MattBrady
12-01-2003, 09:33 AM
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/blkwht.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/blkwht_t.jpg" width="185" height="312" border="0" hspace="1" align="right" alt="Flash in black and white by Porter"></a> After a long run on <b>JLA</b>, Howard Porter bowed out of comics for a stretch, only to return earlier this year on Marvel’s <b>Fantastic Four</b> for its “Authoritative Action” arc. Throwing a changeup from there, Porter signed an exclusive with DC and kicks off a <b>Flash</b> run in February. We cornered him for some Flash chatting.
<b>Newsarama</b>: Let’s start with a simple enough question – how did you get the book? You got back into the business, and were at Marvel with <b>Fantastic Four</b>, and then the next thing is an exclusive with DC and landing <b>Flash</b>…whu?
<b>Howard Porter</b>: Okay, this is a long one. I’ll give you the short version About a year ago Joey C[avaleri] called up and asked me to do <b>The Flash</b>, I think that was about when Scott was getting ready to leave. He sent me a bunch of Geoff and Scott’s issues which I <b>really</b> enjoyed. I had been itching to get back into comics, so I thought long and hard on it and decided that although it was one of my favorite characters, I didn’t want to jump right back in on a monthly book.
My confidence was a bit low and I didn’t think I could meet the demands of a monthly deadline. Sometime after that Joey and Geoff called up with a miniseries proposal. It was to focus on Flash’s Rogues, and I was way into it. That was what I loved about the issues that Joey had sent to me, Geoff and Scott had made the Rouges bad ass, villains as dangerous and interesting as any others in the DCU. Flash forward 10 months - pun intended - and the miniseries was going to be folded into the regular book… then it grew into a long story arc… then it grew into an open ended project. After being back into it for the better part of this year, the rust had started to come off and I felt that I could handle the monthly chores again.
<center><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLS205_07.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLS205_07_t.jpg" width="450" height="348" border="0" hspace="1" alt="Porter's art for Flashback"></a></center>
<b>NRAMA</b>: What’s the appeal of the character for you?
<b>HP</b>: I have always loved the Flash since I was very young. I distinctly remember reading an issue that had a bit in the back “how to draw the Flash” it was by Carmine Infantino, and I was hooked. When I first started working for DC, I was working for Brian Augustyn’s office - he was editing <b>Flash</b> then and I would get to drool over Wieringo’s pages when I was there.
I remember thinking that if I ever got to work on that book then I would have “made it”. Getting to work with Geoff was also a big reason. He is such a great storyteller and totally has Wally figured out. For that matter he has everyone figured out in that book, even Keystone city. His enthusiasm is supercharged and it is easy to catch some of it when you are talking to him.
<center><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/flashporter2.jpg" width="300" height="152" border="0"></center>
<b>NRAMA</b>: Your early Flash images showed him to be a little on the bulky side, but he’s since slimmed down/ Why?
<b>HP</b>: That was the first sketch I had done of him since JLA and he was way too ripped. The guys at Geoff’s message board were asking for an early look at my Flash, so I did that quickly and posted it. Unfortunately when you do that you don’t see your mistakes until some time has passed and you have fresh eyes. The guys on the board were a big help too, they give great feedback. The internet has become a great resource for that. I have a message board on my site and it’s great to get people’s opinions from. I do have to apologize to everyone for not being around this month because of the deadlines
<b>NRAMA</b>: So – in that vein, what kind of body should the Flash have? He’s obviously no Batman…
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/flash_sketch2.jpg" width="185" height="305" border="0" hspace="1" align="left"> <b>HP</b>: Right. The Flash should have a runners build, or maybe a speed skater - he wouldn’t be able to run too fast with a build like the Hulk right? But not as thin as a marathon runner. How imposing would a 120 pound flash be?
<b>NRAMA</b>: So are you using any athlete as a reference?
<b>HP</b>: I’m using Ron Garney as my reference for him. I do have to trim him down a bit, Ron has Conan’s build which isn’t perfect for the scarlet speedster, but it’s too convenient having Ron sitting next to me all day. I am thinking about getting him a Flash costume for Christmas.
<b>NRAMA</b>: As you mentioned earlier, Geoff has solidly made the supporting cast – including the Rogues - an important part of the book. Among them, who jelled with you right away, and who needed a little more time to fit?
<b>HP</b>: I like drawing Weather Wizard But I think Captain Cold is my favorite, it’s his costume, its so….err …. cool. I’ve drawn most of these guys before so it hasn’t been too hard to get comfortable with them. In the scripts Geoff keeps writing, “Draw it like you did in <b>Underworld Unleashed</b>.”
I still haven’t figured out Mirror Master’s helmet though, I think Brian Bolland and Scott Kolins have nailed his look pretty well.
<b>NRAMA</b>: Moving back to the Flash, looking at the character and the book from the larger picture, you’ve got probably one of the least-enviable stints in superhero comics – making a man look like he’s running fast in static images. What’s the key to getting the readers to suspend disbelief and accept that Wally is running at super-speeds?
