Purveyor of sheer awesomeness.
Joshua Hale Fialkov is the Harvey, Eisner, and Emmy Award nominated writer of graphic novels, animation, video games, film, and television, including:
THE LIFE AFTER, THE BUNKER, PUNKS, ELK'S RUN, TUMOR, ECHOES, KING, PACIFIC RIM, THE ULTIMATES, I, VAMPIRE, and JEFF STEINBERG CHAMPION OF EARTH. He's also written television including MAX’s YOUNG JUSTICE, NBC's CHICAGO MED and NETFLIX’s AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER.
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What a week. Tomorrow morning I start that new job I talked about a few weeks back. This is a full-time, well paid writing job, not in comics, wherein I get an opportunity to create content, lead a crew of other guys, and make some cool shit that a hundred thousand people or more will see. Coming from comics where a comic selling 10k is a big deal, it's... humbling.
You may notice I'm writing this at about 3 am. I've always had nerves before the big day. And tomorrow, I'm coming to realize, is a big day. One phase of my career is complete, and now, I move on to step two. Which doesn't mean I'm leaving comics. Far from it. In fact, I have more comic work lined up in the next few months, and more projects on the immediate horizon than I've ever had.
The thing is that this job represents a moment of validation for me. It came about because of a bunch of different reasons, most of them because of the weird job experience I have. It's rare that you find a company who can look at a resume as weird as mine (Alternative Rock DJ at age 14, Record Store counter jockey at 19, theater and film major with a low budget feature at 20, Production Coordinator on a slew of reality tv shows at 22, Comics Publisher at 24, Freelance Comic Writing Guy at 26...) and say "Well, shit, you've got a crazy amount of experience doing these crazy things and you'd be fucking great for this."
As we wander through life, it's ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies... they can seem like chaos... a meaningless storm of 'things.' To be able look back at all of it... from broken hearts to hard-fought victories, and realize that not only was it all worth it, but, you wouldn't do a damn thing differently... That's simply an amazing feeling.
I have more in my life to be grateful for than any guy should have. A beautiful, charming, genius, and sexy wife; a thriving, satisfying career, wherein I'm beyond proud of each and every project I've worked on; and an amazing group of people who provide nothing but love, faith, and support (both business-wise, and personal-like).
So, the next few months are going to be a radical departure from my life of the past few years. And yes, I'm nervously typing rather than sleeping. But those nerves? That fear? It's imbued with hope, excitement, and the knowledge that things are going to keep getting better.
To tomorrow, which is to say today, and yesterday which is forever.
Inked: A Comic Book Review Blog
Alibi is probably the best one-shot yet in the two Pilot Seasons we’ve had so far. Combine an intriguing story with excellent art and you’ve got a hit on your hands. I’d love to see what other adventures the two brothers have in store so it’s easy to say that this is definitely one of the one-shots that should be picked up as an on-going. Pick this up, you won’t be disappointed.
Fialkov builds up some good tension over the brief twenty-six pages, keeping both the characters and the readers on their toes. There are twists and turns down to the very bitter end of this hard candy, going from sweet to sour and back again. In many ways, it reminded me of Greg Rucka's Queen & Country, from the other side of the fence. John and Rick are annoyingly likeable, you like them, and yet you feel you really shouldn't. Their adversaries are confoundingly vague in their intentions. In other words, it dark and mysterious, and ends on an extreme note.
Thanks so much guys! Really glad y'all dug the book!
Scalped Vol. 1: Indian Country by Jason Aaron
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
Finally got a chance to read the very talented Jason Aaron's Scalped. I'd read the first issue or two, and decided I'd pick it up in trades, as I so rarely go to the comic shop these days. I plowed through the first volume in about thirty minutes, and really loved it.
I think the Sopranos comparisons the book gets is a bit off. Jason does some really sophisticated stuff with storytelling that, to me, feels more in line with the Homicide/Oz/The Wire style storytelling than it does with anything else.
Highly recommended.
View all my reviews.
