stupid fresh, now and forever
Introduction:
Seriously, if you are not absorbing every image that Skottie Young produces, you are truly missing out on unique, expressive, and downright enjoyable art. At the time of this article, Skottie is (probably) most well-known for his work with the Marvel Baby Variant Covers.
Seriously, if you are not absorbing every image that Skottie Young produces, you are truly missing out on unique, expressive, and downright enjoyable art. At the time of this article, Skottie is (probably) most well-known for his work with the Marvel Baby Variant Covers.
Yeah, those covers. I am sure that if you have found my little blog, you have undoubtedly seen, collected, and adored these covers. I read an interview with Skottie, and he was asked about whether or not he liked being pegged as the “baby” artist. Without skipping a beat, Skottie made it very clear that he is overjoyed to have the title of anything artist, and that there is nothing to be bummed out about working in comics. Period. The joy that resonates through this answer is the same joy that Skottie illustrates with, and after reading this article I hope you want to join his stupid fresh movement in the comics world.
OZ-A New Generation:
I am biased, and not just to Skottie’s artwork. I am biased to the entire culture and community created by the world of OZ.
Throughout my childhood our copy of the Wizard of OZ on VHS was played over and over again. No matter what was going on my mother could turn on the Wizard of OZ, and I was immediately glued to the screen. So, suffice it to say that when I found the OZ graphic novels I immediately fell in love with them.
Six volumes in all, the OZ graphic novels follow the original work of L. Frank Baum, and gave a fresh, innovate, and wondrous breath of life into what the public thought the world of OZ could be. If I had the time I would write an analysis of every page of this series, but I think that one of the strongest points of contention for this series comes from simply observing the character designs.
OZ-A New Generation:
I am biased, and not just to Skottie’s artwork. I am biased to the entire culture and community created by the world of OZ.
Throughout my childhood our copy of the Wizard of OZ on VHS was played over and over again. No matter what was going on my mother could turn on the Wizard of OZ, and I was immediately glued to the screen. So, suffice it to say that when I found the OZ graphic novels I immediately fell in love with them.
Six volumes in all, the OZ graphic novels follow the original work of L. Frank Baum, and gave a fresh, innovate, and wondrous breath of life into what the public thought the world of OZ could be. If I had the time I would write an analysis of every page of this series, but I think that one of the strongest points of contention for this series comes from simply observing the character designs.
This relatively simple drawing communicates so much personality and depth that the viewer is immediately drawn to create connections with the team. The scruff of the mane on the lion, the metallic mustache of the tin man, and volume of the scarecrow's hat showcase the power of shape when it comes to character design. Throughout his career this has been a key component of Skottie Young’s work. Couple that with an energetic inking style, and you have got the ingredients for both commercially and critically viable storytelling.
If you read my last article featuring Jason Brubaker, you know that one of my favorite things to do is break down a specific page of an artist’s work. I am blessed to own an original page from Ozma of Oz, and it hangs over my computer work space everyday. I have purposely and inadvertently spent a lot of time looking at this picture, and because of that I really do feel the need to dissect all that I have learned from it.
Side Note: One important function of any comic book page is that it works in black and white. The OZ books are gloriously colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, but without a strong use of black and white the color cannot do the job it was intended for. Skottie and Jean-Francois work wonderfully together, but I will save breaking down color for another time.
If you read my last article featuring Jason Brubaker, you know that one of my favorite things to do is break down a specific page of an artist’s work. I am blessed to own an original page from Ozma of Oz, and it hangs over my computer work space everyday. I have purposely and inadvertently spent a lot of time looking at this picture, and because of that I really do feel the need to dissect all that I have learned from it.
Side Note: One important function of any comic book page is that it works in black and white. The OZ books are gloriously colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, but without a strong use of black and white the color cannot do the job it was intended for. Skottie and Jean-Francois work wonderfully together, but I will save breaking down color for another time.
There are so many things to love about this page. Look at how every panel has a foreground, mid-ground, and background. This builds 12 layers of OZ that we get to experience on a 4 panel page. The panel layout is simple, but highly effective, in that, it balances the black and white areas. These are some simple artistic concepts that really open the door to a larger point that I think that this page states so well, and that point is that the continuity of everything from panel to panel (and page to page) is unmistakably consistent.
Skottie has a style that is all his own, and after copious research specifically into his style (and other styles as well), I think that I can draw some conclusions about the ever elusive albatross that is "style". (This will probably be another article for another time, but bear with me as I connect the dots with these points.)
