joey cavalieri | DC Comics

DC Comics All Access: Joey Cavalieri

Gimme a second, I'll be with you in just a little bit. The next issue of ANIMAL MAN is about to off to the printer, and I need to make sure that it's got everything it should. Sheer, stark terror at overwhelming forces beyond human comprehension, depicted in ways that would give Caligula nightmares? Check. The requisite amount of complete and utter strangeness that leaves even the most jaded comic book readers slackjawed? Check. Enough domestic squabbling among the Bakers to make our fans feel like the time they spent with their own families during the holidays was totally kumbaya by comparison? Check. Yep, thumbs up. This one's ready to go!

Now I can get on the phone with Jeff Lemire and we can talk about the year ahead for the benighted Baker clan. Spoiler alert: it's looking too good. For them, that is. You, on the other hand, are in for the thrill-ride of your lives.

Moritat has put the finishing touches on his inspired art for the latest issue of ALL STAR WESTERN, and it's a gem, a beauty, a joy to behold. Just to tease: beyond the usual deft characterizations and architectural delights, the particular issue all boils down to location, location, location. Two words: "Bat Cave." If you've been avoiding this title because of the word "Western" in it, let me tell you, I used to feel the same way. Then I grew up. Take it from a guy who never starts a sentence with the word "seriously." Seriously, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Moritat have broadened the horizons of what you can expect from a comic book Western. It would be a shame if you missed this because of some unfortunate predisposition toward people in Stetsons. The frontier symbolized freedom for generations, and in our small way it represents a creative freedom that has made the book a trailblazer.

Kevin Maguire dropped by yesterday, and I promised him that I'd try to get everybody here to learn to count to 53. The unofficial fifty-third book, at least from my standpoint, is MY GREATEST ADVENTURE, strong accent on the word "GREATEST." Kev showed me the pages for the "Tanga" feature in the latest issue, and they're just as wild and uninhibited and imaginative as anything he's ever done. Have you noticed how he's become the master of facial expression? Have you been laughing at Kevin's way of giving Tanga just the right smart remark? Have you been checking out the amazing coloring by Rosemary Cheetham? She made me say that. Actually, no, she didn't at all, but I think you should see it, if you like looking at things that are amazing. The stuff just doesn't look like anything else out there, and that gladdens me. Other amazing things in the book are Matt Kindt and Scott Kolins' Robotman feature, and Aaron Lopresti's Garbage Man. They really shine. When you're at the comic book rack, flip through MY GREATEST ADVENTURE and see for yourself. It's "one louder."

Your pal,

Joey Cavalieri

Tags:

aaron lopresti, All-Star Western, animal man, jeff lemire, jimmy palmiotti, joey cavalieri, justin gray, kevin maguire, Matt Kindt, moritat, My Greatest Adventure, rosemary cheetham, scott kolins

No trick, all treat: A third printing of ANIMAL MAN # 1 is on its way

(The cover to the third printing of ANIMAL MAN #1)

Some books are so good you want to talk about them with your family, your co-workers, your Twitter followers, your Facebook friends and, well, just about the whole wide world. You want to yell from your rooftop "Read this book!"

ANIMAL MAN, the acclaimed series from writer Jeff Lemire and artist Travel Foreman, is stirring up that kind of passion from critics and fans alike. In fact, there's so much excitement that ANIMAL MAN # 1 is the latest DC COMICS - THE NEW 52 title to go back to press for a new printing.

Here's what writer Jeff Lemire had to say about the third printing and the series' early success:

"I can't express how happy I am with the success of Animal Man, its a book I care deeply about. Travel Foreman, Lovern Kindzierski and I are pouring our hearts into each issue and it's a real thrill to see so many people responding. Scott Snyder and I just got back from New York where we had a series of meetings with editor Joey Cavalieri, Group Editor Matt Idelson as well as Bob Harras and Eddie Berganza. We laid out our ambitious plans for both Animal Man and Swamp Thing, and I think I can safely say that no one will be able to guess what's coming next. We have a huge story planned that's filled with adventure, horror and drama. The Baker family is in for quite a ride, and I hope all the fans and readers will stick around to see what we have planned!"

