Ramona Fradon Interview
To listen to the entire interview click on the audio link below.
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I was able to catch up with the lovely Ramona Fradon in NYC at the Big Apple Con 2015.
Ramona has had a remarkable career. She has been an artist on many DC titles but has namely taken part in creating AquaLad and one of my favorites Metamorpho. The interview written below is chiefly about her work with Metamorpho. Below is translated from the audio and does not contain everything, it's the meat of the interview. Q: Would you mind telling us about what the atmosphere was like around the time that you and Bob Haney co-created Metamorpho? A: Superheroes were in vogue. Marvel had started doing some interesting (things) with characters like analyzing them from a psychological point of view with some quirky characters and I think DC imitate that or wanted to get in on that and get in on the popularity of that kind of character. So, George Kashdan, one of the editors at DC who had been a student at this gifted (school) for science and art. He was a very well educated fellow. He thought of this idea for a character who was made up of four elements and he could recombine all the elements and make different (compounds). He could turn his arm into cobalt and all kinds of different things. So that was his (Metamorpho's) particular power. But the interesting thing that I about that feature was that when he was deformed in a freak accident he became really horrible looking. His head looked like a skull. His body was divided into four parts with all different textures but he was still a romantic hero. Q: Did you do all the design work? A: Yes, I did. I designed the whole cast of characters. It was quite a thing to design Metamorpho. At first, I put him in a conventional cap and mask but that didn't suit him. He's too unusual. Then we finally figured out that since his body kept changing into different things that he shouldn't have all these clothes on. So, I divided his body into four sections, each one representing an element. Q: What were some of the challenges of drawing such a science based character? A: Because it was funny the challenge was only in making it look interesting. There was nothing accurate about anything that I drew. It just had to look like something was happening; that he was changing into these different things. He could become smoke, vapor, iron, rubber or whatever. It's a great power. Q: What's your favorite part about the character? A: I like a characters in the story. They're a very rancorous bunch. Sapphire's father hated Metamorpho and he was a nasty old rich man. Then there's this caveman type of character who is in love with Sapphire and he hated Rex Mason, Metamorpho. So, they all hated each other and it was fun drawing all the interaction. There is a little more to the interview. Click on the audio for the hear the rest. |
Duncan Rouleau Interview
To listen to the entire interview click on the audio link below.
Q: I can definitely tell the playfulness and going into the aspects of the hard science with explaining how the responsometers work.
A: What I was hoping for, if I could, was there are some theories and there are some physics approaches that are real that I kind of drifted near. So that if anyone is interested in this stuff they could go read up on it and get the real stuff. Q: How much research did you have to do for this book? You had a fairly significant amount of chemistry in the book. I was pretty impressed. A: Specifically out of these characters, if there was a science they represent it deals with elements. So, chemistry really was at the core of it. I grew up in a house where I had three brothers and all three grew up to be aerospace engineers. I grew up in a house with a lot of experimentation. We would be the rocket ships, Saturn and Jupiter. Science was very important in my house. Oddly enough, both of my parents were artists. So, I was the only one who followed in the family footsteps. When I grew up chemistry sets were a lot bigger and you had access to a lot more. We used an awful lot of it. As a kid when you know you mix certain things together you get certain reactions it’s a little bit like magic. But, you also know how that magic works. But I did read more peer reviewed science articles and technical science manuals and I try to use it as inspiration in my writing. Q: Do you feel like there is more science in comics now than 10 or 20 years ago? A: I do. I do, because technology is becoming such a ubiquitous part of our lives. People 20 years ago did not have a basic understanding of how a lithium battery operated. I think a lot more people at least know that they exist. We are a little more tech savvy as a society. Q: Any more science based comics in the works? A: Always. I think that’s where my passion is. For a more detailed interview listen to the audio link. I hope you enjoy. |
I caught up with Duncan Rouleau at NYCC 2014 to talk to him about his Metal Men series.