Comic Pants » Short Pants Reviews 7/1/08
Well, I guess after Genius, I know my vote for the other series I want to see out of Top Cow’s Pilot Season. Alibi is a slick little spy thriller about an assassin and his (twin?) brother who work a clever scheme that lets them be both assassin and alibi at the same time. Half of the story is an interrogation and intrigue bit, as we see the inner workings of the job on the logistics end, and the other half is the action piece, as Rick does the assassinate and escape thing. It works out well, partly because Fialkov’s dialogue-driven storytelling has a nice patter to it that hits just the right balance of verisimilitude and cinematic (erring on the cinematic side) and partly because Haun is an exceptional artist who just needs the right project to shine, and this might be it. Haun is perfectly suited to a modern military/espionage type book, and he does some great work here, particularly on the bit with Rick dodging the satellite oversight, which looks just as cool as it sounds. There’s also a lot of great work on distinctive characters, realistic costuming and technology and some great use of silhouettes. Given the success of shows like Alias, Burn Notice and 24, I’ve always been a bit boggled that comics can’t come up with an action-heavy spy series in that vein, and it looks like Alibi might fill that niche, if it “goes to series” after Pilot Season is over.
I got my start as a reviewer and columnist over at Broken Frontier, so it's always nice to get a review from the kind folks there. Broken Frontier | The Portal for Quality Comics Coverage!
Fialkov and Haun have crafted a very organic feeling package in Alibi. Text and images are smoothly in tune and the rythm is a well-oiled steamroller. Espionage ahoy and plots keep turning around more than Ahab in his tub, looking for the white whale. If the white whale had a sniper rifle, and a satellite GPS-watch, and infrared goggles and who wouldn't like to own a set of those! I'd say this is a very good contender for Pilot Season and goshdarnit, I would vote for these guys!
Consider this the first in a series of short essays I use to give some excuse as to why I'm not doing my work. I have a creator owned book coming early next year from a big ol' publisher. I figured it may be an interesting time for me to reflect on the process a bit, both for the sake of any interested readers, and for myself to put me somewhat on the spot for what I do and how I do it.
This project has been a peculiar one. It started out as a comic pitch, morphed into the early scribblings of a novel, and then back into a comic book. Getting to this point has been atypical for a project for me, and I think for comics in general. Most projects I spend a fair amount of time writing a document a few pages long that covers the in's and out's of the plot, characters, and themes. For this one, I wrote an outline that really amounted to more of a spirited explanation of the first issue and what the book would probably be like if I got to do it.
But it wasn't even that strange document that got the ball rolling at the publisher. It was just me, bullshitting with the editor (and friend). I was telling him how desperately I wanted to do something that was lighter, more fun, and, most importantly, my own.
Let me be clear here. Doing work for hire is a LOT of fun, and you get a paycheck at the end, which really just makes it even better than work. But, still, at the end of the day, you're answering to someone else. Having worked in film, tv, and theater, as well as a bit of radio, I know that the freedoms of comics are still unseen in just about any other medium, but, still...
So, so animated was this presentation that the editor just about okayed it on the spot. A few weeks went by , going through the rounds at their offices, and now, a month or two later, it's time for me to do the part that i normally do first. The outline.
At a recent dinner with Brian Reed, we had a long discussion about the merits of outlining. I wasn't a huge outliner until a year or two ago. I used to have the ability to hold stuff in my head. Now, with half a dozen projects rattling around in my head, and as I start writing longer and longer pieces with more intricacy (theoretically), the outline has become a fantastic tool. Brian's counter argument was that you become a slave to the outline.
Well, as I work on this one, it becomes clear that he has a point. The thing is that for me, 80% of the work of writing is outlining and figuring out the story. The actual typing of dialogue is almost secondary. That being said, certainly as you write, the outline goes out the window. That's part of why I outline in a few different ways. The style and detail level of the outlines changes from project to project, and publisher to publisher.
Here's a general look at the basic type of outline I do.
The first round outline, which I'm working on now, is essentially the equivalent of a movie treatment. Around 3/4's of a page per issue (or act, or chapter, or whatever). If necessary, there's an addendum with character descriptions, and sometimes cover design ideas. If it's for an ongoing series, I'll also include a few other jumping off points for down the road.
Once that's satisfactory (to either me or the editor, depending), I move onto a more specific issue outline. I'll usually expand that 3/4's of a page into something closer to a page and a half. These are done immediately before I write the issues. Again, this is about filling in the road map.
Here's an example from Alibi which came out last week.
We open inside an interrogation room. John Stephens is being interrogated by Agent Al Micelli. Or rather, he’s smoking a cigarette wile Micelli tries unsuccessfully to get him to crack. He lists off the charges against him... Assassination of the Azerbaijani Minister of Finance, strategic strikes against oil executives in Bahrain, leading a coup in Kurdistan.
At the same time, we cut to an assassin plastered to a roof in a desert swept city which we learn is Muscat, Oman. An American Businessman walks with a trio of sheik-looking guys. He tracks them with his scope, it’s not clear which he’s trying to take out.
