Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Visionaries of Tomorrow The Origin of ...

He Who Wanders said:
"By the way, you won't remember me, but you signed some LSH issues for me at the KC con back in March or so. I just wanted to say thanks again and for taking the time to chat and show me samples from the Legion "cartoon" that somebody was making."

As a matter of fact, I do recall talking with you at the convention. Thanks for hanging out and shooting the breeze.

Steve

I'm reposting the follow-up Q's, Steve, in case you missed it at the bottom of the first page.

Shaggydoo said:
"I always believed you are one of the best dc artist and it would be great it you did more interior art.

Also what happened on your stint with DOOM PATROL ? Again it was tremendous art and then you were replaced , why ?"

Thank you very much for the kind words.

You know, when I started out in comics, I really was a kid in a candy store. I wasn't the least bit competitive with, or envious of, other artists. I was just happy to be contributing to an artform that I'd loved all my life. What motivated me was the challenge of bettering my own skills and doing the best work that I could do.

Unfortunately, on the Doom Patrol, I was convinced that I was not going to be able to continue to do my best work. I was fortunate on DP to be working with an inker of my own choosing, the very talented Gary Martin. I also got to work with one of my favorite people in the comic industry, a man who loves the Doom Patrol as much as I do, Paul Kupperberg. Beyond that, I really don't want to say. For the record though, I asked to be taken off of the title, citing irreconcilable creative differences.

Under other circumstances I'm convinced that Paul, Gary and myself could have created a Doom Patrol that could stand proudly with the work of Drake and Premiani.

I'm really glad that the Doom Patrol issues that we did produce together seem to be fondly remembered.

Steve Lightle

Reep asked:
"But to be clear, is it your understanding that a fill-in penciller/art team has been selected or that a regular penciller has been selected. Or, I guess, even both."

My understanding is that a team is in place, presumably as series regulars. Perhaps the writers are the same, just teaming up with a new art team. I really don't know.

I'm looking forward to drawing today's Legionnaires. Each character presents intriguing challenges, and I enjoy the challenge of finding the essense of each character. And no, I've not settled on a favorite yet. Still, I'm sure I'll discover favorites as soon as the work begins.

Steve

Steve, it's great to hear that McAvennie is going to let you draw some Legion again! I certainly hope this doesn't fall through as I've heard has happened before [shut up, Lardy--don't jinx it!]

Apparently, he's giving the fans a measure of what we want. Good for him! Now, we just need to get you as the regular artist....

That was it LL, "Christmas with the Super-Heroes #2", from 1989. And I got the quote backwards. Basically, Deadman is feeling sorry for himself at Christmas because he's alone, and Kara reminds him that heroes give their all even if no one remembers we ever even existed. The final caption thanks the creators of Supergirl by name, and assures them "We still remember".

Mark Waid was the editor of that story. So, are you saying he was fired as an editor after this? Good! He's too good a writer to not be devoted to it 100% of the time.

>[...] Kara reminds him that heroes give their all even if no one remembers we ever even existed. <

An appropriate thought, in regard to many civic heroes, before another Nine Eleven rolls around.

And before that particular heroism is, well, put to one side in the public consciousness by the coming war.

... I'm sorry, the tragedy to come -- and war is always a goddamned tragedy, whether it's necessary or not -- has been weighing on my mind.

End of digression.

Omni Craig said:
"Mark Waid was the editor of that story. So, are you saying he was fired as an editor after this?"
****
I never heard that anyone was fired for editing a Supergirl story after she was written out of continuity. I think this must be a rumor or revisionism at work.

Eryk Davis Ester asked:
"Can you give us any info on some of the background characters from the try-out issue (#14)? Particularly the two flying fish types and the red skinned girl with the bandana who made it on the cover."

Those "fish" characters have been referred to as Skreaks ... because that is the sound that Paul had them emitting whenever they appeared. I just remember tossing them in the backgrounds for some kind of visual continuity. I would repeat species types in scenes that called for the casting of "extras" specifically to make the Legion's universe seem more real. Too often artists would create alien characters only to discard them and create new ones for the next scene. Having familiar background types seemed more realistic to me, and may have helped make it all seem a bit more real ... I hope.

