Forgotten Friday: The Devil’s Backbone

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What I recall about The Devil’s Backbone is how much its release surprised me. This curiously overlooked flick was the third film directed by Guillermo del Toro, and after the disappointing performance of his debut English-language film, Mimic, it found the director returning to his native language of Spanish.

However, that’s only part of the story. At the time The Devil’s Backbone was released, it had been announced that Guillermo del Toro was directing the sequel to Blade and was also attempting to bring the popular comic Hellboy to the big screen. In other words, in geek circles, Guillermo del Toro was about as hot as you can get. He had a stellar reputation for horror and science fiction, and was about to apply it to two beloved comic book franchises. So when this deeply personal, subtitled ghost story hit theaters in the midst of all that, it kind of came as a surprise. It was unheralded, and I’m not sure the fanboys knew what to make of it. Why was del Toro filming low budget movies with unknown actors in foreign languages when he had just hit the big leagues?

Certainly, del Toro has his reasons. And we’re all the better for them as The Devil’s Backbone is one of the best films he’s ever directed. Watching it now, it serves as an excellent companion film to the far more popular and critically acclaimed Pan’s Labyrinth. Both films are set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War and are told from the point of view of a child (a boy in The Devil’s Backbone and a girl in Pan’s Labyrinth—a
compelling difference). Both feature themes of innocence lost to the horror and desperation of war and both build their stories around supernatural elements. Therefore, it’s strange that far more people have seen and enjoyed Pan’s Labyrinth than The Devil’s Backbone. It’s possible that Labyrinth’s highly original fantasy elements just caught the public’s attention in a way that Backbone’s more traditional ghosts could not. Certainly, the film wasn’t marketed anywhere near as well as del Toro’s later one. It’s also possible that filmgoers’ appetites for period ghost stories had been sated by The Others, the ghostly Nicole Kidman blockbuster that came out earlier the same year. (A shame, as it’s nowhere near as original, scary or emotionally moving del Toro’s flick.)

Whatever the reason, Pan’s Labyrinth grossed nearly $40,000,000 in its theatrical run, while The Devil’s Backbone couldn’t even muster up a million.

If you haven’t seen the film and you consider yourself a fan of del Toro’s work, you really owe it to yourself to rent it. Especially if you consider Pan’s Labyrinth one of his best films, because as much as I love the imagination and human terror that movie brought to the screen, I think The Devil’s Backbone works far better as a story. Centered around a young boy who is brought to an orphanage after his father is killed in the war, The Devil’s Backbone is a story about coming of age in an environment that demands it as soon as possible, but offers absolutely no reward for doing so. No hope. No family. No future. All the boys at the orphanage really have is each other, and their friendship helps get them through some extremely trying circumstances, while righting a wrong that has been haunting one of the boys his entire life—and literally haunting the orphanage.

It’s not an easy film to sit through at times. Del Toro doesn’t shy away from revealing the horrors of war and the sort of human monsters it can create (who, like with Pan’s Labyrinth, are far scarier than any of the supernatural horrors shown in the film). However, the most uneasy element is simply the tone and atmosphere of the movie. This is an orphanage that could be utterly destroyed in conflict or by the cruel whim of a fascist general at any moment, and the silent, darkened, dead corridors and corners on display throughout the movie serve as a constant reminder of this. But no visual illustrates it better than the sight of a lone, unexploded bomb that sits half-buried in the middle of the orphanage’s courtyard—a frightening weapon of mass destruction that was defused yet left to rust in the midst of playing children because the war effort couldn’t spare the time or effort it would take to haul it away.

The Devil’s Backbone is full of chilling images like this one, though for my money, none are better than the very final one. I won’t ruin it for you, but I will say it’s nothing horrific or terrifying, and certainly nothing supernatural. It’s an image of youth heading into the unknown… Well, at least, it’s unknown for them. It’s a haunting image rather than a hopeful one because we know all too well what most likely awaits for them at the end of their journey.

It’s a final image that stays with you for weeks after you’ve seen it, much like the film as a whole.

You can check out the trailer for The Devil’s Backbone below:

R.I.P. Robofish…

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TOKYOPOP will be closing it’s L.A.-based office and leaving the publishing business for good on May 31st, and to commemorate the occasion, Anime Vice asked me to share a few thoughts on my former employer:

http://www.animevice.com/news/exclusive-reflections-on-tokyopop-from-one-of-its-former-editors-tim-beedle/5278/

Personally, I think the most tragic thing about any of this is that we’ll now never know how Faeries’ Landing ends…

The People Behind the Puppets: Nichol Ashworth

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There have been a few Fraggle Rock writers and artists who have contributed more than one story to the series, but so far, there’s only been one creator who has written one story and drawn another: Nichol Ashworth.

That might not be a name that you recognize right now, but give it a few years. Nichol first came to my attention near the end of my stint at Tokyopop, largely due to the creativity she displayed in the entries she submitted to Tokyopop’s Rising Stars of Manga contest. Traditionally, most of the entries we received fell into a few uninspired categories—epic fantasies that drew heavy inspiration from RPGs, shoujo romances set in private high schools or violent actioners that channeled Lone Wolf and Cub. The truly unique entries always stood out, and Nichol’s were utterly unique.

When thinking of artists who might be good for Fraggle Rock, Nichol was one of the first people who came to mind. For starters, I knew she was a huge Jim Henson fan, but more than that, she possessed the same sort of vivid, unpredictable, humanistic, yet slightly warped imagination that Jim had. The only problem was that I didn’t need artists. I needed writers. Fortunately, Nichol is every bit as gifted with words as she is with lines, and she knew these characters remarkably well. Her Fraggle Rock story, “Boober the Doozer,” was included in Archaia’s Free Comic Book Day issue last year, making it one of the most widely distributed Fraggle Rock comics in print.

