AND THAT'S A WRAP: FRANK CHO ON FINISHING HIS MIGHTY AVENGERS RUN

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Last Thursday, superstar and fan favorite artist Frank Cho contacted us and informed that he’s just finished drawing Mighty Avengers #6. “I regained some of my speed,” he said. “This issue took me a little over 6 weeks to complete instead of my usual 10+ weeks on my previous issues.”

As many fans know, Cho is leaving Mighty Avengers after the sixth issue. Next on his plan is the Mighty Avengers Annual with writer Brian Michael Bendis.

That was then. But how has things changed now that he’s gotten his groove back?

In the following exit interview with Cho, he gave his thoughts on finally completing his last issue of Mighty Avengers, an Avengers spin-off series that was first announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego in 2006 and later debuted in early 2007, and more.

Newsarama: All right, Frank. How has the whole experience with a) Mighty Avengers, and b) the sixth issue, been from start to finish?

Frank Cho: My experience with Mighty Avengers and issue #6 were fun, exciting, grueling and educational. They pushed me, tested me, and made me realize my artistic possibilities and limitations.

NRAMA: Okay, we last spoke around the end of September, so that's week 1 and you said you were starting on issue #6. However, between then and now, that works out to, yeah, slightly over 6 weeks. What got you back in the game then?

FC: Well, to put it bluntly, I had to choose Mighty Avengers over my family life. I put all my side jobs on the back-burner and drastically cut my family time with my wife and kids. I set my wife aside and explained to her the gravity of the situation, and made her understand that I won’t be around for her or the kids until I got issue #6 done. She was very understanding, kept the kids away from me, and completely ran the household single-handedly and freed up extra work time for me.

NRAMA: When you told us that you were leaving Mighty Avengers, you cited having "too much to draw" and "mismanagement of time" as the two of the main challenges with the project. Looking at the pages that you'd sent us, man, there's really a lot to draw. How did you manage both of those factors?

FC: I just sucked it up and did it. I pretty much shut myself in my basement studio the last 2 weeks and cranked out a page a day. Also my friend, Brandon Peterson, was a big help by assisting me with some of the intricate backgrounds.

NRAMA: Did the fact that Brandon Peterson was brought in to provide background art assist help that much?

FC: Oh, yeah. Brandon Peterson saved my ass on issue #6. He flew in for a week and worked with me side by side. It was great. We sat next to each other passing pages back and forth, tag-teaming some of the more complex backgrounds. Brandon was also instrumental in keeping my spirits up throughout the whole run and through some of the most grueling marathon sessions.

NRAMA: What was the collaboration between the two of you like? He's an artist like yourself. Did you provide the layouts and he went to draw the backgrounds? Or did he work on the backgrounds based on Brian's script and you then drew the main figures? What?

FC: I penciled and inked the whole book myself except some of the background which I penciled in the perspective lines and roughly indicating mass. In issue #6, where Ares is flying around inside Ultron, most of the background in the tunnel sequence was done by Brandon.

NRAMA: From the previews, this last chapter looks like it's going to be one all-out action all the way till the end? Did Brian really let you go loose with the pages? Or did he provide detailed fight scenes and panels?

FC: Brian writes a tight and highly detailed script. He had everything planned out from start to finish. But he gave me enough wiggle room to alter the action sequences to make the story flow better visually.

NRAMA: Are you already regretting not being on board for the next arc which'll feature Venom or rather Venoms...?

FC: Yes and no. If you look at my Mighty Avengers issue #7 cover, I really enjoyed drawing Venom. But I knew I was pretty burned out and no way in hell, I could do another epic storyline.

NRAMA: So, what's next for you? Straight to the Mighty Avengers Annual project? Or are you considering doing another future arc?

FC: I’m going to take a month off and make-up for my absence with the family. I’m going to work on Liberty Meadows #38 until Brian sends me the script to Mighty Avengers Annual #1. I’ve talked with Tom Breevort about me being the regular cover artist on Mighty Avengers starting with #12. Aside from those, I have no immediate plans on doing more Mighty Avengers, but Brian and Tom have left the door open for me to come back anytime.

NRAMA: What's it like to be reading and receiving those comments and praises from fellow creators like Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch and Bendis himself on the MillarWorld and JinxWorld forums?

