What do Batgirl, L.E.G.I.O.N., Superman, Batman, Azrael, JLA, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan, Titans, Avengers/Thunderbolts and Empire accept in common?
Artist extraordinaire Barry Kitson, that's what. Barry has pencilled them all. Now, with a DC absolute contract, the accessible JSA: Strange Adventures (previously accustomed as Lord Dynamo) and the afresh appear Legion of Super-Heroes relaunch with adept collaborater Mark Waid, Barry's in for a active year!
Mini Hi Fi
Nevertheless, he attentive took time out to babble with PaperbackReader about how he got started, latest projects and aggregate in between...
PaperbackReader: What advance you to comics? Was it article you consistently capital to do or was it aloof declared to be a pit-stop on the way to article else?
Barry Kitson: No, it was absolutely all I anytime capital to do from aback I was about 6 years old. Somebody showed me some US comics aback I was about that age, and basically all I capital to do from afresh on was to draw comics. I had a few years in my adolescence aback I capital to be a bedrock star, but that didn't absolutely assignment out.
PBR: Your aboriginal assignment was for Marvel UK; how did you administer to acreage that?
BK: That was aloof actuality in the appropriate abode at the appropriate time really. I'd been bottomward to Marvel with some samples, and they'd basically said they absolutely admired them but they capital me to accept article appear afore they'd accord me any work. I said how will I get article appear if cipher gives me any assignment until I've got article published? That was aloof the accustomed convenance aback afresh I think.
PBR: And it's added or beneath the aforementioned now, isn't it?
BK: Yeah, but what they did say was that they'd accord me a calligraphy to assignment on aloof so I could appearance them what I could do, but they never absolutely beatific me it. aback I rang up to acquisition out what was activity on, they said the editor I'd apparent was no best there and I'd bigger appear bottomward and see the new guy.
PBR: So you had to go aback and do it all again?
BK: able-bodied I went aback bottomward and luckily the aboriginal time I'd been there it had been someone's abrogation do, and I'd gone forth to that and got to apperceive everybody there through the evening, so aback I absolved in this time anybody was going, "Hello, Barry, nice to see you again," and the new editor, who hadn't been there at all, anticipation 'Oh able-bodied everybody knows him, I'd bigger accord him some work'. He said that they were attractive for somebody to draw a Spider-Man band they were activity to do for a few weeks, he gave me a calligraphy and asked me to go away, draw a page, and accompany it aback the abutting day, so I did. He admired it and gave me the job.
PBR: That was aback in the UK's Spider-Man Weekly?
BK: Yeah, for four weeks they ran a adventure that originated in the UK by Mike Collins. He wrote all four weeks and drew two. I drew the added two, and Mark Farmer active all four. afterwards that I basically formed at Marvel for maybe a year or so. I did Transformers, a band alleged Space Thieves as a aback in Captain Britain, basically anything. absolutely I was aloof very, absolute advantageous that there was actuality out there so I could apprentice the trade.
PBR: As you say, it was the appropriate abode at the appropriate time. And you formed on 2000A.D. [a British science-fiction based account comic] as well, on Grant Morrison's script?
BK: able-bodied Grant wrote the aboriginal calligraphy I did for them, which was one of the 'Future Shocks', afresh basically I was alive with Alan Grant on Dredd and Judge Anderson afterwards that.
PBR: So a lot of big names afore they fabricated it in the US really?
BK: Yes, I beggarly at the time they were aloof beginning. I anticipate that that was some of Grant's aboriginal assignment as well, and Alan and John Wagner were, I think, aloof about to activate their run on Detective Comics.
PBR: Grant Morrison has a acceptability for actuality absolute innovative, and to 'think alfresco the box' in his storytelling. Was he like that alike aback then?
BK: It's absolute difficult for me to say, really. I didn't accommodated him at all aback then.
PBR: So you were aloof alive from the scripts?
BK: Yeah. There was affectionate of a association of artisan and writers in London but that was about it. best of the blow of the bodies alive in the UK alfresco London didn't absolutely bang into anniversary added abundant in those days.
PBR: Was it connected afterwards that you landed your aboriginal DC assignment in the US?
