- Introduction
- Part 1
- Part 2
Okay, if Wolverine was hit by a freight train, a charging Juggernaut and a 1000-pound anvil while Onslaught, the Beyonder, Phoenix, and Galactus let loose in his general direction, what sound would that make?
A very very very big
How was your penmanship when you were a kid?
I spent most of my time at school designing logos for the names of the particular classes I was sitting through. I was always fascinated by letters. I would rarely draw pictures. I preferred to write down a word and try to make it look interesting instead.
What is the inspiration for all of the different designs that Comicraft is
responsible for?
Instead of just looking at other comics to see what other letterers have done, I encourage everyone in the studio to look outside of comics. I look at type styles on matchbooks, bottle labels, movie posters... all sorts of type and graphics. When you bring something out of one medium into another, you create something new. I think that's what makes Comicraft a little different, a little special.
Where does Richard Starkings get his inspiration from personally?
Friends. Family. I was particularly affected by some words of wisdom shared with me by a Buddhist chap by the name of David Kasahara in New York. He told me that a dishwasher in a restaurant can choose to be totally unhappy with his lot because basically he's just cleaning up dirty plates. Or he can take it upon himself to make the plates and glasses shine so brightly that the customers come back to the restaurant just because the crockery is so clean! I really took those words to heart. Generally, you don't pick up a comic book and rave about the lettering any more than you would sit in a restaurant and say: "Wow! These knives and forks are shiny!" But you can't properly appreciate a meal if your plate isn't clean, can you?
So even when I was working out of my apartment I decided that I would make the lettering look so good that readers would regard it as an important part of the artwork. At Comicraft, we try to complement the art and seek to embellish it only when it's appropriate.
Do you ever get frustrated because your work is often overlooked in favor of the artists working on the books?
No. The important thing is that the people we work with love what we do. Talents like Jeph Loeb, Scott Lobdell, Howard Mackie and Dan Jurgens actually go out of their way to make sure that we're involved in their projects because they know what we're capable of doing. That's the highest compliment.
Chris Bachalo has been a particular blessing to Comicraft. We rarely talk to one another but he always leaves us plenty of space to do what we do best.
Is that why there is so much great Comicraft stuff in GENERATION X?
GENERATION X is probably our flagship title. I knew it was going to be a special book because of the creative team working on it so we decided to go out of our way to make that book look really neat.
During the Age of Apocalypse storyline, Bob Harras noticed that we were giving our all to the books. Shortly after, he pretty much gave us all the X-titles. Until that point we were perceived as the computer guys. GENERATION X earned us a lot of respect.
To the untrained eye a lot of lettering may look the same. What is it that makes Comicraft's style unique?
We spend a lot of time finding ways to give each of our books a distinctive look. However, when all is said and done, the real strength of the work we do is in our placement. That's the most important element in any letterer's work. If you can't develop a clear lettering style and an understanding of how to place balloons, then forget it.
What's the coolest effect that you guys can do?
I think we really set a standard for ourselves with the title page of Generation Next #2. X-Men #45 and X-Men Unlimited #12 were goodies too. Title pages are always a lot of fun. That's where the letterer gets an opportunity to really polish the dishes! It's the place where the artist says, "Here's some space for the title, don't screw up the page!"
Are you still able to sit down and enjoy reading comics or do you find yourself just looking at the design effects and going, "we should've done that way better?"
Sometimes, but just recently I was checking over our printouts of X-Men Unlimited #12. I got so caught up in the story that I forgot I was supposed to be proofreading it!
Where would you like Comicraft to be ten years from now?
That's tough because typically you don't think beyond this week's deadline. I'm really not sure, to be honest. Can you give me a deadline? I'll get back to you.
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