Silent Bob
01-14-2003, 11:50 PM
Darick Robertson talked to http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan about his upcoming stint and all I can say is "No goatee!" If there's one thing that has been really bugging me recently is the goatee that's popping up on the covers of New X-Men.
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/previews/darickwolv_facecu.jpg
In his first post in his brand new Hey Bub! discussion forum right here at X-Fan, upcoming new Wolverine artist Darick Robertson addressed several misconceptions regarding the relaunch of the feral mutant's solo title.
"I have to say, as a creator, reading some of this stuff can get really disheartening," posted Robertson. "So many of you X-fans, it seems, are so quick to dismiss change and redirection as a good thing. I was really hesitant to start this forum, but after reading the Rucka talks Wolverine thread, I realized that folks have some misconceptions about why we're restarting Wolverine at #1 and why the direction will be different. The new number one was decided after they saw the first issue that Greg and I turned in and how detached it is from the previous storyline and continuity. Greg and I didn't want the baggage of tying it all into the old series and want to try to present and new image and feel for Wolverine solo."
"For those who think otherwise, I did not take {outgoing Wolverine artist} Sean Chen's job, that was a Marvel decision. They wanted a new direction to Wolverine and Greg and I were picked to bring that to you. Just like Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum were picked years ago to bring you a new X-Men. And that was obviously a good thing, right? "
Robertson went on to clarify the situation regarding the sketches of Wolverine seen online recently alongside news of the creative team change.
"Everything you've seen of my Wolverine art are only sketches from before I even knew I was getting the book. I dig Wolverine so much, I drew those just because I felt like it, not for pay or assignment. That's what a lot of fans seem to forget. I love these characters more than you possibly could know. I loved Wolverine so much that when I was 14 I started trying to draw him well enough that someday I might get to be the guy doing his comic. I am self taught and practiced and practiced until I got to where I am now. Took me 20 years of hard work. So if you don't think I'm right for the book, that's too bad. I've earned my shot. I've worked for this."
"My version of Logan won't look like Sean's. I liked Sean's Logan, but my version is definitely less handsome. I thought Sean's version looked very young, and a little too cool. Like he could sing for a rock band. My version is rougher, older, grittier. In my mind he's always been a dirty, mean little guy. He drinks alot. It would show on his face. Healing factor or not, he's still an old man. From Origin he should be over a hundred, so that he looks 45 is miraculous as it is. But he shouldn't look 27. He just doesn't strike me as a guy who'd go to a gym. He's not tall and lean. He's short and tough as nails. He's a cowboy. Like a steel worker, or a lumberjack, or long shoreman, he gets his physique from his work, not his free time. I loved the way {Jon J.} Muth drew him in the Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown series from the 80's. Paunchy and mean looking, with ape arms."
"His hair grows fast, so it will change, perhaps throughout the same issue. He could have short hair at page 1 and long hair by 22. I figure he just lops it off himself, to hell with a style. That pointy fin thing it does, I just see as cow licks. His hair is coarse like, a dog's hair and just stands up. He'd have to be muscular and barrel-chested because he's short. Carrying that skeleton around, which would be pretty damned heavy compared to normal bones, would naturally bulk him up. I've been studying weightlifters who are 5' 2" and how they carry their bulk."
Regarding the recent guest-appearance by Wolverine in Punisher #16-17, Robertson reinforced that it was his job to draw the story that writer Garth Ennis had crafted, not rewrite it.
"That story I did with Garth was a parody. Garth Ennis is not a Wolverine fan, but I was, unabashedly. I did those issues to work with Garth and to draw Wolverine. However, my job was to tell Garth's story, not rewrite it, or defend the character. Why should I? He's got plenty of fans, and that's not the point. It was Garth's story. One of the reasons I get to work with the writers of the caliber that I do is that I go in respecting the story. I like writers like Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis becasue they think outside the box. They think about character, not if the character is popular or cool. Like being an actor with a script. You may not like it, but it's your job to perform it well. That Punisher story was clearly a comedy, so I drew it funny. Garth was writing Logan like a cartoon, so I drew him over the top. I got it out of my system too. I was drawing a version of Logan from the past."
