This is topic Barry: Costume Designs? in forum Visionaries of Tomorrow at Legion World.


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Posted by 235 - Andy S on :
 
Hey Barry,
Thanks for being such an active, generous participant on this message board.
Definitely got my interest up for this new iteration of the Legion.

You had mentioned on another thread that we could ask you questions about the character's costumes.

I guess I just wanted to make a space here for it.

--andy
 

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Posted by 235 - Andy S on :
 
I'll start: Star Boy, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Dream Girl, Karate Kid, Projectra - all leapt out at me. Very hyper-modern, reminescent but not slavish to the superhero prototypes we're familiar with.
A few stand apart - Saturn Girl is clearly seperated from the others, stylistically; Brainiac 5 stands apart technologically; Lyle is clearly more 'explorer-adventurer' than superhero IMO; Chameleon Boy is bald (I think that's how one refers to antannae-less Durlans).
I was more concerned with the "Star Wars"/"Lord of the Rings" blends on Triplicate Girl and Element Lad. What's up with that?

THANKS
--andy
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Andy
Thanks!

I'm not quite sure what you're referring to as far as Triplicate Girl goes... her look was really an amalgam of her previous costumes for me...with a few new touches to emphasise the ability to triple herself.

With Element Lad I wanted to reflect his personality...of course you'll have to read more to discover that... but I thought his almost magical ablility to transmute elements suited a cape well and the symbols on his costume are a mixture of old alchemical signs for the elements and a few I've created for elements that have been discovered since the 20th century out in space. They will also alter from time to time, again echoing his power - something we're introducing is clothing with changing images ...it's bound to happen soon!
 

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Posted by Tromium on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Barry Kitson:
With Element Lad I wanted to reflect his personality...of course you'll have to read more to discover that... but I thought his almost magical ablility to transmute elements suited a cape well and the symbols on his costume are a mixture of old alchemical signs for the elements and a few I've created for elements that have been discovered since the 20th century out in space. They will also alter from time to time, again echoing his power - something we're introducing is clothing with changing images ...it's bound to happen soon!

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Barry, I'm a little wary about you taking Element Lad on the mystical/magical route but I suppose it's a lot better than the whacked-out space cadet or insane demi-god route. Thank you (and Mark) for restoring Element Lad to life.

Regarding costumes with shifting images -- it's a great idea and you might consider taking the concept even further, like clothing that changes color depending on the wearer's whim. I imagine 31st century clothing would have a variety of built-in tech including telecommunications, a mathematical calculator, a basic knowledgebase, and personal security and entertainment systems. German designers are already producing prototype jackets with integral cell-phone and mp3 technology so it's not too far off.

I'm also very curious about where you're going with all the gentech references. It sounds like a society where there is a great deal of security, but very little personal privacy. Do they practice eugenics?
 

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Posted by 235 - Andy S on :
 
Barry-

The changing images are great -and probably add some fun to your work. Now Cham's little geometric shapes make a lot of sense (though the balding thing... - i'll take a 'wait & see' on that).

An alchemical bend to Jan's character/culture/powers is a logical outgrowth of previous incarnations, as is the shifting costume/colors/shapes on him. It puts my style-sense to rest knowing that, like everything else around Element Lad, his costume will change.

I thought Triplicate Girl was wearing a hooded outfit like in Star Wars or something, but it was just real dark on the bus last night. I'm looking at it in the daylight - and you made no such custume. A trick of the light and excited bouncing eyes.

By the way, the more you talk, the more excited I get (and I'm fairly certain most of the others do too). The way you talk about the factors you took in designing EVERYTHING - from characters to costumes to the environment - reveals an immense knowledge & love of the Legion, and an inspired creative process. Your amalgamations - in the short bit that's been released - are fun, complex, fresh and remain true to the heart of it. For me anyway.

Thanks for the info and all the hard work -- you must be having a blast putting your mark on the 30th century. It's good; and it's gonna be great, right?

--andy

[ October 07, 2004, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: 235 - Andy S ]
 

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Posted by Jorg-El on :
 
Hey Barry a quick thought for the FUTURE.

The costumes with the glowing energy ROCK. Sun Boy's emblem, Garth's lightning, etc.

Also seems like a nifty idea for a group of future superheroes, also is pretty different IMO, and can be made into a trademark for the Legion.

What if they all had their emblems glow a certain color? Obviously some more than others (like Dirk and Garth). But Vi having a small symbol patch on her shoulder that glows, etc.

Plus kids would probably love that.

Jorge
 

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Posted by Gold_Leader on :
 
Hello Mr Kitson, sir. Not to bother you, but a few of my favorite characters are missing from the reboot at this point. I'm not going to whine about it (I have other boards to do that in), but I was wondering: If you were to design costumes for Matter-Eater Lad, Ferro Lad, and Chemical King, what would they look like in this reboot?
 

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Posted by Stargazer on :
 
I got the Special today and enjoyed the preview. I was taken back a little with some of the costumes. I guess my question to you Barry, When you design a costume..What is your process??

By the way..I loved Empire!
 

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Posted by Jorg-El on :
 



Element Lad? I like him with the chin hair and apparent blue underoos. The red and yellow is too much like Sun Boy. Sure the blue/yellow is too much like Dr. Fate...but the Doctor isn't on the team. Plus blue/yellow are complimentary.

