MichaelDoran
11-10-2002, 01:14 PM
<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/PLASTICMAN.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/PLASTICMAN_t.jpg" width="200" height="140" border="0" alt="PLASTIC MAN by Kyle Baker - click to open larger version" align="right"></a>While as some of this weekend’s other news attest, for fans of more traditional superhero fare, DC has got your back. But if you’re looking for comic book a little more off the beaten path, DC has some upcoming new offerings in that vein as well.
Two of those sorts of projects include a page original graphic novel by writer/artist Kyle Baker starring a DCU character he was perhaps born to draw, Plastic Man, and Solo, a new monthly ongoing anthology series that gives creators an entire ‘solo’ issue to write and draw, well … almost anything they darn want to.
DC’s Mike Carlin called Baker’s Plastic Man - a 96-page hardcover due out late next year - a “great example of putting projects together where we’re trying to think of the best guy in the business to go with the most appropriate character for his style.”
“Editorial said, ‘if we’re going to bother to do Plastic Man, who’s the best guy to do it?’ Kyle’s name immediately came up,” added Carlin. “That’s what led us to call Jeff Smith for Shazam for 2004, too. There’s no one more suitable to handle someone as whimsical as Captain Marvel; it would have never occurred to him to call us. We made the move, and we’re ending up with a lot more perfect fits. We’re calling for outside talent unusual talent, talent that ‘s been right under our nose but not on DC projects - or even on comic book projects.”
Baker told Newsarama his reasons for choosing this project were pretty straightforward, which will match his approach.
“I think Jack Cole's Plastic Man comics were very funny,” said Baker. “A funny rubber guy who turns into different things. That's what I'm doing.
“Plastic Man and sidekick Woozy Winks investigate a murder and are partnered with a beautiful blonde FBI agent,” continued Baker. “In the course of the investigation, they run into a lot of traps and fights. Finally, the villain is located, and our heroes are captured. They escape, there's an even bigger fight, and the villain is defeated … sorry I gave away the ending.”
Baker said he also may letter the book, depending on his schedule.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Solo1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Solo1_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben - click to open larger version" align="left"></a>And while Solo is a perfectly apt title for the upcoming new ongoing, monthly anthology DCU title, if the titles were catchier, “Diversity” or “Creative Freedom” might work just as well. Readers expecting Solo to be a venue for 48-pages of Batman and Superman stories best broaden their horizons.
"Solo" is an ongoing anthology series that features the very best artistic talent in the business,” explained series editor Mark Chiarello. “Each 48-page issue showcases one artist telling short stories of any genre - westerns, sci-fi, crime, war, superhero, romance, humor…
“So many artists say how much they wish there was a venue to draw a gunslinger story or a prison break story or a fairy tale. As an artist myself, I would love to be able to draw a short western story and get it out of my system, but there's really no venue for that. Well, now at DC, there is!
“I think the best concepts are the most simple ones. This was a case of 'let's let some great artists draw some stories they've always wanted to'. Any type of story at all. Quite simple, really.”
And since this is a non-creator-owned DCU title, Chiarello also thought it fun to ask each creator to do at least one DCU-character story for their issue.
“Most guys will do a short Batman or Wonder Woman or Superman story, but a few artists, like Mike Allred, want to do all DCU character stories for their issue. Allred feels it's a great opportunity to do a Plastic Man story and a Batman-a-go-go story and a Metamorpho story.”
But ultimately, it’s up to the creator, who not only have freedom of choice but freedom of form as well…
<img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/corbensolo3.jpg" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben" width="143" height="238" align="right">“It's amazing how much variety I'm seeing as the work starts to come in,” said the editor. “For example, among the stories Richard Corben is doing are a fully painted mythical war tale, a horror story about the plague in his wonderful old underground linework style, and a western that looks like old sepia-colored photographs.
“I'm trying to push the artists as far as they can go, so it will be fun for them and the reader. Story length will also vary from one-pagers to 16-pagers. Anything goes!”
Much like the other anthology he oversees, Batman Black & White, Chiarello said he’s picking artists based purely on talent. “There might be a few artists included who aren't household names, but are phenomenal artists and therefore are being asked to join the team. Of course, many of them are fan favorites too!”