However, as a big fan of her art, I really wanted to see Nichol draw the Fraggles as well as write them, especially after spending this year’s convention season watching her draw Fraggle sketches for anyone who came to her signings. With Vol. 2, I got my chance, pairing her up with Paul Morrissey for the funny, frantic short, “Red’s Chomp-a-Thon.”

We’ve had artists draw their own stories on Fraggle Rock, but Nichol was the only one to write and draw two separate stories for two separate creators. It may seem strange, but considering how much fun this girl is to work with, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Nichol, you first got on our radar at Tokyopop when you entered the company’s Rising Stars of Manga contest. I remember that your first entry was called “Muse,” and it was…well, there’s no getting around it, pretty dark and perverse. Did you deliberately set out to submit such a disturbing entry?

It’s funny, I really had no rhyme or reason for choosing that story over others. I think that “Muse” was just the most compelling idea I had at that moment. It’s based off of a nightmare I had, actually. On the one hand, yes, it’s very dark… and perhaps a bit perverse, but on the other hand, it definitely got attention! 🙂

Readers also really responded to “Muse.” Fans of manga-ka like Kaori Yuki and Fuyumi Soryo, especially. I kept it up on my Tokyopop artist’s page for a long time and got a lot of emotional responses to this piece. The story isn’t one that you can feel iffy on—it either creeps you out and you love it or you’re really upset about it and think that I’m demented.

Care to describe it for the people out there who are unfamiliar with it?

“When I was a baby, I was very sick. My mother, raising me alone, went almost mad at the sound of my cries. Her only way to cope was to draw my screaming faces over and over again. By the time I learned to smile, I didn’t have to any more… because I am her Muse.”

We can leave it there and let people yearn for the rest.

You didn’t win the contest your first time entering it, but “Muse” made quite an impression on the judges. I remember when we met you in person at Otakon the following year, we were surprised that such a dark entry came from such a sweet girl. Did you expect us to remember it? And when we did, were you thrilled that we didn’t freak out and call the cops?

Haha! Man, cops would have made for a smash entry into the world of comics, for sure! To be honest, since it did make it into the Top 20, I thought that SOMEONE must have read it… but the fact that the two editors I was doing a portfolio review with had read it—and remembered it—that was one of the coolest moments of my life. Especially since “Muse” was only the second comic I ever made!

The fact that you remembered my story is probably why I haven’t given up on my dreams to be a comic book writer and illustrator. I had a lot of trouble in college and none of my teachers believed in me and my “japanime” style. It was before anime and manga really hit pop culture, and they had a lot of prejudice about what that style meant and where it could take you. They thought that I was riding on a fad, not seeing enough of the genre to see where I was adding the “me.” I mean, let’s face it, all comic book characters have a general look to them. You’ve got your tall hero, fat, stumpy bad guy, etc, etc, etc. That’s true for Marvel as well as manga. The professors that I had just refused to see it in that light at the time. Since I love proving people wrong, I send a general middle-finger in the direction of all those artistically stunting people! With love, of course. I send it with love because their general distaste for me made me work harder—want it more.

Your next entry was one of our winners for that year, and what was so great about it was that it was so different from “Muse.” It was called “Chronicles of the Big Feet,” and it was about a family of bigfoots, err…big feet. What on earth inspired you to enter a manga contest with a short comic about monkey people?

Well, in my portfolio review, you guys said I needed more work on my backgrounds. Truth be told, I f-ing hate drawing buildings, so I wanted something outside. That same day, I sat down at my artist’s alley table and drew some monkey-men while I thought about what to do… thus “Chronicles” was born! It’s what I call “same-day-action.” I even still have the first draft (in colored marker) of the character designs I did that day.

A spread from "Chronicles of the Big Feet." Nichol can draw monkey people like no one's business.

I remember that I was a champion of it simply because it was so weird and different than what we usually saw in the contest. It was humorous, but it was clear that you hadn’t lost your edge. In fact, I believe you’re down on record as the only Rising Stars of Manga winner to feature pot prominently in your entry. Do you think Big Feet blaze up all that much?

Woot! Record! Point goes to me!

Funny thing is that I’m totally not a pot advocate or anything…and no, Big Feet are too smart for that! Above the influence and all that. BUT…they do know how to lure in humans!

Funny note about “Chronicles” (the fourth comic I ever drew) is that it has a very special cameo. The third comic I did, “Ledge,” was another very dark story. It had a main character that made a cameo in “Chronicles,” he then showed up in my next story, “Coprolalia,” about a girl with Tourette’s syndrome who wants to fall in love, and became the main character for another work in progress, Cog.

So did drawing a comic that featured a cast of hairy, non-human characters help prepare you at all for drawing Fraggle Rock? And what do you think would happen if the Fraggles ever got together with the Big Feet?

Absolutely! They’re all just big circles piled on top of each other with hair! Fantastic!

If the Fraggles met the Big Feet… Hmmmm… If we give the Big Feet the Uncle Travelling Matt feel then it would be like Gorg-sized monkeys doing documentaries on Fraggle life! (Ooooooh, fanfic!)

The opening page of "Boober the Doozer," one of the most widely distributed Fraggle comics we've published. Art is by Jake Myler with writing by Nichol.

How big of a Jim Henson fan are you? And how did it feel getting a chance to play in his playground with Fraggle Rock?

If I could kiss Jim, I would. Even now, which may be scary.

