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Comic Spotlight: All Star Superman

30/6/2022

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Ahoy Mythopoeians! 

Today I’d like to introduce a new feature on the site - the Comic Spotlight - where we highlight amazing comics from other creators that are noteworthy, influential, or for whatever reason worth a read. In addition to reviewing the comics, we’ll also be diving deep into the mechanics of the book from a craft standpoint, examining how and why it ‘works.’ 

Our first spotlight is: All Star Superman by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant. 

​
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A very tiny rendition of the trade paperback cover. Superman chillaxing cause yknow what it's good to be sunny.
PUBLICATION

All Star Superman was first published as a limited run series by DC Comics from November 2005 to October 2008. The series was initially intended to be published monthly, but numerous delays led to the twelve issues to be published over the course of three years instead.

The All Star line for DC Comics was an attempt for the company to establish iconic, out of continuity series comics akin to Marvel’s Ultimate universe, which at the time was at the zenith of its popularity. Only two series were ever produced - All Star Superman, which received universal acclaim, and All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder by Frank Miller and Jim Lee, which, well, did not… 




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The goddamn Batman meme spawned from Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder.
All that said, both series  made an indelible impact on the publisher at large. Both featured legendary creators and both were severely delayed… reinforcing the notion that good art can’t be rushed! 
​

STORY

All Star Superman follows a terminally ill Superman with only a few months left to live. In mythical fashion, Superman is given a prophecy of his 12 Labors by the time traveling Sampson & Atlas.

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The 12 Deeds of Superman. Morrison always instills his supers with the spark of divinity.
PictureMorrison's Superman sees the good in all of us...
The story follows Superman as he accomplishes each of those 12 Labors, touching upon all aspects of the Superman mythos: from his relationship with Lois Lane, relationship with Jonathan Kent, jealousy from Lex Luthor, weakness to kryptonite; am no meaning you Bizarro, Kandor the Bottle City - it’s all there, except for perhaps the presence of Brainiac.

In the end Superman does transcends life, sacrificing himself to save all humanity yet again. 

In my opinion, this is the best Superman story of all time. The only ones that might have a case are the two Alan Moore Superman tales: For the Man Who Has Everything or Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

THEMES

What makes All Star Superman so good is the interpretation of Superman as a mythological god. Grant Morrison has revisited this theme time and time again, and it’s, for me, the core of DC Comics as a whole; unlike Marvel superheroes, who are presented as fallible humans, DC heroes are divine heroes upon which the symbols of man wrought large.  ​
All Star Superman distills many of Grant Morrison’s beliefs, including his belief in Chaos Magic / Alchemy, into a story that is heartfelt, nostalgic, and pure in its intent. There’s no hint of cynicism in this Superman; he does good because he is good, sees the good in others, and believes in all of us. 




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Grant Morrison, giving context to the phrase As Above, So Below.

PANELS 

For the most part, All Star Superman sticks to around 4-6 panels per page. This results in a lush, experience that is not unlike our own sensibilities. The way that Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely manipulate the pages to condense so much into so little is breathtaking. Take, for instance, the opening page… 

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Four Panels. Origin Unfold.
ART

Frank Quitely is one of the masters of the craft, with his wiggly linework and distinctive way of drawing characters. What stands out most to me in All Star Superman is his ability to distinguish between the oafish Clark Kent, with his hunched shoulders and clumsy nature, and Superman, who stands upright and is filled with the confidence of invulnerability.

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Otaku Kent unlocked!
Frank Quitely is one of the masters of the craft, with wavey lines and expressive features. What stands out most to me in All Star Superman is his ability to distinguish between the oafish Clark Kent, with his hunched shoulders and clumsy nature, and Superman, who stands upright and is filled with the confidence of invulnerability.
​

Who doesn't love Lois Lane - a girl boss who is confident, sassy, and independent, but with a vulnerability and authenticity to her that makes it obvious why she’s the love of Superman’s life. 

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Sniff sniff.
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COLORS

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention colorist Jamie Grant, who provides a soft, pastellike palette that channels the iconic americana of Superman. Colorists are oftentimes the forgotten third artist of the comic medium, so it’s nice to see Jamie’s name right next to Grant and Frank’s on the titles. 


I especially love the coloring on Mr. Quintum’s technicolor dream coat, which steals the show every time it comes onto frame.


All in all, rereading All Star Superman this past week has reminded me why I love comics and reinvigorated my own approach to the medium. This is an iconic superhero story that reflects the best in all of us. It’s mythological in its approach and timeless in its execution. If you haven’t checked it out already, I recommend you do so immediately. It's one of the best superhero comics out there! 

​- Ray 



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on writing...

21/6/2022

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I'm back to writing regularly again. Feels like going back to the gym after a longtime out. My writing muscles are out of shape, but I'm hoping there's some muscle memory that will kick in and the rust will fall before too long. It's funny how the thing I love and define myself based off can be so difficult to do. Most of the year I've been in triage mode, juggling our behind the scenes, getting various projects launched, fulfilled, etc.

It's not an excuse. I need to not forget that I'm a creator first and foremost, and that my bread and butter is my words. 
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The highlighted is my rough outline / stream of consciousness in an informal style which will hopefully help me break the story.
I found myself having a hard time with shot (panel) selection and scene direction, so instead I decided to focus on dialogue and 'breaking' the story by outlining / stream of consciousness writing what could and maybe would happen. I'm hoping that when I revisit the scene tomorrow I'll be ready to flesh it out fully into a more refined version.

