Thursday, March 01, 2007

SYLAR page 6

Here's our final page. Easily the page I'm most happy with. I think I nailed the Sylar likeness here. I'm really happy with Zane too. I definitely feel I captured him too.

If you check the watch that Annette put it, it's off the HEROES: Wikipedia site. So there's a nice little circle there as we now have our own links there courtesy of the kind, talented and dedicated Ryan Gibson Stewart:

http://heroeswiki.com/Jason_Badower

What I'm unhappy about is that on the actual episode Zane's line is delivered from behind a security door. I know it's such a tiny thing, but that really bothers me. The problem is that I know the fans are real sticklers for this sort of detail too. That's part and parcel about being a fan. You come to the party on this alternate universe, and the better it is, the more you come to the party on it. But when someone isn't true to that universe, it feels like blasphemy- like someone has soiled your world - your vision. The bubble of disbelief is so fragile, that even something as small as a security door can pop it.

I think the comics are an excellent initiative by the producers to create bonus material to entertain the fans. But as I mentioned, if you're going to do this, you really have to commit to it. If the fans feel that it's a fifth wheel it's going to get ignored by all but the most hardcore fans. If NBC could crank up their attentiveness to the material half a notch I think they'd get an even wider and better response to the comics. I feel that the comics are being considered "just comics", and that's a huge shame. They can be so much more than that. While I consider these comics great bonus material, it would only take the slightest crank up to make them essential reading in the HEROES mythos.

Sneak peek news: I've just received word that the next four comics are by the same artist and feature one character.

In the meantime, I finished drawing this page really late at night (4am? 5am?) and jumped into the shower. It was only there that I realised in the screen caps that NBC sent me that Sylar doesn't have his cap. Here's the original panel. I climbed out of the shower and erased the cap (trying not to think about the fact I had to be awake in 4 hours). I include it cos it's easily my favourite Sylar picture.

Thanks to everyone who has been following this little journey. I just got word that after the next four issues Frank will get in touch with me and we will see if we can work out another issue for me.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jason,

Another great post — what a way to wrap up your Road Kill series! So, who's this mysterious artist who will be drawing four comics in a row? And when are they going to find time to sleep?

Thanks for the shout out!

Ryan
PS — I'm digging the new profile picture ... :)

Kelly J. Crawford said...

You and Annette make an awesome team, Jason, and I hope you guys will hook up again for a future installment of the Heroes online graphic novel series.

jasonb said...

Hahahahaha Ryan! If anyone was paying attention, I basically just linked my pic from Ryan's HEROES site. Thanks, mate!

I wish knew who the next comics are about. But you know as much as I do.

Kelly: Thanks so much! I love working with Annette. She's such a huge inspiration to me.

Anonymous said...

I stumbled across this blog a bit late to reply to this particular post. Anyway, I read back over the previous Heroes-related posts, and it was really cool to get this insight into the work behind that comic.

I really do appreciate your effort in trying to keep the comic from deviating from the show to any extent that would jar readers from their suspension of disbelief.