I'm soooo sorry I made you wait to log into the site.
Please forgive me!
Please make yourself at home!
Welcome to Legion World! It's always a pleasure to have one of the creators of the Legion join us here. Just a word of warning in case no one else has prepared you....
The posters on Legion World are among the nicest, friendliest, knowledgeable, and funniest you are likely to come across on the web (or in real life.)
You have been warned!
PS: Spoilers are mandatory here!
no worries! and thanks for the welcome, I think I might stay for a while
Sounds good.
And don't feel obligated to spoil anything. But we do tip well.
Welcome Francis!
Actually, we tip often.
That's different.
If we tipped well, we'd land on something (or someone)soft.
Welcome. Get your shots. Some of us are rabid.
Hey? Isn't he filipino? Wouldn't this be a good time for me to bring up again my getting myself smuggled in to Jolo?
No?
FINE!
Why are they called filipinos when they're from the Philippines? Did they run short on "p's?"
I got more questions.
I was warned at the con to get my shots and wear an armor. Don't worry I'm ready to be bit
And yes I'm Filipino, however I've lived in Canada since I was 9 so I don't quite have the expertise to answer that question.
Love the LSH group shot of yours that's being circulated Francis! I think the neo-retro look you've given them is spot-on, and I look forward to your interiors!
Welcome to Legion World! We're mostly harmless.
Welcome aboard! Take a look around and I'm sure you'll see we're a pretty light-hearted, well-meaning bunch
The preview image definitely has me more interested in the title since the Supergirl thing went nowhere.
And oh ... where's WILDFIRE?!?!
Welcome Francis! You'll find we're a peaceful and non-demanding lot...
Now, about the detokenisation of Star Boy...
Welcome to Legion World, Mr. Manapul!
From the teaser, I'm really excited to see your work put to action on the Legion book. But tell me-- where's your Dream Girl? Or even Dream Boy?
Love Brainy's look, btw. He's obviously brining something back, though I'm not quite sure if it's sexy or snarky.
And yay for Invisible Kid
having a costume. One I like, too.
Welcome on LW, Mr Manapul!
Hi, Mister M. It's great to have a new pair of "fresh eyes" on the Legion as it reaches the half-century mark. Here's hoping you and [insert writer here] stick around for a long time.
Welcome aboard Francis. I've crossed your table a few times at Toronto area shows.
Congratulations on the assignment I'm sure you'll add your name to the illustrious list of LSH artists.
Francis, that pic was pure action! Very dynamic! I'm excited.
Welcome to the madhouse!!!
Please keep your arms and legs inside until Legion World comes to a full and complete stop (like that would ever happen).
I really like most of your tweaks to the team's uniforms!
I'm of the opinion your artwork will pull in new fans and revitalize the LSH ala Cockrum or Coipel. WELCOME!
Welcome to the madness of the legionverse and to LegionWorld -- the only place to escape it. Or is it the other way around?
thanks again for the warm welcome folks! I really appreciate it! Lad Boy you're right, now that I'm here..I'm finding it hard to get out!
<Stage whisper> OK Nightcrawler, Lightning Lad, we've got him confused and trapped in the maze. Now lets pull him in!
<ends Stage whisper>
Welcome to Legion World Francis.
Francis, any idea whether Jim knows about Legion World?
If so, any chance he might stop by?
If not, any chance you could mention it to him some time?
Welcome Francis! Hey I met you at a Wizard World LA a coupla years ago - you remember me right? Heh, kidding. Your preview stuff is AWE-some! Can't wait for your stuff...
Saw the your second Legion cover. VERY NICE. Love it, very dynamic, awesome green monsters, really makes me excited for the Legion. Certainly looks like there will be a lot of action for our team.
Slightly bummed that Timber Wolf has orange skin I prefer him looking human, but hey, it's still a great picture of him.
The group shot keeps cycling through the preview window. Maybe it's just me, but it looks better and better with each viewing.
Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome!
