Matt Yocum Comics

I’m woefully behind on blog entries right now, but one thing I need to mention is that I’ve had a couple more recent interviews come out, and I want everyone to know where to find these. 

The first was a great interview from fellow comic lover SSgt Joe Buzanowski, and you can find the interview at the Offical Website of the US Air Force - the interview is posted now at http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123080122.  Joe was able to cover some of how my military background paved the way for my entrance into Marvel Comics. 

The second interview was done by Bryant Jordan and it can be found in the last issue of 2007 of any copy of the Military Times newspapers (Air Force Times, Army Times, etc).  I recently read it in the 31 December 2007 copy of the Air Force Times, and Bryant did an incredible job on the interview, showcasing how I was able to use my military background for an intimate story in the life of Spider-Man and the New Avengers. 

I hope you all stop by the link to check out the former and, if possible, are able to find a copy of the latter interview.  They both did a great job.  Let’s hope there’s more of that in the future. 

Matt

Thanks to newsarama.com, I’ve had the chance to do another great interview.  Now you can hear from me and all the writers involved in Giant-Size Avengers Special #1 (to be released on 19 December) by going to http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=137189.  And if you want to hear from our editor, John Barber, he’s done a separate interview found at http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=135449.  From him you’ll learn more about the origins of the stories that will comprise the Avengers Special. 

After you’ve had a chance to read these, I think you’ll find how diverse the stories will be within the pages of the one-shot special.  It’ll well be worth the price of admission to hear several new and incredible voices within the Marvel universe.  Looking forward to hearing your thoughts when the book is released. 

Matt

This whole journey with Marvel Comics began after winning an auction from The Hero Initiative (then called ACTOR, A Commitment to Our Roots) to have lunch with Joe Quesada, Marvel Editor-in-Chief.  This was explained in depth in a newsarama.com interview I gave, and some on the forum questioned this choice to spend money in order to meet Joe Q. 

For those who questioned giving money to The Hero Initiative, they only need to check out this post (http://heroinitiative.blogspot.com/2007/11/giving-thanks-indeed.html) regarding the work Hero is doing.  I would say any money given to The Hero Initiative is money well spent.

I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

Matt 

I can’t thank the owner of newsarama.com, Matt Brady, enough for a fantastic interview the other day.  It was posted today and you can find it at http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=131543.  It’s well worth reading, and the responses posted to the review have been incredible.  I’ve never seen a comics message board so positive before. 

 I hope this enthusiasm leads to more work with Marvel.  For now I’ll keep coming up with ideas and seeing what they think. 

Matt

Over the weekend I finished my first interview for the Giant-Size Avengers Special #1, this one for IGN.com.  It was a lot of fun to chat with them and share the latest on the “Memorial Day” story and talk about comics in general. 

To read the full interview, check out http://comics.ign.com/articles/823/823852p1.html. 

I’ll be sure to update any more interviews as they happen.  I had one other interview over the weekend, a phone interview with the Military Times newspapers (Air Forces Times, Army Times, etc).  Not sure when that will be released, but I’ll keep everyone up to date as I find out.  Stay tuned here at www.MattYocumComics.com. 

I thought everyone might like to see a little preview art.  I’m honored to say that after working with Marvel Comics since the 1980s, this story is the first time Paul Neary has both penciled and inked his own work for them.  The pages have come out absolutley incredible, and this is but one example of how it looks. 

The destroyed Avengers mansion, Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and is that Doctor Strange?  This story really does have it all.  It’s a fast moving journey through Avengers history, all compacted into 10 pages.  Don’t forget - December 19th.  Giant-Size Avengers Special #1 will be a great read for Christmas. 

Shown here is Bryan Hitch’s cover to my first published Marvel work, Giant-Size Avengers Special #1. This marks Hitch’s return to the mainstream Marvel Universe after a long time in the Ultimate Universe. Soon he’ll be working with writer Mark Millar and inker Paul Neary (the artist for my Avengers story) on Fantastic Four, coming out in 2008.

It’s official.  This December 19^th will see the release of my first published comic from Marvel Comics with a 10-page story in Giant-Size Avengers Special #1.  With a cover by Bryan Hitch, my story has been penciled and inked by Paul Neary whose pencils you’ve seen in the past in Captain America and Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.  He’s done incredible work on this, and I can’t wait to see reactions when the comic hits the stands. 

To learn more about the release, you can go to Marvel’s catalog at http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?id=7796. 

I hope everyone is able to stop by their local comic’s store and pick this up – it’ll make a great read over the Christmas holidays and a perfect gift to give. 

The entire 4-issue Devolution miniseries story is mapped out for each installment.  What is not complete is the script for each installment.  There are several things that go into writing the scripts. 

First, I try to find the right pacing.  Although I know what should happen in the 2 to 4 pages of each installment, I still have to find the right pacing to tell that part of the story.  I want each page to end leaving the reader wanting more, anxious to turn the page.  Sometimes that means splitting the dialogue so that a character’s statement is completed on the next page.  Sometimes it means putting the character in some degree of danger with a  small resolution on the next page.  This element of suspense is what novelists use to propel readers to the next chapter.

I’m also trying to find interesting visuals.  Particularly in a story like Devolution where the bulk of the action is fairly stationary in a house (and mostly in the upstairs bedroom and downstairs closet), I don’t want to get into what’s called the “talking head” syndrome.  Comics are a visual medium, and a comic works best when there are dynamic visuals to go with the story.  That’s not to say every single panel will be a full-page splash, but you do want to make it look as good as possible. 

Another thing I’m trying to do is make it interesting for my artist.  Jake always manages to surprise and impress me, but hopefully I do the same with some of the images I have planned for him to render.  An artist is going to get bored if he’s drawing the same images over and over.  Again, that’s a danger for a story that’s as static as Devolution as far as setting.  

Planning and plotting the installments for Devolution was the easy part.  The more difficult part is definitely making each installment as interesting as it can be panel by panel and page by page.  Hopefully we’ve succeeded more than we’ve failed. 

You can find the Devolution comic installments at www.ComicCritique.com.  Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment at DevolutionComic@gmail.com.

Devolution issue 1 is now complete and can be read in its entirety at www.ComicCritique.com.  It was a great experience, writing a near-weekly installment series with the intention that every 22 pages of cumulative story would complete a total issue.  Right now I have every installment of each issue mapped out, and the series will come to an end with issue 4. 

Issue 2 brings some new life to the series with inker Howard Simpson.  Coming from the US, I found Howard through digitalwebbing.com, where I’ve found all the creative talent on the series.  He brings a whole new take on Jake’s pencils, and I’m sure readers will notice the difference in what Howard has to offer. 

As of this writing, Jake is busily engaged in penciling the early installments of issue 2, and Howard has begun his role in inking Jake’s work.  We hope to have several installments completed before posting the first one.  I hope the wait isn’t too hard for readers of the series, but I do know the wait will truly be worth it.  The artwork looks tremendous so far.

More to come as it develops, and I’ll share more with the making of Devolution in further posts.