"Greg doesn't write Logan that way. We both like this guy we're working with. We want to see what he can do. We want to get to know who he is. We know his past now, there's no story there anymore. We've seen him fight endless baddies, there's no story there anymore. Greg has found a story, and I'm so enjoying drawing it."
Robertson also had a few words to say about what fans can expect from the relaunch.
"Both Rucka and I are very excited about this project and already trying to top each other. What you fans are going to get is a pure labor of love from both of us. Greg and I have ideas and plans and are going to do something cool with Wolverine. There's no point in doing what's already been done. Coming to something like this is tough enough as our hands are tied to Marvel's ideas of what's good for him (he won't be smoking his stogies much to my disappointment) without being further mired in dead ideas and stale concepts that some fans are clinging to. How many times can he have a knock down drag out fight with Sabretooth or Omega Red and have it be interesting? This series is different. Different like the team of Cyclops, Colossus, Thunderbird, Nightcrawler, Storm and Wolverine was different from the team of Lee & Kirby and the genesis of this whole topic. Sometimes new is better. Sometimes different is good."
"I'm all done with issue one and will be done with issue #2 this week. Marvel's got some promo plans, so I won't be showing off too much art until they have their way with it first. I inked all of issue #1 but am taking off inking, just penciling, until I get Punisher: The War Where I Was Born drawn and then I'll go back and ink the book myself again. At least that's the plan. Tom Palmer will be inking in the interim."
Robertson finished up with a request to fans who wish to ask questions of him in his forum.
"I'm not doing this for the money or the prestige of drawing Wolverine, but because this was my dream book when I was a kid. So if you wanna ask me questions like why he's not wearing the costume anymore, etc, do it here and I'll do my best to give you answers. But try to be open minded, OK? Creativity is all about moving forward into new territory and there's never a clear path. Hell, the "Spider-Man Clone Saga" seemed like a good idea to someone, but then so did putting Frank Miller on Daredevil. Try to keep the faith."
"...and no, Logan won't have any stinking goatee."
I'm looking forward to the new Wolverine series! But still...a new #1?
http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/previews/darickwolv_facecu.jpg
In his first post in his brand new Hey Bub! discussion forum right here at X-Fan, upcoming new Wolverine artist Darick Robertson addressed several misconceptions regarding the relaunch of the feral mutant's solo title.
"I have to say, as a creator, reading some of this stuff can get really disheartening," posted Robertson. "So many of you X-fans, it seems, are so quick to dismiss change and redirection as a good thing. I was really hesitant to start this forum, but after reading the Rucka talks Wolverine thread, I realized that folks have some misconceptions about why we're restarting Wolverine at #1 and why the direction will be different. The new number one was decided after they saw the first issue that Greg and I turned in and how detached it is from the previous storyline and continuity. Greg and I didn't want the baggage of tying it all into the old series and want to try to present and new image and feel for Wolverine solo."
"For those who think otherwise, I did not take {outgoing Wolverine artist} Sean Chen's job, that was a Marvel decision. They wanted a new direction to Wolverine and Greg and I were picked to bring that to you. Just like Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum were picked years ago to bring you a new X-Men. And that was obviously a good thing, right? "
Robertson went on to clarify the situation regarding the sketches of Wolverine seen online recently alongside news of the creative team change.
"Everything you've seen of my Wolverine art are only sketches from before I even knew I was getting the book. I dig Wolverine so much, I drew those just because I felt like it, not for pay or assignment. That's what a lot of fans seem to forget. I love these characters more than you possibly could know. I loved Wolverine so much that when I was 14 I started trying to draw him well enough that someday I might get to be the guy doing his comic. I am self taught and practiced and practiced until I got to where I am now. Took me 20 years of hard work. So if you don't think I'm right for the book, that's too bad. I've earned my shot. I've worked for this."