Jorge
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Andy - I can't imagine any greater compliments about my Legion work - thanks!

Hi Tromium - good call on the nature of society, but you'll have to 'wait and see' I'm afraid as far as your specific question goes.

I hope I haven't misled about Element Lad, we aren't literally treating his power as 'traditional magic or mystical' in nature. It was just that his abilities and living in a universe where everything can change or be changed so fundamentally at his 'whim' - seemed to me his perspective would be quite removed from the norm of those living in a 'standard' physical world. (Sorry about all these woolly terms). Anyway, so I wanted something that suggested his mind might work on a slightly different plane to many of the others - and a more elaborate, hinting-at-mystical approach seemed a good way to go.
It will all get clearer as we go along...I hope

Glad you like the 'shifting-images' idea!

Hi Jorg-El - Glad you like the image shifting idea too and the glowing effects - these are already in place as you'll see more in #1!

Hi Gold Leader - no bother at all! To be honest - each costume takes me a day or two to come up with playing with ideas and seeing what works etc so I can't really answer your question....yet

Hi Stragazer - well I guess really I start by trying to get clear in my head what the essence of the character is - personality, powers, etc. Then factor in environment and motivation. With the Legion generally we knew they wanted to look like super-heroes, rather than say 'scary-warrior-types' we knew they were in the 30th so that needed to be reflected. I also wanted to at least 'tip the hat' to the previous versions of the characters...and in the case of some I felt I loved the costumes so much I hardly wanted to change them at all! Lastly in the case of a group of heroes and especially in Legion's case I was trying to come up with a range of costumes that would pass the 'silhouette test' - so that hopefully each character will be recognizable and distinguishable from each other even if you only saw them in silhouette. Finally, I guess I also try to come up with designs I think will be fun to draw!

How close I got to achieving all these aims is, of course, going to be debatable - but overall I'm pretty happy with how they all look...but don't be surprised if a few tweaks occur as we go along!
 

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Posted by Jorg-El on :
 
Regarding Element Lad. I've always seen his powers as purely scientific but he is a very "spiritual" character...which makes things interesting.

Kinda of the oppossite of Marvel's Black Knight...a scientist with a magic sword, etc.

Barry...i love the glowing stuff!!!

Jorge
 

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Posted by doublechinner on :
 
Barry, is there an overall theme for the costume designs that will come through in the stories?

Running with Waid's SCA analogy, do the Legionnaires research heroes of history and develop costumes representative of their favorite anachronisms?
 

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Posted by Tromium on :
 
Barry, I'm grateful that you've at least given serious thought to Element Lad's personality. The character's perspective *is* different for the very reasons you state. Levitz suceeded in revealing the alien aspect of his nature without making him a wierdo but, needless to say, later writers took exploited his differences in a completely different manner. That's what scares me, I guess, but I'll leave him in your good hands for now.

I assume the shifting images also apply to the costumes of Chameleon Boy (as he morphs) and Lightning Lad, among others. I love LL's neon glow but I imagine it could be quite taxing on the eyes of his fellow Legionnaires after a while. The glitz also suggests you're bringing back the "showman" (as Shooter once described it) aspect of LL's personality. Saturn Girl's neck-to-toe coverage, when most of the other females are showing skin, implies she's as repressed as ever. Light Lass's sassy outfit reveals her inner "spark" despite the power change. I look forward to hearing your take on each character, once you're ready to reveal your thought processes.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Jorge - It is indeed that 'spiritual' side of EL that I wanted to express in his costume.

Hi Doublechinner - Yes there is an overall theme, issue #1 will contain more answers to your speculation but careful examination to the background details in some pages of the preview will go someway to giving you an answer
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
I'm cross-posting this from the main Legion thread. Thanks for the time you've taken to respond to us, Barry. It does make a difference to many fans.

OK-- here's my Calling the Roll for the new costumes...

LYLE: I'm sure a headband's a' comin' since I'm guessing this outfit's casual.

ATOM GIRL: Uh-- guess we can't believe everything we read (ie-- Vi being hidden from the rest of the team). Glad the green's in her costume and not in her hair.

PRINCESS PROJECTRA: Does 'princess' meet the standards of the boy-girl-lad-lass committee? What is that atop her shoulders and behind her head? I like the purple with her white hair against it.

KARATE KID: Puzzling race change since Asian characters are even more under-represented in the Legion than blacks. Guess he could still be south Asian or Polynesian, come to think of it. Costume-wise... I need to see a full pic.

SATURN GIRL: Maybe she'll look more modern in full-figure. A glowing Saturn emblem? I'd imagine Cos's uniform would look similarly simple if seen in a pic as tiny as Imra's.

DREAM GIRL: Like the top... can't quite make out the pants/leggings.

PHANTOM GIRL: My fave of this batch. She looks in costume and in pose the part of a diplomat's daughter (assuming she still is one...) fresh from finishing school here . I appreciate the stylized 'P' and the matching black gloves. Looks she's got *long* hair.

ELEMENT LAD: Red/orange and yellow are a definite change for Jan. I'd still like to see a pastel blue and green uniform for him, but I'm intrigued by the symbols and the cape. I kind of wish he had curlier hair...

COLOSSOL BOY: Kind of boring... it'd be interesting if detail appeared in his costume when he was at taller heights that doesn't show in his six-foot state.