To say that he shaped my childhood is not an understatement. Between Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street and The Muppet Show; spin-offs like Muppet Babies; full length movies like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal; and even the holiday specials like Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas—I became a Henson devotee. I’d say that his shows helped me develop my love for fantasy, anthropomorphism and my general lack of fear when adding a touch of darkness to the light.

You’ve contributed twice to our Fraggle Rock series, once as a writer and once as an artist. Did you find one role more fulfilling than the other?

I was excited for both aspects and they were both really cool in different ways. It was my first time collaborating with others, so I’m glad that the experience and the outcome were both very positive. I’m going to lean towards saying that I loved the artwork more than the writing, but that’s only because I had almost-final control of the end product. As the writer, I wrote, then waved goodbye…and waited. As the artist, Paul Morrissey (the writer for “Red’s Chomp-a-Thon”) and I were able to team up and back-and-forth a bit to make something really special…and I touched it last! (Except for the letterer…whom I am very thankful for. The only repeated negative feedback I’ve ever gotten on my own work was on the font in my damn word bubbles. I hate stupid word bubbles… *mumblegrumble*)

A page from "Red's Chomp-a-Thon." In a reversal from her first Fraggle Rock story, Nichol drew this short, but didn't write it.

The story you wrote for us, “Boober the Doozer,” was actually one of the first ones we ran, and as a part of Archaia’s Free Comic Book Day offering last year, remains one of the most widely read Fraggle Rock comics we’ve published. Was it at all intimidating working on it? You had to know that lots of people would be seeing it.

Does it sound bad to say that the reality of it only came to me after it was already written? I was just so excited, jumping around singing “I’m going to write a Fraggle story, lalalaaa!” My main focus was to write something that would make both Jim Henson and the Fraggle fans happy to read. I thought, “If I can do that, then all the other pieces will just fall into place.”

It really wasn’t until the story was with the artist, Jake Myler, that I started to think, “Oh, does that mean I’m helping them put their best foot forward?!?” and “This is going to have the widest circulation of all the subsequent comics!” and “Eek, WTF have I done?!?!” “Will I be tarred and feathered?!?”

Thankfully, I was neither tarred, nor feathered. Instead, I got to do written interviews with MTV (and not for a reality TV show!) and USA Today. I’ll never forget the USA Today article…because it was Free Comic Book Day and it had a lot of authors and illustrators being interviewed. One of the comic splash pages shown was Superman. I thought to myself, “Damn… I’m in a USA Today article together with Superman. Someone kill me now, because it’s all downhill from here!

For your second contribution, “Red’s Chomp-a-Thon,” you had to draw the Fraggles stuffing their faces. Did you get hungry when you were drawing it? And what do you think Doozer sticks taste like?

Ohm nom nom nom (Cookie Monster reference, anyone?)

Oooh, there’s this one episode where they add mustard and tomato flavors to the Doozer sticks to make them more tasty for the Fraggles! I actually kept that thought in my mind when I painted the colors for the special Doozer constructions, thinking of tomato, blueberry and all these other fun things that could be mixed up into radish dust! (Does this make me [more of] a geek?)

An early page from Cog. The story began on a plantation in the slave era before moving forward in time.

Okay, on to more serious matters. You’ve been working on a project called Cog for the past few years, which actually began as a Tokyopop Pilot. Do you want to tell readers what it’s about?

Cog is a magnificent journey for me and it’s the most sophisticated plotline that I’ve conjured to date. Cog is a story about a lot of things: Love and Hate, Fate vs. Free Will, Human vs. Divine. It also challenges the Christian thought that the divine = good. It’s a story that has a lot of me in it. Some of the vignettes are purely my back story, retold in third person. Right now, one could say it’s my magnum opus, but I won’t because I’m too young for that crap. 😀

Cog’s premise is that the world’s fate is predetermined and must follow along a specific path. Some humans are essential to making the world’s time-clock flow forward. Cogs are created to find these humans that matter and make sure they fulfill the world’s destiny. Our story is about one Cog, the system that created him, the future he makes—and the future he does not.

One of my favorite parts of the story is my representation of the divine entity that controls the Cogs. I call them the Tinkers. They have no form of their own. When they manifest, they pause time and rip apart the fabric of reality to create these grotesque monstrosities—piecemeal of human parts, sidewalk, trees, wires—anything that was nearby when they appear. I think it’s super cool!

You and I actually worked together on Cog, and the project changed considerably as we were working on it. Are you happy with where it’s at now? And do you welcome that sort of involvement with an editor, or do you prefer when editors stay more hands off?

Cog began as a collection of short stories called Monsters, but you, Tim, said it needed a bow to tie it all together. It then became Cog as you and I know it today. I am forever grateful for that.

Since I’m pretty self-depreciative on a daily basis, having feedback from someone knowledgeable is key for me. I think that an editor is a partner, one who takes your jewel, polishes it and sets it in gold so that people will buy it. Or he tells you it’s a piece of crap that no one will ever buy and you move on… Still, I believe there are limits to an editor’s role. I mean, I think you’ll agree that while you’ve told me in the past that “this needs this,” you don’t write it for me. I still have the burden and joy of the creative solution!

I also have the right to disagree *mwahaha* and push my agenda.

A young girl dramatically confronts her dying father in Cog.

The Tokyopop Pilot program, along with Tokyopop itself, is no more, but at the time, it was a fairly controversial program. Frankly, I thought the criticism was all pretty overblown and even a little unfair myself, but what was your opinion about it?

