Cully Hamner's Blog, page 6

In With The New.

You may notice a new look on the blog here. Not sure if it's permanent, but since we're in a new year and a new decade, and since all the RED hoopla and related projects have come and gone, I decided to do something a little less, well, red. Obviously, the background is, for the moment, from my RED prequel, RED: Eyes Only, but as I'm cleared to talk about my next project, I'll be updating the look of this place. And I'll be sure to show some new stuff here and there, and maybe even talk more about my process.

Anyway, as far as what's up with me lately:

1) You can still get RED: Eyes Only at comics shops. It's basically some added backstory to the original RED, my 2003 comic with Warren Ellis, which was recently loosely adapted into a hit film with Bruce Willis. It's also one of the rare occasions that I've also written what I've drawn. It was nerve-wracking, but also fun. I'm variously told it'll show up digitally at some point on Comixology; that it's possibly going to be included as a printed preview in the packaging of the RED DVD; and that it might be included in some later collected edition of the original mini... but I have nothing firm on any of that. Keep your eye out, though.

I do know that it will be collected in April with the film-continuity prequels in a trade paperback called RED: BETTER R.E.D. THAN DEAD. While I think it'll probably lead to even more confusion as to what continuity it belongs to (FYI, it's a prequel to the comic and doesn't have much to do with the film), I'm gratified that DC is doing what it can to keep it in print.

2) I was flattered to see that Jeff Lemire and I were named as a "dream team" Blog@Newsarama would like to see tackle the original Captain Marvel character. It's nothing official, of course, but my love for that character dates back to when I was around five or so. It would be a dream job for me to be able draw him professionally, especially if he's being written by a guy like Jeff. So, thanks, Newsarama.

3) Something you probably don't know is that I was recently asked to extend my exclusive contract with DC, and I did. DC's an exciting place to be right now, as you might imagine, and I'm looking forward to another two years of fun projects.

That's all I can think of for now, but if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them in the talkback below.

Popping The Cork

It's been a wild ride, people.

2010, I mean. This year has been the busiest, most stressful, most harrowing year I've ever had-- and also the most exhilarating and satisfying.

Professionally, it's been just about my best ever. I had the last half of my run on "The Question" in DETECTIVE with my pal, Greg Rucka. I got to see RED, my book with Warren Ellis, turned into a feature film-- and a successful one, at that-- and along the way, and got to spend several days on the set and met celebrities and film people aplenty. I got to do press junkets and red carpets alongside them, which is definitely not a common occurrence in this job.

And I was able to expand my repertoire and creatively stretch myself a bit by writing and drawing a 40-page one-shot (RED: EYES ONLY, which just came out a couple of days ago to some good reviews). Other opportunities have presented themselves, as well. Can't talk about them just yet, but 2011 looks to be another good year.

(I've at times felt a little uncomfortable talking about how good this year has been, mainly because with the economy and all, it's been so bad for so many others. But I find that a lot of people have just been happy to hear that somebody out there has had some good fortune, so...)

Personally, it's been good, though with some downs, as you might expect. I could definitely have done without the worry that the illness of a close family member brings. Also, the frenetic pace of my work and the movie stuff in 2010 has meant that it's been very difficult to have the personal time that we all need. But Alisa, patient and understanding love-of-my-life that she is, has stuck by me every step of the way, even with her own load of job stress and crazy schedules. Movies and all that are great, but none of it would matter much without her, would it?

On both the personal AND professional front, it's no small thing that we closed the doors of Gaijin Studios in 2010. That studio had been a home to me in more ways than just professionally since 1992, and the people in it have been my family almost as much as my real one. It was bitterweet to walk away from it, but it felt like the right thing for all of us, under the circumstances. Of that last lineup-- Brian, Doug, Karl, Laura, and myself-- we're all still good buddies, and to be honest, I wouldn't be at all surprised if some sort of office/studio situation with some combination of Gaijinners got started again. But an unbroken run of nineteen years of a comic book studio with the same core of people has got to be some kind of record. It'll always be a very special chunk of my life.

I had thought that I might post a list of year-end acknowledgments, a tip of the hat to people who made my 2010 what it was. But as I began to do that, it became evident that, while there were those who did directly made an impact, there were many more who affected things indirectly just by virtue of having supported me over the years. That made the list very long, increased the chance of forgetting someone by a lot, and just would have been unfair to too many people. So, let me just throw out a blanket of thanks to all of these folks. I think you all probably know who you are.

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR, my friends. Let's be good to each other in 2011.

FINALLY! RED: EYES ONLY Prequel Released in North America

Tomorrow's the day that my prequel to the original RED comic, RED: EYES ONLY (which I both wrote AND illustrated) hits the shelves. It's one of the last Wildstorm books EVER. Go and by it, if you know what's good for you!

And to celebrate this, I'll be appearing for two hours at Oxford Comics in Buckhead Atlanta. Details are below. I'd love it if you'd stop in.














The place:

Oxford Comics and Games
2855 Piedmont Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30305-2767
(404) 233-8682

The time:

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

The reason:

RED: EYES ONLY 40-page one-shot
Written & Illustrated by Cully Hamner

Emerald City Con Charity Piece

I'll be at Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con in March-- a great show the one other time I've been, and from what I hear, it's only gotten bigger and better, with a TON of great guests. Anyhoo, con honcho (concho?) Jim Demonakos asked me to contribute a piece to their Monsters & Dames book, which raises money for the Seattle Children's Hospital. How could I say no to that?

So, here's what I did. Started with a li'l sketch, of course:





















Penciled and inked version...





















...And finally the finished colors.





















It's really a worthy cause, so if you're going to be there at the show, please pick up one of these books.

Oh, and MANY thanks to Jim for so patiently putting up with the endless delays in my getting him this piece. :)

What A Crazy Morning.

Got a sudden flurry of e-mails and texts all at once this morning-- apparently, the film version of RED has been nominated for a Golden Globe.

Crazy cap to a crazy year, but congrats all around to Summit, Warren, the producers, the writers, the director, and that wonderful cast...