BK: I apparently formed on 2000A.D. for about a year. afresh - and this was absolutely through Alan - DC were attractive for somebody to draw Batgirl and at that time Alan was autograph Detective; he appropriate my name to Denny O'Neil who was alteration the book, and he gave me a alarm one night and asked me if I'd be absorbed in accomplishing Batgirl and I said 'yes'. I got all aflame and put the buzz bottomward and afresh realised that I hadn't absolutely asked how abundant they were activity to pay me! But that was like a dream appear accurate for me, alive for a US banana aggregation was what I'd consistently capital to do.
PBR: That was the Batgirl Special, appear anon afore The Killing Joke?. Were you acquainted at the time that it was activity to be the aftermost absolute Batgirl story?
BK: Not specifically. I knew that article was activity to appear to the character, and so DC capital this one-off, but they wouldn't acquaint me what it was.
PBR: And afterwards that?
BK: I did a Legion of Super-Heroes anniversary and a Catwoman band for Action Comics aback it was weekly, afresh afterwards both of those I was accustomed a best amid accomplishing the Catwoman mini they capital to do and L.E.G.I.O.N. I'd consistently been a fan of the Legion and science fiction stuff, so I went that way.
PBR: And you backward on there for about bristles years?
BK: I had a six-month breach aback I went and did some Wolverine issues and some Wildcards actuality over at Marvel, afresh I came aback and did some added L.E.G.I.O.N. I anticipate it was two years, afresh a break, afresh addition two and a bisected years.
PBR: On the afterwards run at least, you're accustomed as co-plotter as able-bodied as pencils. Was that a accustomed change for you?
BK: I assumption you could say it was. aback Alan absitively he was activity to move on he appropriate that I was able of autograph it myself. I did that for a few issues, but I absolutely affectionate of absent the collaborative ancillary of things so I backward on co-plotting and Mark Waid came on board. That was aback we met and we've enjoyed alive with anniversary added anytime since.
PBR: You've done a cardinal of projects calm aback then.
BK: We have. We've got a absolute acceptable alive accord area we accord anniversary added a advance and boost both ways; he lets me boggle with the adventure and I appearance him the assignment as I do it. If I'm planning a arena and he thinks that I'm not administration it in absolutely the best way, he'll accord me a alarm and let me know, ask me if there's any way that I can do it differently. I absolutely like that; it's bisected the fun, really.
PBR: And afterwards your additional assignment on L.E.G.I.O.N came Adventures of Superman?
BK: That's right, I went on to Adventures of Superman afterwards L.E.G.I.O.N and I was accomplishing Shadow of the Bat as well.
PBR: Again, with Alan Grant.
BK: Yes, and afresh Azrael was affectionate of in the wings to do at some point. I don't absolutely absolutely apperceive why, because it doesn't absolutely assume to appear like that anymore, but aggregate seemed to be absolute planned out and you knew what was activity on.
PBR: And you launched the approved alternation of Azrael, and backward on that for a while with Denny O'Neil as the writer?
BK: I backward on Azrael for two years, yes, with Denny autograph and with Archie Goodwin as the editor, which was a absolute pleasure.
PBR: They're both absolutely legends in the industry. Was it accessible to assignment with them?
BK: alive with Denny was a bit altered for me, because Denny doesn't like to coact a abundant accord with the artist. He brand to aloof address it, and that's his allotment done, so it was a big change from what I was acclimated to. And alive for Archie was one of the nicest things that could appear to anybody in the business.
PBR: So you backward on Azrael for two years; was JLA: Year One next?
BK: appealing much, but alike aback afresh Mark and I were talking about accomplishing Empire. We affectionate of approached Wildstorm, and they were absorbed in accomplishing it. DC basically asked us what it would booty for us to accumulate with them rather than activity off and accomplishing that, and we proposed 'JLA: Year One'.
PBR: I assumption it was a dream activity really, because it's absolutely all the big DC characters.
BK: Absolutely. It was adolescence wish-fulfilment., really, for me. Plus we got to annoyance in everybody abroad - Doom Patrol, and all the added characters that I'd consistently capital to draw.
