Well, well, well.It has been revealed. Linderman and Petrelli. Interesting, huh? I thought so. Imagine trying to sit on that for two or three weeks. I'm so glad you all know now. I had to keep checking and double-checking all my posts, comments and threads to make sure I hadn't said "Linderman" instead of "Austin" and "Petrelli" instead of "Dallas".
That was tough. Glad that's over.
Ok, now we get to play spot the difference. What you see up the top is the original page 1. Notice anything? That's right, I originally drew the woman in the background getting shot also. I figured that Petrelli unloading semi or even fully automatic would hit her also. NBC asked me to remove her as they felt her presence distracting to the central image of Au Co being killed. After scouring the message boards, no one seems to have missed the woman, so I guess they were right.
Here's the final art that I sent through to Annette:
As Annette and I were going back and forwards about the last story, she joked that she'd have a seizure if she had to colour another capsicum (go back and look, there's hundreds of them). So of course, I had to chuck some in. I was going to throw them in every panel, but that would of just been stupid - and wasting valuable time that we both didn't have. So this page was my playful little dig at Annette. She's such a good sport. =)
Now I can talk more freely about the preparation for the series.
First up, I believe that this story is PERFECT for the comics. I mean, how else are you going to have a young Malcolm McDowell running around? CGI? I don't think so. The comics are a perfect way to tell this story.
It became very prevalent to me that they were relying on the medium of comics and perhaps the lack of skill in the artists at rendering likenesses. The last panel of this story (the explicit statement that Linderman is Austin and Dallas is Petrelli) confirms that. So when I thought about this, I was adamant that I would try and do the best likenesses I could.
But where to get a good young Malcolm McDowell reference? I checked IMDB and didn't recognise (nor could I find) any of his earlier films. As Ryan guessed, I ran out and bought A Clockwork Orange. Even though he's 28 old in A Clockwork Orange, that was the closest reference I would find to how old Linderman is supposed to be in the script (18 - it's not in the script, but I'm sure I read it in an email. I would have drawn him younger but I wasn't sure how to without affecting the likeness).
But what to do about Daddy Petrelli? Well I had a look at the Petrelli family. It seemed really obvious to me that Peter takes after his mother. Nathan on the other hand looks very little like her. So I reasoned that the father should look like Nathan. Not identical, but close enough. I remember looking at a photo of my father when he was my age and the similarity is uncanny. So I ran through a bunch of episodes to grab some Nathan reference, and off I went.
Again, Annette brings this page to light in a graphic and vivid manner. I especially love the bullet splatter on Au Co. It's brutal and prominent without being gratuitous. It looks like it really hurts.
BLACKED OUT CAPTION READS: "Au Co, who could create fields of crops with just a wave of her arms."
ps. I'm gonna spoil this now and say it was my idea to give baby Nathan the plane and the angel. I just thought the fans would get a kick out of it. I know I did. =)
13 comments:
Your comics are really, really well drawn. =) Must be a relief to finally be able to 'spill the beans' on Austin and Dallas. Looking forward to more Heroes webcomics from you!
~chemeddy
Haha, I noticed Nathan was playing with a plane, but I couldn't make out the other toy. I did wonder when I saw that whether it was supposed to be a reference to his future ability, and I'm both pleased to see I was right and to see your creativity extends beyond the art itself. :)
Wow, you really didn't hold back on this one. Killing a 10-year-old girl. Brutally. Blood pouring from her mouth. Awesome, in a sick kinda way. :) It reminds me a lot of the death scenes on Heroes itself, like when Charlie was killed. It's descriptive and straigtforward, but never over the top or lewd.
I didn't "miss" Au Co's guardian, but I certainly wondered where she was. NBC was right: she's not needed, but you telling us that you had originally drawn her is enough for me.
By the way, you seem so much more relaxed in your posts. There's almost a gleeful playfulness in your tone. I'm happy you're having fun. :)
Ryan, lover of capsicums
PS -- Thanks for the flying toys, but I was more focused on the picture of the table and chairs behind Papa Petrelli's head. ?!
Torture with peppers! Hahahahahaaa!! 8-)))) That's hilarious!
