Coming Up In 2008
Atomic Robo is a reason to love comics.
Atomic Robo is one of IGN’s best new titles of 2007.
I finished the script for our FCBD ‘08 offering. Robo has to stop a global radioactive crisis in sixteen pages. Can he do it?! The story takes place in the ‘60s so, yeah, it probably turns out okay in the end.
This was probably the hardest time I’ve had with a Robo script. Turns out that sixteen pages is an incredibly awkward length. It’s way too long for a quick fire mini-comic (of the type you’ll see in the backs of Atomic Robo #3 – 6) and way too short to indulge in slowing things down for a moment as in a full length story. On average I have to write every page about three to five times while searching for the right pace between action beats, plot beats, and comedy beats. Some of this re-writing is done in my head, but either way it takes time. It was the same with this FCBD script. Then I’d get to the end of Act I, realize it was moving way too slow, and then re-write the whole Act. Repeat for Act II. And for Act III. It was a pain in the ass, but I’m very happy with how it turned out. Scott’s done a few pages already and they’re wonderful. I was so jealous of the quality of his work in Killer of Demons and Punisher War Journal #14/15 after he finished Atomic Robo #6. So it’s great to have him back on Robo again after nine months of powering up.
The issue is a bit of an experiment for us. We’re working in a more cinematic format. I tend to think in cinematic terms when scripting – my initial scripts were written in screenplay format because that’s what I was most familiar with – because I’d taken several years’ worth of film courses in my crazy college days. It’s a more regimented layout, but on the other hand it frees us up to do some interesting shots. And I feel like I’m better able to utilize the page. It’s like 8-bit trained me to get something done on every page and this new format taps right into all of that training. I don’t know if we’ll stick with it, but it’s been a fun format to work in so far.
What’s next on my plate? Why, writing Atomic Robo Vol, 2 Issue #2, of course! There’s no guarantee that we’ll see a second volume – we need you guys to support the next three issues of the current mini-series for that to happen – but it can’t hurt to be prepared just in case we screw up and succeed.