn said that his next project will be digital only. He said that the potential of digital readers can change how readers experience a comic book story. They have the potential of giving readers the ultimate control of the pace they read a story. Digital comics can create a new stroytelling vocabulary.

Next episode: MegaCon 2011 Part VI: The Many Faces Of Mark Waid Panel!


Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Episode #171 Part IV: MegaCon 2011 The Art Of Writing For Comics Panel!

Left to right: Roy Thomas, Dennis O'Neil,
Jim Valentino, Mark Waid and
Darwyn Cooke.

The first comment from the audience was an appreciation for Denny O'Neil's  support for Bill Finger. Denny O'Neil commented that the comic book greats got screwed. He added that when he was a DC editor he tried to get some type of monetary compensation for Bill, but the company's legal department said that it was impossible.

The first question was about any constructive criticism the panelists received at the beginning of their careers. Denny turned to Roy and asked him what he told him. Roy answered, "Just show up on Monday."

Denny added that he was grateful to have begun on such minor titles as Millie The Model. He said that it was a great place to be bad, meaning that Millie and other lower tier books were like Comic Book Writing 101. It allowed him to learn how to be a good comics writer on the job, a luxury most comic book professionals don;t have today. Roy added that with Millie, kids would send in drawings and they would become fashions in a future issue.

Mark Waid said that he learned under DC editor Julius Schwartz. That was during an era when Schwartz's comics were not the most complicated, but he emphasized giving the reader a big bang to start the story. Schwartz wanted superheroes to do hero things. With western and crime stories the idea was to think visual.

Jim Valentino's advice to new comic book writers was to not bury the lead. Pull the reader in.

Mark added that today, there is no training ground in the comic book industry. A writer or artist needs to have his top game to begin with.

Darwyn said that back in the 1970's editors guided storytellers. Now, they're on their own. The current crop of editors don't have 30 years of experience in the industry, like Julius Schwartz or Stan Lee. Today, editors traffic product, their main concern keeping issues on schedule for publication. Denny added that it is a problem across the publishing industry.

Mark Waid mentioned Stan Lee, in regards to the current stories he is working on for IDW. Mark said that Stan still gives advice on the titles he works on, things like keeping it simple, placing word balloons where there would otherwise be dead space.

Another question was about how to generate interest in you work, independent comics, or web comics. Mark said that the cream will rise to the top, and he has seen great things on the internet. Jim mentioned that there are more options now for a writer. Mark added that it is more exciting now, and that there was no one way to success in comic books. He saw web comics as a democratisation of the form.

A writer in the audience had a problem with characters being similar to one another. Roy Thomas shared one trick he used was using horoscopes to help give his characters distinct personalities. Darwyn Cooke mentioned that he had the same problem with New Frontier. His solution was to boil down the essence of each character to one sentence. When a writer knows what drives a character, then that character will speak for you.

Someone else asked what the panel's definition of a superhero was. Darwyn said it was someone who was given a gift the rest of us don't have and finds a way to use it.

Another writer in the audience mentioned that they like to write plays. Mark said that writers should write what they want to write. Jim said that writing a play is similar to a comic book script. He added that there are natural storytellers in any medium. Be the guy who tells stories around the campfire.

Mark Waid advised that a writer should be concise. Don't ramble, but set the stage. Get to the point and think visually.

Darwyn added that a comic book writer should make sure that each panel has only one action and that each character should only make one statement per panel. Denny said that a common mistake among comic book writers is to have a character do more than one action per panel.

The panelists were asked which were the hardest characters for them to write for. For Darwyn, it was Superman. Mark Waid said that the Man of Steel was the easiest for him to write for. The hardest character for him to write for was Wonder Woman.

There was a bit of a discussion among the panel about how much control over the story a writer has versus the artist. Denny talked about how he had artists not draw what he had written, disrupting the flow of the story. Darwyn, who is both a writer and an artist, said that a writer has to give the artist some room to tell the story visually. There is a visual aspect to comic book writing. Mark said that it's not his story, it's a collaboration with the artist. He added that Bill Finger codified comic book writing.

