Re: Another Question for Mr. Mack
THU, 6/21/01, 1:49 p.m. - In Response To: Another Question for Mr. Mack (Kathy Elgin)

Hello,

Sounds good. You have my blessing. I hope you do great on the research paper.

David

Hello,

It's me again. The silly girl with the research paper on the Ainu. I was wondering if I could have your permission to copy a particular page from Circle of Blood to include with my research paper. I will give you FULL CREDIT, of course...

My main purpose is actually to show my professor that not ALL comic books are about mindless violence and spandex-wearing superheroes. He seems to be of the mind that comic books can hold no literary value whatsoever and I was hoping to give him some subtle proof that he's wrong... I'm a little sneaky that way

As always, you ROCK!

Thanks,
Kathy

P.S. I totally agree that you should come out with Siamese Book-Ends

- thanks David

-i'll be expecting the reply then... also since we're on this topic...
how much are you selling the black and white "Bondage" piece you have on Kabuki reflections.. if im not mistaken its on either number 1 or 2...

Hi,

Thanks for the inquiry. My girlfriend Anh really likes that peice and doesn't want me to sell it. Sorry. I guess you have good taste:)
Actually she likes it so much she had that image silkscreened onto a shirt that she wears.

DM

Hi!

I am big fan of your work!

Now onto my question I am going to Art school right now and am earning a degree in illustration. Anyway, A friend of mine wants to develop a graphic novel that's more illustrative like an Alex Ross style of a book. Are there any recommendations that you could make in general for this? We are probably looking to self publish also.

I would suggest first focusing on finishing the book. Once it is finished I would suggest that you show it to pbulishers that publish creator owned books. In this market, it is wiser to use someone else's money than your own when starting your first project. And an existing company with it's own place in this industry can give you a lot of advice and offers a more attractive track record to the stores that will order your book. If it is succesful there, you can always self publish it or your next project later if that is what you want to do.

The school offers a sequential art major but since we are primarily illustrators we can only take a couple of classes in seq art. We have both read tons of graphic novels like Miller, Eisner and so on. We have also have read both 'Understanding comics' books.

Thanks for your time!

Ian

BTW: As someone who has take some Design classes I really liked your use of Graphic design in Kabuki!

Hi!

I read a message further down where David said he'd like to hear what people'd want for 3d sculpture stuff.....?

I'd really like to see a Kabuki chess board, like the one the general has in CoB. I think that'd be kinda cool. Also it'd mean you get to do something with the more *unknown* characters like Ice & Butoh, who I guess won't be getting their own statues anytime soon.....

Perhaps you could do it as the Noh girls with masks as black pieces and without their masks as white? So they kinda confront themselves...

AND maybe you could have Kai as the King piece on the black side and Dove as King piece on the white side? And something like Kai's gang as pawns on the black side (cos that's sorta what they are anyway) and, I don't know, Control Corps inmates as pawns on the other?

Ooh! I like this idea! If you don't do it, I'll have to make my own

Lizzie

I'm from Malaysia & planning to further my studies in the USA. I'm planning to major in Art. Problem is, my parents are quite budget concious & can only spend around US$10,000 & and below, while all the best art colleges across the USA are quite pricey. So they plan to put me in a state university. So my question is: Is going to a state university a wiser choice than a pricey art college like Savannah or School of Visual Art?

If I DO go to art school, how is it possible for a beginner like moi send in 10-20 pieces of art portfolio to them?

Is it possible that anyone who graduate from State U. can end up in your position as comic artist?

Are there any good example of comic artistes that grad from State U? Besides Frank Cho, of course.

I graduated from a state university. I did not attend a specialized art school. I was 17 when I started college and new I would have to pay my own way. I didn't have any money so I submitted to many scholarships with my art portfolio. I got many partial scholarships for art schools, but I still did not have enought $ to cover the remainder. So I went with a full scholarship that was offered from a state university.