TRIPLICATE GIRL: I liked the coat-skirt better. It could've been updated to orange instead of the cape. On capes, in general... yes for E-Lad, Shady, Star Boy and Projecta... no for Saturn Girl and Luornu.

SUN BOY: What happened to his red hair!? Hope this is an effect of the 'glow' the Legionnaires seem to be traveling in. I think his original costume from way back when just can't be beaten.

COSMIC BOY: Very 'New Gods'ish. I like it. But there really should be some metal on it *somewhere*. He looks like a young William Shatner to me, here.

LIGHTNING LAD: Love the glow. Not sure about the lightning stripe down the arms, though.

LIGHT LASS: Hmmm... it's been *so* long since we've had a Light Lass. Don't dislike this, but I'm not particularly fond of it either.

BRAINIAC 5: *Really* don't like the crew cut or the olive green.

CHAMELEON BOY: Weird symbols... appearing alien... just looks wrong without the antennae. Maybe he has to earn them?

STAR BOY: Great looking character design and costume.

SHADOW LASS: Longish Lousie Brooks bob. Very stylish. Wish she could have 'peekabo' cold shoulders like Tinya. I think the pale skin is caused by the 'glow' (generated by the flight rings?).

Can't wait to see Lyle's uniform and the owner of the mystery-boots.

Please visit the Time Institute here on Legion World for CALLING THE ROLL for each Legion-packed issue.

Thanks,
Todd
 

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Posted by Mrs C B H.I.V.E. on :
 
Hiya Barry

I your art in the preview, and am really looking forward to whatever is to come.

I've got a few questions/ comments about the costumes we've seen so far, hope you don't mind.

My first one is about Nura's leggings - it looks from the little we can see on the splash page as if they have ciruitry in them - is this to reflect the idea that Naltor is a centre of High Science (and from that we can infer that she's being returned to her former technical brilliance?), or is she just wearing groovy techno-pants?

The group on the whole look fantastic! Ayla, Brainy, Thom (?) and Jan are especially gorgeous. Not too sure about Shady - she reminds me off Halle Berre in Xmen.

Hope you have every success with this new interpretation

Bxx
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi B - thanks!

Nura's leggings have a cloud/sky design on them - intended to reflect the visionary nature of her powers and their 'intangibilty' - the pattern will shift rather as Star Boy's star field will.

Hope that makes sense - with a bit of luck it will all come together when you get to see a clearer image of her.
 

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Posted by Valor the M'Onel on :
 
Hey Barry I also have some questions:
Is this Star Boy really Thom
Is Colossal Boy the official code-name or is Micro Lad?
Who's your favorite Legionnaire to draw?
Is it possible for Superboy or Mon-El to show up under your run?Not straight away of course
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Valor the M'Onel - I wish people had shorter names on these boards

The first couple of your questions are 'wait and see' answers I'm afraid...at least one will be answered in #1

I don't have an absolute favorite, I'm pretty happy with most of them... and haven't had enough chance to draw all of them yet to form any definite 'first choice'.

ANYTHING can happen in the new book!
 

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Posted by Star Boy on :
 
Wow - it's great that you've braved the possible perils of Legion World to give us an insight into the creator's side of the beginnings of the 'new' Legion.

I must say as an avowed Star Boy fan, I was (to put it mildly) surprised to see Thom's (if it is indeed him!) new look. I hope that Mark will retain Thom's true hard-luck (but still upbeat) attitude, rather than having him descend into 'angry black man' stereotypes.

But that's beyond your control, and I wanted to talk about the new costumes, which I assume are...

Once I looked beyond the (arbitrary?) race change for Star Boy, I saw a great costume. I don't normally like capes on superheroes (the Invisibles will demonstrate many of my sentiments, from clips I've seen), but you've given Thom a dynamic look that I can't wait to see in action. How do you do the starfield effect? Is it a Photoshop image dropped into an area and modified? Is it a secret artist trick? Is it done by colourists after your pencils are done?

Cosmic Boy - love the new look. Very streamlined. I wish that look had been carried across the rest of the team, but I'm more of a fan of the 'uniform' style of Legion suit rather than the 'home-designed' look that the new Legionnaires will have.

Lightning Lad - AWESOME!!!

Chameleon Boy - while some lament the loss of antennae, I like the new look. Some put him down as a 'Muppet', while I consider that a bonus.

Brainiac 5 - very stern. Very Vril Dox. Wanna see more.

Light Lass - Excellent! Sassy! Sexy...

Sun Boy - Ummmm. He looks like he left the HQ half-dressed. I'm just sayin', is all.

Dream Girl - I like Nura to seem a bit more regal, but this look is fresh and energetic. Can't wait to see Moving-Cloud Pants in action!

Phantom Girl - If it was a pure white, I'd say it was perfect. As is, it's merely fantastic.

Colossal/Micro Boy/Lad - I like it. Looks dangerous.

Karate Kid - I wanna see more, but from this I like the looks of things. KK should have loose clothing. Very cool.

Triad - Wanna see it close up. Like the cloak.

Shadow Lass - Excellent. Love the dark look. Tell the colourist to give her some blue tho.

Element Lad - Excellent. Can't wait to read more about this version based on your look for him. And see those roving symbols.

Princess Projectra - Very regal, yet sexy. C'est magnifique!

Saturn Girl - Ummmm. I'd be happier without the cape.

Atom Girl - I wanna see her close up! (As usual...)

