Monthly Archives: March 2020

31Mar/20

Craft: Barb Kaalberg – The Bare Bones: Essential Tools for Inking

Hello, Silverline Family. I was able to reach out to Barbara Kaalberg and get her input on what her set-up for inking looks like. Barbara has been inking comics for a while now, and is a master of line work. She has worked on titles like Cat & Mouse, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Ultraforce, and many more. With her experience she could teach a masterclass on the subject. In this entry, she talks about her preferences for the tools needed for inking comic books.

The Bare Bones: Essential Tools for Inking

Hi, my name is Barbara Kaalberg and I’ve been an inker for a little over 30 years. I’ve recently stuck my toe into the world of digital inking, because I’ve been curious, and I’ve got one penciller whose style, I think, really lends itself to that form of inking but, for the most part, I’m an old school inker and still stick with traditional methods. I like to have something to sell at conventions, ya know?

Back in “the day,” old school inking was either done with a pen and nib (which I never really got into) or it was all about the Windsor & Newton, series 7, size 2 brush, which most brush inkers swore by. It was a round, finely pointed brush made out of Kolinsky Sable, and was the top of the line brush. In the last few years, however, the quality seems to have declined and, while I still use them, I am finding that I prefer the Raphaél 8404’s, sizes 1 and 2. Again, they are made from Kolinsky Sable and have a nice, springy feel to them. Very finely pointed, they create a smooth line that is easy to vary in size. You’d have to test both out to see which you prefer. It used to be you would have to order these from an art store, like Dick Blick, but now you can order these right off of Amazon!

As for the ink, again, qualities have changed over the years. When once Higgins ‘Black Magic’ used to be the gold standard, it’s opacity has shifted slightly over the years. I don’t know if they messed with the formula but I’m not the only inker who’s switched to other options. I now use Speedball ‘Super Black’, which I get in 32 oz. squeeze bottles. These are available from Dick Blick and, strangely enough, JoAnn Fabrics/Crafts and Walmart.com.

When I’m not using a brush, I use the Sakura Pigma Micron pens. Just any old marker or pen won’t do, because they will fade and/or eat away the paper over time. A sharpie is absolutely the worst marker you could use on your artwork. Microns are acid free, archival pens that are fade-proof in sunlight and UV lighting. They come in a variety of sizes but I find myself using the size 2 most of the time. Again, you can get these straight off of Amazon.

Every inker has their own preference for white out. Some swear by Daler Rowney ‘Pro White’ or Dr. Martins ‘Bleed Proof White’. Some even use just plain old white correction pens (although they are very definitely NOT archival friendly!). I use a simple ninety-nine cent white acrylic craft paint like Apple Barrel or Delta Ceramcoat. It comes in a little squeeze bottle and can be found in any Walmart or Target or craft store. Why? Because it dries quick, it dries waterproof and it is very, very easy to ink over. It won’t yellow or eat the page, either. One of my pet peeves is to have my black ink mix with a white correction and turn into grey mud. Fortunately I make very, very few mistakes and rarely have to use white out.

There you go. The bare bones basics of what essentials are needed for comic book inking.

 

24Mar/20

Silverline Title Spotlight: Cat & Mouse Vol. #1, issues 9 – 12

The Greatest Foil
(A literary review of Cat and Mouse issues 9 – 12)

One of the greatest debates of the 20th century has been “what constitutes the greatest foil?”  Let’s review a few of the major contenders:

Tin foil, a product introduced in the late 19th century, was the primary metal foil food wrap through World War II. Although stiff, tin foil was practical. However, tin had a penchant to inadvertently leech an unwanted metallic taste from its silver sheathe into its consumable contents.

Tin’s eventual replacement, Aluminum Foil, was more malleable, was less likely to alter the tastes of the food contained therein, was less expensive and was – all around – a welcomed upgrade from the tin standard.

Gold foil is, as you would expect, exponentially more expensive than either tin or aluminum. This foil is utilized by NASA in a variety of products including space suits, space craft, and satellite design.  Radiation (remember Cosmic Radiation??) is one of the many dangers Gold Foil protects spacefaring astronauts from – thus ensuring astronauts will not return to Earth with Fantastic Four-esque powers and abilities.

Gold Foil, in flake form, is the defining trait of the popular cinnamon schnapps liquor known as Goldschläger.

Comic books with Gold Foil enhancements – from logos to backgrounds to the entire comic cover – helped fuel the fires of comic speculation in the 1990s, but as these enhancements became commonplace and lost their luster, they also contributed to the decline – and near decimation – of the comic book industry as a whole within a decade.

