BY JENNIFER M. CONTINO David Mack is returning to one of his favorite Marvel characters, one he created on his Daredevil run, Echo. Echo's making the scene in New Avengers # 39. Mack's getting the chance to be a part of the Secret Invasion, but just how does Kabuki's creator feel about drawing some of Marvel's "legendary heroes"? What's next on his creative plate after? Mack told THE PULSE, "I really embraced a very fun Marvel inspired art approach for this issue." But just what inspired that approach?
THE PULSE: You've done a lot of work for various projects at Marvel over the past few years. How did you come to do an issue of The Avengers this New Year?
DAVID MACK: I got a call from Brian Michael Bendis. I was just wrapping up the last issue of KABUKI: The Alchemy, and Brian had an idea for a story in New Avengers that he asked me to draw.
He explained the idea to me, and it sounded very cool, and like something that would be very fun. And I was happy to hear that Alias artist Michael Gaydos was doing the issue before me, and that my pal Alex Maleev was doing the NA issue after mine.
Brian had a plan about how each of these issues would have a specific atmosphere for the story and artist that he wanted with each issue. It was a cool idea, and the story in these issues kicks off the big Secret Invasion Marvel event of the year.
I believe the issue that I draw hits stores March 12.
THE PULSE: What is it about this group of heroes that you find the most intriguing as an artist?
MACK: These are some of Marvel’s greats. Legendary heroes of the Marvel Mythology, young and old, and it is very cool that New Avengers is this kind of revolutionary splinter group from the mainstream Avengers.
THE PULSE: A lot of people have drawn the Avengers through the years. Who would be among your top list of artists who have worked on these characters?
MACK: I think George Perez was probably the artist on the Avengers when I first became aware of them. And I’m a big Kirby fan as well.
THE PULSE: How, if at all, do any of those past artists influence the work you are currently doing?
MACK: That is one of the fun challenges of the project. I want to be respectful to these characters and what the legendary creators before me have brought to them. It offers a rich mythology to pull from.
THE PULSE: Who or what else is influencing you as you work on The Avengers ?
MACK: The biggest influence is the script from Bendis. It is really well thought out, character driven, and a very fun, very action packed script.
Because of the script and the nature and atmosphere of this series, I had to develop an art style for this issue that was fitting to that and best communicated the script and vibe of the series.
People familiar with my work will know that I develop a variety of different art styles for each project that I work on, so each story has its own individual look that is best for that story.
I really embraced a very fun Marvel inspired art approach for this issue. The art approach is very Jack Kirby inspired. But contemporary and realistic as well. Kind of in the way the spirit and influence of Kirby is channeled through unique contemporary artists like Paul Pope and Joe Quesada.
And I should say that the coloring by Jose Villarubia in this issue is stunning. Jose is a true artist. His coloring is making my pencil and inks look good.
THE PULSE: What were some of the challenges of working on an ensemble cast like The Avengers ?
MACK: I did try to give a slightly different tone to the art of a scene of different characters. A scene driven by Wolverine has a little bit of a different inking than a scene that I drew that is dominated by Hawkeye.
I also was very conscious of Lenil Yu’s excellent work that precedes this story. I wanted this issue to still fit into what readers are looking for from New Avengers, and still have its own personality as well.
THE PULSE: Which of these heroes are favorites of yours? I know it's a large group, but everyone has a favorite ...
MACK: Well, it is a blast to be able to draw Wolverine and Hawkeye (Clint Barton) in this story. These are characters that run deep in the Marvel mythos. And it is very fun to be able to draw Echo in this context of an action oriented team story. I was able to take bits and pieces of how Joe Quesada drew her in Daredevil, and how Lenil Yu drew her in New Avengers, their little flourishes to her costume, and gel that together in this issue to really define her action and team look in my own way while incorporating their iconic approaches to her character.
THE PULSE: When you have a favorite character, do you subconsciously give him or her more "face time" in the pages or are you pretty conscious about over drawing one hero or another here?
MACK: No, it is all up to the script. Brian Michael Bendis wrote a very detailed and tight script, and my job in this issue is just telling that story as truly and clearly as I can.
THE PULSE: You and Brian Michael Bendis have known each other for a long time. How does that help in the collaborative process here?
MACK: We have been best friends for fifteen years, and he have a very long history of working together from the beginning so we do have a good dialogue about that. And we genuinely like each other, which also helps. We both had dreams of making it in this medium and here we are getting to work on some of the coolest characters ever invented.
After Brian sent me this script, I spent over a week at his place last December, and I asked him how he saw things for this issue. How he saw the tone, and panel layouts, and subtext of this story. So we had many conversations about that, and I took them to heart and I tried to bring all of that out in this story. Without those conversations, the book may have shaped up differently.
