ComicScout

If The Revolution Happened Today

October 6, 2007

In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm an Image junkie from way back. One of the exciting things at the time was the spirit of independence, that you didn't need a big publisher to be a success. Countless new publishers emerged, some even billed themselves as "like Image Comics but with writers instead of artists". I'm thinking of Gorilla and Malibu's Bravura line specifically. When the bottom dropped out of the market, the feasibility of going it alone diminished. But happy times are here again. I think it's time for another revolution.

This is right up there with who would win in a fight: Superman or Silver Surfer. It's fanboy masturbation. But bear with me before you shoot me down like Norrin Radd's inevitable thrashing of the man of steel (he's got the Power Cosmic for Christ's sake).

Here's my lineup.

Her Majesty's Comics

Aside from the inimitable Brian K. Vaughan, it's the UK writers that are duking it out for top position on ComicScout's leaderboard. Exposure to 2000 AD and Margaret Thatcher seems to be the key ingredients in becoming a fantastic comic book writer... Anyhow, I'd like to see a bevy of the top English, Scottish, and Irish authors (sorry Wales) join forces. They might include:

• Neil Gaiman
  Having Gaiman on your masthead couldn't hurt, right?
• Grant Morrison
  With Alan Moore off in semi-retirement, Morrison is now the go-to god. Not as lyrical as Gaiman, or brutal as Ellis, Morrison can span the gap from comic book traditionalist to spiritual guru.
• Warren Ellis
  What is there left to say about Warren Ellis? A sadist. A drunk. The angriest man in the western hemisphere. Before Warren came along, we didn't know brains could be kicked.
• Garth Ennis
  Garth's amoral violence and black humor will provide a nice contrast to Warren's - in the same way two notes played at the same pitch will cancel each other out.
• Mark Millar
  Even Image Comics took in Jim Valentino. Oooo! Diss! In all seriousness, like a carnival balloon game attendent, Millar (pronounced mo-lar) can really sell it.

And they've all written Hellblazer at some point!

Round it out with art by Hitch, Alan Davis, Brian Bolland, and with some covers by Dave McKean and you've got yourself a hit.

If you need an alternate, Peter Milligan or Paul Jenkins would do nicely.

Perhaps, while we're speculating, Alan Moore could be Chairman Emeritus. I'd put him in there as another contributor but I want to keep this semi-real. Neil Gaiman is a long shot too but maybe he'd sign up if we threw in a free black leather jacket.

The Young Turks (not to be confused with the Turkish Nationalist Movement)

On the artist side of the equation, I tried to steer clear of creators who already founded a start up, like Silvestri with Image of Quesada with Event; likewise with well established artists (Hitch, Jae Lee, etc.) or Marvel's own Young Turks (Finch, Land, etc.). The artists I picked, in my opinion, aren't as conventional. Many of them are just as comfortable with a Wacom tablet as a brush. When they're not penciling, inking, and coloring an entire issue, they're collaborating in all steps of the production.

• Kelsey Shannon
  A Gaijin Studios veteran, Kelsey hasn't done much high profile comics work in recent years. This current generation knows that, unfortunately, comic art alone can't always pay the bills. So I imagine he's off doing character design. I'd love to see some comic work from him in the near future.
• Skottie Young
  Although the americanized-manga look of the late 90s has waned in popularity, Skottie Young carries the torch with pride. In all likelihood, the comic art flavor-of-the-day is cyclical, and our love of Hitchian realism will one day end, heralding the return of big eyes and big feet. Regardless, Young's work is electric, shattering the page with dynamic energy, while employing the latest coloring techniques.
• Ryan Sook
  He can't keep a monthly schedule, and this alone would make him a contender for Image-esque founder. If the look of the industry is hyper-realistic, photo reference becomes more and more common. The best artists can disguise their references with legitimate skill and draftsmanship. Sook is one such artist. Sure, Terry Dodson draws like Adam Hughes, but only Ryan Sook is giving Adam a run for his money.
• Josh Middleton
  Josh's art has a strange feminine quality. His cloth, smoke, and water effects twist and twirl, captured with the precision of a Disney effects animator. It really is beautiful stuff.
• Daniel Acuna
  Another jack-of-all-trades, it's difficult to tell which we does better: drawing or coloring. When I first saw his stuff I was reminded of Ron Embleton's Oh, Wicked Wanda artwork, Penthouse's version of Playboy's Little Annie Fanny. While Embleton painted in oils, Acuna's is all digital, but masterful none-the-less.

Well, those are my picks. Who would you like to see strike out on their own?