Steranko On Nick Fury's HelicarrierIn a new interview at Comic Book Resources, comics legend Jim Steranko discusses one of Nick Fury's most out-there accessories: the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier. It's a good question, and Steranko makes a great point about a potentially cool vehicle which half the time ends up looking downright silly:
CBR: You've done lots of work for film -- Bram Stoker's Dracula, that Indiana Jones guy. Is designing for comics different than designing for film?That's certainly something that some unlucky art director will have to wrestle with if Marvel ever gets around to making that oft-mooted Nick Fury movie!
Steranko: Good question. It certainly can be. For example, in comics an object only has to look good from the angle in which the artist chooses to show it in a specific panel. That view could be the coolest and most compelling imaginable but, from other viewpoints; it could be unwieldy, awkward, or silly. A perfect example is the heli-carrier which Jack Kirby created for the S.H.I.E.L.D. series. It looked incredible in a 3/4 low-angle shot in which it appeared in the first story, but like a floating bathtub in all others. On the other hand, almost anything designed for film, such as costumes and props, must function or look good from every angle.
I had the pleasure of meeting Steranko several years ago and found him to be one of the real greats - personable and very generous with his time and company. I was a struggling comic book artist at the time and he was incredibly gracious with me, reviewing my book of comic art and offering well thought-out suggestions that have stayed with me to this day (I've been employed as an art director for the past 15 years).
ReplyDelete