Let me add my voice to the choir: be welcome and rock away (I definitely like your preview art).
thanks again for the welcome guys! I'm really pumped about this book. Also as a side note, if you guys check my blog regularly, I'll be posting panel snips from my first issue. I don't want to get into trouble showing whole pages, but I think I can get away by showing little snips of it
I'll have to bookmark the page. Like that one snippet already, looks very dynamic and makes me think "oh sprock" (or whatever the proper interlac slang would be). But seriously, if one panel can do that than it makes me even more excited for the next issue.
Another panel appeared on today. I'm really looking forward to the finished product. Tinya's looking great.
Thanks Francis! Lookin' good!
I can't wait to see this book!! Thanks for the sneak peeks Francis, looks fantastic already!
I even like his sketches! Do they look *exactly* like I want them to look? No, and I doubt that's even possible (unless Steve Lightle came back or something). But this is the best looking Legion I've seen in a long, long time!
The finished cover with Projectra looks so clean, like you'd expect a young person from the 31st century to look. (The rough draft of her sitting on the throne, all King Conan-esque, was an evocative visual. It makes for a darker, angrier looking character, while the one of her kneeling and grieving suggests a completely different character. Interesting.)
Projectra on the throne Also eenteresting that the Orandan throne room had a big honkin' chain that seems to have been attached to the arm of the throne. Did daddy have a large guard-beast of some sort?
Great stuff, Francis. Keep it up!
thanks guys! posted another one today, and I'm hoping to post one every day until the book is out
Originally posted by fjm:
thanks guys! posted another one today, and I'm hoping to post one every day until the book is out Ayla looks so young there. I like it.
The biggest irony of the 'underagers' movement was that so many of the Legionnaires appeared to be in their late twenties or early thirties (Rokk, especially). Then again, in the 30th century the average human lifespan could be 250+ and a 30 year old might seem like a puling infant to the 70+ year old 'adults.'
thanks Set. from what I've gathered they seem to range from 15 to 20's. So I wanted to try and make them look like their age...although I tend to draw people "young" looking so that could also be a reason
Loving the panel looks so far Francis. Can't wait to see the whole thing come together. I may have to try to pick up a couple of pages featuring Lightning Lad to add to my collection.
Wow. Today's panel is just... WOW! I'm falling in love with Imra all over again.
Ditto on confident-looking-Imra. I've always seen her in my head as someone who would *look* confident (especially when she has her doubts), just because she knows what everyone is all anxious about, and, more importantly, she knows that showing apprehension will help no one.
Artists interpretations of their features may come and go, but I've always felt that most of the Legionnaires should be able to be identified by their posture. Some are subdued and often hang out towards the rear (Lyle, Gim), others are confident and out front (Imra, Rokk), still others are *aggressively* confident, daring the world to bring it on (Jo, Shady).
Brin's looking nice. Very not-Furball, which is 10,000 points in the plus column.
thanks folks! and Saturn Girl kicks a lot of butt in our second issue!
Originally posted by fjm:
thanks folks! and Saturn Girl kicks a lot of butt in our second issue!
Good! Great!
Congrats Francis! Issue 37 was awesome! Only disappointment to me was a coloring error so not your fault. Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the art (and the writing) immensely and I'm so happy to be a Legion fan now.
So a big thank you for a job well done!
The coloring error where Saturn Girl is 'calling her mother' (top of page 8) and her hair is orange (as if she was Ayla?). That's amusing.
I was oogling the team spread Francis did, and part of me wondered what it would be like if Tinya and Lyle got together...
Sorry, just random thoughts
thanks guys. yeah there were a few coloring mistakes that made it into the book. More than I was hoping for, but thats the ins and outs of a monthly book. But yeah I did a double take as well when I saw SG's hair colored that way.... we will be getting a new colorist as of issue 39 though, JD Smith, real talented fella so I'm looking forward to it. Nathan did a great job but I'm excited to be working with a really old collaborator. Ironically enough Livesay and JD were the first "professional" art team I worked with when I first broke in at top cow.... cool huh...
Francis gave
CBR a studio tour. Check it out!
Nice pad, Francis! Your girlfriend Agnes has a nice setup, too-- what does she do for work?
thanks Pov! Agnes is currently attending Sheridan college taking Illustration. She's also done freelance work here and there in the comic industry. here's her site
http://evilwabbit.deviantart.com/
Nice write-up, I love this kind of stuff. A studio down by the river, that'd be a dream for me but strangely, none to be had around here even though our river front is spectacular.