As you may have seen, ANIMAL MAN has inspired a massive amount of attention:

“Travel Foreman's art is innovative and excellently creepy when it needs to be, and will hopefully get a lot of eyes as Lemire's everyman hero makes his mark in the new DC Universe.” – USA Today

“A profound meditation on consumer culture and the economy of disposability.” – PopMatters

“Animal Man has the sensational Jeff Lemire at the helm.” – Entertainment Weekly

“A strange, dark fantasy book with unpredictable plots and fantastic art.” – Complex Magazine

“Haunting…Travel Foreman provides sleek, meticulous art that grounds the book in reality, and he uses inventive page layouts during the scenes in the Baker home to create visual excitement where the situations are less fantastic…Animal Man is just a cool, odd character, grounded in the real world but still very much a superhero.” – The Onion AV Club

“I don’t want to overhype it, but if you don’t love it from the very first page, you’re not human.” – MTV Geek

“The best thing to come out of the DC relaunch. Absolutely knocked it out of the park…Gold stars for the creative team.” – io9

“Visceral and intriguing.” – SFX

“This book sets the benchmark.” – Comic Book Resources

“A great introduction to Animal Man for new readers, while also giving long-time fans something fresh to be excited about.” – IGN

“Amazing.” – Ain’t It Cool News

“Well-crafted and bold.” – iFanboy, Pick of the Week

“Animal Man is one you can’t pass up.” – Bloody Disgusting, Pick of the Week

With Halloween, just around the corner, we can't imagine a better gift for #AllHallowsRead then ANIMAL MAN. Help spread the word. And for an exclusive preview of issue #3, head on over to USA TODAY's POP CANDY.

Tags:

animal man, bob harras, DC Comics-The New 52, eddie berganza, jeff lemire, joey cavalieri, pop candy, scott snyder, swamp thing, third printing, usa today

DC Comics All Access: Bob Harras

And so we come to Week Four–marking the end of September, the month that ushered in the debut of DC Comics-The New 52 and the unprecedented transformation of the entire DC Universe. It’s hard to believe we’re finally here because for us September started a long time ago. Let me explain:

It’s been quite a ride since the writers conference that initiated this evolution. It’s been a year of pitch meetings, story conferences and design sessions that often went far into the night. It’s been a year of hard work on everyone’s part and truth be told – it’s been a lot of fun.

One of my favorite aspects of this period was our weekly New 52 editorial meeting. Every Friday, all of us in DC Editorial—me, our Executive Editor Eddie Berganza, VP Art Direction & Design Mark Chiarello, Coordinating Editor Liz Gehrlein, Group Editors Matt Idelson and Mike Marts, Senior Editors Bobbie Chase and Joey Cavalieri, Editors Pat McCallum, Brian Cunningham and Rachel Gluckstern, Associate Editors Janelle Asselin, Harvey Richards, Rex Ogle, Wil Moss, Chris Conroy and Assistant Editors Sean Mackiewicz, Katie Kubert, Kate Stewart, Darren Shan and Rickey Purdin—would assemble in our conference room for a two-hour gathering (complete with pizza—any cholesterol concerns temporarily forgotten) not to discuss schedules, or production concerns (these we saved for other meetings)—but to share. Everyone came to that meeting with whatever new material had excited them: whether it was a new script, new art from one of the titles, new designs or new logo concepts. It allowed everybody to see what was being used to build The New 52. Pages would be passed around, discussions would ensue—but most of all, excitement would build.

As that excitement built I was constantly reminded that comics are unique. Unlike movies, or TV, or even video games, comics have no budgetary restraints. A writer and an artist working together as a team can move you from the banality of an office in a major American metropolis to the heart of a dying planet from one page to the next. They can bring characters you care passionately about to places that cannot possibly exist except in the realm of imagination…or in comics.

