SOAP BOX MEGAPHONE_0016

 

  

There is no way to "solve" the riddle of who "created" the Marvel characters without understanding the power of the megaphone pulpit that Stan wielded. Digital collage by Rick Arthur.

"I felt that comics grew because they became the common man's literature, the common man's art, the common man's publishing" - Jack Kirby

Stan Lee was ahead of his time. There was no internet or social media back in the 60s and 70s, so he invented it on paper - by using a "soap box" to promote his company. Make no mistake that Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and the rest of the artists were NOT equals. Stan held all the power in the relationships, and he "owned" the megaphone he wielded. Stan built the Marvel brand by hawking it to whoever would listen, as often and as loud as he could. The month that the Fantastic Four launched, Kirby penciled over 100 pages of content for Marvel. What captured the imagination of the reading public at that time was how different the Fantastic Four was from the rest of the comics on the stands. The images were bold, larger than life, and fresh takes with sweeping, dynamic, powerful action sequences.

What promises were made to Jack or Steve? We don't hear a lot about Ditko, in comparison, because he always remained relatively silent about his falling out with Marvel. The artists were (and still are...) treated like replaceable cogs by management. Stan built the Marvel brand, no doubt, but it was built on the backs of giants like Jack and Steve. I think of Stan as a cross between PT Barnum and Ray Kroc - but in the tiny, corrupt, brutal cage-match world of comic publishing. So, there is a talent in that, a kind of world-building/brand-building component-type of skill that Stan had which other comic publishers/editors did not have. Stan was a natural huckster, a self-made internet influencer, before the internet. Many picture Stan and Marvel as being interchangeable or Stan and comics as interchangeable, based solely on the wall-to-wall hype he created.

This picture was achieved in a variety of ways. Mostly, having the last and loudest word in terms of narrating the brand on a micro and macro level gives the impression that he created everything. It is a notion that is hard to shake for many and countless books, articles, and documentaries seek to delve into the inner workings of the early 60s Marvel revolution.

Hype started on the covers with bold, commanding blurbs directing readers to pay attention to what was inside. Stan wrote the cover copy and orchestrated how the covers looked. The writing all conformed to one vision and one voice. Popping a comic open, Stan's name appears prominently in the credit boxes and those, too, are playfully worded by Stan. Splash pages often also included introductions to stories that guided the reader into the experience and told them what to expect. Again, one voice speaking directly to the reader and creating an emotional bond. You can't fault Stan Lee for good, catchy blurb writing and brand building. 

Perhaps his biggest contribution was Stan Lee's Soap Box, a space in the early comics that allowed Stan to really connect with readers personally. He hyped an imaginary "bullpen" of merry but hard-working artists and gave them all colorful nicknames, a shorthand to intimacy. Lee touted upcoming projects and both social and personal topics that appealed to him. He did this by congratulating and conspiring with his audience. Each soap box column also ended with Stan's distinctive signature which again cemented the emotional bond readers had with him and Marvel. Excelsior! Face front, true believers! Stan even popularized Marvel with a distinctive series of catch-phrases. In effect, his voice became a giant, loud, consistent component of the Marvel brand.

The potential problem here is that of accepting the words coming out of the megaphone as true. Based on Stan's position in the company as a dialogue writer, editor, and company figurehead, it can easily be forgotten that freelance artists and writers had no voice and no power in the relationship. They could not speak out and were treated as replaceable, being dependent on a page rate that kept many chained to the drawing table for ten plus hours a day, seven days a week. Voicing concerns might see an artist lose assignments or even be black balled in a tiny industry chugging away at the edge of oblivion. 

There were no safety nets for artists. No health insurance. No ownership. No profit sharing. No cut of licensing...

...And the continued message was always that everyone was replaceable - which kept wages down.

Readers did not understand this economic and power dynamic. In their minds, the hierarchy was clear. Stan made the comics. Everyone else, no matter how talented, drifted in and out but Stan's contribution was outsized, ever present, and constant. This is what you believed if you read the soap boxes.  

