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thehefnerI was going to give the full Comic Con rundown, but I am exhausted, cranky from being on the bus, and in desperate need of beer. But for right now, I've gotta talk about the original art I got this time around.
Even if you're not inclined to read my long-winded ramblings, I urge you to at least skim this one. For the artwork alone.
My goal now is to commission artwork for the Harvey Dent novel, so that it'll hopefully give DC some idea of what I have in mind when I do make my quixotic attempt at publication. And I was nervous as hell, wondering how to possibly briefly explain what I'm looking for in a way that doesn't make me sound bizarre. At best.
So I thought about playing it safe and starting with something basic: a simple portrait of Harvey. In fact, I came prepared with the perfect idea. Ever since I saw this book cover...
... I wanted to see a really excellent artistic rendering of pre-scarring Harvey Dent in that pose. Maybe insinuate the coin up in the hand or something. Done well, such an image could easily be the cover of my book.
So to bring this to life, I went to Dave Johnson, the crazy-awesome cover artist of 100 BULLETS and the first half of SUPERMAN: RED SON. Great, great artist. Who better to bring my own cover idea to life, even if it's only as a convention sketch for $20, drawn on a drink coaster? Seriously, he was doing them on coasters. That's awesome.
I asked, "Could I please have a drawing of Harvey Dent--not Two-Face, I mean Harvey Dent--in this RFK pose?" And after a second, it clicked and he smiled, "Yeah, yeah, that sounds fun. I'll get on that now! Come back around in a half hour and it'll be ready."
So I did. And when I returned, he had the drawing ready for me. He handed me the coaster and said, "Here you go, man. This was offcially the weirdest request I've gotten all year. Is that cool?"
...
...
...
And at first, I just said, "Yeah, that's great," because taken on its own, it really is. And I should have just moved on and shrugged, "He drew RFK as Two-Face! How Hefnerian, wah wahhhh!" but he was a cool guy, and $20 is $20, so I figured I'd at least try to tell him what I'd intended. Even if I couldn't get a redo, we'd at least reach a rapport.
Very nervously, tripping over my words as I do, I blamed myself for not being more clear, thanked him repeatedly for what he did do, and explained what I was really hoping for. I then tried to explain a second time, but that blank, perplexed frown fixed on his face wasn't about to change.
"That..." he said, "... doesn't make a lick of sense. Why the hell would you want just a drawing of... I mean, you just want a drawing of a guy?"
And of course, I understood where he was coming from. There's no set image for what Harvey Dent as Harvey Dent looks like, although I'm rather fond of the YEAR ONE David Mazzuchelli style, which Tim Sale used for THE LONG HALLOWEEN (and which Rick Burchett followed in this very icon!). At the same time, there are certain distinctive Dent characteristics, but to really be identifiable, he has to be seen in some proper context. Like, in this RFK pose, having him holding the coin is the only way to really make him iconic as Harvey. But I didn't bother trying to explain that to Dave Johnson, at the risk of digging myself in even further.
Instead, I apologized again, doing what I so often do in such situations and shouldered all the blame. "Sorry, I should have been way more specific. It's totally my fault."
"Yes!" Johnson replied, still unable to wrap his brain around his sweating, bowler-wearing weirdo. "Yes! It is!"
Thank GOD I ran into![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
theblackotter later, where I could run this whole misadventure by him. I dearly needed an audience to find the humor in the situation, and thereby validate my plight. Thankfully, he was exactly the person I needed to see at that moment.
"No, I get exactly what you mean! I think it's awesome! It's perfect! It's gotta happen! And that... ain't it! What you said seems totally straight-forward to me!"
My fragile ego, it was nursed back to health, and the event was salvaged.
But even still, I realized that a different tactic would be required. Thankfully, I thought to seek outdryponder, who not only knew about my novel and my passion for the character, but also is an awesome artist, one I've wanted a drawing from for years now. I knew he'd be the perfect guy to understand my quest for something like this:
Bruce and Harvey: BFF!
And that, furthermore, saved my day. Because... I mean, just look at them. These are two seriously disturbed guys, with a fuckload of pain in their pasts and futures. And yet, in that moment, they have forgotten to be angsty and miserable! For that brief second, they're inadvertently having fun! It's exactly the sort of thing I wanted to see more of in the comics, and thus why I'm doing this novel in the first place. And finally, it's the reason I wanted to get these drawings. To brings the intangible to life.
