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DT: Speaking of the relationship between penciller and inker, I remember in one of the Pounding My Chest columns for Gorilla, you talked about scanning your pencil artwork into a computer and being able to zap it to the other members of the creative team. Does something like that help you say, "hold on a sec, this isn't quite what I had in mind?"
BK: Definitely - it meant that James (Pascoe) could email me scans of the inks and if there were any areas we didn't feel happy with I could re-draw them more clearly or he could just re-ink them after we'd talked.
DT: Would you ever consider skipping the middleman and using some kind of electronic tablet?
BK: I do actually use one, but as part of the layout process - I've yet to see anyone quite capture the nuances of real pencils and inks - I'm sure it'll happen though! I use a computer a lot to mess with designs and layouts before the real pencilling gets done.
DT: Now that you mention layouts and design, I was wondering if maybe you could take me through the process a little bit -- what kind of choices do you make while you're setting up a page. The example that really struck me was the spread in Empire issue 1 that introduced Xanna. The shot of the daggers almost coming out of the page toward the reader, followed up by the shift in perspective so we see the daggers around Sebirus' head, was really striking.
BK: Well like most artists I start with a thumbnail drawing of the page - just to workout very simply what I want to tell in each panel and roughly how the design of the page will look. I really like innovative design, but I also feel that the clarity of the storytelling is paramount. I always try to lead the reader through the story in the way I want them to read it. Once the basic layout is done I do very high contrast roughs at printed size of the pages placing all the blacks to make sure the layout is clear and reads as it should . . . in fact two issues of Shadow of the Bat were printed from these - not my choice - but if anyone is interested to see what they look like!
DT: And how do you want the reader to read a spread like that?
BK: Well this would be a lot easier if I could point to the page for you, but I think there's a kind of 's' design to the first half as your eye follows the knives from Xanna's hand to flying straight at you (the reader) there's definite movement. Then a static pose of Sebirus . . . a sudden stop like the knives in the wall around him. The rest of the page is fairly standard left/right movement . . . Sebirus moving away from Xanna implying the lack of real contact between them . . . is that what you had in mind with your question?
DT: Pretty much, yeah. I was just struck when I looked back at it the way you took advantage of the fact that you'd been using Sebirus' perspective for the introductions, then made the switch to a more third-person perspective.
BK: Well also Xanna was the last of the characters introduced in that segment so the transition had to be made there and it seemed a good way to do it!
DT: So what can we expect from the future of Empire? What kind of special package do you have in mind for the re-release of issues 1 and 2? And will you be sticking with the "new-reader-friendly" concept?
BK: The future of Empire will be full of more surprises! The revelations about Endymion are obviously just beginning, but there's all sorts of things in the works that I think will continue to surprise the readers. As to the other parts of your question I'm really not sure. I guess we need to sit down with the DC folks and our editor there - Joey Cavalieri - and work that out. I know we talked briefly about a low priced double sized reissue - it would nice to add some extra new things . . . but nothing in it so anyone would feel they have to buy the story twice . . . I guess that's the tough balance to aim for . . . it'll take some thought I'm sure . . . so I guess the answer is . . . I don't know yet!
DT: There's no time frame on when we might see the rerelease and when new issues would follow?
BK: The plan is to relaunch and then have the following issues come out . . . dare I say it . . . on time and monthly . . . but no decision's been taken as to when that will be - again we need to sit down with the marketing folks at DC and see what they think would work best. Ideally the reissue would be out a month before the new issues started appearing.
DT: You mentioned that "One day I'll be happy with my work.... I hope!" Looking back at your career, what stands out as work you can point to and say, "Yeah, that stands up . . . I'm glad my name is on that"?
BK: Hhhmmmm - well most stuff I'm actually proud of . . . it's just that I can always see area where I would like to improve things. I'm always proud of what I send in - or I wouldn't send it in. I respect the readers too much for that! I just think that any artist worth his salt should always want to improve . . . my biggest disappointments in any field of art is when I feel like a creator/actor/musician is just coasting instead of putting their whole heart into it. An editor once complained that I cared too much about my work... which I took as a huge compliment . . . and hope never to change. :-)
DT: Understandably so . . . to rephrase it then . . . what would you consider the highlights of your career so far, or your favorite pieces of work?
BK: If I had to pick a favorite single issue . . . probably the Black Canary issue of Shadow of the Bat. As a run I'm incredibly proud of LEGION as a whole. I'm still very happy with how Batman: Book of the Dead came out. I guess, though, the first two issues of Empire take top spot at the moment - though I think the Dark Knight pages I've been working on recently are probably my best ever art wise . . . Bet you wished you'd never asked that question. :-)
DT: Not at all. Looking to the present and future once again -- when you look at the comics industry these days, what do you see? Who's doing good work? And how do you think we can get that good work in more people's hands?
BK: If I knew the answer to that last part . . .
DT: It is the 64 thousand dollar question of the moment, isn't it?
BK: Without question!
DT: Which seems like a shame . . . there seems to be so much good work out there right now, and you'd think that that would be enough.
BK: Trouble is there is also a lot which isn't so good and if you're not already a comic reader it must be a bewildering choice to make to take that first leap into the field . . . am I mixing metaphors now?
DT: Perhaps, but what's a metaphor good for if not for mixing?
BK: As to who's doing good work - so many folks I'd be shy of answering that - I am on record as being a devoted Kevin Nowlan fan!
DT: He's always someone whose work I feel like I should have read more of.
BK: Kevin is definitely an artist's artist I think. I'm also huge fan of all my friends . . . a list of whom would be far too long to give now . . . and I'd probably get myself in trouble by forgetting someone! :-)
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