So if at this point you’re asking, ‘So, okay just who is involved in this project then?’, this is the part where we tell you. In addition to the already-mentioned Mike Allred and Richard Corben (whose images accompany this story), artists already talking to Chiarello about their own issues include: Bruce Timm, Walter Simonson, Adam Hughes, Paul Pope, Tim Sale, Jill Thompson, Brian Bolland, J.G. Jones, Kevin Nowlan, John Cassaday, Darwyn Cooke, Dave Gibbons, Scott Hampton, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Stelfreeze, John Van Fleet and Matt Wagner.
And while most artists will write his or her own stories, in the interest of creative expression, the rules of “Solo” will be bent sometimes if an artist chooses to work with some of today's top writers. Brian Azzarello is lined up to help someone out along the way, and Frank Miller lend his talents to a story for Walter Simonson to draw.
Newsarama caught up with a couple of the creators listed to ask for some comments on the new series and their plans for it…
“I'm very jazzed about this project,” said Mike Allred. “For me it offers two creative releases - 1.) a chance to experiment with technique and style; and 2.) an excuse to play with every DC character I want that I haven't had the chance yet. Should be a blast!”
”The book's format is a creator's dream and I'm tuned about the amount of artistic and storytelling freedom it'll allow,” said Darwyn Cooke. “I plan on several stories for my issue, ranging in length from 1 to 12 pages.
“I also intend to use a different media/approach/or technique for each separate story. It's a chance to play with different styles and approaches that can be radically different. Paint, pencil, ink, collage, pure design, and a couple software programs I'm currently fooling with.
“I'm perhaps even more excited about the storytelling freedom it gives me... I'll be using several approaches and genres including silent, dialogue only, reportage, social comment, comedy, drama...and hopefully an experiment I've been wanting to try for a while.
“I'll also be going very easy on the hero thing; Only one of my stories will feature a DCU superjock. I think this is an opportunity to push things a bit and for me that means less traditional fare.”
That’s what we said.
<p align="center"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/corbensolo2.jpg" width="305" height="120" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben">
<p align="center"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/corbensolo4.jpg" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben" width="355" height="203">
<a href=http://classic.newsarama.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000039>CLICK HERE</a> to return to the main menu to read about more of DC’s upcoming projects.
Got something to say about this? <a href=http://classic.newsarama.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=agree>CLICK HERE</a> to register and join one of comics' most active online communities. Registration is fast and easy. </font>
Two of those sorts of projects include a page original graphic novel by writer/artist Kyle Baker starring a DCU character he was perhaps born to draw, Plastic Man, and Solo, a new monthly ongoing anthology series that gives creators an entire ‘solo’ issue to write and draw, well … almost anything they darn want to.
DC’s Mike Carlin called Baker’s Plastic Man - a 96-page hardcover due out late next year - a “great example of putting projects together where we’re trying to think of the best guy in the business to go with the most appropriate character for his style.”
“Editorial said, ‘if we’re going to bother to do Plastic Man, who’s the best guy to do it?’ Kyle’s name immediately came up,” added Carlin. “That’s what led us to call Jeff Smith for Shazam for 2004, too. There’s no one more suitable to handle someone as whimsical as Captain Marvel; it would have never occurred to him to call us. We made the move, and we’re ending up with a lot more perfect fits. We’re calling for outside talent unusual talent, talent that ‘s been right under our nose but not on DC projects - or even on comic book projects.”
Baker told Newsarama his reasons for choosing this project were pretty straightforward, which will match his approach.
“I think Jack Cole's Plastic Man comics were very funny,” said Baker. “A funny rubber guy who turns into different things. That's what I'm doing.
“Plastic Man and sidekick Woozy Winks investigate a murder and are partnered with a beautiful blonde FBI agent,” continued Baker. “In the course of the investigation, they run into a lot of traps and fights. Finally, the villain is located, and our heroes are captured. They escape, there's an even bigger fight, and the villain is defeated … sorry I gave away the ending.”
Baker said he also may letter the book, depending on his schedule.
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Solo1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/Solo1_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben - click to open larger version" align="left"></a>And while Solo is a perfectly apt title for the upcoming new ongoing, monthly anthology DCU title, if the titles were catchier, “Diversity” or “Creative Freedom” might work just as well. Readers expecting Solo to be a venue for 48-pages of Batman and Superman stories best broaden their horizons.