"Moo and Otis:" any chance of them sneaking into an issue of Legion?
the moment I get a chance blockade boy! I like sneaking in my friends and pets in the background whenever possible.
Originally posted by fjm:
thanks Pov! Agnes is currently attending Sheridan college taking Illustration. She's also done freelance work here and there in the comic industry. here's her site Great site! Tell Agnes I love her Minis commissions-- so cute! She should see if either company would be interested in giving her work in their kids' lines...
Another wonderful issue Francis, I'm loving your art on this book. It really makes this book pop and certainly adds a lot of energy to the already frantic script. SaM is definitely turning into a great ride and I can't wait till next month.
I like your use of a glowing line around the Legionnaires to denote their flight rings eco-shield, it certainly adds some pop and color to this book. Also, really enjoyed the shot of Garth with his collar open on his uniform. I've always imagined it would be uncomfortable to relax in those costumes, so I like the touch of showing us that they can be loosened up.
Question, who did the designs for the applicants? I ask because Fruit Boy ROCKED! I just love his classic legion reject look.
Your art is really dynamic, Francis, I am so excited that you have been drawing the Legion, I can't wait to see the next issue.
thanks guys! and yeah agnes' mini's are really cute. she's actually contributing to the hulk 100 thing for hero, and it looks adorable, make sure to check out her blog!
steph- thanks glad you enjoyed the issue, I've designed all the new characters you've seen and will be seeing in the book. Even the ones that are in the fill in. And yeah Fruit Boy is great! he's kinda the most classic looking hero of the group.
thanks as well titan lad, the book will be out tomorrow but in the meanwhile you can check out my blog for a preview!
cheers guys!
You are such a great artist Francis. It is because of your art that I started collecting LoSH. They should make a poster out of the 2 covers for #37. I would definitely buy it!
Your Saturn Girl is gorgeous. Best Irma ever!
I would love to see you draw Dream Girl. Is she appearing in any future issues?
thanks askanipsion! I think there was a mini poster of that which was given out to retailers..more of a promo poster though rather than a poster poster....
As for DreamGirl, I'm actually not sure when I'll get to draw her.. Jim is pacing it out nicely so everyone gets some time to shine but hopefully soon!
Thanks for the preview Francis! It looks great! I can't wait to read it!
Great job on the work! Clean, consistent, very well done!
A couple questions, if you don't mind...
1) When you draw, what music do you listen to, if any?
2) What kind of pens do you use? I'm curious if I could get a hold of some stuff.
Keep up the great work!
thanks!
1. Lately I've been listening to a lotta talk radio mostly from wordballoon or comic zone and fanboy radio. Its kinda cool hearing creator interviews and how they approach things. Or sometimes I'll just listen to the news. I used to listen to music but found myself distracted by what to listen to next.
2. I use a .o5 mechanical pencil with an hb lead you can pretty much get this at any supply store. I also use a .07 and a 2mm lead holder on ocassion which are more readily available at art stores.
hope that helps!
So how do you approach drawing women as opposed to men? I always seem to screw it up with all the different proportions and musculature. I mean, they always come out more manly than they should. I don't know if it's just that I need more practice (I draw about 2-3 hours a day, when I'm not writing) or if it's just something I'm doing wrong. Any thoughts or ideas for me?
you know I had this problem when I first drew withcblade. I always made their shoulders too broad. Anyways the two are very different. women I tend to draw softer with fewer lines. The less lines you use for their faces the better they look. also their figure tends to be softer rounder and more curvy. With men I tend to draw with with more angles and sharper edges. Not square but certainly with a more angular look. I hope that helps. And of course life drawing, if thats not possible fitness magazines are great as well as body building magazines and sports maagazines for male and fashion magazines and the fitness magazines for women. I hope that helps.
It does, thanks alot! And if you get the chance, tell Shooter that Ferro LAd needs to come in already! Keep up the awesome work man!
