www.indiegogo.com/projects/first-kill-graphic-novel#/

I’d actually been thinking of asking Chuck’s insights on Jim Shooter. I’d listened to Jim and enjoyed hearing him talk, not quite understanding all the hate. Glad someone else beat me to it and framed the question better than I would’ve!

Brave and the Bold was a staple for me in junior high and high school through the 70s. Jim was sorely underrated. He was far more prolific and consistent compared to Neal Adams. His ability to convey emotion through facial expressions and body language has yet to be surpassed. In my opinion he was THE Batman artist!

@wtk6069

Жыл бұрын

And people forget that while he never tried to have the dynamicism of Neal Adams, his work was every bit as polished as Adams in the 70s. People today judge him by his very late work in the 90s, which was still technically solid but simplified in the same way so many artists simplify their lines to extend their careers as they age (Kirby, Gil Kane, Infantino, etc). I enjoy 90s Aparo art, but his 60s and 70s stuff when he first got to DC (or his Charlton work) when he was still up and coming is kind of a revelation if you've only seen the later stuff.

@GenX_Catholic

Жыл бұрын

Aparo and Breyfogle for me.

@TheAstrojoe62

Жыл бұрын

​@@wtk6069 I agree, although his work was just as dynamic, though not as flashy as Adams. Adams was always trying to push things, often not with the best results. I give him a lot of credit for the effort to expand the medium but it may have contributed to his output being so spotty. Jim was a solid craftsman and storyteller and had a consistent output over decades which is why he will always be number one in my book. He was just outstanding on everything he touched and I was always attracted to any book he did. I have most of B&B, Aquaman and the Spectre, plus I recently picked up the collected Charlton, Phantom work. What I really miss these days are artists that have distinctive styles. You could see similarities but you never mistook Jim for Adams, or Kane or Buscema.

@spaceman3952

Жыл бұрын

Agree! Got used B&B and World’s Finest at a used book store in the early to mid 70s. Such great stories.

@angelmanfredy

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your insight on Jim Shooter. As a longtime video game, producer and also designer, I understand the dynamics of running a creative business, having someone to make decisions and move things forward in and cohesive and professional way on top of that Jim was creative. One of my favorite event comics was secret wars. I am thankful he managed Marvel comics when he did. The complainers were simply people who disagreed with their boss and a boss has to make hard decisions.

I’ve met Shooter a few times and he was a very nice fellow generous with his time

Re: The Rifleman. One of my favorite episodes is where the entire episode is about Lucas having to remain still in his sleeping bag with a rattlesnake having crawled into the sleeping bag during the night, while still having to deal with a human villain. Another favorite episode involves the value of the Second Amendment. The sheriff and Lucas leave town leaving a deputized citizen. That Citizen believes the very presence of firearms is bad and passes an ordinance where everyone within the city limits has to turn in their firearms while in the city limits (gun-free zone). In the opening scene, the criminals in the bar smile at this announcement as they laugh that being criminals, then I’ll be the only ones with firearms!! Prophetic.

I must have misspoke. I'm actually more partial to Star Trek. Apologies, and always an honor to have my questions answered by, in my opinion a modern legend 😊

So stoked about you joining Rippaverse and get to write the book for Alphacore! 😃

I’m only @14:09 wondering why I’m not shocked 😳 about how comic book editors have a history of being petty bitches and letting their personal grievances get in the way of telling a good story

This was a lot of fun and really interesting. Can't wait to see your work in the Rippaverse, sir. Oh, and I loved Hunter Ninja Bear. The story was a ton of fun and the artwork was just amazing. Loved the call out to Comet! Man I loved that show.

Re: original Star Trek series. As a huge Star Trek fan of all the various series prior to the new woke versions, the original series remains my favorite. I think it’s because it was written by people who *were actually in the military,* and has more of a military feel and hierarchy to it than Star Wars.

@AvengerII

Жыл бұрын

The people who write Star Trek today are describing children with power, not experienced adults that act with logic. I still saw quite a bit of crappy writing in Picard S3, the clips I bothered to watch. Way too many member-berries and repeats of sequences I already saw in Star Trek III, IV and 1990s Star Trek. It'd be nice to see something new written with characters who are actually or not rescued from the morgue. That's it for the TNG characters but they're not done trying to rewrite the original Star Trek with mediocre prequel shows.

@jdc4483

Жыл бұрын

@@AvengerII well said!

Re: Aparo. As a child of the 70s Jim Aparo along with Irv Novick are “my” Batman artists. *IMO Aparo does get credit from fandom and creators.* But, I think his not being a self-promoter (not meant as a bad thing) not hitting the convention circuit, etc. gives the impression he’s “forgotten.”