FC: I don’t associate myself with godless sodomites. No, I’m kidding. I’m surprised, happy and grateful for the kind words of support and encouragement from the giants of our field. I have a special spot for Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, since I have copies of their Ultimates book next to my drawing table for inspiration while I was working on Mighty Avengers. I want to go on record that Bryan Hitch is the ____in’ man. He has to be the best interior artist in the business right now. I love how he moves his camera and the way he composes his pictures. And his drawings are always spot on. Great stuff. I can’t wait for their Fantastic Four run.

NRAMA: So, really, what did Brian write in his email to you? Anything that you're able to share with our readers?

FC: Nothing but congratulatory praises for finishing the first story arc… and bi-curious poems. I’m kidding. I’m kidding.

NRAMA: Now that it's all done, what have you discovered about Brian that only you knew about... until now, that is?

FC: He once killed a man in Reno, just to watch him die.

NRAMA: Is he a Skrull?

FC: No, I think he’s a Democrat.

NRAMA: Are you?

FC: No, I’m an Independent.

NRAMA: And that's a wrap! Any last words till next time we chat?

FC: I just want to thank everyone for reading and supporting Mighty Avengers, and making this one of the best experiences of my life.

[Crump's Brother]

I will pick this arc up in trade, and I cannot wait for new Liberty Meadows. Been too long, Frank! BRAAAAAAAAADY!

[btjs]

I think it's a shame he couldn't continue as the regular artist. And for as much of an unacceptable cluster____ as I find Bendis' Avengers timeframe to be nowadays, at least they didn't postpone the arc's conclusion for six to eight months like DC and then bring on some ____ing filler in the next issue with no explanation.

I was so hoping Bagley would be the regular artist, but alas...

[TheJerkle]

I will miss naked Ultron.

[Marius665]

hope he comes back one day, maybe him and Terry Dodson can rotate like they did on Marvel Knight's Spider-Man

[El Argentino]

Amazing art to be eclipsed with infinite ballons dialogue..... ; )

A!

[markfdavis]

Since Bendis had Cho on the art, I'm sure that's why he created a female Ultron.

www.grandcanyoncomics.com

[khamla]

Man I would hate to be a comic book artist. You simply get burned out!

[Stormbreaker]

Looks great. I'm not keen on the writing here (Bendis does New Avengers so much better, oddly enough, and who cares about Tits McGee Ultron when we can get old-school, @$$kicker Ultron over in Annihilation: Conquest? Exactly) but I'll pick this issue up to see how Ultron gets into space.

I'll be dropping the series after this issue, though. I might drop NA as well, but that's still up for grabs.

[Korvac]

MA was twice as enjoyable as NA, with respect to both writing and art. I'll miss Cho's pencils!

[WildcardZ]

I will miss his art, but at least he stepped aside instead of trying to do another arc and draggin it out. I really want to know who is taking over after Bagley's arc.

[Comic2read]

Somehow as Frank Cho applies varying pressure on the ink, he's creating a pattern, a wave that is pleasurable to the human mind. The same way Mozart was said to create a musical pattern pleasurable to the mind. It's a gift he has.

You can tell he was under pressure drawing Mighty Avengers because his inking was tight. If you look at a Brandy drawing he did when he said he had drank, it's a loose fun inking style.

I think the best projects for him are the ones where there is no pressure nor strict deadlines. When he's having fun it shows in his inking. Covers will reflect this.

[Monsai]

Would you look at the smoke on the venom cover!!! Man! that's detail.

[Batman1983]

Naked Ultron? Ok I thought Sentry just ripped Spider-Woman's head off. That makes a little more sense.

[ArchonComics]

Cho is one of the best IMHO. Pick up Liberty Meadows if you haven't yet!

[McEddard]

Am I the only one who doesn't understand why guys like Kirby, Adams, Romita, Kubert and so on could turn out a monthly book on time, and alot of artists today can't? I'm all for quality, but it seems like some of these guys are becoming prima donnas.

[Sluggo]

I'll probably get this once it comes out in paperback form. I got the first issue, enjoyed it, got the second, realized it was going to be more of Bendis stretching a three issue story into six issues to fit a trade and gave it up.

I don't really like Bendis's writing anymore, especially on the Avengers and I don't care for this line-up, but I can't deny that it looks like a fun, breathless, read-it-in-one-sitting thrill ride.

I have no interest in New Avengers anymore, however, and hope that I'll be able to enjoy this book in trade without being lost.

[Sluggo]

Originally Posted by McEddard

Am I the only one who doesn't understand why guys like Kirby, Adams, Romita, Kubert and so on could turn out a monthly book on time, and alot of artists today can't? I'm all for quality, but it seems like some of these guys are becoming prima donnas.

And the word of the day is "Bingo!"