And Chromium comic book enhancements . . . don’t even get me started on the ‘90s chromium bandwagon . . . the same bandwagon that seems to be re-gaining traction this generation, in fact . . .  🙂

But the concept of a FOIL, from a literary definition, is a widely used writer’s tool. When used properly, it provides the reader with an impactful method of comparing and contrasting characters – characters who may have parallel backgrounds, a shared history, or competing goals.  Developing literary foil(s) in a story allows the reader to experience and understand the main character(s) via a delivery method that is infinitely more powerful than simply comparing and contrasting characters through overtly factual, detailed, BORING, narrative passages.

Literary foils may, or may not, be adversaries of the characters they mirror, although they often are.  Some of the best adversarial foils in comics share similar origins.  Science is the foundation for both Spider-Man and the Green Goblin.  The gift of Power Rings grants both Green Lantern and Sinestro abilities constrained only by their imaginations.  The X-Men have had a number of similar foils including, but not limited to, the Hellfire Club, the Reavers, and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.  Wolverine vs. Sabretooth. The Fantastic Four vs. Doctor Doom.  Professor X vs. Magneto.  Thor vs. Loki.  The Justice League vs. the Crime Syndicate. Hawk and Dove vs. Kestrel. You get the idea.

Writer Roland Mann is a master of the “slow burn” . . . foreshadowing important characters, situations, or actions yet to be revealed.  During the previous story-arc, Wearin’ and Tearin’, you will remember that Mann introduced a mysterious and brutal duo, through cameos across the four issue arc, and dropped clues as to their origins. Brutal this mysterious duo is indeed, as they tracked police officers with known Mafia ties and executed them in cold blood. Few details of this duo were released outside of the fact that they were “specialized” Yakuza-associates who predated Cat and Mouse’s enlisting with the organization.

This provides the first of many foils that are presented within this story arc.  This duo – as we will learn is code named Tooth and Nail – is the Yakuza’s Yin to the Mafia’s Yang.  Both are ruthless crime syndicates but they hold and practice significantly different codes of honour, etiquettes, and protocols.  As Tooth and Nail were mentioned in the same breath as our protagonists, Cat and Mouse, the reader instinctively begins to mentally compare and contrast the two duos . . .the two duos that were both trained by the same martial arts sensei – Kunoichi!

When confronted with information pertaining to current crimes in New Orleans, Detective Martin Rossman, Jerry (Cat’s) superior officer, exclaims that he really wants “to nail the Yakuza.”  Jerry, in response, asks “What about the Mafia?”  Rossman stares blankly at Jerry.  Jerry knows Rossman is on the take; another layer of foil resurfaces.

Jerry continues his quest to recover a bullet used in the slaying of an officer in order to match calibers and markings to the bullet that veterinarian Keith (Demon) Grayson extracted from Mouse’s (Mandy’s) back (as illustrated in our first issue).

At the grave of fallen officer Claude Beauchamp an unplanned, but game changing, face-to-face encounter between Rossman and Cat occurs. Wait . . .I mean between Rossman and Jerry.  Actually, I mean both.

As Rossman and Cat face off, verbal barbs are exchanged and Cat removes his cowl, revealing his identity to his boss in a power play where he blackmails Rossman into collaborating with him against the Mafia and Yakuza, threatening to bring Rossman’s career and life crashing down on him should he reveal the secrets he knows. A cop acting to end all gang activities in New Orleans vs. a cop holding secret allegiances to a criminal organization. Yet another foil.The long-awaited first meeting between Cat (note: no Mouse – just Cat) and Tooth & Nail emerges unexpectedly.  The long anticipated first epic battle . . . didn’t happen. Tooth referred to their ongoing “slay” list, and stated that they have only come to kill Martin Rossman. They have zero interest in engaging with Cat.  They promise to return for Rossman when he is alone and start to take their leave.  Shocked, Cat exclaims that they “can’t do that” and lunges towards Nail, fists flying, attempting to stop them from leaving.  However, what can’t even be described as a scuffle quickly ends as Cat finds himself greatly outmatched by Nail, who had only toyed with Cat, keeping him at a distance without striking back, while Cat was physically giving his all.  The duo quietly and peacefully exited the graveyard . . . while promising Rossman that another visit will indeed follow. . .

