There was a period where you worked for various comic publishers like Impact and Milestone, albeit very briefly each time. One of those assignments was Urth 4, which was a miniseries for Neal Adams’ Continuity Comics. Neal not only created the concept of the book but also inked your pencil work, completely rendering it into a Neal Adams drawn comic with little trace of your own style. What was it like to work for your mentor, not only as an employee but as a collaborator, especially one with such an imposing style?
In a word: frustrating. I have infinite respect for Neal Adams as a visual artist, but not much for him as a writer, at least not in the Continuity Comics he'd written. Neal's like a great actor – brilliant and spectacular at interpreting other people's written ideas but not so hot when it comes to creating his own. Urth 4 was just an obvious rip-off of Jack Kirby's creation, the Fantastic Four, given an "elemental" twist along the lines of Ms. Mystic's "let's save the Earth" ecological sensibilities. Admirable in intent, but dramatically flat in execution and production. By the way, I was never a collaborator with Neal, just another of the many "ghost artists" hired to draw from his thumbnail layouts, in order to save him the time he so desperately lacked, due to the truly impressive workload of his advertising art production. Neal is one of the hardest working artists I know of, except for Jack Kirby.
Continuity Comics were supposed to look like Neal Adams-drawn productions. That was the basic and inescapable requirement of the job. They were designed specifically to spotlight his talents, and no others – so I never approached them in any other light. I did, however, enjoy doing advertising art, especially storyboards, where you were called upon to create finished drawings from an art director's literal stick figures and expository text. My skills at “hieroglyphic decipherology” were brought to full bear during that ultimately rewarding process. Even though the work would end up being inked by Neal into the expected "house" style, I truly enjoyed creating finished drawings from stick figure representations and their corresponding copy. It was very close to drawing comics, without the racist editorial annoyance that came with the job, over at DC. All of the Continuity Comics I'd drawn were assigned to me pretty much as the price I had to pay in order to be allowed to draw storyboards. The only character I liked was Armor. Although, in the one book that I was allowed to draw from my own layouts (designed to "fit into" Neal's style, rather than mine, of course), Armor #6, I was forced to incorporate the layouts of Neal's son, Jason, into the fight scene between Armor and Rage (the main villain) at the end of the book. Jason was not an artist, but I'm told that he had studied martial arts, and … he was Neal's son – so that was that. He didn't do a bad or terrible job, but I would've done a helluva lot better job left to my own devices. I believe that the first comics I'd done for Neal were the Toyboy books, but again, all over Neal's layouts. I never understood how Neal would expect anything but mediocrity to come out of such a process because that's all that ever did! Needless to say, it didn't help my reputation in the comics industry much, to be seen as having degenerated into another "Neal Adams clone" (as if the nature of the final visuals were my idea!), but as I've said, that's the price I had to pay for being able to draw storyboards. They were just like drawing minicomics, and seeing them turned into actual TV commercials on occasion was a huge kick for me. I honestly didn't worry too much about the general public seeing the Adams-ized version of my work, though – Continuity Comics were so badly written and produced, that I never felt that anyone would ever buy them, much less see 'em, or read 'em. And that's just the truth of the matter.
Neal himself, by the way, was always a wonderful guy to me, personally. Unfortunately, it was painfully obvious, since the first, that he didn't have a clue as to what I was all about. I can't really blame him – there was no frame of reference from which to judge or understand me in the business that I was in at that time. I sincerely hope that's changed by now – not all dark-skinned guys are from Africa – especially those born right here in America! Neal would constantly ask me "Where are your people from, again?"
To which I'd answer "South America." But that didn't help much. As I'd said, no real frame of reference from which to judge or understand whatsoever.
