Image Expo 2012

Have you ever wanted to jump into the void...the uncertainty of the abyss that yawns wide before us all as we ponder the possibilities of "what if"? Have you ever wanted to take a chance to make that leap of faith not knowing if there will be something....someone at the bottom of the wild ride to catch you? This weekend I had the opportunity and honor of attending Image Expo 2012. During my time there I meet some of the industries most followed imagine-rs, storytellers who take their fans to highest heights and deepest depths of  "what if". During the panel celebrating the 20th anniversary of Image Comics, Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld told the story of how the company got it's start. These men dared to imagine and jumped into that nebula of the unknown. It was a great pleasure to be reminded of why I want to be a storyteller...to share the tales that rattle around in the corners of my mind. Check out a brief excerpt on how the company got it's start. Enjoy!

Autumn Leaves

As the seasons have changed from Summer to Fall, the winds of change have rolled through October and seen a flurry of activity. At the start of the month I found myself attending APE 2011, meeting with various indie creators and fans. A great place for individuals of the art form and the event where I met Tanna Tucker, the incredibly talented artist who is working on Sea Wulfe, a little over a year ago. Inspiration, some much sought after words of advice, and great reading material were secured as I had found my creative and mental stores drained and the event served to replenish my reserves. The month also saw a new team member come on board. Mr. Terrence Montgomery who will be acting as project manager. He will bring to the project a much needed level headed and business sense that will help to temper the artistic side of things. A conference call with Phil Hampton of The Comic Academy ensured that the project is focused and that as a team we are on the right track to reaching our creative as well as business goals. Khalid Birdsong, creator of the webcomic Fried Chicken and Sushi provided insight by agreeing to an interview (which will soon run on examiner.com) and sharing his work. Most importantly the month found me immersed in the writing process and connecting with the characters of this vast world that is springing up from the point of my pen. One of these being the character of Cat, the heroine of our story. It fascinates me how this character (inspired by a real person) can capture the strength, beauty, and possibility of an actual person yet continues to evolve into her own independent entity. The fifth draft of Sea Wulfe issue one grows stronger because of this renewed connection with the characters of this world. As Tanna works on issue #0 and I prepare myself to being writing the script for issue #2, the new year will see some creative milestones reached. Among them: the full launch of the website, release of issue #0 online, fund raising efforts on kickstarter, and (with a little luck) a presence at Wondercon 2011 in Anaheim, CA (this year). So, the leaves of Autumn signal a month of transition and promise exciting things yet to come.

Just add water and watch it grow...

It is early, Saturday morning and I sit here listening to the "International Creators Panel" at DigiCon and the endeavors that these artist face to see their ideas into being. Somehow I draw some measure of comfort in hearing that I am not delusional in my perception of how much work goes into getting a book off the ground. One of the reasons why the blog suffers from chronic "writer's scatter-shot" (the irregular updating of something that should be done on a consistent basis). Since the last update, much progress has been made. Plans to shoot the kickstarter fund raising video have begun to gel (will occur in the upcoming week), the prologue script (and some initial thumbnail sketches) are complete, a temporary webpage for the site has been put in place as well as a FB fan page, and lastly the incomparable John V McCauley, composer extraordinaire, has created an epic musical theme for Sea Wulfe called "Prelude To Adventure" (stay tuned to hear this awesome piece for our title) Is it moving as quickly as I would like....well, on some days the answer would be "no", but it is moving. So, it is a lot like one of those spongy dinosaur knick knacks that kids get out of gumball machines. You know, the ones that are small and insignificant until you add water and then they grow...swell to a size that boggles the mind. The team that I have begun to pull together continue to pour copious amounts of water on our spongy project, given time we shall see how big this beast can get.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

Recently I've had acquaintances ask me about a technical aspect of writing a script for a comic. They wanted to know how it was different than a screenplay. One of the greatest is the amount of detail that goes into the composition. Also format is another (although there are some variations on the layout of how some scripts for comics are presented). For those who are curious, you'll find the first page of one of the early drafts of the prologue posted below. Although there are many similarities, there are also many more differences. With the screenplay, often you want to keep description to the bare minimum, keep from giving too much direction (after all that is the directors job)....and focus on dialog and character. With the comic script, you have to provide enough detail that the artist can create what it is you see in your minds eye (or provide sufficient that they can improve upon your original vision to create something even better than what you imagined). In this medium, you play not only the writer, but the director as well. For me it is another dimension to telling the full story that is going on in my head. The whole process is a lot like learning how to walk again as I attempt to learn the balance of not too much and not enough. In the end the ultimate hope being is that it will not only look and sound like a "duck" but will BE an authentic piece of well crafted work. So for those who'd like to take a read, enjoy the first scripted page of "Sea Wulfe prologue"

Sea Wulfe, Prolouge 1.
Writer:Mark Turner
Penciler: Tanna Tucker
PAGE1 (FOUR PANELS)

PAGE1, Panel 1.
Cinematic panel, extreme close up. A pair of intense weary eyes stare,the brows knit while beads of perspiration dot the forehead.