More likely than not, you will not discover your style in your first 10, 100, or 1000 drawings. Style is the by-product of personal dedication towards the craft of drawing and ingesting the influence that the artists before you have had in your life. Finding a "style" seems life-threateningly important to the young artist, and as a young artist myself I often find myself pontificating on the ins and outs of style, my style, and how to find style. However, rather then spend too much time disappointed on the fact that I don't have "my style" yet, I sit down and draw some more. That is my main point when it comes to finding out what your style is, or what it could be. Just draw threw it, sit down and draw to the point of physical exhaustion, and then draw some more. If you draw enough, I am convinced that you will find your niche in the little kingdoms of comics and illustration. There are so many great artists, and nearly all of them have spoken on the topic of style, and finding it is not going to be an overnight process. The more you draw the sooner you will find it. A simple Google search will showcase the evolution of Skottie's style into what it has become today. Where he is now is vastly different than where he was at. Looking back into an artist's careers will, assuredly, provide you with some stylistic evolutionary points that you can learn from.
In addition to that, talking with other artists and writers is a great way to get some insight and perspective on this topic. Artist Mark A Gilchrist (@MarkAGilchrist) responded to an email inquiry I sent him awhile back and asserted the following point:
"Be yourself. Don't try to be the next (whatever artist you like). Be you. Develop the look and feel that you love, that is intrinsic to you as an individual. We don't need another Skottie Young or Jim Lee, we need the first YOU."
I don't think I could have asked for more powerful words than these. As we continue our analysis of Skottie Young's work in his current and future projects, keep these words in mind, and think about how you can use his work to build and inspire your own.
I Hate Fairyland:
Skottie took the plunge. There was some talk that Skottie would work on an animal adventure comic with the talented artist Jake Parker, but ultimately they both felt they had their own personal projects that required their attention. Both of them share a visible joy for stories with anthropomorphic characters, and hopefully one day we will get to see this story.
Skottie has a style that is all his own, and after copious research specifically into his style (and other styles as well), I think that I can draw some conclusions about the ever elusive albatross that is "style". (This will probably be another article for another time, but bear with me as I connect the dots with these points.)
More likely than not, you will not discover your style in your first 10, 100, or 1000 drawings. Style is the by-product of personal dedication towards the craft of drawing and ingesting the influence that the artists before you have had in your life. Finding a "style" seems life-threateningly important to the young artist, and as a young artist myself I often find myself pontificating on the ins and outs of style, my style, and how to find style. However, rather then spend too much time disappointed on the fact that I don't have "my style" yet, I sit down and draw some more. That is my main point when it comes to finding out what your style is, or what it could be. Just draw threw it, sit down and draw to the point of physical exhaustion, and then draw some more. If you draw enough, I am convinced that you will find your niche in the little kingdoms of comics and illustration. There are so many great artists, and nearly all of them have spoken on the topic of style, and finding it is not going to be an overnight process. The more you draw the sooner you will find it. A simple Google search will showcase the evolution of Skottie's style into what it has become today. Where he is now is vastly different than where he was at. Looking back into an artist's careers will, assuredly, provide you with some stylistic evolutionary points that you can learn from.
In addition to that, talking with other artists and writers is a great way to get some insight and perspective on this topic. Artist Mark A Gilchrist (@MarkAGilchrist) responded to an email inquiry I sent him awhile back and asserted the following point:
"Be yourself. Don't try to be the next (whatever artist you like). Be you. Develop the look and feel that you love, that is intrinsic to you as an individual. We don't need another Skottie Young or Jim Lee, we need the first YOU."
I don't think I could have asked for more powerful words than these. As we continue our analysis of Skottie Young's work in his current and future projects, keep these words in mind, and think about how you can use his work to build and inspire your own.
I Hate Fairyland:
Skottie took the plunge. There was some talk that Skottie would work on an animal adventure comic with the talented artist Jake Parker, but ultimately they both felt they had their own personal projects that required their attention. Both of them share a visible joy for stories with anthropomorphic characters, and hopefully one day we will get to see this story.
Ultimately that decision lead Skottie to begin working on the immensely successful I Hate Fairyland. (If you have not read I Hate Fairyland the first volume is currently available as a trade paperback through Image Comics.)
I have read every issue of I Hate Fairyland, and thus far I can honestly say I have never read anything like it before. You can tell right from the get go that the rug that swallows Gert, is not only dropping us into Fairyland but also into Skottie’s mind. You can see the rich shape driven design of characters that use, and oftentimes enhance, the troupes of a typical fairy tale. The line work, in typical Skottie fashion, is bold and daring. There is A LOT going on in just 5 issues of this series, but I think that if you make it through issue 5 you will definitely understand where the story was intended to go.