@michaelmaier7262

Жыл бұрын

Aparo's work is what immediately comes to mind when I think of Batman.

Loved Jim Aparo, one my first DC comics was when Batman teamed up with Nemesis on the Brave & Bold. Good times.

@wtk6069

Жыл бұрын

Your mention of Nemesis brings back good memories. That backup strip was my favorite. Batman teamed with Nemesis twice in B&B, if I recall correctly. Cary Burkett and Dan Spiegle produced an underappreciated gem.

@m1lst3r89

Жыл бұрын

Love Aparo endlessly, dude.

Combining a love of The Rifleman with a love of Wanted: Dead or Alive, when I got myself a mare's leg, it was very important to me to learn how to spin-cock it. So I did. 😁😁😁

@wtk6069

Жыл бұрын

I'm jealous! I was in a bidding war for an authentic one once, but it got too rich for me and ended up going for about 3 thousand dollars.

Loved seeing you and Graham on the Real BBC yesterday

If you read Marvel Comics in the early 1970s, Stan Lee in his Soapbox was really pushing hard...drum roll...wait for it...Marvel Phase Two! Apparently, "Marvel Phase Two" was code for "I've weenied off to California and left the inmates running the asylum." And it showed. Horrible art. Storylines that dragged on for years and never resolved. The writer/editor system, where certain writers had no editor. An environment where people could do pretty much whatever they wanted. Now, in that sort of environment, some self-starters will do amazing work. We all know the names, and the characters, and stories, to this day. But most people will just hack it out, and cash the check. Look at the number of fill-in issues from that time frame: "Our esteemed creative team fell prey to the Dreaded Deadline Doom!" because people couldn't be bothered to get their work in for the next issue, in time to make it to the printers. "Hey, time to dust off that fill-in story!" Then Jim Shooter became EIC and he made the trains run on time. Of course the people who'd previously been dicking off hated his guts.

@wtk6069

Жыл бұрын

It took a while to get to Shooter, though. In the five years prior, there were about five others who tried and failed. Basically, all the writers who went to DC in 1980, plus their key supporters, when Shooter came in (Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and at least one I'm forgetting). "The New DC" was mostly former Marvel EICs in exile (sometimes self-imposed, sometimes not)

@DuaneThomas1963

Жыл бұрын

@@wtk6069. I believe you're thinking of Archie Goodwin, Shooter's immediate predecessor in the EIC job. However, unlike the others who quit because they couldn't handle the pressure, Goodwin had always made it clear his stint as EIC would be temporary, only until a true replacement could be found.

@dbsommers1

Жыл бұрын

The fact you have a nickname for how often you screw up shows what a screw up you are. DDD were some of the most hated words any reader could see. Then Jim comes in and boom, the slackers suddenly figure out how to work. He didn't walk on water, but he did a not just thankless job, but one that got him hated because it had to be done.

@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388

Жыл бұрын

Great point.

I think the Tim Drake Robin design was hugely influential on the character in media. We had that look in BTAS, and pretty much adapted for Batman Forever. And lest we forget, it was technically used for Burton’s Batman Returns, albeit in the toyline

Met Shooter at a comic store once back when he was getting Defiant going. Doing signings. Did a talk. Stuff like that. He seemed nice enough, but also serious. Was maybe 14 at the time, so didn't know anything about the work politics prior though. Probably wouldn't understand them at the time either though. I stopped reading comics maybe a year after (right after the Knightfall storyline ended I think) so never got into any of his new stuff with Defiant. But shame the company went defunct. But based on Wikipedia, sounds like it was more because of a lawsuit with Marvel that did it in than lack of sales.

I’ve watched many interviews with Jim Shooter since the pandemic and am not surprised with your assessment of the situation. Jim had a huge responsibility and was made captain or of a leaky ship. He did what needed to be done and much more. He saved Marvel and the haters were just angsty creatives who didn’t like to be told what to do. Jim is a good man and did an excellent job.

Very interesting episode. I too loved the Jim Aparo run on The Brave and the Bold. I get my DVD collection of The Rifleman out every 4 or 5 years to watch again. Also the same with Cheyenne.

Hi Chuck Dixon! Love the Mad Dog 3-issue mini series you did with Victor Toppi! A black & white police procedural about an off-the-books group of disgraced cops going after drug gangs: diverse but decidedly non-PC, brutal but not gratuitous: SO GOOD. All the best :D

Shooter to me has always come across as the comics equivalent of a sports coach who comes in, imposes discipline, turns the team around and gets them to the title game...and then he pushed a bit too far and alienated the locker room, causing many of the best players to run off as soon as their contracts were up, and then game passed him by and he's never quite been able to recapture that initial success.

