RON GARNEY: DRAWING SON OF HULK

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

At Sunday's Mondo Marvel panel at Wizard World L.A., the next project for current Wolverine artist Ron Garney was announced, as the penciler will be taking on a new character in the series Skaar: Son of Hulk by writer Greg Pak.

Newsarama talked to Garney about the opportunity to define the look of Skaar, why this project is attractive to him, and what we can expect from the visual tone of the comic.

Newsarama: We talked to you once about what you like to draw, and you said that you really like drawing the Hulk. You even said an issue of Hulk was your favorite issue you'd ever drawn. So this new project is right up your alley, isn't it?

Ron Garney: Yeah, I love drawing the Hulk. It was one of my favorite characters to draw. When I was first offered Son of Hulk, I really wasn't sure because it was such an unknown thing, and I hadn't read World War Hulk yet. So when they told me Skaar: Son of Hulk, I thought it was S-C-A-R. So I thought it sounded kind of corny. [laughs] I was like, "Scar is his name?" But then I realized it was S-K-A-A-R, and I also got the idea of the story. So it's a lot more interesting than I initially thought.

And the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of drawing something different. He's sort of a Conan the Barbarian-meets-the-Hulk character. I haven't really drawn anything like that yet in my career, so it sounded interesting to me.

NRAMA: You did the Hulk before, right?

RG: I did. I drew the Hulk for 21 issues.

NRAMA: So you're sort of returning to the character – at least a spin-off.

RG: Yeah, in a way I am. Hulk was always a character I wanted to draw when I came back to Marvel. He's one of the Marvel icons, and he's just one of the most unique characters, I think, ever created in comics. It was just so much fun to draw a big green thing smashing things up. This is sort of a return to that, although it's something new, and that's kind of cool because I'll be the first guy to draw this character who now exists in the Marvel Universe, you know? And I don't know if my sensibilities about drawing the Hulk 10 years ago will come into this. It may change, but I'm definitely excited to get back into that mindset I was in when I first did the original character.

NRAMA: You aren't designing Skaar, right?

RG: He's already been designed. There's an existing design already, and they sent me some illustrations, and it's a cool-looking character. It's got that Conan feel, like Conan if he had been irradiated.

NRAMA: I know you're finishing up your Wolverine story with Jason Aaron, but have you started drawing this yet series?

RG: No, so I'm not sure where the story's going to go at this point. I know that it's going to be mostly taking place on his planet, but I'm sure he'll make his way to earth at some point. I would love to see him meet up with his father, and I think there have been some discussions of that.

NRAMA: Well, Skaar: Son of Hulk has got to meet, Hulk... don't you think?

RG: Of course. Yes!

NRAMA: Would you be looking forward to a confrontation between father and son?

RG: Absolutely. And I would like to see this character take on some of the other Marvel characters. It would be interesting for him to appear in the Universe and take on the Thing or someone. Now there would be someone like the Hulk that the Thing could actually beat. [laughs] Maybe Ben Grimm could whoop 'im. Who knows?

NRAMA: What type of visual tone are you hoping to bring to the character and the comic? Do you have some ideas, having seen the character's initial design?

RG: Yeah. I guess the challenge for me, and what I have been thinking about -- it's been sort of brewing in the back of my mind -- is how I'm going to make him more enigmatic than the Hulk himself. Because you really run the risk of it being a watered down version of the original character. And for me, the trick is, you know, you can put tattoos all over him and have him swing big axes, but there should be something in his attitude and demeanor that will bring about that feeling. That's the challenge here, is to make him as interesting as his father.

'Cause when you think of the Hulk, you can't help but think in terms of awe-inspiring power, the most powerful creature in the Marvel Universe, basically. As his son, how is he going to stack up against that? For me, that's the challenge. Visually I have to convey that feeling. I have to make him feel as enigmatic as his father.

NRAMA: Well, assuming that he finds out the story of his origin, which would certainly make sense as the story continues, he certainly has motivation for being upset.

