- PANEL 1
Harley is on top of a building, holding a large DETACHED cellphone tower in her hands as lightning is striking just about everywhere except her tower. She is looking at us like she cannot believe what she is doing. Beside herself. Not happy.
Harley is on top of a building, holding a large DETACHED cellphone tower in her hands as lightning is striking just about everywhere except her tower. She is looking at us like she cannot believe what she is doing. Beside herself. Not happy.
- PANEL 2
Harley is sitting in an alligator pond, on a little island with a suit of raw chicken on, rolling her eyes as if, once again, she cannot believe where she has found herself. We see the alligators ignoring her.
- PANEL 3
Harley is sitting in an open whale mouth, tickling the inside of the whale’s mouth with a feather. She is ecstatic and happy, like this is the most fun ever.
- PANEL 4
Harley sitting naked in a bathtub with toasters, blow dryers, blenders, and other appliances dangling above the bathtub, and she has a cord that will release them all. We are watching the moment before the inevitable death. Her expression is one of “Oh, well. Guess that’s it for me,” and she has resigned herself to the moment that is going to happen.
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11 comments:
I am not the artist (oh, if only... I might be able to give Levi Krause a break once in a while). I just saw a link to this piece on Bleeding Cool in an article about the Harley story.
It's been a big story, made bigger by confusion and people ignoring the actual intent of the script (which wasn't evident at first, but they've had plenty of chances to pick up on Jimmy Palmioti's statements to the fact since).
I don't blame anyone for being gunshy when it comes to how DC Comics is currently portraying Harley, or many of their female characters right now. But, like the Batwoman story being so focused on "DC won't let Batwoman get gay married" as opposed to "DC Editorial won't let ANY Bat-characters be married, happy, have sensible origins, be Stephanie Brown, etc," the news sites have a narrative they want to tell for the hits instead of reporting the reality.
This isn't a slam on you, by the way, or other bloggers. You guys aren't the ones purporting to be "news sites."
But this page... It shows how many the problem isn't the writers, but in how we interpret things. We jumped to conclusions. I make a lot of... questionable... jokes. Dirty stuff. Cutting remarks. I occasionally get the friend who will look at me, as I haven't said anything, and cut me off before I can make a colorful comment in reply to someone else's innocuous statement. They assume something is coming. They have already filled in the blanks with whatever filthy remark they believe I'll come up with. And that's when I know I've got them. Because that means they're creating the jokes now. They're doing it without me. My presence may prompt it, but I don't have to say a word. I've essentially farmed out my bad behavior.
When we assume the worst in every instance with DC or other comics, we're basically never allowing ourselves the possibility that they might do something right. That the comics might actually be good. I'm as guilty of that as anyone, believe me. The only reason I didn't jump all over this story when it hit was because it was Jimmy Palmioti and Amanda Connor writing it. Yes, their run on Power Girl was sufficiently cheesecake, but only so much as what actually makes sense with the character. It was also a strong representation of Karen, with a lot of heroism, humor, and great storytelling. Their reinvention of the Terra character was one of the best comic examples of heroism that I've read in the last ten years. If this had been a script by Scott Lobdell or someone similar, I'd have probably been just as likely to be critical first without ever giving it the benefit of the doubt. And that... that's crummy. As a comics fan, as a lifelong DC fan, I've negated my ability to just like the comics.
The page here, as rendered by this amazing artist, did a lot to remind me that comics can be great. I want more of this. And maybe DC isn't the place where I'm going to get that, I get that. But I know at least that stuff like this is still out there, being made. And that's a pretty great thing.
That was brilliantly said. Gave me fresh perspective as this piece did. You are right, it's all about perspective and interpretation. I like the knee jerk reactions until I learn more. Thanks for the education.
Tickling an uvula? Oh yeah baby!
you just wanted to write 'uvula'
Jolly Jack also draws a fun webcomic called "Sequential Art". Check it out: http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php
Jack's rendering is very different from my own interpretation of the scenes. I can appreciate some of the Captain's comments about being gunshy. As I said, the controversey has been giving me performance anxiety, but as crap as the script may be, I want it to be the best crap it can be! This is a job were I won't typically get to pick my assignments after all, and my parents taught me to make the best of whatever situation that you find yourself in.
Erik, just be true to yourself, make the best art you can, and it'll shine through. Maybe you won't be what they're looking for in this assignment, but the long run will pay off if you make art as only you can make it. I'd rather see someone like Rob Guillory doing a book like Chew that the dozen or so house-style artists emulating Jim Lee or whoever. Not because they're not great artists themselves, but because they can't stand out of the crowd that way.
Sometimes when I read a specific writer for a while, I wind up writing like them. I've gotten comparisons to Neil Gaiman (Uh... YAY!!! I'll take that any day of the week), Douglas Adams, Robert Asprin. All huge influences on me. But the best compliment I'd ever gotten, even if I didn't see it as such at the time, was when a friend said my work reminded him of David Eddings. I'd never read a single thing by Eddings at that point, so what that meant is that I was finally writing in a voice that was my own. That it sounded like someone else was okay, as long as I wasn't making that happen, consciously or unconsciously. I think some of my personal issue with comics, DC in particular right now, is that it's been beholden to the ideas and voices of Alan Moore and Frank Miller for the last 30 years. A couple of books that sound like that, it would be okay. But 52 of them just reads dull.
Whatever DC chooses with your submission, I'd love to see it.
Also... Uvula.
Yeah. That IS fun.
Thanks for the encouragement Captain!
I may have to post my sketches for the page on my blog sometime soon just to address the controversy, explain my thought process or to let people know what I've up to and ask for insight like you have.
I guess I'm still in the process of figuring out my own style. Comics are very different from the typical stand-alone illustrations that I do, that much is certain.
Uvulas Away!!!!!
Yeh Captain, great contribution. Where can we see your stuff? And people have to stop saying UVULA. It's like OINTMNENT. I hate those words.
I love that Dairy Queen commercial that used to be on where the talking mouth hypnotizes people with his uuuuuuuuvula!
The only writing I've really been utilizing anywhere of late is with Levi on Baujahr.
http://dontaskcomics.com/baujahr
I also got to co-write a story with John Russo ("Night of the Living Dead") on Peri Toth's "See-Thru Baby." I think that's only been published through Flint Comix so far.
My prose stuff... isn't ready. But possibly getting there.
Kal, do you have a problem with "Moist?" I've known at least a couple people who can't handle that word.
I hate moist as much as ointment.
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