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/cold.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/cold_t.jpg" width="185" height="326" border="0" hspace="1" align="right"></a> <b>HP</b>: Yeah, that can be tough; I’m trying to keep Wally in perpetually motion never firmly planted on the ground. If we see him stopped we know this is serious stuff going on. I have him running at impossible angles and skidding to a stop almost lying down, like a surfer skier would. I like the way Carmine would do that, so I will pay homage to him by borrowing his brilliant ideas.
<b>NRAMA</b>: But still, action in superhero comics has been at least matched by special effects these days, as the Keanu Reeves Superman movie, er…<i>Matrix</i> shows. Are you picking up any cues from special effects, or is super speed one of the last special effects that work better - or at least equally well as film - as static images? After all, Barry Allen seeing that plate fall still gets the idea across so eloquently and clearly 47 years later…
<b>HP</b>: I don’t have to worry too much about that, because Geoff has all that figured out for me. When we see a bullet hanging motionless in the air we automatically know that Wally is moving pretty damn fast. I loved what he did in the current story line when Wally’s powers start working for the first time in that car crash. He doesn’t realize that he is moving fast, but he is walking through the rain drops frozen in time and pulling people out of cars hanging in mid air.
<b>NRAMA</b>: After-images or speed lines?
<b>HP</b>: I use both. I’ll use the after images if we need to see him performing multiple actions in one panel. I leave the blacks out of the after images to mimic the look of a strobe light. Sometimes he is moving so fast it will just be his outline filled with speed lines and lightning.
<b>NRAMA</b>: So he’s still got the lightning?
<b>HP</b>: Oh yeah, I love the crackle. We have an unlimited special effects budget here at DC comics so you will see plenty of it.
<b>NRAMA</b>: It’s been announced (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6774) that Mike Turner is doing the covers to your issues. How do you feel about another artist, particularly a “hot” artist covering your work?
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLSCv207.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLSCv207_t.jpg" width="165" height="252" border="0" hspace="1" align="left" alt="Flash #207"></a><b>HP</b>: I love the fact Mike is doing the covers and it’s not just because he’s a hottie but because they look great and he certainly has a large fan base. Hopefully the covers will entice those fans into checking out the book for the first time. I will be doing covers after his five, at which point all of those Turner fans will leave and we will have to get Todd McFarlane to do the covers to get more fans back.
Someday if I keep exercising my drawing finger and eating the right, I too will have as many fans as they do and I will be the one doing the covers for other peoples books. Someday, maybe…
<b>NRAMA</b>: Wrapping up then, are you looking to make your stand on this series and stick around for a good long while, or do you have an exit strategy in mind?
<b>HP</b>: I’ll stay on the book for at least as long as my contract maybe even longer. I am not thinking too much about the future, I am just enjoying what I have right now. I know that Geoff will be on the book for a long while and I would be happy working with him for the rest of my career. I also enjoy working with Joey a lot.
<b>Newsarama</b>: Let’s start with a simple enough question – how did you get the book? You got back into the business, and were at Marvel with <b>Fantastic Four</b>, and then the next thing is an exclusive with DC and landing <b>Flash</b>…whu?
<b>Howard Porter</b>: Okay, this is a long one. I’ll give you the short version About a year ago Joey C[avaleri] called up and asked me to do <b>The Flash</b>, I think that was about when Scott was getting ready to leave. He sent me a bunch of Geoff and Scott’s issues which I <b>really</b> enjoyed. I had been itching to get back into comics, so I thought long and hard on it and decided that although it was one of my favorite characters, I didn’t want to jump right back in on a monthly book.
My confidence was a bit low and I didn’t think I could meet the demands of a monthly deadline. Sometime after that Joey and Geoff called up with a miniseries proposal. It was to focus on Flash’s Rogues, and I was way into it. That was what I loved about the issues that Joey had sent to me, Geoff and Scott had made the Rouges bad ass, villains as dangerous and interesting as any others in the DCU. Flash forward 10 months - pun intended - and the miniseries was going to be folded into the regular book… then it grew into a long story arc… then it grew into an open ended project. After being back into it for the better part of this year, the rust had started to come off and I felt that I could handle the monthly chores again.
<center><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLS205_07.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLS205_07_t.jpg" width="450" height="348" border="0" hspace="1" alt="Porter's art for Flashback"></a></center>
<b>NRAMA</b>: What’s the appeal of the character for you?
<b>HP</b>: I have always loved the Flash since I was very young. I distinctly remember reading an issue that had a bit in the back “how to draw the Flash” it was by Carmine Infantino, and I was hooked. When I first started working for DC, I was working for Brian Augustyn’s office - he was editing <b>Flash</b> then and I would get to drool over Wieringo’s pages when I was there.
I remember thinking that if I ever got to work on that book then I would have “made it”. Getting to work with Geoff was also a big reason. He is such a great storyteller and totally has Wally figured out. For that matter he has everyone figured out in that book, even Keystone city. His enthusiasm is supercharged and it is easy to catch some of it when you are talking to him.
<center><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/flashporter2.jpg" width="300" height="152" border="0"></center>
<b>NRAMA</b>: Your early Flash images showed him to be a little on the bulky side, but he’s since slimmed down/ Why?
