It's funny, I always thought the colour in the Marvel comic was a bit over the top, especially in Issue 1 - and not at all faithful to the film. See what happens when you take screenshots on YouTube?

Film Notes

Wonderful unexpected colour

© MARVEL 1977

Granted, Howard Chaykin and the team didn't have anything much to go on when they made that first issue of the comic in '77. They were also under huge time-pressure, so it's unsurprising that it was somewhat impressionistic; but just look at the Marvel version and these screen-grabs on the < left.

(I never noticed the chap in the middle before)

Art Notes

This is circa 1982 once again. I was dead-set by then on working for 2000 AD. I was going to go to art college but had absolutely no idea what that involved! And I wish I'd asked mum and dad for How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way for Christmas. I would have had some sort of a clue how to do it. Speaking of doing it, yesterday I tried to work up a comic page and I'm realising just how hard it is! It's not just the drawing bit - but the planning! When I was young I just ploughed-in and drew in straight-ahead fashion. I could never do outlines, drafts, roughs - or even light penciling before doing the inking. Rulers anyone? It was all a bit of fun and there was no responsibility to anyone. Funnily enough, English essay assignments were treated in much the same way.

But oh, the innocence of youth. Yesterday I was even just trying to figure out where the heck all the speech bubbles were going to go and I thought, "Hang on, this comicking stuff is... WORK." I'll tell you another thing, the art of comic-making is also the art of succinct writing. It's mainly a pictorial medium so you should be able to reduce the text. Easier said than done my friends! So that's why they PAY professionals to do it. Now I get it.

I do like my third panel (left) on that page - and the word CHOP! in the fourth.

Next: Vile and gruesome bloody shreddings!

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