Near the end of the panel there was a question about trademarking stories and if it was possible. Mark Waid pointed out that the musical West Side Story was actually Romeo And Juliet.

Next episode: MegaCon 2011: The Art Of Storytelling Panel!


Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Episode #171 Part III: MegaCon 2011 Spotlight On George Pérez Panel!

This was the second panel I attended on Friday, March 25, 2011. When I got to the panel, George had already begun talking about his career. I don't know if he was early or I was late.

The first question for Mr. Pérez was on adapting the classic Teen Titans story Judas Contract. He responded that he doesn't watch much TV. George did say that the cartoon adaptions of comic book characters introduce them to a new generation.

The next question from the audience was how George approached adding people of color in comics. He responded by saying that skin color doesn't define them. Understanding the cultures helps to know what makes people tick.. A character's ethnicity should serve a story purpose. Make ethnicity part of the character's makeup, but not the entire personality. Otherwise it's ghettoizing. He added that there is a lot of homogeneous looks in comic books, full of interchangeable faces.

Someone else asked which DC story he would like to see in a DC animated movie. George's favorite would be Wonder Woman's Challenge Of The Gods. He always pictured that story like a Ray Harryhausen film.

George was asked about the new TV show starring the Teen Titans member Raven. He said that he was only aware that it was being made. It was going to be somewhat similar to Charmed, and was expected to fill the hole left by Smallville in the network schedule. Being so close to the comic book character, he wasn't sure he wanted to know much about the TV production, but the creator royalties were nice.

A Teen Titans fan asked why he had never returned to the title. George said that he left the title because it had become too successful. He knew that he would be able to maintain a monthly schedule for only so long, and afterward would be in danger of doing less than his best work to make money. George decided to leave the title when he did because he didn't want to get to that point.

He was also asked what was the best advice he got from other artists. George said that it was to not draw to make money, love to draw. Everything else would come after. Also, make the mind into a silent film camera. In comic books, tell as much of the story in the art as possible. It's important for a comic book artist to be a part of storytelling. An artist should not be afraid to draw anything. George has been a comic book professional since the age of 19.

Another question was about his opinion in killing Barry Allen in Crisis Of Infinite Earths. George thought that it was a gutsy move, needed to show that the stakes were high in the story. He also said that writer Marv Wolfman left clues in the story for a possible way he could be brought back. Flash saved the universe and no one knew it. Nostalgia is a big part of comic books, so death became a revolving door. Fans wanted Barry back, so they got Barry.

George added that he was grateful for his longevity. He has fans who were not even born yet when he began. When he passes, he wants to be like painter Norman Rockwell, leave an unfinished drawing on his drawing board.

Someone asked about his opinion about the future of comic books. George hopes the industry lasts at least through his lifetime. He'll keep drawing until there isn't a need, and the phone calls for work stop. As far as the  future of digital comic books, George said that he wasn't savvy enough to know what the production costs would be for digital comics.

He was asked if there were any characters he didn't like to draw. George said Reed Richards. He thought that Reed had a dull face, until John Byrne made him an interesting character to draw. He also loved to draw Batman but hated drawing the Batmobile. George doesn't consider himself an engineer, he likes to draw characters.

Another question was about the transition from one Flash to another. George said that he purposed to draw Barry and Wally differently, so that readers could tell the two apart just by looking at them. He used to draw the Titans bald, so that he could give each one a unique look and distinct body types, This helps develop characterization.

A second Wonder Woman question, about her issue #600, was if he drew her to appear more Greek. George has a Greek friend, so he wanted Wonder Woman to reflect her Greek heritage.

George said that he was asked at one point to be an Art Director at DC Comics, but he would have to live in New York City, which he didn't want to do. He considers himself blessed to be doing what he has wanted to do since he was a child. When he was in the hospital because of some health issues, fans sent flowers.