The one thing I'd like to truly impress on you, however, is that the entirety of my time at Continuity (over a decade, at least) was spent with one purpose, and one overriding purpose only – to study and try to understand the artist who had created (and still does) some of the most incredibly wonderful works of visual art that I've ever seen. Studying Neal, in his own element, was exactly like studying an awesome force of nature – a tornado, an earthquake, a bolt of lightning, a storm – and for exactly the same reason: to gain a better understanding of the world around me, and to use that knowledge towards the betterment of my own life on this planet in the pursuit of my own happiness. Neal is unquestionably one of the greatest visual artists of our time. He's also one of the most generous and understanding men I've ever met, with a respect for the objective facts of reality that can only be called religious in the depth of its commitment and utter profundity. His art contains and expresses an almost surgical knowledge of the elements of the physical world around us, and in my opinion, he is the single greatest draftsman that has ever walked the face of the planet. Every drawing of his that I've ever seen has been a work of art, in and of itself. His very line-work itself speaks volumes in its facile expressivity. They're like strands of tensile steel, to me. He's also a man of broad and varied interests and possesses an expansive and extremely contagious sense of humor. His flaws of character, of course, do exist, but they pale in comparison to the brilliant achievements of his incredible talent, so I refuse to discuss 'em. He's also the happiest man I've ever met, and frankly, the most human being that it’s ever been my good fortune to meet and get to know. Unlike Jack Kirby, though, Neal does not write as well as he draws. That, too, is OK. The single greatest male singer to ever grace the airwaves, Elvis Presley, never wrote a word of any of the songs that he sang with such incomparable beauty. He didn't have to! However, that's why my favorite musician of all time (since Mozart), still is Prince. He did it all, and beautifully, because being "black" in America, he had to, in order to maintain the integrity of his vision. And fortunately (for me, at least), he seemed to have enjoyed every minute of it. Now that’s a complete artist! And, for me, an incredible, unending source of true inspiration. That, I just had to mention.
I’ve heard of an Ice-T comic drawn by you and written by Andy Helfer sometime in the early ’90s. It was the peak of Ice-T’s mainstream popularity, and yet, his comic never saw the light of day. Is there a complete Ice-T comic sitting somewhere on someone’s shelf?
There's a complete first issue, fully inked by Randy Elliott, and some [complete] pages from issue #2 in my art dealer's possession (Bob Shaw, at Serendipity ArtSales). I'd been told by Andy Helfer that the book was canceled after Ice-T had released his song, "Cop Killer," which had caused the powers-that-be at DC to abort the project for fear of unwanted controversy. Of course, anyone with any kind of brains or balls whatsoever would realize that controversy generates interest that helps to sell a product and not the opposite. But that's what they decided to do and that's what they did. The irony, of course, is that nowadays, Ice-T makes quite a good living playing an undercover cop on Law & Order SVU on TV. Many people think that he's a sellout. I, personally, don't give him a second thought. I'd met him a few times, while drawing the book, and thought that he was a nice enough guy. He didn't say much unless he was being interviewed, but I got the definite impression that he was not a stupid man. After the book had been canceled, Andy Helfer told me that Ice-T had wanted to publish it himself, but was not allowed to by DC. He was actually a fun character to draw, what with that singularly unusual mouth of his and all, and I thought that Randy Elliott did a fine job on the inks. The story by Andy Helfer (one of the nicest guys I've ever met in comics), was serviceable enough, but the book would have definitely profited greatly had it been written by a black man, or at least someone more in tune with a black man's POV. No, I don't mean me – I had no such aspirations towards the project. As I've said before, all of my work at DC were merely jobs to me, and my job was to illustrate stories written by other people, to the best of my ability. That's all.
I was, and still am, more interested in rap music with a real sense of social conscience and responsibility, such as "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, one of the true rap classics of all time. Rap music as thuggery holds no interest for me, whatsoever. It's just another form of minstrelsy, its proponents getting rich by selling the worst aspects of their own people's character to perpetuate a shallow and superficial society and culture – one that hates them simply for being who they really are, singing and dancing on the graves of long-dead slaves. Debasing themselves and denigrating their heritage in venal pursuit of an illusion of success. What other "ethnic" group gets paid to call themselves by a racial slur, and to make it popular among their own youth? What other form of musical entertainment considers imprisonment as a means to achievement or theft of other artists' work ("sampling") as a legitimate and acceptable part of its own structure? What other people are encouraged and rewarded to live, think, and perform as animals? Who else but the objects of hatred, in a country that hates itself – and hypocrisy – has built? Slavery is long since dead, but the immeasurably vast sums of money made for centuries by means of that odious institution, by the men who rule and run America, ensures that racism lives on to this day and beyond, unless something is done about it. I'd rather write about this than I would about Ice-T.