Hmm… Well, as a new artist seeking more exposure, doing it and getting paid for it was great. The only thing that I thought was mildly unfair was that my pilot was over 40 pages and I got the same moolah as someone who did a 20-pager…but the longer story was also my personal choice, so I can only complain so much.

So what are your plans for Cog now?

Right now it’s being reviewed by a certain publishing house in the hopes that they’ll pick it up. But if they decide to pass, I’m moving on to the next publishing house to see what they say. I’ll never forget that Stephen King was turned down by over 100 publishers before someone picked up his first novel. And since I loves me some Stephen King, I’ll follow that example of tenacity.

Cog is told through a series of interrelated chapters, each one a complete story on it's own. This one is called "The Boy Who Draws Tigers" and introduces Daniel, a key character in the story.

Cog, like “Muse,” deals with some heavy themes and gets pretty dark at times. The chapter you wrote and drew as a pilot was set among slaves at a pre-Civil War Southern plantation. You seem drawn to dark stories, and yet you’re one of the funniest people I know. You have a great sense of humor and your art style lends itself well to funny stuff. Are we ever going to see a comedy from you?

Split personalities must lend themselves to a variety in style. *wink*

Funny stuff, though? Abso-tively-posi-lutely! Think of me like a boxer. No, not the dog. The greasy, sweaty man throwing jabs at yet another sweaty man. If I kept coming at you with right hooks, you’d know what to expect. I like to keep ya’ on yer toes. (Float like a buttahfly, sting like a bee!) You never know what you’ll see from me next, but hopefully you’ll know that it will be good!

I have artists that I trust. If I see a new series from them, I’m not going to buy just book one…I’m going to buy whatever is available/I can afford! Because, I just know I’m in for a good ride. I aspire to be an artist that’s consistent like that. Trusted by readers. Taking them for a good ride.

How would you define your art style? Are there any artists you’re particularly influenced by?

As a writer, I’m definitely influenced by ze King, as I mention above, but as an artist…it seems like a harder question. My style has changed over the years and will continue to change as I learn and grow, but I’ll say that my manga-style stuff nods to Kaori Yuki and Yayoi Ogawa.

I’ve read books that have emotionally moved me, and as a writer/illustrator, I really work to do that. To emotionally move someone that I have never met with my just my work. (No matter what direction I’m moving them in!)

And finally, you’re responsible for some of the best “unsanctioned” Fraggle Rock material we’ve received, including a couple of sketches of Mokey and Gobo making out that had us giggling at Comic-Con last summer. Do you think Mokey and Gobo really have a thing going? Don’t you think Gobo’s more into Red?

Red?! Pfft. No way, dude! Gobo totally has it for Mokey—but Mokey is oblivious and just loves everyone in that “artsy” way. Red, however, is gonzo over Gobo and totally jealous when he pays more attention to anyone other than her! And since the Fraggles act like kids, she reacts in a very kid-like way—she bothers him, picks on him and challenges his authority all the time.

On another note, I think that Wembley and Boober should be gay together. They’re not…but it is truly unfortunate… Fanfic opportunity #2!

For more information on Nichol’s work and upcoming projects, visit her website: www.nixcomix.com.

Or if you’re on Facebook, be sure to “like” her fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boston/NixComix/291714942383

That’ll do it for our series of Fraggle Rock creator interviews. But keep checking back for more information on Fraggle Rock, Dark Crystal and the other projects I’m working on, as well as thoughts, commentary and random groupings of characters created when I pass out on top of my keyboard.

The People Behind the Puppets: Heidi Arnhold

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As an editor, I’ve visited art schools and spoken to students nationwide. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed, in part because they’re so eager and excited to get out there and prove themselves in their field. The problem is that art students usually need some time before they’re ready to draw comics professionally, so while it’s fun and no doubt instructional to the students to visit art schools, it rarely results in any new talent. (At least, not right away!)

However, Heidi Arnhold was an exception. I first met her when she came to see me for a portfolio review at Savannah College of Art and Design’s Editor’s Day event. Her work had a level of intricacy and detail that wasn’t there in the other work I had seen – something that would go on to become a hallmark of her style. She also seemed to gravitate towards fantasy, something that is generally underrepresented in comics. I took Heidi’s card and samples of her work back with me to LA, intending to pair her up with a writer I’d been talking to about a fairy tale project. However, that plan got tossed out the window when our Legends of The Dark Crystal artist abandoned the only recently underway project. All of a sudden I needed an artist that could draw that world, in a style not unsimilar to the previous artist’s and who was available now.

That artist, of course, was Heidi. If you’ve picked up either volume of Legends of The Dark Crystal, you know that she not only did a spectacular job taking over the art duties for that series, but she transcended her position as a simple artist and wound up playing a pivotal role in bringing the world of The Dark Crystal back into the public eye. And that was only the beginning…

Hey there, Heidi. You and I go back quite a ways don’t we? In fact, when I first met you, you were still in school. I was a guest at your school (SCAD) for Editor’s Day. What made you decide to come talk to me?

We do go back a long ways! I was a senior then, right on the cusp of graduating. You were at the top of my must-see list because I felt that Tokyopop might be the publisher most receptive to my style. My art had a mixture of many influences, but it wasn’t a good enough fit for editors seeking artists to work at Marvel or DC.

I remember being impressed with a lot of the talent I saw there that day, but you still stood out. Most of the samples you showed me were from a fantasy comic. Have you always been drawn to fantasy?

