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Friday,
June 20, 2003
Todd
Nauck: Young And Wild
By Rik
Offenberger
Described
as a being inspired by reality TV shows, in Image Comics’ new series
Wildguard readers get to choose from hundreds of heroes which
will make it to the final of five. Couched in the hyperbole of shows
like American Idol, Pop Stars, and Making The Band,
the series’ press release recently emoted, “WILDGUARD
follows a host of heroes as they endure the agony of competition and a
myriad of unforeseen dangers in the hope of being selected by an elite
panel of judges, including the mysterious ‘Producer X.’” We’re
hooked on the idea already!
Todd Nauck, previously of Young Justice fame, took some time
off from his new series, to talk to SBC about his career and give us
an inside look at the new series. First up we jump in the “way-back
machine” to see how it all started…
Rik
Offenberger: You had your art published in the "Amazing
Art" section of Wizard; was this a contest or was this
just a fan art section?
Todd Nauck: It was both really. Fans submitted their Wizard
"cover" and each month selected entries would win a prize
from the company of the character they drew. I did a Prophet piece and
received a gold foil embossed Brigade #1 from Extreme Studios.
That was in Wizard #26. I also won a Madman art contest in Hero
#7. I think it was #7.
RO: Your first professional work was MX – The Superhero
Series for Radical Comics, how did you break in?
TN: I found out about Radical Comics through the Art Institute
employment advisor. I graduated from the Dallas school in 1992. I
submitted my samples and they hired me to pencil/ink three issues
(#2-4). Issue #2 was the only one to see print and I never got paid
for issues #3-4.
RO:
Almost immediately you ended up at Extreme Studios, how did that come
about?
TN: My art school buddies took my WildGuard homemade
mini-comics and showed them to Dan Fraga at a Houston comic convention
in Jan. '94. He liked them and took them to show Rob Liefeld. He liked
them and I was hired.
RO: They had you start out doing pin-ups in Supreme, Team
Youngblood, Youngblood Battle Zone, Brigade Sourcebook,
and Newmen. Was it the standard at the time to have new artist
do pin ups first?
TN: It seemed that way. I don't know if it was a set standard
or not. But just about everyone that came through Extreme started with
pin-ups.
RO: Your first regular assignment was the Badrock &
Company mini-series, was this something you wanted to do, and did
you enjoy the character?
TN:
Badrock & Company was what I was hired to do first. They
picked me to be the artist of that book and I moved out to California
to work in studio. I was happy to be drawing comics and enjoyed the Badrock
& Company mini-series.
RO: What was it like to adjust to a different writer every
issue?
TN: Since I didn't have a lot of experience with working with
just one writer, it was easy to be flexible. I'd get each writers plot
and jump in and tell the story. I love working with different writers.
I, now, learn new ways to approach the story and lay out working off
of different writers.
RO: After that you started two runs on Newmen and Team
Youngblood, what was the experience at Extreme Studios like?
TN: It was pretty stressful. They saw how much work I could
turn out and gave me two monthly comics. I feel my quality of art
suffered. Gosh, I was still wrapping up Badrock & Company #6
when I got Newmen and Team Youngblood. I didn't have
much of a life at the time and the pay was really good, so I didn't
mind. When they tacked on Power of the Mark, I knew I was over
worked. I did half of the Mark #1 and asked to be taken off the
book. They gave Team Youngblood to someone else and I could
focus on Newmen. My art started to improve with the lightened
workload around Newmen #11. After Newmen #20, we did the
four-issue New Force mini-series.
RO:
Are you still friendly with the people from those days?
TN: Oh yeah! Inker, Larry Stucker, and I hang out and talk on
the phone all the time. I mean we never really stopped working
together. I still keep in touch with a lot of those guys. A group of
us did a store signing on the last Free Comic Day. Eric Stephenson,
the writer of Newmen, is director of marketing at Image, so I
still keep in touch with him.
RO: When Newmen ended you started doing fill in jobs at
Image and the started doing fill in work at DC, how did you make that
transition?
TN: I was drawing Power Rangers ZEO for Liefeld. That
was okay, but when they had me drawing Beetleborgs, I knew I
was not enjoying my work anymore. Extreme had to lay people off and I
finally got cut in the second or third wave when they lost the Power
Rangers / Beetleborg license. I started submitting my art to DC and
Marvel. I did two issues of the Spider-Man cyber comic. Then I started
getting work at the Legion office at DC.
RO:
How was it different working for DC?
