THE PUBLISHING GAUNTLET: INSIDE UDON'S EXALTED COMIC

**MattBrady** · 05-17-2005, 10:03 AM

by Jim Zubkavich

The Publishing Gauntlet – Part One

Behind the scenes, comics are a pretty chaotic business. Whether it’s the bureaucracy of the big two or the added responsibilities that go with self-publishing, getting a book off to press each time is a bit like running the gauntlet.

My name’s Jim Zubkavich. Most of my friends and colleagues just call me ‘Zub’. I’m a project manager and artist at Udon, the guys that produce the Street Fighter and Darkstalkers comic series.

What kind of hoops do you have to jump through in order to make a new comic a reality, let alone one involving a licensed property? What sort of deadlines, marketing considerations and creative decisions bring it to the comic book shops? In a market where everyone is fighting for shelf space and a piece of a seemingly ever-dwindling pie, why would anyone risk launching something new? I thought I knew the answers when I started on this book but now that I’m in the thick of it, I’m learning a lot more.

This is the first in a series of articles detailing the ups and downs involved in launching a new comic. Behind the press releases and public faces are a host of pitfalls and strange moments that crop up before a comic shows up in stores. I may ramble at times, tripping into diatribe about the industry, but I hope you enjoy the ride anyways.

Okay, with the intro stuff out of the way let’s get into it.

This fall, Udon is launching an epic fantasy comic called Exalted. Exalted is based on a hugely successful role-playing game published by White Wolf, the second biggest RPG publisher in the industry. Thousands of Exalted fans voraciously eat up the sourcebooks and fiction in a half dozen languages worldwide. It’s a visually impressive, engrossing and well thought out setting that’s ripe with story concepts.

With credentials like that, we’re hopeful that the series really takes off. Of course, in the current market there’s no product that’s a “sure thing” this side of All-Star Batman & Robin.

Fantasy as a successful genre in the North American comic industry hasn’t got the best rep. It’s hard to even list 10 good fantasy comics... ever. Let’s see... there’s Conan’s several incarnations, Bone, um... Tellos, Dungeons & Dragons, four CrossGen titles, maybe Red Sonja... Battle Chasers? I’m sure readers will leap the defense of their favorite fantasy epic that I missed here, but in all seriousness it is a pretty dilapidated showing. Fantasy fans haven’t had a decent slate of comic book sword & sorcery in a long time. In the same way that super hero novels get ghettoized to the Fantasy and Science Fiction section of your favorite book stores (unless you’re lucky enough to have a Graphic Novel section) fantasy in comic books is somewhat of a novelty. Tucked off in its own little corner plugging away, it gets mulched by the farm combine that is Ultimate X-Bat-Spider-Super-Man/Men and Friends.

Which isn’t to say that I think Exalted is some sort of savior sent down from the powers above. I bring this up because launching a new fantasy series would seem a pretty shaky proposition. And it is. Which brings me to my first major point:

Publishing a new comic is partially about looking carefully at the market and partially about having faith in your creative team and your product. Walking that tightrope between the two can be perilous.

I’ll get back to that in a sec. I told you this would ramble.

The whole idea of doing the comic itself was a bit of lucky timing and a couple contacts.

Most people don’t realize that Udon does a lot more than just comic books. Our artists provide artwork for video games, animation productions, book covers, card games, magazines and RPGs. Quite a few Udon artists don’t do any work on our comics at all and are quite content contributing full time on various other projects.

Udon has had a strong relationship with White Wolf for quite some time. We started providing artwork for the Exalted RPG line in its second year and are currently working on a multitude of Exalted covers and interior artwork.

When one of the reps at White Wolf called last summer to ask some questions about the comic industry, my curiosity was piqued. After playfully jabbing them for more info, I found out that they were putting together a series of pitch packages to entice publishers to snag the licenses for their various RPG lines and turn them into comics. I gave them some stats on the industry at that time and a short list of people they might want to contact. I also mentioned off the cuff that if anyone wanted to do an Exalted comic, we’d be first in line to provide the art chores. Then I went back to my work and didn’t think much of it.

Later on that week when I mentioned the conversation to my boss, Erik Ko, his right eyebrow shot up in a familiar “Is that so?” angle.

Erik: “They’ve got a bunch of fans for those Exalted books, don’t they?”

Jim: “Yeah. They’re really rabid for the stuff. It’s anime fantasy jacked up with crazy visuals. Who wouldn’t like it?”