Invisible Kid - is that his permanent look? If so, I like the minimalism.


All told - excellent designs, Barry. It'll be a pleasure to pick up your Legion week after week... provided Mark holds his end up to the standards you've set.

Thanks for putting up with the ravings of a resident Aussie Legion Worlder!
Cheers,
Wayne

[ October 11, 2004, 06:33 AM: Message edited by: Star Boy ]
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Wayne - Thanks!
Glad you like the majority of the costumes!

I'll be honest - Mark and I always work together on the stories, so changes and characters are our collective responsibility...
#1 will answer your questions about Star Boy's character
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Hey Barry,

Will you be able to put up scans of your sketchs for us in the near future or will you wait until the first issue is out?

Thanks
 

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Posted by Danny Blaine on :
 
The only 2 I don't like are Saturn Girl's and Projectra's....

The rest are awesome!!!!
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Barry Kitson:
Hi Valor the M'Onel - I wish people had shorter names on these boards

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quote:

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Originally posted by Star Boy:

Atom Girl - I wanna see her close up! (As usual...)

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Not that it'll do any good, but me too!
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Thanks Danny!

Hi RTVU2 - I'll try to post them ASAP, but with the trip to Wizard World coming up I'm pushed for any spare moments right now...lots of drawing to do, but I hope it'll be before #1 hits the stands!

Hi Arachne - You'll have to be patient for that close-up, sorry
 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 
06.43?? And checking Legion World, Barry thats over and beyond the call of Duty.

Seriously thanks for checking in so often and letting us know "some" of whats going on. It really is appreciated.

one thing, can you let slip any news on whats going to happen to my particualr favourite, Saturn Girl? She is still going to appear pretty regularly isnt she?
 

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Posted by Jorg-El on :
 
I did some of the energy glow stuff. Had a bud (RatonPier) animate them for me. Not the look I was hoping for. Not the "fluid" look Barry described above and what I was hoping for. Lightning Lad I can see a bit more animated but the others a fluid animation of Dream Girl's pants and Star Boy's stars...Ultra Boy and the others maybe just a steady glow.

Anyways here they are...

http://www.geocities.com/legion_of_super_heroes/microlegion/updates/updates.html

Jorge
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I want to second what Darden (Faraway) said above. We really do appreciate the time you've been taking to check in and answer what questions you can Barry. Your interaction with us, even when are not at our most polite, is just short of amazing.

Thanks!
 

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Posted by Nightcrawler on :
 
Barry's great!


 

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Posted by Nightcrawler on :
 


[ December 03, 2004, 04:12 PM: Message edited by: Nightcrawler ]
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
You guys are way too kind!
I can't claim any special kudos for being up this early - it's when I start my working day - I'm so slow I have to work a thirteen hour day everyday (with the odd break to walk the dog etc) - which suits me great, I can't think of a better life style!

The animations are fantastic Nightcrawler - all the new symbols already!
 

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Posted by Nightcrawler on :
 

 

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Posted by Star Boy on :
 
Those are awesome Gary!

WM

[ October 13, 2004, 04:10 AM: Message edited by: Star Boy ]
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
hey Barry !!!

what was the time span between drawing the final page of the preview, and drawing #1 of the new "LEGION OF SUPER HEROES" ???

are there any changes that we'll see appear in issue #1 ???

or were all your designs, pretty much "set" !!!???

Matthew.
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
oh .... i have another question, are you now able to tell us what characters, appeared in the "teaser" pictures !!!???

were they actual characters, or simply made to resemble our LEGIONNAIRES ......

Matthew.
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
3rd and final question for now ....

are you having fun re-designing any CLASSIC villians !!!???

can you give us any hints ......

Matthew.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi tbwUP
The first one is easy - about 24 hours I think!

Most of them are the characters you've seen already, but there are some that don't show up straight away...so I'll keep them a secret for now. Some of the others were in costumes that were 'mid-design' so they didn't look exactly as they appeared in the preview.

So far we've been creating all new villains for the LSH to face... though if I do redesign any classic villains I definietly will have fun doing it!

 

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Posted by BrucePristine on :
 
*Pants. My message didn't post. 2nd time's the charm.

Hi Barry.

Loved the art in the preview. Very excited to have you onboard. Add my voice to the chorus of approval.

Looking forward to seeing the costumes properly come #1. Some of them will take getting used to, but it's refreshing to have a new look. Interested to see what changes got made. Many things I'd like to ask would probably get a "wait til issue #1" answer, so I'll hold off.

It's really useful to hear the thoughts behind what's happening and your creative decisions. More please!

On negative nit-picky side (because how much praise can one man take?!):

E-Lad's colours seem wrong to me, a little too much like Sun Boy (whose hairdo I'm not too keen on. Bit of a basin cut there).

Love the Lightning on Garth, but i wonder if it might have more impact confined just to the classic chest 'bolts'.

Intrigued to see if Shady and Cham remain 'aliens' (and why the revamp necessitates the absence of antenna. No longer a Durlan?)

Keep up the good work. (Are you in London? _Miserable_ weather today)
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Thanks Bruce!
I'll look forward to those questions after #1 comes out!
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Barry Kitson:
Hi tbwUP
The first one is easy - about 24 hours I think!

Most of them are the characters you've seen already, but there are some that don't show up straight away...so I'll keep them a secret for now. Some of the others were in costumes that were 'mid-design' so they didn't look exactly as they appeared in the preview.

