Shannon Gallant talks about leaving G.I. Joe for… G.I. Joe

By Mike Rhode

 

Shannon “S.L.” Gallant spoke recently on a panel on graphic novels at George Mason University’s Fall for the Book Festival. I last interviewed him in 2010 so it was about time to check in again. After the panel (which will be transcribed here in the future), we sat down for a quick talk.

You have just come off of what is supposed to be the longest run of an artist on the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic book. How many issues did you draw?

I didn’t even count. I think the IDW guys said something like 70 or 75. I started on #161, which had a cover-date of November 2010, so that means I started before then timewise, and I just did my last issue three months ago, and that was issue #245. There were some fill-ins of various issues along the way.

You were mainly the penciler and didn’t ink yourself on the book?

Gallant inked by Earskine

The only thing I inked were covers. My first few covers were done by whoever the inker was on the book. Some were by Gary Erskine, and a couple were by Brian Shearer, but the last twenty or thirty or so that I did were inked by myself. That was the only inking that I did.

Larry Hama wrote the entire run that you worked on?

He did.

How did he give you the scripts? Was it thumbnails, or typescript? 

Larry works in the old Marvel style which is a springboard style – a synopsis of the page, rather than broken down on the page into panel-by-panel descriptions. He very rarely included any kind of dialogue, because he would script that later. It was basically just a synopsis of the page and he would say things like, “If I have more than one paragraph, consider the paragraph to be a panel,” but it wasn’t a hard rule. That’s generally how he worked.

So you’re leaving the main G.I. Joe title to do… another G.I. Joe title?

 

I am. It’s G.I.Joe versus the Six Million Dollar Man [jointly published by IDW and Dynamite]. It’s a period piece and I’m setting it in my head in 1981 so it’ll be between the end of the Six Million Dollar Man tv show and the beginning of the G.I. Joe cartoon. I’m modelling G.I. Joe more on the cartoon characters than on the comic book version. So the costumes are pretty much the same, but the characters backgrounds are slightly different.

Who’s writing it?

Ryan Ferrier. He’s done comics for a lot of companies, IDW and Dynamite included.

What kind of script is he giving you?

It’s more of a full script, panel-by-panel breakdowns with dialogue.

Who made the decision about when this was set it time?

It evolved out of everyone talking and deciding with Steve Austin being so set in the ‘70s because of the tv show and the fashions, and Dynamite has gone back from updating the character, to making it more like the classic character in most of their books. I wanted to do it [that way], and feel those books need to be period pieces. A lot of the G.I. Joe fans had issues when we started at IDW with the updating of characters and making everyone have cell phones, and computers, and laptops and iPads and so forth… so this is my way of doing a period piece. The research is one of the biggest hurdles for me on it.

Plus he’d be a Six Trillion Dollar Man now… You’ve said you do a lot of research. Since you’re setting this 35 years ago, are you doing a lot of research to see what buildings and cars looked like at the time?

I’m trying to. I trying to make sure that it at least feels like it’s set in 1981, as opposed to having people with iPods. You don’t want to make those kinds of mistakes. When I got the first script, there were references to an office building with computers on the tables, so I had a discussion with the editor, saying “Well, people didn’t have computers on their desk in 1981. There was a room you had to go to and use a computer.”

How many issues is it?

From what I understand it’s supposed to be four, depending on sales they may expand it.

You’ve also done work for American Mythology in Baltimore lately?

They do a lot of licensed properties. They do have some creator-owned stuff, but the work I’ve been doing for them is on their cartoon properties. They have the rights to Bullwinkle, Casper, Underdog… they started out with a license for Pink Panther and I did the Free Comic Book Day Pink Panther comic where he turns into Thor. Most of what I’ve done for them has been on their cartoon side, but they also do a Three Stooges comic and a Stargate comic.

Do you find it easy to switch styles between G.I. Joe and Pink Panther?

It’s something I’ve always had to do when I was working in advertising. I had to switch styles up a lot. That’s how I ended up as a staff illustrator which is pretty rare.  If they wanted a New Yorker-type comic style or something more realistic, or traditional advertising – that was something I was used to doing and I still enjoy. It keeps the batteries fresh.

