I'm in my minvan, waiting for a red light, my eyes are wandering as I listen to an old time radio drama and I see the tailgate of a small pick-up truck. It belongs to some sort of service company, plumbing or something. I don't know. I don't remember who it was, all I remember is seeing the slogan on the back of the truck:
And all I can think is, "MY following quality service? What do they know about MY following quality service?" And then I chuckle to myself about my grammatical joking at their expense.
And then I stop chuckling to myself because not only do I have no one to share the joke with, not only would most people not really get the joke without me taking the time to explain it . . . it's not a very funny joke.
But it does highlight an important issue I've been thinking about a lot. The company spent money to put their message on the truck, and in doing so they spent money to put an incorrect message on the truck. They were missing the apostrophe and the "e" to make "you're" instead of "your". Because the message they wanted to get across was that "you ARE following".
Simple mistake. Common mistake. Easily avoidable mistake.
The editor is the writer's best friend. (Good editors, I should say.) The editor takes what you've done and pushes you to make it better. The editor doesn't let a missing apostrophe make you look careless (at best) and uneducated (at worst).
In a world where anyone can publish anything at anytime . . . editors are needed now more than ever. And if you don't have one, because your project isn't big enough, find one.
As a comic book writer, I'm at the mercy of artists, in more ways than one. Let's face facts: the reason people like something like ArmorQuest or The Hedge Knight is because those artists are A-MAZE-ING. Was the writer any good? Maybe, but if the artist isn't . . . people aren't as likely to give it a chance.
So I've been very, very pleased to see the last two volumes of TimeFlyz are in some very, very good hands. TimeFlyz is a very important story for me. It has a lot of "educational" components, it has a fun time travel action adventure, and there's an emotional climax to a sort of deep character arc.
The artist is Eric Merced, and he's been putting some sneak peeks of his artwork on book 8 up on his Twitter-stream. One of the things he did was put the progression of a panel, from sketch to finish. I asked him if I could share his work, and he agreed.
When Eric included a comment about the artwork, I've included it here. The character he is drawing in this is Darchon, the evil time traveling spider and he's using Manga Studio to draw it.
Step 1:
Eric says: "How about some process stuff like me drawing a character from the graphic novel? Ready? Let's go."
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Eric says, "already into the inking stage. This has replaced the whole Penciling stage in my work."
Step 5:
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While this post relates mostly to writing for comics, it does have it's application to film and prose as well . . .
I have long held that the old maxim about comic books which says they are "part movie, part novel" is completely and utterly incorrect.
Something a little more accurate would probably be they are "part movie, part poem". In other words, to borrow from Conan O'Brien's "If They Mated":
So comics share the illusion of the passage of time and visual language with film; and they share the use of words to convey emotion, motivation, and added information with poetry . . . and together they tell a story in a way that is completely different than both, because comics are able to pull from both the visual and the textual.
But in a more concrete sense, comics share something else with poetry: the careful use of words. In a novel, words are chosen for impact, but there is more freedom because there are more words. In poetry, each word must be carefully
How's THAT for a title? I couldn't POSSIBLY really mean THAT, could I?
Well, I could. And do. I'll admit, there's a twinge of jealousy whenever I read
Will Eisner's Comics and Sequential Art
(a book anyone who wants to make comics should read) and I get to the part where he says (paraphrasing here) the best comics are made by artist/writers. In other words, artists who write and draw their own comics will usually have a better end result than writer/artist TEAMS because the artist who works on his own project knows exactly what he wants, whereas the artist working from someone else's script can never put on hte page exactly what was intended by the script.
Generally, that's true. Some exceptions, of course. For example, not all artists understand story structure or dialogue. And, obviously, many writers can have an image in their head that they would never be able to put on the page because they just don't have the physical dexterity. I firmly believe that writers can learn artistic principles and artists can learn storytelling principles, but storytelling is easier to learn than art because storytelling is strictly a mental discipline while art is a mental and physical disciple. Just like some people will never be able to play drums as well as other people or dance as well as other people or hit a golf ball as well as other people, some people will never learn to draw as well as other people. That doesn't make writing an easy task to learn, just an easier task to learn.
But back to Eisner's statement, there is a qualification: a talented writer/artist individual will do a better job than a talented writer/artist team. But if an individual is not gifted as a writer or as an artist, that person not going to suddenly be able to create a brilliant comic just because he or she is doing both.
So why do I give this post this title: "Comic Writers Should Be Comic Artists"?
Here's why: if you want to be a comic book writer, you need to train yourself as a comic book artist. You need to go ahead and draw some comic book pages to give yourself an idea of how sequences can flow on a page. To give yourself an idea of what can and cannot appear in a panel. To give yourself an idea of and appreciation for the time a pages takes to be drawn. To understand what you are asking for when you write a complex page layout or a huge battle scene (which sometimes cannot be avoided, but still must be understood).