Back in interrogation, Micelli has the orders intercepted by CIA that Stephens and his ‘firm’ have been hired for the hit in Muscat, and that they specifically requested him to do the job. Stephens laughs.
An alternate/additional step to this is something I learned from good ol' Andy Schmidt back when he was still over at Marvel. I'd guess it had to do with my inexperience working with him the first time, but, he asked me to do something that radically changed how I thought about writing comics. He had me do an outline broken down by page. So, I take the overall outline, and I split up the action into pages.
Here's an example from the outline for The Outlaw Kid from Marvel Comics Presents:
PAGE 1 Lance Temple, young, svelte, and armed with twin six-shooters walks through the desert with purpose. His face is tightened into a rictus of anger and resentment. Hanging from his neck is a large red bandana… that’s important later. He’s on a mission to find the man who murdered his father and, even though it goes against everything he stands for, put him in the ground. He’s tracked his enemy for three days, taking Lance from his home in the fledgling city of Tucson to the dirty streets of Nogales. A town of scoundrels and thieves, it only makes sense that the masked murderer would come here.
PAGE 2 As Lance rides into town, the world seems to blur around him All of the crimes, the monstrosities around him… they’re all secondary to his goal. All he cares about is finding THE OUTLAW KID. He walks straight up to the rough and rumbling saloon, and slams the doors open. Lance looks around for the toughest SOB in the bar, and grabs him by the shirt.
He threatens him… but the brute fights him off. As things are about to turn ugly, the bartender chirps up.
“I SAW HIM HEADIN’ OUT OF TOWN… TOWARDS ‘PACHE COUNTRY AFORE I COME IN TODAY, MR. TEMPLE. IF YOU RIDE FAST YOU CAN CATCH ‘IM!”
With barely a word, Lance cleans himself up and heads out.
“WHAT THE HELL D’YOU DO THAT FOR?”
“THAT BOY’S LOOKIN’ FOR TROUBLE, I RECKON HE’LL FIND IT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.”
PAGE 3 As Lance walks into the desert, he thinks back to that fateful night.
His poor blind father heard a noise… he came into the room and found the Outlaw Kid. He tried to fool him….
“IT’S ME DAD… PLEASE… YOUR SON-“
“I MIGHT BE BLIND BUT I AIN’T STUPID. NO SON OF MINE WOULD DARE COME INTO MY HOUSE SMELLIN’ LIKE GUNPOWDER.”
His dad knew there was trouble and brought a blackjack he kept around for protection… but, the Outlaw Kid grabbed it from him and clubbed him to death… Lance came in just in time to see The Kid running away with a laugh and a smile.
PAGE 4 As Lance rides through some desert canyons, his mind still wandering, we see a small group of Apache Warriors watching him through the cliffs. Lance makes clear his vow to avenge his father’s death even if it kills him. As if on cue, arrows start flying from above. Lance is knocked off his horse, and as he goes to draw, an arrow rips through his shoulder, and drops him to the ground.
PAGE 5 Lance is seriously wounded. The arrow through his shoulder has left him a quivering mess. He’s starting to panic, as he fumbles for his guns. The Apache are upon him, and he’s shaking. They’re going to kill him. Lance’s hand shakes and shudders as it comes to pull the red bandanna hung around his neck up to his face.
Now again, for me, doing all of this frees me up to worry about characterization, about emotion, and about visual dymanic, rather than having to remember "Oh shit, I need to have Lance wearing the red bandanna here."
From there, obviously, I move to script. While I pain and slave over these outlines, scripting is a brisk, worry free affair for the most part, because I've already built the foundation, layed the cement, and sold a few of the condos to the old folks moving out from Ames. And, despite having the outline right there to guide me, things still get moved, rejiggered, shortened, lengthened, and removed. But, instead of doing it willie nillie, I have an idea of just how many pieces need to fit into the final thing, and exactly how much room I have to do it in.
For me, a lot of the real work comes in the second draft, where you have to look at where everything sits and shift things around.
So, that's what I do. As me move along, I'll probably keep posting more info about the project from a behind the scenes-y pov. Assuming anybody actually cares.
In response to Greg's question, I'd probably used the same line if he punched a man OR a woman. Rest of the review at the link. Comics Should Be Good! » What I bought - 25 June 2008
Fialkov tells the story of John, a super assassin who always seems to have an alibi when a hit goes down. Now, the CIA has him in custody and they claim they’ve figured out his secret. It’s a pretty prosaic secret, actually, but I’m still not giving it away! What we get is a twisty tale of betrayal and murder, and Fialkov does a very good job of throwing us into the action but not leaving us behind. It’s very easy to get confused in espionage books, because you’re never sure who’s screwing whom, but that’s not the case in this book.