Racism can only be defeated by humanity, and humanity must be preceded by enlightenment, hence the concentrated efforts to keep a large portion of the darker-skinned population uneducated, and rewarded for being brutes, thugs, thieves, and prostitutes – animals in human form, forever in the dark and isolated by their own ignorance. Easily categorized and controlled, but seldom, if ever, understood … sadly and especially by themselves. When so-called "black" people in America begin to see the light and refuse to qualify themselves as merely and only "black" – a socially imposed and undeniably racist limitation – then they can begin to be and act as who they are in reality – men, women, and children just like any other. Then they can leave the darkness behind forever and become the human beings that they have always been and always will be. When that day comes, America will truly and finally be America – a land of the enlightened, not just the light-skinned, a land of the free, a land of human beings, and not a land of hyphenated people who are really only but half-free.
Before we go any further, I want to point out that artists like Bernie Krigstein and Moebius and David Mazzucchelli seemed to have a desire to create art through comics as an end in itself, regardless of whatever economic necessity or industry trend they had to comply with. Mazzucchelli eventually left mainstream comics due to feeling burnt out by working for the corporate comics machine and as a result created a body of work on his own terms. Previous to the time of the creative slump you refer to, your work implied a yearning for serious artistic expression within the strict parameters of company policy and beyond the needs of the job. It’s difficult to accept that, given your art’s most outrageous elements, you were just “doing your job,” yet you remained in the same commercial pool that perhaps didn’t appreciate your artistic sensibility. Were you ever compelled to break away from such an environment and write your own material – which became an accessible option with the advent of an auteur-type friendly marketplace, and especially since, unlike a good portion of your peers, you actually had something to say?
I didn't leave DC during that time for two reasons. Company loyalty had nothing to do with it. The first was that no matter where I went, I was always treated as "DC's black artist." I was spoken to, and treated, like a symbol – not a human being, nor a person. Not deliberately, or even maliciously, mind you – back in the ’80s. It was just an accepted fact that black people were inferior specimens of humanity. It's not pleasant to be treated like some sort of talented dog when you've done your best to achieve and deliver your best. My options were more limited than you might imagine.
The second reason was more emotional, and therefore more powerful in its corrosive effect on my work. Frankly, I was devastated at being betrayed – by both my employers and my own girlfriend.
Although Lynn later earned my forgiveness, by then, the damage had already been done. I just didn't care anymore, fundamentally. I did mostly advertising work for Neal, but I still loved the medium, and the freedom, of comics. Unfortunately – comics didn't love me back. Everything I was offered had to do with white people – depicting them, their lifestyles, their clothing, customs, etc. Black people didn't exist in comics back then -- except as brown-skinned versions of their white counterparts (i.e., "superiors") and the more I consciously realized that, the less interested I was in the scripts given to me.
The good thing about all this is that it ultimately led me into realizing the true, covertly racist nature of America, and the reason for all the bullshit I'd been forced to endure all those years. When I discovered Jack Johnson, I knew finally that I had a story that I wanted to tell.
In effect, I had to take off my own virtual-reality helmet which had been imposed by my own subconscious acceptance of the "nature of society" (racism) as unalterable fact – and realize that there is a real world all around us that's designed to be used by each of us, to our own specific needs. I had to endure the racism of the American comics industry in order to realize that there's so much more to the world, and to the potential of comics than I'd ever dreamed of.
By the way, Frank had called me in person to offer me the Batman: Year One job, before giving it to Mazzucchelli. At the time, I was not interested in the idea of trading my girlfriend for a job, so I said, "No." And I have no regrets – Dave did a beautiful job. His wife [Richmond Lewis] colored it, too.
When you say you were treated like DC’s “black artist,” does that mean that the editors at DC were singling you out from their diverse stable of creators because you were black or was it due to personal reasons or both? From my understanding, you may have been the first black creator DC Comics hired back in ’77, but by the ’80s and ’90s, you weren’t the only black creator working there. Was racism ever discussed amongst the peers you met along the way?