I've taken part in three
24-Hour-Comic days. I've succeeded twice (once went OVER the page limit!) and failed once.
Here's one of them (a successful one -- Ballad of the Freak was actually placed in the 24 Hour Comic Day book for that year, in the publisher's words "not because you can draw, but because you actually told a story" -- like he needed to tell me I couldn't draw). Even when I failed, the experience itself was not a loss because each time, I stretched myself creatively and learned a lot about writing for comics.
So I'm not saying that the only people who should be writing comics are people
I love this ad. I'm not the only one. Not by a long shot. There's a reason they "leaked" this ad before the Super Bowl . . . they knew it was gold, and didn't want it to be lost in the shuffle:
So, aside from being cute and making my nine-year-old giggle like a mad man . . . what can this teach us about storytelling?
A couple things. First, it has to be said, this commercial is great because it is a one minute mini-movie, and it has an definite beginning, middle, and end. The character wants something, the character works hard toward getting that something, and the character grows in the process as he achieves his goal. Hilariously. There's even a three act structure in there. But I'm not going to get into that . . .
But here's what I was thinking about:
This commercial uses the icon of Darth Vader to hilarious effect. And it works. Why? Because we know the character. The imposing, powerful visual of Darth Vader is not just a part of pop culture, but culture in general.
And I was thinking about Darth Vader in the original trilogy of Star Wars and the prequel trilogy. The original trilogy builds this iconic character subtly. There is a LOT of showing and only some telling. We fear Darth Vader. Why? Because everyone else does. We SEE that. We fear Darth Vader. Why? Because he kills people. We SEE that. We feel for Darth Vader's plight. Why? Because he has to choose between a life of power and a sacrifice for this son. We SEE that. Yes, there were some details that were told to us -- that he and Obi-Wan used to be friends, but even that was told to us with an ironic twist. It came from an unreliable narrator.
This is why the original trilogy worked.
And why the prequel trilogy didn't.
No, I'm not going to get on a "the prequel trilogy stunk" geek rant.
I have my podcast for that. (If you haven't listened to the podcast, you should. I think you'd like it. It's a few friends just chatting about pop culture stuff, with some comedy "sketches" thrown in for fun.) First of all, it's an easy target. But I want to get into one detail: those prequel movies have so much exposition. So much of those movies rely on what is TOLD to us.
"Show, don't tell" is a common mantra in writing books. And for good reason. Let's look back at the VW ad. Whether you are a geek or not, most likely it worked for you. (Unless you have no soul.) (Just kidding about the soul bit. Of course you have a soul. It's just a dark, bleak one.) (Again, just kidding.) I'd be willing to bet that someone who has never seen Star Wars would get this commercial. Why? Because you know this kid really, really wants to have the force and be able to make things come to him . . . or knock things over . . . or make the dog bend to his will. Why? Because we SEE that. There is no dialogue. No narrator telling us "all he wanted was to have the power". The kid never says to Mom "I wish I had the force". Dad doesn't explain his actions.
It's just good storytelling.
~ Ben
So this article --
"'Tree Octopus' Is Latest Evidence the Internet Is Making Kids Dumb, Says Group" -- did two things to me.
First, I was outlining the new ArmorQuest graphic novel when I saw that article and needed an idea for a creature that's not a dragon. We'll see if the "treectopus" makes the final cut, but for now it's in the outline.
Second, I read the article. So, some teachers give some kids an assignment to research a "tree octopus" (what, not sharktopus?). And then they give the kids
a fake website with information about a "tree octopus". Seventh grade kids. And then they draw the conclusion that, because the kids did as they were told . . . they're dumb. Hm.
Sure, they pulled it off to make a statement about how kids don't have critical thinking skills. But we already knew that. I don't think the problem is that the kids trusted the website. I think the problem is that the kids trusted the people who gave them the assignment! And the kids are not to be blamed.
Now, the tree
octopus website is awesome. If I had extra coin, I would get one of their t-shirts from Cafe Press.
But shame on
Pearson for doing such shoddy research. That is assuming, of course, that
the research that has been reported is actually legitimate. I can't help thinking that an educator group would never actually do this. That they didn't, knowing if they actually GIVE the children a resource the children will USE it, instead give the children an assignment in which the only resource is not legit but the children must find the resource themselves and then determine the legitimacy of the resource by
doing further research.
As such, I think the joke is on the news media reporting it. I think the report about the assignment that was a hoax is, in actuality, a hoax itself. Or I hope so. Because if it's NOT, the people who should be labeled dumb are not the subjects of the research, but the researchers themselves.
