MattBrady
07-28-2003, 02:10 PM
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BrianWoodWeek/bri_pic01.jpg" width="300" height="199" align="right" alt="your host, Brian Wood">Blame Matt Brady, he told me to do it.
After all, what do I need a “Brian Wood Week” at Newsarama for? My publisher gives me a Brian Wood Month every January. But Matt’s cool, a solid guy who always has my back, and frankly I think he could use a little time off.
The point of this, as I understand it, is to have me “take over” the content programming for a week, put up one or two pieces of my own creation per day in addition to whatever news and features come up. Interviews with people who don’t normally get a lot of attention, or people I think can’t ever get enough written about them. Writers and artists and industry people that I like personally, and also to talk at length about my upcoming projects <b>DEMO</b> and <b>The Couriers 02</b>.
If you know who I am, chances are you know me one of the three following ways:
- You found my first series <b>Channel Zero</b> back when it was in single issues at Image Comics, in which case you are truly Elite and are my buddy for life.
- You first heard about me when Warren Ellis and I were writing <b>Generation X</b> over at Marvel. Or you heard about me when the whole <b>NYX</b> thing first blew up several years ago (also probably where you first heard the name Dave Choe as well)
- You have come across some of my more recent books I’ve written from AiT/Planet Lar, Oni, or Vertigo. <b>The Couriers, Pounded, Couscous Express, Fight For Tomorrow</b>, etc…
<center><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BrianWoodWeek/db11.jpg" width="300" height="91"></center>
Comics were never a childhood love of mine. I don’t think I ever read them. One of my redneck cousins up in Vermont gave me a few important books to read in the 80’s, like <b>Watchmen</b>, but aside from that, I couldn’t have possibly cared less about comics. I was a painter all my life, working in a sort of ripped-off German Expressionist style, trying to be Max Beckman or something. I couldn’t even get into comics for the art – it was just far too removed from what I did. It wasn’t until I walked into St. Marks Comics when I was 24 that I thought maybe comics were something I could create. I was a fan of Kent Williams’ illustration, and I heard he had drawn a few comics, so I went to check ‘em out. That day, the first book I picked up off the shelves was <b>Shadows Fall</b> from Vertigo, and the experience really did change my life. I literally stopped trying to be a painter and started working on my comics craft.
Since then, I have read just about every comic I could care to read. I have tremendous love for the indie stuff, specifically the stuff Top Shelf, Fantagraphics, D&Q, and Highwater puts out. Peter Bagge’s <b>Hate</b> is probably my favorite comic of all time (and Bagge is the only creator I have met that reduces me to babbling incoherence in person – I am that much in awe). I will instantly buy anything James Kochalka does (took me awhile to realize what a genius that guy is), and <b>Blankets</b> (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4620&highlight=Blankets) by Craig Thompson is absolutely something I cannot recommend enough. Other standout creators include Julie Doucet, Clowes, Dave Choe, Jeffrey Brown, Dave Cooper, and Josh Divine (www.trashola.com).
(I heard someone at SDCC tell me that Brett Warnock at Top Shelf loves my work, and that he would publish something of mine at the drop of a hat. True or not, hearing that just about made my whole weekend.)
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BrianWoodWeek/cour_coverdetail.jpg" width="250" height="149" align="right" border="0">As much as I like industry in-fighting and gossip and Rich Johnston’s column, really, in the end it’s just about doing the comics, for me. I lust after no corporate title to work on, I don’t care if the current Marvel regime wouldn’t give me work to save my life, and really, what people say to me on my message boards really has no negative impact on my life. Most of the time I keep my head down and work as hard as I can to make my life better, for me and on my terms (its working, too). Most other creators and industry people I will be talking about this week are pretty much the same way, and its something I really admire and respect. It ain’t easy.
So I’ll be here all week, posting stories with Matt, and reading responses. I toyed with the idea of getting someone to interview me for this little intro, but I figured it might be more interesting if people wanted to ask me questions here instead, I could have responses at the end of the week. Your choice, but I would endeavor to answer whatever was seriously asked of me.
