Our Top Story
First, updating previous top stories:
Three days ago Bill approved a proof copy in PDF form of the new sketchbook. It’s perilously close to being available. Every copy will be signed and numbered, limited to 2000, and never to be reprinted again.
Now, our actual top story: The Peacock Syndrome, or: Let’s Talk a Bit About Blackheart
And in so doing, circle around some notions and personal philosophy about the visual side of character creation.
Says Bill, “Blackheart was a superhero character, created first in my sketchbooks, as an exercise in fiddling with designs. Characters in my pantheon (yeah, there’s a pun coming from this and it’s intentional) of creations will start from one of two directions. Either it will begin from written notes and ideas, to which a visual design will eventually be produced, or it will begin from a visual design that may then suggest the foundational ideas underpinning it. Both are equally the correct way to do it.”
“Just like Dynasty, and Fortress America (both of whom appeared with Blackheart in my comic series Pantheon) Blackheart started as a visual design in one of my sketchbooks. I wanted to further explore the idea of military peacocking (for lack of a better term). It’s a phenomenon that is seldom examined in adventure fiction: Some military leaders are vain peacocks. They like to stand out. Not all are like this, but a significant fraction are.”
Bill shares a funny anecdote: “When I was in the Army, serving as a Military Policeman (never call them Police Officers, since an officer in the military is a completely different sort of fish), one of our responsibilities, for which our civilian colleagues had no counterpart, was to police the proper wearing of uniforms. If you saw someone out of uniform, you’re required to pull him aside and make an on-the-spot correction — basically make him fix his uniform properly, according to regulation. If he’s unable to do so (“I can’t put my hat on, because I left it back in the barracks”) or unwilling to do so (“ Grrr! I’m an angry malcontent!”), you were required to formally apprehend him (‘arrest’ is a term we never used). Cuff him, read him his rights, and haul him back to the Provost Marshal’s office (the police station). It wasn’t the coolest part of the job, but it was a required part of the job.
“One day, on my first day trusted with driving a solo patrol, I spotted an older soldier on post who was dressed like a complete schlub, even to the point of lacking any sort of headgear outside. I pulled over to issue him a uniform correction, and that’s how I first met the commanding general of our post. And that’s also how I first discovered that it’s impossible for a general officer to be out of uniform. His uniform is whatever he wants it to be. It’s one of the perks that come with the high office. Who knew? In all of our months of training (Fort McClellan, AL) and my initial year at another post (where I never met our commanding officer), no one had ever bothered to communicate that interesting fact.
“In hindsight, I should’ve known. Why did every general in every war movie I’d ever seen (and I’d seen a lot of them) dress differently than every other general? Because they could. Some of them peacock and some of them dress down.
“Fortunately for me, the barely-in-uniform post commander chose to be amused by my lack of training, and didn’t lower the boom on me. His executive officer eventually brought it up to me, when we later met on another matter (Colonel Botello — think the vice principal at a school, who has to do all the actual dirty work decided on by his boss), and that’s how I met and began dating his daughter, Charese Botello, but that’s a whole ‘nother story, and I don’t know why you brought it up.”
Okay, where were we?
Bill cautions us that splendidly uniformed generals (and other officers) aren’t necessarily vain. Or it isn’t solely vanity at work in them. It’s about communication, presentation and proper deportment. It’s about showing to your underlings, your leaders, your enemies, and the world, how you’re an important military officer, in control of powerful forces of life and death, “And here,” such an officer might say, “the way I’m dressed, is a visual cue that I’m fully aware of my terrible responsibilities and take my role seriously. I take pains to stand out, precisely so you’ll easily know who to hold accountable for my actions.”
Superheroes have always had a sense of this, without specifically discussing it (mostly because they were and are written by writers with such contempt for all things martial and military that they’d never deign to learn about military culture and mystique). Superheroes dress up gaudy and resplendent specifically to stand out; to say to the villain, “Stop endangering those civilians. I’m the proper target for your pesky aggressions, and you should focus your fire this way, while I prepare to righteously kick your ass.”
Bill continues": “So then, with Blackheart, I wanted to specifically show this side of the superhero: the fellow who dressed a bit gaudily, not just to show off, but to demonstrate dedicated personal intent. He wore a fancy vest (which was an idea I’d first worked out in the pages of Ironwood — see above) to play up his role in the mean streets of his territory.
