Onion/AV Club interview is live
A new Onion/AV Club interview I did recently is live over at the Onion. It covers a lot of ground, from movies to RASL. Be sure you check out the comments that follow – - Tasha, who did the interview assures me that these are really nice compared to the usual bunch. They make fun of my ugly mug, and want to blow up my home state! I’d hate to be on the receiving end of their mean comments!
Still, it’s a nice, chunky interview, even if their readers are a bunch of dicks. The first Onion/AV Club Interview I did in May of 2000 is here.
Yeah, for a site that (generally) has some pretty smart writing, their commenters are only about a half-step above YouTube’s. I try not to scroll down past the end of the articles, because it’s just too frustrating. Good interview, though!
Comment by jeffk — July 29, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
Hey come on now! I’m your reader too!
Comment by februarymakeup — July 29, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
I meant everybody EXCEPT you, of course!
Comment by Jeff — July 29, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Yeah seriously, the comments people leave on video sights, man…
But y’know. Let idiots be idiots.
Think I’ll check out the interview =D
Comment by Marcus — July 29, 2008 @ 6:39 pm
Wow, some of those people are rude as all hell.
Anyway, seeing the interview, I’ll give some feedback.
I think its kind of funny in a sense that you wait till a close point to write/draw, because I do the same thing.
I’m a huge fan of superhero comics and also of your work. And for the past like year, I’ve been working on an idea called Outburst. A comic book hero whos like 15 or 16 years old. And I remember taking a lot of time the first time I did the first issue, more or less when my style was developing. And now I wrote an actual outline/script. And the drawing process doesn’t take too long, its the photoshop coloring/text that takes awhile. And making deadlines for yourself seems to help get it done quicker, lol.
The second thing is, that I also thought Bone was not a little kid book, but more of a young adult and up book. A few things from the black and white books that more-or-less gave me the idea was the mention of Phoney’s “New age school of bungee jumping and lamaze”, and the scene in Ghost Circles as they were running from the rat creatures and they were dissapearing (what I actually thought before the color books was that they were exploding and the trail was their spine and the rest was blood or half their bodies.)
Rasl though has definitely caught my attention, because of the science fiction elements, and the darker/grittier side. Especially in the bar/club/visit scenes. To me it gives a more sense of realism, which is a nice step.
Next thing, is regarding the colorized idea for Rasl. I actually at first thought of how it could work out based off the Bone and Shazam works, and then I thought “This looks a heckuva lot better in Black/white than most other people’s. Cosidering manga is big (I’m not a fan of it so much) I think you totally outdo most of the other guys. And looking back when Bone was being colorized, I hadn’t even known there were the black and white books (I had just gotten the Out From Boneville), it totally blew my mind. And it was later that I read Castle Waiting, the Bone in b/w, Calvin and Hobbes, and now Cerebus. I guess some people would say that you’re riding the Bone success alot, but I don’t think it’s true. I mean yeah, everyone wants to make a buck with their idea, but the work and effort involved, I think you guys (you and Steve) got a great run. And by the look of the art, it does look clear (the points of the day, light source, surroundings, etc.) and needs no aid. And you sticking to a black and white comic this time around seems really cool. Kind of like respect to the art itself.
And regarding Rasl in general, people say he looks like you a little bit, (at first I thought the hair did) and sort of laughed (no offense of course). And also, its safe to say Rasl will be roughly 8 to 10 issues? (2 years quarterly, or around that much was mentioned).
And lastly regarding the films. Bone in CGI I can totally see, (seeing Beowulf, 300, and a few other films). And Rasl especially in the distant future (maybe a few years after the series is done).
I really like the work you’ve done, and wish you great luck and success on Rasl. Your the man.
Respond if you get the chance. Thanks.
Comment by Marcus — July 29, 2008 @ 7:32 pm
I have a question. I was looking in the shop and they have t-shirts
Are they cotton shirts and also are the designs felt or some other material because I just wanted to know if its anything that washes out easily. So I know how they are
Comment by Marcus — July 29, 2008 @ 10:13 pm
Sure would’ve loved to have seen a Bone 2D movie, but regardless, I’m sure it’ll be great.
Great interview, btw!
Comment by Hameed — July 30, 2008 @ 12:47 am
Jeff,
> There are people that just cannot stand me, or anything I do.
Name one.
I mean seriously, everyone that I know like RASL.
> And why that is, just not important.
Really? Then why are we talking about it in interviews?
> I can’t even figure it out.
come on–sure you can. have you tried? It is easy. even I know the answer to this one…
> It might be because I’m not friends with Dave Sim anymore
Exactly.
It MUST be Dave’s fault.
Still.
Thanks, David S
Comment by david schwarm — July 30, 2008 @ 2:17 am
Marcus, The shirts are screen printed. They are made from Hanes and are 100% preshrunk cotton. I’ve had Graphitti shirts for years (my Dark Knight batman shirt is almost 20 years old) and have never had any problem.