Are you hoping to continue on the Six Million Dollar Man after this miniseries?

I enjoy the character. I wonder if it’s one of those things though. I read an interview with Adam Hughes once, about Star Trek, after he did the big Debt of Honor Star Trek graphic novel. He said, “No, I got that out of my system. I’m done with it.” So we’ll see if at the end of this if I’m over the Six Million Dollar Man.

Is there anything you would like to work on?

Dynamite has announced that they’re going to redo Swords of the Swashbucklers, and that’s a series I would love to get on. It was when I fell in love with Jackson “Butch” Guice’s artwork. I would love to do that because I love those characters. It was steampunky before steampunk was a thing. I was never into pirates until that but it’s got enough of a Star Wars feel to it. It’s a fun book.

Who’s writing that?

Marc Guggenheim, the producer of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow tv show.

Over the years at HeroesCon, you’ve become friendly with Butch?

Shadows drawn and inked by Gallant

He was introduced to me by our mutual friend Chris Sparks, who was friends with Butch for years and years. We email back and forth and are friendly acquaintances. I think he’s phenomenal. One of the things I really enjoy about his work – when I fell in love with it, back he was working on Swords of the Swashbucklers, and the work he’s doing now… if you look at his work then, and his work now, you wouldn’t guess it was the same person. Stylistically he has grown, but a lot of artists, when they hit a certain level, they plateau and they stay at that level and they don’t change. He’s still experimenting and trying different techniques. He’s gotten very obsessed with shadow work. To see his penciled pages and then to see what the final looks like… I still don’t know he makes that leap. I’ve asked him multiple times, “how do you approach your shadows, because what you’re penciling, and what I’m seeing in the final product, makes it almost seem like two different people did the book.”

Titan Comics of early October 2015 and The Bus 2

Titan Books continues its aggressive Titan Comics line expansion with a wide variety of material. They just sent ComicsDC a wide variety of books, ranging from children's to greatest generation readers. Text in italics is a blurb from their website.


Dreamworks Home Vol. 1 Hide & Seek & Oh

Writer Max Davison and Artist Matt Hebb

Fresh from DreamWorks Animation’s new film Home, Titan Comics bring you the all-new adventures of the friendliest and most inept world dominators you’ve ever seen! The Boov are an alien race trying to make Earth their home, but they really don’t get human culture... In these two original stories, Tip and the Boov alien Oh attempt to play hide-and-seek – with inter-dimensional consequences! And Oh faces the perilous pitfalls of job-hunting!


This is really aimed at a very young reader, as it has a cameo by Where's Waldo in it. I haven't seen the movie, but in the comic, the girl Tip takes the lead of solving the problems that Oh the alien has gotten them into.

Dreamworks Classics Vol.1

Writers
Andy Lanning
Dan Abnett
Tom DeFalco

Artists
Brian Williamson
S L Gallant

From the hit movies to the comic pages, Titan presents classic DreamWorks tales starring Shrek and the Madagascar gang! Shrek faces a bunch of Trolls and then takes part in a pie-eating contest (against Fiona, no less!). Meanwhile over in Madagascar, the gang try to build a new house – with disastrous results – and then they go to a party at Prince Julien’s!

I wasn't paying much attention to this comic collection of Shrek and Madagascar stories, until I saw the artist - our local Dupont Circle denizen Shannon Gallant, who also pencils G.I. Joe.. So everyone should by this collection and wander the Circle until Shannon signs it for you.


 DreamWorks Penguins of Madagascar: The Great Drain Robbery

Writers

Alex Matthews

Andy Lanning

Cavan Scott

Jim Alexander

Artists

Andy Lanning

Egle Bartolini

Lucas Fereyra

This collection packs together Titan's complete Penguins of Madagascar comic series, presenting hilarious and dangerous hijinks with everyone's favourite flippered friends from the Madagascar movies. It's penguins vs. rats in 'The Great Drain Robbery', the fellas face a cunning new circus performer in 'When In Rome', have an adventure on the red carpet in 'Big Night Out', engage in some clowning around with ferrets in 'Big Top' and finally travel to London to visit the Crown Jewels - with hilarious consequences - in 'Operation: Heist'.

