This week sees a new issue of Jonah Hex hit stores. Written by
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, issue #35 continues the series’
tradition of rating artists, this time welcoming J.H. Williams to
illustrate the adventures of the Western bounty hunter with the…unique
face.
We spoke with Williams about the issue and his approach to the art, and
how he sees this fitting in with the larger body of his work.
Newsarama: J.H., what interests you in illustrating a Jonah Hex story?
J.H. Williams: I love the character and what Jimmy and Justin
are doing with him. And I love Western comics when done well. It's a
very tricky thing when dealing with a Western in a comic. On most
occasions they can be very stiff and stilted, but when done well they
are as engrossing as can be. Jimmy and Justin have done this character
and genre justice. The stories are very engaging and they come at them
with a unique angle every time while remaining true to the genre and
without any stiffness at all. Not an easy task. I've always wanted to
do a Western and want to do more.
The only other chance I had was for a brief sequence in 7 Soldiers #0. So when the opportunity arose to do an issue of Jonah Hex,
I had to grab it. Hopefully I will get another crack at it. I told
Jimmy we should do a lengthy graphic novel with Hex. That would be
amazing.
NRAMA: What is this issue of Jonah Hex about?
JHW: Well I don't really want to give away plot details. But I
will say it's got action, suspense and a good bit of twistedness. Part
of it is like this... Hex is bigger than life and has his big "saves
the day" moment hero bit and the other part is darker, more personal
and quite twisted. Just go read it. If you like good stories with
unique characters you won't be disappointed.
NRAMA: In your view, why should someone who never tried Jonah Hex come on and give this issue a shot?
JHW: Why not is what I say! It's got a little bit of everything.
More readers really should be onto this book. It's one of the best
series on the market. I'm very proud of the work on this and glad to
have had the chance to do an issue. The stable of talent that has
worked on this series and is attracted to the material should say
enough. I'm amazed that I'm in this group. Just how many titles are
there like this? Not many. Sure we all love our colorfully clad caped
crusaders in tights but there is no reason not read a title like this one too.
Having variety will make one richer and more rounded in life.
NRAMA: How is working with Justin and Jimmy's script different from say, working with Alan Moore on Promethea?
JHW: To me it's the same really. Sure Alan's scripts are like
reading novels and are quite detailed, but Jimmy and Justin's scripting
has everything you really need. Their wishes are quite clear. I treated
the material in the same way I treat all of my projects in terms of
getting to the heart of the matter. Reading between the lines and
presenting the psychology of what the story is about in an entertaining
way. So in that perspective, it's the same.
NRAMA: What are your methods of visualization? You vary your
styles wildly depending on the project so how does the process of
creating a page from a script for Jonah Hex begin for you?
JHW: Hmmm... it's sorta like this... I have a very particular
view of what makes a good Western comic but like to see those
boundaries pushed. I like to have my Western comics to have a certain
aesthetic to them and tried to stick with that for the most part.
However, I also wanted to see where things could go and still feel
right for a Western. So of course I played with the conventions of what
is to be expected. My goal was to have that grittiness and fluidity to
the drawing that a good western should have but also bring a bit of
modern aspects and experimentation to some of the storytelling
techniques without losing what makes a western comic work. I'd say that
it was mostly successful in those terms.
NRAMA: That said, what was most difficult to illustrate in this story?
JHW: Horses. It's always horses. I love to draw them but in a
comic like this you sort of have to be a little off with the accuracy
for the movement to feel right. I think I got it down 90% of the time.
I'd say the other difficult part would be bringing my particular vision
of storytelling to the table without ever losing the intention of the
story itself or the feel of the series. I tend to add things or bring
things out in a way that enhances the psychological aspects of a story.
Allowing for the reader's brain to be tickled in a different way.
I pretty much do that with all of my projects and wanted to see how
that would work in a Western. Jimmy and Justin provided the perfect
script for that and were very gracious with giving me the freedom to
explore aspects of what lays in between the lines of their script. So
it was a real challenge to come at it from that angle and never lose
the points and attitudes conveyed in the story, remaining true to what
Jimmy and Justin were writing about.
NRAMA: You have been selected to go on an all expense paid
drinking binge for three days with historical figures, an artist, a
writer and one free choice. Who are your drinking buddies?
JHW: I don't think this matches your criteria exactly but my
choices would have to be Van Gogh for his colorful meaningful ethereal
view of the world around him, singer songwriter Debbie Harry for her
beauty, brilliant mind, seductively charmed voice and I love her. Then
finally, Junji Ito for his insane horrifically addled ideas to freak us
all out after we're completely smashed and ready to make the most
magnificent art piece that would change the world into this
surrealistic psychedelic opus of music and monstrous creatures that
sing to the gods of the universe lifting the human imagination to
levels where it all goes white and we coalesce into an orgasmic unity
of pure love. Uhhh... sorta lost myself for a moment.
NRAMA: Do you find yourself more attracted to work that is not like your own, or work that has similarities to yours?
JHW: I'd say both. I read a lot of different types of comics. I never limit myself when appreciating art of any kind.
NRAMA: Name something you've done to further yourself as an
artist that you thought wouldn't be successful but was, and something
you thought would be great but wasn't.
JHW: This is a tough one and I hope can make some sense here.
The thing I do to further myself is a never ending process for me. I
keep myself open to the world and what possibilities can be gained from
it visually for my work. This is one of the reasons I refuse to tie
myself to a singular style. There is always something to be learned
from trying new things and allowing yourself to just do what feels
right for a scene or sequence or a single panel. Relying on gut
instinct to convey something in design of a page or an issue or a
character's interpretation. This leads to the other part of the
question. Design plays a big role in what I do but I never pre-design
anything. It's all done spontaneously on the board. So I'm very much
going on what my gut tells me at the moment. But because I work in this
way, and I am so20design heavy, it sometimes can go too far or strike
the reader in a way that I did not intend.
But that is all part of the learning experience for me. That is why
comics are an artform because sometimes things work better than other
times. Because we are dealing with a form of expression, it is always
worthwhile to explore ideas even if they don't pan out the way you
might hope.
NRAMA: If you had an uninhibited alter-ego who could make any type of art at all, what kind of art would he be doing?
JHW: Vividly panoramic surrealist impressionist pop art on giant
canvas' of approximately 15 feet tall by 50 feet wide and his name
would be Sebastian or something.