So far we've been creating all new villains for the LSH to face... though if I do redesign any classic villains I definietly will have fun doing it!

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thanks for the imput, Barry !!!

looking forward to seeing those NEW villians !!! guess that answers the thread i have running in the LSH forum ....

Matthew.
 

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Posted by Brown Legion on :
 
thanks for taking the time to post Barry

loved the 7-page preview, got me really hyped for issue #1

here's to hoping drawing 40 pages a month doesn't break your wrist

Pat!
 

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Posted by mandy o'toole on :
 
Hi Barry, Sorry if this has already been asked and answered, but is shadow lass actualy colored blue? I also love the new designs! I haven't been excited about the legion in a LONG time, so thank you so much!!!
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Thanks Brown Legion and Mandy - I really appreciate the enthusiasm and support!

Shady will be considerably bluer in the ongoing series...she just came out a little gray in the preview pic unintentionally!
 

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Posted by Basilios on :
 
Hi Barry, I was just wondering is Karate Kid a colouring mistake as well, because on the cover of issue one his lighter??? What nationality is he, is he still gonna be Japanese/or half Japanese???

The preview was great by the way, looking foward to issue one.
 

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Posted by ANIMEAvenger on :
 
G'day Barry,

Lurved that preview and sure can't wait for ish #1 soon!

I was just curious as to 1 thing though, Thola. Will she be shown in full LOSH time eras Supergirl costume in ish #1? (i really hope she turns out to be both the decendant of my eva beloved recently re-introduced Kara Zor-El AND a fulltime member of the new LOSH to, when said and done)

Thanks and keep up the phenominal work, aye!

AA
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Basilos and AA - as always my sterotypical answer is 'wait and see' on anything specific.


Glad you liked the preview though!
 

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Posted by Frog Kid on :
 
Hi! I wanted to say the Light Lass and Cosmic Boy uniforms are the best! Great work, Mr Kitson!
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Thanks FK!


 

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Posted by ANIMEAvenger on :
 
Hey thanks kindly for answering, Barry!

AA
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi AA - sorry I wasn't any more help, but we really want to keep as much as possible as unexpected as possible for the new run - so I'm not ruling ANYTHING in or out!
Thanks for understanding!
 

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Posted by Basilios on :
 
Thanks,Barry. I understand the secrecy, just glad I got a reply. I love the cover to issue2, Thom and Tasmia are two of my favorite characters and they look great by the way! Can't wait to see them in action!
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Thanks Basilios! If ever I miss a question or take a while to reply to something - do feel free to nudge me with an email!

Really glad you like the cover - again the solors you've seen so far are only 'guide' ones for solicitation purposes - so it'll look much nicer in the final version!
 

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Posted by 235 - Andy S on :
 
Issue 2's Cover is PHENOMENAL, Barry. WAY ahead of about 99% of the other crap on the monthly rack. Legion #2's cover is good, big stuff -- interesting, weighty, gives enough story glimpses to be relevant to what's inside

are you sure that's legal in today's market? no one else seems to be doing it

of course, i'm picking this up as it comes out monthly, but that cover has me EAGER for the trade collections where i think Legion will really stand out

now i just wish comic shops & bookstores had sections for higher-end not-just-your-average-superhero fare

closest would probably be a vertigo section, or wildstorm/image if the store has that (were there discussions about putting Legion under another DC imprint?), or the (generally hard-to-find-if-it's-there) small press section
humph

i really want Legion to succeed, but you're fighting a mountain of X/Spider/Ultimate SCHLOCK being slung at the monthly shelf space

like i said, i think Legion will really stand out in trade form -- especially if you guys continue to keep that same quality you put in the 7-page preview that had us all a-titter

lol

(sorry if that's a bit risque for ya -- no harm meant)
 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 
Barry, I love that cover to issue 2. It has such a strong design to it and StarBoy and Shadow Lass look amazing (even better that shes going to get bluer skin in the finished article)

As the colours on this look pretty washed out, any chance of posting the black and white inked version so we can see all the glourious detail?
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi FL - my own attempts to post images haven't been going too well so far - so I'll post black and whites of #1 and #2 to Nightcrawler, who has kindly offered to host them for me!
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
Nightcrawler's really great for that. He and Greybird do a lot of helping people learn how to upload pics and sharing their experience. feel free to ask and I'm sure we'll be as helpful as we can.

I'm dying to see the b/w pages now.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi YK
I've got the email and scans in my drafts folder - just need to check with DC that it's okay to send them - with a bit of luck they should be here by the end of the day!
 

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Posted by Nightcrawler on :
 

 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 



I cant wait look I am hopping around with excitment




ps, are you still going to be in London at the con at the weekend Barry?.

(darden)
 

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Posted by ANIMEAvenger on :
 
WHOA! Me neither!

Seriously stylin all up stuff on that #2 cover there, Barry!

AA
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Faraway Lad:



I cant wait look I am hopping around with excitment




ps, are you still going to be in London at the con at the weekend Barry?.

(darden)

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hey Darden !!

what con is on at the weekend [ in London ??? ] i'm gonna be in London on Sunday .....

Matthew.
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
hey Barry !!!

just wanted to add my of the cover image to #2 !!!

STARBOY looks amazing !!! and Tasmia looks great too !!!

looking forward to seeing those B/W versions ....

