Artist of the Month: Tim Broderick

Hello Cadets! I know it's been a while but work and my preparations for Anime Central have kept me quite preoccupied but let's not dwell on that. Today I would like to introduce an artist who created the Odd Jobs series. I met Mr. Broderick at C2E2 and his artwork caught my eye first. It's not terribly often you'll see an booth in Artist Alley selling only one book and have a single banner in black and white. This had me intrigued, so I stopped and spoke with him a bit and asked him to tell me about his book. He very happily told me about the detective type story he had created and after browsing the art and hearing what the story was about I was sold, not only by the story or his passion for his craft but his humbleness when presenting. Needless to say I bought the book and read it on the way back to the con the next day. The first thing I did was run back to his booth to tell him how much I loved it, there's fighting and romance and plot twists and it was just stunning. His art style is like none I've ever seen, it's simple without being overly so and yet it's powerful and there is not a single panel wasted. I had asked him if he would do me the honor of being the first featured Artist of the Month and I am pleased to present the very talented Tim Broderick.


How long have you been drawing and writing? Did one inspire the other?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing and drawing. They pretty much went hand-in-glove for me.


Speaking of inspiration, where do you get yours from? How did David Diangelo come about?

Well, David came out of a poster I drew for some friends’ band appearance back in 1985 here in Chicago. (See below) No one was doing any publicity, so I did up a poster. I had decided to just draw something, so I grabbed pen, ink and paper and did it – no penciling. And there was this character unlike anything I’d ever drawn before.

It took more than ten years to figure out who David ultimately was. That’s when I put together the idea of surviving in the new economy – where experts predicted that you would have more than one career over your lifetime and need to be continually retrained – with the idea of an amateur detective.


What medium do you use to create your artwork? Computer or traditional? What  are your tools of the trade?

I used to pencil, then ink. Then scan the inked page into the computer where I would finish it in Adobe Illustrator and photoshop. Now I pencil then scan the pencils in and use Illustrator and some custom brushes with a Wacom tablet to ink. Then I finish it in Photoshop. I save the files both as 600 dpi bitmap files as well as low rez jpgs for the web.


What is your favorite comic or book series? You can give one of each or an overall or however you like.

Oh, so many good artists. Love & Rockets had a huge impact on me, as well as Corto Maltese. I’m a Rex Stout fan, especially his titles. “If death ever slept” - how cool is that? The Travis McGee series is terrific too – David has been compared to him as well as a modern version of Jim Rockford.


What are your thought on conventions such as C2E2?

I love comic cons, as least the ones I’ve been to. I’ve never been to San Diego, but when there’s a good Artist Alley footprint I think it just adds to the whole atmosphere. There are smaller gems as well – SPACE in Columbus Ohio and Fallcon in Minn. These cons are what sets the comics world apart from the rest of the literati.


What is your favorite part of going to conventions?

Just being a part of the whole show – I’m there to sell books, but I want to make sure I’m at least entertaining to anyone willing to listen.


Do you have any big plans for David Diangelo in the future?

After this current story, I believe I’ll try a prose novel with him.


Is there anything you would like to say to the readers?

Ten years ago, a whole bunch of people were doing webcomics because there just wasn’t another pathway to readers. Now, so many of us have fallen by the wayside, but a few have persevered and have been published or a scrapping out a living. I guess the lesson is that if find a creator whose work you like, support that creator. Link to them, buy their books, encourage them. Because without that support, that encouragement, they’re going to go away.

It’s up to the readers, we need them, and we sure appreciate their support.

So there you have it, an exteremely talented and humble artist. Mr. Broderick will have a booth at Anime Central and I strongly suggest you all go buy his book! You can read his other Odd Jobs comics at http://www.timbroderick.net/ where you can also contact him. Please visit the Litter-ati fanpage in the sidebar where you can discuss Odds Jobs and participate in polls. This is War Kitten signing off and informing you that this is definitely an odd job.

A Mild Rambling: Comic Book Movie Melting Pot

Hello Cadets! I must first apologize for my lengthy break. I would also like to thank all of you who have begun to follow my blog, it means a great deal to me. Now that C2E2 has wound down I wanted to do a rambling on something I've been asked a number of times; what do I think of non-American actors getting the roles of American characters such as Superman and Batman?