This scene, coupled with the scene with Tooth and Nail debriefing with their Yakuza boss, is my favourite foil example in this series.  Tooth and Nail, the duo described as “more brutal than Cat and Mouse” seemed to be almost pacifist in their first encounter with Cat?  While Cat, a single individual with adrenaline pumping, was ready to engage a known dangerous pair in battle?  Nail is unquestionably stronger than Cat, yet Nail did not harm Cat even in the slightest, and even after Cat was the aggressor?  And the fact that Tooth and Nail, who, after being shown brutally killing others in previous issues, are shown to abide to killing those on their “list,” but only those on the list (IE – not Cat)?? AND, on top of that, they ultimately DO leave the graveyard in a pacifist manner.  These would not have been the actions expected by most readers, which highlights the brilliance of Mann’s writing strategy.  Provide the unexpected.  Foil. Foil. Foil.

Unfortunately, Cat’s unprovoked attack on Nail got him, officially, on Tooth and Nail’s “slay list” by authority of their Yakuza boss.

And where has Mandy Paige (Mouse) been all this time? Hanging out with Demon. Asking him about Kevlar upgrades she has in mind for her and Cat’s suits. Which led to a first date with Demon! To the movies (the movie just happened to be an adaptation Mann scripted for Malibu Comics). In public, no less! AND their first kiss afterwards.  Demon discusses, with Mandy, his Church of Abaddon problem (which provides the foundation to the amazing four issue Demon’s Tails mini-series!) and is later visited by Cat (while washing an alligator no less!) who asks for his assistance with retrieving the bullet that shot Mandy for comparison to the known mafia slug he “liberated” from the evidence room earlier in this story arc.At the onset of Cat and Mouse’s career, Mouse made mention about possibly working for the Mafia. Cat quickly denounced that idea and indicated “maybe the Yakuza, though. They have a sense of honour.”  Cat’s statement was proven true as FIVE armed Mafia agents stormed into Jerry and Mandy’s apartment in search of police officer Jerry and a package – on the orders of Martin Rossman himself. A fight ensues, the five Mafia agents come to believe that the cop (Jerry) is under the protection of Cat and Mouse (not putting 2 + 2 together that Jerry IS Cat – these Mafia types aren’t so smart, are they??), Mouse gets her hands on (and fires) her first gun (and likes it!!) and the duo quickly catch up to Rossman, on assignment, to let him know his assault squad failed and that they will not tolerate any more backstabbing. Foils galore shine here across Tooth, Nail, Cat, Mouse, Rossman, extending the range from honor, dignity, restraint vs. treachery, deceit, omission of information, to sole focus on self-preservation.

Cat tracks Rossman down to his home address and finds Tooth and Nail not only in his residence but IN POSSESSION of Rossman’s newborn child.  With Rossman and his wife knocked to the ground, Tooth and Nail give Cat the opportunity to leave without battle, but promise that his turn will be coming soon.  Cat turns and closes the door behind him, leaving the Rossman family unprotected against Tooth and Nail.But not for long . . .

As Cat focuses his chi and strategizes his plan to save the baby, Mandy and Demon go on another date, this time to celebrate Mardi Gras.  Mandy gets drunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnk as she and Demon are painting New Orleans purple, green, and gold. (And, yes, Mandy DID earn some beads while inebriated.)

But back to the action. This time, Tooth and Nail are empowered to engage Cat as he IS now on their “slay list;” an epic battle ensues. During the fight, Nail throws Cat through the front window and follows him outside to continue sparring.  Rossman gains access to his pistol and shoots Tooth, even as she is holding his child!  Rossman also shoots Nail, in the back, as Nail is battling Cat.  The two villains flee into the night with Rossman’s child. Rossman pleads for Cat to rescue his baby.  As Cat picks up a katana left behind by Tooth, he promises to – for the child.  Cat tracks Tooth and Nail through out the neighbourhood. Nail, having taken refuge in the branches of a tree, jumps down to confront a passing Cat. Cat instinctively slashes with the katana – severing all the digits on Nail’s right hand! Cat and Nail battle mano y mano after another katana cut slash relieves Cat of his weapon.  With Nail crushing Cat’s back, Cat grabs Nail’s neck, pushing his fingers deeply into Nail’s throat . . .

Somehow, off-panel, Nail escapes Cat’s clutches.  Cat crosses paths with Mandy and Demon, who had been tracking the action by scent after being alarmed by the sounds of gunshots earlier.  Demon takes hot pursuit, tackles Tooth, which causes the baby to be launched into the air only to safely land into Mandy’s outstretched arms.