Matthew.
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
hey Barry !!!

here's another question for you .... what's your working process like ???

like at the moment which issue # are you working on ???

and do you just work on a single issue at a time [ and complete that fully ] or do you have rough ideas planned out for a few issues in advance ??? also ....

Matthew.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Guys
I will be in London on the Saturday of the convention - armed with LSH sketches etc.

My working process is somewhat convoluted - for a full(ish) explanation there's a section at the back of the Empire tpb that goes into some detail. Basically we have discussed where we're going for the first approximately 15 issues so far - though things will certainly develop a life of their own as we go along, we do know the broad outlines.
As to the actual drawing it's one issue at a time - I like to draw from the start to the end in sequence - it helps me feel fully involved in the story. I've never been one to draw one type of scene before another, though it does work for some people very well.

As for those black and white versions...if I understood Nightcrawler's instructions properly...this should lead you to them...fingers crossed...





I think it worked!
 

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Posted by Space Boy on :
 
I was a teensy bit trepidatious with the new version of Star Boy (thank God he's not a snake!) but your design of him is FANTASTIC!

Your Imra is beautiful!!!

I'm slowly warming to Shady (I just wish her skin were a darker hue of blue).

Brainy, Jeckie, and Cham also standout for me. Great designs!

I have one question for you, Barry. I assume the decision to omit Nura's star-mole was yours. If so, what were your misgivings about it. I'm not rabid over the omission just curious.

Thanks!

[ October 21, 2004, 01:02 AM: Message edited by: Space Boy ]
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Space Boy - As always I'm not going to give anything away...but have you considered Nura may still have the mole...just in a different location?

Glad you've come to like the designs - and SL will be blue - I promise!
 

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Posted by Nightcrawler on :
 
What's funny is how everyone was upset by Cosmic Boy and Dr. Gym'll's purples were changed to blue, and now everyone wants more BLUE!

Anyway, thanks for sharing these with us Barry! The fine detail in these covers is amazing! Great work! (Does anybody else see a bunny on Cham's forehead for issue #1? )

Also, I really hope that any LWers that go to London this Saturday will share everything they see and hear there! SPOIL ME!
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
hey Barry !!

thanks for the reply ... it's always nice to know how you guy's plan out the book [ we all ] so are you still on issue #2 ??? or further along ???

and do you plan on doing all your covers ???

and also, if and when a "fill-in" is required, do you and Mark have a say on who it would be, or is that DC's choice ???

btw where's the con in London [ on at ] i haven't noticed any press for it .....

Matthew.
 

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Posted by ANIMEAvenger on :
 
Hey, Barry!

I was just wondering bout something in paticular reguarding origin of LOSH this time around, anychance we may intime know if R.J. Brande existed or even if h'ell still be playing a part in the LOSH overall legacy? (hope so! i hope he also turns out to be really a wise beyond his years J'Onn J'Onzz, Martian Manhunter when said and done too! *fingers crossed*)

AA
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Matthew - it's the London Comic Festival at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury...it took me about an hour to find it last year so I reccommend taking an A-Z! I'm sure it must have a website somewhere. My appearance is a pretty low-key affair - mainly to meet up with Dan Didio, and to meet certain LSH fans!

I'm working on issue #2 at present. Hopefully there won't be any fill-ins - we'll probably be joined by a superstar inker to help avoid those

I'll be doing all the covers myself though - #3 is done and #4 soon to be.

Hi AA - sorry I'm not spilling any beans As I've said before ANYTHING is possible in the new book!
 

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Posted by ANIMEAvenger on :
 
D'oh! oh well. Heheheh, still sure lookin forward to this reguardless, ah!

AA
 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 
Matt,

Sorry it took me a while to get back to LW and see your posts. But it looks like Barry has answered for me.

As far as I know the con is only on the one day, the Saturday. I’ll be going down early on the Saturday, however, I am not going back to Newcastle until the Sunday afternoon, so if you want to meet up for lunch, a beer or a coffee let me know. PM me or drop me an e mail. There are a couple of panels I want to see in the con itself. I tried to find the website but it seems to be down at the moment.

I am really looking forward to button holing Barry and getting lots and lots of teasers from him to drive Gary mad with.

Darden
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Thanks for the scans Barry. They look great!

Didn't notice until now but it looks like Jan has grown a little facial hair...
 

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Posted by Elusion Girl on :
 
Barry Will Love This!
 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 
Matt,

The address of the the hotel is Coram St Bloomsbury. Its next to Russel Square Tube.

the website is here
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
hey Barry and Darden !!

thanks for the info on the LONDON comic con .... i'm really thinking about going to this ??

i could probably get the day off work and get there for around 1pm !!

so what time will you be there till, Barry ??

and will you be at a particular stand [ do "DC" have their own ?? ]

and it would be cool to meet up with you, Darden !!

i'll have to see if i can get the Saturday, off .......

Matthew.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Matthew - I'm going to be there from about noon - I'm signing at the Titan desk from 3-4.
Hope you can make it!
 

