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Recommended
by: Christopher Butcher
Welcome back to "Comics are good for you!", here at sunny 212.net. You may have noticed a rather extended absence over the past... geez, 5 months. Things got hectic, then they got not hectic, then they got hectic again, but I think we'll be okay for a little while. In the off-time however, I wasn't sitting on my butt or anything. No, I've been working at getting all of you guys something neat to read. I think I've succeeded in this month.
You may have gotten the feeling that the comic book industry could be doing a little better these days. Whether that's from Marvel Comics' Bankruptcy announcement, or the shrinking number of comic book stores, or just basically because I've been a little negative in the last little while. Well, you're right to have those feelings. They're true.
One of the greatest casualties of this comics' "recession", is that a number of brilliant, excellent books simply don't get read by the people that they should. It might be a retailer who's afraid of getting stuck with extra copies at the end of a month. Or a self-publisher who can't afford to advertise as much as they'd like to. Some books just don't get picked up when they really should. And so this month I've decided to spotlight these books and creators. I've got profiles of and interviews with some of the best creators working in the business, and after reading them I know you're going to want to try their books. I have, and I've never regretted it.
So, this month, get ready to meet Cathedral Child's Lea Hernandez, and Thieves & Kings' Mark Oakley! Both are talented, independent creators who are doing work that's more than a little different from the standard comic fare. I think that once you read their books, you'll really enjoy them!
Hop to Mark Oakley
Name: Cathedral Child
Creator: Lea Hernandez
Genre: Romance, or like a good RPG for Nintendo/Playstation
Published: As a series of Graphic Novels from Image Comics, aproximatly one per 10 months.
Available: Cathedral Child (Image Comics, 200 pages), Clockwork Angels (Available early 1999)
Recommended for: Fans of manga such as "Oh, My Goddess" or "Maison Ikkoku". Females will especially appreciate the romantic aspects of the book.
In their own words: "A manga-influenced metaphysical Texas steam-punk alt-history romance heavy on metaphor, especially peach-based metaphor."
Contact: e-mail: akiyama@concentric.net, website: http://www.cris.com/~akiyama.
"You're like twins joined at the heart, if you're separated, you'll both die."Lea Hernandez is probably one of the most outgoing creators I've ever met. She's just come off a nearly year-long promotional-binge for her new stand-alone graphic novel "Cathedral Child", which was published this April by Image comics. Did all the hype pay off? I'd say so. Cathedral Child is a unique and interesting book, and Lea's the first to admit that. "I think it's an excellent book for female readers who already read romances, romantic fantasy, or character-driven science fiction." says Lea, and I'd have to agree. Cathedral Child was, by comics standards one of the weirdest things put into my hand in the past year. And that's saying a lot. Why weird? Well, for starters it's a love story. Not a love story set against a super-hero background, or a love story set against the fall of the great Znethneck Empire, but a love story. One that grows and blossoms and bears fruit, in a sweet and satisfying ending. "I wrote it from my heart and gut," says Lea, and it shows.
Cathedral Child is set in an alternate-history 19th century Texas, where ideas like steam powered, intelligent machines are not quite so far-fetched, and magic might just be a little more common. Businessman Parrish, and inventor Nikola are trying to build the first intelligent machine. The abandoned cathedral they choose to house this machine in and the surrounding area belong to the Cuerpo, a native-indian like group of people who begin join in to help with the construction and _teaching_ of the machine. But it isn't long before Parrish grows wary of Nikola, and has him killed to absorb more profits for himself. Enter our two young heroes, Sumner and Glory. Sumner is Nikola's son, and after his father is killed he moves in with Parrish and begins to take up the reigns of his fathers work. As he grows from a boy to a young man, he also grows fond of Glory, a half-Cuerpo who returns that love. As they struggle to teach and learn from Cathedral, dark deals are taking place to tear them from one another. If their love withers, will it blossom again?
Doesn't sound like your standard comic, does it? In fact, according to Lea people have been responding to it a bit differently as well. "The mail I've gotten so far seems to indicate a highly emotional response to Cathedral Child, that people really got caught up in Glory and Sumner's lives, and a lot of people get choked up by the ending. But any story that speaks to a reader will do that. I really did try to make the story as tight and internally logical as possible."