"Solo" is an ongoing anthology series that features the very best artistic talent in the business,” explained series editor Mark Chiarello. “Each 48-page issue showcases one artist telling short stories of any genre - westerns, sci-fi, crime, war, superhero, romance, humor…
“So many artists say how much they wish there was a venue to draw a gunslinger story or a prison break story or a fairy tale. As an artist myself, I would love to be able to draw a short western story and get it out of my system, but there's really no venue for that. Well, now at DC, there is!
“I think the best concepts are the most simple ones. This was a case of 'let's let some great artists draw some stories they've always wanted to'. Any type of story at all. Quite simple, really.”
And since this is a non-creator-owned DCU title, Chiarello also thought it fun to ask each creator to do at least one DCU-character story for their issue.
“Most guys will do a short Batman or Wonder Woman or Superman story, but a few artists, like Mike Allred, want to do all DCU character stories for their issue. Allred feels it's a great opportunity to do a Plastic Man story and a Batman-a-go-go story and a Metamorpho story.”
But ultimately, it’s up to the creator, who not only have freedom of choice but freedom of form as well…
<img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/corbensolo3.jpg" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben" width="143" height="238" align="right">“It's amazing how much variety I'm seeing as the work starts to come in,” said the editor. “For example, among the stories Richard Corben is doing are a fully painted mythical war tale, a horror story about the plague in his wonderful old underground linework style, and a western that looks like old sepia-colored photographs.
“I'm trying to push the artists as far as they can go, so it will be fun for them and the reader. Story length will also vary from one-pagers to 16-pagers. Anything goes!”
Much like the other anthology he oversees, Batman Black & White, Chiarello said he’s picking artists based purely on talent. “There might be a few artists included who aren't household names, but are phenomenal artists and therefore are being asked to join the team. Of course, many of them are fan favorites too!”
So if at this point you’re asking, ‘So, okay just who is involved in this project then?’, this is the part where we tell you. In addition to the already-mentioned Mike Allred and Richard Corben (whose images accompany this story), artists already talking to Chiarello about their own issues include: Bruce Timm, Walter Simonson, Adam Hughes, Paul Pope, Tim Sale, Jill Thompson, Brian Bolland, J.G. Jones, Kevin Nowlan, John Cassaday, Darwyn Cooke, Dave Gibbons, Scott Hampton, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Stelfreeze, John Van Fleet and Matt Wagner.
And while most artists will write his or her own stories, in the interest of creative expression, the rules of “Solo” will be bent sometimes if an artist chooses to work with some of today's top writers. Brian Azzarello is lined up to help someone out along the way, and Frank Miller lend his talents to a story for Walter Simonson to draw.
Newsarama caught up with a couple of the creators listed to ask for some comments on the new series and their plans for it…
“I'm very jazzed about this project,” said Mike Allred. “For me it offers two creative releases - 1.) a chance to experiment with technique and style; and 2.) an excuse to play with every DC character I want that I haven't had the chance yet. Should be a blast!”
”The book's format is a creator's dream and I'm tuned about the amount of artistic and storytelling freedom it'll allow,” said Darwyn Cooke. “I plan on several stories for my issue, ranging in length from 1 to 12 pages.
“I also intend to use a different media/approach/or technique for each separate story. It's a chance to play with different styles and approaches that can be radically different. Paint, pencil, ink, collage, pure design, and a couple software programs I'm currently fooling with.
“I'm perhaps even more excited about the storytelling freedom it gives me... I'll be using several approaches and genres including silent, dialogue only, reportage, social comment, comedy, drama...and hopefully an experiment I've been wanting to try for a while.
“I'll also be going very easy on the hero thing; Only one of my stories will feature a DCU superjock. I think this is an opportunity to push things a bit and for me that means less traditional fare.”
That’s what we said.
<p align="center"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/corbensolo2.jpg" width="305" height="120" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben">
<p align="center"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/RRP/corbensolo4.jpg" alt="SOLO image by Richard Corben" width="355" height="203">
<a href=http://classic.newsarama.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000039>CLICK HERE</a> to return to the main menu to read about more of DC’s upcoming projects.
Got something to say about this? <a href=http://classic.newsarama.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=agree>CLICK HERE</a> to register and join one of comics' most active online communities. Registration is fast and easy. </font>