But thanks to Yahoo! News for reporting on it, hoax or not, because I got a creature at just the right time . . . and if you read the next ArmorQuest graphic novel and see a tentacled beast attacking unsuspecting travelers from the treetops, you know where the idea came from.
~ Ben
Why do I love the Fraggle Rock comic books?
Because my kids do.
Now, my kids love to read. Everything. Books. Magazines. And they love other comics as well. (For example, they're loving the Smurfs reprints from Papercutz.) (They even, sometimes, love some of the comics I've written. Sometimes.)
But Fraggle Rock is one that does it right, which is why I keep bringing it up.
I've written about it before at length.
And my kids reviewed Fraggle Rock in an episode of the podcast I co-host. And I've been thinking about all ages comics for a long time (and writing all ages comics for a long time as well). But here are a couple things I've been thinking about today.
Here's what I like about Fraggle Rock. It contains high quality artwork, yes, but it does something else: it encourages kids to be artists as well. Case in point:
Last week's Fraggle Rock had a little art project. "How to Make Fingerprint Art" or something like that. And today, my middle daughter (who is just learning to read) came walking in with the above picture. "Look Daddy," she said, "I made Red."
While her brother and older sister were playing video games, it seems she was looking at the comic and came to the activity page in the back and decided to do it. She followed the visual instructions and was quite proud of the result. (I was too.)
UPDATE: When my son and oldest daughter saw what my middle daughter did -- and that I put it on my blog -- they had to join in: Red, by my oldest daughter
Doozers, by my oldest son
The problem: there's not a lot out there like this. Material that engages and entertains and educates and inspires. There needs to be more. But, sadly, it doesn't sell (or, at least, that's what we're told). I'm curious what sales figures actually are for different all ages books.
What's the solution? I don't know. I have some ideas. Comic ideas . . . iPad type ideas . . . I was just on hte phone today with one of my publishers talking about this very question. But there's two questions that need to be answered: what are the stories that will engage young readers and
Here's something for you to listen to on your commute into work.
I'm co-hosting a podcast called
The Fanboy Tollbooth, an all things geeky type of podcast, with my friends Jeremy Zehr and Stephen MacDonald. It covers films, comics, books, music, and all sorts of pop-culture-y things.
There are a couple twists. For one: it's clean. A lot of pop culture podcasts out there, well, they just aren't very clean. Another twist: it's not just us talking, we have skits and interviews and stuff like that. It's like a variety show . . . without the singing. Wait, no, we did sing a couple times. (It wasn't as bad as it sounds.) The special "guest" comic book reviewer is a supervillain and wanna-be comic book writer, Professor Negatron. Finally, we do take a look at pop culture through the lenses of our worldviews: we're all dads, we're all artistic types, we're all Christians.
There's also the blog, which features some commentary on pop-culture news, reviews of movies and comics, and one of my favorite things:
Cool Comic Covers, a gallery of, well, cool comic covers.
We have a lot of fun producing the podcast and the blog that goes along with it . . . and we do it for a simple reason: we want to converse with each other and our listeners about stuff we enjoy.
So if you enjoy comics . . . if you enjoy movies . . . if you enjoy pop culture . . . if you enjoy not having to cringe through f-bombs and the like . . . if you enjoy any of that kind of thing, you should enjoy The Fanboy Tollbooth.
You can listen to our most recent episode here. We talk about the X-Men, what we like and don't like about them, and why we think they've lasted so long.
You can also listen to us or subscribe to us via iTunes here.We hope you like it and we hope you join the conversation . . .
~ Ben
The cover to TimeFlyz Volume 7: Battle Between was just approved by the publisher!
Drawn by the incredibly talented Eric Merced (he's the artist for books 7 and 8), this book is a little bit of a departure from the rest of the series, which is why no specific time period or scientist is depicted on the cover.
I don't yet have an exact date for the release of this book, but I will definitely let everyone know as soon as I do.
In the meantime, here's a peek:
~ Ben
This is a topic that I believe many people do not even realize is an issue: human trafficking and child sex slavery. But it is real. And it's just as horrible as it sounds.
Lora Innes, a comic book writer/artist (she created the incredible web series
The Dreamer), has decided to try doing something about it. Last year, she gathered together a large group of artists to contribute to a single image, which was available to people as a download if they donated to a PayPal account she set up. These donations were not to "buy" this desktop wallpaper image. These donations were split 50/50 between two charities that are working to fight against human trafficking.
One charity is
Love 146, an organization working for the abolition of sex slavery. The second charity is
Gracehaven, who provide shelter and rehabilitation to victims of sexual exploitation.