Meanwhile, the ongoing battle between Cat and Nail reaches a fever pitch as blood splatters off of both participants as they continue to punch, cut, and slice each other with impunity. Cat’s face and chest had been sliced a dozen times; deep, deep cuts as a lumberjack would inflict into a redwood with an axe. As Nail turns his attention to Mandy and the baby, beaten and bloodied Cat arises, lunges in the bravest act of protection, breaks Nail’s arm, and delivers a series of emotionally charged blows. This blood rage borders on possession and leaves Nail incapacitated – permanently.

Delivered to the hospital, and after sixteen hours of surgery, the title character lays in a coma.  Rossman, Mandy, and Demon are by his bedside.  Rossman uncovers a surprising sense of loyalty and gratitude as he looks at Jerry’s unmoving body and promises him, and the others, that he will do everything in his power to clear Cat and Mouses’ name.

This four-issue story arc also included a short story that focused exclusively on Martin Rossman and his Mafia connections; connections that reveal his fragile emotional state, his regret for the slippery slope into corruption he found himself in, and, finally, the fear he feels being a part of the Mafia world at all.  This “private” Rossman interlude provided the reader an introspective look at Martin Rossman that was a distinct foil to the seriousness, bordering on arrogance, often portrayed by “Officer Rossman.”

And, as Roland Mann does so extremely well, a short sequence in this arc introduced yet another duo trained by Kunoichi – who were bestowed the code names Skull and Crossbones at the end of their training with her, providing us with still another foil for Cat and Mouse.  (And, in the future, others . . . but that is a different story for a different spotlight!)

And, the MOST important thing that occurred during these four action packed issues?  In Issue 12’s letter column, Roland responded to a young high school kid who submitted a fan letter as Cat and Mouse was his favourite comic book.  A pen-pal friendship grew from that dorky teen’s submission – which, through technology, became an online friendship, a phone friendship, and nearly 30 years later brought him (and his own publishing house) to join Silverline! (Yes, it’s me!)

The talent that brought these issues to life consisted of the ever-impressive:

Roland Mann – the Mann with the Plan! Cat and Mouse writer and Silverline Editorial Director, would, later in his career, become writer, editor and eventually Managing Editor at Malibu Comics.  He has been the driving force of Silverline as a publisher, including the current relaunch of the brand!

Mitch Byrd, series artist, would, later in his career, grace multiple Malibu comics with his artwork as well as provide artwork for myriad publishers on a plethora of titles.  Mitch held a notable run on the Green Lantern character “Guy Gardner: Warrior” title.

Ken Branch, inker of each of the four issues in this story arc, later went on to not only provide inks on multiple issues of Cat and Mouse’s sister publication SilverStorm, but also worked for Marvel, DC, Image Comics, Malibu Comics, Valiant Comics, First Comics, and Comico.

Twelve issues of Cat & Mouse – Volume 1 down. Six more to go. Keep your eyes open for the next exciting Cat & Mouse series spotlight!

17Mar/20

Two big announcements!

Kayless #2 kickstarter is live!

Many of you have raved about Kayless #1, successfully kickstarted several months ago, and we’re happy to let you know that Kayless #2 is live on kickstarter NOW! #2 picks up right where #1 left off. If you missed #1, don’t worry, you can still pick up a copy.

The creative team of Brent T. Larson, Luis Czerniawski, and Leandro Huergo return and the book looks stellar! How do we know? Well, we’ve seen it. Yes, the entire thing. Mike W. Belcher joins them as letterer! In keeping with Silverline’s crowdfunding policies, we won’t kickstart a comic until the creative work is finished. Of course, the books still have to be printed and shipped, but in general, we always intend to start fulfilling crowdfunders within approximately 6-8 weeks. We’re batting 1000% so far! So please, back with confidence because Kayless #2 is finished and ready to print!

The kickstarter features an Alex Gallimore exclusive cover. The only way you’ll get Kayless #2 with that cover is to support the kickstarter, so what are you waiting for? Go back!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rolandmann/kayless-1-and-2

Silverline Live!

The second big announcement today is that starting tomorrow night, Silverline will be doing some LIVE streaming. We want to do it, yes, of course, to promote all the very cool projects we’re doing, but to also make the creators behind the awesome Silverline titles more real and accessible to you. Assuming we get questions, we’ll definitely be there to answer and address them; we’ll have regular indy comic reviews, complete with grades, and not just a summary of the story. We’ll get to discussions about the craft of making comics, and lastly, we’ll have artists drawing and working on Silverline projects while we talk.