CAPTION 1:
“Prophet, Shaman, Psychic, Nut Job....Freak.”

CAPTION 2:
“They call me lots of things, because I see stuff sometimes....okay, all the time, really.”

PAGE1, Panel 2.
Cinematic panel. Mid shot. A young sickly boy [ETHAN, 7] sits on a bed with his knees drawn up. A sketch pad rests on his legs as he draws. His tongue sticks out the corner of his mouth as he frowns with fierce concentration.

CAPTION 3:
“I see things and then draw them...”

PAGE1, Panel 3.
Cinematic panel. Close up of sketch pad. Ethan’s hand hovers over a detailed black and white drawing of a fearsome Minotaur, a “bull ring” in it’s nose. It’s arm raised over it’s head with what appears to be a meat cleaver, a trail of gore flies from the blade that reflects light.

CAPTION 4:
“And quite often they are full of blood and terror.”

Sea Wulfe, Prolouge 1.
Writer:Mark Turner
Penciler: Tanna Tucker

PAGE1 (CONTINUED)

PAGE1, Panel 4.
Cinematic panel. Mid shot. The previous panel , in color as if it were real. The Minotaur, meat cleaver high over it’s head, we can now see better what it is doing. The Minotaur dressed in a butchers smock holds a chicken that it is butchering on a cutting block.Various meats hang around it in what appears to be a meat “stand” at an outdoor market.

CAPTION 5:
“I don’t really share the pictures because this place I draw scares people.”

Just a taste

The past few weeks have managed to provide some personal challenges that left me in a space of using the emotional energy for a creative purpose. The third draft of the prologue has been completed and Tanna has once again managed to amaze me with her understanding of what I am looking for in panel. Two pages worth of rough page layouts has me curious to see what the revisions I have written will inspire in her. Here is a taste of what you might see in the prelude to our epic adventure. Until the next episode, "be excellent to one another" after all, we are all we've got!

Every little step

The sun is slowly burning through a light layer of fog here in the Bay Area as I start another morning. It feels a lot like the process of creating this project. Fingers of light punching through the veil that keeps me from reaching the other side of seeing this project into reality. As Tanna Tucker works on initial sketches, I've just finished the second draft of the series prelude which will be posted on our website once we go live. Finding the other stories that lie in the nooks and crannies of this overall arc is fascinating and shows me just how much things like this possess a life of their own on some level. We just have to slow down sometimes to hear what they have to say outside of the dialog we are holding with it. It is in those moments of silence that they sometimes initiate a totally different conversation.
From a wider perspective, thoughts turn towards the process of raising funding, promotion, distribution, getting the word out that the fog is soon to burn away and reveal the full magnificence of the sun that shines on the other side. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open, things are getting ready to kick into high gear! Every little step takes this project closer to being. Stay tuned....

You've got mail...

My trembling hand carefully maneuvered the mouse while my eye jumped a steady staccato beat that would have made a killer bass line if it were a club remix. I clicked on the attachment linked to the email and waited. For one brief moment I felt like a modern day Dr. Frankenstein, holding his breath, waiting to witness the first stirrings of life from his creation. Then it blossomed across the monitor screen. It felt as if I were dreaming. Words, phrases, descriptions that had spilled from the tip of my pen created a verbal picture with such clarity that an artist of talent was able to place flesh upon my imagined bones. Tanna had captured what I had seen in my minds eye sailing the silvered seas of my smokey fever dreams. These were the first rough sketches of the characters of "Sea Wulfe". They returned my gaze with a clarity and confidence that seemed to whisper to me "and so we meet at last...". If this is just a taste of what is to come....I cannot wait to see what comes into being when the kid gloves come off. And with that, I share with you some of the early images from our upcoming title "Sea Wulfe" enjoy!