posted
Reprinted here for those of you who missed it on my site or couldn't access it:
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Steve Lightle has graciously granted me an interview to answer some questions about The Legion. I thank Steve immensely for taking the time to do this interview, especially when it was conducted through e-mail by someone who hasn't done a real interview in nearly twenty years (namely me!). He has once again proven why he is (IMHO) one of the most loved creators in the Legion's 45 year history. Now on to the interview.
Lightning Lads Legion: I know the first question on everyone's minds is going to be how is the Tasmia/Umbra spotlight issue coming along?
Steve Lightle: All done and patiently awaiting its publication. It will be interesting to finally see what kind of reaction it gets from the readers ... hopefully, a positive one. I have gotten good feedback from a few industry people who have seen it, which is always nice..
LLL: Is it still planned for #24?
SL: Yes, Scott, that's LEGION #24. You know, the issue follows the current Dream Crime story arc, which has been heavily publicized, so I hope that my issue still gets noticed when retailers see it listed in the Diamond previews. I've learned the hard way that having a book sell out at the shops doesn't mean that it will be a big seller. I've had issues of Spider-man or Marvel Comics Presents that sold through in a matter of hours, and because of the depressed state of the comic book industry, those issues just went into a black hole. Retailers were glad to see them sell so quickly, on one hand, but on the other, the majority of their regular customers never got a chance to see those issues on the stands. Reorder is a scary word to retailers who are afraid that initial interest might wane before the reorders can arrive. Ultimately this means that, for everyone who has an interest in LEGION #24 to actually get a copy, initial orders are going to need to be good. I suppose the thing to do, if it's not already too late, is for consumers to go directly to their suppliers and reserve a copy in advance.
LLL: Some very good advice Steve. Your first try at Tasmia, the head shot you submitted to the Yahoo Groups, was great. Why can or can't you give us a "sneak preview"?
SL: From a publisher's perspective promotion is a risky game with complicated rules. They certainly want the Umbra/Lightle issue to sell, but they don't want to confuse potential buyers by allowing too much buzz for LEGION #24 to overwhelm the ongoing promotion for the issues that precede it. Out of respect for their situation, I've held off on requests for interviews and previews of the art. I did scan and send a panel out to a few Legion fans, just to find out what their reaction would be, and so far everyone seems very enthusiastic.
LLL: I understand it is the first issue you've both penciled and inked. Can you tell us, do you find the process easier knowing you will be inking your own work?
SL: Much easier, speaking as a penciller/storyteller.
LLL: How so?
SL: First and foremost, you have the assurance that the inker will understand where you are coming from. The penciller doesn't have to fear that he's somehow giving inadequate information to the inker. I used to panic whenever I'd pencil something that was the least bit experimental, because if what you are saying is outside the familiar language of comics, there is a good chance that it won't be understood by your inker. My solution to that was to "ink" everything in pencil. A penciller in this frame of mind has to anticipate every potential problem in advance and compensate by making every pencil line look as though it were created with a brush or pen stroke. It becomes a bit maddening. I acquired the reputation of having such tight pencils that they were bulletproof ... that it didn't matter who my inker was ... anyone could ink a Lightle page. Hearing that kind of talk made me worry over the pencils even more. Eventually, it got to the point where editors were printing directly from my penciled pages and simply not paying an inker. The funny thing is that I had almost always inked my own work before breaking in to the comic book biz. In fact, I would show my samples around and get as much positive feedback on my inking as I did on my pencil work. For awhile I was concerned that I'd be given work as an inker and never get the chance to show off my storytelling skills. Strangely, it almost went the other way. I became known as a penciller, and faced a certain amount of resistance when I decided that I wanted to ink my own work. Now, after doing my own inks on covers for X-Men Classic, Spider-man, Doom Patrol, Avengers, Flash, as well as dozens of interior stories, I think people have come to expect it. You know, I began the Umbra issue knowing that I'd be handling the full art chores, but we had tentatively talked about my doing only pencils on my next Legion assignment. When it came time to actually draw the next one, the editor specifically requested that I ink it also.
LLL: Do you prefer inking your own work?
SL: There are some incredible advantages to it. I've come around to thinking that it's best to leave many of the details unfinished until the inking stage. It keeps the art fresher, more alive. When everything has already been worked out in the penciling stage, inking becomes a task, a chore, at least that's how it feels to me. When I leave some of the problem solving until it's time to ink, then the art is still a living thing, an ongoing creative effort. There is still room for innovation.
LLL: What kind of script from Dan Abnet and Andy Lanning have you been working with?
SL: Most of the comic work that I've done has been in the Marvel style, but this script was done in the old DC style, a full script. All the dialogue is there, even sound effects. In the past, with Paul Levitz, Ann Nocenti, and others, I've had input at the plotting stage, often contributing elements of the story before anything was committed to a formal script. In this case, because of the nature of the full script, I've had to work within stricter confines. I've still made alterations throughout, but I've had to be much more conscious of my boundaries. The challenge has been to innovate within those boundaries.
LLL: What kind of, if any, exchanging of ideas as there been between you and DnA during the process?
SL: No direct exchange. I've seen what they've done and played off of it, and they've had the opportunity to react to what I've given them. It's a different way to work, but I think that the end result is something that we all can be proud of.
LLL: Have they seen any of the completed pages? If so, what have their responses been?
SL: I'm told that they were excited about it. I did see an interview that they had done after seeing the art, and they seemed pleased.
LLL: What kind of research have you done to re-familiarize yourself with this team of Legionnaires?
