Which Hulk Do You See?

Here's one big crazy fight scene between the heroes of the Marvel universe. There's so many people involved, and so much going on, that it's all a little too much to parse in Black & White. Obviously, you can tell the mutant Cyclops is giving Captain America a hard time, but everything else takes some work to figure out.

With the colored version, Justin's coloring makes it easier to distinguish what's happening in the background. Look, there's Wolverine, and Namor, and Hawkeye, and of course Spider-Man, some other characters I could guess at, and might even guess right. But would I have guessed that the character in the center background was the Red Hulk? Not our beloved green Hulk, Bruce Banner, but the former General Ross who relentlessly pursued Dr. Bruce Banner in the comics and movies?

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have.

Dragon Dave

Luke Skywalker in Black & White and Color

Here's a page from Marvel's Star Wars series that Justin received after the story was written, and the penciling and inking were finished. The imagery is really well done, and the artwork communicates the fight clearly. But where would you begin to color it, and how much would you add?

Justin's colors give the story depth and realism. Many colorists just give a basic coloring to each little portion of an image, and let the mind fill in the rest. Justin's colors make the artwork seem like movie stills. They truly communicate all the dynamism that underlies the Star Wars franchise, and made those stories resonate so powerfully with people like Justin and me. 

Dragon Dave

San Diego Comic Art Gallery Exhibit Part 2

One of the pieces on exhibit at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery was this original drawing of Rocket Raccoon and Groot. I loved the Guardians of the Galaxy movie when it came out, and saw it three times in the cinema. (I've seen it many more times at home since). The character of Rocket resonated with me powerfully at that time in my life, and I began buying the Rocket Raccoon series by writer Skottie Young each month. Marvel liked Justin's sketch, and used it as a variant cover for one issue in the Rocket Raccoon series. I never saw it in my local store, or for that matter in any other store I visited, but I looked.

Justin worked on the Ultimate Spider-Man book with writer Brian Michael Bendis for a long time. Although I enjoyed the series initially, I hated the idea of Peter Parker dying, and Miles Morales taking his place. But Miles caught on, and became the biggest original star of the Ultimate universe. When Marvel decided to collapse all their universes into one, Miles Morales escaped into our own. 

He's still got his own title, and remains a popular character.

One of the last movies Justin saw in the cinema was Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse, which starred Miles Morales. I saw it, and enjoyed it immensely. I was happy Justin got to see it too. I know it meant a lot to him.

When Marvel brought back the Star Wars comics, they chose Justin to color the first few issues. Justin and I were Star Wars fans from way back, and I know he was tremendously happy to have worked on the series.

This last piece is fun. Justin and I chatted a lot about the movies we liked, and my favorite Marvel movies before Guardians of the Galaxy were the first two Captain America movies. When I saw it in the exhibit, I thought of Captain America, and our dialogues. But then later, looking at it more closely on the computer, I realized the star on his chest is the Carl's Jr. happy star logo. Then I noticed the H on his helmet and best. So this picture must date from after Justin moved to Florida, where the Carl's Jr. restaurants are called Hardee's. 

I've traveled and vacationed in Florida a few times, and been to a Hardee's. While we chatted online, I never got to actually visit him, and meet in person again. That's something I'll always regret. Alas, we'll always have Hardee's.

Dragon Dave

P.S. Many thanks to the IDW Publishing company, who run the San Diego Comic Art Gallery, for holding the exhibit. Also, many thanks must go to his mother Debbi, for arranging such a fine display of Justin's work. 

San Diego Comic Art Gallery Exhibit Part 1

There's always something to see at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery. Sadly, I rarely go there, even though I live fairly close. But last week I made a point to visit, because they had a show dedicated to my friend Justin. 

In fact, they held a Celebration of Life service there for industry professionals who knew and worked with Justin. Hopefully, it went well. Personally, I felt honored to attend another for his family and friends.

While Justin occasionally colored comic book covers, usually he confined himself to the story pages. But here's a rare cover he drew and colored for Spider-Man.

