MattBrady
11-14-2002, 09:49 AM
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/acen22cvr.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/acen22cvr_t.jpg" width="175" height="266" alt="American Century #22" border="0" align="right"></a>by Alex Segura Jr.
Still under the radar of many readers, Howard Chaykin and David Tischman’s Vertigo series, American Century continues apace, overlooked by many, while adored by a solid, albeit small, fan community. The creators spoke with Newsarama about upcoming changes in the book that shift the feel of the title somewhat, and have their nomadic hero, Harry Kraft, finally settling down in a job familiar to many in the comic industry.
"Issue #25 is the culmination of events we had planned from the beginning," Tischman said. "In issue #1, Harry Block, our hero, fakes his death and turns his back on the processed American nightmare of the 1950's. He says good-bye to his cheating bitch of a wife, and bails on the draft to Korea, a war he does not believe in.
"He becomes Harry Kraft, a loner, a drifter, a man without a plan, living each day of his life on his own terms. His adventures take him to Guatemala, to Hollywood, and to North Carolina." But after 20-odd issues of Harry the wanderer,
Tischman and Chaykin felt it was high time for Harry to settle and create a regular supporting cast. What's Harry going to be doing? Something close to the hearts of the series’ creators – writing comics for a publisher in New York City.
"We've been working toward the New York arc from day one. You can't do a '50s book without doing New York," Tischman said. "And the 'new direction,' i.e. giving the book a supporting cast, is solely a creative one. Howard and I talked about it, and we wanted to do something a little different with the book and after twenty-four issues of Harry traveling from place to place, settling down for a while seemed like just the thing."
As Tischman sees it, the New York stint is part of Harry's continued growth as a character. “We've been evolving Harry's character - slowly - since issue #1,” the writer said. “It's an organic progression. After the events in North Carolina - falling in love, Paris - his record with the CIA is erased, and Chicago - finally dealing with his wife, Beth, Harry’s literally a new man. He's Harry Kraft. The Korean War - the reason Harry left Chicago - is over. And the stories were telling in New York reflect that."
Telling stories about New York in the 50s comes easily to Chaykin. "I grew up in New York in the '50s and to a great extent, Weegie's photographs are illustrations of the world in which I lived," Chaykin said. "Back then, the city was still the capitol of the world, socially, financially, and culturally and everything about Manhattan was so damned sexy, but that's just one man's opinion."
Having Harry work at a comic book company will allow the creators to build a continuous supporting cast around him, as opposed to revolving rosters of people in each arc. ”The comic book company is a backdrop, but it's also a love letter to the comic book industry and the people who made it great," Tischman explained. "We've got some great characters. Will you recognize some of them? Maybe. So far, it’s been a lot of fun to write.
"We'll be introducing the editorial staff of the comic book company - from editors and artists to secretaries and printers - a group of nice people, or, at last our version of nice people), and our usual cavalcade of pricks," Tischman said. "The first arc deals with midget wrestling, which was hugely popular at the time, the WWE is nothing compared to these guys. And plenty of ladies for Harry; he's playing the field, so look for more than a few one-night stands."
"Wrestlers -both male female and midget- big blondes, showgirls and ponies, ganefs and hustlers and a serious of recognizable fictional versions of people we love and loathe," Chaykin said.
Before Harry starts unpacking his stuff in the Big Apple though, Tischman and Chaykin want to take a look back into the past. The Old West past, specifically. Issue #24 will be a western issue featuring art by John Severin. “If you're doing a western story, there's nobody better on the planet than John Severin," Tischman said. "And Howard's doing a new painted cover for the issue, too. It's really something special."
"I've been involved in so many abortive attempts to do a western over the past few years," Chaykin said. "It was a real treat to finally get something going and as David says, the idea of getting to work with John Severin, a guy whose work I worship, was a lagniappe of enormous proportions."
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/acen21cvr.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/acen21cvr_t.jpg" width="175" height="214" alt="American Century #21" border="0" align="left"></a>While the New York story will take some time, the writers are looking ahead to Harry's future exploits. "After the New York issues, Harry will go back on the road. We've already discussed some ideas," Tischman said. "There's a story set in Florida with the swamps, orchids and a traveling circus; and a New Orleans story set during Mardi Gras. But we're so entrenched in the New York stuff now, we can't even think about that stuff, yet."
"I'm interested in doing an arc in the traveling strip shows and grindhouses," Chaykin said. "As for relatives and backstory, I'd seriously consider doing a flashback of Harry's experiences in WWII."
Though the book remains a critical darling, like most books of late, sales have not been shooting through the roof for American Century, something which both writers are very aware. "The critics have given us great reviews. And what they’re reviewing is a crime book set in the 1950's," Tischman said. "We're doing hardboiled stories with great sex and terrific violence, but there's no capes, no tie-in to the mainstream DC universe, and I don't think you can expect a book like that to do huge numbers in this economy."
Still, the book has a solid following of readers that return each month, and for that the creators are grateful. "We have a hardcore, loyal fan base that buys the book each month because they dig what we're doing. I'm very happy with that," Tischman said. "American Century is not a mainstream superhero book, it's as simple as that. Howard and I, we write stories that we think are fun and interesting, and the people who buy our book appreciate what we're doing.
"We do pretty well with the trade, I don't have exact figures, but our stories are little novels, split up into three or four or five parts, it makes sense for people who enjoy the ride every month to pick up the whole package," Tischman said. "And let's face it; a lot of the market is turning that way."
In the end, Chaykin and Tischman aren't expecting the book to set sales records. It's all about telling a good story, and damn the torpedoes. "I think, like David, that the book is doing as well as it could in this particular climate," Chaykin said. "I've been around long enough to deal with my bitterness over being outsold by crap produced by lowlifes I wouldn't hire as gofers, but hey, that's just one man's opinion."
