Posts Tagged ‘ writing ’

A panel with Rich Johnston (LITG), Colleen Doran and CB Cebulski about breaking into comics proved very interesting indeed, as the three shared advice and experience.

Johnston acted essentially as a moderator, pitching in with advice when he could add some. Colleen was great, and provided very sound and practical advice from her experience – that all creators will have dry patches so it’s vital to handle finances properly, for example – while CB was really helpful for potential writers in the room, suggesting best points of contacts, what to pitch, what not to do, what books might be a good move right now and what opportunities might be coming up soon.

Great panel, and thanks to all involved…now, must…get….writing.

You may (or may not) know me.

If you do know me – even just a little – chances are that you’ll know I write. Not professionally, outside of reports for my job, but because I enjoy it and because I keep telling myself one day I’ll do something with it.

Recently I sat down and drew up a list of characters that I’d like to take a crack at if the opportunity presented itself. Not surprisingly, many proved to be Marvel, and many proved to be B and C listers. And a couple of Ds. In lieu of a real post, thought I’d share just a couple of ideas…

Hank Pym – Pym’s a polarizing character; a lot of people (including some writers) can’t get past the backhander he gave Jan years ago and it’s basically become his defining attribute over the past ten years, even moreso than when it actually happened.

But here’s the thing – this is a guy who’s made mistake after mistake after mistake – Ultron, Yellowjacket, Egghead…he’s almost self-destructive in the path he takes. Now take that and add in his identity issues, his genius, the sci-fi aspects to the character (his origin is essentially a twist on The Incredible Shrinking Man), his powers, his communication with insects, Kosmos – and you’ve got a character that’s got legs if handled properly.

Have him separated from the MU for a while. Give him a purpose, a direction, a goal and keep him out of the way of too many of his regular support characters. Have him take a starring role in his own 4-issue mini-series, instead of a back-up role in The Irredeemable Ant-Man (excellent book, by the way), or being the character that’s brought in when an unstable scientific type is needed. Define the character without relying on other character’s reaction to him; that’s the ticket.

Hey, you can even go darker with him. Let him explore the anger inside if needs be, as long as he comes to terms with it – preferably without the aid of a magic crystal…

Sub-Mariner - I love Namor as a character. He’s regal, he’s an ass, and he has dominion over 70% of the Earth. Forget Black Panther, this is a monarch I want to read about. He has a pretty good support cast and villains and ties – in one way or another – to almost every character in the MU that you can think of through either the FF, the Avengers, the Defenders or the Invaders. Once again, what’s needed is a hook.

He’s been played as a monarch and he’s been played as an exile – but he hasn’t been played as an icon. Have him be worshipped by his people, have them be the family that he’s lost (Dorma, Namorita – who knows what will happen to Namora now she’s back?) – and then put him in an impossible situation.

Have him discover that if he continues down the road he’s on, he’ll be the end of his people’s way of life. Have him get comfortable – finally – with who and what he is, then yank the carpet out from under him. Give the man a prophecy to fulfill that puts him at odds with the rest of the MU. Let him be facing the destruction of his people within his lifetime – and it’s all his fault.

Just some thoughts for openers.