Justin and I counted Star Wars movies from the original trilogy as our favorite movies of all time. For me, it was the original "Star Wars", which received the subtitle "Episode IV: A New Hope" for subsequent releases. For him, it was the third, "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi". So there's a little irony in this sketch of the bounty hunter Boba Fett, who first appeared in the second movie, "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back".

But then, Boba Fett also appeared in "Return of the Jedi", didn't he?

Here's a page from what looks like an Avengers comic. If so, there's a little irony here as well, as the last comic Justin worked on was an Avengers comic. I love the vivid colors here. They really bring out the explosive nature of the action. A lesser colorist might not have brought the scene to life so completely.

Lastly, here's an original sketch he did. It was one of a few studies he made, either for an art class or his own amusement. You can glimpse Justin's sense of humor here, as he's drawing a picture of himself drawing a picture. Wonderful.

There was more to see, of course. But this give you a representative sampling of Justin's work, and a taste of the exhibit his mother organized along with the good folks at IDW Publishing, and their staff at the San Diego Comic Art Gallery.

Dragon Dave

Justin Ponsor: An Ending and A Beginning

Danger Girl Special #1
February 2000

After a long battle with cancer, Justin passed away earlier this week. Even though I wasn't close to him toward the end, he meant a lot to me. When we were both a lot younger, we worked together in a church for a few years. Awhile back we reconnected via Facebook, and corresponded for a time. But then, as so often happens, we drifted apart again. It saddened me that that occurred, but, well, that's life.

I'll post more on Justin when I can. There's so much more to say about this guy who worked his way up the ladder of the comics industry, and became a top tier colorist for Marvel. But for now, I thought I'd share this comic he worked on when he worked for Wildstorm. He started at the bottom, helping out other artists on various titles. This represents one of the first times that Wildstorm recognized the significance of his contribution with an official credit. 

I don't know anything about Danger Girl. I wasn't really into comics when this came out. Nor were my wife and I attending the same church as his family anymore. But when his mother mentioned in a Christmas card that Justin was working in the comics industry, I marched into my local shop, and asked, "Do you have anything by Justin Ponsor?" The man showed me this comic. It was already bagged and boarded, and the price tag was higher than the issue price. But that didn't matter. I had a comic by Justin!

Sadly, like I said, I just wasn't into comics back then. I don't think I ever read it. I just slipped it into my collection, and forgot about it. 

After we reconnected on Facebook, one of the first things I did was pull out this comic and read it. It gave us something to chat about. A few months later, Justin kindly sent me a representative sample of his work, from his years at Crossgen (where he went after he worked at Wildstorm), and his time at Marvel. Needless to say, his work blew me away.

The comics industry is a highly competitive field. Many come into the industry, work at it for a few years, and then move on to other things. All too often, capable artists get shoved to the sidelines, and forced to restart their lives in other fields. I wonder if Justin knew back then, or could even have imagined, that he'd not only find the staying power that others lacked, but eventually contribute to titles like Spider-Man, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy?

Dragon Dave

Captain Marvel Meets Doc Samson

Captain Marvel is a big fan favorite at the moment, and plays a crucial role during the Civil War II saga. I like this double-scene in Issue 0, where she meets up with Doc Samson after a long time of separation. Then we fast-forward to them sanding together and embracing. It's very atmospheric, with the panoramic window showing the cloudy New York skyline, and all the computer monitors alight. My only question is this: If danger is ever present, why isn't the S.H.I.E.L.D. control room staffed 24/7?

This is another cool pic. It's Captain Marvel seen through the panoramic window, talking introspectively with Doc Samson. It depicts her inner struggle: the need to find time for herself amid a life of constant vigilance. The fact that the New York skyline is shown in reflection, and the morning sunlight is throwing a line of light against the window, adds another layer of reality to the artwork.

Dragon Dave

With Great Power Comes Great Destruction

Justin worked on Marvel's Infinity event a few years ago. In that series, a bomb explodes which spills vast amounts of Terrigen into Earth's atmosphere. Formerly, Terrigen was used in controlled settings, usually for helping children of the Inhumans complete their metamorphoses. Now Terrigen travels around the globe in storms. When a Terrigen cloud appears, ordinary people are encouraged to take shelter.