Still under the radar of many readers, Howard Chaykin and David Tischman’s Vertigo series, American Century continues apace, overlooked by many, while adored by a solid, albeit small, fan community. The creators spoke with Newsarama about upcoming changes in the book that shift the feel of the title somewhat, and have their nomadic hero, Harry Kraft, finally settling down in a job familiar to many in the comic industry.
"Issue #25 is the culmination of events we had planned from the beginning," Tischman said. "In issue #1, Harry Block, our hero, fakes his death and turns his back on the processed American nightmare of the 1950's. He says good-bye to his cheating bitch of a wife, and bails on the draft to Korea, a war he does not believe in.
"He becomes Harry Kraft, a loner, a drifter, a man without a plan, living each day of his life on his own terms. His adventures take him to Guatemala, to Hollywood, and to North Carolina." But after 20-odd issues of Harry the wanderer,
Tischman and Chaykin felt it was high time for Harry to settle and create a regular supporting cast. What's Harry going to be doing? Something close to the hearts of the series’ creators – writing comics for a publisher in New York City.
"We've been working toward the New York arc from day one. You can't do a '50s book without doing New York," Tischman said. "And the 'new direction,' i.e. giving the book a supporting cast, is solely a creative one. Howard and I talked about it, and we wanted to do something a little different with the book and after twenty-four issues of Harry traveling from place to place, settling down for a while seemed like just the thing."
As Tischman sees it, the New York stint is part of Harry's continued growth as a character. “We've been evolving Harry's character - slowly - since issue #1,” the writer said. “It's an organic progression. After the events in North Carolina - falling in love, Paris - his record with the CIA is erased, and Chicago - finally dealing with his wife, Beth, Harry’s literally a new man. He's Harry Kraft. The Korean War - the reason Harry left Chicago - is over. And the stories were telling in New York reflect that."
Telling stories about New York in the 50s comes easily to Chaykin. "I grew up in New York in the '50s and to a great extent, Weegie's photographs are illustrations of the world in which I lived," Chaykin said. "Back then, the city was still the capitol of the world, socially, financially, and culturally and everything about Manhattan was so damned sexy, but that's just one man's opinion."
Having Harry work at a comic book company will allow the creators to build a continuous supporting cast around him, as opposed to revolving rosters of people in each arc. ”The comic book company is a backdrop, but it's also a love letter to the comic book industry and the people who made it great," Tischman explained. "We've got some great characters. Will you recognize some of them? Maybe. So far, it’s been a lot of fun to write.
"We'll be introducing the editorial staff of the comic book company - from editors and artists to secretaries and printers - a group of nice people, or, at last our version of nice people), and our usual cavalcade of pricks," Tischman said. "The first arc deals with midget wrestling, which was hugely popular at the time, the WWE is nothing compared to these guys. And plenty of ladies for Harry; he's playing the field, so look for more than a few one-night stands."
"Wrestlers -both male female and midget- big blondes, showgirls and ponies, ganefs and hustlers and a serious of recognizable fictional versions of people we love and loathe," Chaykin said.
Before Harry starts unpacking his stuff in the Big Apple though, Tischman and Chaykin want to take a look back into the past. The Old West past, specifically. Issue #24 will be a western issue featuring art by John Severin. “If you're doing a western story, there's nobody better on the planet than John Severin," Tischman said. "And Howard's doing a new painted cover for the issue, too. It's really something special."
"I've been involved in so many abortive attempts to do a western over the past few years," Chaykin said. "It was a real treat to finally get something going and as David says, the idea of getting to work with John Severin, a guy whose work I worship, was a lagniappe of enormous proportions."
<a href="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/acen21cvr.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://classic.newsarama.com/DC/acen21cvr_t.jpg" width="175" height="214" alt="American Century #21" border="0" align="left"></a>While the New York story will take some time, the writers are looking ahead to Harry's future exploits. "After the New York issues, Harry will go back on the road. We've already discussed some ideas," Tischman said. "There's a story set in Florida with the swamps, orchids and a traveling circus; and a New Orleans story set during Mardi Gras. But we're so entrenched in the New York stuff now, we can't even think about that stuff, yet."
"I'm interested in doing an arc in the traveling strip shows and grindhouses," Chaykin said. "As for relatives and backstory, I'd seriously consider doing a flashback of Harry's experiences in WWII."
Though the book remains a critical darling, like most books of late, sales have not been shooting through the roof for American Century, something which both writers are very aware. "The critics have given us great reviews. And what they’re reviewing is a crime book set in the 1950's," Tischman said. "We're doing hardboiled stories with great sex and terrific violence, but there's no capes, no tie-in to the mainstream DC universe, and I don't think you can expect a book like that to do huge numbers in this economy."
Still, the book has a solid following of readers that return each month, and for that the creators are grateful. "We have a hardcore, loyal fan base that buys the book each month because they dig what we're doing. I'm very happy with that," Tischman said. "American Century is not a mainstream superhero book, it's as simple as that. Howard and I, we write stories that we think are fun and interesting, and the people who buy our book appreciate what we're doing.
"We do pretty well with the trade, I don't have exact figures, but our stories are little novels, split up into three or four or five parts, it makes sense for people who enjoy the ride every month to pick up the whole package," Tischman said. "And let's face it; a lot of the market is turning that way."
In the end, Chaykin and Tischman aren't expecting the book to set sales records. It's all about telling a good story, and damn the torpedoes. "I think, like David, that the book is doing as well as it could in this particular climate," Chaykin said. "I've been around long enough to deal with my bitterness over being outsold by crap produced by lowlifes I wouldn't hire as gofers, but hey, that's just one man's opinion."