By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/31/2016
Remember the first time you saw a baby Xenomorph burst from someone’s midsection in Alien? The moment when that monster opened its jaw only to see an even smaller head inch so close to Sigorney Weaver’s face that it made you clutch the armrest of your seat even tighter. For almost 30 years now Alien has been […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/9/2015
Brian Wood is a Multiple Eisner Award-nominee comic book creator whose first comic, Channel Zero, debuted in 1997. He continued creating original series like DMZ, Northlanders, The Massive and The Couriers while moving up to the big leagues and writing for some of the biggest pop culture titles such as Star Wars, X-Men, Conan the Barbarian, Hellboy and Lord of the Rings. He is a writer, an illustrator and a graphic designer who has been a serious and well represented member of the comics industry for almost 20 years.
Recently, Wood partnered with Image Comics for the new monthly series Starve. The first issue debuts on June 10th and looks into the life of Gavin Cruikshank, one of the world’s most famous chefs. He runs a food-centric television program called Starve, which is an arena sport that pits chef against chef for the pleasure of their super rich patrons. As the series opens, Gavin finds himself on the brink– what he once considered a noble profession has been tarnished, and now Gavin wants to wipe the stain from his name. The Beat recently spoke to Wood to discuss Starve and his career.
Seth Ferranti: Where did you come up with the idea for Starve?
Brian Wood: I feel like I had the idea forever, but it definitely came out of my personal obsession watching cooking shows. These days I limit it to Top Chef, but for awhile I was watching anything I could get my hands on, from original Iron Chef to Jamie Oliver to Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain was an indirect source of inspiration for Starve. I originally pitched the series to Vertigo around the time DMZ was ending. It was going to be my next big multi-year epic, but then Anthony Bourdain approached them with Get Jiro!, so I was edged out.
Ferranti: You’ve had a long career in comics working as a writer, creator, illustrator and designer. Which of these roles do you enjoy playing most?
Wood: I always enjoy doing design for my books. It’s my last remaining visual outlet after I stopped illustrating and working a day job in design. However, writing is clearly the thing that gets me the most excited considering the amount I do. In this last year I’ve really branched out, writing the upcoming 1979 Revolution video game and working on commissioned pilots for two television shows. It’s new and exciting stuff for me.
Ferranti: Out of all the books you have created which is the one that resonates the most for you today?
Wood: This is always a tricky question, because different books mean different things to me. Take Demo – Demo means Becky Cloonan, probably my oldest friend in comics and someone I love dearly (even if I hardly ever see her…) Then, you have Local and The New York Four, which I did with Ryan Kelly, whom I collaborate best with. I’m really proud of the work we do. DMZ is the longest project I’ve done and for that reason stands out. I was single when I started DMZ, and by the time it ended was married with two kids! That’s crazy. Plus Riccardo Burchielli – you work every day with someone on a comic for 7 years, they basically become your family.
But speaking strictly personally? Northlanders is, I think, my best writing and where some of my most personal writing happened. I miss that book every single day.
Ferranti: What is the difference between writing for huge established characters like the X-Men as opposed to creating your own stuff?
Wood: For maybe the first 10 years of my career I was pretty much a creator-owned guy, that was what I did 98% of the time. Then I decided to jump in with both feet and see how the other half lived, and did Conan, X-Men, Star Wars, Eve, and a few others. At one point, I got fired off Supergirl. In retrospect, I’m glad I did all that, but its not what I’m best at and ultimately not what gets me out of bed in the morning. It never gives the same sort of warm fuzzies that working on original material does. As you can see from this last year, I’m back to mostly creator owned again with one exception on the horizon. I found a project too cool to pass up.
When I work, I ask myself, “What do you want to leave behind?” That sounds morbid and probably a little self-indulgent, but I want to be known as the DMZ guy and not the Star Wars guy. The work for hire is fleeting, it comes and makes a lot of noise, but then, in most cases, vanishes. Good original material is eternal.
Ferranti: What comics did you love growing up?