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Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
It's taken me awhile to weigh in on this, but here are my reactions to the costumes (or asmuch as we can see) from the back of Titans/Legion:

Starboy: awesome. simple and powerful as well as a clear connection to the past.
Cham: Though I can understand the reasoning behind the symbols, they actually seem a little too simple for me. Will they change like E-Lad's glyphs? That'd be cool. I like the coal black eyes and the forehead markings, but like everyone else, it'll take awhile to not feel like he's missing antennae.
Cosmic Boy: Great update. I like the streamlining.
Shadow Lass: Like the costume, not so hot about the hair. Glad to hear she's actually going to be blue.
Lightning Lad: Cockrum should be happy. I wonder if the glowing legs are a bit too much.
Triplicate Girl: Doesn't seem all that different from her old costume (pre Coipel). I'm neutral on it.
Brainiac5: seems good to me. I don't mind the crew cut or the colors. He seems like he'd have a darker or less flamboyant color scheme. The wires are better than the pads on his face, but I wonder where those wires lead to?
Light Lass: Awesome. My favorite along with Starboy.
Sun Boy: Another nice updating of an old look.
Dream Girl: Looks ok - the clouds or whatever on her legs might be really nice depending on how it turns out.
Element Lad: Great look. I totally get the "mystic" aesthetic in relation to the nature of his abilities. Love the shifting glyphs. I'm not sure if I totally dig the colors, but it seems like what we're seeing here might not be exactly what we'll see when the series launches. For some reason I think Jan should have more muted colors. Soul patch? Um....I dunno about that one.
Colossal Boy: Looks kinda bland from what I can see here.
Phantom Girl: It's a nice design (I like the gloves, not so much the earrings), but I was never a big fan of the bell-bottom look and I loved her previous look so it'll take me awhile to get used to the change.
Vi: can't see too much, but I like the return to green and black.
Projectra (Sensor Girl?): I like the costume a lot. Only reservation is the "headboard" part of her carapice. Looks cumbersome.
Saturn Girl: I think she looks too close to her previous incarnation (especially the center stripe look). Could've done with more updating.
Karate Kid: Not crazy about the pajama look, apprehensive about the apparent race change.

Thanks for participating in the thread Barry. I'll chime in my appreciation for the tidbits and feedback!

Oh yeah ... where's WILDFIRE?!?!

[ October 21, 2004, 04:19 PM: Message edited by: DrakeB3004 ]
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Barry Kitson:
Hi Matthew - I'm going to be there from about noon - I'm signing at the Titan desk from 3-4.
Hope you can make it!

---

thanks for the info !!!

i'm working on getting there ........

Matthew.
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 
i think i can go to London tomorrow !!

so i guess i'll see you there, Barry !! i can't wait ....

and hey Darden !! we'll have to meet up ??

[ my train gets to London around 1pm, and i have to leave around 4.30pm ]

hope fully that will be enough time ....

Matthew.
 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 
Yippie I get to make the Princess Jealous

Matthew, I get in a bit sooner than that am and staying over on the Saturday night so I can be pretty flexible. There is a panel at 1.00 that Dan Didio is on that I fancy seeing so we could meet up at that or just after.

Then we can gang up on Barry and I'll hold him down and you can "persuade" him to tell us lots of teasers.
 

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Posted by Sonnie on :
 
See you guys there too, am trying to persuade B and Alan to stop doing DIY and come too.... and it must be B's round (like that'd ever happen!)
 

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Posted by Lad Boy on :
 
I really like the new Legion look. Just enough connection to the Legion I read 15 years ago with the promise of being something better than we've ever seen.

My 2 cents-worth:

Unplug Lightning Lad's legs from time to time. It hurts to look at them.

Ditch Saturn Girl's cape and cuffed gloves.

Ditto Element Lad's. If he is still/was ever gay, he'd never cover up a cute butt with a table cloth from the Martha Stewart K-Mart collection. (Please let him be gay. It seems I was attracted to him long before I knew that either he or I was gay.)

Long Live the Legion's new creative team!
 

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Posted by the boy with UltraPowers on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Faraway Lad:
Yippie I get to make the Princess Jealous

Matthew, I get in a bit sooner than that am and staying over on the Saturday night so I can be pretty flexible. There is a panel at 1.00 that Dan Didio is on that I fancy seeing so we could meet up at that or just after.

Then we can gang up on Barry and I'll hold him down and you can "persuade" him to tell us lots of teasers.

---

yeah i can go !!

see you tomorrow .... and hopefully we'll get some info off Barry !!

btw you met him a while back, didn't you ??

Matthew.
 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sonnie:
See you guys there too, am trying to persuade B and Alan to stop doing DIY and come too.... and it must be B's round (like that'd ever happen!)

---

DIY is very tiring and thirsty work you know.

And if I get B to buy me a drink then she can show me exactly what to do with that trumpet.
 

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Posted by Faraway Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by the boy with UltraPowers:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Faraway Lad:
Yippie I get to make the Princess Jealous

Matthew, I get in a bit sooner than that am and staying over on the Saturday night so I can be pretty flexible. There is a panel at 1.00 that Dan Didio is on that I fancy seeing so we could meet up at that or just after.

Then we can gang up on Barry and I'll hold him down and you can "persuade" him to tell us lots of teasers.

---

yeah i can go !!

see you tomorrow .... and hopefully we'll get some info off Barry !!

btw you met him a while back, didn't you ??

Matthew.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Yellow Kid:
Pictures pictures PICTURES!!!

I don't even know what Kitson looks like.

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sorry !! but Darden and i didn't get any pictures !! [ although, i had to leave early, and Darden was going to the station with Barry, so he may yet have one !! ]

but !!! we did get some cool info !!!

so my other thread on the LSH page .....

