MattBrady
07-20-2006, 02:53 AM
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/MDG_posterFNLrev2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/MDG_posterFNLrev2_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="247" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1" align="right"></a><I>by Troy Brownfield</I>
It was recently announced that Eric Wight has landed a new book at TOKYOPOP, My Dead Girlfriend. Wight, as you may know, really started in animation, working on films like <i>Beavis and Butt-Head Do America</i> and series like <i>Batman Beyond</i> and the sadly never-saw-the-light-of-day animated take on <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>.
Presently, many television viewers see Wight’s art every Thursday night on Fox’s “The O.C.” All those drawings by Seth Cohen? “Atomic County”? It’s all Eric Wight. And now, the “Atomic County” super-heroic versions of the “O.C.’s core four” are available as high quality maquettes via Warner Bros. (with a hand from DC Direct).
We talked to Eric Wight about the maquettes, his involvement with “The O.C.”, and his work on a tiny little July release called Justice League of America #0.
Newsarama: Before we get into the larger topic of “The O.C.” and all that entails, please tell us about your involvement in the new JLA #0. How did you get involved?
Eric Wight: Brad [Meltzer] was looking for someone who could capture the style of Sekowsky’s original run on JLA. Our mutual pal Allan Heinberg sent Brad some of my work, and within a matter of hours I was onboard.
Newsarama: Can you tell us who is featured in your section?
EW: My section is a flashback to the first incarnation of the JLA. Superman has come to the Batcave to try and convince Batman to form the League with him.
Newsarama: Did that section have a personal resonance for you as a fan?
EW: Absolutely! JLA has always been my favorite comic since I was a kid, especially the Sekowsky era. So I was completely geeked out the entire time I was working on it. Perez’s art on Crisis on Infinite Earths and Maguire’s run on JLA were two of first books that made me want to draw comics. So to have their work sandwiched in with mine is pretty humbling.
<center><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA0thumb001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA0thumb001_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="237" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/jla0fnl001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/jla0fnl001_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="237" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA00_01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA00_01_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="237" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a></center>
Newsarama: How did your involvement with “The O.C.” begin?
EW: Again, it was all Allan’s fault! [laughs] At the time he was one of the producers of “The O.C.” He had purchase a page of my art from The Escapist on eBay, and asked if I was interested in becoming the ghost artist for Seth.
Newsarama: Did the writers already have the notion of “Atomic County” and the various heroic identities, or did that come about in collaboration?
EW: It’s definitely collaborative. Usually I get the script pages and then there’s an exchange of ideas via email between Josh Schwartz (the creator), the director, or the other producers writing the specific episode. I’ll springboard ideas with them to try and push the visuals for the biggest impact. The more I’ve worked on the show, the more trust they’ve given me and now I’m really allowed to take the ball and run with it. The producers have been very open-minded and supportive to a lot of my kooky ideas, which has been awesome.
Newsarama: It’s my basic understanding that every time we’ve seen Seth <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/ACpromoCROP.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/ACpromoCROP_t.jpg" border="0" width="250" height="243" alt="" / align="left"></a>draw, that it’s really a piece that you’ve done. Is that accurate, and how much lead time do you have on something like that?
EW: Everything from Season Two on I created. The only Seth art I didn’t create was a mural of Paris from the first season. There isn’t really much time from when the scripts are completed to when they begin shooting the episode, so usually I only have a couple of days to create the art. And I also have to factor in shipping cross-country, or the time it will take them to manufacture the prop if I’m just sending them digital files.
Newsarama: Seth’s creative journey took a number of episodes. How realistic do you feel the show was in terms of its depiction of his Wildstorm pitches, etc?
EW: Last year at Comic-con I met editor Ben Abernathy from Wildstorm and we had a great laugh about all of that. He told me he got a lot of crap from creators wanting to know why they weren’t put up in romantic bed and breakfasts whenever their meetings were delayed.
The writers definitely took some creative liberties with Seth creating the graphic novel. But let’s face it, I’m not sure how much great television there is watching a guy slave over a drawing board.
Newsarama: Seth goes off to design school next year. Has there been any discussion of you having any artistic involvement in that angle?
EW: I actually just got my first assignment for the new season last week. As long as Seth continues to draw on The O.C., so will I.
Newsarama: You also had a chance to see Rachel Bilson in the Little Miss Vixen outfit in one episode. What was it like seeing one of your designs come to life?
EW: It was pretty surreal. Not as surreal as watching Seth tear up one of the pages of his sketchbook. That pissed me off...(laughs).