If I am being completely honest, I Hate Fairyland is not my favorite property that Skottie has access to. At the time of this article I am currently unaware of what the long term plan is for I Hate Fairyland, but I wish Skottie nothing but the best in this endeavor. And as much as I can appreciate the sugar-coated, cotton-candy-cavity inducing, skull-crushing-carnage of I Hate Fairyland, I must say, there is another creator-owned property that I hope Skottie will shift his attention to. That property is Boy At the End.
Boy At the End:
Boy at the End will clearly be a deeply emotional tale for Skottie to weave, and through the small glimpse into this world via his daily sketches, it is a journey that I want to experience first hand. Take a look at this post from skottieyoung.com -
“Boy At the End is a story that I’ve been working on here and there for 4 years or so. I was pretty deep into writing it when I’m dad passed away and after that, it was tough to tell the kind of story I wanted to tell. It had a lot of personal things woven into the fabric of the tale and my head wasn’t in that space for a few years.
Over the last few years, Boy has made his way back into my life thru daily sketches and I’m loving what he’s turned into over the break. I’m going to keep exploring his path and see if we can’t bring him to life after I HATE FAIRYLAND is done. I think he’ll be ready to share his story with you by then.”
Tell me you don’t want to read that graphic novel. You can’t. I think that this is a project that could be the crown jewel of an illustrious illustration career, and I think the world needs to hear this story.
If I am being completely honest, I Hate Fairyland is not my favorite property that Skottie has access to. At the time of this article I am currently unaware of what the long term plan is for I Hate Fairyland, but I wish Skottie nothing but the best in this endeavor. And as much as I can appreciate the sugar-coated, cotton-candy-cavity inducing, skull-crushing-carnage of I Hate Fairyland, I must say, there is another creator-owned property that I hope Skottie will shift his attention to. That property is Boy At the End.
Boy At the End:
Boy at the End will clearly be a deeply emotional tale for Skottie to weave, and through the small glimpse into this world via his daily sketches, it is a journey that I want to experience first hand. Take a look at this post from skottieyoung.com -
“Boy At the End is a story that I’ve been working on here and there for 4 years or so. I was pretty deep into writing it when I’m dad passed away and after that, it was tough to tell the kind of story I wanted to tell. It had a lot of personal things woven into the fabric of the tale and my head wasn’t in that space for a few years.
Over the last few years, Boy has made his way back into my life thru daily sketches and I’m loving what he’s turned into over the break. I’m going to keep exploring his path and see if we can’t bring him to life after I HATE FAIRYLAND is done. I think he’ll be ready to share his story with you by then.”
Tell me you don’t want to read that graphic novel. You can’t. I think that this is a project that could be the crown jewel of an illustrious illustration career, and I think the world needs to hear this story.
Cycle through this gallery of image, and you can feel the gravity of the tone in Boy At the End. The character design for Boy itself speaks to the power that this story will wield. Facial expressions are one of the strongest tools in any actor's bag of tricks, but when you wear a mask you lose that tool. Or do you? The environment, the text, the text bubbles, the color, the negative space, the line weight, everything about these images works to serve a larger story. Cohesion in a comic or graphic novel is of vital importance, and just through these simple daily sketches, we can ascertain that cohesion.
The prospect of this story excites me as a teacher, an artist, and as a fan of graphic novels. Everything in its due time, but when the Boy At the End is released I will be first in line to anxiously tear into my copy.
Conclusion:
During college, I had the pleasure of working (for an afternoon) with Skottie Young at a book signing while I worked at the Barnes and Noble in Peoria. I was able to get my heavily used copy of the Wonderful Wizard OZ signed by him, I managed the lines of people there to get their products signed, and I absorbed every comic, drawing, and illustration conversation that he had with me and the others who were there that day. It was a big turning point for me in my young illustration career. I would even consider that the day when I knew that I needed to start taking this more seriously. Skottie is a consistent professional and he is a role model for me. Looking at his work makes me want to draw better than I did the day before, and I hope that this article inspires you to look at his work in the same light.
The prospect of this story excites me as a teacher, an artist, and as a fan of graphic novels. Everything in its due time, but when the Boy At the End is released I will be first in line to anxiously tear into my copy.
Conclusion:
During college, I had the pleasure of working (for an afternoon) with Skottie Young at a book signing while I worked at the Barnes and Noble in Peoria. I was able to get my heavily used copy of the Wonderful Wizard OZ signed by him, I managed the lines of people there to get their products signed, and I absorbed every comic, drawing, and illustration conversation that he had with me and the others who were there that day. It was a big turning point for me in my young illustration career. I would even consider that the day when I knew that I needed to start taking this more seriously. Skottie is a consistent professional and he is a role model for me. Looking at his work makes me want to draw better than I did the day before, and I hope that this article inspires you to look at his work in the same light.