SCOTT McKOWEN: 1602'S COVER STORY

**MattBrady** · 12-03-2003, 07:48 AM

by Rod Weatherbie

From Broadway to the funny pages.

That’s the trip Scott McKowen took when Marvel Comics offered him work on the latest Neil Gaiman project, 1602.

“The project came out of the blue,” he said. “Most of my work is in theatre.”

McKowen illustrates theatre posters for a living. All of this work, including designing publications for the Shaw Festival, he does from his studio in Stratford, Ontario. He has spent the past decade as resident illustrator for Roundabout Theatre in New York City where he recently created the poster for its production of the Harold Pinter play, The Caretaker, starring Patrick Stewart.

He still wonders how people at Marvel knew his name.

“I think someone at Marvel must have seen some of my work for Roundabout in New York,” he said.

That someone was Nick Lowe, assistant editor on the 1602 books.

“I’m a big theatre buff,” Lowe said.

McKowen’s work at the Great Lakes Theatre Festival in Cleveland as well as his Roundabout illustrations caught Lowe’s eye.

The artist uses a unique medium called scratchboard, a technique popular with artists in the period between the two World Wars. Scratchboard is a sheet of stiff cardboard covered with a thin layer of chalk. A layer of black ink is applied and lines are created by scraping off the ink and chalk with an X-Acto knife.

“I knew this project was coming up and I thought of the posters I had seen,” Lowe said.

He didn’t know McKowen’s name so he did a little research and found out who was creating the scratchboard ads for Roundabout.

Lowe showed Marvel editor Joe Quesada and 1602 writer Neil Gaiman some of McKowen’s work. “They both loved it so I called him up.”

“I had heard about Neil Gaiman through his novels,” McKowen said. “But I wasn’t totally familiar with the characters.”

Although he was familiar with Spider-Man, he had never heard of Dr. Strange or Nick Fury. He now knows them intimately after working with Gaiman to produce the covers for the popular series.

McKowen worked closely with Gaiman and 1602 illustrator Andy Kubert to understand the characters’ backgrounds. With that primer in Marvel universe history in mind, McKowen and Kubert read scripts from Gaiman and began their work: McKowen on cover concepts and Kubert on interior art.

“Neil has such a knowledge of not only the Marvel characters and their histories, but of real history, so it makes it easier,” he said.

From there, McKowen said, he works just as he would if he were illustrating a poster for a show; he “distills” the meaning of the script and translates that into art.

Gaiman is delighted with the finished product. “I liked the idea of a more formal style for these books,” he said in a phone interview from Ireland where he is working hard to finish the last installment of the eight-issue series.

When Quesada suggested McKowen as the cover artist, Gaiman agreed. He said McKowen’s illustrations were a stylistic match for the content of the stories.

“I thought of this story shortly after September 11th, and I didn’t want to do anything that included explosions, or airplanes, or skyscrapers,” Gaiman said.

He said he prefers covers that are more metaphorical than literal. Gaiman, Lowe and McKowen’s favorite cover, the one for issue #2, shows the main characters wandering through a hedge maze. The cover for issue #7, out next month, is another McKowen favorite. In it, the stars in the heavens represent the main characters, not all of whom make it to the end alive.

Gaiman expressed an interest in working further with the characters, “maybe in a few years.”

Lowe, on the other hand, was more definitive. “This will not be the last story for these characters,” he said.

Although McKowen “doesn’t expect any further work” from Marvel Comics, Lowe said he’s a joy to work with. “I will definitely work with Scott again.”

mattstev2000 · 12-03-2003, 08:03 AM

The covers are great on this series - the book itself has been fantastic and the covers just add to the prestige feel of it.

A great match for the style of the series - It would be great to see more of Mr. McKowen's covers on other books (I think they would be v. cool on the upcoming JMS Dr. Strange series

)

andycm81 · 12-03-2003, 09:38 AM

This has been a cool series, its a shame its not an ongoing. The art is top class, as is the writing! Cant wait for the next issue!

swol · 12-03-2003, 10:26 AM

Just never picked up the series.
Struck me an another "big event" that in the end would either never be mentioned again or wiped from all the characters memory.

Was I wrong?
What is the jist of this mini-series.
Comments were made that this would impact the regulat MU. Does this seem to be the case or no?

**MattBrady** · 12-03-2003, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by swol
Comments were made that this would impact the regulat MU. Does this seem to be the case or no?

Not looking to pick a fight, but why does that matter so much to you? There have been and are some great Marvel stories out there that have never had repurcussions or been mentioned again in regular MU continuity...

MattB

Pascal · 12-03-2003, 10:37 AM

I declare Marvels's 1602 and DC's FALLEN ANGEL the winners for "Most Beautiful Covers on a Mainstream Book". Well done!

cyclopsfan · 12-03-2003, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MattBrady
Not looking to pick a fight, but why does that matter so much to you? There have been and are some great Marvel stories out there that have never had repurcussions or been mentioned again in regular MU continuity...

MattB

lol matt. like the outcome of you getting in a fight here would ever be in question

Grendel Prime · 12-03-2003, 11:33 AM

Artist Mark Summers uses the scratchboard style as well, and his celebrity portraits are just amazing. Check out his new covers for the Barnes & Noble Library edition of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol (and the very cool alternate cover art). Like McKowen, Summers is also from Ontario, Canada. Maybe Marvel can get Summers to do some cover work, if McKowen is reluctant to return.