I know this is a brutal take on the situation. My view has shifted over time. I still love Stan. He contributed mightily to the development and outreach of comics as a pop culture form. Comics would not have grown without someone tirelessly fanning the flames. Comics and other industries are piled high with companies that failed to connect with audiences despite having quality products. Stan's hype helped fuel the reader's imagination. I won't entertain how Stan positioned himself in lectures, magazine articles, print interviews, on TV, and even in cameos in Marvel movies. He will forever be connected to comics and Marvel in an indelible way.

There is one last important area to touch on and that is the power of having the last word.

The Marvel Method ONLY works

if the artists are exceptionally strong storytellers.

A large part of the success of Marvel during the explosive period of the 60s was due to something called The Marvel Method. It sounds simple enough. A plot outline, often verbal and sometimes being just one or two sentences, would be given to an artist who would disappear and come back with finished pencil artwork fleshing out the entire story, all the visual elements, all the story beats, all the action. Having the story as artwork, the "writer", Stan, would dialogue the pages, get them off to letterers, inkers, and colorists then printing for the newsstands.

This was an important "innovation" for a variety of reasons. In a visual medium, it is a hundred times easier to stroke in dialogue with completed artwork in hand. The burden of crafting the story was shifted entirely to the artists. They did all the heavy lifting in terms of problem solving. There are many instances of the artists scrawling in key dialogue on the page margins of the original comic pages so that Stan could "read" the story before adding dialogue. This was a method that was custom suited to Stan and allowed him to say whatever he wanted over the top of the art and after the fact. In the comics' production line, he would have the last word.

It should be noted that there is a reason why this method was able to flourish during a certain period of time at Marvel. Stan held all the keys. Artists that he was working with already knew how to tell compelling visual stories. Kirby and Ditko in particular were products of art studios that encouraged independence. Kirby was already an innovator and large figure in the industry having invented or invigorated monster comics, horror, westerns, and romance comics before turning his sights back to his passion for science fiction/fantasy. Stan was not surrounding himself with blank-minded artists who needed their hand held. The early crew were independent, voracious readers, and brimming with experience in narrative storytelling. When given a chance to create, they stepped up to the drawing table and did.

This is the part that loses a lot of people in the conversation about "what is writing" in comics. Many people cannot wrap their heads around the lopsided contribution that the artwork makes in telling a story in a visual medium, especially if it is coming first in the creative process. It is totally misunderstood. Part of that misunderstanding is that the narrative about how comics are made, and the collaboration involved has been communicated solely by the writer, editor, or publisher. In Stan's case, he was using the megaphone of his soap box and other techniques to tell the story of "who" made the comics and how. He controlled every aspect of that message. It was a charming but wholly inaccurate representation and one that the artists never had the power or voice to rebut. The only options were to grin and bear exploitation by the boss or quit. Many quit.

This post is not meant to "prove" or "solve" anything in the debate about Stan, Jack, Steve, or early Marvel. It is an opinion, just a perspective and one that I have grown into over an extended period of time. Paradoxically, Stan's writing will always be overshadowed and indistinguishable from his hype and we can and should revisit his dialogue and determine how well he was able to write after the story was already there.

'Nuff said.

RICK

Billion Hero Studios

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VAN GOGH_ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?_015

 

  

Noted painting pioneer and one-eared madman Vincent van Gogh. From the Sunflowers series. A new way of applying paint and communicating emotion to viewers cobbled together from a few different influences.

"Art demands dogged work. Work in spite of everything and continuous observation"

Vincent van Gogh believed that nature holds beauty out to us in abundance.

Vincent had well-documented challenges with depression, schizophrenia, and epilepsy punctuated by an incident where he mutilated his own ear. He could be very aggressive and argumentative and destroyed many of his relationships in life including with contemporary Paul Gauguin. He took his own life, succumbing to a pistol shot.