The reasons for this are obvious. Everyone carries a vast number of unutilized traits in their recessive genes. The Terrigen works on those recessive genes. If a person unknowingly carries an Inhuman trait, the Terrigen transforms the ordinary mortal into an Inhuman with special powers. Of course, as Stan Lee taught us, with great power comes the need for great responsibility. 

In Civil War II Issue 0, Brian Michael Bendis asks this question: What if a person is given great power all at once, and is not able to control it?

It's an interesting question to ask at any time, but even more so in an election year.

Dragon Dave

James Rhodes For President

Most of you probably know Colonel James Rhodes from the Iron Man movies, if not the comics. You may also remember the posts I wrote awhile back, when I covered his adventures as War Machine in Invincible Iron Man Issue 6. In Civil War II Issue 0, Colonel Rhodes has a meeting with...well, let's just say it's with a very important man.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis comes up with an interesting notion here, that billionaire Tony Stark might buy his way into the Presidency of the United States. Isn't it interesting how some people spend their lives destroying people, companies, and anything that would limit their company's personal power, and then, later in life, decide they want to "give back?"

Unlike Tony Stark, James Rhodes isn't like that. But then, that's why we love him.

Dragon Dave

She-Hulk Defends The Defenseless

In Civil War II Issue 0, we find Jessica Walters in court. Her job: to defend a super-criminal codenamed The Jester. This is one of the most painterly examples of Justin's work I've seen lately. It captures all the drama of this courtroom setting as She-Hulk argues on her client's behalf.

Later, on a SHIELD helicarrier, we learn that she lost her case. Yet we love her for believing in her client. After all, no one else does.

She-Hulk may be green, but she's not jaded by her experience as a lawyer. She has not stopped believing in the possibility of someone turning her life around. Perhaps that's why we love her so.

Dragon Dave

A Whole New Civil War

Once upon a time, I knew a boy named Justin Ponsor. Initially, I knew his mother better than I knew him, as she played the piano in my church. But later on, I got involved with the puppet team. He was a great puppeteer, and he and I bonded over our mutual love for puppets. 

While Justin liked puppets, he also loved comics. He knew what he wanted to do when he grew up: he wanted to get involved in comics. Now he's a colorist for Marvel. And this year, he's working on Marvel's premiere summer event: Civil War II. 

Even if you've never seen the Marvel movies, and are unfamiliar with Marvel characters, you'll no doubt recognize Iron Man, and his comrade-in-armor War Machine. Some characters you might be less familiar with are Captain Marvel and She-Hulk. The latter two may yet to feature in a Marvel movie, but that has more to do with how many great characters inhabit the Marvel universe, and less to do with their popularity. If you've followed this blog, you'll notice that we read the early issues of the current Iron Man series, which featured Iron Man and War Machine. If not, you can scroll back through my posts, and catch up.

I've just learned that Marvel has printed over 380,000 copies of Issue 1. Meanwhile, the prologue story, Civil War II #0, has gone back for a second printing. Compare those numbers with household character books such as Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy, which only merit print runs of a tenth of that number. That gives you an idea of how much popular Marvel's new Civil War II series is. So if you want to read what the majority of comics readers are buying, you might want to pick up a copy of Civil War II Issue 0. 

Then, as you read, you can marvel at the awesome coloring done by Justin Ponsor, former church puppeteer, now premier colorist for a bestselling, mega-popular comic event.

Dragon Dave 

War Machine Versus Ninjas

In Invincible Iron Man 6, Brian Michael Bendis depicts Tony Stark's friend James Rhodes in his War Machine armor, investigating the Stark facility infiltrated by Madame Masque. There he is attacked by two beautiful, but deadly, ninjas. This time, they're ladies.

This photo of Mike Deodato and Frank Martin's artwork suffers a little from light reflection on the right hand side. But you can still compare how differently Dave Marquez and Justin Ponsor treated a similar scene in my earlier Ninja post. Take a look at the ladies' legs, for example. There's no detail in their musculature. You can barely see their feet.