Matthew.
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
That's ok Matt. That sketch more than makes up for it!!
...and all the great gossip has me giddy.



Now I can't wait to "debrief" Faraway too.

All in all a very successful mission for a pair of experienced LMBP operatives such as you two. Well done.
 

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Posted by Stargazer on :
 
Nice job on your mission Matt...
We will see what we can get out of him in Dallas.

Maybe a few beers will loosen him up. Right Barry? lol
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Maybe
 

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Posted by Lad Boy on :
 
Well maybe that layover on the way to Dallas isn't too short afterall......
 

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Posted by Luca on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Jorg-El:



Element Lad? I like him with the chin hair and apparent blue underoos. The red and yellow is too much like Sun Boy. Sure the blue/yellow is too much like Dr. Fate...but the Doctor isn't on the team. Plus blue/yellow are complimentary.

Jorge

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hi i'm Luca of the micros group! you too???
this micros are great!!!!!!!!!!!

[ October 27, 2004, 01:16 AM: Message edited by: Luca ]
 

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Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
Hey Barry, the new stuff in B and W looks great. Here's hoping the right colors only add to it.

I know some folk have said that this is it for them and the Legion. Can't say in all honesty i was that high on the new concept, but i will trust ya', lol. But the art work looks fantastic.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Thanks Rickshaw - advance orders suggest there are a LOT more people joining us than leaving! So I'm hoping even the doubters will be won over!

Hope you enjoy the new series
 

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Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
If possible, i wanted to ask about Easter eggs.

I know that a lot of us will be disecting each panel until the excitement wears off. But i cant help thinking about it after reading about Mr. Lampert's passing. Since Flash had a certain connection with the Legion, albiet tenously, will we be seeing any lil easter eggs to past versions and creators? Thanks.
 

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Posted by EuroMutt on :
 
Speaking of easter eggs, are we going to see more 21st century aliens in the 31st than in pervious versions? I'm not saying they have to be Legionnaires or important characeters or anything (I'm not saying they can't be either), but I would hope we could see a lot of the alien species that have been introduced to the current day DCU to give it a bit of continuity without being overt about it.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
I guarantee plenty of easter eggs but I should caution that they won't always be easy to spot - that's where the fun for me comes in
So far no one has been able to spot all the little visual 'eggs' I've included - even Steve Wacker has needed a couple of clues to decipher some of them!
 

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Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
 
....and the gauntlet has been flung.
 

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Posted by EuroMutt on :
 
Barry, out of curiosity, is the macrobot that Colossal Boy is fighting based off the Iron Giant? the proportions look about the same, and I just get that vibe from it...
I loved that movie, and was disapointed that it didn't get more attention. It was a great animation flick that didn't break out into song every five minutes.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Hi Euromutt - any similarities were definitely not intentional -
I thought it was a great movie too though - and I'm very glad the creator is now getting the credit he deserves with The Incredibles - which I also thought was fantastic
 

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Posted by EuroMutt on :
 
yeah, the Incredibles was awsome. When the characters were using their powers, I thought, every superhero flick should look this good. I think one of the reasons the CGI movies are so great is that they have to be so well thought out. They can't afford to spend the money or time on something they aren't sure will work, so everything is really well planned. Too bad the rest of Hollywood doesn't opperate that way (National Treasure, anyone?)
Funny, when I first saw Violet on screen, All I could think was of Shrinking Violet. Maybe someday we'll see the Legion up there.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
I agree on all those points...buy wouldn't it be great to see a Legion movie as good as the incredibles!
 

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Posted by EuroMutt on :
 
If a Legion movie like that came out, I think I would live at the theater.

Now to get away form that tangent, when do we get to see more character sketches?
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
I posted the latest (Karate Kid) today - which I think may be the last for now - as other sheets are still under wraps...but I will try to find more roughs etc that I can share.
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
but..but..I have a blank space in my Barry Kitson gallery that's just begging to be filled with the b/w version of the cover to LSH #3.

Please?

Really though, you've been very generous with all that. I don't know if you're getting tired of us saying thanks but we're probably going to keep saying it anyway.

Man we've still got 41 days to go, I'm in Legion withdrawals.
 

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Posted by Barry Kitson on :
 
Good point YK - I'll send a copy to Nightcrawler today!
 

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Posted by Brainiac68 on :
 
41 days, eh? That's just enough time to start making a Legion back issue rebuy. The collection went after the divorce.
And I can't wait to see Barry's art on the new Legion. I've liked pretty much everything he's done. Empire rocked!
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
Sweet!
This more fun than a bucket full of monkeys.

Yep, 40 days left.
-le sigh-

Legion backissues eh? Not a bad idea Brainy. maybe we ought to do a Silver Age Legion discussion or something just to keep ourselves occupied and off the sreets?
-everybody knows how rowdy LSH fans get without their "fix"-
 

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Posted by Hamz on :
 
Hi Barry,
As I've stated before....I'm really enjoying your art and design work. The new costumes are fantastic. I'm wondering if there are any Legionnaires that you've had a hard time getting a feel for. Ones that posed more of a hurdle when trying to design them.
 

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Posted by Brainiac68 on :
 
Good idea, YK. I don't think I'm to strong on Silver Age, but at least I'll learn some things.

Check out my "Back Issue Rebuy" thread on the MMB


 

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