Comments on: Q&A: Erik Larsen on Savage Dragon #154

By: lasert

lasert — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:18:29 +0000

Providing some insight to already-published books and maybe a hint at what’s to come, along with some of the sensibility and personality of the creators behind the books. If you pay attention, you’d find that Erik’s passionate about his creation; Todd Dezago is really accessible to fans and aspiring creators; Dan Jurgens is a consummate professional who understands corporate comics better than anyone I know. Those personality tics are part of what makes them interesting to talk to month after month, even when the books they’re commenting on are sometimes in an “action phase” and there’s not a lot of plot to dissect

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:08:30 +0000

I have been really enjoying these interviews as well – after I read the book. Thanks to Erik Larsen for participating and Newsarama for playing host.

By: Tre

Tre — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:51:21 +0000

While I don’t think it was a “bash” per se, I also don’t see it as a necessary critique. I mean hell, of COURSE Marvel/DC are only going to tinker so much with their iconic properties–they’re iconic! People have a brand expectation, and so, you can’t fuck with the brand after awhile. Coke/Pepsi/McDonald’s don’t change their recipes, and you know what? Yrs later people are still getting fat off all shit even though they know it’s not good for them.

And while I don’t personally read them anywhere near as much anymore, I understand too, that ultimately, those things–these mandates, editorial controls, corporate inputs and whatnot–are a reflection of the fact that these properties have become IMMENSELY POPULAR–something that the Image folks can’t boast–though I’m sure Larsen might also say he doesn’t want, either.

By: Grant

Grant — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:36:38 +0000

I think the big difference between Savage Dragon and other more corporate books (and I’d include Wildstorm, Top Cow and Spawn as well) is you know one guy is steering the ship most of the changes are permanent. Characters die, get married, change careers, grow old, and it all feels natural. You may like Nova now but Marvel can easily change creative teams or cancel the book if sales dip to a certain point. I don’t have that fear with Dragon.

That said I’m digging the big changes in Savage Dragon. I’m hoping the VC perfect their Dragon serum and a few of this minor leaguers stick around in Dragon form. Also I’m digging the more alien take on the newly blank slated Dragon. I’m not seeing too many overt hints that he’s the guy he was in the Origin story but a few bits of dialogue left me uneasy. Particularly the line about “having to survive by the worlds rule… for now.”

It’s a good book and I wish there were more like it.

By: Bendrix

Bendrix — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:40:44 +0000

Regarding Nova and it’s change and growth: That hasn’t been a natural evolution. Marvel decide to change Nova, they decided to go cosmic, and it happenes. It’s not part of a process. And when the series gets canceled one day, and reviewed a few years later, and the new creative team decides to go back to the roots, and everything that matters now gets ditched. That is the point.
Not saying that Nove is a bad series as it is.

By: Kyle Rayner

Kyle Rayner — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:20:50 +0000

Maybe if he stopped bashing Marvel whenever he mentioned them. For all his complaints about how corporate comics never change, never grow, can never be as FASCINATING AS DRAGON AND HIS CAST OF CHARACTERS, it’s pretty obvious he either only reads the big books like Spidey/X-Men/Avengers, or just gets by on headlines. Take Nova, a book/character he worked on in late 90s. It’s now light years apart from what the setting/concept/tone of his series was, the character has grown and matured, and fans love it. But of course, Larsen only exists to try and make his book look better than something that he didn’t happen to create.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:06:32 +0000

Oh, please. That was hardly a “bash”. It was a clear elucidation of the benefits creators have when they own and work on their own characters. He even went so far as to clarify, “And I’m not saying ‘these fuckers are evil’”.

Can’t Erik Larsen ever mention Marvel without being immediately written off as a “Marvel basher”?

By: JudasBaron

JudasBaron — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:54:11 +0000

It’s actually a cool super hero book with nice little twists sometimes that make you go ‘Ooooohhhhh,I see!’ This is the only Image book I still buy since 1992.

By: Russ Burlingame

Russ Burlingame — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:40:02 +0000

Not to mention, Kyle, that I asked him a question that directly set up a “creator-owned versus corporate-owned” dynamic. One of the natures of these columns–this, The Gold Exchange, What’s Perhappenin’? and stuff like that–is that they’re creator commentaries. Providing some insight to already-published books and maybe a hint at what’s to come, along with some of the sensibility and personality of the creators behind the books. If you pay attention, you’d find that Erik’s passionate about his creation; Todd Dezago is really accessible to fans and aspiring creators; Dan Jurgens is a consummate professional who understands corporate comics better than anyone I know. Those personality tics are part of what makes them interesting to talk to month after month, even when the books they’re commenting on are sometimes in an “action phase” and there’s not a lot of plot to dissect.

By: Jake W

Jake W — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:35:17 +0000

“Does Larsen ever get tired of bashing Marvel and DC? I’m serious, he seems to do it all the time. Does he think this will make more people read his book?”

You could ask the same when Joe Quesada takes swipes at DC, too.

By: Kyle Rayner

Kyle Rayner — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:24:06 +0000

Does Larsen ever get tired of bashing Marvel and DC? I’m serious, he seems to do it all the time. Does he think this will make more people read his book?

By: Jp Pollard

Jp Pollard — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:16:42 +0000

I’m glad Blog@ has been covering Savage Dragon so much lately. This book deserves as much attention as possible.