Summing up the courage for one last attempt, I scoured Artist's Alley to find the perfect artist for the perfect depiction of the one character I've been most anxious to see brought to depicted, as she's majorly different from her usual (and few) depictions in comics. Mine is the character as I've always wanted her to be, not just in terms of what she does for Harvey's character, but also as a three-dimensional stand-alone female character of strength and worth.
And so, takingbagelofdeath's suggestion, I wrote out a whole paragraph description--half an entire notebook's page!-of what I wanted in this drawing. And ultimately, I submitted this proposal to Rags Morales, artist of IDENTITY CRISIS, HAWKMAN, NIGHTWING, and more. A great artist, and I figured if anyone could do this, it'd be Rags. So determined was I to see this done right, that I actually agreed to spent $100 (!!!) for a full body sketch... even though it wouldn't even be inked!
"Nah, man, ink fades," was Rags' rationale. "I want my art to last for-evah."
In my defense, his hot ladyfriend (probably wife?) was dressed as the Baroness, so that probably clouded my judgment somewhat.
So I agreed to pony up the cash, and then began to fumblingly explain what I wanted. When he saw me go for the notebook and tear out the half-page, he laughed. "I love it! Usually, they just say, 'Yeah, draw whatever!'" But his smile faded as he read my chickenscratch ramblings. This is literally what I wrote:
Portrait of Gilda Dent-- imagine Rachel Weisz as a sculptor in her studio, wearing overalls and a bandanna/headscarf to keep her hair from getting in the way. She is not the wide-eyed mouse of THE LONG HALLOWEEN here, but a strong, sensitive, no-bullshit woman who understands Harvey more than he himself does. Her medium is clay, and so I'd like to have her in the midst of sculpting a bust of Harvey... one that's only half-completed. Worth noting is that she's also a haunted woman with a shady past, so there's a great deal of pain in her past, and will be in her near future. But there is also love, strength, and wisdom. So, uh, do whatever you can with that, please! :)
Yes, I actually drew a smiley face at the end. And I also came prepared with a couple photos of Rachel Weisz. Just in case.
Rags Morales frowned and said, "Uh... shit, man, I dunno. This is gonna take a while. Check back with me later. Way later." And when I did, seeking him out several hours later, he said--doubtfully and still frowning--"Tomorrow, man. Tomorrow."
Still hungover from my night out before, I checked back with Rags this morning, where he informed me that he hadn't even started the drawing yet. At this point, I was seriously getting bothered, as I kinda had to catch a bus that afternoon.bagelofdeath and beckara assured me that they could pick up my drawing for me, and send me a photo, holding it hostage until I made it up to Montreal Fringe. The little comfort that thought would have provided was soon dashed when I told them I paid $100 for a sketch. An uninked sketch. Their reactions--pretty much what your reaction would be, I imagine--were enough to nudge my already-fragile state into an all-out worrywart fretfest.
I started wondering if I made it back there in time, would I be able to get a refund and call the deal off? Hell, I figured, he probably still hasn't started! Just cut my losses and run! So what if every time I see Rags Morales' artwork, I'll feel that same twinge of shame that'll color every single time I'll see Dave Johnson's artwork henceforth? At least I'll have my hundred bucks back and not risk getting stuck with a drawing that--even if it's good--almost certainly can't live up to the intangible wasteland that is my imagination.
But when we got to his booth, I saw that my name had already been ticked off the sign-up sheet. The drawing was done. It was over. Rags was on a bathroom break, so the Baroness was there alone to hand me the folder with my drawing inside. Like a death warrant from Destro himself.
With a sigh, I resigned myself to my fate and opened the folder.
Jesus.
It wasn't just... relief that I felt. That I still feel every time I look at this drawing. It's something more, something deeper, something that I just can't put into words other than to stare at it and think... "It's her. That's... that's Gilda."
I waited for Rags to come back, to thank him personally, even if I couldn't quite make him understand just how important this was to me. Hell, I can't even explain it here to you guys, even though I'm sure a few of you already understand. Even saying that it was worth every penny doesn't nail it down. Looking at this, I just feel... fulfilled.
So yeah. For all the worry and the stress and the claustrophobia, dear lord was it ever insane... this was a good day, a good ending to a good weekend. For more reasons than just art, don't get me wrong! Expect a full rundown later. But for now, I hope this hits you a little bit in the way that it hit me.