Wood: I only really got into comics as a college student. As a kid, I used to pick up Groo at the newsstand, and I love Groo, but it was just a once in a while sort of thing. In college I discovered, at the same time, Vertigo and Fantagraphics. I read Preacher, Hate, Dirty Plotte, Minimum Wage, and Sandman. Kind of an odd mix!
Ferranti: What popular culture title did you most enjoy writing?
Wood: Moon Knight, which may sound like a surprising pick considering everything I’ve done, but that book was beautiful and effortless. Greg Smallwood and Jordie Bellaire were amazing to work with and there was no heavy duty continuity to deal with. I’m fiercely proud of those 6 issues. Beyond that, I had fun on Ultimate X-Men and Star Wars, and let’s not forget DV8, one of the last Wildstorm books ever, art by Rebekah Isaacs and Fiona Staples.
Ferranti: It seems like all the pro writers end up at Image after their work at Marvel or DC. Why do you think this is?
Wood: I’ve been around long enough to see how its cycled. I started off at Image in 1997, and for a long time Image was the stepping stone on your headlong rush to Marvel and DC – the Big Two was the goal for EVERYONE and it was seen as the epitome of ‘having made it’. Its only been in the last few years that its seemed to reverse. Nowadays, new creators seem to be getting tons of work at Marvel and DC while the more established are back at places like Image and Dark Horse and are doing their ‘real work’. Not to diminish anyone’s work anywhere; I just find the cycles to be interesting.
Ferranti: Where is Starve going to take readers?
Wood: This is the story of Chef Gavin Cruikshank dealing with a creative crisis when he finds his beloved TV show “Starve” turned into this amoral spectacle of a reality show. He attempts to right the wrongs committed while simultaneously dealing with the damage he’s done to his relationship with his wife and adult daughter over the years. It’s a sort of darkly comedic family drama with this celebrity chef thing as a backdrop. We’ll follow Cruikshank as he enters his own show as a contestant and fumbles around trying to make things right.
There is another narrative thread: a society dealing with food scarcity, environmental damage, and urban blight. Here, I handle the topics in a very different way compared to how I deal with things in books like DMZ or The Massive. This is me writing in a more bombastic style that I have recently. It harkens back to my older books like Supermarket and The Couriers in that respect.
Ferranti: What would you tell someone to make them want to read Starve?
Wood: I’d have to suss them out first. Because some people are like me and are REALLY into the foodie thing, the cooking show thing, and this is rare territory for comics, so its easy to entice them. But, I’m discovering, some people have zero interest in that stuff. So for them it would be the redemption story, told with a nasty streak of humor. I sometimes describe Starve as The Running Man meets Anthony Bourdain as played by Iggy Pop. That usually works.
Ferranti: Who else worked on Starve with you?
Wood: Danijel Zezelj, who I’ve worked with often, on DMZ, Northlanders, and The Massive, and Dave Stewart, who has colored my Conanand The Massive. Danijel and Dave collaborated on the excellent Luna Park OGN for Vertigo a few years back, with spectacular results.
I also like to point out that all three of us are owners and creators on this book, and its all just as much theirs as mine. Its been a great partnership.
Ferranti: Can you list your website and social media contacts?
Wood: My twitter is @brianwood, my site is www.brianwood.com
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/12/2015
by Alexander Lu
Art: Andrea Mutti
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
New Hampshire’s state motto, “Live Free or Die,” has always captivated me. It’s raw and aggressive. It’s frenetic and energetic in a way that captures the revolutionary feel of a newborn nation struggling to find its footing. While Breaking Bad may recently brought the slogan back into the modern cultural discourse, Brian Wood’s (The Massive) and Andrea Mutti’s (Star Wars) historical narrative, Rebels, sets out to explore the history behind those four powerful words.
In its first issue, Wood and Mutti successfully lay the groundwork for a gripping historically-based narrative that explores the origin of The Green Mountain Boys, an American militia that captured Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War. The story is told through the eyes of Seth Abbott, who is introduced to us in a beautifully scripted and drawn opening sequence where Seth, under the guidance of his generally distant father, finds the courage to open fire on a group of British soldiers attempting to take over farmers’ land in the Albany territory and thus blossoms into adulthood just as America begins to emerge an independent nation. The story then cuts to show us Seth as an adult, quelling a conflict between British militiamen and disgruntled American farmers at a Pennsylvania courthouse.
