Okey-doke.

All those thin pen strokes, yech.

Getting an assistant for backgrounds is better than erasing backgrounds. I'm sorry, but erasing backgrounds isn't an artistic decision, that's sloppily cutting corners to make deadline. And destroying the work of others in the process. I can't support that.

Bad Colletta!

Here's a page from one of my favorite stories by John Byrne, FF#267, titled "A Small Loss."

Sue Storm Richards is pregnant, but the baby is shooting off random blasts of radiation, endangering both of them. Reed Richards gathers the world's foremost experts on radiation: Bruce Banner, Walter Langowski, and Michael Morbius. But none of them can help, so they realize they need Otto (Dr. Octopus) Octavius. Reed finds him at a mental asylum, almost a basket case, but Reed talks him back to sanity, and Octavius agrees to help.

But then on the way to Sue's hospital, Octavius sees a Daily Bugle billboard saying "Spiderman: Threat or Menace?" which reawakens his criminal personality. Octopus and Reed fight, until Reed immobilizes Octopus's arms, and delivers the speech on this page:

[img]http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/purkowitz/FF267p19B.jpg[/img]

Reading that now, it sounds like the younger John Byrne of the 1980's speaking directly to his older self in 2008. "What does it cost you to put aside your ego for a moment?" Substitute the comics industry for the sick woman and child that need help. And the old, wounded, bitter Byrne replies "But how can I know that you are to be trusted?" To which the younger man responds with a "demonstration of good will," saying "Your arms are yours again to control."

Which is exactly where Byrne finds himself today, on the verge of releasing new, independent work, not knowing whether the current market will embrace it or not, but free of editorial restraints.

Well, maybe the analogy isn't perfect, but I found it poignant.

You remember how that comic ended, right?

Sure, it ends tragically, but that doesn't change the basic heroism that Reed portrays on that page.

Hmm, and then in the next issue, Octopus starts ranting that he was only brought in to serve as a scapegoat when things went wrong. He's about to start smashing things when Reed stares him down and tells him to go wait in the corner, or else Reed will hunt him down. And Octopus meekly complies.

So, yeah, maybe it's not the best bedtime story for modern Byrne to hear today. I won't tell him if you won't, okay?

What you guys think of this one?

http://comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=360376&GSub=54023

The whole "I am Paul W Sondersted Jr" thing reminds me of the scene in the Eddie Murphy / Martin Lawrence comedy "Life", where all of the black prisoners take turns claiming to be the man who impregnated the white warden's daughter. The funniest part is when the gay prisoner tries to take credit for it.

Jay Leno is Batman?

To put on a T-Shirt? Awesome idea. I'll make up a bunch and make sure to credit you with the idea. Thanks!

Actually, this one wouldn't look good on a T-shirt.

I really like the backgrounds in that one, aric.