It is that blend of story and art—that sense of wonder—that you will see in such titles as AQUAMAN by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, or TEEN TITANS by Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth or THE FLASH by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato. These are only three examples of the excitement we can finally share with you as part of the New 52.

September may be ending (longest September ever)—but for The New 52 and for DC Comics, trust me, things are only getting started…

See you in October,

Bob Harras – Editor in Chief

From The Editor’s Desk: Joey Cavalieri

Maybe I have a little too much of what might be termed “peripheral vision.” As much as I enjoy the comics that carry the thrust of the “mainstream,” I tend to follow whatever flows off the main stem to see where they may lead. I like the periphery, the left field, the off-beat, the eccentric. Show me an edge and I’ll sail off it.

I’ve been very lucky: I’ve been able to work on a lot of comics that had a reputation for straying from the pack. That streak of luck has continued with DC Comics-The New 52.

Have you heard about ANIMAL MAN yet? It’s already garnering a reputation for being different from the pack. I’ve read a lot of comic books, and I’ve never seen anything like what Travel Foreman is putting into his pages. He’s clearly inspired by the scripts he’s getting from Jeff Lemire, in which Buddy Baker … and his whole family … are forced to confront strange new worlds they never counted on seeing in their lifetimes.

Jeff’s also behind FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. This is a far cry from Mary Shelley’s monster: he’s now a secret agent for the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive, wielding a sword against monsters ten times as ugly and formidable as he is. Alberto Ponticelli’s been drawing this, and he and Jeff seem to be in a friendly competition: the more insane the concept, the more Alberto tries to one-up him in the visual department. A thousand monsters in a panel? A city in a globe? A strange new incarnation of Father Time? The ideas fly between them pretty fast, and the results are astounding!

When you see J.G. Jones’ electrifying covers on MISTER TERRIFIC, you’ll know we’re going for a vibe you won’t find just anywhere. Eric Wallace has hotwired the adventures of the World’s Third Smartest Man, keeping one of Michael Holt’s feet firmly planted in the Ninth Dimension and the other in the chaotic California of the DCU. It’s super-science with the volume cranked all the way up, and Gianluca Gugliotta’s pencils make the otherworldly concepts seem really incredibly otherworldy!

Ivan Brandon’s one of the brightest guys currently working, and I was eager to see what he come up with for the new Sgt. Rock. He didn’t disappoint. The book is set in contemporary times against contemporary landscapes, but with a twist: it’s set in the DC Universe. It’s a race to see who outstrips whom: MEN OF WAR or the headlines. Tom Derenick keeps things earthy and real with his approach to the art.

Also confronting a new landscape is Jonah Hex. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray have dropped him in the middle of a world beyond his understanding: Gotham City. If you’ve checked out Moritat’s work on THE SPIRIT, you’ll know what dizzying heights of draftsmanship he’s capable of … and they’re all on display in ALL-STAR WESTERN. These are all singular reading experiences, as far from the norm as we could make them!

Both the war and Western books also have some room to test out new concepts, as they’re all slightly larger than the rest of mags. We’d like to know what you think of ‘em, so like everything else, write and let us know. I read all the mail, and that’s me writing the letter columns for the books, so for these and for the upcoming MY GREATEST ADVENTURE, don’t spare us. Write us!

Tags:

All-Star Western, animal man, DC Comics-The New 52, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., joey cavalieri, Men of War, Mister Terrific, My Greatest Adventure

Artist Spotlight: Moritat on THE SPIRIT

Genre art must follow very specific rules. With noir, the art needs to reflect the dark, ominous tone of the story. Moritat, ongoing artist of THE SPIRIT, has done a superb job of capturing writer David Hine’s mysterious characters and storylines. We caught up with him and touched base on everything from Facebook chat to how he got involved with the series to how he turns scripts into the stunning art in the pages of THE SPIRIT:

On the tools he uses:

Chris Conroy told me that a Japanese brush maker by the name Kimitake Hiraoka makes a pretty good inking brush. He had also told me that several creators were using these brushes and that they were getting really good fan responses. I flew to Japan and sought out Hiraoka sensei. It turned out to be one of those 'wait in front of the temple until you were ready' or were 'pure in mind' scenarios. I'm not into all of that Eastern philosophy stuff. But, there were these cute Japansese girls who were working on their manga waiting and praying out front. So, I hung out with them and creeped in with them … when they were ready.