Rebels is not an unbiased comic. At one point, the team shows British soldiers opening fire on unarmed American protesters, clearly aiming to cast the Americans as martyrs and the redcoats as ruthless villains. As the lead protagonist and a native resident of the colonies, Seth is definitely portrayed as an American patriot through and through. At the same time, however, Wood’s script does a good job of making sure Seth doesn’t turn into a gun toting all-American “hero” who is out for British blood. In the opening scene, Seth takes a long time to find his courage, and as an adult, even ends up becoming best friends with a former British army runner named Ezekiel. Even after the British soldiers at the American protesters, Seth encourages peace. He says: “Have patience. They’ve lost the day. Soon enough they’ll realize it. Wouldn’t you rather they dig their own graves, rather than have your loved ones dig yours?”
Great, chilling stuff.
Mutti’s art in Rebels contributes a lot to the story. His panels are filled to the brim with details. The trees of the New Hampshire forests are rendered with great care, and when the action moves to the courthouse in Pennsylvania, Mutti fills every panel with countless Americans and British in meticulously illustrated period garb. His linework particularly shines when it comes to faces, which express emotion with energy and zeal.
While Mutti’s work is fantastic in Rebels, Jordie Bellaire’s (Moon Knight) colors take this comic to the next level. Most of the book uses muted earth tone pastels, creating a color scheme that unifies the American people with the American landscape. The British Redcoats, staying true to their name, are what stand out from the rest of the color scheme. Their bright red uniforms clash with the browns, blues, and greens of the American people, and really make them feel like invaders in the landscape of America and the comic page.
Ultimately, Rebels #1 lays out a solid foundation for what is sure to be a thrilling dive into a part of American Revolutionary history that isn’t often told. Choosing to focus on a more localized topic that doesn’t span the entire nation or the entire war allows the team to focus on building characters, which is what makes Rebels more than just an illustrated history textbook— it’s a comic with heart.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 10/12/2014
By David Nieves
Saturday, following Dark Horse Comics recent success with video game adaptation comics (The Last of Us: American Dreams); the publisher announced a partnership with CCP Games for a new mini-series based on the upcoming EVE: Valkyrie game.
In development at CCP’s Newcastle studio, EVE: Valkyrie is a multiplayer dogfighting shooter set in the EVE universe that uses virtual reality to give players the sense of being real pilots in EVE Online spaceships. It is based on the EVE-VR tech demo that won several major awards at E3 2013.
This four-issue mini-series will be written by Brian Wood (Star Wars, DMZ) and illustrated by Eduardo Francisco (Captain Midnight). It’s been a busy week for Wood, who was announced as the new writer on Spawn and gave details on ending his book The Massive.
Eve: Valkyrie #1 is on sale June 3, 2015
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/13/2014
by Brandon Schatz
Over at Publisher’s Weekly, they’ve announced that a couple of Brain Wood series will return to print from Dark Horse, as part of a focus on YA content from the company.
In November, a collection of the two New York Four/Five volumes the writer did with artist Ryan Kelly for DC’s Minx line, an ill-fated imprint that missed its mark more than it hit. Marketed towards the YA market, many of the books attempted to tell stories involving that age group instead of aiming upwards towards the older set. Take a look at a book store, and you’ll see the kids section filled with books telling stories about kids or teens who are just a little bit older than the age being marketed towards. As always, the younger set wants to seem more grown up, and the perfect way to hit the demographic is to aim higher, and market lower.
Keeping in that vein, Dark Horse will also be bringing Demo back into print, a series Wood did with artist Becky Cloonan, first for AiT/PlanetLar, and then for Vertigo.
It’s been a big couple of weeks for Wood, along with the announcement of his involvement in Marvel’s Moon Knight title following Warren Ellis’ departure. These are the first big project announced from Wood since accusations of misogyny were levelled at him late last year, though Dark Horse hints that there is more to come from the writer in the coming months, as The Massive draws to a close, and new series begin.