I'm surprised by the variety of styles of art in this collection. DreamWorks obviously did not provide a staid model sheet, and it makes the collection more enjoyable. The characters of the Penguins have been well-established by the movies and tv, and the writers have turned in perfectly acceptable plots for  a children's comic. Anyone looking for a comic for the 10-and-under set could consider this, although at $20 it's price point is more like a standard superhero collection.

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives Omnibus: Volume One 

by Tony Lee (Author), Dan McDaid (Author), Tim Hamilton (Illustrator), Mark Buckingham (Illustrator), Matthew Dow Smith (Illustrator) 

The journey starts here, with the first installment of Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives! Join the Doctor, Amy and Rory as they explore the wonders of time and space - where nothing is ever quite as it seems! Collecting the first three complete story arcs of Doctor Who Series 2, don't miss out on these fantastic adventures!

I'm turning this one over to my daughter for review as she's a fan. Hopefully she'll get back to us with a review. Again, as with the Penguins, I'm struck by the wide variety in artistic styles.

Universal War One Vol.1 

Denis Bajram

THE WHOLE WORLD IS AT WAR. AND IT’S ABOUT TO GET WORSE. Humanity has colonized our entire solar system. In the middle of a civil war between the core planets and distant outlying planetary settlements, an immense black wall appears, cutting our solar system in two. The black wall absorbs all light and matter, and it's up to a band of disgraced soldiers to investigate the phenomenon.

This is a goodly-priced collection of six French albums. Bajram's art is attractive. European SF rarely engages me, but I'll try to get back with a review.

FLASH GORDON Vol.4 

Don Moore
Austin Briggs

Continuing the space-bound adventures of Flash Gordon, the original guardian of the galaxy as he strives to save us all from a slew of super-villainy hell-bent on domination, destruction and devilment; including the ruthless, seductive, Storm Queen of Valkir!

 Once upon a time, in our local galaxy, Star Wars didn't exist. Instead, we had Flash Gordon. This is a big meaty reprint book of color Sundays of the comic strip from the 1940s and it's going to be good. 

Minions Vol.1 Banana!

Writer

Didier Ah-Koon

Artist

Renaud Collin

They’re the most loveable evil henchmen ever created… Stuart, Kevin, Bob and the rest of the Minions return for laughs and gags in this hilarious comic collection. Collecting together Minions Comic Issues #1 and #2, laugh along as the Minions unleash their unique brand of mayhem on the world.

I just saw the movie the other day, and liked it. I think this collection, which is mostly wordless as you'd expect, should be a fun read. It's in European hardcover album format and should be a good present for pre-teens.

The Bus 2

Paul Kirchner

Tanibis, 2015, $25.

One of my favorite comic strips is Paul Kirchner's The Bus which appeared in alternative newspapers in the 1980s. I reviewed the collection that reprinted them, and figured that I'd seen it all. But Kirchner had returned to the strip and I'm looking forward to diving into his return to the wordless surrealism of commuting. I can't recommend Kirchner's strips highly enough. These two books would make great holiday presents.


Here's the publisher's blurb:


 During the years 1974 to 1986, after working as an assistant to Wally Wood, Paul Kirchner created several comic strips such as Dope Rider for High Times magazine and the bus for Heavy Metal. In 2012, French publishing house Tanibis published an anthology of the bus strips that was nominated at the Angoulême International comics festival, proving that even a 30-year old public transportation vehicle can take part in a Grand Prix. In 2013, Paul Kirchner surprised commuters when he decided to start working again on the bus. He fixed the old vehicle up, took it out of the garage and called its iconic passenger in the white overcoat back on duty, waiting to be taken on new, exotic adventures. The bus' unpredictable personality causes him to mimic classic pop culture icons such as King-Kong or Steve Martin while in turn analyzing or teleporting his passenger. And that's only when it's not cheating on him with other commuters. Kirchner's new ideas are on par with the original strips, proving that his creativity didn't end with the 80's. The crazy cartoon logic of the original strips is still present, and wackiness is the norm. Some details, such as the so-called « smart » phones or the passengers' looks, root the stories in the 21st century, but Paul Kirchner's universe retains a timeless vintage aesthetic that blends eras, lending these new stories a hint of nostalgia. The Bus 2 will be published in hardcover horizontal format identical to the previous collection published in 2012. Back in that twilight dimension he calls home, it is rumored that Paul Kirchner is at work on new material for his psychedelic western Dope Rider. After all it seems that the bus' passenger is not the only one who gets caught occasionally in strange time warps... Parts of The Bus 2 material have previously been published in magazines in north America and in Europe.