The advantage with a university is that you can learn so many different disciplines. I doubt that I would have been able to take Japanese, anatomay and phisiology, acting, writing, childrens liturature, world religions, and history classes in the depth and breadth that I did at the university had I went to a more specialized art school.

I had already decided to do comics when I enrolled in school, so I applied what I learned from each discipline into my work. I feel that this gives my art and writing a much bigger scope of experience and knowledge to pull from.

THE BOTTOM LINE is that each school has its advantages but you GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT. That last part was my motto the entire time I went to the university.

And you can go to a state U and also major in art. I did.
I majored in Graphic Design and minored in English. But I was able to take a huge array of other interests from science to theatre to karate.

Hope this is of help to you:)

I wanted to make sure that you recieved my little thank you letter.

Hope you two had a great birthday celebration.

DM

Hi Kirk,

Thanks for reading Kabuki!

so how long have you been drawing?

where you one of those people who just picked up a pencil and could draw what ever you want?

In terms of drawing images and anatomy accurately enough to tell a story with images that have some grace and charm, that is just a lot of PRACTICE and self discipline, and study. I've been drawing as long as I can remember, so I should have some control of it by now.

But it is something that I had to work and struggle for. It is more an effort of willpower, ambition, and problem solving than some inate talent.

There are a lot of talented people in this industry. And I have seen some that seem to have that more inate drawing ability, in that they are able to draw comic book type figures effortlessly. But that is not really my talent.

My talents probably involve more of a way of seeing. I figure that seeing or unique point of view gives me the ability to develope whatever discipline interests me as long as I put a lot of effort, thought, and will power into it.

how long did it take you to write and draw you first comic book?

Time really wasn't something I considered when working. One of fun things about working is that I can lose all sense of self and time. When things are going very good, there is sort of another dimension that you are operating in which time and self are not a factor.

So I always wonder what is behind that sort of question of how long it takes to do a page or a book. I'm probably naive, but I always wondered if I'm missing something in that people ask that. I guess it is a way of measuring something with time as a unit of measurement of the activity.
My freshman year in colleg I got my first paying job just penciling a comic book. It took me twelve hours a page, for just about every page. And I was paid $10 a page. Now it seems rediculous that I actually did six issues of it at that price! But the point was the practice. I was developing. It was like colleg, but they were paying me (although barely) instead of me paying them for the lesson in work and craft and business.

if i could find some one with a scanner i would like to send you some of my drawings just to get your opinion on what could improve them,but thats up to you, im not looking for a job or anything, just some insite.

One more thing the first time I read kabuki the part where the bad guys are singing the devil inside when i started to read that part i caught myself singing the song and then realized that it had started to play on the radio at the same time i started reading the page.

Which makes me want to say, that we are all always in the right place at the right time, wether we want to be or not.

Best,

David

hi

i can't wait till you come over next year

i was just wondering oher than the comics and grapic novels you are going to bring as well as original art. i was wondering if there's anything else?

and i was wondering what you're working on at the moment?

and is scarab 8 shipping next week?

DM

David and Rick,

I saw that Bendis posted on his board that you two will be collaberating to draw an issue of Ultimate Team-Up later this year or early next year. Can you give us any more details.

I was hoping for an announcement of something coming up next from either of you. Besides Daredevil # 19 and Kabuki Scarab Agents # 8 coming up soon I hadn't seen any future projects listed besides the Scarab Art book.

Do you have any other projects coming out this fall/winter that I don't know about?

Jeff

As soon as I send off Scarab #8, I will be putting together the Kabuki 1/2 to print. THen I will be spending a bit of time on the new Kabuki story and art for the new printing of Kabuki Dreams. Then I will put the artbook together. THen Hopefully be ablt to start on my next Kabuki story.

WIth Bendis: I've done (and will continue to do) covers for his new Marvel series ALIAS. Rick Mays will be drawing two issues of Master of Kung Fu for Bendis' Team Up book. I'm slated to do covers and layout.

Very much looking forward to doing the next Kabuki story.