"My version of Logan won't look like Sean's. I liked Sean's Logan, but my version is definitely less handsome. I thought Sean's version looked very young, and a little too cool. Like he could sing for a rock band. My version is rougher, older, grittier. In my mind he's always been a dirty, mean little guy. He drinks alot. It would show on his face. Healing factor or not, he's still an old man. From Origin he should be over a hundred, so that he looks 45 is miraculous as it is. But he shouldn't look 27. He just doesn't strike me as a guy who'd go to a gym. He's not tall and lean. He's short and tough as nails. He's a cowboy. Like a steel worker, or a lumberjack, or long shoreman, he gets his physique from his work, not his free time. I loved the way {Jon J.} Muth drew him in the Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown series from the 80's. Paunchy and mean looking, with ape arms."
"His hair grows fast, so it will change, perhaps throughout the same issue. He could have short hair at page 1 and long hair by 22. I figure he just lops it off himself, to hell with a style. That pointy fin thing it does, I just see as cow licks. His hair is coarse like, a dog's hair and just stands up. He'd have to be muscular and barrel-chested because he's short. Carrying that skeleton around, which would be pretty damned heavy compared to normal bones, would naturally bulk him up. I've been studying weightlifters who are 5' 2" and how they carry their bulk."
Regarding the recent guest-appearance by Wolverine in Punisher #16-17, Robertson reinforced that it was his job to draw the story that writer Garth Ennis had crafted, not rewrite it.
"That story I did with Garth was a parody. Garth Ennis is not a Wolverine fan, but I was, unabashedly. I did those issues to work with Garth and to draw Wolverine. However, my job was to tell Garth's story, not rewrite it, or defend the character. Why should I? He's got plenty of fans, and that's not the point. It was Garth's story. One of the reasons I get to work with the writers of the caliber that I do is that I go in respecting the story. I like writers like Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis becasue they think outside the box. They think about character, not if the character is popular or cool. Like being an actor with a script. You may not like it, but it's your job to perform it well. That Punisher story was clearly a comedy, so I drew it funny. Garth was writing Logan like a cartoon, so I drew him over the top. I got it out of my system too. I was drawing a version of Logan from the past."
"Greg doesn't write Logan that way. We both like this guy we're working with. We want to see what he can do. We want to get to know who he is. We know his past now, there's no story there anymore. We've seen him fight endless baddies, there's no story there anymore. Greg has found a story, and I'm so enjoying drawing it."
Robertson also had a few words to say about what fans can expect from the relaunch.
"Both Rucka and I are very excited about this project and already trying to top each other. What you fans are going to get is a pure labor of love from both of us. Greg and I have ideas and plans and are going to do something cool with Wolverine. There's no point in doing what's already been done. Coming to something like this is tough enough as our hands are tied to Marvel's ideas of what's good for him (he won't be smoking his stogies much to my disappointment) without being further mired in dead ideas and stale concepts that some fans are clinging to. How many times can he have a knock down drag out fight with Sabretooth or Omega Red and have it be interesting? This series is different. Different like the team of Cyclops, Colossus, Thunderbird, Nightcrawler, Storm and Wolverine was different from the team of Lee & Kirby and the genesis of this whole topic. Sometimes new is better. Sometimes different is good."
"I'm all done with issue one and will be done with issue #2 this week. Marvel's got some promo plans, so I won't be showing off too much art until they have their way with it first. I inked all of issue #1 but am taking off inking, just penciling, until I get Punisher: The War Where I Was Born drawn and then I'll go back and ink the book myself again. At least that's the plan. Tom Palmer will be inking in the interim."
Robertson finished up with a request to fans who wish to ask questions of him in his forum.
"I'm not doing this for the money or the prestige of drawing Wolverine, but because this was my dream book when I was a kid. So if you wanna ask me questions like why he's not wearing the costume anymore, etc, do it here and I'll do my best to give you answers. But try to be open minded, OK? Creativity is all about moving forward into new territory and there's never a clear path. Hell, the "Spider-Man Clone Saga" seemed like a good idea to someone, but then so did putting Frank Miller on Daredevil. Try to keep the faith."
"...and no, Logan won't have any stinking goatee."
I'm looking forward to the new Wolverine series! But still...a new #1?