Amen on that one man. I for one would love to see Fancis's rendition of Ferro (lad) as i'm sure it would be great.
that would be one of three.
Ferro
Wildfire
Matter-Eater Lad
My must-haves.
yeah I'd LOVE to draw Ferro Lad he's such a cool character.
On a side note I just wanted to give you guys a heads up if your in the Vancouver area. I'll be attending a one day show this sunday may 25th at the Heritage Hall from 11-5. more info can be found here: http://mypages.uniserve.com/~lswong/Comicon.html
hope to see some of you folks there!
Hey Francis! Are you gonna be heading to San Diego Comic-Con this year?
Oh, that's awesome! I'm in the Metro Vancouver area! You gonna be there on August 24th?
yup I'll be in sdcc. my whereabouts will be sorta here an there at the con, but I'm sure at one point or another you will find me at the aspen comics booth.
sorry I won't be at Vancouver at that time. I will however be attending the toronto fan expo in and around that same time.
Thanks for the advice on drawing women. It really helped me out.
And another question...whatever happened to Theena? She was one of my favorite characters, and she just seemed to drift out of the spotlight. Is there any chance we might see her again?
I
my Nightcrawler sketch! I'm having it framed ASAP (after I scan it in for posterity, of course)!
Thanks again to both you and Agnes generously stopping by the table today at the Con. It was
THE highlight in a Con that was filled with nothing but highlights for me. You guys are the best!
Just want to second what Nightcrawler said. Thanks to you both for stopping by the table and sketching for us. It meant a lot.
Wow, FJM stopped by the LW booth? SWEET! Looks like there are still some untold tales waiting to be told about Sandy Eggo!
it was great meeting you guys! I hope you all had fun at the show!
matter lad i'm not sure who theena is...
Hey Francis!
FYI, Theena is the (small "L")legionnaire from the Waid Kitson run that served as the communications hub. She had what appeared to be a symbiot attached to her back with tentacles that ended in little monitor screens and was able to "show" what was going on somewhere
Francis, I don't know if anyone has asked you this or not, but how did you feel about redesigning the "threeboot" legionnaires suits?
I felt honored! as with anyone coming new to the book, you always want to put your stamp on it and it was actually something I had asked my editor if I could do it and he said yes!
Personally, I think the new designs were exciting overall, and I look forward to seeing your work beyond Legion!
Thanks Lard Lad, and don't worry you'll be seeing more of my work at DC
Man I hope so. I really LOVE your style and since I'im picky about alot of artists that are out now man, that's saying something. I constantly reccomend people to check out your work.
Oh I was wondering Francis, Have you ever drawn Bart Allen? I heard rumor/ myth what have you that you were asked about that. If you can't talk about it it's okay I just wanted to ask.
good looking out Acid thanks!
professionally no I've never drawn him. But I have drawn him before! One of my first art samples was actually a 3 page Impulse story.
Dude that is awesome. I'd love to see that just because I'd love to see your take on him. Is it on your blog or something? Or have you long since left it somewhere else?
I drew it when I was like 16 or something so it's lost somewhere in my closet...
Hey Francis!
Did you ever do any designs of Super Lad.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your excellent work on the book. You definately were a pleasure to have with us on the series, and you are one fantastic artist dude!
We Canadians are all so proud!!!
All the best in your career and I look forward to picking up your future post Legion work next year.
Francis, if you still stop by, I just wanted to say Thank You for your work, and sorry it ended the way it did.
To be honest, I wasn't the biggest cheerleader of the run, but I did come to appreciate your art (especially after seeing some of your work in black and white).
I wish you well in your future endeavors.
thanks again for all the support guys and gals I really appreciate it!
You've got a great future ahead of you!
Would you consider trying to convince TPTB to turn some of your Legion covers into a set of posters?
It's been a long time since DC put out a Legion folder.
Hey Francis, I can't wait to see what the full cover of Action you did looks like. Although I can guess anyways. Loved seeing your artwork on the Origins and Omens stuff.
Oh if you ever run into Adam Schlagman by any chance tell him Jud Matos says hi.
Guess where I'll be from 11:30-12:30 on Saturday, July 25th during SDCC.