Duncan Rouleau is part of Man of Action, a creative collective that has created Ben 10, Generator X, Big Hero 6 among a few other things as well as making a lot of comic books. Q: What drew you to writing to Metal Men? A: Metal Men, in my opinion, have a couple of perfect elements. One of the reason is their fun. They have a sense of fun. I think in a lot of comic books things have been getting a lot more serious and the relationships between the superheroes become more adult as the readership has gotten older. I kinda miss a sense of goofiness that they bring, maybe a naiveté to the world. But, it’s balanced with an embodiment of chemistry and science and a scientific approach you have a playfulness with a chance to actually talk about some hard science in a goofy fun manor. To me that can be just as adult to the people who can follow some of the theories. Also for some of the earlier comic books there was an an eye on the future in some of that stuff and it feels like a lot of people, as far as superhero stuff goes, it’s an eye towards the past about how great it was. Those runs. The golden age. The silver age. All of these great ages. Comic books were always hopefully to me and they are a hopeful team. Those are a lot of the reasons. |
Fred Van Lente Interview
Q: What is your science background?
A: I don’t really have one. My dad is a biochemist. So, I got some science through osmosis. There was a period in the 8th grade when I started dabbling in it. But, fairly early on I started focusing on more artistic endeavors as a high schooler. I like reading science. One of the things I like about doing Howtoons is through the process of explaining it myself I end up understanding it better. It’s the same thing with Action Philosophers, there a lot of learning envolved. You’re not just on the mountain top preaching down to the masses. It’s more like Buggs Bunny putting the boards down as he’s running across the cliff. It’s defiantly a learning by doing situation. Q: What is your favorite type of science? A: I really liked geology a lot when I took it in college and astronomy. We were researching an Action Scientist project in the early Ptolomy era. Q: Is there a science based hero that really calls out to you as being fun? A: That’s hard because so many of them are comic book scientist or mad scientist from all fields. I like the Hulks. I do a lot of Hulk stories. It’s always fun reading about gamma rays and all that kinda stuff. I did Hulk season one with Tom Fowler and Jordy who are doing Howtoons reignition with me now. I did attempt to do some research science based explanation for the Hulk. Q: What series did you work on the Hulk? A: The specific project was called Hulk Season One. A while back Marvel did a bunch of stand alone hard back graphic novels called Season One. They did Dr. Strange, Antman and a bunch of other characters. Tom, Jordy and I did the Hulk. Q: Where do you see the story going in Howtoons and what other science are we going to learn? A: A lot more fun projects with wind. You’re going to meet new characters in the story. The Strombreakers and the orphans have very different energy philosophies. They built their whole society around that. We are satirizing a lot of ideas about concervation, energy and global warming. And there going to be robot dinosaurs. (YAY!) Q: After you finish writing Howtoons do you see yourself writing in more science in comics? A: I hope to. I’ve got a bunch of other projects lined up and a couple that are nonfiction prokects that are not science oriented but it’s a field I love and I would love to come back to it. |
I caught up with Fred Van Lente at NY Comic Con to talk to him about Howtoons and science in comics.
Q: How do you approach writing Howtoons since it is an action adventure mixed with science? A: It’s a fun little fusion. As you know I’m known for Action Philosophers, which is a straight nonfiction series and I’m working on Action Presidents. I’ve also written fiction comics (Spiderman, Archer and Armstrong). But, this is the first time I’ve melded both together. You attempt to integrate, as much as possible, this post apocolytic story line with teaching kids about energy literacy with going through the instructions of the various howtoons. It’s been a fun challenge. Q: How much preparation or research is baring on you before you get down to writing the story? A: Well, when Nick and Engrid Dragotta, brought me on the flew me out to California where they live and I got to meet with their science advisor, Saul Griffith, who’s a terrific inventor, engineer and has been sort of the guru behind Howtoons. He’s been a great resource making sure that everything is scientifically accurate and all that fun stuff. They provided me with a lot of research materials even before I started. |
Dan Jurgens Interview
DC's Metamorpho YEAR ONE printed 2007 was my first SCIENCE REVIEW for the site and so it is only fitting that the first SCIENCE INTERVIEW is with the writer. I must thank Dan Jurgens, the writer of the series for doing the interview. He is a very accomplished writer and artist. He has worked on major characters for both Marvel and DC with the likes of Superman and Captain America. Also, he has worked on other science based characters with the likes of the Metal Men and Solar.
