BY JENNIFER M. CONTINOMost people don't want to see anything come out of an urn. I mean, really, once something's in there, it's usually a good place for it to stay. However, the Golden Age heroes freed from the Urn might be that exception to the rule.
The Black Terror is just one of those heroes who've returned from beyond to fight the good fight in a whole new world. Mike Lilly is having a great time bringing this defenders of liberty back to center stage at Dynamite Entertainment. He's drawing the Jim Krueger penned tale, which features the hero, "hell bent on doing the right thing and letting nothing stand in his way."
THE PULSE: For our readers who don't know a lot about the Project Superpowers -- as impossible as that might be -- who or what is The Black Terror?
MIKE LILLY: Well the Black Terror, along with his sidekick Tim, was a pharmacist turned hero due to an experimental chemical that gave him super human strength and reflexes which he used to fight crime, gangster, nazi's...you name the baddies from the golden age of comics. He adopted the skull and crossbones on his costume from the symbol for poison. Now flash forward...In his current incarnation (due to the talents of Alex Ross, Jim Krueger and Nick Barrucci)...he, along with a host of other golden age heroes where trapped in this mystical urn (back during WWII) which has kept him in a 'limbo' like state until he resurfaced in the modern era (along with many other heroes).
Black Terror is an aggressive hero...hell bent on doing the right thing and letting nothing stand in his way. He doesn't follow in step with the new world. He seems to be the spear head and driving force for the other heroes to maintain the ideals they fought for in WWII. When Ben Franklin said..."Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. "...the Black Terror would step in to give you back that liberty with a kick in the belly and an upper cut to the chops.
THE PULSE: How did you get the chance to bring his new adventures to life at Dynamite?
LILLY: I was fortunate to have the man himself, Nick Barrucci, stop by my table at New York Comic Con back in April 2008. We got to talkin' and he mentioned he liked my pencils from Nightwing and Vampirella and wanted me to work on Red Sonja in the past but we never got a chance to hook up. At that show seemed liked a good opportunity to lay some groundwork and then we took it from there after the con and talked about Black Terror. I thought he'd probably wanted me to do some work on Red Sonja or something else, but when he mentioned Project SuperPowers and Black Terror I was pleasantly surprised...;)
THE PULSE: How familiar were you with this Golden Age character? If you knew a lot about him, what stood out in your mind as his defining traits? If you just met him for the first time with this project, how did you decide which elements were essential in his current incarnation?
LILLY: I always remembered his design...black costume and the dramatic skull and cross bones but I knew nothing of the origins of the golden age Black Terror. What stood out in my mind (as a defining trait) once I got involved with the project was of course the aforementioned stark black costume and menacing skull....the Black Terror visually has all the ingredients of a formidable, threatening avenger. Even the sharp angles to his mask adds to this... as well as the 'jolly-roger' design evoking the swashbuckling pirate.
THE PULSE: I know Alex Ross had a big hand in the design and implementation of this series, what kind of collaborative effort did you have with him as to the art direction of The Black Terror series?
LILLY: All my pencils and designs are sent to Alex via editor extraordinaire Joe Rybandt for approval and review. Thankfully and gratefully I might add Alex as well as writer Jim Krueger have been very pleased with my pencils and storytelling. The only snag I get from time to time is getting the costumes right on certain characters. It's a new universe for me so I have to keep a sharp eye out for certain costume details and traits.
THE PULSE: What were some of your initial challenges getting started on your work with The Black Terror?
LILLY: I think the biggest challenge is to live up to the large universe Alex and Jim have created as well as to their standards of comic book art and creation. That keeps me on my toes to do my best work consistently.
THE PULSE: What kind of intimidation factors did you face working on a project like this with Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, where there are so many expectations attached to it?
LILLY: Like I said above...just to keep doing my best work penciling and storytelling consistently. With Alex and Jim looking over your work...that's intimidation enough...;)
THE PULSE: I'd imagine Alex Ross was an influence on your artwork, but who or what were some of the other elements that influenced or inspired how you brought The Black Terror and the rest of his cast to life in these pages?
LILLY: I would say with Black Terror is to keep this swashbuckling, pirate motif feel throughout. I got books on old sailing vessels, warships, weapons, etc from the days of high adventure and have picked elements from this to add to the Black Terror's world visually.
THE PULSE: What, as a comics fan, have you enjoyed the most about what's being done with Project Superpowers? How has this tale held your interest?
LILLY: Most certainly it's held my interest. I'm a fan of the pulp era and golden age heroes so this is a great 'new' universe to get involved with that has so-o-o-o-o-o many cool characters, many reinvented for a whole new generation of comic fans. It has its nod to the past as well a crafting new storylines in the modern world. It's even had me tracking down some of the original books with those great Alex Schomburg covers. Just inspiring stuff!
THE PULSE: How is working on a project like this different than Vampirella or any other comics work you've created?
LILLY: Even though Black Terror is a single character comic....with so many other Project SuperPower characters involved it seems at times I'm working on a team book. That to me is the biggest difference compared to when I did Vampirella or Nightwing.
THE PULSE: What other projects -- in or out of comics -- are you working on?
LILLY: Right now it's Black Terror exclusively but you can always find me at conventions around the country doing sketches and selling original art. I still do many commissions for some great fans and friends out there privately. I also have a creator owned property entitled the Mercury Chronicles with co-creator and writer Vito Delsante that I work on when I get a chance. Hopefully one day we'll get it published but you can see pages from this at my comicspace site:
http://www.comicspace.com/mikelilly http://www.mikelilly.comhttp://www.comicspace.com/mikelillyhttp://www.myspace.com/mikelillyart
Previous Topic
Index