Beyond the drawing board, he spends time with the Moonlight Players in Clermont, Florida. He considers them his second family.

Someone asked about some constructive criticism he has received. George said that the first artist to give him constructive advice was Neal Adams. He said that he still has blisters from Neal's critique. Marv Wolfman said that George didn't know how to draw perspective. George was motivated to prove them wrong, and wound up becoming a better artist. No one congratulates you when you become pro. Comic book artists need to have a thick skin. Know when criticism is helpful or hurtful. Let the ego loose, and then you can become a better artist or writer.

A final Wonder Woman question was about his opinion about the costume change for the upcoming TV show. George said that he understood why the changes were made, but he didn't have a vested interest in the TV show because he did not create the character. The classic costume exists in back issues.

Among George's favorite pieces of his own artwork was the death of Supergirl and Meridian from CrossGen. His least favorite work was on the comic book movie adaption of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was a lousy story and he was inked by the wrong artist for his style, Jim Mooney. Their art styles were wrong for each other. George did enjoy his work on the comic book Beatles biography.

Mr. Pérez ended the panel by emphasizing how important it was to take a break. If an artist is erasing more than he is drawing, and has tired eyes, it's time for a break. If it takes too long to draw something that's easy, then it's time for a break.

Next episode: MegaCon 2011The Art Of Writing For Comics Panel!
Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Episode #171 Part II: MegaCon 2011 Crime Noir Panel!

Clockwise from top left: Dave Johnson, Jimmy Palmiotti,
Darwyn Cooke and Frank Tieri.

While this is a Superman podcast, mot much in these episodes will be related to the Man of Steel. I wanted to share my experience at MegaCon this year, and what panels interested me. I hope you enjoy.

The first panel I attended on Friday, Marc 25 was the Crime Noir Panel, sponsored by the Rack Pack Comics Podcast. I want to thank them for allowing me to also record the panel and post it on my podcast.

Darwyn Cooke answered the first question, about why crime comics are back. He pointed out that crime comics have never really gone away. Most superhero comics involve crime, bad guys trying to commit them and heroes trying to stop them. With comic book readers getting older, more readers are becoming interested in reading crime comics than superheroes with their underwear outside their pants.

Jimmy Palmiotti said that you should write what you know. Comic book fans have read so many superheroes that they want something different. Crime comic books can be a different form of fantasy.

Another question from the audience was if there was a difference between writing superhero comics and crime comics. Jimmy shared how he grew up in Brooklyn and always took the train wherever he went, high school, college or work. He was mugged, terrorized and been terrorized. He had also made money in bizarre ways, selling things like bootleg videos and fireworks. Jimmy said that at its most basic level, crime comics are about two things, money or dames, and the shortcuts people take to get them. The best crime stories are when people don't know what's going on in that crazy guy's head. They're about actions and consequences.

Frank Tieri mentioned that he grew up around scumbags, so he knew them inside and out. He said that in crime stories, no matter how bad they can be, they are also guys you want to hang out with. They're family men, fully realized people, who will have Sunday dinner with the family and then go chop a guy's head off. In crime comics a question we can ask is are we capable of being them.

Jimmy picked up on that thought and asked the question, If someone holds a gun to your family's heads, do you do what they tell you?

Darwyn said that another fascinating aspect in crime stories is the notion of a guy who has the force of will to make his own rules outside of society. He decides what is right and wrong and applies mercy when he feels it is right. Thant is a compelling character that we respond to in some way. In one of his adaptions of the Parker novels, you think Parker is a cool guy, but then he burns someone with a cigarette. Through characters like Parker we recognize the duality in ourselves. Darwyn mentioned how Machine Gun Kelly and Dillinger were heroes during the Great Depression. These were men who took their lives in their own hands during a time when people had nothing. The public has always had a fascination with people like this.