Comment by Tom — July 30, 2008 @ 10:12 am
David Schwarm,
Seriously? There was a thread following the interview about how bad my face looks. And the reason I was talking about it in the interview is because Tasha asked how I decide which critiques to listen to.
And I didn’t say it was Dave’s fault, I’m saying he has rabid fans who take ridiculous offense very easily.
Comment by Jeff — July 30, 2008 @ 11:09 am
But, Jeff, there was someone who wanted to have *ahem* “relations” with you there as well, you handsome devil!
Okay, maybe not such a good point.
Really enjoyed RASL numero 2 and the latest Scholastic looks great-Steve is kickin’ it, as they say…
Another cool interview and…um, do you have the number of a good agent?
All the best!
Comment by Scott — July 30, 2008 @ 11:42 am
Exactly, Jeff.
Think about it though, Schwarm.
You got people trying to totally cut you down after an interview, for inane things.
And the thing with the fans is that they just don’t like the man. People argue about things like it all the time; music, books, sports, whatever.
Yes people have freedom to say what they want (and this is the internet so people will say things), but cutting down someone and their work because of what their face looks like sounds pretty damn dumb.
Not just with this instance here, but in general.
Comment by Marcus — July 30, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
I thought it was interesting in the interview how you talked about how you and Paul Pope influence each other. Very cool. I always thought the cover of RASL #2 looked a tad Pope-esque.
Comment by Brian — July 30, 2008 @ 10:07 pm
Hey Jeff,
Don’t let the comments bother you too much. I don’t think that it’s so much The Onion’s readers as it is wankers who like to post anonymous crap on websites. I mean, even this guy gets buckets of insults: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY&feature=user
I mean c’mon, you married VIJAYA, after all. She’s got some pretty high standards. So forget about ‘em!
That’s why most of us don’t even bother with reading the comments section. It becomes painfully predictable. And hey, you know I think you’re a hottie!
It’s a great interview and some nice publicity. Oh, and don’t forget to get some sort of backup for the News Hour video piece so it doesn’t disappear like the WSJ interview. I missed it when it first aired but my dad called me up that evening and repeated it almost verbatim, lol! Very impressive! Congrats!
Jen
Comment by Jennifer Oliver — July 31, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Thanks, Jen, but let’s not go overboard. I never was a hottie even when I was young enough to be one!
I was just trying to tease the wankers who snark and bitch anonymously. They can say whatever they want, but I’m going to let them know they’re dicks. And I know it isn’t ALL Onion readers…I love the Onion and everyone I know reads it including me.
Comment by Jeff — August 1, 2008 @ 11:45 am
Nicely put. :p
Comment by Marcus — August 1, 2008 @ 5:11 pm
CGI?
I am officially concerned. I trust your judgment with your brainchild, Jeff, especially after Nickelodeon, but this is going to be a hard sell for me. Bone looks animated on the page, and the comics are virtually a storyboard for a classic, 2D cel animation film.
Surely Warner Bros. is willing to take a chance on a classic style. Remember the Iron Giant?
Comment by Sean — August 4, 2008 @ 12:58 pm
Dear Jeff,
I think you’re hot. No matter what anyone at The Onion says.
I know Vijaya will forgive me.
Comment by Colleen Doran — August 4, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
Iron Giant was such a cool movie.
That was like a favorite for alot of people.
Comment by Marcus — August 4, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
Sean and Marcus: Any time a comic is made into a movie, you should be concerned. Iron Giant was a great film that was a bomb at the box office. Even if you blame WB for not promoting it right, you aren’t going to be able to use it to convince them to make a 2D movie again.
I always thought of Bone as 2D myself (the characters, anyway), but I can make two arguments for CG: 1) Pixar has proved with films like The Incredibles & Finding Nemo that CG can capture most of the beauty and sensibility of 2D.
2) BONE is a story where the natural world is one of the main characters. CGI can do nature even better than hand drawn can.
Comment by Jeff — August 5, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
I actually didn’t know Iron Giant was a comic up until now. Or that it bombed. (Kind of came as a surprise).
CGI does sound good actually, no arguement.
And both of the movies you listed were good examples.
I haven’t really kept up with the reputation of Warner Brothers movies though, so I’ll have to see that, but Bone in CG is totally do-able.
Especially since we’ve gotten so far in our animation. And graphics also.
Anyone remember Beast Wars or ReBoot?
They were Canadian shows, but still, we do have the great possibility of Bone working out.
I can also see people getting worried about comic movies (I have a few times.)
The first Hulk.
V for Vendetta (was great)
300 (perfect)
Superman Returns (meh)
And now Watchmen, which I hope (and get more confident as the production Journals and trailer came out) will be done right.
They’re making a DragonBall film also.
That has me severely worried it’ll turn out sour.
Comment by Marcus — August 5, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
It’s true. The likelihood of seeing any major film studio producing a 2D animated feature seems to diminish every day.