In the ’70s and ’80s, during my time in the mainstream world of comics, "black" people were literally seen by white people – and by themselves – as literal stereotype embodiments of what they were "expected" (i.e., told) to be. Racism pervaded the very air like an unnoticeable, unquestionable virus. Stereotypical expectations of character, personality, and levels of intelligence were expected to be understood and adhered to by the parties concerned. That of course, would be us "black guys." It's the same subtle, subliminal shit that still goes on nowadays, when no one even notices the inexplicable existence of all-white movies, TV shows, ads, and the like – in a country supposedly the bastion of equality and "diversity!" All-white ... with maybe a brown face thrown in, occasionally – that's the very definition of racism! And I see it every day. People have become jaded by too many distractions – too many toys to play with – in a corporate ruled society. Seeing hypocrisy as an acceptable fact of life dilutes one's perception, much less outrage, at injustices perpetrated right there, daily, in broad daylight. Don't black actors gotta eat, too? Racism is all about the politics of fear – its tenet is: the less you question, the less you have to fear – because "we" will protect you. It preys on one's sense of dependence, and it makes it easier to accept the crowd mentality – because the crowd will protect, and reward you, in return. It's designed to make cowards out of men.
So, in the context of DC's seeing me as, and expecting me to be, a "black" artist – it meant "humble, grateful, acknowledgedly inherently inferior--and appreciatively dependent". Just about everything I ain't ... except grateful. I was grateful for the chance that I'd been afforded – to become an artist. Hence my subsequent history.
From the mid-’90s to the present day, your comic works seem to be few and far between. Prior to this interview, the last comic of yours I remember seeing was a five-part Legends of the Dark Knight story back in 2002. Aside from a few projects scattered throughout the latter half of the decade, you’ve been out of the comics’ public eye. Were you left completely disenfranchised by the industry?
Disappointed was more like it. During work on the Legends of the Dark Knight “Grimm” series, I received the only editorial direction since Jack C. Harris on Black Lightning. Unfortunately, it was all in the direction of essentially gearing my work toward a more conventional narrative. During this time, while clashing heads (politely, of course) with Andy Helfer, I made the remark “I’m not a slave, y’know,” in regards to my choice of pictorial narrative and page design as opposed to his preferences. I later found out, from another editor/friend, that this remark was repeated at the weekly editorial meetings. I never worked for DC again. Tickled me pink when I later learned the same remark had been made by Jack Johnson – seems only right to me! One good memory of that time was when I requested to Andy that José Luis Garcia-Lopez be offered the inking chores. I love Garcia-Lopez’s work, and he was available. Andy said he didn’t think José would be interested. Upon hearing of my request, José walked out of Andy’s office the same day with my pages in his portfolio. I loved his inks on that series, I only wish I had a better script (it was, at most, a three-issue story) and a freer hand in creating my work. But Andy, bless his heart, at least did offer editorial input, from a point of view not my own, which was refreshing, in and of itself.
After 9/11, most, if not all of the freelancers (including myself) were let go. That’s the only time in my entire career that I had a tough time finding work. I did a few jobs for Moonstone Comics that paid so low that I insisted on doing the art at a reduced size – and even then, ended up doing four pages a day just to pay my bills. But I did start making convention appearances and discovered, to my surprise, that I was actually remembered by some of the fans. I enjoyed meeting the fans at conventions but, unfortunately, I had to charge them for sketches, since, of course, I had to eat.
Then Mike Gold stopped by my table one day and asked me if I’d illustrate a series he’d created and was thinking of developing. I agreed, and he sent me all the material he’d written. I sent him back a few character sketches and three pages drawn in marker, to show him how I’d handle the project. He wrote back that he was very pleased with what I’d done. At this point, I’d already written the first nine pages – plus a few miscellaneous others – of my Jack Johnson book, so I sent it to him for a critique. Turns out that Mike’s a big Jack Johnson fan! He said “Trev, forget my project … I’m gonna get this book sold!!” On July 24, 2005, my 46th birthday, I received an e-mail from Mike: The book was now a “go." And life for me would never be the same again.