As noted by my piece earlier this week, I have my own problems with Wood, though as blogger and former DC editor Valerie D’Orzaio notes, it’s important not to confuse feelings on Wood’s actions with a call to action, or a means to an end. I know I’ve enjoyed these books in particular, and would love to see them reach a wider audience.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 9/12/2013
Marvel have released their solicitations for December, including a lot of odd decimal placements, an apparent return for Peter Parker, the finale of Scarlet Spider, and a whole load of other stuff. Here’s a few bulletpoints about what you can look out for over Christmas:
If you want the full set of solicitations rather than this cherry-picking of the bigger details, head to CBR.
It looks as though Peter Parker is returning, as is the Amazing Spider-Man brand as a whole. Five issues will be out this month, lavvelled 700.1, 700.2, and so on. A number of creators are involved on this book: David Morrell and Klaus Janson on the first two issues, followed by Joe Casey, Kevin Grevioux, Jen Van Meter, Tim Green, Tim Seeley, Emma Rios, Clay Chapman, Javier Rodriguez, Brian Reed, Lee Weeks and Sean Chen. Phew!
Kathryn Immonen is returning to comics once more, and reuniting with her Hellcat collaborator David LaFuente for a new one-off story. They’re in charge of Avengers Assemble Annual – one of three annuals out this month – which promises the debut of
Zamira! She’s Meryl Streep with a vengeance!
There is also a Hulk annual, as well as a Thunderbolts annual.
Brian Michael Bendis is bringing X-23 into the cast of All-New X-Men, which basically spoils one element of Avengers Arena. It looks like she has a new costume. Elsewhere in the Bendis World, Kevin Maguire’s issue of Guardians of the Galaxy comes out this month.
Wolverine Origins II starts, with Kieron Gillen and Adam Kubert handling the five-issue miniseries. The first cover will have an acetate cover variant.
After 25 issues Scarlet Spider is ending in December, with Chris Yost and David Baldeon the team for this final issue. Ryan Stegman provides a cover for the issue.
Inhumanity starts, followed by a number of ridiculous tie-in issues like Mighty Avengers 4.INH and so on. This issue will be by Matt Fraction and Oliver Coipel, seemingly leading us towards Inhuman the ongoing series in 2014.
Avengers Assemble brings in co-writer Warren Ellis for a new story arc, working alongside Kelly Sue DeConnick. Art will be by Matteo Buffagni. And yes, it’ll be Avengers Assemble 22.INH.
No sign of an X-Factor relaunch this month, although it turns out that Brian Wood is the creator who’ll be trying to fix the almost conclusively broken Monet, following a dreadful last few months of X-Factor for the character. Monet will be joining the team in X-Men, with Terry Dodson on art.
If anyone CAN sort her out, it’s Brian Wood! Fingers crossed.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/5/2013
Brian Wood and Oliver Coipel’s relaunch of X-Men with Jubilee, Storm, Rogue, Rachel Grey, Kitty Pryde and the other one has been moved back slightly, from April to May. The new publication date will be May 29th. This is due to a bereavement, and Brian Wood has posted regarding the decision to hold off on the first issue’s release:
Obviously this is a very personal matter. Pushing the launch back is the best option out of all that was discussed. An uninterrupted creative run is better than random fill-ins, and in a couple months when we’re past it no one will remember the delays and the work will be forever.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/10/2012
Boldly going where no man has gone before, kicking off a Star Wars article with a Star Trek reference, it looks like SDCC announcement fever has already hit America! Before San Diego even begins, Dark Horse have announced that Brian Wood is to be the new writer of a Star Wars series starting next year. Based on George Lucas’ classic Star Wars trilogy (and NONE OF THE OTHER FILMS), the series will feature the classic characters doing classic things. No monkeying around with Gungans this time! Art is by Carlos D’Anda, with covers by Alex Ross.
Covers like this one!
io9 seem to be the ones responsible for breaking this news, and have an interview with Wood up already. And here’s a quote from Wood himself, posted to his tumblr account:
I’m writing an ongoing Star Wars book for Dark Horse. Not just any Star Wars book, this will be called “Star Wars”, and will be set in the original trilogy, using the classic characters, and will pretend like its 1977 and no other films were every made or books ever written aside from “A New Hope”. Carlos D’Anda is on art, Gabe Eltaeb on colors, and Alex Ross on covers. LucasFilm asked for me personally, and I felt it too irresistible a job to pass up. I’m three scripts into it and having fun. The book launches in Dec or January.