Steve

And your efforts are appreciated, Steve! Just one request... when you do your fill-in issue(s), could you work the "Skreaks" into the background somewhere?

The issue to which Steve and some others refer is probably my favorite Baxter issue. As Steve said, creating a cohesive and complete universe for the characters really makes you care about them and makes it all "real."

I've said it before, Steve is one of the all time great Legion artists.

"Skreaks"? How about calling them "Pisces"? As the Legion needs a water-powered member, Pisces would be perfect since they would be the one to have an ability to create waterspout, water vortex, hurricane, water-shooting from their mouths, etc...they have potential...I admit that I am the one who wanted to see them to join the Legion, instead of Tellus or Energy Boy or whoever.

To bad about Doom Patrol - I remember buying the issue after you left and being utterly horrified by how butt-ugly Erik Larsen's art was. To go from an artist like you to Larsen's intentionally more harsh-on-the-eye style seemed a bit of a reckless editorial decision. But there you go. If you'd stuck with the title though I doubt Morrison would have been asked to come on board to re-vamp it as soon as he was.

What about the Mentalla question though? Did you design it as a retro-tribute to Saturn Girl? I always assumed it owed more to Nemesis Kid - after all, that distinctive yellow-and-green helped plant the idea in the readers minds that she was a traitor.

Also - this has been bugging me (saddo!) for a while - who exactly was Terrus in the LSV? Did Levitz give you any clues as to what that character was supposed to be about?

Good question! The "Who was Terrus?" thread comes up here every few months, so it would be nice to have a less speculative answer.

I don't remember Mentalla as being a traitor.
She went undercover to break-up the new Fatal Five and show her worthiness to be in the Legion, I thought.
And was killed.

I know Steve has said he designed Mentalla using his wife as the model (and shown pictures).
He didn't mention the color scheme, though.

Shady

but her costume was soo similar to Saturn Girl's first appearance in Adv. #247 so we wonder if Steve used that as a homage. Is that it, Steve?

Yeah Shady - I know Mentalla went undercover etc. but for the issues after she tried out for the Legion and before she used her powers against Flare there was the big mystery about where she went after she joined the Academy etc culminating in the "shock" revelation she'd joned the Fatal Five. We didn't actually know she was infiltrating the Five until the issue (or mebbe issue before) she died - we were supposed to assume she'd genuinely gone bad.

Traitor is just a big label to use on someone who wasn't.

Nemesis Kid wasn't really even a traitor, he was a spy and undercover agent for the bad guys/enemy.
He wasn't a good guy who changed and joined the other side, he was ALWAYS on the other side.

A 'traitor' is someone like Saruman from LOTR.

Shady

Whatever

The point is, that she was believed to be a traitor, even if she didn't actually turn out to be one.

And one could argue that she betrayed the Emerald Empress.

But I think it's more likely the costume was meant as an homage to the early Saturn Girl. The similarities are far greater than to Nemesis Kid, anyway.

I got his point Eryk, it was just too glib for me.

Mentalla didn't betray the Empress either, she was 'undercover'.

Do you think that a policeman or military agent who goes undercover to catch criminals or terrorists should be labeled 'traitor'?

Words like that have MEANING.

And CK ~ 'whatever' right back at you, dude.

Shadowplay

Sorry, but it does seem to me that if you earn somebody else's trust by making them think that you are loyal to them, and then help their enemies, that the correct description of your actions is that you have "betrayed" their trust, that you have betrayed them, and so, to that extent, you are a traitor to their cause, even if you were never sincere in adopting their cause in the first place.

That is not to say that such actions might not be the morally best actions to take, and appropriate in certain circumstances, just as it may sometimes appropriate to kill or steal from others. Robin Hood is no less a thief because he robs those who are wealthy in an unjust system and gives to those who are victims of the system.

Hey Shady, fancy splitting this hare?

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Rar! Curses! It didn't work!

(it was supposed to look like a bunny rabbit for pete's sake...)

"I got his point Eryk, it was just too glib for me."

We're discussing comic book characters here, not real people, remember? Why make such a big deal out of things?

Or should people just not bother posting in case they ruffle the feathers of the ultra-pedants?