The Jack Johnson graphic novel/biography, The Original Johnson, has you handling the art chores, as well as the writing. What led you to script this story and what sparked the idea for such a project?
The desire to do the man justice, to tell his story accurately and from a nonwhite point of view. The two projects most closely associated in the public’s mind with Jack Johnson are entitled The Great White Hope and Unforgivable Blackness. Tell me, what does either title have to do with a black man’s point of view? The most important reason I’m writing this book, however, is so that the black people in America, especially the youth of the nation, realize that there were more than just slaves and victims in their past, in their heritage. There were heroes there, too. Real ones. And Jack Johnson was one of the greatest of them all. In a nation of racists, he chose to represent the human race by being that rarest of beings – a human being. Explain the untroubled confidence, the gentle calm, the complete lack of anger, hate, or bitterness that looks out at you from behind Jack Johnson’s smile. This great man’s legend has been trivialized, his reputation vilified, his image “niggarized” – y’know, Jack Johnson: the original “Bad Nigger.” It’s a crime. Look closely at that face that smiles back at you from almost a hundred years ago. Do you see a man of his time or a man ahead of his time? I see a man ahead of our time, and I’m writing this book in hopes we’ll catch up someday.
How does it feel to finally write your own material and have complete control of the comic, especially with this being one of your more personal works to date? What is the process now?
It feels like I’ve finally married the woman I love … and she’s more beautiful than I’d ever even hoped for!
The way I work is to script the copy, including the page/panel design ideas -- which come directly from the copy it’s intended to service – directly onto the page, in light pencil. I draw everything (captions, balloons, sound effects, pictures) using a hard lead 2H or #3 pencil so I can press fairly firmly, but only leave a light line on the paper.
Once that’s done, I put the page aside for a while – anywhere from 15 minutes to a day or two – until I can come back to it fresh [to see] if it reads well. I “finish” the copy in darker lead, a #2 pencil, editing along the way (I like writing, but I love editing -- trimming the fat to express the idea in either fewer or better words – it is the school teacher in me). Anyway, once the copy’s done, the fun starts in finishing the lightly penciled artwork (again, #2 pencil) to fit the final copy. Usually, I try to do something either very specifically original or at least difficult, on every page. Each one has its own point to make, or identity, within the context of the story. Just as each sentence is comprised of specific words put together in a certain way, each drawing is comprised of lines put together in a certain way to a particular effect, for the purpose of the narrative. After it’s lettered and drawn, I ink it. So far, my copy has remained unchanged, which pleases me a great deal, since I work very hard to put my thoughts into the right words.
English has always been my first love. It’s my only prejudice, as far as I know. I’m not very open to learning any other language – I’m still having so much fun with this one. Don’t get me wrong; I truly admire bilingual people. Jack Johnson spoke three languages … and he was self-taught!! So to each his own. For me, English is it.
Here’s something I find fascinating, by the way: Jack Johnson is exactly the kind of man Ayn Rand describes her heroes as being – especially in Atlas Shrugged – except that black people never show up in her fiction work. (except for Atlas Shrugged, where I think a black news vendor makes a minor appearance). But as I’ve also said, Ayn Rand dealt in ideas, not “people.” She chose white people for the same reason Jack chose white wives: They were the highest form of refined intelligence available – the kind one chooses to represent the best. It’s funny, but Rand’s “ideal” man was … Jack Johnson.
You made your Web-comics debut with The Original Johnson over at ComicMix.com. What prompted you to showcase this project in this relatively new format? Does this present a new set of challenges as opposed to the old way of approaching comics-making and distribution?
The Web-comics idea was entirely ComicMix’s. You’ll have to ask them how that’s supposed to work. I’m drawing this book for eventual production in hard copy form as a graphic novel. As far as I’ve been told, it’s to be sold in “regular” bookstores, as opposed to “comic book” stores. Personally, I’m drawing it as a comic book. That’s the form in which I love to function.
The only “new” set of challenges this presents to me is how to make money selling a book that’s available for free in another venue. But you’d have to ask ComicMix about that one. My job’s to write and draw the darn thing and supervise my guy on the color. I’m good at that. By the way, this’ll be my first painted cover, too. I can’t wait. Man, if I could letter, I’d be dangerous.