<b>HP</b>: That was the first sketch I had done of him since JLA and he was way too ripped. The guys at Geoff’s message board were asking for an early look at my Flash, so I did that quickly and posted it. Unfortunately when you do that you don’t see your mistakes until some time has passed and you have fresh eyes. The guys on the board were a big help too, they give great feedback. The internet has become a great resource for that. I have a message board on my site and it’s great to get people’s opinions from. I do have to apologize to everyone for not being around this month because of the deadlines
<b>NRAMA</b>: So – in that vein, what kind of body should the Flash have? He’s obviously no Batman…
<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/flash_sketch2.jpg" width="185" height="305" border="0" hspace="1" align="left"> <b>HP</b>: Right. The Flash should have a runners build, or maybe a speed skater - he wouldn’t be able to run too fast with a build like the Hulk right? But not as thin as a marathon runner. How imposing would a 120 pound flash be?
<b>NRAMA</b>: So are you using any athlete as a reference?
<b>HP</b>: I’m using Ron Garney as my reference for him. I do have to trim him down a bit, Ron has Conan’s build which isn’t perfect for the scarlet speedster, but it’s too convenient having Ron sitting next to me all day. I am thinking about getting him a Flash costume for Christmas.
<b>NRAMA</b>: As you mentioned earlier, Geoff has solidly made the supporting cast – including the Rogues - an important part of the book. Among them, who jelled with you right away, and who needed a little more time to fit?
<b>HP</b>: I like drawing Weather Wizard But I think Captain Cold is my favorite, it’s his costume, its so….err …. cool. I’ve drawn most of these guys before so it hasn’t been too hard to get comfortable with them. In the scripts Geoff keeps writing, “Draw it like you did in <b>Underworld Unleashed</b>.”
I still haven’t figured out Mirror Master’s helmet though, I think Brian Bolland and Scott Kolins have nailed his look pretty well.
<b>NRAMA</b>: Moving back to the Flash, looking at the character and the book from the larger picture, you’ve got probably one of the least-enviable stints in superhero comics – making a man look like he’s running fast in static images. What’s the key to getting the readers to suspend disbelief and accept that Wally is running at super-speeds?
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/cold.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/cold_t.jpg" width="185" height="326" border="0" hspace="1" align="right"></a> <b>HP</b>: Yeah, that can be tough; I’m trying to keep Wally in perpetually motion never firmly planted on the ground. If we see him stopped we know this is serious stuff going on. I have him running at impossible angles and skidding to a stop almost lying down, like a surfer skier would. I like the way Carmine would do that, so I will pay homage to him by borrowing his brilliant ideas.
<b>NRAMA</b>: But still, action in superhero comics has been at least matched by special effects these days, as the Keanu Reeves Superman movie, er…<i>Matrix</i> shows. Are you picking up any cues from special effects, or is super speed one of the last special effects that work better - or at least equally well as film - as static images? After all, Barry Allen seeing that plate fall still gets the idea across so eloquently and clearly 47 years later…
<b>HP</b>: I don’t have to worry too much about that, because Geoff has all that figured out for me. When we see a bullet hanging motionless in the air we automatically know that Wally is moving pretty damn fast. I loved what he did in the current story line when Wally’s powers start working for the first time in that car crash. He doesn’t realize that he is moving fast, but he is walking through the rain drops frozen in time and pulling people out of cars hanging in mid air.
<b>NRAMA</b>: After-images or speed lines?
<b>HP</b>: I use both. I’ll use the after images if we need to see him performing multiple actions in one panel. I leave the blacks out of the after images to mimic the look of a strobe light. Sometimes he is moving so fast it will just be his outline filled with speed lines and lightning.
<b>NRAMA</b>: So he’s still got the lightning?
<b>HP</b>: Oh yeah, I love the crackle. We have an unlimited special effects budget here at DC comics so you will see plenty of it.
<b>NRAMA</b>: It’s been announced (http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6774) that Mike Turner is doing the covers to your issues. How do you feel about another artist, particularly a “hot” artist covering your work?
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLSCv207.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/DC/WWTexas/FLSCv207_t.jpg" width="165" height="252" border="0" hspace="1" align="left" alt="Flash #207"></a><b>HP</b>: I love the fact Mike is doing the covers and it’s not just because he’s a hottie but because they look great and he certainly has a large fan base. Hopefully the covers will entice those fans into checking out the book for the first time. I will be doing covers after his five, at which point all of those Turner fans will leave and we will have to get Todd McFarlane to do the covers to get more fans back.
Someday if I keep exercising my drawing finger and eating the right, I too will have as many fans as they do and I will be the one doing the covers for other peoples books. Someday, maybe…
<b>NRAMA</b>: Wrapping up then, are you looking to make your stand on this series and stick around for a good long while, or do you have an exit strategy in mind?
<b>HP</b>: I’ll stay on the book for at least as long as my contract maybe even longer. I am not thinking too much about the future, I am just enjoying what I have right now. I know that Geoff will be on the book for a long while and I would be happy working with him for the rest of my career. I also enjoy working with Joey a lot.