SL: Well, I haven't read all of Abnet and Lanning's issues, but I've read as many as I could get my hands on. It's an impressive body of work. I can certainly see why there is a renewed interest in the Legion.
LLL: You've mentioned before that there was another issue in the offing, scripted by someone other than DnA, after the spotlight issue. Can you say yet who is scripting that issue and/or what that story will be about? Why or why not?
SL: Keith Champagne is the writer on the issue that I'm currently working on, and it's shaping up very nicely. He and I seem to have many of the same favorite Legionnaires. Originally I think that it was one of Keith's scripts that was to be my big return to the Legion. Then the Umbra issue came up, and needed attention. His first script called for a spotlight on just a couple of Legionnaires, but while I was working on LEGION #24, Keith came up with another script idea that featured a larger cast. That's the script I'm currently working on, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. That issue is not currently scheduled, and I have no idea when it might be, so I guess I'd better not give any more details just now.
LLL: Going to shift gears a bit here. I frequent the Legion Message Board at dccomics.com as well as being a member of a few of the Yahoo Group sites devoted to Legion art and history. There has been a big surge of support for you lately with the announcement of you coming back to The Legion. Has there been any stress in trying to live up to your fans expectations, especially when there has been such a big push to get you back on the title? If so, how are you dealing with it?
SL: Well, you've got to understand that I've been interested in the Legion of Super-Heroes since before I could read, so I feel very connected to Legion fandom. Legion readers have always been exceptionally kind to me, and I've always been thankful for their appreciation of my work. Every once in awhile I'm surprised by Legion fandom's supportiveness. I might be working on a Wolverine story, doing advertising work, or involved in a sword and sorcery project, and out of the blue I receive a reminder that Legion fandom is thinking about me. It has always been a blessing, because the Legion is very special to me.
LLL: Why would or wouldn't you accept a full time penciling job on the Legion again, if offered?
SL: Well, I've turned down those offers in the past, and sometimes lived to regret my decision. I'd have to give it some serious thought. I could very easily imagine doing a Legion miniseries, under the right circumstances.
LLL: What was it that made you choose a career as an artist?
SL: I've always been intrigued by visual storytelling. It's not an alternative to text stories, though. Text-only stories are an alternative to visual continuity, which is the way we normally absorb information in real life. We absorb clues about our environment through our senses, and a great deal of that information is visual. It's how we were designed to consume information, and it's very natural for us. The interesting thing about comics is that it is a cooperation between the written word and pictures to convey an idea. Being responsible for the visual clues that lead a reader through a story can be a very creative challenge. Whether I'm drawing panel to panel continuity or simply creating a stand alone image, the goal is to convey something to the viewer. It might be a mood, emotion, or an important detail of a larger story, but it is all about communication. The subject is vast enough to remain intriguing, and there are always new things to be explored. Comic books are a way to express visual storytelling in a very basic and impressive form. Comic book imagery remains one of the most influential of media. It's amazing just how much film and fine arts reflect comic book imagery and visual style.
LLL: To what would you attribute to the Legion's current rise in popularity?
SL: The Legion has always had a strong following for its underlying message, and has only faltered when it wasn't being true to that message. At the core of the Legion's appeal is the notion that diversity can be a virtue, and that there is hope if we can only join together and dedicate ourselves to a better universe. In times when we are compelled to distrust everything from our neighbors to our politicians, even our clergy, we really long for the optimism and purity of the Legion. Rather than create a darker Legion for darker times, I believe that the need for the Legion's message is greater when things are seeming bleak. The Legion's future isn't reflective of our fears about the future but of our hopes.
LLL: Do you find yourself more fond of the Legion characters you created (Tellus, Quislet and Sensor Girl) than any of the others?
SL: Of course I'm proud of them because Paul Levitz and I created them. It's kind of a parental feeling. In the same way, I have a soft spot for characters that I've redesigned, like Polar Boy, Timber Wolf, Karate Kid or Blok, even though most no longer exist in those forms. Even though I'm proud of certain characters which I've designed, there are lots of Legionnaires that I am very fond of. Wildfire, Karate Kid, Timber Wolf, M'Onel, Dawnstar, Umbra, Ferro ... although some of them are more familiar to me by different names.
LLL: If given a choice who would you like to see return to the new line-up, Tellus, Quislet or Sensor Girl and why?
SL: I've considered this question a time or two, and I just keep going back and forth between Tellus and Quislet.
LLL: You've done a lot of other work, before and after, the Legion. I'm especially fond of your Doom Patrol run. Was there another title that you worked on that replaced the Legion in your heart?
SL: Thanks, Scott, for mentioning the DP. They were another favorite of mine from my childhood. You want to love the project you are working on, no matter if it is an old favorite or something you've never particularly been drawn to. The way I go about it is, I try to find something within the characters that I can relate to, something that gives me the key to what they are about. Sometimes it's difficult to find at first, and you have to bring something new to the character that makes it click ... but with the Legion that's never been a problem. I suppose there have been times that I couldn't relate to the Legion as they were being presented. Still, when the spirit of the Legion is there, pre boot or post, I can always feel it.
LLL: What about the Legion makes it special to you?
SL: There is something in the diversity of the characters that seems to suggest that the Legion is for everyone. Ethnicity, gender, even species doesn't matter nearly as much as heart.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
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Imterviews ... Well, interviewers do go to a lot of trouble writing them up, so you might want to check these interviews out ... even if it means hearing having to read my responses to the interviewers' questions.
posted
Imterviews ... Well, interviewers do go to a lot of trouble writing them up, so you might want to check these interviews out ... even if it means having to read my responses to the interviewers' questions.
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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