@ChrisConnolly-Mr.C-Dives-In

Жыл бұрын

That is a perfect way to describe it.

Jim Shooter's time as EiC was the greatest era of Marvel comics hands down. So many quality comics you wanted to buy practically all of them if you could afford it.

The split toe boots are just a thing Japanese people commonly wear, usually for athletics.

Quick Airboy question, did the age difference between Val and Davy ever give you pause when you were developing their relationship?

General guideline for Trek movies: Even numbered ones good. Odd numbered ones lacking.

Is there a chance you could turn these into audio podcasts? I'd love to listen to this while I'm working

@Dixonverse

Жыл бұрын

Anyone know how I would go abouy that?

Another big Aparo fan here!

You should reach out and chat with Shooter. Starbrand may have been a self insert for Jim Shooter but Byrne was full of shit. I'm 5 issues into the comic as we speak and the character does nothing but screw up. He doesn't make all the right decisions. My pastor was there at the infamous convention where John Byrne shit on so many other creators and editors. Dude has some deep issues and he is paying for it now. I'll tell ya right now, more and more people are wanting Shooter to return to comics. Not so much Byrne.

@christophertaylor9100

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I have no idea where Byrne gets the idea that Star Brand never made any mistakes, he constantly did. Byrne was... arrogant, shall we say. Immensely talented but yeah

@DuaneThomas1963

Жыл бұрын

@@christophertaylor9100. At his best, John Byrne is a wonderful artist. As a writer, he turned out some world-class Fantastic Four stories - thought I tend to give credit for a fair bit of that to Jim Shooter's kibitzing and strong editorial control. But on a personal level, I would say Byrne is more than a little vindictive and petty. Jim Shooter seems perplexed by Byrne's attitude, too. This is a bit of a paraphrase, but Shooter's comment went something like, "I don't get all the anger. I mean, we were never bestest buds or anything, but we got along." Apparently Jim Shooter committed the unforgivable sin of telling John Byrne that John Byrne couldn't so whatever the hell John Byrne wanted, and making it stick. The horror!

@christophertaylor9100

Жыл бұрын

@@DuaneThomas1963 yeah basically he stopped Byrne from some of his more unfortunate ideas (stuff that showed up later, like the carnie fat woman villain in Alpha Flight) and Byrne hated him for it, that's my read at least

@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388

Жыл бұрын

That's true. Shooter's Star Brand was great. Byrne's was very awful.

@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388

Жыл бұрын

@@DuaneThomas1963 Byrne's writing at the big 2 after FF was mostly bad, especially his Spider-Man run, and he became a generic artist. His IDW comics from the 10s are good, but nobody read them.

Hi Chuck. Loved the Hunter Ninja Bear graphic novel. Awesome read

I think part of the point of the Rifleman was Lucas using that rifle so that his son wouldn't have to - a different life and a better life

@tomcruisenukedmyaccount5388

Жыл бұрын

Great point. Also, I think they are supposed to be different. It's a cool aspect.

Man I was hoping you’d mention something about have gun will travel. I’m currently watching whatever episodes I can find on KZread and am having a blast

@Dixonverse

Жыл бұрын

GREAT show!

For a long time I have wanted to write a superhero procedural; lay out how superheroes do stuff, the things they avoid from experience, the tricks and devices they use, etc. Too bad about the Shroud because I think he's really cool, it would have been good stuff, that art is spectacular. And I never liked Aparo's art much, but I know comic book people really like his work.

Chuck, have you been invited as a guest at Tampa bay comic con this year. I know that you went to a bunch Florida conventions up until Covid happened. And since their guest list is being slowly confirmed I thought I’d ask.

The tabi boots, if my memory serves me, were created the late Tom Lyle.

I remember 1980s Marvel with fondness. I go back and reread some of the old stuff and it's amazing how well a lot of it still holds up... Then you look at Marvel from mid-1990s onward, and it's crap to me. They had consistency with Shooter. Afterwards, consistency is an after-thought and I don't think so many good comics after Shooter was fired.

On the Batman as urban legend or real guy situation: In My fevered imaginings the"JLA Batman" was a guy thought by the public to have named himself after Gotham's local urban legend.

I'm the opposite, I'd rather draw animals and natural settings than cityscapes and cars.