There's much less depth and vibrancy than in the Ninja scenes by Marquez and Ponsor. The skin tones seem particularly flat by comparison. And there's so much black. Ordinarily, I would wonder if that was due to the Inker. But no one is listed as Inker for the issue, so it must be down to artist Mike Deodato or colorist Frank Martin.

I battled with light reflection while taking all my photos of Issue 6. Either that's got something to do with the change in art style, or I suddenly forgot how to use my camera.

Dragon Dave

Groovy War Machine

In Invincible Iron Man 6, Mike Deodato and Frank Martin's art provides a vivid contrast with that of Dave Marquez and Justin Ponsor. Take this image of James Rhodes in his War Machine armor, for example. Colorist Frank Martin seems to adore orange and black: those colors suffuse nearly every page. By comparison, all other seem muted. As you may have noticed in the earlier posts, the comic nearly becomes black-and-white, with silhouettes, and blazing light, mostly in the orange spectrum, that washes out much of the detail. 

Justin Ponsor colors each frame like a realist, evoking everyday color without, for the most part, enhancing it for effect. Frank Martin's color super-saturation, and his love affair with orange, make me wonder if at heart, he's a child of the swinging 1960s. Justin's work is forever, and for everyone. Frank Martin's color style appeals to the wild child. As Austin Powers might say, he's groovy, baby!

Dragon Dave

Hero or Villain?

In Invincible Iron Man Issue 6, Tony Stark's relationship with Amara Perera has deepened. We find them in bed together. The two then go out to eat at a diner. Mike Deodato's sketching and Frank Martin's artwork, coupled with this phase of the relationship, make me look at Amara completely differently. She doesn't seem so innocent or classy anymore. 

But then, Tony Stark doesn't look so earnest, so willing to break down the barriers to be a man who's worthy of her either. To me, he looks more like a villain.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mike Deodato and Frank Martin's artwork. Nonetheless, it makes me feel completely differently about the characters that penciler Dave Marquez and colorist Justin Ponsor got me to care about. Suddenly, I no longer love, or respect Tony Stark and Amara Perera as much as I once did.

Dragon Dave

Radioactive Amara Perera

In Invincible Iron Man Issues one through five, author Brian Michael Bendis introduced us to Dr Amara Perera. She's every bit as smart as Tony Stark, and classy enough to refuse a kiss on their first date. Later, she warms to him, but Dave Marquez's sketching and Justin Ponsor's coloring made her seem like an elegant yet innocent young princess. Her skin is chocolate brown, yet gentle and supple. Clearly, it's her natural skin color.

In Invincible Iron Man Issue 6, colorist Frank Martin depicts Amara as a surfer girl. Either she's just sat under a sun lamp for a few hours, or Tony Stark's Iron Man armor has developed a radiation leak. Amara, run, do not walk, to your nearest dermatologist. 

Hurry!

Dragon Dave

An Invincible Variant Cover

Imagine our surprise when we went to the comic book store to pick up Invincible Iron Man Issue 6, and discovered that Justin had left the book. While author Brian Michael Bendis remained, penciler Dave Marquez had also departed. Replacing the art team were penciler Mike Deodato and colorist Frank Martin. Although their artwork was cool, my wife and I were amazed by how much their unique style altered how we looked at the series. 

While we liked their cover featuring Tony Stark's friend James Rhodes as War Machine, we decided to purchase this copy, featuring a variant cover by artist Skottie Young instead. The scene not have anything to do with the story, and it doesn't feature the color art of Justin Ponsor, but every time I look at it, it really perks me up. I wonder why.

Dragon Dave

Mary Jane's Dilemma

In the new Invincible Iron Man series by writer Brian Michael Bendis, Mary Jane Watson moves to a new city and opens a night club. As she tells the crowd, one of the perils of living in New York City is that it's filled with superheroes and super villains. On one occasion, the clash between the two forces destroyed the first night club she tried to open. So for her, this represents a fresh start.

Of course, often a fresh start really isn't a new act. It's merely the repetition of an old act. Of course, we can hone our skills, and eventually master them, through repetition. But all too often, we merely pick up and move somewhere else, or try doing the same thing in a new place. Then we wonder why we fail.

Some claim the definition of insanity is to continue doing what hasn't worked in the past, and hope for different (better) results this time. Yeah, like none of us ever do that.