"I'd like to see Cathedral Child get into the hands of young adults, especially women, who want to make cartooning their life's work but are afraid it'll be nothing but all superheroes all the time if they want to make a living at it."
While it may seem cliché to mention it, women working in comics are a rarity. Granted, things have been changing (especially in the independent comics field), but largely, female creative potential remains untapped (as does the market for female readers!). It seems there aren't really a lot of comics out there that appeal specifically to women. Female creators seem to write books that would appeal to female readers, a tradition which Cathedral Child carries on very admirably. However, if all this romance isn't your bag guys, you'll probably enjoy the story anyway. There are enough twists and turns to let most manga fans, or people who enjoy epic role-playing games like the "Final Fantasy" series get lost in the fascinating world that Lea has created (and Lea swears she hasn't even played Final Fantasy 7 yet!).
"There are lots of scenes I like for various reasons. It's also hard to answer without spoiling for people who haven't read Cathedral Child yet. My favorite would probably be the scene where Dona (the leader of the team teaching Cathedral) takes apart Parrish by refuting twenty years' worth of lies--just the way she answers his questions so literally, so coolly, and quietly yet firmly refuses to continue pretending everything is okay."
One of the most impressive aspects of Cathedral Child is it's cinematic quality. The simple page layouts, "camera" angles and storytelling give it that special something that just screams "Expensive Animated Feature!". "I'd love to see a well-done animated film, or (since we're gettin' crazy) a live action movie of Cathedral Child," says Lea. "But I emphasize -well-done-, and with respect for the fact that it's my work, not something that sprang full-blown from the head of some overpaid exec. No stupid animal sidekicks. Nothing that talks that doesn't talk in the comic. No anachronistic jokes. Nothing like 'James Cameron's CATHEDRAL CHILD' on the movie posters. A movie of CATHEDRAL would be lovely, but the idea of being completely cut off from the process or of Buddy Hackett doing the voice of a jackelope just gives me a migraine."
The marketing campaign that preceded Cathedral Child's arrival was something pretty revolutionary for comics. Although the comic was being printed by Image Comics, Lea was responsible for all the marketing and promotion for her book. Lea was an active participant on Usenet, an Internet news service. "I've found the web and Usenet a huge help in promoting my work." says Lea. "Having a web page gives people who might have read about Cathedral Child in print a chance to not only view art in advance of buying my book, but also afforded them a little instant gratification. The web also gives me a chance to reach beyond the limitations of print coverage to a worldwide audience, to fans of comics and lovers of romance and fantasy outside comics. My pre-order numbers and sales from the stores seem to indicate that marketing through the Internet worked."
"I think Linda Medley got it in the most recent issue of CASTLE WAITING; go out there and talk up your book. If we want a larger audience to be aware of comics, we need to get them covered in media outside of comics. This means grab all the CSN, CBG, and mania.com one can, but also get covered by The Library Journal (which has a reviewer for graphic novels), 212.net, and other magazines that cover something besides comics exclusively."
Lea Hernandez has put out an excellent piece of work with Cathedral Child, and it's follow-up, Clockwork Angels, will probably continue the tradition. Perhaps as astounding though is the sheer amount of work that she put into the project, from it's initial conception, to the promotion that continues even now. To that end, she has one more piece of advice for all of her readers;
"If you liked CC, loan your copy to a friend, or get them to buy their own. Buy CC and give it for a birthday, wedding or going-away present. In short, if you liked my book, get it into as many other hands as possible, especially those not already reading comics."
I couldn't agree more, Lea.
Name: Thieves & Kings
Creator: Mark (M'Oak) Oakley
Genre: Fantasy
Published: Bi-Monthly from I Box Publishing.
Collections Available: Volume 1: The Red Book (Issues 1-6), Volume 2: The Green Book (Issues 7-16), Volume 3: The Blue Book (Available Sept. '98)
Recommended for: All ages, with a warning that some material deals with serious moral issues that young children may not understand, or appreciate.
In their own words: "A young thief living in a magical city. (New amendment: And a young sorceress, as well.) Aimed at anybody who can read."
