WW CHICAGO: FRANCIS MANAPUL IN THE FUTURE – AND ON DC’S LEGION – NEWSARAMA
This looks like pretty good news..
WW CHICAGO: FRANCIS MANAPUL IN THE FUTURE – AND ON DC’S LEGION – NEWSARAMA
WW CHICAGO: FRANCIS MANAPUL IN THE FUTURE – AND ON DC’S LEGION
Do the math – the Legion of Super-Heroes first appeared in 1958’s Adventure Comics #247. And what year follows 2007?
Yeah, it’s a safe bet that DC Comics has some plans afoot for the 50th
anniversary of the super teen team from the future, and part of that
will begin in December with a creative team change. DC’s mum on the
identity of the writer, but has revelaed that the new artist coming on
to the series with issue #37 will be Francis (Iron and the Maiden, Witchblade) Manapul.While we missed out on a conversation with the to-be-named writer, we
were abel to catch up with Manapul for a quick word about his upcoming
work.Newsarama: First of all Francis, is this for a finite run, or are you the open-ended, “regular” artist?
Francis Manapul: My run begins with issue #37 which is planned
to be released I believe, right around the anniversary of the Legion.
I’m hoping to stick around for as long as the writer decides to stay.NRAMA: And is that writer Tony Bedard?
FM: No. And that’s all I can say about that. [laughs]
NRAMA: So tell us from an artist standpoint how one approaches a series like Legion.
Obviously there is no need to pour through reference manuals for
backgrounds? Or is there? Do you reference science and science fiction
in creating the future work of Legion, or just used the current run as your guide?FM: When I came into the project to be quite honest I knew very
little about the characters and their world. So rather than a hindrance
I thought this would be to my advantage since I’ll be approaching the
book with fresh eyes and hopefully bring something new to their world.
The backgrounds are definitely more fun to work on since there is no
set rules on how buildings look like in the future, so I feel quite
free messing around with little reference. However, I have looked at
Barry Kitson’s run and I’m trying to keep some elements of that to have
some sort of consistency.NRAMA: How about the characters, or even in general? Does its
future setting affect how you approach in the pencils, perhaps in a way
you might not for a series set on a more contemporary, real-world
setting?
FM:
It’s way more fun! All the characters you see in the background is
pretty much free reign! Again the fact that there are no set rules to
what aliens look like makes the experience a blast! If I want to draw
someone in the background wearing goggles no one’s going to question
it! What makes it interesting is that the Legion themselves and the way
they look is very much in contrast to their environment. They’re
somewhat of a throwback in a very futuristic world. It creates a really
cool effect and is something I’m aiming for. I just like the idea of
the legion still standing out in the crowd of very eclectic races from
other planets.NRAMA: That’s almost sounds like freedom that if not kept in
rein could make it hard ever to finish a page. Do you create internal
rules for youself in terms of character fashions, or technology so
readers begin to feel a sense of familiarity with the world?FM: Actually its quite the opposite. Knowing that I don’t need
to gather a huge amount of reference makes it easier. Sometimes it can
take hours just gathering them to the point where you’ve spent almost
half the day pulling them together. Even then I might end up using not
even a quarter of what I have. Right now I’ve looked at a few Sci-Fi
art books just to get a feel for it, but at the moment I’ve got 2
different environments to create, and I’m trying to make the
distinction between the two by shapes, whether it’s more round or
ridgid, depending on what fits that particular planet and their
culture. I try to improvise as much as I can to keep it fresh and not
be so technical about it.NRAMA: Will you be doing any character redesign work or will the current looks carry over to your run?
FM: Yes I’ll be doing some tinkering with their look. I’m quite
fond of Dave Cockrum’s designs so I’m trying to work in some elements
of that along with Barry Kitson’s contribution. Mostly I’m trying to
simplify rather than modernize. I think simplicity carries over and
creates a timeless look.NRAMA: Should readers assume any implications as to the
direction of the series by the fact you’re tweaking some of the
character’s looks? You just changing their duds, or is there a story
reason why they characters might sport slightly different looks?FM: To be quite honest I simply just asked [Editor] Mike Marts
if I could change them up a bit. And his answer was “yes, it would make
sense”. At that point in time I really had no idea where the story was
heading, it was just something I felt inclined to do. I really enjoyed
Barry’s designs but I felt I needed to “tailor” fit them into something
that feels more comfortable for me. That being said it will be
transitioned into the storyline.NRAMA: Are there any characters in particular you’re looking forward to drawing?
FM: My favorites so far have been Timberwolf and Chameleon Boy.
NRAMA: Any final, parting thoughts for readers?
FM: I think the readers will be surprised at this upcoming run, and hopefully very entertained.
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