Erik: “You know… that would probably sell pretty well. Why don’t we publish it?”

*pause*

Jim: “Good question. Why don’t we?”

They knew us, knew the quality of our artwork and that we had a strong handle on the setting material. We decided to meet at GenCon in Indianapolis to discuss the ins and outs of it. I was planning to attend the show to promote the studio anyways, making it even easier to set up.

Let’s talk about that tightrope of business and creative desires again.

From the business side of things, we wanted to pick up the license for Exalted because there’s a thriving built-in audience for the material. In addition, White Wolf wanted to work with a company to help market the book to their fans here and abroad. It was also enticing because even if a comic reader isn’t familiar with Exalted, anime-themed eye-popping visuals can warrant a decent browsing in a comic book store.

From the creative side of things, we had people at the studio that enjoyed the property and would be inspired to create material for it. It wouldn’t just be about mechanically getting each issue out the door, we had a genuine desire to create something special.

Breaking it down in those ways, Exalted looked like a pretty good prospect on both fronts, even if it would be an underdog in the superhero dominated market. So in mid-August we sat down for a business lunch a few blocks away from the con and talked about what each of us wanted out of the comic series.

White Wolf was looking for:
- A way to promote their RPG line on a monthly basis, giving their fans ideas and kick ass visuals to help inspire even more excitement for Exalted and, in turn, generate more sales.
- Stories that reinforced the unique aspects of the world and showcased them to new readers.
- A way to strengthen the branding of their signature characters.
- A team who would take the time to follow the setting material closely and represent the world faithfully.

Udon was looking for:
- Another comic to strengthen and diversify our publishing brand beyond the Capcom-based titles.
- A comic that we would enjoy working on as creators.
- Something that could establish a good market niche for itself and build a decent sized audience.
- A visually interesting comic that could grab new readers outside of our current fan base.
- A license with established fans that would be interested in reading a comic based on that brand.

Seems like a perfect fit, eh? There was only one snag at this early stage. The signature characters that White Wolf wanted us to focus in on had very specific histories which were already well established. We were worried that new readers would find the amount of previously set character history as a hurdle to understanding the world of Exalted. We were also worried that we’d just be parroting stories that fans had already read about. We didn’t want the comic to be an adaptation of things already set in stone. Generally speaking, a creative team wants to actually create things not just connect the dots.

On the flip side of that coin, White Wolf builds their brand around a world and a set of established characters. Throwing those characters out the window flies in the face of good business sense and risks fans being disappointed that they don’t get to read about the heroes and villains they’ve come to enjoy from the books. White Wolf had previously licensed a few of their brands to another comic company in the late nineties and fans hadn’t responded as well to the entirely new material that was created for it.

Good points on both sides, but it didn’t feel like there was any middle ground. We didn’t want to intimidate new readers or thread stories through a maze of canon content. They didn’t want us to ditch the characters that were a strong part of Exalted’s recognizable brand. We left the meeting with an agreement to talk about it more when we got home.

In the next article I’ll cover the compromise that got us over the first hump and the down and dirty side of contract negotiation.

Blablabla · 05-17-2005, 11:18 AM

Looks interesting enough to try

CarlBowen · 05-17-2005, 11:34 AM

Let me chime in here and say that we here at White Wolf Publishing, Inc. are all really excited about the work UDON is doing on this comic. A lot of hard work is going into each and every issue, and some truly beautiful stuff is coming out of it. We've been really proud of the Exalted setting and characters since their inception, of course, but we sometimes pause to wonder if they would have gotten quite as far as they have today -without- UDON's stellar art--both inside and on the covers. (Somehow we don't think so.) This summer and this fall, make it a point to check these comics out. You won't be disappointed.

Carl Bowen
White Wolf Publishing, INC

PS: And on a different note, check out some of the Exalted fiction at your local bookstore when you get a chance. You can recognize it by the fantastic UDON cover work (some of which is sampled in this very article). The novels take the time and space to delve deeper into the rich history and detail of the Exalted setting--time which isn't always as available (or entirely necessary) in a comic series. If you like one, the novels or the comics, we're sure you'll like the other as well.

Crusader · 05-17-2005, 11:47 AM

This blurb was in the other Exalted thread:

Quote:

Exalted is an anime- and manga-inspired storytelling game set in the Second Age of Man (a time long before our own), when divine heroes are reborn into a time of tumult. Combining the best elements of the sword-and-sorcery, epic fantasy, and wuxia martial-arts genres, Exalted has been dazzling fans since its release in 2001.