Contact: e-mail: moak@interlog.com homepage: http://www.interlog.com/~gbeettam/optk.htm
"Everybody and their best friend has written a swords and sorcery Tolkien/D&D homage. The difficulty is that stereotyping is a very important part of what makes a myth/story work. Doing it well is a real challenge, whereas just following your nose and dropping recognizable ideas into a standard story frame can be done by anybody with a word processor."Mark Oakley, referred to in his artistic identity as "M'Oak" is a man of a great many opinions. Through his often controversial editorials, his written responses to readers, and the very way in which Thieves & Kings is written we see a great many of his thoughts and ideas. But then, that's what writing should be, right?
"My book is designed so that it might be enjoyed by anybody. I actually find that where the average individual is excited and turned on by my work, often regular comics readers are turned off." Thieves & Kings encompasses a lot of what makes the fantasy genre fantastic. Daring young heroes, myth & magic, cruel sorceresses and the like, but with a little something extra. Our brave hero is an admitted Thief, our cruel sorceress may just have the hero's best interests at heart, and the princess decides she's better off living under a bridge and becoming a troll than waiting to be rescued.
The first book, practically titled "The Red Book" introduces us to our hero Rubel, who has been away at sea for 5 years. When he returns to the only home he's ever known though, he finds things to be much different. His only relative has passed away, his mentor has mysteriously vanished, and all of his friends have married or moved away. Alone in a giant city Rubel is forced to fend for himself. A daunting task for most 14 year olds. For Rubel, an adventure!
But with comics, the story is only... well, half the story. "I set out to make Thieves & Kings as fast, fun and accessible a comics-novel as possible," says Oakley, and it shows. The artwork in Thieves & Kings is fantastic! With meticulous detail and inspired design M'Oak brings everything to life, from the sailing ship that Rubel rides in on, to the grandiose town of Oceanscend. Even more impressive is the pace. The storytelling is unique to the comics field, with a panel-to-panel transition that sets it apart from other books. Basically, it has some of the nicest, most lush (and frankly surreal at times) artwork in comics- and all without the use of colour. How can a comic be described as "lush" if it's in black and white? Thieves & Kings employs some of the most effective use of grey-tones (think of a well-done black and white photograph, and all the levels of grey that are in it) in the business. "The average non-comics reader who is unfamiliar with what form comics are 'supposed' to take, doesn't realize that it may be unconventional to read black & white comics. Indeed, the fact that most of the comics read by most people on a day to day basis are black & white newspaper strips probably helps."
Fans of the series often remark that all of the characters are realistically written and believable, which is even more surprising considering that the majority of major characters are female, and comics as a medium don't tend to treat women very well. But the Shadow Queen, as Rubel's nemesis, and Heath, as Rubel's young sorceress and friend disprove this theory quite nicely. In fact, several issues of Thieves & Kings didn't have Rubel in them at all, instead focusing almost solely on Heath. It's not only refreshing, but part of the charm of the series that attracts both male and female readers alike.
Another refreshing aspect of the series is that it's not just panels and word balloons. M'Oak will intersperse sections of pure-text into the regular comics story, creating a truly unique experience. Quiet moments are given the attention that verse can provide, while moments of action are drawn using M'Oak's unique storytelling to illustrate the fantastic. A great combination...
"'With great power, comes great responsibility.' That's one of the most important ideas to ever come out of superhero comics. I think that concept alone validates the entire medium."
M'Oak's sometimes controversial ideas about the industry aside, he is a creator that cares a great deal about the work he does and how to improve it and get it out to the widest possible audience. I asked him a few questions about the nature of his work, and how he approaches things like writing, the Internet, and where Thieves & Kings is headed.
212.net: What do you think the most powerful scene in your book is?
M'Oak: I don't know the answer to that. I've written and produced a number of scenes which moved me in different ways when I worked on them. I try and touch different nerves each time. I find that after I've done a big, heroic-noble conflict sort of scene that I don't want to do another of the same variety for a long time for fear of cheapening the effect. Instead, I like to explore the emotional spectrum before committing to another high pay-off scene.
It may sound a little bit jaded of me to say, but once you've figured out that writing is as much a clinical science as it is an instinctive kind of magic, you find that generating 'powerful' scenes is no more or less difficult than any other piece of good story construction. The important thing is to stay honest in the use of this power. "With great power, comes great responsibility." That's one of the most important ideas to ever come out of superhero comics. I think that concept alone validates the entire medium.