We’ll be streaming live on three places tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 9pm:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_wuBxQzysURBxKkW-T5wg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilverlineComics/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/silverlinecomics/

So, hop on over at 9pm tomorrow night and give us a listen—say hello—ask a question.

And go support Kayless!

Make Mine Silverline!

10Mar/20

Craft: Sidney Williams – 5 Guidelines and a Few Thoughts on Comics and Captions

Hello again, Silverline Family. I had the pleasure of being able to talk with author and comic writer Sidney Williams. In terms of comics, some of his titles include The Mantus Files, Bloodline, Sirens, Marauder, and The Scary Book. In my personal opinion, he is a master in terms of suspense and dark or unsettling themes. He is also one of the most reliable and professional individuals I know. He agreed to contribute a piece about the craft of writing comics. In the following entry, Sidney talks about Captions, how he views their place in comics and how he uses them when writing himself.
-Tim

5 Guidelines and a Few Thoughts on Comics and Captions
by Sidney Williams

I’d like to say a few words in defense of captions.

Media evolve and affect each other. Film impacted the detail and flow of the 19th Century novel as the 20th Century moved forward. Literature affected comics then film affected comics, eventually comics affected literature and so on.

Comics, of course, draw on prose fiction. Heavy use of prose narration is characteristic of some early comics. Check a reprint of one of the ‘50s EC Comics (https://www.eccomics.com/history) titles such as Tales from the Crypt, and you’ll find instances of dense text blocks and speech bubbles with characters saying a mouthful.

EC stories were inspired by, or culled from, pulp magazines, so that’s possibly one culprit. Ray Bradbury wound up adapting his own stories for them, often preserving the narrative voice of the source material in pieces like “The October Game” in Shock Suspense Stories #9. (Link: https://comicvine.gamespot.com/shock-suspenstories-9/4000-517/)

Read more about Ray Bradbury’s relationship with comics and graphic novels
https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/08/ray-bradbury-comic-book-hero/

You don’t even have to look that far back,. As recently as the 1980s and Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, the captions are almost novelistic.

Over time, narrative prose has given way to more reliance on visual storytelling in comics reflecting perhaps what many filmmakers and theorists consider the ideal, where speech and images convey the story with no intrusive narration. But in the ‘80s you’d get passages like:

“He feels the cut of the October wind hears the dull throb of New York City below him. He wonders when the city started making him sick.” — Daredevil #226, January, 1986. Story by Denny O’Neil & Frank Miller
(Link for Marvel Database on issue: https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/8214/daredevil_1964_226)

That certainly gives us a look into a Matt Murdock’s soul.

I’m not saying comics script writers need to be Charles Dickens or Bradbury or even ‘80s Miller.

I would suggest that comics, while they’re a visual medium, aren’t film. They’re of the printed page. They afford some tools not available to filmmakers. The right use of those tools help make the comic book and graphic novel world more dynamic and enriching.

So what’s the rule of thumb for captions? In a word, judicious. In an expansion on that thought:

1. Captions should be used to expand or enrich the reader’s experience, never as a crutch for the writer.

If you just need to tell us it’s Los Angeles, “Caption: Los Angeles” will do.

Maybe a few more thoughts in black and white are in order to stimulate conversation and the creative imagination.

2. If we can see it, you don’t need to tell us what we see.
That’s the big duh of comics writing, but sometimes if you don’t print things outright in black and white text, people don’t pay attention. If we can see a hero approaching a vampire’s crypt, opening the coffin and positioning a stake over the heart, don’t tell us: He positions the stake over the vampire’s heart.

If you use a caption for a scene like that…. [Note from the editor: I will cut that caption SO FAST]

3. Make sure a caption provides insight into character, the hero’s soul, spirit or philosophy.
That’s not an excuse to go full Kierkegaard, but if it tells us something more than we can see like that Miller passage above, the reader’s invited to think, not just look on.

Caption: He hesitates as the stake’s whittled point rests against flesh.

Caption: Is this a life he is about to end?
Or something different?

Caption: What should the act of terminating the undead be called?

Gives us a little more than:

SFX: Thunk!

Vampire: Aieeeeeeee!

4. Captions should fit the world established in the comic book or graphic novel.

You might not want to get heavy-handed with captions. When can they be used artistically? In something like Image’s Fatale from 2012, the comic’s world is inspired by film noir, where voiceover narration was used to carry some of the flavor of the first-person crime novels of Raymond Chandler or James M. Cain that helped give birth to the noir style. You’ll find far more effective captions in evidence in Fatale or in something like Frank Miller’s similarly noir-inspired Sin City, which started in 1991.

