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Countdown to FCBD: Death Dealer
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Location: Blogs Atomic FalloutRadiation Interrogation |
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| Posted by: Jake Bell |
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:49 AM |
What influence has Frank Frazetta had on you professionally? As you get more involved in this book, what have other artists expressed about the importance of Frazetta?
Joshua Ortega: I've been amazed to see just how many artists have been deeply influenced by the work of Frank Frazetta. Not that I'm surprised, just that it's amazing to see so many incredibly talented artists list Frank as one of their biggest influences, if not the biggest influence on their work. Just check out the quotes we got from some of the Image founding fathers in Issue #1... Silvestri, McFaralane, Larsen, Valentino, all of them had very heartfelt, meaningful things to say about Frank. We've also got quotes from John Cassaday, Adam Hughes, David Mack, Steve Rude and a bunch of other guys and you see that same, amazing level of respect and influence... it's just incredible.
Jay Fotos: I have been a fan of Frazetta since I introduced to him in the 3rd grade, like I stated in my quote in issue #1, “If I was not introduced to Frazetta’s work as a child in the 70’s, things would be a lot different for me now."
How much pressure is there as an artist when you are drawing a series that has Frank Frazetta's name on it?
Nat Jones: Frazetta commands so much respect as an artist that it definately creates some pressure for any other artist working with one of his creations, and I have to admit that it got to me a little at first. Eventually you have to just buckle down, give it your best and get the book finished. The biggest thing to remember is that we are not Frank Frazetta, we have to stand on our own artistically and I think we're doing that pretty well.
JF: There is pressure, but we have the right mindset. We are doing what WE do, to do the best we can and make no apologies for it
Considering the Death Dealer began as a painting rather than a story, how much freedom did you have to create the mythos of the character? How much back story does the Death Dealer have?
JO: Quite a bit of back story, and the Frazettas have really let us do our thing. They gave us great guidance, mainly emphasizing that they wanted an epic feel to the book, but other than that, they've trusted us to tell a great story in the way that we want. Luckily, they love the book, so we're all very flattered and quite happy with the results. Of course, we want every reader to dig the book, but if Frank gives you the thumbs-up on Death Dealer, then you've pretty much done your job.
JF: Death Dealer stories have been written in the past, we were told to ignore them and create a new story with little or no boundaries from the Frazettas.
How did the series come to be? Is it safe to assume Frank Frazetta didn't just pick up the phone and say, "Hey, Jay, what say you do a comic about one of my paintings?"
JF: I would say a lucky turn of events. I few years back I purchased some art from the Frazettas and got pretty friendly with them. Ellie, Frank’s wife, asked what I do as a living and asked to send them some stuff to check out and liked the level of quality of the projects that I have worked on. From there it was not hard to convince them to letting me “take the reins” of their beloved creation. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a “snatch and run” deal, I (and the Frazettas) made it a point to be involved in the project the whole time, Frank sees everything.
Has there been any difficulty playing intermediary between Frank Frazetta and Image? Have there been things either side wanted that didn't work for the other?
JF: Not at all, I think people get the wrong idea about Image Comics. Image is a creator owned publisher, we (the creative team) bring the project to them and they publish it, other than them dealing with distribution and printing (amongst other things) they have nothing to do with it, we hand them the package and they get it out to the readers. Image has been great, we do whatever we want and coming from a creators standpoint you can’t ask for anything more.
What are some of the things you had to change from conception to publishing?
NJ: We did a fair amount of preliminary art looking for the best way to approach the art in the series, but there was really nothing we "had" to change. The book really came together in a very fluid way, I think that's a testament to how well Joshua, Jay and I work together.
Image says this is its biggest comic launch in more than a decade. Why do you think it's gotten the attention that it has?
JO: Wow, that's cool…I actually hadn't realized that until you mentioned it! What an honor...
But yeah, to answer your question, it's first and foremost a testament to the power of Frazetta and his art, especially the power contained within the Death Dealer paintings. Second, it's a testament to the quality of work that Nat and Jay are doing, people can see the effort and authenticity in the work. Third, I think it's the perfect time to release the book. There aren't many good fantasy, let alone dark fantasy, books out there, plus epic period pieces like 300 are doing really well, and then you have that ol' zombie effect, and though the Shadow Horde aren't quite zombies, they evoke that same creepy feel and look. Finally, on a personal note, I would hope that all of the interviews I've been doing over the last few months have helped, and the 6-page preview showed people that I'm taking this project very seriously…you don't f-around with the Death Dealer, man! (laughs)
JF: Simple, it’s Frank Frazetta, it’s good and the people working behind it are putting their hearts and souls into it…the fans will see that and appreciate it.
This is a six-issue mini. Has there been any talk about coming back for another story after this one is complete?
JO: Oh yeah, and especially lots of talk now that we know this book is a hit. As I've said before, we're creating a very rich, epic world around the Death Dealer, and there will be many stories left to tell in the Land of Iparsia... this is but the beginning.
JF: Like Joshua said, we have plans, but we need to concentrate on getting you guys this story first. |
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