From what I understand, work on The Original Johnson may have to be put on hold due to legal matters with ComicMix and their editors. Would you mind going into detail regarding the circumstances surrounding the issue?
I'm not sure if I should answer this publicly since it's a pending litigation, but having never been afraid of full disclosure of the truth, I will. The provable, and irrefutable, facts are these:
1) Jan. ’08 – I'm asked to put the writing and drawing of the final chapter of TOJ on hold, in order to ink a few of the 47 pages that'd been lettered by John Workman in ’07, for promotional purposes.
2) Feb. ’08 – I ink all 47 pages, and resume work on the book.
3) March ’08 – I email John Workman, and Mike Gold, telling Workman that I'll need 30-40 lettered pages to ink, per month, in order to keep up with my bills. JW says "No problem. I can send you 4-5 per week, to begin with."
4) April 5, ’08 – I completely finish writing and drawing TOJ. Coincidentally, 93 years to the day, since Jack Johnson had relinquished his Heavyweight Title, in 1915.
5) April 14, ’08 – I hear from John Workman. Not only has he done nothing on my book since last we spoke, he also now tells me that he feels that he needs to leave the project, due to the immensity of his workload. I consider this highly unprofessional and inexcusable behavior on his part.
He asks me, in the same email, my opinion of what he should do. I tell him that I think he should do what he'd promised me he would, a month ago. Then I tell him to send me as many pages as he can, before contacting Mike Gold about finding a replacement.
6) I hear from Mike Gold, about an hour later. He agrees that John has left me in a lurch--then goes ahead and accuses me of firing him (!) – for giving him my opinion, as to what I thought he should do. I tell him that if Workman has told him that – then he's a liar. I ask Gold if I can voucher for an advance on the inks for April since I now have no work to do. He OKs the voucher. I receive an additional $1,000 when the check arrives. Brian Alvey – who sends out the checks, and is one of Gold's partners in ComicMix – informs me, when I tell him of this, that Gold had OK'd the extra amount. "Cool," I thought.
7) April 16, ’08 – Mike Gold informs me that he's hired a new letterer. He makes mention again, of my "firing" John Workman – and sends my own words back to me ("I think you should tell Mike Gold that he'll need to find a replacement for you") as "proof" of this accusation, which, by the way, he admits that he (Gold) had made, and not Workman. This now irritates me. I tell him that I completely resent that whining accusation, and I forward him Workman's original email, in which he says that he thinks it best if he leaves the book. I also request an apology for being called a liar – which, of course, I never get. Workman sends me nine lettered pages, by the last week in April. I ink them in three days and send them in.
8) April 30, ’08 – Not wanting to voucher for yet another inking advance, I request to Mike Gold that I be allowed to voucher for, and start working on, the cover painting to the book--the very first, of my entire career. He OKs this, and I start to work on the cover. I finish it on May 29, ’08.
9) May 23, ’08 – I receive 4 horribly lettered pages from the new letterer. The letters are two sizes too big, sloppily executed, and words are both missing, and very badly misspelled. I sit there in shock – I'd expect better lettering from an amateur, or a heroin addict going through withdrawal. I excoriate the letterer for his incredibly bad work, in no uncertain terms. By the way – he says that the reason he'd only been able to provide me with four pages in all that time was because his boyfriend was sick in the hospital! This pathetic excuse for his egregious work only serves to infuriate me further. I contact John Workman immediately – and apprise him of the situation. I send him Xeroxes of the letterer's hackwork, and almost literally beg him to suggest his own replacement. Mike Gold, by the way, accuses me of being too hard on the letterer – bear in mind, that the lettering for this book is done on the boards (at my request, so that I can proofread and correct my own copy – which I've had to do, many times), so this vandalization is performed directly on top of my penciled artwork! No delusions of grandeur intended, but imagine how Leonardo would've felt, had someone drawn a mustache on his original painting of the Mona Lisa. Well – there you have my exact state of mind.