THE PULSE: How does it feel to see Echo used in these pages?
MACK: I would never have imagined that when I created Echo in a Daredevil story for Joe Quesada to draw ten years ago, that she would end up in the Avengers years later. And I would never have imagined that I would be drawing her in an issue of New Avengers with Brian Michael Bendis writing.
THE PULSE: How has Echo changed since you first used her in the pages of Daredevil?
MACK: She has changed quite a bit. I invented her as a kind of villain against Daredevil. When I took over writing Daredevil after Kevin Smith, that was one of the things Joe Quesada asked of the story. He asked me to create a new character in the story that was unique to Daredevil’s personal rogues gallery. She was kind of a wild card.
Now she is a team player, and she has come down on the side of the hero’s path instead of a criminal. Which is very cool, because it easily could have went the other way. Her character has evolved in the Marvel Universe in a very organic way.
THE PULSE: How do the Skrulls affect Echo?
MACK: I never ever would have expected Echo to be fighting Skrulls. That’s all I can say about that without spoilers.
THE PULSE: What else is happening in this issue?
MACK: Fun twists and surprises that kick off the Secret Invasion story.
THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on?
MACK: The hardcover collection of the new Kabuki series, The Alchemy is coming out from Marvel in June. I’m putting that together now. It collects the entire Alchemy story with lots of extra stuff, including an introduction by Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk.
Also with the success of my new children’s book The Shy Creatures, I’m working on a new children’s book. As well as a couple secret Marvel projects. And the upcoming Daredevil: End of Days story.
You can find more info on any of these on the daily updates at davidmackguide.com. You can also find links there to the trailer of the documentary film of my work: The Alchemy of Award which is continuing to win some of the top film awards and is now available on DVD with lots of extra features.
New Avengers # 39 should be in stores this month.
Posts: 21381 | From: PA | Registered: Aug 2002
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Wow! David Mack is one of my favourite artists EVER! Any oportunity to get stories drawn by him are always welcome! I am still trying to get that the Alchemy of DVD - but it has been hard to get here in Portugal.
However, I am eager to read that Avengers #39 issue.
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David Mack's "Echo" on the cover is actually someone else's photograph... Geez, Mack, learn not to steal. Didn't Marvel issue a memo about this? This isn't a matter of just using reference, it's plagiarism...
Or are you smart enough to buy stock photos?
Hope so!
Wow, bad form. If I was as big a fan as Roberto, I'd be so embarrassed...
Posts: 4 | Registered: Jan 2008
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Zombieboy: As implausible as it may sound, the cover "swipe" and the "swipe" of the page scan reproduced at the bottom of this article (from a Maleev page in a past DD comic) were completely intentional.
Honestly I can't imagine how, but this all fits into a plan between Bendis and Mack - according to several comments posted by Mack on other forums and comics "news" sites.
Besides, Bendis, Mack and Maleev are all good friends, so it's not like David is a complete dumbass and would figure that Alex - or fans - weren't going to notice.
David is catching a lot of flak about this, so I hope that their friendship is worth it!
-------------------- See Bruce write...Write, Bruce, write! My website about Me: Comiczar.com Posts: 109 | Registered: Aug 2006
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ALL– There’s been some confusion regarding the use of copyrighted materials in work submitted to Marvel. Please note that Marvel pays for original artwork, and your work made for hire contract requires you to represent that everything you are doing for Marvel is original.
It is appropriate to use photographs or other copyrighted works for inspiration, for example if you need to see what the architecture of New Orleans looks like. However, what you cannot do is copy or take so many elements from a protected work that you effectively copy it.
Therefore, NEVER copy a photograph or any artwork you do not own the copyright in or that you re not sure is in the public domain. Photographers own the copyright in their works (or they have assigned the copyright to a publisher, etc.) and they are notoriously protective of their work. The same can be said of any paintings, print, scupture, etc.
There is a fine line between HOMAGE and RIP-OFF–make sure you are firmly on the side of using your own creative elements. A simple rule of thumb is to consider whether someone looking at your drawing and the reference material will think that one is derivative of the other. If so, you have gone too far and taken too much.
We know you want to bring an incredible sense of realism to the page and want to support you. Please speak with your editors regarding any concerns or questions that you have regarding the use of reference materials. By working together, we can create a work that is both inspired and unique.
Thanks for your time, David Bogart
Posts: 51 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I met David and spoke with him several times at Wizard World in Chicago. He is as gracious a person as he is a talented artist -- and that is a high compliment, for he is an exceedingly gracious person and an extraordinarily talented artist.
I hope we will see more of his work in mainstream Marvel comics.
Posts: 7 | Registered: Jun 2005
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