5. First-person narration open a character’s thoughts.
Speaking of first-person narration, that has supplanted the old comics staple the thought balloon. Thought balloons are so passé they’re almost out of sight in the rearview mirror. First-person captions, on the other hand are still handy. The staking contemplation above could easily be rendered in first person.

When the concept was fairly new, you’d get a tiny little mug shot of the character inside the caption box, and the text would be in quotation marks. The convention’s familiar enough that that’s not needed any longer, though sometimes we get cues such as the caption being the color identified with the character. John Constantine’s first person captions match his raincoat in Justice League Dark, for example.

Just apply all of the judicious thought to first person as you do any captions. Do they help the story? Add something to character or thematic texture without getting heavy handed? Then deploy.

Those are just a few thoughts. Nothing’s set in stone nor a replacement for your own careful observation or environmental scanning as you read the comics you enjoy. Don’t just read. Take note.

Meanwhile…

Creators went on with their work.

Caption Marauder:

My way-back Silverline title, the noir-inspired Marauder, used a bit of first person narration. Note quotation marks were still the convention in those days.

03Mar/20

Silverline Creator Spotlight: Dean Zachary

Each month we’ll be shining the spotlight on a Silverline creator and sharing their secret origin story, learning what makes them tick, and giving you the scoop on how they came up in the comics world.  

Up this time is Dean Zachary, a professional comic book artist, who has worked with famous characters ranging from Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern for DC Comics, to titles such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for Dark Horse Comics.

Now, without further ado, we present to you…

10 QUESTIONS WITH … DEAN ZACHARY

Dean Zachary
SILVERLINE: So, Dean, who are you and where do you hail from? 
 
DEAN ZACHARY: Jonesboro, AR.
 
SILVERLINE: What would you say it is you do here at Silverline?
 
DZ: Penciller.
 
SILVERLINE: Where might Silverline readers have seen your work previously?
 
DZ: I’ve done work with DC Comics, Malibu, and Dark Horse Comics, working with titles such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and massive franchises like Star Wars.
 
*Editor’s Note: Check out Dean’s extensive resume right here.
 
SILVERLINE: Many creators at Silverline have been in the comics industry for years — what’s kept YOU plugging away at comics? What do you enjoy most about the medium, as well as your specific trade?
 
DZ: I’ve always been fascinated with telling Cinematic Stories through drawings.  Seeing the “Movie” in my head while reading the script, I have a natural ability to share the Signature Scenes that encapsulate and communicate the story in panels.
 
I also love Line Work, such as Contour Hatching, Motion Lines and Expressive Line to emphasize action and mood.  As my colleagues are well aware, I also like Atmosphere, and insist on populating my scenes with floating leaves, rain, ash, snow, sleet, fog or dramatic lighting to accentuate themes and elicit certain emotions.
 
Referencing Locations with photos also helps with establishing the Setting as a Character, which makes the story more memorable. I’ve also been known to use what I call a “Strobing Effect” which is basically drawing several positions of a thrown Punch or Kick as if it’s captured by a sequence of stills and pasted into one panel.
 
My preference is also to use Hatching and Line Work to define Form and Volume, instead of depending on the Colorist. I’m often heard saying things like, “Every Line Counts!”
 
SILVERLINE: What was the first comic you remember reading that made you think, “Hey, I could do this!”
 
DZ: Marvel Preview #11 Presents Starlord (1977) by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Seeing the comic in black & white really inspired me!
 
SILVERLINE: Who were some of your earliest influences on your art?
 
DZ: Neal Adams. John Byrne. Frank Frazetta. Gil Kane. John Romita, Sr. Jim Lee. Marc Silvestri.
 
SILVERLINE: What was the first comic you ever worked on professionally?
 
DZ: ‘It: The Terror From Beyond Space”
 
SILVERLINE: Can you still read that Terror from Beyond Space today without wincing?
 
DZ: No, I still wince!
 
SILVERLINE: If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice that would help him better navigate the comics industry, what would it be? 
 
DZ: Hey, younger Dean, move to New York and go by the Marvel/DC Offices every day until they give you a job.
 
SILVERLINE: Morbid question, but still important — after you die, would you rather your memory be memorialized with an overpass or a parking lot? 
 
DZ: Neither. I’d rather be memorialized with a cool statue. Just sayin!!