Post by John Helmer on Nov 28, 2010 9:38:50 GMT -5
www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/110898464_Ailing_artist__comic_relief.html
Hackensack man's comic series becomes a graphic novel
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Last updated: Saturday November 27, 2010, 11:10 AM
BY CHUCK O'DONNELL
The Record, Staff Writer
Hackensack's Joe Martino is excited about having his comic series "Shadowflame" collected into a graphic novel. It's available in comic book stores and will be in bookstores starting Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Little Ferry native, who has had two kidney cancer surgeries and is dealing with failing eyesight, has found purpose in "Shadowflame," whose title character he created in eighth grade.
Q. Tom Wyatt is chosen to become Shadowflame and save the world. Is he ready?
"He is nowhere near ready. When we meet Tom, it is a month after the death of his wife. He feels responsible and he is ready to end his life. He isn't ready to go to the store to buy milk, let alone be granted unlimited power and potentially be the savior of the human race."
Q. Comics are filled with world-conquering madmen. How is Maldestrak different?
"I don't know that he differs. He kind of has all of their motivations. He … destroys worlds, he relishes in death and destruction. Maldestrak believes that everyone is inferior to him. … Humans are underdeveloped animals that should serve him — or die."
Q. What does it mean to you to have former Superman and X-Man artist John Byrne pencil the cover?
"This is the guy that inspired me to pick up a pencil and draw. So having him do the cover to 'Shadowflame' is like a dream come true. I have the original drawing hanging in my apartment, and every once in a while I stop and look at it and just say 'Wow, he really said yes.' "
Q. "Shadowflame" has the free-spirited feeling of the Marvel comics from the 1980s. Why did you want to pay homage to this era in comics?
"I am just telling the stories that I would like to read. Comics have lost the magic they had when I was young. Everything needs to be explained and changed to make sense. Comics should be about losing yourself in something that is bigger than you. It is about imagining yourself in the role of the hero. When we were kids, how many of us tied a towel to our backs and pretended to fly? 'Shadowflame' is about when you could believe a man could fly, not how he flies — just that he can."
Q. With your health problems, do you draw some strength from the heroes in the comics you've been reading all your life?
"Not consciously, but I think we all draw strength from different areas. Life, although very difficult for the past five or six years, is good. You have to pick yourself up, realize what you have lost and try and pick up what you think you can salvage. Life has a way of fixing itself. You just need to give it a chance. Losing yourself in a great story, leaning on family and friends — whatever works. I have heard that people have drawn strength from 'Shadowflame' and 'Ripperman' [Martino's first comic, published in 2004]. Both stories have strong ties to redemption and picking yourself up after a major loss or finding out who you really are and following your own path, no matter who is in your way."
Q. What work do you have coming up in the future?
"Shadowflame is co-starring in a huge indie comic event called 'War of the Independents' and my part of that crossover is called 'Curse of the Cortes Stone.' It will be out in January. My book 'Ripperman' is almost complete and will be out hopefully in mid to late 2011."
Q. How do we find out more about your work?
"Visit jgmcomics.com."
E-mail: odonnell@northjersey.com
Hackensack man's comic series becomes a graphic novel
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Last updated: Saturday November 27, 2010, 11:10 AM
BY CHUCK O'DONNELL
The Record, Staff Writer
Hackensack's Joe Martino is excited about having his comic series "Shadowflame" collected into a graphic novel. It's available in comic book stores and will be in bookstores starting Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Little Ferry native, who has had two kidney cancer surgeries and is dealing with failing eyesight, has found purpose in "Shadowflame," whose title character he created in eighth grade.
Q. Tom Wyatt is chosen to become Shadowflame and save the world. Is he ready?
"He is nowhere near ready. When we meet Tom, it is a month after the death of his wife. He feels responsible and he is ready to end his life. He isn't ready to go to the store to buy milk, let alone be granted unlimited power and potentially be the savior of the human race."
Q. Comics are filled with world-conquering madmen. How is Maldestrak different?
"I don't know that he differs. He kind of has all of their motivations. He … destroys worlds, he relishes in death and destruction. Maldestrak believes that everyone is inferior to him. … Humans are underdeveloped animals that should serve him — or die."
Q. What does it mean to you to have former Superman and X-Man artist John Byrne pencil the cover?
"This is the guy that inspired me to pick up a pencil and draw. So having him do the cover to 'Shadowflame' is like a dream come true. I have the original drawing hanging in my apartment, and every once in a while I stop and look at it and just say 'Wow, he really said yes.' "
Q. "Shadowflame" has the free-spirited feeling of the Marvel comics from the 1980s. Why did you want to pay homage to this era in comics?
"I am just telling the stories that I would like to read. Comics have lost the magic they had when I was young. Everything needs to be explained and changed to make sense. Comics should be about losing yourself in something that is bigger than you. It is about imagining yourself in the role of the hero. When we were kids, how many of us tied a towel to our backs and pretended to fly? 'Shadowflame' is about when you could believe a man could fly, not how he flies — just that he can."
Q. With your health problems, do you draw some strength from the heroes in the comics you've been reading all your life?
"Not consciously, but I think we all draw strength from different areas. Life, although very difficult for the past five or six years, is good. You have to pick yourself up, realize what you have lost and try and pick up what you think you can salvage. Life has a way of fixing itself. You just need to give it a chance. Losing yourself in a great story, leaning on family and friends — whatever works. I have heard that people have drawn strength from 'Shadowflame' and 'Ripperman' [Martino's first comic, published in 2004]. Both stories have strong ties to redemption and picking yourself up after a major loss or finding out who you really are and following your own path, no matter who is in your way."
Q. What work do you have coming up in the future?
"Shadowflame is co-starring in a huge indie comic event called 'War of the Independents' and my part of that crossover is called 'Curse of the Cortes Stone.' It will be out in January. My book 'Ripperman' is almost complete and will be out hopefully in mid to late 2011."
Q. How do we find out more about your work?
"Visit jgmcomics.com."
E-mail: odonnell@northjersey.com