TN: The editors are in New York, so I wasn't working in-house.
I'd get a call. I'd get the plot, draw it up, and send it in. The
editors there have been very supportive and helpful in honing my art.
RO: How did you go from doing fill in work on the Legion
titles, to launching Young Justice in the GirlFrenzy event?
TN: Editor, Eddie Berganza, and writer, Todd Dezago, were
putting YJ together. I was one of five artists under consideration.
Dezago liked my art and asked me if I'd like to do a couple of fill-in
issues on Sensational Spider-Man. After doing the first one,
Eddie saw my Spidey art and snatched me up for Young Justice.
RO:
You started working with Todd Dezago on Young Justice: The Secret
and before the first issue of the regular series came out they
switched writers, were you nervous about your position on the book?
TN: Nope. Eddie Berganza told me I was secure. Dezago had
chosen to step down and the book would be a little delayed as they
searched for a new writer.
RO: What was it like working with Peter David?
TN: Great! I had read a lot of his Hulk and really
enjoyed his writing. His YJ stories were always fun to read and fun to
draw. I couldn't wait to get to the next plot and find out what was
going to happen next.
RO: How much input did you have in Young Justice?
TN:
Eddie was always open to my suggestions. I got to design all the new
characters. I could rework panels if necessary, which was rare. I
suggested the Ray be on the team. I put together the list of teen hero
guest stars for Young Justice #50-51. So I had some input, but
was very content to draw what Peter wrote. There was always so much to
work from.
RO: After 5 years was it hard to leave DC?
TN: Well, I haven't really left DC. We hope to get another
project going soon. It's just that when YJ ended, they didn't have
anything lined up at the moment. So I took the opportunity to pursue WildGuard.
RO: What can you tell me about WildGuard?
TN: WildGuard is a Made-for-TV super team. The first six
issue mini-series, WildGuard: Casting Call, is the origin story
where the heroes are auditioning for the team. Think American Idol for
superheroes.
RO: As you said this was your original concept you showed to
Dan Fraga when you first broke in?
TN:
I came up with WildGuard while still in art school. I had
produced a two ashcan homemade mini-comics, as well as four solo
character mini-comics.
RO: Did it have the Reality TV hook at the time?
TN: Yes. WildGuard was my superhero version of the show COPS.
RO: Why did you switch from COPS to American Idol?
TN: WildGuard will still have the COPS vibe to it
in future stories. I'm going with the American Idol template
for WildGuard's origin. Plus, American Idol is HOT. So now is
the best time to play up on that. Especially as WildGuard will
be wrapping up as American Idol 3 will be starting next year.
RO: Are you a big fan of Reality TV shows?
TN: Yeah. I liked the first three MTV's the Real World, the
first two or three Survivors, Fear Factor, and Surreal Life.
RO: Is my understanding correct that the fans get to vote on
who makes the team?
TN: I've picked four of the five heroes to be WildGuard. I'm
asking the readers to choose the fifth member of the team. Readers can
go to http://www.wildguard.com
and vote for the hero they want to see on the team.
RO: How does that work when you are producing the comics in
advance of the release date?
TN:
There will be a voting "cut off" deadline. Also, characters
will be cut narrowing the voting field. I'm trying to make the story
as flexible as possible to work anyone back in if necessary.
RO: You're not just penciling but also writing, lettering,
promoting and paying for WildGuard, how can you do all of it?
TN: Lotsa prayer! I'm just going for it. I feel this is my next
step. I'm definitely growing as a creator. If anything, it's a great
education and time for growth. I'm having a blast!
RO: How do you survive without the regular paycheck and still
pay to produce WildGuard?
TN: Original art sales from http://www.toddnauck.com.
My wife is working part-time, too.
RO: What's next after WildGuard?
TN: Hopefully more WildGuard! So, everybody go buy the book!
Maybe something with DC, again. I'd really enjoy that.
RO: What projects would you like to work on?
TN: Flash or Green Lantern. Fantastic Four
or Ultimate X-Men. A Transformers or GI Joe story
would be fun. More WildGuard would be a continued dream come
true.
RO: Good luck with WildGuard.
To visit Todd Nauck on the web go to http://www.toddnauck.com
To visit WildGuard on the web go to http://www.wildguard.com
To visit DC Comics on the web go to http://www.dccomics.com
To visit Marvel Comics on the web go to http://www.marvel.com
To visit Image Comics on the web go to http://www.imagecomics.com |