RG: Yeah, definitely. But it's not just about the anger. Sometimes anger can make a character can make a character lose their sense of majesty and awe. Sometimes being angry can make a character look weaker. You have to be careful.

NRAMA: So you have to add a little bit of calmness and determination to actually emphasize their strength?

RG: Right. I think so. The Hulk, when he gets angry, it's a different kind of thing usually. It's not an anger that's set in any kind of spite. It's just pushing the wrong buttons with this character in that moment. So with Skaar, you have a character who's got all these issues, and if you focus too much on a character like that being angry all the time, you could end up seeing an episode of ... you know... Jerry Springer or something. [laughs] It can end up making them look weak. You don't want to do that. You want to still have a sense of control. Some kind of control over that rage that makes them seem more powerful.

NRAMA: After reading his Hulk stories, are you looking forward to working with Greg Pak?

RG: Oh yeah. It was one of the books this year that I opened up one page and I couldn't wait to get to the next page all the way through. It was so much fun to read. I'm really looking forward to it. I really enjoyed his writing.

NRAMA: Just as a last question, what do you hope to give Marvel fans who pick up this series and give it a chance?

RG: I hope to give the fans the best I can give them. I'm going to try to give them something that allows them to escape into this character's world visually, as best I can.

[Marius665]

Garney! Now I'm for sure getting this

[gsam4ever]

I wasn't going to pick this up but I'm suddenly thinking that this might be good. Garney's art has improved A LOT in the last few years and I think the concept has potential. I just hope that he stays off Earth for awhile. Once he gets here, I think it will turn the book into something ordinary.

[Harmful]

Nooooo! Can't we keep a quality artist on Wolverine for more than half a dozen issues? Here I thought we'd finally found the perfect guy to draw Logan, and he's bailing already? So lame.

[Kahn]

I don't remember who the original artist announced was, but yeah, Garney's on, and I'll give it a shot.

[Bird Flu Man]

Originally Posted by Kahn

I don't remember who the original artist announced was, but yeah, Garney's on, and I'll give it a shot.

I think it was Carlo Pagulayan (the original Planet Hulk artist) -- but Garney is a fine replacement. I hope Garney is looking over old issues of Planet Hulk and the Gladiator Guidebook to get an idea of the look Pagulayan established for the planet.

[eltopo]

I'm a big fan of Garney but I still could care less about this book.It just reminds me of WWH and I'm trying to forget that mess

[Beezer210]

This is going to at least be worth a leaf-through.

One thing made me chuckle, though, not to disrespect Ron Garney, but I learned something from him.

SCAR = CORNY
SKAAR = INTERESTING

Changing the letters but keeping the same sound has the inherent ability to make something more interesting. I'm going to start doing that. I am drinking a KANN of SOUDAR.

[Corpulent1]

Originally Posted by eltopo

I'm a big fan of Garney but I still could care less about this book.It just reminds me of WWH and I'm trying to forget that mess

Reminds me more of Planet Hulk, which was much, much better than WWH, so I'm down. Plus, Garney's one of my favorite artists. Win/win!

[Edogawa1983]

Originally Posted by Harmful

Nooooo! Can't we keep a quality artist on Wolverine for more than half a dozen issues? Here I thought we'd finally found the perfect guy to draw Logan, and he's bailing already? So lame.

cough, McNiven is doing 8 issues after Garney...

[Bob LeFevre]

I'll getting this one too. It just looks fantastic!!!

[Fugu]

Originally Posted by Beezer210

This is going to at least be worth a leaf-through.

One thing made me chuckle, though, not to disrespect Ron Garney, but I learned something from him.

SCAR = CORNY
SKAAR = INTERESTING

Changing the letters but keeping the same sound has the inherent ability to make something more interesting. I'm going to start doing that. I am drinking a KANN of SOUDAR.

LMAO.

[spidertour02]

I had heard the Pagulayan had't started on the book yet, months after he was supposed to, and now this. Is Pagulayan done at Marvel or something? This seems like a big story, yet he wasn't even mentioned in the article ...