Here's my main thought on it, if there was an American actor with the right look and the acting chops to back it up wouldn't they have hired them? It's not a conspiracy but it's a well known fact that there is sometimes a gap in experience or training between us and say the British actors (which a majority of them spend some years on a stage first). Also look at it like this; Superman Returns had an all American cast and did poorly, alternately the X-Men had a very diverse cast and past the first movie started to do spectacularly bad as did Spiderman. Alternately, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk were amazing and had Americans as the lead in both.

Here's the main question, does where you are from determine how well you can act? It's yes and no. In places such as England it is customary to join a troupe to not only train classically but to also get some experience in the field. Here in the United States and Canada it is not as common for an actor to join musical theater before moving on to other things but it doesn't hurt if they do. It also is a lot about their acting style as a fit to the role. Bruce Willis is a very highly typecasted actor who plays gritty heroes who are usually down on their luck which made him an amazing choice for Hartigan in Sin City. Can he do other roles I'm sure he could if he tried but he may feel this is a niche he is comfortable with.

Another example is Liam Neeson, this is an Irish born actor who did amazing movies such as Schindler's List, Les Miserables, and Taken but didn't find it beneath him to do hokey movies such as the A-Team or Darkman, which are both great films if only because they are goofy. He's done it all and did it well which shows the diversity in his acting skill and unwillingness to be typecast.

I think if more actors tried to break out their shells and tried different types of roles we'd find more people like Jaime Foxx, who I thought was an awful comedian but would leave an audience in awe of his dramatic acting abilities. It's a reminder that just because you like to cook doesn't mean you can always be a famous chef, sometimes you have to settle for what you are good at rather than what you wanted to do. That's not to say you should give up on your dreams but be realistic. It is possible to do what you want but it's all about the training and abilities to apply it. Needless to say, the moral of the story is don't look at where a person came from but what they can do, it'll broaden your scope of things dramatically.

Thank you all for reading, please check out the facebook page for the Litter-ati in the sidebar to the right to participate in discussions and polls and feel free to send me a message or ask any questions. Also be on the lookout for my interview with Tim Broderick of the Odd Jobs series which will be out early to middle of next week.

This is War Kitten signing off and please remember, the journey is just as important as the destination, so if you are going to clown school please bear in mind the size of the car you'll be taking when you carpool.

Boy Wonder: Grittier Than Gravel

Good afternoon, Cadets! I hope everyone enjoyed the review of the Redeemers, it was a lot of fun getting feedback from you all! Today I will be reviewing the independent hero drama, 'Boy Wonder.' The movie was written and directed by Michael Morrissey and starred Caleb Steinmeyer and Zulay Henao. I'm going to attempt to make this as spoiler free as possible.

The movie starts out strong with a look into the past of the main character, Sean Donovan. His personality is established as extremely smart and athletic but withdrawn from his peers. He has yet to begin to become a vigilante and seems to have a method to the mayhem he is about to unleash. You also meet the leading lady, Detective Teresa Ames, a very by the book cop who knows how to play the politics of her job. The way in which the characters meet is rather ingenious. It appears all the key characters are effectively established within the first fifteen minutes.

One thing that was an interesting theme was the music that lead into the flashbacks of Sean's past at the beginning third of the film and the significance of how it was done. The build-up to the first confrontation was well done without a frame wasted. 

In the first fight the camera-work was a bit frantic but in retrospect I think I know why. This was his first fight as a vigilante and he was bound to be more flustered than his usual calm self and the quick changes and cuts may have been a way to show how the character was feeling and what was going through his mind. As the movie progressed the camera calmed more and more as did Sean. There was also a definite theme to the 'bad guys' he was choosing to go after. 

Detective Ames was no slouch either, unlike most cops in movies she was able to piece important information together right away and proved mentally formidable to Sean. She was possibly one of the most realistic Hollywood cops I've ever seen, married to the job and determined to prove her worth.

As the movie and story progressed I was happy to see the one thing most super-hero movies forget; character progression. There were leaps and bounds in the characters' personalities and actions from when you first meet them to the end of the film and I admit I was awe-struck. There were minimal to zero loopholes in the story and every scene that was shown was vital to the story. The humor injected into it was well timed using uncomfortable yet believable situations without relying on cheesy puns or slapstick. The way everything tied together was inspiring to say the least.

