|
| SDCC Day 1 - Will Eisner’s Spirit Lives In New Ongoing DC Series |
|
First up in December 2005 is a project designed to introduce the character to DC audiences – a Batman/The Spirit stand-alone special written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Darwyn Cooke (for much more on this, click on the link for our conversation with Loeb), which will be joined by The Best Of The Spirit, an “affordably-priced” trade paperback collecting almost two dozen stories by Eisner, with a new introduction by Neil Gaiman.
Following that in 2006 will be an all-new ongoing The Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke.
Newsarama also caught up with Cooke for some early thoughts on both his collaboration with Loeb and the daunting task of following in the footsteps of a comic book legend.
“I can honestly say that this came completely out of left field for me,” Cooke told Newsarama. “New Frontier had given me an opportunity to sort of ‘sing my song’ with the DC Universe, and I had planned on doing my issue of Solo for (editor) Mark Chiarello and then heading in a new direction. I was actually starting work on my creator-owned original graphic novel when Mark called up, and asked if I'd be interested in a Spirit ongoing. I was floored by the proposition... I've been a Spirit fan since age 14 and I can honestly say that he was the only licensed character in the industry that could have got me to change course. It was kinda Al Pacino, y'know – ‘Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in!!!’
The wheels began to be set in motion when DC’s Paul Levitz, Dan DiDio, and long-time Will Eisner friend and associate Denis Kitchen (who worked with DC on the projects for Eisner) began discussing a Spirit monthly, the purpose of which, according to DiDio, was to “introduce the character to a new audience”
”And they decided a crossover with Batman was both a natural, and would allow the broadest base of readers a chance to see what a great world the Spirit lives in,” added Cooke.
”Before his surgery, Will had wanted all of his affairs in order, and DC and Denis finalized the deal for the project,” explained Cooke. “We all know the heartbreaking conclusion of that story. We lost the master builder. The comic book language that we all work with, the very nature of this artform as I employ it, was created by a quadrangle of men. Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman and the greatest storyteller of all...Will Eisner.
”Again, it breaks my heart, but we had had no communication over the project. I know I'd feel stronger about doing this if he was here to guide me.”
But creator will have the guidance of someone carrying on Eisner’s “spirit”.
Said Cooke, ”The esteemed Denis Kitchen, Will's longtime friend and associate, is the estate's representative, and in that regard, I'm truly blessed. If ever there was someone who could shepherd this project, it is Denis. Denis will be with us every step of the way, and so far, we seem to be in concert regarding the direction we're heading in.”
While many work-for-hire creators feel pressure to live up to the legacies their idols created before them on characters like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man, etc, Cooke has an especially big pair of shoes to fill.
“Yes, the four hundred-pound gorilla in the room. But I'm happy to say, we've found a direction that really excites me, so it is more a sense of responsibility than pressure.
“I'm feeling exhilaration, fear, excitement, anxiety, and some naked terror. I cope with interpretive dance and by firing endless rounds of high caliber ammunition into the valley behind my place.”
While handling art for both projects, he’ll be working with a different writer for each, Jeph Loeb on Batman/The Spirit and himself on The Spirit ongoing. We asked Cooke if and how this may affect this approach to the art..?
”With Batman/The Spirit, my longtime collaborator J. Bone will be inking and the story is big, exciting and colorful,” he replied. “There is a certain lightness of tone that comes from the contrast between these two characters and the sparks that creates. I'll be penciling and inking The Spirit monthly, and it'll be very much the type of work I'm known for; probably closer to Catwoman and Slam Bradley in feel than New Frontier”.
While developing the ongoing series with DiDio and Kitchen, Cooke came up with two main goals for the project:
”One - preserve and if humanly possible, enrich the core essence of the Spirit. Give long-time readers a contemporary look at the magic that has held them for decades, and introduce a new generation to the irresistible pull of this rich human drama. Action, crime, romance, humor and pathos will all be generously employed in the ‘spirit’ of the original strip. There'll be no deconstruction and every issue will be a story unto itself, making every issue an ideal jumping on point. Every story will try to add and hopefully strengthen the essence of Eisner’s characters and vision.
”The second goal is to produce a work that reaffirms the Spirit as the strip for graphic innovation that enhances storytelling. This second mandate is, I believe, the one to be artistically important. While we cleave to Eisner’s vision and world-view for Central City, we should be equally mindful of his vision that contemporary storytelling techniques be continually introduced to engage the reader in fresh and appropriate ways. I believe that this would have been very important to Will, and I feel it is the key to avoiding a simple homage.”
Cooke will be doing that by setting this new Spirit in a contemporary setting.
“At first glance, it may seem The Spirit should ideally take place in the ‘neverwhere’ of ‘40’s post-war Central City, and could make for a brilliant monthly,” Cooke explained. “But I think that the real opportunities lie in placing the strip in the modern world.
”At its heart we find a strip about people, and life in the city. Story and character are king. They are timeless stories that resonate regardless of the era. By placing it in the modern world we are far more likely to be embraced by new readers. Instead of echoing Eisner’s untoppable stories, 50 years of social growth have provided a host of new characters and situations to explore, through the thematic constructs Eisner has created.
Though that all said, Cooke doesn’t regard his approach as “tweaking” the character.
”Placing Denny Colt in the modern world is an updating of sorts, and there will be a number of new femmes, criminals and loveable losers to go with the incredible cast Will created,” concluded Cooke. “However, I don't see any need for ‘tweaking’ the concept. Will's genius has created a strip where I can explore the human condition from virtually any conceivable angle.
”I couldn't ask for more.”
[Check out Newsarama’s continually updated 2005 SDCC News Index for all the con coverage from Newsarama and CBR]. |
Copyright
2005, Newsarama.com, LLC
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
About
Us
"Newsarama" Created by Michael Doran
Newsarama.com is the comics industry’s #1 source for daily comic book news, previews, reviews and commentary, and is home to one of the largest comic book fan message board communities on the Internet, with discussions ranging from Marvel Comics Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four to DC Comics Batman and Superman to manga and the smallest indy publishers. The site is made possible through the support of our sponsors. Please click on the featured ads to learn more about their services and show your support of Newsarama.com.