10) May 26, ’08 – John Workman contacts me with his suggestion for a replacement letterer, a woman named Teresa, over at Archie Comics. I thank him profusely, and tell him that I'll inform Gold of this – but I forget to do so.
11) May 27, ’08 – I get an email from Mike Gold, in which he states: "Let's wipe the slate clean, and put the hostilities behind us, and do what's best for the book. I've got another letterer – I haven't worked with her before, but her work for Archie is clear and clean, and she letters right on the boards ... " I sit there in dumb amazement. Obviously, even though I'd forgotten to inform Gold about Workman's replacement idea – initiated directly by me, in response to the hackwork of Gold's "find" – John had gone ahead and told him about Teresa. And, not knowing that I'd already been informed about this – by John himself (in response to my direct request) – Gold is now trying to take credit for Teresa's discovery. It occurs to me that not only is Mike Gold trying to weasel out of the apology he knows is due me ("Let's wipe the slate clean ... "), but that he's now expecting me to thank him – for a situation that I, myself, had made a reality! This reminds me of the fact that I'd also supplied the color artist for this book to Mike Gold, way back in February (the brilliant George Freeman), despite the clear stipulation in my contract that ComicMix is supposed to provide both the letterer and the colorist for the book. I've now done both – as well as created, written, drawn, inked, and supervised the color art that George had done for the promo pieces, earlier in the year. I'd also lettered the entire book in pencil, since my pages are completely finished in pencil form – which includes captions, balloons, SFX, and even the occasional editorial comments I've included. I'd even offered to letter the book for free, after seeing what John's initial replacement had done. No dice.
So I respond to Gold's email by sending him Workman's original email to me, from the day before, informing me about his suggestion of using Teresa, in response to my request. I then tell Mike Gold exactly what I think about his utter lack of character.
12) June 5, ’08 – I receive an email from ComicMix, in which I'm informed that I am being unilaterally – and illegally – "dismissed" from my contract. (To my mind, you "dismiss" servants, and you honor contracts.) This now deprives me of almost $20,000 in inking fees, and – more importantly to me – the ability to proofread, and correct, my own scripted words on the lettered pages.
The "reasons" cited for my "dismissal" are these:
- "Failure to deliver inking work, and for continuously(!) demanding payment for services well in advance of delivery." (This, I assume, refers to the advance check I'd received after John Workman's original default on delivery of pages to me, for me to ink. How can I "fail to hand in pages" that I’d never received!?? This is beyond me. It also leads me to wonder exactly why it is that I'd been sent an additional $1,000 in the last check that I'd vouchered for – if this accusation were true.)
- "A persistently and exceptionally offensive and uncooperative attitude towards his co-workers." (My "persistently offensive" comments were made in direct response to the butchery of my carefully designed work, period.) This amounts to penalizing me for screaming too loudly, and bleeding too much, after I'd been stabbed in the back – while the ones holding the knife look on, in mild and ironic bemusement. I might mention here that John Workman was not under contract to ComicMix, else he would not have been able to leave the book so capriciously. Neither, I assume, was his replacement, since Mike Gold was so willing, originally, to bump him over, in favor of Teresa. But I – who was under contract – am being made to pay for their respective unprofessionalism, and incompetence. Nice, huh?
I'd obviously hurt Mike Gold's feelings when I'd told him that he was a poor excuse for a man (which he is) and that he had no balls (which I assume). In response, this is what he'd chosen to do.
Added to all this, ComicMix's V.P., one Glenn Hauman, has in his possession 219 stapled and bound Xeroxes of my original penciled and scripted pages – a set that I'd personally made, and separated into chapters, strictly for my own purposes. I'd been told, many moons ago, by Mike Gold, that ComicMix needed to know where I'd intended the chapter breaks in my book to be – so I'd let Hauman hold these Xeroxes, for that reason. I know, I know – in hindsight, I should've just sent 'em an email – but I honestly didn't think that anyone was capable of stooping so low, as to actually steal a set of Xeroxes!
So, now, after three long years of hard and painstaking work on this, my labor of love – I'm left with only memories (and the 21 Xeroxed pages of the final chapter), of the book that I'd created. It's now in the hands of unscrupulous and untalented men, who hold a grudge against me – to do with it as they will.