And someday, I hope for that to be what people think of when they think of Gilda Dent. In that, hopefully they will be thinking of Gilda at all. In that, hopefully it'll be because of me.
Even if you're not inclined to read my long-winded ramblings, I urge you to at least skim this one. For the artwork alone.
My goal now is to commission artwork for the Harvey Dent novel, so that it'll hopefully give DC some idea of what I have in mind when I do make my quixotic attempt at publication. And I was nervous as hell, wondering how to possibly briefly explain what I'm looking for in a way that doesn't make me sound bizarre. At best.
So I thought about playing it safe and starting with something basic: a simple portrait of Harvey. In fact, I came prepared with the perfect idea. Ever since I saw this book cover...
... I wanted to see a really excellent artistic rendering of pre-scarring Harvey Dent in that pose. Maybe insinuate the coin up in the hand or something. Done well, such an image could easily be the cover of my book.
So to bring this to life, I went to Dave Johnson, the crazy-awesome cover artist of 100 BULLETS and the first half of SUPERMAN: RED SON. Great, great artist. Who better to bring my own cover idea to life, even if it's only as a convention sketch for $20, drawn on a drink coaster? Seriously, he was doing them on coasters. That's awesome.
I asked, "Could I please have a drawing of Harvey Dent--not Two-Face, I mean Harvey Dent--in this RFK pose?" And after a second, it clicked and he smiled, "Yeah, yeah, that sounds fun. I'll get on that now! Come back around in a half hour and it'll be ready."
So I did. And when I returned, he had the drawing ready for me. He handed me the coaster and said, "Here you go, man. This was offcially the weirdest request I've gotten all year. Is that cool?"
...
...
...
And at first, I just said, "Yeah, that's great," because taken on its own, it really is. And I should have just moved on and shrugged, "He drew RFK as Two-Face! How Hefnerian, wah wahhhh!" but he was a cool guy, and $20 is $20, so I figured I'd at least try to tell him what I'd intended. Even if I couldn't get a redo, we'd at least reach a rapport.
Very nervously, tripping over my words as I do, I blamed myself for not being more clear, thanked him repeatedly for what he did do, and explained what I was really hoping for. I then tried to explain a second time, but that blank, perplexed frown fixed on his face wasn't about to change.
"That..." he said, "... doesn't make a lick of sense. Why the hell would you want just a drawing of... I mean, you just want a drawing of a guy?"
And of course, I understood where he was coming from. There's no set image for what Harvey Dent as Harvey Dent looks like, although I'm rather fond of the YEAR ONE David Mazzuchelli style, which Tim Sale used for THE LONG HALLOWEEN (and which Rick Burchett followed in this very icon!). At the same time, there are certain distinctive Dent characteristics, but to really be identifiable, he has to be seen in some proper context. Like, in this RFK pose, having him holding the coin is the only way to really make him iconic as Harvey. But I didn't bother trying to explain that to Dave Johnson, at the risk of digging myself in even further.
Instead, I apologized again, doing what I so often do in such situations and shouldered all the blame. "Sorry, I should have been way more specific. It's totally my fault."
"Yes!" Johnson replied, still unable to wrap his brain around his sweating, bowler-wearing weirdo. "Yes! It is!"
Thank GOD I ran into
theblackotter later, where I could run this whole misadventure by him. I dearly needed an audience to find the humor in the situation, and thereby validate my plight. Thankfully, he was exactly the person I needed to see at that moment. "No, I get exactly what you mean! I think it's awesome! It's perfect! It's gotta happen! And that... ain't it! What you said seems totally straight-forward to me!"
My fragile ego, it was nursed back to health, and the event was salvaged.
But even still, I realized that a different tactic would be required. Thankfully, I thought to seek out
dryponder, who not only knew about my novel and my passion for the character, but also is an awesome artist, one I've wanted a drawing from for years now. I knew he'd be the perfect guy to understand my quest for something like this:Bruce and Harvey: BFF!
And that, furthermore, saved my day. Because... I mean, just look at them. These are two seriously disturbed guys, with a fuckload of pain in their pasts and futures. And yet, in that moment, they have forgotten to be angsty and miserable! For that brief second, they're inadvertently having fun! It's exactly the sort of thing I wanted to see more of in the comics, and thus why I'm doing this novel in the first place. And finally, it's the reason I wanted to get these drawings. To brings the intangible to life.