Before the screening at C2E2 I got the chance to meet the actors and Mr. Morrissey and I really enjoyed talking with them. All of them were humble and polite and really loved what they were doing. The promotion of having people dressed as Sean with the black face paint was brilliant and eye catching as was the art and tagline. I would say that this is a movie I want to show everyone, the writing was brilliant and the dialogue was delivered with amazing skill. The only thing I would like to see improved upon is the 'bad guys' dialogue, there was a heavy reliance on cursing and considerably less imaginative speech compared to the rest of the movie. The action scenes were brutal and yet simple. When 'Wonder Boy' comes out on video I will be adding it to my collection for sure. Please visit the official site at www.boywonderthemovie.com.

Geek rating: 9 out of 10 fanspazzes

I hope you all found this review enjoyable and informative as I feel it should be relevant to your interests. This is War Kitten signing off and reminding you that just because it looks like a sheep and sounds like a sheep, be suspicious because that's how the wolf got Red Riding Hood.

The Redeemers: Way Cooler Than Being in a Band

Good afternoon, Cadets! I hope everyone enjoyed the brief recap of C2E2. Today I will be reviewing a comic by writer Eric Rampson and artist Wil Brendel. These guys were kind enough to speak with me at C2E2 at the Lonely Robot booth for a bit and sold me on their story called The Redeemers.

The first thing anyone will notice about a comic book is the cover art. The cover is well done without revealing too much, the usage of perspective is as close to perfect as one could get. You can tell this is a supernatural story about a band called the Redeemers fighting mythical creatures and that is exactly what the plot is. As you read you are introduced into the action right away with a gig leading into battle on stage, the audience thinks that they just put on a killer light show. As the story progresses you meet a reporter named Maddie who will do anything to get the scoop on this mysterious trio. They each tell a vague version of their stories effectively starting with Neil the bassist, going to Dexter the drummer and rounding it out with Gabe the guitarist and lead singer. While they explain their lives the artist shows in the background the full extent of what they are describing and this effectively teaches the reader who they really are without elaborate and angsty fillers. The reason for the band's name is definitely an interesting yet simple concept. There is still much to learn but I imagine as the story progresses more will be revealed. Issue #1 felt way too short and I was happy to have the next issue as I wanted to read more.

Issue #2 gives a little more time before the action starts right back up with even more gusto than before. A little more insight into Neil and his special circumstances as they are today. You also get to see just how amazing Dexter can be at what he does while getting a feel for why Gabe is the way he is. You also realize how Maddie is insane enough to put herself in danger to get a story. Overall the plot definitely progresses well and keeps you waiting for the puppeteer behind the attacks to reveal himself. This issue catered to the fans of mechs with a giant robot fight that was pretty impressive.

Overall The Redeemers is an amazing story, the artwork is great and the writing is extremely well done. The artist has a style of his own and pay attention to the effects of the harsh, multicolored stage lights when showing the characters playing a gig or the softer light of a room with open windows in the afternoon. He does not rely on hard lines but rather creative shadowing to show muscle definition. The writing is fluid and detailed without wasting a speech bubble. The overall concept will bring memories of Scott Pilgrim but only in the sense that they are a band who can fight. There is subtler, well placed humor and the emotion of the dialogue is directed extremely well and with zero plotholes. The editing was definitely done with care, I did not find any mistakes in the art or writing.

I must that Eric and Wil are a duo that is to be watched for and anyone who is a fan of the fantasy/action genre needs to read The Redeemers. I left a lot of information out because I would like to urge you all to please read this comic and find out for yourself, you can find it at http://www.lonelyrobotcomics.com/. They can be found on facebook where you can ask they questions and even hear the two Redeemers tracks. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=400095838381&set=pu.119752443381#!/pages/The-Redeemers/119752443381

Thank you all for reading and I hope to see you all on the Litter-ati page on facebook, which is linked on the sidebar to the right. This is War Kitten signing out and remind you to please think of the environment, save some paper and draw a blank.