Ha ha. “Drawn to fantasy.” I see what you did there. Yes, I’ve always felt a strong connection with anything fantasy-oriented. I’m very much a daydreamer, and as a kid I opted for the land of make-believe over everything else (you know…like you do). I used whatever means I had around me to express myself and make the worlds in my head come to life. My mother still tells people that I used to turn leaves from her plants into characters and creatures, and I’d spend hours playing with them. I don’t use the leaf “medium” anymore, but I find the fantasy genre to be the perfect niche that lets my imagination run wild.

A page from Heidi's Fraggle Rock story, "The Meaning of Life."

What made you want to become a comic artist in the first place? And how did you end up at SCAD?

Without a doubt, it was Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog series. As a grade-schooler, I was obsessed with the blue blur, and when I discovered that Sonic comics existed in middle school my head just about exploded. I devoured every issue, rereading each of them until they were practically falling apart. In seventh grade, a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that drawing a Sonic comic book would be the coolest thing I could ever do with my life. I went to work right away and assembled a professional sequential portfolio: a fan comic drawn on notebook paper. I was so proud of myself. I mailed that sucker off to Archie, and almost a year later I received a letter from them thanking me for my interest, but there weren’t any job openings available. Thinking about it now still makes me laugh; it was sweet that they were at least willing to indulge my youthful career aspirations by responding that way.

Ahem… Anyway, I forgot about drawing comics after that for a while, but it came to the forefront of my mind towards the end of high school. I knew I didn’t want to be an animator. I didn’t have the patience or the stamina. Comics seemed like the perfect compromise, and my academic advisor recommended SCAD to me. It was the only school I knew of that had a sequential art program. After visiting the college, that was it for me. I didn’t even apply to another school.

Shortly after you graduated, I hired you to draw Legends of The Dark Crystal, a prequel graphic novel series based on the classic Jim Henson film. If memory serves, you hadn’t even seen it when I first approached you about it, had you?

Aaaaaah, Tim! You just have to put me on the spot, don’t you? I should explain… A couple years ago, I was being interviewed about Legends, and I was asked if I was a big fan of the original movie. I panicked, because for some stupid reason I thought that if I hadn’t seen it when I was younger (like many I knew had), the fans would kill me. You might remember this, because I contacted you immediately freaking out over what to say. At that point, I chose to lie and said that I’d seen it as a kid, but didn’t remember it well. I guess the cat’s out of the bag now, huh? (Sorry, Park Cooper!)

So no, when you first approached me, I hadn’t seen it. However, my fondness for it grew rapidly as I became familiar with the story, characters and environments. Now I can say with certainty that if I had watched it as a kid, I would have loved it. I also most likely would have been really, really scared. I mean, all those glowing Garthim eyes surrounding Jen in the dark?? Sheesh, talk about a nightmare factory.

An untoned page from the second volume of Legends of The Dark Crystal -- the Skeksis in the center is the Collector, a new character that Heidi designed for the series.

How did you prepare yourself for drawing a comic based on a film with such an avid fan base when you weren’t familiar with the source material?

The moment it dawned on me that I might be able to work on the project, I borrowed the Dark Crystal DVD from a friend, and eventually you sent me my own copy to refer to along with Brian Froud’s concept art book (thanks again, by the way!). From the get-go, I was pretty scared that if I didn’t do the original movie justice, it would upset the fans, so I did a lot of research. I sketched scenes from the movie. I printed out reference material to keep in a notebook. I also drew the Chamberlain over and over and over again. There was something about Skeksis anatomy that was difficult for me to grasp at first. I redrew him so many times I had dreams about drawing him while I slept. Needless to say, that part of the process was a little frustrating! Eventually I just had take the plunge and put all my prep work to good use in the comic itself. After penciling and inking pages and pages of Skeksis, I’m not intimidated by them anymore. 😀

It was a challenging project because you actually replaced another artist and we wanted the transition to be as unnoticeable as possible. How difficult was that for you to achieve?

It was pretty daunting for me at first. I never anticipated having to adjust my personal approach to someone else’s on top of learning the source material. I was still fresh out of college, and it didn’t occur to me that I might have to do something like that, especially not for my first job! Even when I tried to imitate Max Kim’s style, it didn’t really click in the test pages I sent you back then. What helped me was inking his pencils for chapter two and working from his thumbnails for chapter three. The inking process aided me with my muscle memory, and referencing his thumbs as I penciled the next chapter kept my work somewhat similar to his. What’s funny is that as I continued working on the series afterward, I could see my own style start to emerge again, but it was more subtle.

A gentler page from Legends of The Dark Crystal, this one featuring the Monk, another new character.

After Dark Crystal, you moved on to Star Trek and now most recently, Fraggle Rock. All three properties are fairly iconic, and yet all three are entirely different. Has it been difficult moving from one to the other?

The transition between Dark Crystal and Fraggle Rock wasn’t too difficult! If anything, it was a breeze drawing Fraggles after all the elaborate costumes and environments in Dark Crystal. There were also many underground environments between the two properties, so I felt pretty comfortable with that. Star Trek was a different beast altogether. I love Star Trek and science fiction in general, but I’ve never felt terribly inclined to draw anything sci-fi related. I wanted a chance to force myself to think outside of my little fantasy box and try something new, and at times it was like pulling teeth. Finding accurate reference material for the Enterprise’s interior wasn’t easy. I struggled with the crew’s likenesses and my figures were stiff. Designing the alien world for our short story was the only time I had a chance to breathe out, but it didn’t help much. All in all, it was a learning experience I’m glad I had. I’m open to taking another crack at that genre again someday, because my first attempt was lacking in some ways.

The thing that amazed me about your art on Dark Crystal, and what I believe made everyone involved with that project such a huge fan of yours, is that you really add a lot of detail to your art. The texture and depth you give every project you work on is phenomenal. In fact, I’d say it’s unfortunate that Dark Crystal and the Star Trek manga you illustrated were printed at such a small trim since much of that detail was lost. Do you feel that a high level detail is part of your artistic style?