Woody · 12-03-2003, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MattBrady
Not looking to pick a fight, but why does that matter so much to you? There have been and are some great Marvel stories out there that have never had repurcussions or been mentioned again in regular MU continuity...

MattB

TROLL! TROLL!

Woody · 12-03-2003, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by swol
Just never picked up the series.
Struck me an another "big event" that in the end would either never be mentioned again or wiped from all the characters memory.

Was I wrong?
What is the jist of this mini-series.
Comments were made that this would impact the regulat MU. Does this seem to be the case or no?

it seems like it will have as much impact on the modern MU as Earth X did.

All the great charecters are involved, It's a really really great story, but the actual long term impact on the "real" MU is probably minimal

GJunkBoy · 12-03-2003, 01:03 PM

This is a great comic I'm glad I picked it up

OM · 12-03-2003, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cyclopsfan
lol matt. like the outcome of you getting in a fight here would ever be in question

...And that's only because he gets his rocks off horning in on my racket :-P

swol · 12-03-2003, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MattBrady
Not looking to pick a fight, but why does that matter so much to you? There have been and are some great Marvel stories out there that have never had repurcussions or been mentioned again in regular MU continuity...

MattB

Actually it's just a matter of conservation of dollars.

If the event has greater impact and will therefore be refered to often, then it increases the reading value to me. An example of this would be DC's Crisis On Infinite Earths.

If the event comes and goes without further reprecussions, it has a lesser value to me. Example: the majority of Marvel's Infinity Mini's.

If the story is good but with minimal reprecussions, it goes on my list of "I'll pick up the trade if I have a few bucks".

That is why it matters to me.

Ian · 12-03-2003, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MattBrady
Not looking to pick a fight, but why does that matter so much to you? There have been and are some great Marvel stories out there that have never had repurcussions or been mentioned again in regular MU continuity...

MattB

No offense Matt, but fanfic is the same way if your criteria is a great story only.

Some people prefer stories set in the MU.

Studio D Comics · 12-03-2003, 05:05 PM

The covers for 1602 are really unique, I love how the scratchboard technique hearkens back to the line art of that era.

later
don

Hdefined · 12-04-2003, 03:14 AM

I don't understand what people think is so amazing about 1602. Marvel characters speaking in 16th century dialect? So? I mean, the series is alright, but really nothing special, nothing deep. At least not when compared to Sandman (and since we're talking Gaiman, what else would you compare it to?)

OM · 12-04-2003, 01:20 PM

...Ok, can someone come up with a brief synopsis of what's been going on in this mini so far? Don't leave out spoilers, but put a warning sticker in big block letters so the whiners don't have a hissyfit :-P

Iron Maiden · 12-04-2003, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OM
...Ok, can someone come up with a brief synopsis of what's been going on in this mini so far? Don't leave out spoilers, but put a warning sticker in big block letters so the whiners don't have a hissyfit :-P

*****>>>> SPOILERS FOR 1602 <<<< *****

Virginia Dare, first European colonial born in the Americas, has come to England to petition for additional aid for her father's colony in the New World. Accompanying her protector/companion Rojhaz, a blonde Native American. Queen Elizabeth I is the reigning monarch who employs Doctor Strange as her Royal Physician and Sir Nicholas Fury as her spymaster. A young lad named Peter Parquah serves as Sir Nicholas's apprentice.

Master Carolus Javier presides over the Select College for the Sons of Gentlefolk in Warwick, England. Most of his charges are the analogs for the original X-Men; Henry McCoy, John (Jean) Grey (she is masquerading as a boy), Angel, Cyclops, and Ice Man. He provides a secret refuge for the Witchbreed (mutants) and is opposed by the Grand Inquisitor (Magneto) in Spain.

The world is beset by strange storms and there is a belief that it is tied to the end of the world. The Knights Templar are trying to transport their mysterious treasure across Europe and into England. Sir Nicholas sends one of his agents, the blind balladeer Matt Murdock to meet the mysterious old man with the treasure. Meanwhile in Latveria, the Count von Doom is tracking the progress of the treasure cart and plots to gain possession of it. Throughtout the story, Matt sings a song about the ill-fated crew of the Fantastick.

The most recent developments are:

The Count von Doom has engineered the assassination of the Queen and is revealed to have at least 3 of the crew of the Fantastic imprisoned in his vaults.

Natasha Romanoff, who was hired to guide Matt on the continent, betrays him to her true master, the Count von Doom.

King James appears to be in a secret alliance with the Grand Inquisitor as he makes plans to ascend to the throne following the Queen's death.

OM · 12-05-2003, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Iron Maiden
*****>>>> SPOILERS FOR 1602 <<<< *****

...Thanks for the recap, which just shows that I'll wait for the TPB to come out. Of course, now what everyone's really waiting for is Cardinal Ximenez to barge through the door and shout "Nobody expects...The Spanish Inquisition!"

Xaraan · 12-06-2003, 07:48 PM

I'm loving the story so far. I'm real curious to see how it ties into the Marvel U, since they said that it was something that would have ramifications in the regular Marvel world. But these covers are awesome. Perfect for the series.