PBR: Again, that was absolute abundant a accord amid you and Mark Waid. Wasn't Brian Augustyn was on that as well?
BK: Yes, he was affectionate of alive added with Mark and afresh I'd accept to accord with the two of them.
PBR: That charge accept been appealing able-bodied received, because it wasn't connected afterwards that that The Brave and the Bold was announced, a mini alternation chronicling the accord amid Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Barry Allen (the Flash).
BK: That's right. It was affectionate of a case of "what do you appetite to do now?"
PBR: They absolutely capital to accumulate you two around, didn't they?
BK: I assumption so. DC has consistently advised me absolute well.
PBR: I was attractive at The Brave and the Bold, and a lot of the way the books were advised is absolute abundant a admiration to the old argent age comics.
BK: That's what we were aggravating to do, really. We were aggravating to acquaint the adventure of Hal and Barry's friendship, and affectionate of stylize it to the absolute comics that were about in the aeon they were set, which is why #4, which was a absolute Neal Adams-ish one-
PBR: - the one with Green Arrow in it?
BK: That's right. Tom Grindberg drew that and I aloof active that one, as he's got a affectionate of Neal Adams appearance that I don't have.
PBR: And I assumption that it was not connected afterwards that Gorilla Comics and Empire happened?
BK: Yes, I accept it was.
PBR: acquaint me a bit about Gorilla. How did that appear about?
BK: The abstraction was that a accomplished agglomeration of us would get together, and accomplish some comics and accept some artistic say, and see what we could do - try and do article interesting. The adverse ancillary of it was that the business ancillary of things didn't assignment out; we went from accepting abetment and allotment to 'you've got to pay for the press of this yourself' which I absolutely couldn't afford. It was hard. I absolutely adore Kurt [Busiek], Stuart [Immonen], Karl [Kesel] and Tom [Grummet] because they did backpack on through, but I'm absolute abundant a pragmatist. If we were affairs as abounding as we were affairs on Empire and we weren't authoritative any money it seemed affectionate of absurd - like you're in a aperture but you accumulate digging.
PBR: Sure. And it was aloof two issues of Empire that got released?
BK: Yes, two issues. We were acquisitive we'd accumulate going, but you accept to delay and see what the economics were. Unfortunately, the economics were such that what would be a acceptable affairs book for a aloft company, with all the discounts they get at the printers', and would accomplish a accumulation for a big aggregation aloof doesn't accomplish a accumulation for a baby one. And addition allotment of the agitation was because we anticipation we had funding, we said that we capital the best paper, we capital to pay the colorists added than they were accepting anywhere abroad at the time, we were including 24 or 25 pages of adventure per affair instead of 22...
PBR: And I assumption that cuts bottomward on your announcement revenue.
BK: Yes and the way to economise was we put beneath adventure pages in, or we didn't use such acceptable paper, and we aloof absitively that we'd rather delay until we could allow to do it as it was Mark bankrolled the accomplished operation - for which the blow of us on the book were added than grateful!
PBR: Rather than put out article you're not absolutely blessed with?
BK: Absolutely. Luckily at the time DC said they admired the book and were absorbed in acrimonious it up, so that's what we went for.
PBR: It took a brace of years for it to appear out at DC, though.
BK: The affair was, because of what happened with Gorilla, we'd taken on added assignment and it became a case of aback can we sit bottomward and do this. In a lot of ways, it formed out for the advancement of the book because it gave us a adventitious to allocution through it. We connected to allocution about it over the years, and we kept throwing account in and the adventure would accumulate changing.
PBR: Empire is absolutely a agitated book, and acutely September 11th happened amid the Gorilla and DC issues; did that accept any aftereffect on the story?
BK: I don't anticipate it had any acquainted aftereffect admitting I'm abiding on a hidden akin 9-11 apparently afflicted everyone's apple view. If annihilation I anticipate it may accept brought what we aggravating to say about how animal abandon and ability gluttonous is into bluff focus, but we didn't authority aback because of it.
PBR: And you've had appealing favourable reviews every where, really.
BK: Yes, it seems to accept been absolute able-bodied accustomed by everybody.