At least partially, yes! One of my favorite artists in middle school was Patrick Spaziante (he did work for Sonic, surprise, surprise). At the time he was known for these amazingly detailed backgrounds, and I was mesmerized by that particular aspect of his work. I admired him so much that I wanted to emulate him in every way possible, and while I may not draw Sonic and his pals often anymore, the detail-oriented tendencies stuck. I enjoy little details…almost to a fault. When I first started to work on the comic, it was a struggle for me; the world of The Dark Crystal is so pretty and I wanted to show every facet of it. It was almost as if the first volume of Legends was acting as an enabler and brought out the negative side of my detail obsession. I went overboard a number of times, and there are numerous panels that ended up looking too busy. Thankfully, I found more of a balance as I continued to churn out pages.

Heidi's Fraggle Rock story finds our characters returning to The Singing Cave, an ethereal cavern first introduced in the TV series.

One problem that I know you’ve run into is that people seem to recognize your talent, but dismiss you essentially because you don’t draw superheroes. I’ve also heard people label you a “manga artist” since you’ve done a lot of work for Tokyopop, but I’ve never felt your art was particularly manga-influenced. How frustrating is that for you, and do you feel it’s starting to change as you get more work out there?

I actually never knew that anyone labeled me as a “manga artist” before. I guess it makes sense, given the circumstances. There is a manga influence in my work, which primarily manifests itself in the characters’ facial characteristics and expressions at times. It doesn’t help that the properties I worked on required a manga-esque look to them. I have enjoyed manga for a long time, but in college I broadened my horizons to the different styles and approaches in sequential art, including superhero comics. I feel like various traits from all those influences have worked their way into my own style.

Is it frustrating to be dismissed for that? Sure, a little. It’s not something I hear very often firsthand, however. What encourages me is knowing that I’m not done growing, and I’ll learn something new with every project I have the privilege to work on.

How would you define yourself as an artist?

I define myself as an artist through… drawing stuff. This is why I’m not a writer, haha. I draw, and my artistry is, literally and figuratively, defined there.

…I guess if I were to seriously think about it, I would say it all hinges on self-expression with me. Normal communication isn’t a strong suit of mine. For instance, when I try to tell friends a funny story, it typically falls flat somehow. I get nervous and my delivery isn’t that great. But if I were to tell the same story in a sequential art format, everything comes together so much better. I don’t have to verbally describe someone’s expression or reaction; it’s right there on the page. People take what they want from it, and the pressure is no longer on my shoulders to “perform” right there on the spot. When I was growing up, I often would draw how I felt instead of writing it in a journal. Many of my old high school sketchbooks told stories of their own. I still draw how I feel sometimes, though it’s typically more in a comical sense. (No more teenage angst.) I suppose this is a roundabout way of saying that art is the best avenue I have to be myself.

While much of her work has been all-ages and family friend, Heidi has a penchant for drawing monsters, such as the "Soul Sucker" above.

You’re known for drawing pretty amazing monsters. How exactly did you get that reputation, and what makes a monster particularly terrifying to you?

Hahaha… Am I known for that? I don’t know how I got that reputation, unless you’ve been telling folks about it! C; Monsters are fantastic, because when you create them, they can be anything you want them to be. There aren’t any specific anatomical requirements or ability limitations. You can go nuts and create something as menacing or silly as you like, and that’s the best. Drawing monsters really helps me relax and have fun artistically. Oddly enough, a really scary monster in my mind is one I know very little about. Seeing a hint of it in the darkness (glowing eyes, claws or a hulking silhouette) is a pretty terrifying concept to me. Especially if it’s creeping up behind me while I have my back turned. Not that I’ve ever fled in horror upstairs from the monster wolves in my basement or anything…

Okay, time to put the kids to bed because I have to ask you about cocktopus. Seriously, is your family proud of how many phallic octopuses you’ve drawn over the years? Do you think you’ll ever draw a cocktopus comic?

My mom has always been good natured, and she laughed when I first told her about the gag that led to the creation of such happy, inappropriately shaped drawings and plushies. I used to think I’d draw a comic filled with Cocktopus’s many misadventures, but now I’d say that’s pretty unlikely. There are too many other things I want to draw that are going to take priority. It is a sad day for phallic squids everywhere.

Some Cocktopus plushies. Probably not for the kids.

So what’s next for you this year? Do you have your next project lined up?

Nothing’s set in stone yet! I’ve teamed up with a writer (someone you know!) to assemble a pitch that shows a lot of promise. I’m very excited to see where that goes this year! Aside from that, I’m just gonna keep flying by the seat of my pants. It seems to be working out okay for me so far.

And finally, let’s get serious for a moment and ask you something extremely important. If you were cursed by an angry gypsy who gave you a choice of either having perpetual bad breath, having everything you eat taste like anchovies or having your clothes randomly burst open manga-style every time you’re on a first date, which would you choose?

It’s a toss-up between perpetual bad breath and my clothes popping open on a first date. I would never EVER sacrifice my relationship with food… I love it too much. I’m going to opt for the first date wardrobe malfunction, because as it stands I’ll never have to go on a first date again! Haha! I cheated the system!

For more information on Heidi’s projects, be sure to visit her website: www.heidiarnhold.com

And for a glimpse at some of her most recent comic pages and illustrations, be sure to visit her DeviantArt gallery: http://chibimaryn.deviantart.com

We’re almost done with our series of Fraggle Rock creator interviews, but not quite. Check back soon for our final one!