Rifleman is awesome, one of the best series. I can see the WW II influence. I would say the son is supposed to be different from the father. It'a a cool aspect. I think McCain is a deputy, but the series is very vague about this. Maybe this is in the early episodes. One issue I have is the Sheriff is to weak. It's ridiculous and doesn't make sense. I agree Return of the Jedi is kind of a bad movie, though I liked it when I was a kid. There are epic story problems during the Endor battle and some earlier. It's aged poorly and isn't very watchable now. You can trace the bad direction Hollywood went back to it (until it's recent worse direction). Lucas was lame since the 80s. OS Trek is the best, though I think the Kirk movies, while fun, have issues. Killing off Kirk's son was terrible. I would say 2, while cool, is overrated, and 6 is the best. Lone Ranger, Tonto, Silver, and Scout deserved better movies and series than they were given. I'm happy Mr. Dixon corrected this in comics. I loved them when I was a kid. The 2013 LR movie is extremely awful. Depp is embarrassing in it. Though the final battle on the train (except for Depp who still is cringe) is one of the best action sequences (and it is accompanied by LR's awesome song). If the whole movie was like this, Disney would have had a new Indiana Jones. (While not good, 2016 Tarzan is kind of faithful to the novels.) I don't know why there is a lack of animal content for kids (and me). Who doesn't like or love animals? I guess the people who make media don't have pets (and also lack connection to humans). Shooter's Star Brand is good, especially the part John Romita Jr drew. The Pitt is a cool idea, but Byrne's Star Brand is awful. I remember the main character being very flawed. This leads to him destroying Pittsburgh accidentally. A gem of the New Universe is Justice which is bonkers from beginning to end. Peter David's part is good. Some of the New Universe series would be good for streaming. While I liked the New Universe, it was Shooter's worst idea, or at least, it's execution was bad. I think it made sense to try to appeal to people like me who were somewhat alienated by regular superheroes though. I came into comics through Star Wars, GI Joe, and Transformers (Shooter worked on it), then I went to Spider-Man because they were doing cool things with him (before the marriage), then Hulk, Daredevil, X-Men, and Silver Surfer (who, like Ghost Rider, has never recovered his status) because the art was good and they were doing cool things in them (though X-Men was pretty bad by this point). I went to DC as the writing became worse at Marvel. Shooter's French style graphic novels were not a great idea. It was DC which progressed comics with cool trade paperbacks like The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen (kind of overrated) (earlier Camelot 3000). A major strength of the Japanese entertainment industry is the popularity of manga. They can try new ideas cheaply. (In the US, TMNT (which is Marvel like) began in comics.) There are many failed toy franchises and cartoons from the 80s I memory holed. GI Joe and Transformers could have failed if there was more competition (like Nintendo and Sega) or if they had lame cartoons and comics. (He-Man was a brilliant toyline from the beginning, but it was not supported well by media and She-Ra was a terrible idea.) (Extreme permissiveness in general has degraded us.)

I don't know he had a youtube channel :o

www.subscribestar.com/chuck-dixon www.indiegogo.com/projects/joe-frankenstein-part-1#/ www.arkhaven.com/ www.indiegogo.com/projects/first-kill-graphic-novel#/

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Charles Marquis Warren.

The Conjuring series do indeed exhibit a hopefulness that is so lacking in most entertainment which is soaked in nihilism.

Star Brand never made any mistakes while Shooter was writing? Did Byrne even read the book? All Ken did was make mistakes! He got by on stubborn grit and dumb luck. And he was sure no role model running around on Barb with Duck.

Best to comment 😉

You mentioned denny oneal's more realistic take on batman on occasion. Is there any of the more wacky elements of the batman mythos you would have liked to have used?

arkhavencomics.com/product/conan01_pb/

Jedi is 3/4 of a great movie and you want some great Trek go with Deep Space Nine.

@danieljackowitz2343

Жыл бұрын

DS9 is really something that I think Chuck would like. It has intrigue, politics [in a really good way!], and some great storylines.

I guess Chuck hates slasher movies.

I totally heard that as "Ass Chuck Dixon" 😅

I havent liked any of the rippaverse stuff so far so I'm rooting for your project there

I've had a low opinion of the precious spoiled babies who whine about Shooter for making Marvel a successful venue .

John Byrne has no class. Larry Hama is pure class.

First to comment 😊

Shroud started out in Super-Villain Team Up, and indeed has not had his potential mined. He started out on a self appointed mission to kill Dr Doom btw

@danieljackowitz2343

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I have those issues and it's as corny as many 70s Marvel comics were back then, but I've always liked the Shroud. He's a bit like Batman and a bit like Moon Knight.

@GenghisDon1970

Жыл бұрын

same! @@danieljackowitz2343

Interesting thoughts on Shooter / Byrne on STAR BRAND. Especially since the main character was anything but perfect. He was a dog of a man, sleeping around on his girlfriend and making mistakes all over. He knew he wasn't perfect and was never portrayed as such.