On how he got involved in the series:

A few years ago, I was catching the train at Broadway Junction to come into the city. Will Eisner walks up and we started talking. He said, “you should come work for me.” I said, “I would love to.” We talked a few times, but then I got drafted and I went off to Vietnam. So, it's a pleasure to finally work with Mr. Eisner.

On how he turns script pages into art:

I print out the script. I place each page around me and meditate on the meaning. I boil down certain words that come to me in my subconscious. When I feel ready, I ride my motorcycle very fast at night until it finally clicks in a cohesive artistic pattern that I am comfortable with. Sometimes I can't find the meaning. I confer with Joey Cavalieri and Dave Hine until I get maybe 90%. It's not a perfect process but I'm getting it to where it works.

On how panels are arranged:

Ladronn arranges most everything. I then convince Rob Leigh to draw for me … while I chat on Facebook.

On the noir genre:

I love the noir genre. It is the field I fancy. The characters are flawed. They carry around some kind of hidden shame. There is something wrong with these people. The environment is barely hanging on. A few steps away from post-apocalyptic hell. The color has been washed away or moved to the suburbs. Gabe Bautista, the colorist on THE SPIRIT, would call me some nights and complain that working on noir was too depressing for him and that he had to quit (he lives in the suburbs). I would spend hours lying to him that it was going to get better.

THE SPIRIT #13 hits stores this Wednesday.

Tags:

chris conroy, david hine, gabe bautista, joey cavalieri, ladronn, moritat, the spirit, will eisner

Joey Cavalieri on ANIMAL MAN, THE MIGHTY -- and more

Do you have any idea what it’s like attempting to distinguish a new costumed hero comic in a field overrun with costumed hero comics?

It keeps putting me in the mind of those painful auditions they used to hold in the pages of “Legion of Super Heroes.” Remember?

“Sorry, making plants grow incredibly fast really isn’t much of a useful super power.”

“You’ll see how useful it is when you forget Saturn Girl’s birthday and you need a dozen long-stemmed American Beauty roses in a hurry.”

“She’ll know where I got them. Rejected.”

Nobody likes rejection. So what’s the answer? How about super hero comics that are, how can I put this?... tweaked just a little bit?

I’ve wrapped up two series that take everything that’s common and customary in this genre and upends it.

Gerry Conway – who’s had his name on plenty of episodes of “Law & Order” as well as comic books -- thought it might be compelling to see what would happen if a character really could age and confront his mortality. Gerry put Buddy Baker through a lot in THE LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN. In fact, Buddy’s travails follow the model of psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining,…uh, sleepy… grumpy. Yeah, Buddy spends a great deal of the miniseries being justifiably grumpy, when he realizes that being a hero has forced him to neglect much of what was really important, in particular, his wife and kids.

(Also, if it’s not uncool to geek out in this context, can I mention here that the miniseries has a whale who’s a Green Lantern? Whale with a Power Ring. Chris Batista was a happy man when he got to draw that.)

In THE MIGHTY, Pete Tomasi and Keith Champagne present a skewed take on what the Superman/Jimmy Olsen friendship might be like if it went horribly wrong. What if that signal watch were little more than a tether, a leash to keep constant 24-hour tabs on your “pal”? What if everybody’s number one hero had a series of other “pals” who died under mysterious circumstances? What if you’re a “pal” who doesn’t want to become the latest victim, especially after you discover your hero’s “secret origin” isn’t at all what you were led to believe. (Chris Samnee draws this revelation in issue #10.)

Like I say, I’ve wrapped these up. But they’ll be collected soon, so if you’re one of those “wait for the trades” types, you’ll find that these are worth seeking out.