I enjoy the work of Pixar because they seem to understand the aesthetic of traditional animated art and have adapted it well into 3D, but even in the best of CG features I find it to be so polished with so much sheen that it comes off as unnatural – almost clinical looking – with too many simplified, rounded corners. It always looks like a video game to me, and it reminds me of the disappointment of watching the establishing shots in the Star Wars prequels and thinking, “wow, what a letdown. This is trying to look real, but my eyes aren’t deceived in the slightest.” However, I was impressed recently by Wall-E, and their use of animated lenses and fantastic focus shifting to make it look so much more convincing.
I still think Warner Bros. could pull this off in CG, and I am extremely encouraged that they seem to have won you over. From a business standpoint it is probably even a virtual necessity that it be computer animated. Yet I always imagined the Bone movies to have thick, broad black lines that imitate your brushstrokes, and elaborately painted watercolour backgrounds like Calvin & Hobbes or Snow White & the Seven Dwarves to portray the lushness of the valley.
Either way, I know it will be very cool.
Comment by Sean — August 5, 2008 @ 6:13 pm
Good point, actually. About the line style and the backgrounds. Ed Edd N’ Eddy is one of those examples of unique line style (Danny A. who drew it used squiggle-vision for most parts of the episodes). The thing with the over-done CG effects too is understandable (what Sean said). But its still probably the best thing to do after all as far as type of animation. You watch an old Disney movie like Lion King and its like “wow, that’s still really good, even by today’s standards.” And then see an old CG like Toy Story and then switch to something like Incredibles and you can see Pixar has a real knack for doing great progression and (quality I guess would be the other word) for CG movies.
I think Bone will turn out great.
Comment by Marcus — August 5, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
> I’m saying he has rabid fans who take
> ridiculous offense very easily.
I do not know when you said this–last I heard it was just “get stuffed”.
I do know that you said:
> their readers are a bunch of dicks.
Yet you have no idea why some people do not like you?
Seriously?
I do understand at some level what you are trying to get at here, but I think a little more self reflection BEFORE pointing fingers may be in order.
Suddenly, I feel the need to tell you that I really do like RASL & my kid has the SHAZAM poster hanging on the back of his door. I am a FAN of your work–I think listening to the critics who are “digging it” may be a mistake, a mistake that countless other Comic Creators have made (if you know what I mean [and I think you do]).
Thanks, David S
Comment by david schwarm — August 5, 2008 @ 9:58 pm
David,
You are being sincere, and you aren’t hiding behind an anonymous tag, so I’ll answer the best I can with no BS.
A lot of the comments that followed the Onion article were nice, but a lot were really snarky. I thought it was funny to call them out. Did I deserve the comments that were rotten? Did I deserve the comments that were full of praise? I don’t know. I wasn’t being that serious about it. C’mon, they were being dicks and it was funny. Can’t I poke back a little bit?
And the “get stuffed” thing. Man, don’t hold that against me. That was a surreal and very hostile situation. All I wanted to do was make it stop. I didn’t realize until just now that any readers had taken offense. I apologize for that.
(FYI, my “get stuffed” comment was never meant for public consumption, it was made in a private letter to Dave, who then decided to print it in his comic book)
If you are refering to some other really obvious reasons to dislike me that I’m too thick to see, feel free to let me know.
Comment by Jeff — August 6, 2008 @ 7:12 am
Sean,
I know what you mean about the clinical look of CGI. Even in The Incredibles, the best to date in my mind as far as the look of the animation goes, the humans still have a glorified Rankin/Bass puppet feel. In fact, Thorn is the character that I am most worried about. Gran’ma Ben and the Bones are stylized enough that they shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
But for now, it’s all academic. As I said in the interview, we still have to finish negotiating the finer points of our contract. (we’re very close, maybe even this week, keep your fingers crossed!)
Comment by Jeff — August 6, 2008 @ 7:34 am
Oops. While cleaning up some spam, I accidentally deleted the last comment. Fortunately, I was able to go back a page and copy it. Here it is:
from Derek Rife
I love Bone, but RASL is definetly winning me over, especially the art. The Bone characters are a bit more simplistic in visual Design than RASL’s. I can’t wait till the day when RASL is ever collected into a Trade, or graphic novel.
Comment by Jeff — August 8, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Dear Jeff Smith
I am 12yrs old and from Australia every1 down here loves your books! PLEASE if you were to make it into a movie please broadcast it down here in australia!!!!IS it true that there will be a bone volume 10 called Back to Boneville if so please reply AUSTRALIA WANTS TO KNOW! in your bone volume 10 book please make sure that BArtleby has fun and gets into mischeif in Bone Ville.I have another idea why dont the veni yan secretly plot to take over the valley and all the bones from boneville come to the valley! please reply and tell me if they are good ideas P.S I have heard about your movie when is it going to be released!
Speaking on behalf of the Bone fans from AUSTARLIA
form your biggest fan JACKSON
Comment by Jackson — August 9, 2008 @ 1:17 am