Summing up the courage for one last attempt, I scoured Artist's Alley to find the perfect artist for the perfect depiction of the one character I've been most anxious to see brought to depicted, as she's majorly different from her usual (and few) depictions in comics. Mine is the character as I've always wanted her to be, not just in terms of what she does for Harvey's character, but also as a three-dimensional stand-alone female character of strength and worth.
And so, taking
bagelofdeath's suggestion, I wrote out a whole paragraph description--half an entire notebook's page!-of what I wanted in this drawing. And ultimately, I submitted this proposal to Rags Morales, artist of IDENTITY CRISIS, HAWKMAN, NIGHTWING, and more. A great artist, and I figured if anyone could do this, it'd be Rags. So determined was I to see this done right, that I actually agreed to spent $100 (!!!) for a full body sketch... even though it wouldn't even be inked! "Nah, man, ink fades," was Rags' rationale. "I want my art to last for-evah."
In my defense, his hot ladyfriend (probably wife?) was dressed as the Baroness, so that probably clouded my judgment somewhat.
So I agreed to pony up the cash, and then began to fumblingly explain what I wanted. When he saw me go for the notebook and tear out the half-page, he laughed. "I love it! Usually, they just say, 'Yeah, draw whatever!'" But his smile faded as he read my chickenscratch ramblings. This is literally what I wrote:
Portrait of Gilda Dent-- imagine Rachel Weisz as a sculptor in her studio, wearing overalls and a bandanna/headscarf to keep her hair from getting in the way. She is not the wide-eyed mouse of THE LONG HALLOWEEN here, but a strong, sensitive, no-bullshit woman who understands Harvey more than he himself does. Her medium is clay, and so I'd like to have her in the midst of
Yes, I actually drew a smiley face at the end. And I also came prepared with a couple photos of Rachel Weisz. Just in case.
Rags Morales frowned and said, "Uh... shit, man, I dunno. This is gonna take a while. Check back with me later. Way later." And when I did, seeking him out several hours later, he said--doubtfully and still frowning--"Tomorrow, man. Tomorrow."
Still hungover from my night out before, I checked back with Rags this morning, where he informed me that he hadn't even started the drawing yet. At this point, I was seriously getting bothered, as I kinda had to catch a bus that afternoon.
bagelofdeath and beckara assured me that they could pick up my drawing for me, and send me a photo, holding it hostage until I made it up to Montreal Fringe. The little comfort that thought would have provided was soon dashed when I told them I paid $100 for a sketch. An uninked sketch. Their reactions--pretty much what your reaction would be, I imagine--were enough to nudge my already-fragile state into an all-out worrywart fretfest. I started wondering if I made it back there in time, would I be able to get a refund and call the deal off? Hell, I figured, he probably still hasn't started! Just cut my losses and run! So what if every time I see Rags Morales' artwork, I'll feel that same twinge of shame that'll color every single time I'll see Dave Johnson's artwork henceforth? At least I'll have my hundred bucks back and not risk getting stuck with a drawing that--even if it's good--almost certainly can't live up to the intangible wasteland that is my imagination.
But when we got to his booth, I saw that my name had already been ticked off the sign-up sheet. The drawing was done. It was over. Rags was on a bathroom break, so the Baroness was there alone to hand me the folder with my drawing inside. Like a death warrant from Destro himself.
With a sigh, I resigned myself to my fate and opened the folder.
Jesus.
It wasn't just... relief that I felt. That I still feel every time I look at this drawing. It's something more, something deeper, something that I just can't put into words other than to stare at it and think... "It's her. That's... that's Gilda."
I waited for Rags to come back, to thank him personally, even if I couldn't quite make him understand just how important this was to me. Hell, I can't even explain it here to you guys, even though I'm sure a few of you already understand. Even saying that it was worth every penny doesn't nail it down. Looking at this, I just feel... fulfilled.
So yeah. For all the worry and the stress and the claustrophobia, dear lord was it ever insane... this was a good day, a good ending to a good weekend. For more reasons than just art, don't get me wrong! Expect a full rundown later. But for now, I hope this hits you a little bit in the way that it hit me.
And someday, I hope for that to be what people think of when they think of Gilda Dent. In that, hopefully they will be thinking of Gilda at all. In that, hopefully it'll be because of me.