Oh yeah, Leia’s an X-Wing pilot.
The series is set to start in January 2013. I hope there’s Ewoks!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 12/12/2011
CHANNEL ZERO, Brian Wood’s mash-up of cyber imagery, sloganeering, and popular dissent, is getting a new edition from Dark Horse. This marks its third edition: it debuted as a miniseries from Image in 1997, with a collection following. Then it moved to AIT/PlanetLar, where it has been OOP for a while.
The new book will reprint the original GN and its sequel, JENNIE ONE (with art by Becky Cloonan), two volumes of related design, and various and sundry other rarities.
CHANNEL ZERO is something of a classic of the “WEF Era” of creator driven publishing — it’s nice to see it coming back in a definitive collection. And with Wood’s oeuvre now moving over to Dark Horse, it makes a lot of sense to get a new edition out.
Out of print and unavailable to readers for more than three years, Dark Horse Comics is giving new life to a critically acclaimed classic with the complete collection of Brian Wood’s Channel Zero!
DMZ and The Massive creator Brian Wood launched an all-out assault on the comics medium in 1997 with Channel Zero, an influential, forward-thinking series that combined art, politics, and graphic design in a unique way. Hitting on themes of freedom of expression, hacking, cutting-edge media manipulation, and police surveillance, it remains as relevant today as it did back then.
The Channel Zero collection contains the original series; the prequel graphic novel, Jennie One (illustrated by Becky Cloonan); the best of the two Public Domain design books; and almost fifteen years of extras, rarities, short stories, and unused art. Also featuring the now-classic Warren Ellis introduction and an all-new cover by Wood, this is the must-have edition. A blistering take on media control in a repressive future America!
“Channel Zero is literally the start of my comics career, the first proper comic I ever made, and as such as informed everything that’s come after it, especially DMZ and the upcoming THE MASSIVE.” Tells Brian Wood. “It also put me and Becky Cloonan together, helping build a creative partnership that has lasted a decade. This edition here is the definitive one, including everything worth printing, including a color section that includes the original covers to the single issues.”
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/7/2011
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a new action-RPG set in Middle Earth that takes place during the War of the Rings but concerned with the action in non southern front places. LIke Eriador and Rhovanion.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
That’s right! Carn Dûm, baby!
Distributed along with the game will be a 2 part comic book! Produced by DC it will be written by Brian Wood! This is totally exciting, but to get it you must pre-order the game at Toys R ‘Us for part 1, or buy it through Amazon, with part 2.
According to WB, gamers will gain access to parts 1 and 2 of the comic by pre-ordering War in the North at Toys R’ Us, while Amazon is offering part 2 only. There’s currently no word where the comic will be made available, though DC’s ComiXology app is a logical choice. There’s also no word on a specific release date, pricing for the comic for those without pre-orders, or whether the series consists of more than these two chapters.
THAT SAID it was a fun job. I wish I could have written more than the 16 pages of script I did, but like I said, its not up to me. I love LOTR and nothing would make me happier than to write a regular comic for general release. But as far as I know, and I’m only going off the info in the above links, this is a digital-only incentive promo comic available to people who pre-order the video game from Amazon or Toys R Us.
Or ELLADAN & ELROHIR: ARNOR RANGERS.
Colleen Doran would draw either of those in a heart beat,
What would be your favored LoTR spin-off comic?
By: Jennie,
on 12/16/2008
Well, grades have been posted, so it looks like I will graduate this weekend! Wahoo!
And now here are reviews of 3 of the final 4 Minx titles. I haven't read Token yet, and that's the last one. (But, um, if someone wanted to hook me up with a copy of that, I wouldn't complain. My library doesn't have it yet and the library that does won't ILL it to me. :( )
That’s some real nice artwork!
Alien is 37 years old, Aliens is the one that turns 30 this year.