Monday, September 29, 2008

Madame Xanadu

(entry Richard Friend)

I wanted to post up a little info about the new book I am working on (well have been working on for the last 5 or 6 months)

Last year was strange for me. I was inking Whilce Portacio on Superman Batman (not on the stands yet) but working on that story arc took FOREVER. Last year I had basically NOTHING on the stands. Literally for 14 months I had one fill in on JSA over Fernando Pasarin come out, a few other small odds and ends and that was it. I've never had a dry spell like that with so little on the shelves, although I was working every day. Even SD comic con 2008 felt weird because I had very little new work I could even show...(since nothing was even published at that point) But now finally all this work is coming up or is already hitting the stands.

I started inking Madame Xanadu in June. I've already inked 4 issues and I am back on a monthly. I LOVE it. I love Amy Reeder Hadley's art, I love the book, I love the writing by Matt Wagner....I love the fact that DEATH is coming up in the series. This is literally the most fun I've had on a book in a long time. I personally work best when I am really working hard. This pace keeps me super limber and I haven't felt this confident in my inks in a while. My work on Steampunk keeps coming to mind while inking MX/ (I inked Chris Bachalo for 2 years straight and NEVER had one fill in inker ink one single page EVER) So, while I am working on this new series...the pace and quick tempo really reminds me of that time. How all that hard work really adds up, and at the end you have something you can really be proud of. There's just a level of consistency that can't be matched by one team working and growing together, getting tighter and tighter on the art doing a monthly...and telling a story most importantly of all. It's incredible when it clicks.

This book feels special...I can't really put my finger on it..but when I was asked to ink it and I saw the pencil art; the answer was immediately yes. My gut instincts were right...this is a great comic and I am so proud to be part of this team.

thanks for reading!

ricH.

3 comments:

M1ll5 said...

(Not on the stands yet) - Seeing as S/B has a new creative team, are the issue(s) scrapped? Or this the 'Len Wein' annual?

Blasterkid said...

The Superman Batman thing we did is a totally self contained story and could fit anywhere (3 issues)...so my guess would be that at some point where there's a comfortable break they will just add it in.

Len Wein had nothing to do with our arc.

thanks.

ricH.

Unknown said...

Hey Rich, this is Don--I talk to you at the Con every year--I have those VHS tapes burned to disk (was about to mail them and a friend said he could do it, had them packed in a box and everything but unfortunately I didn't write your add on the box yet and now I've lost it--the address that is) please send me your addy again
my info is here:
http://www.donflaws.com/
or even call me today Oct 4--I'll be in SD later today

Just don't let Jim Lee see the videos, we don't want HIM getting any better!