Waiting For Tommy XXXVII
By Richard
Johnston |
When
I first got Mark's script for issue one and the eight
page opening scene with Cap in WW2 I thought it was groovy.
As I was standing in the shower, I began to play the scene
in my head and realised that we couldn't do it in less
than fifteen pages. This wasn't because of unnecessary
padding, but because that was how much room was needed,
bearing in mind what I said about rhythm and volume, to
tell that story in the most effective, dramatic and involving
way possible. It certainly wasn't because Mark had written
it badly, he hadn't. I think this is one of the best written
comics of all time and certainly the most involving and
well put together work I have ever had the pleasure of
working on. The effort that goes into the drawing wouldn't
be anywhere near as effective if it wasn't for the genius
and quality of the writing. I'm certainly not saying this
to blow smoke up Millar's arse. God knows he doesn't need
me to do what he is so wonderfully able to accomplish
by his own means, it's just that this working relationship
is a true marriage of mutual aims and abilities and a
very rewarding one for both of us. An interesting aside:
I recently read the manga Batman
OGN by Kia Asamiya and wouldn't have believed it to be
the same chap doing the X-Men. It's only when you realise
that he wrote the Batman book, and therefore controlled
the storytelling, that you begin to see why the X-Men
stuff isn't working as well as it should have on paper.
A writer like [Chuck]
Austen and an artist like Asamiya should be a great
combination, but the fine tuning isn't there and somebody
sounds like they have different arrangements of the same
song on their music stands. Myself and Waid should have
been a knockout, I think, but it fell flat. He and [Alex]
Ross and myself and Ellis had been excellent working
relationships yielding memorable results, but there are
times when it doesn't quite click despite high mutual
regard and a degree of ability. Millar and I have the
same ideas about how to tell stories and what stories
we want to tell together. I think we've spoiled each other
for future collaborators.
He's a f**king great creative shag, basically.
Millar and I talk for hours a week about this book (and
our follow up projects) and there is so much that would
never make it into the book but provides us with material
to flesh out the characters, their world and motivations.
We actually have to cut stuff out every issue because
we simply don't have enough room. If we could do it
we would love to have twice as many pages every issue.
Again, hardly padding.
Just wait until you see the special 'directors cut"
edition...
As for less bang for the buck, considering how much
effort and time goes into these issues, I'll try not
to take that personally.
RICHARD:
Some would say too much time.
BRYAN:
I'm sure some would, it being a cheap and obvious shot,
but not you Rich.
RICHARD:
Mark Millar's made it clear his stint on The Ultimates
will be a limited one. Is that true for you as well?
Do you have an eye on your next project?

MARVEL
SELECT ACTION FIGURE: ULTIMATE CAPTAIN AMERICA |
BRYAN:
Mark and I always saw this as a finite run because
we had one big story to tell. This is the origin
of the supergroup over 26 issues. Think of it as
a novel if that helps: when it's finished, it's
finished. That isn't to say it couldn't carry on
without us, but if it were my decision (which it
isn't) I would end The Ultimates with our final
issue and then launch Ultimate Cap,
Ultimate Thor,
Ultimate Hulk
and Ultimate Iron
Man in their own regular series to pick up their
stories and continue them in greater detail within
the Universe we helped define. |
Our eyes are always on other projects, and we've made
it an extremely open secret that we want to redefine
Superman
from the ground up. Every generation gets a chance to
reinvent it's own mythology, and Superman is an American
myth that, like other myths, needs constant reinterpretation
to keep it fresh. It's almost 20 years since Superman
last got the treatment and it's only got more muddied
since Byrne cleaned house. Millar and I believe with
what we have in mind we could put him over the top and
having him be the industry's flagship hero again.
Of course, this is years away and only a pipe dream
at the moment, but given the right treatment for the
right audience the success of the '78 movie and the
current Smallville
series clearly shows that there is a huge audience for
the material. Every time a Superman based show or film
comes around it has a ready and willing audience because
everybody, including the ape creatures of the Indus,
has heard of him.
Superman should be the industry's breakout phenomenon,
it should be selling in the millions. Shame on DC for
their approach and shame on them for always failing
to see the potential in their own property.
Mark and I do have all sorts of things coming together
post-Ultimates, and it is likely that our next two major
works together will be for Marvel if the deals all come
together as we hope. And boy arethey biggies! Movie
stuff, creator owned stuff, two big Marvel projects
both set to be bigger than Ultimates, the future seems
very busy, very rosy and very happy.
RICHARD:
And finally, Death's Head. Worth a revival?
BRYAN:
I'm sure Liam Sharp would think so.
Bryan
Hitch is the current artist on The Ultimates. His work
and message board can be found on: www.theartofcomics.com.
Rich Johnston can be seen kicking several shades of
spite out of the comics industry at: http://litg.comicbookresources.com
Pages:
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