Herb Trimpe, ace Marvel artist, has passed away

I grew up on Herb Trimpe's art, especially on the Hulk and Godzilla. I've met him a few times at cons and you can see my photos here.

John Romita Sr and Herb Trimpe at Baltimore Comic-Con 2007

Local cartoonist Shannon Gallant memorialized Herb on his blog.

Here's a longer obituary.

Last year's Team Cul de Sac art auction

I got this sweet piece of Team Cul de Sac art
work by Shannon Gallant - Miss Bliss as G.I. Joe's Baroness.

SL Gallant "Who?!"

My buddy Shannon "SL" Gallant is the artist on G.I. Joe, and he pulled out the stops on this piece of art he did for my Whovian daughter at Awesome Con.

G.I. Joe #200 is illustrated by Shannon Gallant

... who isn't mentioned in this interview. There's his name on the book though.

Larry Hama's Lessons On Writing G.I. Joe

by Vince Brusio

January 2014
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/977?articleID=143516

Baltimore Comic-Con photographs

Here's pictures of the Baltimore Comic-Con 2011 show. There's a bunch of local Washington creators in the pictures - check out the photo's name, rather than the captions which I haven't finished yet.


Shannon Gallant & Herb Trimpe, two G.I. Joe comic book artists.


Buzzboy's John Gallagher.


A dedicated cosplayer.

Photos of recent DC-area comics events

2nd DC Comic Con

Daring to Draw: An Evening with Political Cartoonists from Around the World

Steven Weinberg and Casey Scieszka signing "To Timbuktu"

Another Gallant sketch

Another sketch from Shannon, for another con goer -

"St Trinian's girl..."

 
- and he didn't even have a table. This is a Searle tribute, of course.

Another reason to buy sketches from Shannon (SL) Gallant at cons

My 3rd original Shadow drawing is this sweet piece. I now have a collection. Coming soon - Roger Langridge's SPX drawing.

A reason to buy a sketch from SL Gallant at a Con

At Baltimore Comic-Con my buddy Shannon Gallant gave me a sketch he did of "Real Leela," based on the Futurama character. You too can commission him to draw one of these (actually I asked for the Shadow, but he stayed busy all weekend doing G.I. Joe and other characters). Link is NQ SFW cheesecake.

Baltimore Comic-Con on Sunday

I'm a bit tired so here's some new pictures.

A few of interest:


Shannon Gallant and his Valkyrie sketch.


Don Rosa sketching Uncle Scrooge.


Frank Cho's painting of Mara Herning as Zatanna, being air-dried by Mara before auctioning.


Chris Sparks, Sergio Aragones and Richard Thompson share a laugh


Frederick, MD's Stephen Blickenstaff and his monsters.

Graphic Content panel in pictures

As far as I know, the DC Library hasn't posted a podcast of last weekend's panel yet, but here's my photos. To remind all, this was -

"Graphic Content: A Conversation with Five DC Area Graphic Storytellers."
Shannon "G.I. Joe" Gallant, Matt "Politico" Wuerker, Andrew "Trickster" Cohen, Evan "DC Conspiracy" Keeling and Ben "Dirtfarm" Classen at Northwest One Neighborhood Library, June 26, 2010, Washington DC.


Andrew Cohen, Evan Keeling and then Matt Wuerker in far background. The pages Andrew is showing come from the graphic novel he and Matt Dembicki are doing on DC's Huerich mansion, and look lovely.


Matt Wuerker. Nobody asked him about the hat.


Ben Claassen and Shannon Gallant.


Shannon Gallant signing a 'Black Canary' sketch he gave to me.


Evan Keeling, Ben Claassen and Shannon Gallant comparing pencils.


Andrew Cohen, Evan Keeling and Ben Claassen.