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Tags:

chris batista, chris samnee, gerry conway, joey cavalieri, keith champagne, peter tomasi, the mighty

Joey Cavalieri talks BRAVE AND THE BOLD

J. Michael Straczynski wrote to remind me that this December is the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. (I say “remind me” as if I’d been in it!) He’s not bringing it up so I can futz with its Wikipedia entry. It’s because with the current issue of THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, he sends the Flash into the thick of it…to meet the Blackhawks, no less. We’ve done a few Flash stories but you’ve never read one like this! Barry Allen battles on the side of the Allied forces in World War II, in an adventure in which every incident is as unexpected as the premise!

Talking of “allied forces,” that sure describes BRAVE & BOLD. In the book’s grand tradition, JMS is lining up some inventive and even offbeat alliances to feature every issue. Seen the Batman/Dial H for Hero adventure? Everybody’s still buzzing about that one! Snag one if your local store has any left!

In the offing is a Batman/Brother Power the Geek team-up (Brother! Power! The! Geek!). Then, Doctor Fate and Green Lantern see whether or not magic can trump willpower. Jesus Saiz is drawing that one now even as I write this, and he’s having a blast doing it! He really knocked it out of the park on that “Dial H” issue, and he gets better every month!

If you love these Silver Age characters, JMS will remind you why you do! If you never did, or you’ve never heard of them, these new stories will show you why people still talk about them…and why they endure!

(Dude, the Geek abides!)

Your pal,

--Joey

Tags:

Batman, brave and the bold, Flash, j. michael straczynski, jesus saiz, joey cavalieri

The official word on THE RED CIRCLE

You've seen the amazing designs. You've seen Jesus Saiz's cover art. But there are more details to reveal, and more art to show. That's what The Source is for, no?

This August, writer J. Michael Straczynski pairs with an all-star cast of artists to introduce a new wave of heroes into the DCU with four one-shots, each spotlighting one of the four. THE HANGMAN pairs JMS with artists Tom Derenick and comic legend Bill Sienkiewicz, while INFERNO features the gritty linework of Greg Scott. THE SHIELD showcases the work of former SUPERMAN and BATMAN artists Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens while THE WEB features the team of Roger Robinson and Hilary Barta. A pretty impressive lineup, huh? But that's not all. We corralled Joey Cavalieri -- and JMS -- who along with assistant Chris Conroy is editing the RED CIRCLE books, to give us the lowdown on these reinterpreted characters and what their deal is. Take it away, Joey:

"Join the Red Circle: four books about four super heroes who are brand new to our universe. Everything goes in circles, and while these mighty crusaders have their roots in another time, J. Michael Straczynski has made sure that these guys’ colorful costumes aren’t empty suits. They’re fully rounded ndividuals, inhabited with the ethos of our modern era.

There’s the Hangman…a doctor who’s been spared the executioner’s noose (a circle of rope, get it?) only to be confronted with a choice that condemns him o roam around Earth forever, aiding everyone in his orbit.

And the Web, a man who’s had a life of ease and selfishness…but is forced to cast the resources of his, er, surroundings outward, to embrace and encircle everyone who needs his help!

Inferno has incendiary powers, but no memory other than a single name…which may not even be his. He must circle back and discover who he is, where he came from, and why everything around him goes to blazes…

The Shield is the spearhead of a program meant to encompass America’s borders, but quickly becomes a link in a bigger chain. That chain becomes a chain reaction. As J. Michael said in a note to me ‘n Dan: 'This is where it gets really interesting. All four books are connected. One book sets up the next, then sets up the next, via interrelated actions. Each book slides off the next, showing the interconnectedness of the world, how fate can launch a bank shot from one person to the next. The Circle of Life, again reinforcing the Red Circle motif.'

Get the connection? We’ll show you how the circuit gets completed this summer. Circle your calendars: the Red Circle Revolution begins August 5th!"

Tags:

andy owens, bill sienkiewicz, chris conroy, greg scott, hilary barta, inferno, j. michael straczynski, joey cavalieri, red circle, roger robinson, scott mcdaniel, the hangman, the shield, the web, tom derenick

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