Vincent, dead at the tragic age of 37. He never suffered through social media, shared a video chat, or checked restaurant listings online and yet he was well ahead of his time. Perhaps Vincent's greatest achievement was producing a body of work that would continue to catch the imagination of museum goers and artists for a century. Vincent's use of bright color and bold brush strokes, in sharp contrast to the prevailing art trends during his lifetime, have continued to strike an emotional chord. During a concentrated period of ten years, Vincent created most of his whopping 2,100 works including some of the most well-known paintings in history. His art was dedicated to the proposition that one could find beauty in observing and painting nature, revealing it honestly even in exaggeration.

Everyone should have the opportunity to see his work at a gallery as was intended. Recently, there has been a movement to re-think what a gallery should be and how an audience interacts with artworks. New exhibits tinker with the boundaries between artist, work, and audience and a movement toward interactive exhibits, utilizing multi-media techniques, has taken hold. This provides a new way to absorb artwork.

Still life, portraits, and nature painting consumed van Gogh. He strove to see and paint the beauty that was everywhere around him. His more expressive works utilized bold color, quick brushstrokes, and observed compositions rather than relying on imagination.

Not everyone will have the opportunity to go to either Amsterdam or Paris where a majority of van Gogh original paintings are housed. His works can be seen at important museums around the world in a variety of collections and traveling exhibitions. It is to be noted that van Gogh worked on canvases that were "portable" in scale as he commonly set himself up to paint in nature and carted with him all his materials. A keen look at his artistic development will reveal he was influenced by many sources including Japanese block prints, known for bold use of color to evoke symbolism and emotion.

A recent visit to the Vincent van Gogh Experience in Schenectady, NY was billed as an immersive experience and the exhibit featured sculpture, music, light shows, voice-over narration, a virtual reality "tour" and dozens of reproductions of Vincent's work projected onto 3-dimensional objects such as a bust or a giant vase. The overall effect was stunning, particularly the giant 360-degree room where his paintings were projected on every surface. Combined with detailed information about Vincent's short life, the exhibit-goer was indeed treated to a comprehensive dive into the art and the artist. You come away feeling engaged with Vincent's philosophy about painting and life.

A good experience at a museum will leave you feeling inspired and this was no exception

Inevitably, you start to ask questions. What if he had gotten the treatment he needed? So little was known at that time about epilepsy or mental illness and we take for granted medications and treatments that are available today. Could he have painted for another thirty, forty or more years? What might his work evolved into? Many artists explode with energy in their youth but find their artistic footing much later in life after spending time observing and creating. He was just 37 went he died. Could he ever find calm or happiness? Would being more "stable" have destroyed his ability to channel nature onto his canvases?

There was a controversy tucked away in the exhibit that I had not known before. Was van Gogh color blind? It boggles the mind to think that someone who used such powerful color combinations could have a deficiency so cruel. Art historians do not fully agree and the website for the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam which houses many of his original works suggests that he followed a more deliberate path with using contrasting color to add additional vibrancy to his works. See link:

Looking for Contrast - Van Gogh Museum

While there are many positives about the virtual, immersive van Gogh experience, you might be left with additional questions. Many of the reproductions of Vincent's work in the exhibit were printed out onto fake canvases and to be honest, not well. Especially having seen many of the originals close up in Amsterdam, the reproductions felt dark, flat, and cheap - like decidedly poor imitations. For someone not familiar with his works, this might be a limited introduction to his use of color. Color is primarily what van Gogh is known for and yet not as evidenced by the reproductions. Additionally, while it was a tremendously visceral to have paintings and color swatches projected onto walls and objects, this kind of multi-media display also waters down and drowns out the color of his works. I am not sure that projecting images fifty feet high has anywhere near the impact of the original canvases.

Apples and oranges. The immersive experience is recommended because it creates a strong feeling about the man's life and philosophy. To get the real experience of van Gogh paintings, visit a museum that has originals on display and get as close as security will allow you so you can get a good look at the intimacy and warmth van Gogh's work communicates.

Despite his emotional struggles, Vincent believed that the world around us is a beautiful place just waiting to be discovered. Explore van Gogh and other artists for yourself. Make museum-going a part of your own journey in life. Be inspired by nature. Be inspired by creative works of every kind.