June 26: New, Improved! Graphic Content, now with additional cartoonists

Wires got crossed, and Ben Classen got left off the announcement, but regular readers of the Express (he does spot illos) and the City Paper (he does Dirtfarm and all kinds of stuff) can now ask about Fappy the Seal's true role in humor. And Matt "Trickster" Dembicki has said on Facebook that he'll be attending in the audience.

I'll be moderating this, and Shannon "G.I. Joe" Gallant, Matt "Politico" Wuerker, Andrew "Trickster" Cohen, Evan "DC Conspiracy" Keeling and Ben "Dirtfarm" Classen will be speaking on creating comics.

Event: Graphic Content: A Conversation with Five DC Area Graphic Storytellers
Start Time: Saturday, June 26 at 1:00pm
End Time: Saturday, June 26 at 2:30pm
Where: Northwest One Neighborhood Library
155 L St, NW @ New Jersey Avenue

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=130811430278136&mid=280312cG40206d0eG1a637daG7

June 26: Graphic Content: A Conversation with Four DC Area Graphic Storytellers

I'll be moderating this, and Shannon "G.I. Joe" Gallant, Matt "Politico" Wuerker, Andrew "Trickster" Cohen and Evan "DC Conspiracy" Keeling will be speaking on creating comics.

 

Event: Graphic Content: A Conversation with Four DC Area Graphic Storytellers
Start Time: Saturday, June 26 at 1:00pm
End Time: Saturday, June 26 at 2:30pm
Where: Northwest One Neighborhood Library
155 L St, NW @ New Jersey Avenue

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=130811430278136&mid=280312cG40206d0eG1a637daG7

Heroes Con 2010 pictures continued

More photos from Heroes Con 2010.


Richard Thompson IS ready for business.



Ben Towle namechecked me - we had a nice conversation in the Westin bar.


Richard Thompson, Cul de Sac webmonkey Chris Sparks and Shannon Gallant.


The great Bernie Wrightson. I actually bought a piece of art from him. I never thought I'd own a Wrightson page. BTW, Joel, he says hello.


Comics cover god Brian Bolland.

More of my pictures are online here.

Finally, Our Man Thompson in Joe Lambert's photo.

Heroes Con pic of 3 cartoonists, 1 professor and 2 fanboy stalkers.

Dinner at Heroes Con. Left to right: Richard "Cul de Sac" Thompson, Mike "ComicsDC" Rhode, Shannon "G.I. Joe Gallant, Craig "Appalachian State" Fischer, Chris "Crogan's Vengeance" Schweizer and Chris "Cul de Sac webmaster" Sparks. Sparks and I are the fanboy stalkers because Fischer gets paid to do this stuff. The picture is Sparks' and we all had to really overtip the waitress by the time he was done asking her to take it.

ComicsDC goes to Heroes Con; so does Thompson and Gallant

...but you shouldn't care about that. What you should care about is that crack local cartoonists Shannon "GI Joe" Gallant and Richard "Cul de Sac" Thompson will be appearing in Charlotte, NC at Heroes Con for three days only! No rain checks!

Heroes Con, Or Stuck Inside of Charlotte with the Cul de Sac Blues Again

Richard and I will be motoring down to Heroes Con next Thursday - I think this is pretty much a go since the schedule posted today says:

June 5 Saturday

3.00 PM

IN CONVERSATION | Richard Thompson
Room 206
Reuben Award -nominated Richard Thompson is widely hailed as one of the most talented cartoonists working today. From his strip Cul de Sac to his Richard's Poor Almanac humor strip to his illustrations for the New Yorker, the Washington Post, and more, he's a fascinating creator. Tom Spurgeon sits down to talk with Richard in this informal conversation.

Presumably I'll be the table monkey and miss it again.

Shannon "G.I. Joe" Gallant is also going down from DC. My buddy Craig Fischer's doing his thing again too.

Finally, I address iPad comics

I wasn't all that concerned about them actually, but my editor asked for an article - Shannon Gallant, John Gallagher, Matt Wuerker and Ann Telnaes ventured opinions for me - In D.C. and Industrywide, Will the iPad Save Comics and Kill Print? by Mike Rhode on Apr. 6, 2010.

Said editor, Jon Fischer, drastically cleaned up this article too and made it much more readable.