Thank You
Wednesday 15th July marks both kellysue’s birthday & the final issue of mattfractionblog’s Hawkeye. That feels like a suitable time for me to thank them both for the impact they’ve had on my life. That might seem odd, considering I’ve only met them once, for roughly 15 minutes each, but it’s true. It’s a long one, so click the ‘keep reading’ thing if you’re interested.
The High Crimes trade is out now, and is one of the best new comics I’ve read recently. It’s a brilliant thriller, focusing on an ex-snowboarder called Zan, who recovers the bodies of climbers from Everest in exchange for payment from their loved ones. Writer Christopher Sebela has clearly done his research, and it’s a tense and gripping story, expertly mixing in flashbacks & cross-cutting between characters, with Ibrahim Moustafa’s art brilliantly conveying the passage of time and using a dynamic approach to action that feels fresh and new.Great stuff, really worth reading.
Just revealed at Comics Alliance is the animated launch trailer for the second volume of THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, out July 1st.
Music by Summer Camp. Animated by James Leech. Thanks for all of James’ work on this - we think turned out pretty special.
Ordering details beneath the cut.
Delighted to reveal that I animated a trailer for The Wicked + The Divine Vol. 2! Very lucky to work for such a talented group of people!
(via jamesleechportfolio)
When gailsimone asks for Secret Six Selfies, it’s not in your best interests to argue. One of my favourite series is back!!!
Secret Six(ty Six)
Gail Simone has had a pretty rough week or so, returning home to find her house had been broken into. She and her husband responded to this by deciding to donate to a food bank, which I think says a lot about the kind of people they are. I thought I’d make a daft gif in the hopes of cheering her up, so I chose to animate one of my favourite issues of hers.
It’s issue 9 of her 2008-11 Secret Six run, which focuses on how two of the more Batman-centric members of the Six, Catman & Bane, cope with his disappearance from Gotham. The art is by the brilliant team of Nicola Scott on pencils, with inks by Doug Hazlewood, colours by Jason Wright, and lettering by Travis Lanham.
Accompanied by Ragdoll dressed as a Burt Ward-esque Robin, they attempt to take on some of the Dark Knight’s responsibilities, and it’s a fascinating look at how much they have allowed Batman to define their lives.
It’s also hilarious, and pretty gory, and contains enough nods to the ‘66 TV series that I thought I should make some animations in the style of the opening titles. It’s well worth picking up that issue if you want a stand alone story that gives you an idea of the vibe of Simone’s run, just in time for her return to the book next month!
Anyway, Gail, if you see this, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope things get back to normal for you soon!
Everything is Orton (RKO/Lego Movie Mashup)
Kanye Gillen
“I think anyone reading this article should draw pictures of Kieron West or Kanye Gillen and post them because I think Kieron in black leather jeans and a weird Swarovski crystal beaded face mask is an amazing image.” Last week, Matt Fraction gave an interview with Comic Book Resources where he confirmed that he & the rest of the creative team would be leaving Hawkeye - issue 22 will be their final issue. Not gonna lie, that makes me pretty sad. Not that I don’t understand the value in going out on a high and leaving a run before you run out of steam, but this run of Hawkeye has been pretty special for me. The sense of humour, the characterisations, the sheer level of invention from everyone involved has made it one of my all-time favourite runs.
But I won’t review it here - I’ll probably start doing that when the final issue of Annie Wu’s Kate Bishop arc ends next wednesday.
Instead, I’m offering the bizarre image above, as requested by Fraction in the interview, as a thank you for a brilliant run. And it felt appropriate, as my Brimpception .gif was prompted by a suggestion from Kieron Gillen, featuring Fraction, while this was the other way round. Sorry, Kieron :)
Edited to add: Kieron’s wearing the Comics Are For Everybody tee, by Jordie Bellaire & Fonografiks. Given the awfulness currently swirling online, it’s a sentiment well worth promoting. Their site is www.comicsareforeverybody.com
Brimpception
You can find more context here, but basically the creators of Sex Criminals, Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky, have been playing what amounts to a game of Internet Chicken with Heather & Juliette at Fantastic Comics.
It started when Matt & Chip celebrated their 4th printing by posing for a photo cover with the original printing of Sex Criminals #1, and Heather & Juliette responded by posing with that cover. Things spiralled from there.
It’s been as entertaining to watch as Sex Criminals has been to read (which, if you’re not already, you should be doing. Now.), so when the latest photo in the series was posted, and Kieron Gillen wondered whether anyone had made an infinitely looping video of it, I felt like I should make that happen. (Better quality video available here if the .gif is too small/grainy)
Gail Simone has been one of my favourite writers since I read her run on Secret Six. The dark sense of humour, shifting loyalties and various warped moral codes made it a must read for me, and I have since sought out her other work, which universally shows an empathy and eye for human behaviour that marks her not only as a brilliant writer, but a great person. Her battles on the internet and in print for people who find themselves marginalised in society are a wake up call for an industry & fanbase that sorely needs it. And, having met Gail & her husband at the London Film & Comic Con, I can confirm they are as awesome as you might expect!
Anyway. I may have missed the boat slightly, but, at least when I started drawing this, it was Gail’s birthday, and I felt I should mark that somehow. So happy birthday, Gail!