C2E2: A Retrospective

Hello Cadets! It's been a crazy weekend full of excitement at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo here in Chicago. This was my second year going but my first year going for all three days and it still feels like I missed a lot. I'm going to try to gather my thoughts and memories as I share my experience with all of you so sit back and enjoy.

The first day was interesting, I had to pick up my badge as I had upgraded to VIP the week before. The process was well organized but I think more signs telling people where to go was in order because there were lines and lines of people and despite having a VIP badge I was put at the end of the line instead of in the VIP line because some of the staff were unaware that VIPs were to be let in first. There were a few instances where the staff were unsure of what was going on and either gave an answer incorrectly (coat check was not open till 9pm) or asked on the radio, walked away before receiving an answer and were never heard from again. I'm chalking these things up to it only being the second C2E2 and there are still kinks to be worked out. Aside from that the showroom was so much bigger than last year. Artists in Artist Alley had more than a little elbow room which made them much happier this time around.

The artists were amazing, I saw so much and would have loved to take something home from everyone but alas it could not be done. I did snag a few things and had some wonderful conversations with many talented people. I met Ian McNiece and talked to him more about his short role in Top Secret! and he was nice enough to let me take a video of him saying his famous line, "what funny duck poo?" After that I met the artist and writer of the Redeemer comics, which will also be getting a review on here this week.

Friday night was also the comedy show with Oswalt Patton and it was amazing; I was laughing so hard my cheeks hurt. I think either the microphones or the sound system needed adjusting because it was either quiet or it was set in such a manner the speakers were crackling when the comedians attempted to speak up. Overall Friday was a success and left me giddy with excitement.

Day Two was epic beyond belief; first thing I did was run to Artist Alley to let Tim Broderick know how amazing his graphic novel, Cash & Carry, was. Next was run downstairs to the Chris Hemsworth meet and greet, and what an awesome moment that was. He was so polite and humble and he never stopped laughing and smiling. He knew we were there to see him and seemed to really appreciate it. Later I made my way to the showroom to explore some more and take photos. I was dressed as the Green Hornet and was happy when people wanted my photo as well. Also thank you to the photographers at the convention who held a free photoshoot, it was so much fun! I was able to get some promotional gear and talk to a few vendors about their experience so far and there was a great feel-good attitude. The lead actors from the independent film "Boy Wonder" were on hand as well for autographs and interviews and they acted in the same spirit as those enjoying the con, making sure to talk to everyone who stopped by. I left on Saturday feeling like I was on Cloud 9 and even had a bit of a nerd parade leading few conventions-goers to Union Station from the shuttle.

On Day Three I started a bit late but was able to make the first Mark Sheppard signing. I have to say he is very much so sarcastic but in such a playful way that he makes you feel relaxed when meeting him. He was also nice enough to actually come from behind the signing table to take proper photos with fans which was amazing. His Q & A session was fun and full of laughs and really made everyone aware of his monumental nerdiness. I have to say the guests that came this year were just so kind and really made the event into something great for the fans. I also made a new friend thanks to him which made everything so much more enjoyable. We walked around and saw some amazing things and I even stopped to say hello and thank Jerry Lawler for coming to the convention as I was a huge wrestling fan as a kid. We made our way to the final showing of Boy Wonder and I have to say I was blown away; the review will be up this week as well.  My new friend and I parted ways afterwards and I headed home, speaking with another convention goer on the way about everything that came to mind. I have to say I love that I get to geek out openly and share my geekiness with others who are interested in similar topics.

That wraps up the cliffnotes edition of my weekend at C2E2. Feel free to follow my group on facebook, the Litter-ati, and participate in group discussions, ask me questions, or just say hello and meet the other readers. As always it's been wonderful sharing my thoughts with you and I welcome your comments and critiques. This is War Kitten reminding you to wear a helmet, it's raining awesome!

Litter-ati: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172554432795827#!/home.php?sk=group_188729431163726&ap=1

Special thanks today to Howard and Kelsey for joining me this weekend! Also thank you to those from C2E2 joining for the first time, I hope to see you all here often!

Superheroes: Why Can't They Stay Dead?