While nothing can (or should) stop us from trying, sometimes we are the way we are. In Mary Jane's case, she naturally attracts superheroes and super villains. It's just part of who she is. So when Tony Stark, aka Iron Man (Superhero!) and Whitney Frost, aka Madame Masque (Super Villain!) walk into her new bar...well, you can guess the result.

When her new club is destroyed, Tony Stark recognizes not just her loss, but her talent and tenacity. So he offers her a job. Unlike merely opening another bar, going to work for Stark Industries will be a different move for her. It will be interesting to see how she grows as she stretches herself in a new environment. 

Do what you did someplace else, and hope for better results next time? Try your hand at something different, and hope it gives you more satisfaction that your previous efforts? There's always more than one way to embrace the future. As to which course will offer the future we desire...well, that's a little more difficult to see, isn't it?

Either way, it's better than doing nothing. Right?

Right?

Dragon Dave

Mary Jane Watson: Reincarnated

Everyone dies: that's a fact of life. And sooner or later, everyone dies in comics: that's also a fact of life. For some characters, that's the end. Their bodies crumble to dust, memories of their exploits fade, and even their creators are forgotten. As in life, this fate befalls all heroes and sidekicks, no matter how powerful or significant. 

Recently, I've been enjoying the exploits of a character called Mantra. She was one of a special group of superheroes called Ultras. She and her fellow superheroes endured hardships, and enjoyed such spectacular adventures, that Marvel purchased Malibu Comics, the company that published their adventures, back in the mid 1990s. For a time, authors such as Robert W Barr, and artists like Dave Roberts, thrilled readers who made titles like Mantra a part of their lives. The Ultras even ventured into toy stores, and enjoyed a brief run in the TV series "Ultraforce." Sadly, the Ultras, and all memories of their exploits, faded away, when Marvel decided to close Malibu Comics, and stopped publishing their adventures.

Had readers banded together in great numbers, and insisted Marvel publish more of the Ultras' exploits, perhaps their fate would have been different. But no matter how much people loved and admired them, they just didn't care enough about characters like Mantra, and in sufficient numbers, to convince Marvel to continue their adventures.

Stan Lee envisioned Mary Jane Watson as the pretty, wholesome girl-next-door whom Aunt May wanted Peter Parker to date in the early days of "Amazing Spider-Man." Elsewhere, I've mused upon his inspiration for the character. Like Dr John Watson, a man who shares a similar name, Mary Jane has enjoyed a long life and career in comics. Or, perhaps I should say, many lives and many careers. At times she's pursued journalism. At other times, acting. In some eras, she was the girl who loved Peter Parker from afar. In others she dated him, or was his wife. Now she's a new incarnation, no longer living in New York, but in Chicago. She's a former supermodel, and has just opened a nightclub. From the cover of Invincible Iron Man #4, it seems as though she has consigned any hopes of life with Peter Parker to the past. So what's she doing with Iron Man? You'll have to read the issue to find out, won't you? 

One thing's for sure: some characters never die. We care about them too much to let their bodies crumble to dust, and let all memories of them fade away. Spider-Man and Iron Man are two heroes who seem destined to live forever. Mary Jane Watson, a woman without lacking any superpowers, is another person who continually rises from the ashes of her former existence to remake, recreate, and reincarnate herself. 

How do we embrace each new day? Do we continually look to become someone new? Or do we continue long journeys toward the realization of long-held goals? I suspect Mary Jane Watson does both equally well. Perhaps that is the reason why she refuses to die, and why we keep on insisting that she live.

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries
Stan Lee's Inspiration

Justin Ponsor Hits The Beach

Justin Ponsor & Friends
Photo from www.wizardworld.com

After nearly two decades in comics, it's safe to say that Justin has worked with some pretty famous people, such as Miles Morales (the Ultimate Spider-Man), Rocket Raccoon, and Thanos (the mad god). Still, it surprised me when I reread Invincible Iron Man Issue 4, and spotted a familiar face on the beach.