So this year, over one hundred artists have rallied around the cause, contributing a picture of one of their characters for a Brady Bunch inspired desktop wallpaper. (My character Laurel Templeton, from TimeFlyz, is on the top row.)
But obviously, when you click on the link below, you're not clicking to get a cool piece of art featuring a ton of cool characters . . . you're clicking to donate to a great cause. Apparently, donations are down this year. Last year, they collected $10,000 during their donation drive.
Click here to find out more and make your donation.~ Ben
I think I'm going to be changing the focus of my reviews. I mean, movie and comic book and book reviews are all out there . . . and easily a dime a dozen. Perhaps even a nickel a baker's dozen.
Originally, with my Nano-reviews, the intent was to just give short, maybe even pithy reviews of movies. Sometimes I succeeded . . . my Star Trek review was short and sweet. My Wolverine review was short, if not sweet. Pan's Labyrinth and The X-Files were probably the best example -- reviews that could fit in a Twitter post. Most times I didn't. Hello, Avatar -- I had a lot to say about you. And Voyage of the Dawn Treader . . . yeah, why'd I even label it "nano"?
My new tactic for film/book/comic reviewing is something I sort of was already doing. Often in a review, I would make comments about the storytelling and the like. I think this is the tactic I will be taking with reviews I do in the future. I'll still be recommending things (or not, depending on the situation), but I'll also be telling you what I learned from the movie or graphic novel or whatever in my own journey of learning to become a better storyteller. And maybe you, gentle reader, will be willing to do the same for me?
~ Ben
This is from my absolute favorite Christmas special (although, ironically, one I don't have in my collection of Christmas special DVDs).
Merry Christmas!
Tron: Legacy is a movie that shouldn't exist. But I'm glad it does.
It's a sequel to a groundbreaking (in terms of technology) film . . . that's 30 years old. A film that doesn't hold up well if watched today (unlike the original Star Wars which, aside from some hair styles, holds up well because it was a ground breaking film that relied on physical models, not computer graphics). But the original is a good little film, if you watch it saying to yourself, "It was ground breaking 30 years ago."
Rumor has it that Disney has tried to bury the original Tron so young viewers won't think "they made a sequel to that rubbish?" and choose to spend their money on another movie instead. This is actually probably a good plan, whether they did it intentionally or not.
Tron: Legacy is also a solid film. It's got breath-taking visuals. Even watching the trailer, you can see deliberate symmetry in almost every shot. The graphics are mesmerizing, the action has a fluid motion that you don't find in other movies like this.*
The story is a weak spot. It's not terribly deep or complex, but it has an emotion and an energy absent in other movies like this.*
The characters are likable. Quorra, Sam, and Jeff Bridges as Flynn are all people I wouldn't mind spending time with (Quorra and Flynn more than Sam). The bad guys are cool, and the background characters are strange and interesting.
I saw it in 3D, which was cool and natural. I didn't feel like the 3D got in the way of the storytelling, but it also wasn't needed. I would have liked it just as well in 2D, I think. We'll see. If I see it again.
But the real star, to me, was the soundtrack. I've
written about it before. I know nothing about Daft Punk, except that people got excited that Daft Punk was doing the soundtrack. But when I started hearing snippets, I started liking what I was hearing. And now the Tron: Legacy soundtrack has a permanent place in my regular rotation of atmospheric music and soundtrack albums. It's big. It's cool. It gets the blood pumping. And it fits the movie like a glove. To me, the movie almost becomes a visual showcase for the music. Daft Punk actually appear in the movie:
So, do I recommend the movie? Yes, if you want a visually stunning film with a great soundtrack and some fun characters. But Inception this ain't. It ain't meant to be. And that's one thing that I've taken away from the film. Just let your story be what it's going to be. They don't try to make it into something that it's not. It is what it is: a cool, sleek, elegant film with a cool, sleek, elegant soundtrack and cool, sleek, elegant characters. It's a popcorn film, it won't change your life, it's not changing cinema.
Do I recommend the soundtrack? Do you even need to ask?
Speaking of symmetry, I love the way the old poster (below) and the new poster (above) go together.
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My kids and I are huge fans of Studio Ghibli. I love almost everything that I have seen from them, and my kids adore My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio. I would compare the studio to PIXAR, perhaps, and the primary force behind their output over the past decades is one man: animator Hayao Miyazaki. You may be familiar with some of their movies, like the "kid films" Ponyo and My Neighbor Totoro, or the older skewing fantasy movies Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.
I'm looking through the iTunes store, and something catches my eye. It's a featured album, it's only $7.99, and seems to be some sort of benefit for a charity.
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This looks great, Ben! I love the multiculturalism on the cover. It's refreshing to see art depicting Biblical figures that doesn't suggest they were all Scandinavian :). Looking forward to reading the whole book.