» Blog Archive » Review: ALIBI
Alibi thankfully doesn’t start off with any lengthy explanations, but instead throws the reader right into the story, assuming he or she can follow along. Fialkov understands that showing the reader is more important (although usually more difficult) than simply telling the reader, and luckily he knows how to make it work. Even though it’s a serious story, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the small moments of humor are much appreciated. The story is intriguing and the dialogue is well written; it’s pretty much all you could ask for in a new book.
Comic Book Review: Alibi #1 | The Girls Entertainment Network
I definitely want to know more about this storyline and the characters, especially with the huge cliffhanger at the end. So Alibi’s definitely got my vote for the top two spots of Top Cow’s Pilot Season ‘08. I hope it gets the chance to truly shine.
Comicvine: The Latest In Comic Book News and Blogs
That is not the case here. So where as we are told the basic gist of the story, we are left with a pretty big cliffhanger on the last page. It's pretty much a "holy crap, how will they get out of this one?"So I have to say, for me, this is one of the main contenders so far.
More at the link.
It should be out 'round Comic-Con time. Here's a sneak peek.
Hey gang,This week, the wife and I head to see my folks in lovely (and supposedly not underwater) Clive, Iowa. While there, I'll be joined by Iowan Superman Phil Hester for a signing at the Mayhem Comics in Des Moines.
The signing info is as follows:
Mayhem Comics Satuday June 21st 1 - 4pm 7500 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50325 (515) 271-8104
See you there!
So, ever since PoorlyDrawnAnimals.com went away, I get a steady stream of e-mails, in person complaints, and general nudging about it. While that chapter of my life is most definitely closed, I thought (spurred on by Diesel Sweeties releasing theirs) why not release the whole thing as an E-Book for your handy download.
So, click the image above to download PDA. For those who don't know, Poorly Drawn Animals was my very first comic. I did it as a three time a week webcomic, and it was selected by Yahoo as a Pick of the Week at one point, and was a recurring favorite over at b3ta.com. I went on to make mini-comics, t-shirts, buttons, and thongs bearing strips and the characters where in. Eventually, after around 180 of the strips, I felt like i was treading water, and just didn't have the time to devote properly to it. So, when you read this, I apologize for the last few strips which really aren't as good.
Anyways, this is under a so called Creative Commons license so, feel free to share, bit-torrent, print, fold, smack against a rock. Just please, send anybody back here and tell them to buy my books so I can make money.
Hope you enjoy it.
Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Vol. 1 by Naoki Urasawa
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
Urasawa's use of suspense is second to none. A complete and utter piece of genius, Monster gives proof not just to readers but to creators of manga and graphic novels that this medium is ready to be used and abused for much grander things than we've seen before.
A complete masterwork that'll leave you aching for Viz to finish releasing the series.
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Death Note, Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ohba
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
The best. The absolute, 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt best use of graphic storytelling in the past five years. Sophisticated storytelling, an amazingly compelling concept, and characters you hate, love, suspect, trust, believe in, and despise.
Be forewarned, after reading the first volume, you won't be able to stop.
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Buddha Volume 1: Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
It's eastern religion/history by way of Astro Boy. Tezuka tells an incredible tale in an even more incredible way. There's a reason Tezuka is considered one of the great masters of graphic storytelling. This is one of those reasons.
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The Drifting Classroom Vol. 1 by Kazuo Umezu
My review
rating: 3 of 5 stars
A simple concept, not quite executed to it's fullest. Unfortunately, the characters, motivations, and reactions are all just out of whack. Lots of 60's style EXCLAMATION! POINTS! AFTER! EVERY! SENTENCE! which is, I guess, sort of a nice retro thing, but, when you take these kids and throw them into such an out of this world situation, some slightly more grounded handling of the characters is in order to really keep you into the story.
Still debating on whether to continue or not, I'm probably willing to give it another volume or so, just to see where the story goes.
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Parasyte, Volume 1 by Hitoshi Iwaaki
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
A whole lot of fun to be had in Parasyte. Somewhere between a wacky sex comedy, action adventure, and sci-fi/horror, Parasyte is yet another wholly unique experience in manga form. While not particularly deep or thoughtful, the book manages to be the most fun I've had reading a manga in some time.
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