This is my way of tricking myself into moving forward and not being stuck with analysis paralysis (otherwise known as writer's block). Just get some words out, even if it feels like vomit, even if nothing is quite usable in the form that it currently exists in. 

Writing is Rewriting. One of my mantras in life. Still, to rewrite you have to write. It's easy for me to get stuck on all of the other stuff going on, but I guess this here blog is a reminder of what's important. 

Write, Ray, Write! 

- Ray

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5 Artist Portfolio Tips

15/5/2020

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Hey Folks! 

We recently put up artist submissions over on our email: submissions@mythopoeia.us. We went through all of the regular comic channels, which to us looked like /r/comicbookcollabs, Deviant Art, the Facebook group Connecting Comic Book Artists and Writers, and the old stomping grounds of Digital Webbing! 

Looking for artists is always a fun experience for us. We love looking through portfolios and seeing what kind of new talent is out there. That said, thought I'd explore a little what we think makes a good portfolio and what should be included when looking for art jobs. 

So all of this is just from our experience over the years and our preferences. There's not a single format for these things. Okay? Alright. Here we go.
​

1. Read the Instructions

The instructions are always the first test to any job postings. Oftentimes employers will ask you to format your email in a specific way and to only send samples to a specific email. Make sure you follow the instructions to the letter. 

For our submissions, we will only look at the email: submissions@mythopoeia.us. If you send us a direct message or send your portfolio to other emails we will ignore them for the most part. Don't do that. Sometimes we'll ask to give the email a specific title. This is a test to make sure you follow the instructions.

​For any sort of job or formal application, make sure to always read the instructions carefully. 

2. Send Only One Portfolio Link 

Your submission should consist of a short cover letter and a clear link to a professional portfolio. Your portfolio should be easy to navigate and contain all of the samples you'd like to show on one page.

Oftentimes, we'll get multiple links to individual art. While we still look at those portfolios, it leaves a bad first impression. We go through hundreds of portfolios every time we post. The easier you make it for us to go through them, the more favorable our opinion is. 

Chances are if you send multiple links we'll only click on one of them, and oftentimes we don't click on the first one.  The only way to make sure we see what you want us to see is by sending one link, clearly indicated in a cover letter or as an attachment. 

3. Include a Cover Letter

Introduce yourself and how you found the job posting and why you think you would be good for the job. No need to go crazy here - maybe 200 words maximum. Still, it's nice getting a feel for who we're talking to and is much preferred over just a blank email with an attachment.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, don't write an entire essay. Like in life and dating, if you make it known you want something really bad it can come off as desperate. 

4. Make a Good First Impression

We can tell within ten seconds whether or not a portfolio is going to make it to the next round. That's why we recommend keeping your portfolio simple and clean and to make your best samples the most prominent.  Although separate from the technical aspects of art, if you show strong design skills in the layout of your portfolio it shows strong visible sensibilities which is always a plus.

5. The Art is Everything



At the end of the day it's about the art. If you have the goods, the above is sometimes optional but still an indication of professionalism. Make sure you have a varied portfolio that shows different aspects and techniques. For comic sequentials, here's what we think is important:

  • Framing
  • Expressions
  • Anatomy
  • Movement
  • Background 
  • Perspective

If you're looking to work in comics, we highly suggest having work that covers the technical know-how above. We recommend having between 5-8 piece in your portfolio. Anything more than that probably won't get a look. And although we're not artists ourselves, we usually can tell when there is a technical deficiency in work. 

A common mistake we see is relying two much on one character / two character composition in the form of pinups or covers. Those are great, but make sure if you want to work in sequentials to show you can frame and draw perspective too. It doesn't necessarily have to be a sequential page, but we need to see that in your work. 

--------------------------

Thank you everyone who submitted! We love seeing artists work and wish we had time to respond each and every one of you.

If you'd like to see what some good looking portfolios look like, check out Pixpa's Article on Artist Portfolios here! 


Hope this was useful to somebody. Keep working on honing that craft!

Ray
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Artist Alley: The Unparalleled Steve Dillon!

22/8/2019

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Cheers, Steve!
His career was extensive, and his talent was unparalleled. The fact that he worked for every major comic company around today tells you how far reaching his talent was. Sadly, Mr Dillon is no longer with us, but the artwork he left behind will remain firmly in bookshelves of comic book history and in our memories for all time. 
​Dillon was born in London in 1962 and raised in Luton, Bedfordshire. He was the oldest of three siblings, a sister younger by three years, Julie, and a brother younger by nine years who is cartoonist/costume designer, Glyn Dillon.

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Artist Alley: The Twisted World of Junji Ito

23/7/2019

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Today, folks, I want to take you down to the lowest level of Hell for you to witness the imagery that could only be conceived by the twisted genius of this man's magnitude. He has been lorded across the west as being the, ‘Japanese Clive Barker’ a title he truly has earned, but his work is in no way derivative of his.

I want to take you into the macabre world of Junji Ito.
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The man himself, along with a few of his creations
Junji Ito was born in the Gifu prefecture of Japan in 1963. He was inspired from a young age by both his older sister’s drawings and the work of Kazuo Umezu. Ito first began writing and drawing manga as a hobby while working as a dental technician in the early 90’s. 

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