The People Behind the Puppets: Joanna Estep

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Whether they admit it or not, every editor has a stable of artists and writers that they tend to work with more than others. This team of talent is unique to each editor and very rarely is it shaped entirely by the skill of the individuals on it. Usually, the creators who find themselves at the top of an editor’s personal roster possess a perfect combination of talent, dependability and personality. They’re people that the editor knows can get the job done on time with no headaches, even under the most difficult of circumstances, and produce amazing results.

Joanna Estep has long been one of those artists for me. She’s professional, dependable and one of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with. She’s also one of the most original and unique talents working in comics today. With projects that range from colorful, all-ages comics like Fraggle Rock to dark, gritty shorts aimed squarely at the over-18 set, Joanna’s portfolio is as eclectic and compelling as the artist herself.

It’s no coincidence that she’s worked on Fraggle Rock four different times!

Joanna, you’re another artist that I know through Tokyopop, but it occurred to me that I don’t really know much about your life before that. How long have you been drawing? When did you decide you wanted to draw comics?

Well, I’ve been actively drawing comics since I was in high school…toward the end of which I started to print out more of my work and distribute it at comic conventions, or try to get it published in indie anthologies. My interest in comics initially began as an interest in animation, but the more I learned about animation, the more I realized that it was actually comics that could provide the creative control I really wanted. It seemed like the ideal way for me to tell stories with art.

How did you get involved with Tokyopop? Did you have interest in manga at the time?

In taking my portfolio and my comics around with me at comic conventions, I eventually crossed paths with Mark Wheatley of Insight Studios. Mark put me in touch with writer Allan Gross, and the two of us started putting pitches together. As a reader I loved manga, but as an artist, I was indifferent to it. I didn’t feel like it was really my style. However, when Tokyopop took an interest in one of the pitches that Al and I put together, I altered my style to be more manga-esque, and to more closely resemble the sort of material that they were interested in publishing.

That series was called Roadsong and was one of the few OEL (Original English Language) projects they published that actually reached its conclusion. How do you feel about Roadsong now?

I have a lot of mixed feelings about Roadsong, actually. As my first major publication, and my first experience with a publisher, I can’t help but look back on it and wish that I had done some things differently, or been more savvy about it. But by the same token, it was those experiences that helped shape me into the artist and businessperson that I am now. As a whole, it was a very important learning experience. Roadsong really opened a lot of doors for me, and I’m proud to have seen it through to completion.

A page from Roadsong, one of the few Tokyopop OEL titles to run a full three volumes.

What were some of your other projects prior to Roadsong?

A lot of comics paved the way for Roadsong. Many of them were minor things I did for fun and were never intended to be published or seen outside my circle of friends. But the pre-Roadsong project that I’m most fond of would have to be my short comic “Jungle Love,” which was initially printed in the anthology “Fractured Kisses #3” and published by Strawberry Comics. It was a story told entirely in pictures and contained no dialogue, but it drew attention to my visual storytelling skills and led to more paying work. I still sell reprints of it at conventions.

One of the things that I really love about you as an artist — something that becomes instantly clear to anyone who visits your website — is that you seem capable of readily changing your style. The comics in your portfolio look pretty different from each other. Is this deliberate? Do you like pushing yourself in different directions?

It’s definitely deliberate to the point of being problematic for me. I can’t help wanting to try new styles and new media, and while I feel that this tendency helps me to grow as an artist and learn very quickly, I also worry that I’m lacking a signature style. People tell me that there are defining characteristics of my work that shine through in everything that I do, but I worry that having such a varied body of work is a poor marketing strategy in the long run. But I am what I am, and I’ve discovered that it’s usually pointless and/or harmful to fight against my own artistic tendencies.

In light of what you just said, if you could define your style, how would you?

All over the place. No, really. But whatever tools or tricks I’m using, I think that the common factor that shines through is a kind of welcoming sensuality. My love for stories is often very character-driven, so I instinctively draw my characters in a very personal way. I want them to look like someone that everyone can recognize, and to feel like someone you’d want to get to know, based solely on their appearance and what emotions you can see in their facial expressions and body language. The “acting” of my figures is the most important aspect of my style.

Much of your work has been in black and white, even though I personally think you’re a phenomenal colorist. Is there a reason for this? Do you prefer black and white comics over color ones?

As a reader, I don’t really have a preference regarding color or black and white comics. But as an artist, I’ve definitely tailored my work to look its best in black and white. I find it a welcome challenge to get the same sort of emotional response out of a black and white image as can be achieved with a colored image. However, I think that this approach has led me to view the addition of color to my own work as tedious and unnecessary.

Of the work you’ve done since Roadsong, one of the comics that really stands out to me is Happy Birthday, Michael Mitchell, which is a short standalone webcomic that you wrote and illustrated for Tor. How did that project come about?

I have to lay the blame for Happy Birthday on another friend and Tokyopop alum, C. Lijewski. Despite the fact that I’m often tapped to illustrate a lot of light-hearted work and children’s media, I have a dark streak that needs expression too. Lijewski understands that about me, and we’d discussed putting together a darkly-themed anthology, and to just let our imaginations run wild without deferring to the rules and regulations of any publisher. However, the anthology had been seeing a lot of delays, so I submitted Happy Birthday to Tor in the interim, and was able to bring it to completion for their website.

The VERY un-Fraggle-like Happy Birthday, Michael Mitchell -- a dark, Twilight Zone-like short both written and drawn by Joanna.

It’s drawn in a really gritty style that looks like something that you might see in a Vertigo crime comic. How difficult was that style for you?

