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 Home News January 2005 17th
Kabuki: The Alchemy #5 Cover |
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David Mack has kindly shared the cover and solicitation artwork for Kabuki: The Alchemy #5.
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Multiple Project Updates |
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David Mack started a message board topic called New to Kabuki? Questions on story or where to start? Q&A and shared information and is seeking opinions about the following projects: |
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· Kabuki: The Alchemy & Art of David Mack |
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The next trade won't have a date set until the current Alchemy story is finished. And that will still be a while. This story will be at least 8 issues long. Maybe even a bit longer if necasary.
Probably before that, I'll have an artbook in hardcover oversized format.
An art of David Mack kind of book.
I may make the first volume of this the complete Kabuki covers from 94-2004. All oversize without the logo, and showing the sketch and commentary on the opposite page. Probably about 200 pages. (source) |
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· Future Marvel Projects |
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I can't give any hard news on that yet.
I have to let Marvel announce that.
But I have been offered to write several projects.
I'm pretty picky about what I commit to, but there will be some good projects on the horizon.
And Bendis and I will team up again for a future Marvel project. (Source) |
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· Art of David Mack |
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I'm still finalizing the details on the format of this, so I'm still open to suggestions.
Would you prefer that the format of the first Art Book be a complete oversize collection of every single Kabuki cover ever made (with sketches and commentary) with other volumes to follow including and collecting other types of artwork, art from other projects, etc.?
Or would you prefer that the first volume be more of a cross section of various Kabuki, DD, Alias covers mixed with other kinds of art? (source) |
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· Kabuki movie |
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I'd like to talk more about the casting ideas for the Kabuki film, but I'm not supposed to do that, as the film is in developement at Fox and I'm supposed to keep quiet about that. But there are lots of great parts for lots of great actors.
Every now and then, I'm asked to send a signed hardcover to certain actresses with it personalized to her.
And I do have tapes of actresses auditioning for Kabuki saying my lines from the books, which is really cool.
But until things are all locked down, I can't really talk about it. (source) |
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· Art of David Mack |
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Medical Popcorn wrote: Would you want the art book to be oversized and HC? Of course, your art is worth it, but with a high page count wouldnt the art book be above $75?
I'm thinking it would be closer to half of that.
$30 or $40?
But I'd have to run a price check on that with the printer.
What are the prices of some other current art books in that format?
The Alex Ross Mythology, and Bendis said the Greg Horn artbook was a good design and format.
Do you know what those are priced at?
I think the McKean Sandman cover collection was $25 in paperback.
Maybe I could offer the book as low as a $35 or $40 price on the hardcover? (source) |
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· Art of David Mack |
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That's sort of what I was thinking. A complete Kabuki cover collection for the first. The idea that this would include every single cover. Even including the various covers by guest artists like Steranko and Alex Ross, etc.
The idea of it also including every other comic cover I ever did would also be amazing. But that would make it a bigger and bit more expensive book.
But it would show more contrast and range in my work.
It would include 22 Daredevil covers, 32 Alias covers (including 4 unpublished), 6 Ruule covers, 3 Swamp Thing covers, 1 Jinx cover, and several other covers that I may or may not decide to include.
Would you prefer the first volume include all of these covers too, or that I limit the first volume to Kabuki covers, and include other cover works with other art and drawings in a seperate art volume?
All responses welcome. (source) |
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· Art of David Mack |
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Would it be best to call it: The Art of David Mack and then to list it as Vol 1 (making the consecutive books also fit into that title with other volumes), and put another line under the title designating it as:
The Art of David Mack
The Kabuki Covers
Would that be more attractive to readers?
Or would it be better to simply call it, The Art of Kabuki or the Kabuki covers? (source) |
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· Art of David Mack |
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Well, I could put the guest covers in the back as a sort of bonus.
And many of them are also collaborations with me and another artist.
But I'd still want to include the Scarab covers, and many of them are done by Rick Mays.
Although, I suppose I still qualify as being a part of that process as perhaps a sort of art director.
I'm thinking if it is a book of just covers, I should show the covers to volume by volume in chronology in the book. Even if the Scarab ones are often by Rick Mays.
Should I cut it off at volumes 1-6, or also include what I have of the Alchemy?
I'd also include the Kabuki Classics and I imagine I'd also include the covers to Reflections.
Make it as all-encompassing inclusive as possible. (source) |
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· Kabuki companion book |
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It would be fun to have a guide or Kabuki companion book to discuss some of the things that aren't called attention to. (source) |
David Mack in Online Comic Strip |
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David Mack appeared in the January 15 and 17 online cartoon strips of The Devil's Panties, which was created by Jennie Breeden.
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Echo & Kabuki Questions Answered |
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Thanks to David Mack for reporting that the following questions submitted by Sam (AKA el123chico) were answered on the JoeQuesada.com message board (registration required): |
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Sam: When you did the Echo sketch for me it was all brushwork. How much of CoB [Kabuki: Circle of Blood] was done as brushstroke, and how much by pencil and ink?
DM: Most of it was peniciled first. But often the pencils in COB were pretty light and sketchy. More for layout and design and storytelling. And much ofthe work was finished in the inking process. For inking, I used both pen and brush in COB. Ink, black watercolor, and black acrylic paint. And often, a certain amount of collaging afterwards if I decided to re-arrange the panels, but cutting the page apart and re-configuring the panels.
Sam: I truly enjoyed your use of music to set a tone. This is something that I have tried in my writing from time to time. Was this something where you heard the songs and then incorporated them, or did you go seatching for particular songs that fit those scenes? And does this show up again?
DM: I think as I wrote the scenes, and sometimes as I was laying them out, the music in the background just occurred to me. Sometimes for the atmosphere, and sometimes for the lyrics.
I knew that Kai had a lot of American antiques in his lair, and that I wanted him to have an old Jukebox. So it started to occur to me that he would often be playing american music on the box in the scenes of him in his pad and with his friends.
It just sort of came together in the process of it. I didn't have the specifics of that worked out in advance. It just developed very organically.
Sam: I noticed that in the last few chapters, you ended with a handprint (which seems to be something of a theme for you), that dedicated the story to your late mother. Many times I have read of authors being in the middle of writing a story when something happens that affects and changes their original plan. So this question is only if your mother passed during your writing, but if so, how much did that affect your plans for ending the series?
DM: My mother was alive when I originally wrote the first outline and structure of the story for Circle of Blood. She was sick and dying for some time as I was working on it, and I noticed that the relationship with Kabuki and her mother became a more significant part of the story. After my mother died, the character of Kabuki's mother began to have more gravity and presence in the story, and the details of the story and the relationship with Kabuki and her mother grew in size, scope detail, and signifigance in the story.
A lot more of the story developed into that after my mother's death.
Sam: Looking forward to reading Skin Deep.
DM: Please let me know what you think.
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MileHighComics.com Sale Extended |
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MileHighComics.com has extended the expiration date of their 20% off back issue discount code HAPPINESS until Tuesday, January 18 at 12 pm (Mountain). |
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