PBR: And is DC blessed with it?
BK: Yes, they assume to be.
PBR: blessed abundant to accord you a additional series?
BK: I absolutely achievement so! Mark and I accept got affairs for at atomic a hundred issues of Empire.
PBR: That's acute in advance!
BK: That's aloof from talking about it over the years. It's such a big canvas...
PBR: It is. As a reader, one of the joys of the alternation is that nobody's anytime safe; annihilation can happen.
BK: That was allotment of the point. What we were aggravating to do with all of it was to comedy with all of the preconceptions that readers accept about superhero comics; that characters won't die, they'll consistently abrasion the aforementioned clothes, that the acceptable guys are the acceptable guys and the bad guys are the bad guys. The abstraction was to accomplish it fun because bodies wouldn't apperceive what was activity to appear next, alike aback they anticipation they ability anticipate they did.
PBR: Stepping back, afore Empire ran at DC you were alive on the Titans. At the time, I assumption the book was affectionate of dying a analytical afterlife to some extent; the storylines weren't actuality decidedly able-bodied accustomed about from the alpha of that run. aback you're alive on a book that isn't a big hit with fans, does it affect your activity for your work?
BK: Well, the Titans affair was affectionate of pear-shaped from the alpha really. I was asked if I capital to address and draw it, so the abstraction was I could affectionate of try to put it right, but aback I absolutely came on lath the editor and biographer had patched things up so I came on aloof as the artist. afresh I activate out that the writer, Jay Faerber, hadn't been autograph the affectionate of belief that he absolutely capital to write; but by afresh I was on the book, and I was sympathising with him and we both affectionate of ashore with a book we couldn't beacon the way we had hoped. By the time that Jay absitively he'd had abundant and Tom Peyer was advancing on board, DC had absitively the accomplished affair was activity to be re-jigged anyway. It never became the book I absolutely capital it to become and I never got the adventitious to do the things I capital to do. In hindsight, I apparently shouldn't accept started on it aback I activate out that I wasn't activity to be accepting the adventitious to change things as I'd hoped, but also, Andy Helfer the editor was a acquaintance and you don't like to let anybody down. It wasn't the happiest time because I like the Titans a lot as characters and I looked advanced to cartoon it, and never absolutely accepting the adventitious to do with them as I admired wasn't great. Its aloof one of those things, I suppose. Hopefully I'll accept abstruse some acquaint from what happened!
PBR: Okay, aloof bringing it up to date, you active a three year absolute with DC aboriginal this year?
BK: That's right. It came about aback I was alive for Marvel as well, on Avengers/Thunderbolts.
PBR: How abounding issues of that did you do in the end?
BK: I completed affair one, did the breakdowns for cardinal two and pencilled and active all the covers. The schedules amid the two companies aloof went affectionate of haywire; I would never intend to leave a activity afore I completed it but it aloof wasn't physically accessible to do it all the assignment DC and Marvel capital from me in the time accessible and article had to give. DC had some connected appellation things they capital me to do and they fabricated me an action I couldn't refuse. I aching over what to do for a connected time, but absolutely there was alone one best to make. I would like to say how compassionate the beat aggregation at Marvel were (Tom Brevoort and Any Smith) which I absolutely accepted and I absolutely achievement I get a adventitious to accomplish it up to them someday! At atomic I got to draw one issue. It was the aboriginal adventitious I'd had to assignment with Kurt [Busiek] aback Gorilla, and I got to accommodated Fabian [Nicieza] as well. It's a abashment but it aloof couldn't be avoided. Ironically Tom Grummet, addition Gorilla artist, accomplished it up. I took over Adventures of Superman from him and he's taken over that from me.
PBR: Swings and roundabouts.
BK: Exactly.
PBR: And what affectionate of things did DC offer?
BK: able-bodied one of them was the JSA book I'm alive on at the moment, Lord Dynamo, which is about 200 pages long.
PBR: And what architectonics is that advancing out in?
BK: I anticipate six thirty folio books.
PBR: And it's set in apple War II?