But beyond this, what is Exalted all about? How does it differ from other RPG worlds, like The Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance? And who are the signature characters that the article mentions?

Exalted seems cool, but I'd like to see some type of "Exalted Primer" to learn more about it.

JdRavnos · 05-17-2005, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Crusader
This blurb was in the other Exalted thread:

But beyond this, what is Exalted all about? How does it differ from other RPG worlds, like The Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance? And who are the signature characters that the article mentions?

Exalted seems cool, but I'd like to see some type of "Exalted Primer" to learn more about it.

A very basic primer of Exalted.

Long ago the gods and the five elemental dragons created heroes by imbuing their power into humans. The Dragons created the Dragonblooded, the weakest but most numerous of the Exalted. The Five Maidens created the prophetic Sideral Exalted. Luna blessed the shapechaging Lunar Exalts. And the Unconquered Sun created the greatest of champions, the Solar Exalted. The Solars ruled and created a great age of mankind. The Lunars acted as their escorts, the Sideral's were advisors, and the Dragonblooded were shock troops.

Unfortnetly the Sideral had a great vision of the future and feared the Solars were destined to become corrupted by a great curse placed upon them by their enemies. So the Sideral began to manipulate the Dragonblooded. They convinced them that the Dragonblooded were true gods and the Solars were evil. The Dragonblooded eventually fought and destroyed the Solars, the Lunars ran away to the edge of the world and the Sideral hid their existance. The Dragonblooded ruled, led by the Scarlet Emperess, wiped out any Solars that reincarnated, and for the most part things were ok, though much of the wonders of the first age were lost.

But then it all hit the fan. New Exalted, called the Abyssals appeared, serving death and oblivion. The Scarlet Emperess disappeared, leaving the Dragonblooded to fight amongst themselves for power. And now, the Solars have returned...

Seriously there's a lot more to it, but that's kinda of the history in a nut shell.

Zubkavich · 05-17-2005, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Crusader

How does it differ from other RPG worlds, like The Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance?

Here's how developer John Chambers briefly describes the differences:

"Almost every fantasy game can directly trace itself back to The Lord of the Rings. Exalted, however, draws its inspiration from Western and Eastern sources both older and more recent.

The first major influence are the ancient epics of the West and the East: The Ramayana, The Iliad, Journey to the West, The Arabian Nights, etc. All feature larger-than-life heroes capable of laying waste to nations and challenging the might of the gods themselves.

The second source is pulp fiction. This genre includes the pre-Tolkien fantasy produced by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber and Michael Moorcock, which birthed Tarzan, Conan, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and Elric.

The final source of inspiration for Exalted are Asia’s over-the-top manga, anime, video games and wuxia films, which are just now finding a large American following. More than the rest, it is this last source that differentiates Exalted from its competitors."

I hope that helps you get a bit better sense of the flavor we're drawing upon.

unlinear · 05-17-2005, 01:25 PM

My wife's an Exalted nut, however I did run a shortlived game with her for a while so I'll chime in on what makes it different.

First of all, the speed and excitement of the battles. It's a slightly complex system but it makes for battles right out of anime: lots of jumping around and stunting. Think Burlyman Brawl from the Matrix, or for that matter any of the Matrix fighting scenes. Think punching someone several times in mid jump, turning around and then slicing someone in half with a sword that's larger than you.

I guess the main difference 'd be that and the more story driven, smarter story parts (ofcourse that's up to the Storyteller).

Bakema NL · 05-17-2005, 01:57 PM

Looks very interesting, I will definitely check it out.

And yeah, nice fantasy comics.....you named a few......and yeah, you missed some maybe............let's see........

Elfquest
John Carter (sf maybe, but I think it's more like fantasy)
Weird tales (I treasure that John Buscema series)

And there's probably a lot more. But you are right, the genre is underrated in American comics.

Derek Ruiz · 05-17-2005, 02:27 PM

I've wanted to see this as a comic since Dreamwave did the ads for it.

Altercator · 05-17-2005, 03:42 PM

Any connections with White Wolf's World of Darkness? Or is it separate from that series?

Quote:

It’s hard to even list 10 good fantasy comics... ever. Let’s see... there’s Conan’s several incarnations, Bone, um... Tellos, Dungeons & Dragons, four CrossGen titles, maybe Red Sonja... Battle Chasers

Don't forget Artesia.

