KABUKI POLL!!
THU, 10/26/00, 3:14 p.m.

Answering Gordon's first post, got me wondering.

I have a question for everyone on the board (a great chance for everyone to speak up and give us a roll call!).

The question is:

Of all the Kabuki stories (Circle of Blood, Dreams, Masks of the Noh, Skin Deep, Metatmorphosis, and the new Scarab),
Which one do you personally relate too most, get the most out of or just in general like the best and regard as your favorite?

And you don't have to explain WHY, but I hope you will.

Best,

DM

I just answered a lot of questions one the NEXPLANETOVER.com message board. The following was one of my responses that I thought may be interesting to some.

Here it is:

Thanks for mentioning the Metamorphosis hardcover. I just recieved the Blueline of it from the printer today.

I'm pretty happy with all the pages that I devoted to the design and pacing of the book. I actually had to include an extra 8 more pages than I advertised it with. Now it is 288 pages.
Though there is a cool, intro by Bill Sienkiewicz and an insightful afterword by (Oscar wining filmmaker) John Sayles, most of the pages are for the design atmosphere, intro art, and so the pacing and cover gallery between chapters lets the book breathe and read at the right melody. This was more important to me than just filling it with a sketchbook. Also I'm very happy with the dustjacket art. And most importantly, it is just cool for me to have the whole nine issue story in one big hardcover format. The story reads so much better this way.

Also it occured to me that in all the previous books, that I had never put a bio or "about the author" kind of thing. So the hardcover includes a bio and author info that includes some background and info to frequently asked questions.

I figure you are the best one to ask-sooooooo....With the Metamorphsis arc ending I was wondering if that was the final Kabuki story? Do you plan to continue examing the Kabuki character?

I'm putting the next Scarab issue together for Kabuki Agents and am working on a Siamese story arc to follow in Agents after Scarab #8.

I just got the Blueline from the printer today for Metamorphosis, and am making corrections and tweeking the printing and page placement.

Working on getting the next Kabuki action figures in order.

There are lots of offers and possibilities to do more Marvel work, and I'm trying to choose carefully.

I'm painting three Swamp thing covers. Lots of real leaves and foilage collage on the painted art. Bisley, Fabrey, and Phil Hale are also each painting three before or after mine.

And setting in order and format my next creator owned project, which I think I want to do right after I paint the DD issues and before I start the next Kabuki story. Maybe i'll do it as a one shot or large book as opposed to a three or four issue series. Haven't decided yet.

And there are a ton of other things I have to do, but I'll get overwhelmed if I start thinking about them now, (like going over the contracts for more international translations...ave to close that deal with the Portuguese...).

Well, I better get back to doing those sketches for the signed and #ed Hard cover. Only 495 more to go.

Looking forward to all your new work as always-
i think you are one of the best-
hayden

I just read and posted a response to your other post before reading this one. So again, welcome to the board!

Thanks for looking for my work and asking about it (my thanks to RON and Nick for the kind info).

They pretty much answered it. I think the trades are probably the easiest way to read the early work.
I hope you will give it a try. My favorites are probably the new 1-9 series (to be collectd in hardcover in two weeks called "METAMORPHOSIS") and "SKIN DEEP". But it may help to read "Circle of Blood", "Dreams", and "Masks of the Noh" trades first. The story and characters grow in these books just as you can see my struggle and evolution as a creator. I make a conscious effort to make each issue better than the last. I think you can see the growth and experimentaion on the pages and I think that is why I like the newer stuff best. It feels more "evolved". But Circle of Blood gives the complete origin and foundation for the character and the world in Kabuki. And there are many readers who like the story in this trade the best.

Let us know what you think of the books, and I'm sure people here can help you with any questions.

Warmest regards,

David Mack

Well eventually there will at least be figures of the eight Noh operatives. Siamese and Scarab to be next. I'm still taking care of contract/schedule stuff on this, but I will definitely update you right here on the board.

As for APE, I hope, but I haven't confirmed this yet. Again I will let you know for sure on this board.

Best

DM

Layouts by me. pencils over layouts by Quesada, inks by Jim, and them painted by me. Was fun and came out cool.

I've always had it available (and still do) in the checklist page.

Even if someone's retailer missed it, you can order it from the checklist anytime.

Hope this helps.

Also, Anh has the Wartorn Kabuki figure and the Kageko figure on ebay right now. You can get it there if you prefer.

Best

Dm

Just wanted to say that I really appreciate all of you responding to this. I'm loving to read what each of you have to say. It also gives a great sense of all the different kinds of people on the board.

Please post on the Kabuki Poll if you have not yet. I'd like to get a sense of all the readers here and where they are coming from.

So even for all the people who usually only read the message board and never post please speak up and drop your 2 cents. I know there are a LOT of silent people on this board.

Like to hear from you on this.

Best

David Mack

Answering Gordon's first post, got me wondering.

I have a question for everyone on the board (a great chance for everyone to speak up and give us a roll call!).

The question is: Of all the Kabuki stories (Circle of Blood, Dreams, Masks of the Noh, Skin Deep, Metatmorphosis, and the new Scarab), Which one do you personally relate too most, get the most out of or just in general like the best and regard as your favorite?

And you don't have to explain WHY, but I hope you will.

Best,
DM

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
For Kabuki, the scar/mask/identity thing is a big part of the theme in the book, so I wanted to make that happen in the figure. Even though it was expensive and tricky, it fit the psychology of the character and I think it adds a great dimension to the figure.

But as you said, some of the others' faces are still a mystery so they most likely will not have removable masks.
Keep the suggestions coming.

I actually just got off the phone from a business conversation on the sculpting/articulation/presentation posibilities of the new figures.

could you please

This is actually a good point. The masks don't really need to be removable with the others, but it was necessary with Kabuki.

For the Scarab figure: Actually the design Yukio does for his "Keiko" figure in Scarab #2 looks pretty good! The twist in the waist, the weight mainly on one foot...only make it more so. She needs a really good pose...maybe mid-running, like a freeze frame. She would need to be pegged into a base of some sort in order to stand up, but damn that would look cool!

For the Siamese: I'd love to see them in a pose that's both graceful and threatening at the same time. Also the poses should reflect their personalities somewhat. We know one is fairly introverted, doesn't talk much...her pose could be more self-contained/darker/graceful, maybe crouching down slightly...while the other would be more expressive and threatening/spread out/standing taller. Their base should relate to them somehow...the best thing I can think of is have one side be some sort of beautiful stone wall, with vines and flowers running over it, and the other being something like rusted metal with wires and circuitry running through it.

and looking ahead....FOR BUTOH.. she should be captured in the middle of a ballet dance, with one fan covering her face and the other extended...hmm she'd have to peg into a base to stand up also...

and don't get me started on what I'd like to see with the ICE figure [:)]

But anyway, hope you like these ideas David. I'd love to see the preview sketches...

~Adam