As always, brilliantly executed, both of you. And I was using the "read mode" so I couldn't make out what the toys were until I saw mention of them in the 9th Wonders forum, then I had to go back and check it out in full page mode. I love it! I forgive you for the child proportion weirdness -- I know children are extremely hard to draw. But next time, give him a bigger braincase. 8-)
Whoops, almost out of battery on the laptop. Didja get my email? I've been having email problems, so I wanted to be sure you got it. Thanks again for everything. 8-)
Part Five was absolutely fantastic, in story and in visual execution. Jason, you and Annette really hit this one out of the park. The likeness to Malcolm McDowell (whom I've lusted after for many years) is extraordinary. I also favour your portayal of Hana, especially how she appears at the very end of this one. Other artists have drawn her so drastically disproportioned, she barely looked human (seriously, who in real life has a 16 inch waist and tripple D breasts?).
The humanity. That's what you and Annette bring to the HEROES graphic novel series, Jason, and I hope you two get more work.
KJC
OH MY GOD REVEALED BLACKED OUT CAPTIONS! AAAAAAH.
I had a feeling that was what it said, anyways. PMed you on the 9thwonders boards.
Awesome. Give Annette some Kudos, man!
I had no idea what capsicums were until I looked them up. Learn something new everyday!
Part five was fantastic! It just keeps getting better! I liked Au Co kneeling, blood dripping down from her mouth, looking at her bullet wound. Brutal, but awesome. Austin standing at the door was magnificent! That was really good!
I loved the part with baby Nathan playing with the plane and the angel. I definitely got a kick out of it. Great idea. ^_^
Bram
Don't think I ever saw someone use "capsicum" in normal conversation. Peppers, yes. Pimentoes, maybe. Is it an Ausie thing?
Appreciated the toys. Makes me think that even as a toddler Nathan may have had unconscious thoughts of flight but was torn between heaven and earth.
Awesome job as usual.
drdx:
Heh, might be an Aussie thing. I can't think of ever having referred to a capsicum as a pepper.
Also, I thought you rendered Hana Gitelman really well. *thumbs up* :P
Here's probably an unheard of question- how do you do what you do?!? I've seen coloring book illustrations with the variations of line thicknesses and shading, but I don't think I'd ever get my hands to create anything that people would want to color! Even tracing doesn't help... I'm just a hair better than Peter drawing stick figures, but people would still know some amateur scribbled it out. In contrast, is "Detail" your middle name? Do you see what you wanna draw, and somehow the tools you use translate it to paper, or whatever you use?!?
To reiterate, nice rendering of Wireless! :)
Kelly: Barbie. Heh.
drdx: I knew because I'm a Master Gardener, but yeah, I guess most people wouldn't know what that was.
Hero: It's his power. Seriously. Some people have a gift, and most do not. You have to "feel" it as you're drawing. Observation helps a LOT -- I keep both a mental and physical reference file, but when it comes time to put it all together, I find that for myself I do just as much "feeling" the image as it leaves my hand as I draw from technical ability. That's how I do it anyway... and I'm not nearly as good as Jason. But then I don't practice 2 hours every day. 8-)
Fantastic comic! I enjoy your art and Annette's colouring, I don't know why by that frame where Linderman is standing at Petrelli's door just keeps leaping out at me. That and the one straight after with the angle in the foreground. They're both just beautiful. I think you've also done one of the best representations of Hana as well. I hope they get you to do more of the comics in the future.
And I did get a kick out of the plane in baby Nathan's hand. Very cool fan moment :P
Capsicums are an Aussie thing. You go to the supermarket and they call them capsicums. Peppers I've heard of, but never used. Pimentoes I've never heard of.
Ryan: As for the picture behind Petrelli's head? Well, lets just say that it was in the reference... You will know it when you see it. =)
Thanks for the kind words guys, especially about Hana. I will chat about her when I get to her page.
Hero: Great questions! I'm going to deal with all that soon cos they're really good questions.
Plane and Angel: hahhahaha! that was my fanboy easter egg. I really crossed my finger that they'd let me get away with that. As I said, I'm a huge fan and I will squeeze in whatever I can to contribute.
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