WWBrian · 05-17-2005, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Altercator
Any connections with White Wolf's World of Darkness? Or is it separate from that series?

Nope. Not set in the WoD at all. Totally separate.

Check it out Carl, you're not the only WW shill here anymore!

Buy Exalted!

BWAHA!

-Brian

JdRavnos · 05-17-2005, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Altercator
[b]Any connections with White Wolf's World of Darkness? Or is it separate from that series?

That's a question that has launched a thousand flame wars.

When the game was first advertised, there was an ad campaign that said "Before the World of Darkness there was something else." You see Exalted was originally conceived as a fantasy version of the WoD's prehistory. However the game changed a lot between original conception and the final release. But some of those elements still remain. Lunars are shapeshifters like Werewolves, the Fair Folk somewhat resemble the fairies of Changeling: the Dreaming, the process of Exalting is similar to Hunter: the Reckoning's imbuing, etc.

However in general the similarities are fleeting and most writers play down any connection and say things like "If you want to make them connected in your game, knock yourself out, but that's really not what we're going for." And as more books come out, the game does more and more to distance itself from the World of Darkness and has become it's own entity.

NeoSamurai · 05-17-2005, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Nope. Not set in the WoD at all. Totally separate.

That's the easy answer. Exalted is for the most part a different game and setting with largely different themes, but it is not totally seperate--although there is enough of a distinction between the two settings they have some relation.

Exalted occurs during the Age of Sorrows which is one of the possible origins to the World of Darkness (which incarnation--who knows?).

Familiarity with WoD is not necessary to understand and enjoy Exalted.

Zubkavich · 05-17-2005, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bakema NL

Elfquest

Crap, Elfquest is a big one I missed... I knew I'd forget something.

If you want similar fun, try naming a dozen big budget fantasy movies, let alone decent ones. It's equally as tough:

- 3 Lord of the Rings movies
- 2 Conan films
- Dragonslayer
- Dragonheart
- Ladyhawke
- Legend
- Excalibur

Maybe if you add in Muppet-tastic ones like
- Labyrinth
- The Dark Crystal

reddragon1978 · 05-17-2005, 05:08 PM

Fantasy does get its moments...but for the most part its non existant.

Myself...I was mad that Battle Chasers did not continue. Myself I think the creator wanted to pursue something else and dropped Battle Chasers?

JOE MAD....WHY...WHY...OH WHY!!!

Too bad Image or Dynamite or Dark Horse could not pursuade Joe Mad to let them continue Battle Chasers!!!

Conan, Red Sonja both I'm pulling for!!

Also Sojourn was my late fix of fantasy...but maybe it'll return?

Exalted looks very promising! Udon Studio people please I will buy this fantasy book but please please please do everything in your power to keep this book afloat...if it ain't selling well get new writers, artist....a whole new creative team...anything to keep this alive!!!!

I always love the fantasy books at the bookstore...George RR Martin...Terry Goodkind...Michelle West...just to name a few....

Maybe Udon could get a fantasy writer from one of the major fantany companies like Daw...Tor...and so on to do a stand alone story arc...or a stand alone issue?

JdRavnos · 05-17-2005, 05:18 PM

I'm curious if the book is majorly succesful (I'm not going to take any bets either way) if they'll do other spinoff books (ongoing or minis) to cover other aspects of the Age of Sorrows. Stuff like the Alchemical or Abyssal Exalted would be well suited to a mini-series.

The Rich · 05-17-2005, 05:26 PM

This is great for WW hooking up with UDON for the comics, they will sale and bring in new fans. Go out and buy the books and novels, espically the novels. The pic in the article thats just pencils is a cover to an upcomming novel so go out and cop it one of my former teachers wrote it.

Bakema NL · 05-17-2005, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zubkavich
Crap, Elfquest is a big one I missed... I knew I'd forget something.

If you want similar fun, try naming a dozen big budget fantasy movies, let alone decent ones. It's equally as tough:

- 3 Lord of the Rings movies
- 2 Conan films
- Dragonslayer
- Dragonheart
- Ladyhawke
- Legend
- Excalibur

Maybe if you add in Muppet-tastic ones like
- Labyrinth
- The Dark Crystal

Movies are even harder I think.

Again you forgot one..........Willow.
And how about the great Robin hood tv-series, lots of fantasy elements, I really liked that one....English series, with music by Clannad.

Peter Svensson · 05-17-2005, 06:59 PM