Hello Cadets! It has been a turbulent weekend with the devastation in Japan being as it has been but I think that maybe a little distraction can be good for the soul. So rather than post a typical Marvel vs. DC comparison or debate I would like to point out something both are guilty of, resurrection. Between Superman, Jean Grey, various X-Men, and Jason Todd a.k.a. Robin there is a slew of superhero deaths that are never quite final. A few deaths are blatant and frequent, such as Deadpool but others leave one asking questions such as "why bother killing them at all?" and "What was the point?" Well there are a few theories, some which go as far back as the 1890's.

The first and foremost reason for this trend being outside pressure. The finest and most clearcut example being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who famously killed off Sherlock Holmes in 1893. By 1901 Sherlock Holmes returned in 'Hound of the Baskervilles' and here is why. Sir Doyle wanted to focus on other projects and career aspects and he had grown rather tired of writing the adventures of Holmes and Watson, so rather than have Sherlock die a peaceful death of old age or even the less honorable death of an addict he gave him a proper hero's sendoff. It was due to public outcry that Sir Doyle brought Holmes back for more adventures despite his strong objections and lack of interest in the character by then.

Such pressures are still present whenever a beloved superhero passes, most recently found with the death of Captain America. The story seemed posed to put the original Captain America down for good but due to public outcry he was recently revealed to not be dead but transported to a different dimension, which seems to be a popular trend to offset the obvious death of a major character, mostly found in Marvel storylines. While a brilliant idea the first time I feel that they either need to start sticking to their guns on character death or come up with much more inventive resurrections.

Now let's take a look at DC, typically DC is strangely okay with killing off characters but the resurrection trade has become a staple in their stories that involve character death. First and foremost was the death of Superman. His death was a heavy blow in the comic world and left everyone wondering what would come next. The writers tried various replacements for the story but realized that they were lacking in what it is that made Superman so endearing to kids and adults alike. After a hiatus and even more attempts to fill the boots of the Man of Steel the writers decided to bring back Superman, which brings me to the other reason for temporary death; inadequate replacement. It's extremely difficult to create a timeless and iconic character and even harder to replace them. Since then DC has seemingly refused to kill another major icon without an adequate replacement in the works.

Lastly and possibly the biggest reason lies in the consumer. Fans of Deadpool know that short of being put through a juicer, Deadpool is impossible to kill for long. That being said let's look at Marvel's favorite group, the X-Men. I dare you to just stop at five characters that were iconic and stayed dead. That being said there is no money in killing off the characters that were the staple of a decades old series. When buying an X-Men comic it is expected to see Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, and Professor X. Realistically the few of those who were killed in the series never stayed dead for long as it was all for shock factor. There are alternate reality stories that take place after a few main characters' deaths but have almost always been serialized alongside the regular X-Men series. One plus side to the Marvel universe was the birth of Mavel Zombies, which killed everyone for once. Not only were the stories filled with the standard gallows humor but it was also a brilliant way to capitalize on the booming zombie trend in pop culture.

Overall both Marvel and DC are guilty of shock-factor killing of the beloved characters in your favorite stories but let me ask you a couple questions; would you rather have a character go out in a blaze of glory or have the stories grow stale with age? Also what do you think of the overall lack of ability to kill a superhero? Is it because the writers have grown too fond of them as well or is it all for the love of money? Please post your thoughts on my facebook group The Litter-ati at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_188729431163726&ap=1#!/home.php?sk=group_188729431163726&ap=1
As always it's a pleasure to get feedback and please don't hesitate to join in on polls or group dicussions. Also, as a reminder, please donate to Red Cross or any other group of your choice assisting with the tragedy in Japan. This is War Kitten, signing out and reminding you to.... what? No I'm..... You first..... Nevermind.

Japan

Hello Cadets, I'm sure all of you know of the earthquake that hit Japan early this morning and the tragedy that befell the people. I find that in light of this terrible event I cannot write my usual upbeat message today but a rather somber reminder. There are hundreds dead and hundreds more missing and it is with a heavy heart that I know that the number is still growing. The worst thing about a natural disaster is that there is no warning, no one to blame, and no time to react. I hope that the survivors know that their loss and pain are felt all across the world today. Please keep in mind that in these situations, unity and solidarity are everything, and with that we will overcome any obstacle.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to please help with the relief efforts in any way you can. I am not much for praying but I will pray for all the lost souls today and that those who survived will find the strength to move on someday. This is the War Kitten signing out.