Newsarama: Now, tell us about the new set of Atomic County maquettes. How did that come about, and where can fans lay their collective hands on them?
EW: They were created by Warner Bros. with the assistance of DC Direct and are based on my designs for the Atomic County cartoon for Verizon Wireless. They are a really limited run of I think 250 that will be sold at the WB booth at San Diego Comic-con. I’ll be there at the booth for an hour each day to sign the maquettes.
Newsarama: We know that you have a new project coming out from TOKYOPOP; anything else in the works that you’re able to share at the moment?
EW: My small contribution to JLA #0 comes out on July 19th. I have a few other irons in the fire, but right now I’m really trying to just focus on writing and drawing My Dead Girlfriend (my manga for TOKYOPOP) and continue my commitment to the O.C. Those two projects are keeping me very busy.
Newsarama: At www.ericwight.com you took the time to show pieces from an Exiles try-out, as well as some pin-ups you’ve done for friends. Anything interesting coming down the pike in that regard?
EW: I have a backlog of literally hundreds of drawings from the last couple of years that I’ll be posting. Plenty more commissions, behind-the-scene sketches, and designs from unproduced animated television series. I kind of like the idea of not knowing what I’m going to post next. It all just depends on my mood that Monday and if it’s going to be a week about one project or a series of random drawings.
I am also launching www.mydeadgirlfriend.net to serve as a production diary/blog for My Dead Girlfriend. I’ll be posting a lot of exclusive content for my book there that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Finney_portraitFNLtag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Finney_portraitFNLtag_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="247" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Jenny_portraitFNLtag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Jenny_portraitFNLtag_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="247" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Mookie_portraitFNLtag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Mookie_portraitFNLtag_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="247" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a>
</div>
Newsarama: You’re one of the many creators on MySpace (www.myspace.com/ewight, as a matter of fact). How beneficial do you feel that’s been to the promotion of your work?
EW: I’m a total MySpace addict! I’m completely floored by the amount of messages and friend requests I get from all over the world, and think it’s a great tool to get your message out there.
We’d like to thank Mr. Wight for doubling-up and answering all of our questions. Don’t forget to check out his websites; San Diego con-goers can find the maquettes for sale at the Warner Bros. booth.
It was recently announced that Eric Wight has landed a new book at TOKYOPOP, My Dead Girlfriend. Wight, as you may know, really started in animation, working on films like <i>Beavis and Butt-Head Do America</i> and series like <i>Batman Beyond</i> and the sadly never-saw-the-light-of-day animated take on <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>.
Presently, many television viewers see Wight’s art every Thursday night on Fox’s “The O.C.” All those drawings by Seth Cohen? “Atomic County”? It’s all Eric Wight. And now, the “Atomic County” super-heroic versions of the “O.C.’s core four” are available as high quality maquettes via Warner Bros. (with a hand from DC Direct).
We talked to Eric Wight about the maquettes, his involvement with “The O.C.”, and his work on a tiny little July release called Justice League of America #0.
Newsarama: Before we get into the larger topic of “The O.C.” and all that entails, please tell us about your involvement in the new JLA #0. How did you get involved?
Eric Wight: Brad [Meltzer] was looking for someone who could capture the style of Sekowsky’s original run on JLA. Our mutual pal Allan Heinberg sent Brad some of my work, and within a matter of hours I was onboard.
Newsarama: Can you tell us who is featured in your section?
EW: My section is a flashback to the first incarnation of the JLA. Superman has come to the Batcave to try and convince Batman to form the League with him.
Newsarama: Did that section have a personal resonance for you as a fan?
EW: Absolutely! JLA has always been my favorite comic since I was a kid, especially the Sekowsky era. So I was completely geeked out the entire time I was working on it. Perez’s art on Crisis on Infinite Earths and Maguire’s run on JLA were two of first books that made me want to draw comics. So to have their work sandwiched in with mine is pretty humbling.
<center><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA0thumb001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA0thumb001_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="237" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/jla0fnl001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/jla0fnl001_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="237" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA00_01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/JLA00_01_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="237" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a></center>
Newsarama: How did your involvement with “The O.C.” begin?
EW: Again, it was all Allan’s fault! [laughs] At the time he was one of the producers of “The O.C.” He had purchase a page of my art from The Escapist on eBay, and asked if I was interested in becoming the ghost artist for Seth.
Newsarama: Did the writers already have the notion of “Atomic County” and the various heroic identities, or did that come about in collaboration?