RICK

Billion Hero Studios

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BEHIND the SCENES_THE PROMISE_PART 01_014

 

  

Colorized version (detail) of panel from TMNT: The Shredder, The Promise. Artwork by Rick Arthur.

Pen and ink on bristol paper with digital colors.

"We lost him. He's gone."

Raphael and Lucindra. In a race against time, Raph must deliver some grave news to his sparring partner. I am going to use some of my blog space to detail how this project came to be and what some of the hurdles were that needed clearing before it could be completed. For those engaged by the process of creativity, I will break down each page with explanations on how I navigated this story.

Completed BW version of PG 01 from TMNT: The Shredder, The Promise. One chapter out of a hardcover book featuring Jim Lawson. Lucindra c. Rick Arthur. Artwork by Rick Arthur. Pen and ink with digital grey tones. 

Raph scrambles over the rooftops of the city for an urgent meet-up with his long-time sparring partner, Lucindra. She hasn't heard from him in a few years and wastes no time letting the reader know about it in voice-over narration. It soon becomes obvious that Raph is holding onto some serious, emotional news.

This is the first page in my chapter which would become The Promise. It was intended to be a follow-up to a previous 5-page tale from the graphic novel, TMNT: Odyssey set in a future Ninja Turtle storyline. Both TMNT: Odyssey and TMNT: The Shredder showcase the fantastic cartooning of the legendary Jim Lawson and I cannot express how fantastic it is to be sharing some space with him in this publication. I was fortunate enough to get a chapter out of the book, primarily because my character was one that only I could write and draw.

I did have a tricky story proposition to navigate, however. While The Promise would stand alone as its own chapter, yet could not conflict with the larger narrative which I would have no involvement in. I got a basic premise but no other restrictions. I then had to write and draw something which could be inserted into a space somewhere in the larger script. Set a few years after the "flood" events of Odyssey, the Ninja Turtles would take on a new, lethal incarnation of their most powerful enemy, The Shredder. I just began to put pen to paper, sketching to see where my ideas would roam and tended to focus on the characters meeting.

Unused sketches for TMNT: The Shredder, The Promise. One chapter out of a hardcover book

featuring Jim Lawson. Lucindra c. Rick Arthur. Sketches by Rick Arthur.

Standard office pen on 8.5x11 inch bond paper.

My first concern is always "how much space do I have to tell my story?" I have a pre-disposition for world building which usually means that my stories are "too big" and too sweeping. You cannot tell the entire Galactus saga in just six panels without leaving out all the nuance and detail, for example. I also wanted to up the ante. In my previous outing, I used five pages. So, this time, I wanted to expand and create seven pages. Why not more? My working methods can be very explorative and exacting. To shoot for a higher page count might mean impacting the overall length of time on the project. I wanted something I could finish and not have smashing into other projects. After extensive sketching, I mapped out the story at a robust nine pages - which I was not sure how long it would take. I began layouts and pencil art with that page count cemented and had a few other freelance projects trying to finish up before I could start in earnest. I was about ready to begin inks, which is my favorite part, where the artwork really comes alive, and I can see how close I get to my original vision.

That's when a problem cropped up. Raph appeared in the rest of the story outside of my chapter wearing a trench coat. It was firmly established by Jim Lawson but not communicated to me until I was many weeks into the project. I wasn't about to redraw my completed nine pages of pencils. The addition of a trench coat would have ruined the fight scenes for example as the choreography had been meticulously worked out. I was stumped for a week before I decided to bite the bullet and add two brand new pages at the beginning that would transition Raph and his trench coat. My new page count stood at eleven, hefty for a short piece. Little did I know that my schedule was about to be pushed beyond its limit.

My problems were just beginning...

More "Behind the Scenes" in upcoming posts. Keep an eye open.

RICK

Billion Hero Studios

The Power of Storytelling

If you love storytelling, be involved, engaged, and informed.

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