Saturday, July 25th
11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Francis Manapul
The hot up-and-coming artist Francis Manapul takes the stage to discuss his kinetic art on one of the most anticipated projects of the year: Adventure Comics with Geoff Johns! Hosted by Group Editor Matt Idelson see what’s it like illustrating the return of Superboy. Come find out from one of the freshest artists in the biz! Room 4
...Damn you Nightcrawler..I want to go to that one XD! I might make the one for Geoff Johns tho XD
Stop taunting us!!
Spotlight is available at DC Comics site. He does talk about Legion tangencially, comparing how much easier it is to work with Johns and that he didn't want to work with group characters for a while.
More
here . I wished he talked more about it, but it seemed it wasn't much of a subject to talk about.
I enjoyed that panel and commend DC for making those SDCC podcasts available - and so quickly.
Listening to Francis talk about Adventure actually got me quite psyched for the Superboy stories. He really seems to love working on this book and the enthusiasm just spills over.
One comment he made really struck me, it was the hook for me to look forward to Superboy. He mentioned that as a Canadian, he might have a different view of the United States, the sort of classic American farmland that Smallville represents. (Not his exact words.) That preview scene of Conner, Ma Kent and Krypto looking out over the fields (
here ) to me was so nostalgic, an image of everything I want to love about America - and Superboy/Superman, all the idealism. So if some of that comes across in the book, I'll be happy.
It was also quite interesting to hear that he didn't use a computer, except for some corrections, and felt that this was more in keeping to produce that classic America feeling.
Plus there's going to be lots of Krypto, and you've got to love "a boy and his dog" stories.
As primarily a Legion fan, I would have liked to hear more about the Legion, too, especially his ideas for how the story or characters might have developed. We do love speculation and rehashing the Legion!
I am really enjoying seeing you around the DCU! Keep up the good work!
The Legion of Substitute Podcasters has a huge interview with Francis Manapul up
here . Strongly recommended!
Just wrapped up listening to the podcast linked above and I second Matthew's endorsement.
It's 3-hour interview with Francis talking about the behind the scenes details of his Legion and Adventure runs, to include his relationships with Shooter and Johns, character and costume designs, a synopsis of the original plans for the Legion beyond the issue 50 cancellation, and his take on current trends in comic art.
This was a great interview, and brought my afternoon work productivity to nil.
That was a wonderful interview. With 3 hours, they were able to cover a wide range of subjects. His development as an artist and within the comic book industry was very interesting.
With respect to the Legion, I thought the whole pacing question was particularly relevant, given the glacial pacing of the current co-feature Legion.
If he had problems working with Shooter's script style, it sure didn't show in the finished product!
Some of the things he mentioned, like Gazelle becoming less alien-looking, I missed - and will have to go back to those issues.
The second-year plan sounded great, and he tells about the intended resolution for the Projectra story (which was kind of sad, but as he said, the seeds were planted right from the beginning of the 3boot).
Thank you very much for listening to the show! It was a ton of fun to record. Francis was such a great guest and probably would've kept talking! He was very forthcoming and personable. If you ever get a chance to talk to him at a con, definitely do so!
I wonder if Matt Kramer and I are related in another dimension!
After hearing the interview, I'd be interested in reading a Legion comic written and drawn by Francis.
Despite his inexperience with the concept, he seems to get what the readers want to read about the Legion. Maybe next time.
Or maybe he can return to co-plot with Paul? :dream:
Francis co-stars in the SyFy series
The Truth - Beast Legends .
I just got these two from him this weekend at NYCC. I'll post the third later:
Sumo Timber Wolf
Gazelle
What is this show about? When I clicked on the link you provided I got a message back saying "the page you requested could not be found".
Is it a documentary series of some kind?
http://www.syfy.com/beastlegends/ I've not seen the show myself, but this might be of help.
I saw the show...it was pretty cool that Frances gets to showcase his artistry skills...I was impressed.
Hey thanks for the link OM ... this show looks and feels a lot like Monsterquest.
Why haven't I ever heard of it before? I'm a sucker for all that cryptozoology stuff!
Francis does a great job for his part BTW.