Frank said that most of us are attracted to people who say **** you to the government.

Jimmy talked about how Jonah Hex was a type of crime story in a way. He is a bounty hunter who does a service. It's interesting to watch what Hex will do when a guy says the wrong thing to him. Hex is another of those characters who makes his own rules, like how we justify ourselves. It's the same with crime stories about almost anything, including politics and government.

Darwyn mentioned how people love to watch the horror stories of others, as their lives unravel when they turn down the wrong street in life, as long as it's not happening to us.

Another person in the audience asked if crime books had a different approach from superhero titles.

Dave Johnson mentioned that crime books can be more graphic. The less they say on the cover can make them more interesting to read.

Darwyn said that when he drew the Parker books, he drew it more natural. With the Justice League, it required more draftsmanship to draw musclebound heroes. In the Parker stories the guys wore suits in dark rooms. He couldn't do a Green Lantern or Superman story in the same style as Parker.

Someone mentioned that in crime stories there is usually a lot of booze. He asked what the drink of choice was. Most of the panel agreed that it was scotch. Darwyn disagreed. He thought it was rye whiskey, because scotch was too good for these guys. They would think that another hoodlum who drank scotch was a "Nancy" who was getting too fancy for his own good. Dave thought Vodka was nice.

Frank said that his Marvel title Underworld merged superhero comics and a crime story. It was about a guy who went to prison at the beginning of the Marvel Universe, and got out of prison to find a different world. It was about how he dealt with this new world, and why he hated super villains.

The panel was asked what their crime noir influences from books and movies were. Darwyn mentioned the classic Chandler crime novels, for Frank it was Cagney and Bogart. Darwyn talked about how every decade had great crime movies, and the 1970's had some of the darkest crime movies ever made.

The conventions of crime stories were also discussed, like the dame and the low life cop.Jimmy mentioned how we understand the dame and the cop. A good writer can mix it up so that we are interested in these clichés. Frank said that how we play with the pieces makes it fresh and interesting. As an example Jimmy brought up his title, Back To Brooklyn. The title's main character was a pedophile rapist. Frank brought up that he was the model for the character. He mentioned that Jimmy asked if he could use him as the model for a character, and that was what the character wound up as.

In creating a good cast for a crime story, Jimmy mentioned that it's important to have levels of bad guys. The main character may be a bad guy, but what makes him more sympathetic is that the other guys are far worse.

Darwyn said that the science fiction movie Outland was really a remake of the classic western High Noon. Another thing that draws us into a character is when we learn a secret about him, like when he reveals he can't swim just before he has to jump into the water to escape a threat.

When asked how to approach bad guys, Dave said to make them worse than the main character. Darwyn expanded on that thought. He mentioned that Parke is a douche bag, but the other people are far worse. Jimmy discussed how the choice of crimes can bring layers to a crime story, going from bad, to worse to horrific. Darwyn added that weight and pathos give a crime story a reason for being.

Next Episode: MegaCon 2011 Part III: Spotlight On George Pérez Panel!


Join the Superman Fan Podcast and My Pull List groups or pages on facebook, and follow the podcast and blogs on twitter @supermanpodcast.

Superman Fan Podcast is a proud member of the League Of Comic Book Podcasters at http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league and the Comics Podcast Network! http://www.comicspodcasts.com/, and is now a proud member of the Superman WebRing of websites, and the Superman Podcast Network at http://www.fortressofbaileytude.com/supermanpodcastnetwork. Check it out to discover other fine Superman podcasts.

Superman Fan Podcast is at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ . Send e-mail about this podcast to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com.

The theme of this podcast is Plans In Motion, composed by Kevin MacLeod, and part of the royalty free music library at http://incompetech.com.

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/. Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com.

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. Any cover art displayed with the show notes is done for entertainment and educational purposes only. I post these episodes to share my enjoyment of Superman comics and do not earn any money from this podcast.

Thanks for listening to the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.