However, I will say that those old days were very different. Guys were not as into spending quality time with their families, and many of them were immigrants or came from immigrant families where a very strong work ethic borne of the Depression and other factors came into play.

Not really excusing the prima donnas (though I hardly think that Cho is the most egregious example of such) and Kirby, Adams, Romita and Kubert, et al. were all complete badasses, but it is an explanation.

[IronWolf]

I have a great deal of respect for comic book artist , its a job that sounds like fun but once you get down to it is Hard Freeking Work. Frank is one of my faves love the way he draws women LOVE THE WAY HE DRAWS WOMEN! and i think he has done a great job on mighty its to bad he just could not keep up. Also thanks to this interview i have gained just an astronomical amount of respect for George Perez when Cho said "There was too much to Draw" my mind just shot to all the Perez pages where he had like a bazzillion characters running around Fantastic artist Much respect due! and Frank i will miss the ass shots most of all :-}

[Dr. Crane]

Who's gonna be the new artist?

Honestly I felt that Cho was never right for this book. His art just wasn't dynamic or kinetic enough for a super-hero book. Just my opinion is all.

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by McEddard

Am I the only one who doesn't understand why guys like Kirby, Adams, Romita, Kubert and so on could turn out a monthly book on time, and alot of artists today can't? I'm all for quality, but it seems like some of these guys are becoming prima donnas.

While I agree with your point to an extent, there are reasons why it takes longer now.

Back in the day (he said, puffing on his pipe and swaying back and forth in his rocking chair) pencillers didn't draw as much detail or pencil as tightly as they do today. A lot of stuff (spotting blacks, line weight, establishing light source) was left to the inker. And since it generally takes less time to ink a page than to pencil it, the division of labor resulted in a quicker turnaround.

These days many mainstream/superhero pencillers pack a much greater (and, in many cases, excessive and unnecessary) amount of detail into their work. They also pencil everything so tightly that inkers are almost unnecessary, essentially reducing them to tracers. Personally, I think it comes down to a difference in philosophy. Before the Image explosion and the speculator boom, the comics industry saw itself as a commercial periodical publishing business, which made meeting deadlines priority number one. Over the last couple of decades, the perspective seems to have shifted and its now viewed more as a commercial art business, which seems to have made the demand for a reliable supply of product secondary to aesthetic perfection (or as close as they can get). Thus, more blown deadlines. Basically it's a practical example of the old "do you want it right or do you want it right now" dilemma.

And then there's the fact that in the current marketplace, comic book artists are finding themselves with a lot more outlets for their work (video games, animation, TV, etc.) and so some of them might be be over-committing their time, not focusing as much time on doing comics, putting their comics assignments second to other stuff, and thus missing deadlines.

As someone who's worked most of my adult life in deadline-oriented editorial and production settings, I can't say I think any of that excuses not delivering on a promised deadline. But the editors and publishers themselves seem to have accepted it as a natural part of the process now and, as long as that's the case, there's not much to be done except wait.

[Lucky Luke]

Originally Posted by McEddard

Am I the only one who doesn't understand why guys like Kirby, Adams, Romita, Kubert and so on could turn out a monthly book on time, and alot of artists today can't? I'm all for quality, but it seems like some of these guys are becoming prima donnas.

Because not all people are the same, and they can't draw the same.

Drawing is a talent, it's not something you can easily learn like read and write. You either have it, or you don't.

Each artist has his own style, and depending on his style, he can draw really fast or really slow. That's why some artists can't draw as fast as others.

Although many on this board would want you to believe it, comic books are not an industry, but it is a profession that sometimes plays by the rules of an industry. Specifically, in the case of Marvel and DC. In my opinion, a thing like deadlines shouldn't even exist in comic books. I always say: It's done when it's done.

People like to read stories of their favorite characters, but they should also learn to respect those who make those stories.

[Weiser_Cain]

And I'm done buying mighty avengers(all good things). I wonder if I could use my internet magic to get him to draw the batwoman comics?

[kalorama]

Originally Posted by Dr. Crane

Who's gonna be the new artist?

It was going to be Mark Bagley (for at least one arc). I'm not sure if the recent announcement of his deal with DC will have any effect on that, however.

[Marius665]

Originally Posted by kalorama

It was going to be Mark Bagley (for at least one arc). I'm not sure if the recent announcement of his deal with DC will have any effect on that, however.

Mark Bagley is the artist for the Venom story line and he has been done with the arc for a few months now, it's just been waiting for Cho to catch up, as of who the next artist is after i'm not sure