212.net: Have you thought about adapting your story into another medium? "Thieves & Kings: The Movie" or a novel adaptation? Why would or wouldn't you want to do this?
M'Oak: Sure, I've thought about it.
I've said this before, and I'll keep saying it until things change. . .
I don't have time to work on a large project outside Thieves & Kings, the comic book. When I'm finished with comics, then maybe I'll commit to something, but only if I'm allowed to get down and dirty with the project. I'm not interested in handing an idea to somebody, or a team of somebodies who will make a mess of things. I know and am friendly with very few talented people outside the comics medium, so I think putting together competent teams who would accept my direction without compromising their own abilities or beliefs would be one of the main puzzle pieces. Figuring out how to give them a work atmosphere which would provide the impetus to do the best work and to care how the finished product will look and feel is the other puzzle piece.
I find these kinds of problems really interesting.
212.net: What do you think could be done to bring comics to a larger audience?
M'Oak: The Internet.
212.net: How do you feel the Internet impacts on Thieves & Kings?
M'Oak: I connect with readers easily through e-mail. I've done numerous small business transactions that way as well. The last solicitation I sent Diamond [Comics Distributors] was entirely over the phone line; graphics included. I have not yet gotten a web-site up yet, although I have many half-produced designs and whatnot put together. Well see how that goes. I can't say that establishing an Internet presence is a high-level priority, but I am working on it. I think things will move more rapidly when Net Money comes into being.
I also have some reservations. . .
The first of which is that with technology advancing so rapidly, and with new methods of moving information hundreds of times faster than the current infrastructure allows, the elements which constitute a 'Web Page' are going to change in a big way. If I'm going to be proud of whatever I put together, then more thought and man-power is going to have to be invested; more than I'm currently interested in spending.
The second thing is a much larger concern, and it's the one you've doubtless heard before, and are likely sick of:
Copyright protection.
While I believe in freedom of information, I also want to eat and pay rent by selling my work. I think there are definite places where information SHOULD be free. I think Shakespeare and government info. ought to be public domain. But I also think some people take the concept too far without clearly thinking about it. Right now, there is a fairly comfortable balance between legitimate sales, and bootleg material. Most creators are making enough to attain lifestyles reflective of the popularity of their work even while people can make copies of their art and distribute them, more or less as they see fit. The current system allows for libraries, and I like that! But the Internet has the power to significantly change the balance.
212.net: What about publishing on-line?
M'Oak: While you will never be able to attain the quality of image that you'll get when you actually purchase a comic book, people will be able to keep up with their favorite stories by reading bootlegs on line at almost no effort or cost. I think it will be argued that bound paper will always be the preferred medium when telling comics stories, but people have a natural tendency to be lazy. And the net is all about doing lots of stuff without having to get up.
I'd really like to finish Thieves & Kings in its current bi-monthly comic book format. Trying to establish anything else, like publishing on the Internet, would be a hassle. You'd have to secure advertisers and put up with all the censorship garbage associated with that can of worms. ("Your story must conform to the expectations of America's lowest common denominator, or we pull our advertising dollars! And why isn't your story an animated point and click adventure tale?") —And just as bad, the CRT / flat-screen end product that most people would be reading would have about one tenth the image quality of printed paper. (Keep in mind that the new high definition screen format that everybody's talking about will only be about as good as the average computer monitor currently used today.) I can't think of a crappier scenario, but realistically, I don't see too many other options should the Internet destroy comics publishing as we currently understand it.
"...education and storytelling are the same. You can't educate without entertaining. I know that the only stories that I enjoy are the ones that I come away from having learned something. Stories are education, that's what they're all about."
So there you have it. A hero, an evil sorceress, a magic quest, and yet the sum of these ideas is so much less than the story as a whole. Whether it's the hard choices a young boy must make, or the grand adventure interwoven with tales from the heart, Thieves & Kings never ceases to delight.
That's it for this month! In keeping with 212.net's new look, I've modified the comics section a little bit to make navigation easier. I think it looks cool anyway. To make up for lost time, June will have two columns. Both will be interview columns like this one, and our tentativly scheduled interview list looks like this: Terry (Strangers in Paradise) Moore, Warren (Transmetropolitan) Ellis, Brian (JINX) Bendis, and Tara (Galaxion) Jenkins. Cool huh? Take care.
- Christopher Butcher