Influences to Glory - Writers and Artists

            Earlier today I was in the midst of a Twitter conversation that brought up our earliest comic book influences.

            Every artist, and writer, has their influences. Not all of us will agree as to who the greatest or the worst, the most dynamic, narrative, or the worst is. But we all know who influences us.

            For me, it goes nearly to the very beginning of reading comics. I had already read through a digest reprint of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #100 (written by Len Wein, another important influence to me), which introduced me to the world of the DC Universe that wasn't the SUPER FRIENDS of Saturday Morning Cartoons.

            Here was not only the Justice League of America, but also another team that called themselves the Justice Society of America. As a little kid, all I knew was that these were alternate takes on what I thought were well-established characters.

            Over the next few months I would beginning to pick up other comic books. One comic was THE NEW TEEN TITANS by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. The second was an issue of ALL STAR SQUADRON written by Roy Thomas and among many artists was Jerry Ordway.

            These two books would truly build my view of the DC Universe. The Teen Titans very 'science fiction' based modern stories with highly detailed artwork, while All Star Squadron showed heroes in the midst of World War II and had heroes with magic based powers.

            For a while I believe that Earth 1 took place in the modern day, and Earth 2 in the 1940s, so that even when they did a cross over story they were coming from two different points in time.  I soon learned that wasn't true.

            Anyway, back to my influences.

            For writing, I couldn't have picked any better writers to follow than Marv Wolfman and Roy Thomas. Yes, I'll hear people mention who they believe are better with more complexity to their writing, but for me these two men were the foundational influence to me that everything grew from.

            Where Wolfman knew who to emotionally grab me in one story and then tell great actions sequences in the next, Thomas knew how to handle dozens of characters sometimes at once.  Thomas also knows everything about what I was learning to call the 'Golden Age' of comics, and spent time in every issue telling something about it all.

            Because of Roy Thomas and the All-Star Squadron, I quickly became infatuated by Golden Age, and I saw out reprint books of the original stories (there was no way I could afford the originals, but I found the stories I wanted).

            As with most young comic readers I soon began to create my own characters. But I didn't want to create them in my modern world. I didn't fit in a New York that I saw through George Perez's detailed art. I created my characters influenced by Jerry Ordway that I felt had a more 'realistic' style. His faces were and are great.

            (Imagine my thrill later when Ordway was hired to ink Perez's work on CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH. The two were so perfect together.)

            (SIDE NOTE: I would also discover in the back issue bings the John Byrne issues of FANTASIC FOUR, and I bought as many as I could afford over several years of collecting. The greats of these were those where Byrne's art was inked over by Jerry Ordway.)

            So I'm creating my own characters, refining them, turning them into something more than just sketches on a page. I gave them names, and origins, not just the basic how they got power origins, but why and who the characters are with out powers.)

            I was looking towards Roy Thomas and his interpretation of the Golden Age, that I began to emulate.

            Three characters that I developed the furthest were The Torchlight, Speedstar, and a heroine I called FLYING GLORY.

            I have written stories about all these characters, and as you all know, I took FLYING GLORY the furthest.

            I've told the story already as how publishers were interested in a FLYING GLORY comic, one really liked the story that I told, but eventually it became clear that I couldn't sells a Golden Age story when I was pitching it.

            So with the help of Shannon Muir I updated the Flying Glory character, made her the granddaughter of the original and gave her a group of friends that supported her. THE HOUNDS OF GLORY.

            Our webcomic FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY, currently celebrating its 10^th Anniversary of being online. Everything that I put into a script I owe to Marv Wolfman and Roy Thomas, and each panel of my art is so greatly influenced by Jerry Orway and George Perez (though I'll never be able to draw hi details and crowd scenes).

            Thank you Mr. Ordway, Mr. Perez, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Wolfman for you have made me the comic book professional that I am today.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden

Four Names of Professional Creativity

Nine months have slipped by.

I can’t believe that’s its practically nine months since my last blog. I so intended to write more on a regular basis, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like there is much to write about.

The year started off extremely positively, and it looked like I was going to have a job soon after. But that wasn’t meant to be I guess.

The did remain positive, though I had moments of frustration and disappointment, I was not going to give up on my faith that God has a great plan for me this year.

I did get to speak with, at least in e-mail form, several comic book professionals, as well as television producers. Even got to meet a comic writer/editor that I greatly admire, and if God has things set right there I might be doing some writing for him, but we can never be sure until it happens. I remain faithful.

I also met with a television producer who liked my writing quite a bit, and even sent samples around to people he knows. At the moment nothing is happening there either, but I don’t give up.

This year’s visit to the San Diego Comic Convention was perhaps my best when it comes to meeting with people and networking. I’m rather shy, but this year I was able to push though that and talk with people more.

Since then I’ve gotten to talk with others, and another comic book company is showing interesting in my writing as well.

One thing that I can mention here is that though I don’t have a lot to say at times, and sometimes it sounds like I’m complaining. I have discovered that facebook and mostly Twitter has become an excellent way to network and get to know people. If it wasn’t for Twitter I wouldn’t have gotten to talk with several of the professionals who are talking with me now about work. Thanks Twitter and everyone who follows me there.

So even if I don’t have a lot to say here in a blog, and I haven’t yet been employed whether it be creatively or in an office doing filing, this has still been a very good year. God has blessed me well.

Maybe I’ll blog more, or maybe you’ll find 140 characters on Twitter.

After Comic-Con 08

I've been home now nearly a week since the San Diego Comic-Con, boy does time fly.  Other people have already posted their thoughts on the Con, and I probably don't have a lot to add, but here is a small ramble if nothing else.

I've been attending the con for many many years now, since it was at the downtown convention hall and watched it grow every year since then. The first year I was there the total number was 5000, today we reach over 120,000 people and can't really get much hire then that. 

Even though it was crowded, I wasn't really bothered by the crowds, I was a crowd to them after all.  I won't even blame the greater influx of Hollywood.  Someone the other night said that it was Hollywood was taking too much of the con.  But I see all this as part of the same. Sure there is a love of comics that have been pushed into a corner, but truthfully we are all part of the same world of visual story telling.  Over sixty years ago there were comics based on movies and comedians like Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope.  I think that the important thing in all this is that the world, if for only those four days a year, sees comic books, animation, gaming, television, and movies as equals and all have time to shine all interconnected. 

I guess I can say that because I have great dreams to be working in all those areas and see them all the same.  Sure writing for a comic is different then for movie, but it is still story telling and that's what I dream to do.  There are those who get into animation as a step towards live action writing, but there are also live action television and movie writers who are now writing for comics because they love. 

I haven't always been the best at networking with people at the con, and the crowd makes it all the more fun at trying it.  But I came away from this con feeling much better about things, and making greater contacts along the way.

Didn't expect my ramble to go in the direction it did, but that's where it is. I have a passion for story telling, visual story telling, "narrative illustration" as my professor and I called. So I'm going be working in this world right along side the best comic, animation, gaming, and movie giants.

Interested in working with me, check out my website: http://www.duelingmodems.com/~kevinpsb/index.html

Hope you all had a good time and enjoying your summer.