“The neckerchief he wore was a symbol of a different part of his foundational ideology. At first, when he began his mission, it was always worn tightly wound and precise, just as a Boy Scout would. It was a visual symbol that he had every intention of doing his superhero business like the traditional goody-good Boy Scout might — always fairly and honorably. But now it’s worn loose and rough, to reflect that the years of doing a thankless job have made him more than a bit cynical and mean. He’s no longer a Boy Scout. But he’s still a peacock. That part never changed.
“Originally I’d planed to have the elaborate design of Blackheart’s vest change every time he went out on a new patrol, to indicate he had a host of thematically similar (but not identical) vests in his closet, each of a different color and pattern. But that never panned out. Maybe if I take up the character again…”
So then, is there a larger lesson about character design to be gleaned here? Sure, a simple (and obvious?) one. It’s this: keep in mind the type of character you’re creating, when you’re creating him, and try to have his visual look reflect the sort of character he is.
A Writer Worth Reading
We promised last week we’d talk a bit more about Roger Zelazny, because he’s worth devoting more than one column to, and here we are. For those of you yet to discover Zelazny, you have a bit of luck that wasn’t available to those of us who discovered him early in our reading journeys.
A few years ago, in 2009 according to its indicia, a group called NESFA Press created a deluxe, hardback, six-volume set of all of Zelazny’s short stories and poems. It’s pricey (assuming you can still find a set), but well worth it.
It’s a wonderful collection of a huge part of Zelazny’s lifetime story output. It doesn’t include the novels (such as Lord of Light), or the series of novels (such as the ten Amber books), but does have excerpts and interesting ruminations about those books.
What Did Bill Write This Week?
A few things. But they’re all secret for now. Actually one of them is about to be revealed in the next Previews catalogue, which goes out to comic shops each month, to advertise to comic shop owners the far-too-many books available for ordering.
What Did Bill Draw This Week?
A few things. He finished up a couple of fantasy RPG character/monster encounter illustrations for whatever he plans on doing with them, but we heard rumors of a story they might be slated to illustrate.
And Bill was able to finish a few of the far too many Space Hero illustrations he plans to create for a thrilling, lushly illustrated, Space Hero adventure, seen above.
And Let Us Not Forget His Commissions List
In addition to the Blackheart cameo-sized commission, already shown above, here, below, is one of the full-sized commissions Bill completed the other day. It will sit in his studio for a few days, so (hopefully) he spots the one or two mistakes or dropped lines in need of correcting (there’s always a mistake in need of correcting). Then he’ll turn it (and Blackheart, and Draw Woman) over to Brad for mailing.
And there’s the Drow Woman, a cameo-sized commission. Busy drawing week, huh?
“But wait a minute!” you exclaim. “Wasn’t there an Elric commission in the queue, ahead of this Cinderella commission? Doesn’t Bill do these things in order?” Yes, there was an Elric commission first in line, and yes, normally Bill does them in order. But Bill really wanted the Elric piece to appear in his forthcoming sketchbook. However, since that book is only (or at least primarily) for works-in-progress, Bill reached out (through Brad) to the customer, to request a delay in finishing that one, so that it could appear in the book, in incomplete form, in compliance with its theme. The customer, being a truly fine fellow, was okay with the delay this would cause, and gave Bill permission to do it this way. The Elric original will be back from the printer soon, and then Bill will finish it and get it swiftly on its way.
What is Bill Going to Try to Sell You This Week?
Everything, as it turns out. His new (meaning revamped) online store is going live today, the moment Brad flips the switch. There is an actual switch, right, Brad? (“Yes,” replies Brad, “but only in the sense computers have keypads and every button on its keypad could be said to be a switch.”)
If you want to explore the store, you can find it, right now, at: billsartandstories.onlineweb.shop
What new things can you find there that you couldn’t buy through the old store?
To begin with: There are three of his novels (with more to come). Currently they are: Hammer of the Gods; Just Another Ranker; and Down the Mysterly River. Sure, you can still buy Hammer and Ranker through Amazon, but now, only if you purchase them through his store, you can get them signed, and even personalized to you, if you so desire.
The new sketchbooks aren’t back from the printer yet, and therefore not yet in the store, but they soon will be. As you might begin to suspect, we’re excited about them.
A Moment of Hilarity
A man went camping recently and tried to run through the campsite, but it turns out he could only ran through the campsite, because it was past tents.
Our Parting Benediction
Our parting benediction, Is oft a work of fiction,
But always sincere, nevertheless.
Do come back again. You know where, you know when.
We’ll entertain and inform you, or at least lessen your stress.