BK: It is, yes, so it's affectionate of like a JLA: Year One affair afresh for me but this time I get to draw all the aboriginal characters.
PBR: Again, a bit of a dream project.
BK: Yeah, it's great; I'm accepting a lot of fun. It's absolutely the aboriginal affectionate of aeon allotment that I've done so it's giving me a adventitious to use a lot of references and get absolutely ashore into old architectonics and engineering and things.
PBR: And are you autograph that series?
BK: No, it's accounting by Kevin J Anderson. He's a absolute able-bodied admired science fiction columnist with several best-sellers to his name
PBR: Okay. What do you accept lined up afterwards that? I apprehend an account with Mark Waid that hinted that there ability be article abroad for the two of you advancing up?
BK: Yes, Mark and I will absolutely be accomplishing article afterwards that. J
PBR: I apperceive that there are consistently rumours on assorted bulletin boards about either Legion of Super-Heroes or L.E.G.I.O.N?
BK: ...
PBR: I'll booty that as you can neither affirm nor abjure those?
BK: I'm acquainted that there are rumours, but I'm not authoritative any animadversion on those. The basal band is, if Mark and I don't do annihilation else, we'll be accomplishing Empire.
PBR: Fair enough. Is there anybody alive in the industry that you haven't formed with that you'd like to?
BK: Oh yes, loads, the account could be about endless. I'm alert to alike activate advertisement bodies with abhorrence of apathy somebody!
PBR: I apperceive that Geoff Johns is accomplishing some abundant assignment at DC at the moment.
BK: He is, and I formed with Geoff on the Doctor Fate affair in JSA All-Stars. I anticipate that was basically the acumen I got offered the book I'm accomplishing now. Geoff and I had capital to assignment calm for a long, connected time and hopefully we will afresh in the not to abroad future. We both enjoyed the acquaintance J .... I think!
PBR: Okay, good. Moving on to comics generally, what's your assessment on the accompaniment of the industry at the moment? There seems to be a slight rut as far as accepting new readers in goes.
BK: I don't apperceive if that's absolutely the case; DC were cogent me that their sales were up 13% aftermost year, which is absolutely a advantageous rise. A few bodies I apperceive that own banana shops accept been cogent me that it's absolutely acrimonious up again. There's now maybe bisected a dozen books affairs over a hundred thousand, admitting a brace of years ago there was alone one. I anticipate it tends to go in about seven year cycles; there are troughs and peaks. Sometimes the peaks get college than others. We assume to be on an up-trend at the moment. I anticipate things are a bit added calm now; a brace of years ago things did attending a bit acute but I anticipate bodies accept affectionate of rationalised now. To me it seems that added affairs are actuality taken with belief and genres and that there's a accomplished abyss of aptitude alive in the field.
PBR: And the UK market?
BK: I'm abashed to say that I'm not absolutely up to date on the UK bazaar at all. I acclimated to get a few things aback I was younger, like a annual that reprinted Tales of Asgard, Jack Kirby stuff, but I'm a die-hard superhero fan through and through. afore 2000AD the British comics I bought were mostly titles like Fantastic and Terrific that reprinted Marvel comics. I did buy attending and apprentice for Don Lawrence's Trigon Empire...though I'm abiding my parents anticipation I was account all the bookish bits!
PBR: I see. So you're not tempted to assignment on annihilation a bit Vertigo-esque while you're at DC?
BK: I'd like to actually. Mike Carey and I accept talked about maybe my accomplishing article on Lucifer at some point if we get the chance, because he's somebody I'd like to assignment with; whether I'll anytime get the adventitious to or not I don't know. I would like to do some added stuff, but I anticipate it would consistently be like a anniversary and I'd consistently appear aback to superheroes or sci-fi.
PBR: Sure. What admonition can you action to ambitious artists aggravating to breach in?
BK: Basically, aloof accumulate working, accumulate cartoon and try not to aloof archetype from comics. There's annihilation amiss with aloof accomplishing that but if you don't draw from activity as well, you affectionate of absolute area you can go. You can become a absolute actor of addition banana artisan but unless you draw from activity as well, you can't booty that appearance about else. There are amaranthine and amaranthine of bodies who alpha by artful addition artisan but the ones who tend to accomplish it move on from that and advance their own style, and the ones that do, do it by cartoon from absolute life. The added affair is to absolutely accept to what bodies acquaint you aback you appearance them submissions and things.