[kalorama]

I really enjoy Garney's work and like his previous Hulk run. I'll give this a shot if he's going back to his "normal" style and not the "open for color" rendering he's using on Wolverine which, to me, eliminates much of the character and substance of his drawing

[Electrohead]

Pagulayan is still doing Incredible Hercules right??

[BanMan]

Originally Posted by spidertour02

I had heard the Pagulayan had't started on the book yet, months after he was supposed to, and now this. Is Pagulayan done at Marvel or something? This seems like a big story, yet he wasn't even mentioned in the article ...

Nope Pagulayan just did the New Avenger Annual and he also did some pages in Iron Man: DoS, iirc.

[alaska1125]

Originally Posted by Beezer210

This is going to at least be worth a leaf-through.

One thing made me chuckle, though, not to disrespect Ron Garney, but I learned something from him.

SCAR = CORNY
SKAAR = INTERESTING

Changing the letters but keeping the same sound has the inherent ability to make something more interesting. I'm going to start doing that. I am drinking a KANN of SOUDAR.

Hee hee...I had the exact same thought!

[DaVeO]

Originally Posted by eltopo

I'm a big fan of Garney but I still could care less about this book.It just reminds me of WWH and I'm trying to forget that mess

Yeah, the story that breathed new life into the character was a real stinker. No one liked it. Honestly, I swear people like the same old stuff with the same old character more often than not.
Don't you also love when posters don't expand on thier opinion. "It was a mess." Yeah, what part?

Do I sound like a jerk? Maybe. Or I'm just calling you out to better explain yourself.

[Eli Katz]

Originally Posted by eltopo

I'm a big fan of Garney but I still could care less about this book.It just reminds me of WWH and I'm trying to forget that mess

WWH was anticlimatic, for sure. But Planet Hulk was awesome. I see this project more as a continuation of Planet Hulk than the next chapter after World War.

As for Garney, I am so happy to see that Marvel is using him for all these great projects. His work on Amazing Spider-Man was mind blowing. The way he depicted the confrontation between Cap and Spidey in the Civil War tie-in was stunning -- one of the best drawn single issues I have ever seen. It was so bold, so heroic, so fun to look at it.

So I can't wait for Garney to work on Skaar, a rugged, muscle-bound character. Should be terrific.

[Giorgio]

Originally Posted by Beezer210

This is going to at least be worth a leaf-through.

One thing made me chuckle, though, not to disrespect Ron Garney, but I learned something from him.

SCAR = CORNY
SKAAR = INTERESTING

Changing the letters but keeping the same sound has the inherent ability to make something more interesting. I'm going to start doing that. I am drinking a KANN of SOUDAR.

Beezer you are a genius!

[Tanjint]

Garney is super awesome. I may pick this up now

-T

[Gorgeousaur]

I was willing to give this series a chance but wasn't too hyped about it, but after I read "Conan-meets-Hulk" I'm a little bit more pumped for it.

[thejames]

Originally Posted by Beezer210

This is going to at least be worth a leaf-through.

One thing made me chuckle, though, not to disrespect Ron Garney, but I learned something from him.

SCAR = CORNY
SKAAR = INTERESTING

Changing the letters but keeping the same sound has the inherent ability to make something more interesting. I'm going to start doing that. I am drinking a KANN of SOUDAR.

LOL - first thing to make me laugh today ..thanks

[The Creeper]

Originally Posted by Beezer210

This is going to at least be worth a leaf-through.

One thing made me chuckle, though, not to disrespect Ron Garney, but I learned something from him.

SCAR = CORNY
SKAAR = INTERESTING

Changing the letters but keeping the same sound has the inherent ability to make something more interesting. I'm going to start doing that. I am drinking a KANN of SOUDAR.

I won't lie.

That is pretty bad ass.

Anywho....I'll be checking this out.

[Derek Ruiz]

I'll be buying this now...Gonna look great and sounds great. So it's win win.