In the meantime, check me out at my <b>website</b> (http://www.brianwood.com[/url) and my <b>forum</b> (http://forums.delphiforums.com/ChannelZero/start).
After all, what do I need a “Brian Wood Week” at Newsarama for? My publisher gives me a Brian Wood Month every January. But Matt’s cool, a solid guy who always has my back, and frankly I think he could use a little time off.
The point of this, as I understand it, is to have me “take over” the content programming for a week, put up one or two pieces of my own creation per day in addition to whatever news and features come up. Interviews with people who don’t normally get a lot of attention, or people I think can’t ever get enough written about them. Writers and artists and industry people that I like personally, and also to talk at length about my upcoming projects <b>DEMO</b> and <b>The Couriers 02</b>.
If you know who I am, chances are you know me one of the three following ways:
- You found my first series <b>Channel Zero</b> back when it was in single issues at Image Comics, in which case you are truly Elite and are my buddy for life.
- You first heard about me when Warren Ellis and I were writing <b>Generation X</b> over at Marvel. Or you heard about me when the whole <b>NYX</b> thing first blew up several years ago (also probably where you first heard the name Dave Choe as well)
- You have come across some of my more recent books I’ve written from AiT/Planet Lar, Oni, or Vertigo. <b>The Couriers, Pounded, Couscous Express, Fight For Tomorrow</b>, etc…
<center><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BrianWoodWeek/db11.jpg" width="300" height="91"></center>
Comics were never a childhood love of mine. I don’t think I ever read them. One of my redneck cousins up in Vermont gave me a few important books to read in the 80’s, like <b>Watchmen</b>, but aside from that, I couldn’t have possibly cared less about comics. I was a painter all my life, working in a sort of ripped-off German Expressionist style, trying to be Max Beckman or something. I couldn’t even get into comics for the art – it was just far too removed from what I did. It wasn’t until I walked into St. Marks Comics when I was 24 that I thought maybe comics were something I could create. I was a fan of Kent Williams’ illustration, and I heard he had drawn a few comics, so I went to check ‘em out. That day, the first book I picked up off the shelves was <b>Shadows Fall</b> from Vertigo, and the experience really did change my life. I literally stopped trying to be a painter and started working on my comics craft.
Since then, I have read just about every comic I could care to read. I have tremendous love for the indie stuff, specifically the stuff Top Shelf, Fantagraphics, D&Q, and Highwater puts out. Peter Bagge’s <b>Hate</b> is probably my favorite comic of all time (and Bagge is the only creator I have met that reduces me to babbling incoherence in person – I am that much in awe). I will instantly buy anything James Kochalka does (took me awhile to realize what a genius that guy is), and <b>Blankets</b> (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4620&highlight=Blankets) by Craig Thompson is absolutely something I cannot recommend enough. Other standout creators include Julie Doucet, Clowes, Dave Choe, Jeffrey Brown, Dave Cooper, and Josh Divine (www.trashola.com).
(I heard someone at SDCC tell me that Brett Warnock at Top Shelf loves my work, and that he would publish something of mine at the drop of a hat. True or not, hearing that just about made my whole weekend.)
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/BrianWoodWeek/cour_coverdetail.jpg" width="250" height="149" align="right" border="0">As much as I like industry in-fighting and gossip and Rich Johnston’s column, really, in the end it’s just about doing the comics, for me. I lust after no corporate title to work on, I don’t care if the current Marvel regime wouldn’t give me work to save my life, and really, what people say to me on my message boards really has no negative impact on my life. Most of the time I keep my head down and work as hard as I can to make my life better, for me and on my terms (its working, too). Most other creators and industry people I will be talking about this week are pretty much the same way, and its something I really admire and respect. It ain’t easy.
So I’ll be here all week, posting stories with Matt, and reading responses. I toyed with the idea of getting someone to interview me for this little intro, but I figured it might be more interesting if people wanted to ask me questions here instead, I could have responses at the end of the week. Your choice, but I would endeavor to answer whatever was seriously asked of me.
In the meantime, check me out at my <b>website</b> (http://www.brianwood.com[/url) and my <b>forum</b> (http://forums.delphiforums.com/ChannelZero/start).