EW: It’s definitely collaborative. Usually I get the script pages and then there’s an exchange of ideas via email between Josh Schwartz (the creator), the director, or the other producers writing the specific episode. I’ll springboard ideas with them to try and push the visuals for the biggest impact. The more I’ve worked on the show, the more trust they’ve given me and now I’m really allowed to take the ball and run with it. The producers have been very open-minded and supportive to a lot of my kooky ideas, which has been awesome.
Newsarama: It’s my basic understanding that every time we’ve seen Seth <a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/ACpromoCROP.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/ACpromoCROP_t.jpg" border="0" width="250" height="243" alt="" / align="left"></a>draw, that it’s really a piece that you’ve done. Is that accurate, and how much lead time do you have on something like that?
EW: Everything from Season Two on I created. The only Seth art I didn’t create was a mural of Paris from the first season. There isn’t really much time from when the scripts are completed to when they begin shooting the episode, so usually I only have a couple of days to create the art. And I also have to factor in shipping cross-country, or the time it will take them to manufacture the prop if I’m just sending them digital files.
Newsarama: Seth’s creative journey took a number of episodes. How realistic do you feel the show was in terms of its depiction of his Wildstorm pitches, etc?
EW: Last year at Comic-con I met editor Ben Abernathy from Wildstorm and we had a great laugh about all of that. He told me he got a lot of crap from creators wanting to know why they weren’t put up in romantic bed and breakfasts whenever their meetings were delayed.
The writers definitely took some creative liberties with Seth creating the graphic novel. But let’s face it, I’m not sure how much great television there is watching a guy slave over a drawing board.
Newsarama: Seth goes off to design school next year. Has there been any discussion of you having any artistic involvement in that angle?
EW: I actually just got my first assignment for the new season last week. As long as Seth continues to draw on The O.C., so will I.
Newsarama: You also had a chance to see Rachel Bilson in the Little Miss Vixen outfit in one episode. What was it like seeing one of your designs come to life?
EW: It was pretty surreal. Not as surreal as watching Seth tear up one of the pages of his sketchbook. That pissed me off...(laughs).
Newsarama: Now, tell us about the new set of Atomic County maquettes. How did that come about, and where can fans lay their collective hands on them?
EW: They were created by Warner Bros. with the assistance of DC Direct and are based on my designs for the Atomic County cartoon for Verizon Wireless. They are a really limited run of I think 250 that will be sold at the WB booth at San Diego Comic-con. I’ll be there at the booth for an hour each day to sign the maquettes.
Newsarama: We know that you have a new project coming out from TOKYOPOP; anything else in the works that you’re able to share at the moment?
EW: My small contribution to JLA #0 comes out on July 19th. I have a few other irons in the fire, but right now I’m really trying to just focus on writing and drawing My Dead Girlfriend (my manga for TOKYOPOP) and continue my commitment to the O.C. Those two projects are keeping me very busy.
Newsarama: At www.ericwight.com you took the time to show pieces from an Exiles try-out, as well as some pin-ups you’ve done for friends. Anything interesting coming down the pike in that regard?
EW: I have a backlog of literally hundreds of drawings from the last couple of years that I’ll be posting. Plenty more commissions, behind-the-scene sketches, and designs from unproduced animated television series. I kind of like the idea of not knowing what I’m going to post next. It all just depends on my mood that Monday and if it’s going to be a week about one project or a series of random drawings.
I am also launching www.mydeadgirlfriend.net to serve as a production diary/blog for My Dead Girlfriend. I’ll be posting a lot of exclusive content for my book there that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Finney_portraitFNLtag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Finney_portraitFNLtag_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="247" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Jenny_portraitFNLtag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Jenny_portraitFNLtag_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="247" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a><a href="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Mookie_portraitFNLtag.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/general/wright/Mookie_portraitFNLtag_t.jpg" border="0" width="165" height="247" alt="" / vspace="1" hspace="1"></a>
</div>
Newsarama: You’re one of the many creators on MySpace (www.myspace.com/ewight, as a matter of fact). How beneficial do you feel that’s been to the promotion of your work?
EW: I’m a total MySpace addict! I’m completely floored by the amount of messages and friend requests I get from all over the world, and think it’s a great tool to get your message out there.
We’d like to thank Mr. Wight for doubling-up and answering all of our questions. Don’t forget to check out his websites; San Diego con-goers can find the maquettes for sale at the Warner Bros. booth.