It was certainly a big change for me, considering the work I’d done previously. But I’d drawn a fair amount of illustrations in a similar style, and wanted to make the jump to drawing comics in that style as well. Tor had me re-ink a lot of the pages, but I learned a lot and have since gained confidence and acclaim as a writer and illustrator of drama and horror; two genres I absolutely love.

Happy Birthday, Michael Mitchell is also one of the few comics you’ve published that you wrote yourself. As a writer, are you typically drawn to those sort of dark, twisty stories?

Most definitely. I like stories that give me chills, make me think… or ultimately rip my heart out and stomp on it. I love stories that really make me feel something, and those are the sorts of stories I want to share with others in my writing.

The opening page from "Where Have all the Doozers Gone?" -- one of two Fraggle Rock stories that Joanna illustrated for our anthology.

You’ve drawn two Fraggle Rock stories and colored a third one, making you one of the most frequent contributors to the comic. Now, I know you weren’t all that familiar with Fraggle Rock before we started. Do you consider yourself a fan now?

Don’t forget the cover illustration that I did as well! And yes, I do consider myself a fan now. It’s hard to spend so many hours drawing characters and working to bring them to life and not get a little attached. I’m glad that my introduction to the world of Fraggle Rock has been such a unique one.

Were you a fan of Jim Henson’s other work?

Oh, certainly. Specifically things like The Storyteller and The Dark Crystal…though The Muppets also charm me on an entirely different level. Jim Henson’s work has always been a big inspiration to me.

Joanna was also the first artist in our comic to bring Uncle Travelling Matt to the page in the short story "Different Tastes," which was written by Adrianne Ambrose.

This was the first brand-licensed comic book you’d worked on. Was it a challenge working with a licensor? Would you like to do more work-for-hire projects, or do you prefer to stick to projects that you create or co-create yourself?

It was a challenge, yes… but I welcome most challenges. In fact, it’s been very rewarding to work on a brand-licensed project, because I finally have something on my resume that my non-comics-reading parents can recognize, understand and brag about. It’s surprising what a relief that can be.

I’ve noticed that in addition to your comic book and illustration work, you’re also a very active blogger. Do you feel blogging helps you build awareness as an artist?

See, I’m laughing to myself right now, because I can already see that this interview is going to make me look like a serious blogger, when in reality nothing could be further from the truth. I use livejournal as a blogging client, and at first it was an ideal way to network with other comics professionals, but many artists have moved on to other clients for their “serious blogs” in recent years. I’m a big stick-in-the-mud, so I still keep my livejournal to post art, and various grievances about art. I also use it to to behave nerd-ily and to express my inner fangirl, so I end up posting as many internet memes as I do actual content. I view it as more of a personal outlet than a professional one… but I still meet and connect meaningfully with a lot of artists through my blog and that’s important to me. If I ever start a more “serious” blog with the intent of raising awareness about my work, I’ll be sure to let you know.

One of the covers from Joanna's upcoming fantasy series The Hunt, which is one of many pieces of art to initially debut in her blog.

One of the great things about your blog is that it really illustrates the ups and downs of being a freelance artist. You post new art and blog about new projects, but you also blog about your lack of health insurance, your challenges finding an agent and your frustration with the slow pace of publishing and your occasional lack of new work. It shows the exciting side of drawing comics for a living along with the totally unsexy side. Does being so open help you build a stronger relationship with your fans? Are any of your followers hopeful artists themselves?

I think that the vast majority of the folk who read my blog are hopeful artists, or are artists working in the field already. As I said, my blog has been a valuable networking tool, and helps me to feel that I don’t have “fans” so much as “friends.” I sometimes worry that my openness isn’t doing anything good for me business-wise, but I was an artist first, and it’s been my lifelong struggle to always express myself as best I can. I realize that being so open about my feelings and experiences might not make me look very cool or savvy, but it’s important to me that everyone know that I’m a person, and not just a robot who makes comics appear effortlessly out of nowhere.

So what are you working on now? What’s next for you?

Right now, I’m working on several projects, my favorite being a fantasy miniseries called The Hunt that I’m developing with writer Jared Koon. I was wary about taking on the project at first, but I can never resist a new challenge, and Jared is great to work with. He really cares about the look and feel of the stories and characters he writes, and his attention to detail gives me a lot of confidence. I feel like he’s always got my back, in that regard. Jared and I intend to distribute The Hunt digitally, and it should be available very soon.

And finally, what’s the oddest thing you’ve ever drawn? I’ve seen Carl Sagan fanart from you and have heard rumors of boys love fanart based around Star Trek and The Prestige, among others.

This has got to be my favorite question out of everything you’ve asked, since before I was a creator, I was a fan. It’s true, I make a lot of fanart and subvert a lot of canon…for fun, not profit. The strangest things I’ve ever drawn have all been on dares from other fans, I expect. It might be a tie between the time I drew Eomer from The Lord of the Rings trilogy in drag, or the time that I irreverently illustrated characters from both The Dark Tower series and the Twilight series as blood-covered vampire-spider babies playing in a sandbox together. For kicks, I even made an animated gif out of that second one. Vampire-spider babies should sparkle in real time, after all.

And yes, I’m guilty of being not just a trekkie, but one of THOSE trekkies who think Kirk and Spock are madly in love and need to get married, like, yesterday.

For more information on Joanna and her projects, be sure to visit her website: http://cargocollective.com/joannaestep.

And for some great geeky art and other such loveliness, check out her blog: http://jou.livejournal.com

We have more Fraggle Rock creator interviews on the way, so keep checking back!