When Iron Man vanquishes the ninjas, they can't bear to live with their dishonor. So they order their suits to incinerate their bodies immediately. This causes a number of bonfires on the beach, but probably not ones where you'd want to kick back with your friends for a relaxing evening. 

Iron Man summons the authorities, and they arrive in short order. Apparently, Justin decided to accompany them, perhaps to help him figure out how best to color the panel. How he learned of the incident, and arrived at the scene so quickly, I don't know. I suspect penciler Dave Marquez gave him a call, and suggested he might want to see the crime scene before he colored it.

But then, when you're one of Marvel Comics' premier colorists, I guess you can pretty much go wherever you want.

Dragon Dave

Iron Man's Ninja Beach Bash

In Invincible Iron Man Issue 4 by Brian Michael Bendis, ninjas attack Tony Stark at night.
So Iron Man takes the action away from an apartment building to the beach, where he can fight them without risking civilian casualties.

I love the old comics of the 1970s and 1980s, in the time period often called the Bronze Age of Comics. This was before computers made their way into the hands of the artists, and comics were still drawn and painted on paper. I love the handmade look of those old comics. As the artwork was less sophisticated, I think often the writers worked harder to pack more plot into their stories. But what amazes me about today's comics is how much darkness artists like Justin can pack into a picture. All the dark colors in the sky, the sea, the sand, and yet all those elements stand out in a way they never could have back in the good old Bronze days.

Iron Man's artificial intelligence/operating system, Girl Friday, even uses the armor's chameleon circuits (Like Doctor Who's TARDIS, only these function far better) to color the outer plating black, so that's more darkness in the picture for you.

Faced by hi-tech ninjas, whose cybernetic suits can instantly adapt their fighting techniques, Iron Man's new armor reshapes into a modern Samurai warrior. The armor even manufactures a sword so he can take on the ninjas on even terms. Wow!

I'm betting Justin had just as much fun coloring these scenes as Dave Marquez did drawing them. But then, one should always do one's best for ninjas and samara warriors.

Dragon Dave

Superheroes Read Books

In Invincible Iron Man Issue 3, a battle with Madame Masque, and an encounter with Doctor Doom, leave Tony Stark shaken. When Dr Amara Perez leaves the laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), she finds Tony Stark in her office. Crouched by a bookshelf, he tells her that, right now, he'd rather be with her than anyone else. As he puts it:

"I can't shake the idea
 that becoming the man that would actually deserve you
 would be very good goal in life at this stage of the game."

Tony Stark may have a protective suit of armor, but Amara Perez can't help but notice how he's cast off all barriers in her presence.

After seeking solace from her, Tony Stark knows he needs to do a little research on what Doctor Doom has told him about the powers Madame Masque now wields. So he heads over to the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange.

The print version of this picture really doesn't do it justice. But in the electronic version (included free with purchase of Issue 3), you can see Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum in all its majesty. Candles hover in the air, and burn on the floor, illuminating floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. It's the kind of library I'd love to have someday. Only, as I can't levitate, I'd want a solid wood ladder on wheels connected to a brass rail.

I'm not sure if writer Brian Michael Bendis consciously intended this, but one theme that emerges from Issue 3 is the source of a superhero's power. Dr Amara Perez is one of the smartest scientists of her generation, but she didn't reach her exalted post, get her learned papers accepted in the most prestigious journals, or make her important, world-changing discoveries without lots of study. Likewise, Doctor Strange works incredible feats by merging science and (what we call) magic, but he couldn't do so without the need to study. 

And then, remember how Tony could have sat anywhere in the room. Instead of taking a comfortable chair, he sits on the floor next to Amara's packed bookshelves. 

In today's culture, we place so much emphasis on what a person does that we tend to forget all the effort that lies behind one's actions. Achievements are like icebergs: others can only see the smallest, most outward portion of all the work that went into them. Enthusiasm, instinct, and natural talents can carry you far. But to develop your intelligence and abilities, study is required. 

There's a reason Dr Amara Perez and Dr Strange keep those books close by. There's a reason Tony sits by them. They're not just there to impress other people. Instead, those books the foundation of these superheroes' powers and careers.

Naturally, Justin Ponsor had to color each and every one of them.

Dragon Dave