But I'll make sure that they don't. I'm in the process of filing lawsuits for breach of contract, and theft of personal property, against ComicMix. And I have no doubt as to the outcome of the case. I will win – because Truth is on my side, and Justice is just – a matter of time. In the meantime, whatever they do to my work, I can eventually fix. The Original Johnson will be seen by the comics-reading public as I'd originally intended for it to be seen – created entirely by my hand.
My only fear is that of the loss of my original set of Xeroxed pencils. The only record of my work, in its original, pristine, penciled form. If that's been destroyed ... well, I refuse to think of that, until I have to.
If TOJ is being shelved, what other comics work do you have lined up? Are there any other stories you're interested in developing or themes that you would like to pursue?
I don't think that TOJ is being shelved. I've been led to understand that they intend to finish the book – all 193 pages, left – with another inker, or possibly shoot directly from the pencils – both of which are stupid ideas. No other inker in the business could possibly ink my pencils the way that I can – and this job was specifically penciled for me to ink. My pencils are merely a guide for me to literally draw it in ink, afterward. That was my intention, from the very start. That ComicMix – specifically Mike – has managed to delude themselves into believing that my removal from the project is in any way "for the good of the book" (a direct quote), is testament to their own lack of rational thought, and nothing else. Gee, I only created the entire thing from scratch – by myself – and even provided them with a brilliant colorist, and a potential replacement for their own choice of hack letterer! How the removal of an artist/writer from his own book is supposed to be, by any leap of the imagination, a "good thing", completely eludes me. But, that's what I get for dealing with bad businessmen. I'd actually prefer that the book be shelved, rather than be exposed to the "creative" decision-making, and incompetent butchery, of people capable of such shallow machinations. But as it stands, I'll let my lawyer take care of the details concerning its rescue.
I’ve also always wanted to illustrate the stories of Greek mythology – since I was first introduced to them in high school (Remember Edith Hamilton?). The story of Prometheus is one of my favorites. But I am serious about illustrating Greek mythology one day. I hope I get the chance.
I’m also intrigued by the notion of presenting the (imaginary, of course) history of America if there had been no slavery, if a system of paid labor, fair compensation, the principles on which America was supposedly built had been the law of the land instead of legalized torture and institutionalized hypocrisy. Can you imagine that??
I have many other ideas for stories and graphic novels, one of which I'm in preliminary discussions with Vertigo about producing. It's the story of Nat Love, one of the best cowboys of his time, and one whose legend lives on to this day. Nat was not only highly skilled in every aspect of the cowboy's hard and demanding existence, but he was also the only cowboy to ever write his own autobiography, preserving forever the details of an authentic Western cowboy's life in the hard, brutal world of the Old Wild West. Most cowboys were painfully illiterate. Nat Love was also black, a fact that he did not consider to be an emblem of inferiority, nor one that made any difference whatsoever, in his outlook on life.
Robert Loren Fleming has recently returned to comics by working at DC Comics. What are the chances of you guys re-entering the comics ring for a Thriller reunion, to either wrap up the original story, do something entirely different with the same cast of characters, or perhaps for something else altogether?
Well, Bob Fleming and I aren't re-entering the ring again, but rather the arena. There's a difference. A Thriller reunion would be entirely up to DC Comics. If they make the offer and the conditions are equitable, I'd accept. All I can guarantee, concerning revisiting Thriller, is that my work in the book/series would be the best that it could possibly be. Especially now that I'm aware of the fact that the book had a following among the fans – one that I never knew existed while drawing the original series. Personally, I'm dying to see what new wonders would come out of me, were I to enter again into the world of Thriller. My art is always one of the moment. I have no preconceived images that I want to draw before I illustrate a script. It all comes out of the script itself, and the inspiration (or lack thereof), that it provides.
However, it doesn't matter, at this stage of my career, how good or bad the scripts for the book would end up being. My desire to make amends, and to atone, for the one source of true regret in my entire career – my work on the last few issues of Thriller – would ensure that every line I'd create for the book would be no less than my absolute very best, as it was in the first few issues. I owe that to the fans. And that would make me truly happy.