1.) How lead you to writing Metamorpho for DC?
Dan DiDio asked me if I'd like to take a shot and doing the character. I hadn't ever really worked with Metamorpho before and thought it'd be fun.
2.) What is your favorite aspect of the character?
I think there's an opportunity for fun, humor and wide ranging adventure. That doesn't happen in comics too often.
3.) How much did you think about the science of the character when developing the story?
Quite a lot, because I didn't want to come off like a complete idiot.
4.) Since Metamorpho is such a intense science-based character how much science research did you have to do while writing?
I picked up a couple of books in order to both refresh my memory in terms of stuff I'd studied long ago as well as go beyond some of the basics.
5.) How is communicating the science to the artist?
It's crucial, just like communicating every aspect of the story to the artist. Since science is actually quite important to the character, it became a little more important, just as any important character aspects are.
6.) What was your favorite use of Metamorpho’s power in the series?
Forming the wheel strut on the plane. I hope the science on that was accurate.
7.) What’s your favorite science subject?
Given where we're at in terms of potential Climate Change, if I were to immerse myself in anything now, it'd be Earth/Environmental Science
8.) What’s your favorite science-based hero?
It'd have to be Reed Richards, if for no other reason than I think it'd be cool to be that smart AND have the ability he does.
9.) There is growing presence of real science as opposed to “comic bookie science” in comics and entertainment. What opportunities and challenges does this pose for writers?
It's always a question of how far to go.
If you go out of your way as a writer to really dig deep into the scientific aspect of the character or story, you run the risk of moving the story too far away from the average reader.
It's always balance between that and the entertainment aspect of the story.
1.) How lead you to writing Metamorpho for DC?
Dan DiDio asked me if I'd like to take a shot and doing the character. I hadn't ever really worked with Metamorpho before and thought it'd be fun.
2.) What is your favorite aspect of the character?
I think there's an opportunity for fun, humor and wide ranging adventure. That doesn't happen in comics too often.
3.) How much did you think about the science of the character when developing the story?
Quite a lot, because I didn't want to come off like a complete idiot.
4.) Since Metamorpho is such a intense science-based character how much science research did you have to do while writing?
I picked up a couple of books in order to both refresh my memory in terms of stuff I'd studied long ago as well as go beyond some of the basics.
5.) How is communicating the science to the artist?
It's crucial, just like communicating every aspect of the story to the artist. Since science is actually quite important to the character, it became a little more important, just as any important character aspects are.
6.) What was your favorite use of Metamorpho’s power in the series?
Forming the wheel strut on the plane. I hope the science on that was accurate.
7.) What’s your favorite science subject?
Given where we're at in terms of potential Climate Change, if I were to immerse myself in anything now, it'd be Earth/Environmental Science
8.) What’s your favorite science-based hero?
It'd have to be Reed Richards, if for no other reason than I think it'd be cool to be that smart AND have the ability he does.
9.) There is growing presence of real science as opposed to “comic bookie science” in comics and entertainment. What opportunities and challenges does this pose for writers?
It's always a question of how far to go.
If you go out of your way as a writer to really dig deep into the scientific aspect of the character or story, you run the risk of moving the story too far away from the average reader.
It's always balance between that and the entertainment aspect of the story.
To read the SCIENCE REVIEW on Dan's Metamorpho series click HERE
If you have not read his series look to your write, click and BUY! |
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