PBR: And absolutely booty their criticism on board.
BK: Yes. You appear beyond people, and you'll say 'Well you charge to do this,' and they'll altercate with you for giving them criticism - if you aren't able to apprehend some criticism of your assignment you absolutely shouldn't be assuming it to people! Criticism can alone accomplish you better, and advice you analyse what you charge to do to advance what you're doing. addition affair is, aback you're starting out booty anything; if you're offered work, don't anytime anticipate you're aloft it. It'll accord you a adventitious to apprentice your trade. I do feel some accord for bodies who appear into comics these canicule and get acknowledgment beeline abroad as the 'next big thing', maybe afore they're accessible for it. They generally get absolved afore they get a adventitious to abound and absolutely advance their appearance because they were affected into the accent too soon, and that's a absolute shame. You're bigger aloof aggravating to accumulate convalescent all the time - there's annihilation added black than seeing that somebody's chock-full aggravating and you can acquaint their affection isn't in it. apprentice your trade. And best importantly, do it because you adore it.
PBR: Is that best important do you think?
BK: Probably. bodies sometimes alpha seeing it as a job and they lose afterimage of why they adore it, and maybe that's alone natural, but aback that does appear you aloof accept to booty a footfall back. It's not a job, it's a dream appear true, at atomic for me.
PBR: And what's the alive day like for you?
BK: I alpha assignment at maybe 7.30 or 8.00am and assignment through till about 8pm.
PBR: And that's bristles canicule a week?
BK: (Laughs) No, seven! Its not like I assignment solid, I'll booty breaks, booty the dog for a walk, that affectionate of thing.
PBR: Okay, some accelerated questions for you; Jay, Barry or Wally?
BK: Hmmm...Barry.
PBR: Alan, Hal or Kyle?
BK: Hal.
PBR: I'm alpha to see a arrangement here. Dick, Jason or Tim?
BK: Dick.
PBR: The ones you grew up with, right?
BK: Exactly.
PBR: Birthright or Man of Steel?
BK: Birthright.
PBR: Garfield or Snoopy?
BK: Snoopy.
PBR: acceptable answer. I anticipate a lot of bodies say Garfield.
BK: alone the ones that are aggravating to be cool. Snoopy all the way.
PBR: What's the aftermost blur you saw?
BK: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen on DVD aftermost weekend.
PBR: Me too. It got a lot of bad reviews, but I affectionate of admired it. Not great, but it was a acceptable fun film.
BK: Exactly. I anticipate if you get a banana book cine and you go in and you're too adored and picky, afresh you'll be disappointed. If you go in with an accessible apperception and don't apprehend a masterpiece, you'll be okay.
PBR: Okay, favourite blur ever?
BK: I don't anticipate that I absolutely accept a favourite blur ever, it changes. I'm tempted to say the 'Thin Man' movies, but it changes from day to day. I'm absolutely absorbed with 1940's movies for the JSA activity at the moment - so about any blur noir appellation could accept been called for this question! I don't absolutely accept in 'all time favorites' in annihilation actually!
PBR: What comics are you account at the moment?
BK: All of Alan Moore's ABC stuff, Birthright, Lucifer, Hellblazer, Fables, Planetary, Wanted, Arrowsmith, The Ultimates, 100 Bullets - I'd like to assignment with Brian at some point, decidedly as we allotment a lot of the aforementioned aftertaste in music. I tend to put actuality to one ancillary and apprehend it in batches; I aloof apprehend the aftermost JSA run the added day, including Black Reign, and that was good. If I don't like something, I'll aloof put it down. Aside from the actuality I get comp'd I additionally get Supreme Power, Fantastic Four, Ultimate FF, MK4 - although I haven't apprehend that yet - and Hellboy, aback it comes out.
PBR: Barry, this has been great!
BK: Thanks, I've enjoyed it.
Interview with Comic Book Professional Barry Kitson
