Flash Gordon Artist Evan "Doc" Shaner Talks Bringing the Pulp Icon To Life at Dynamite

When Dynamite Entertainment announced just over a week ago that they would be publishing a new, ongoing series starring the classic character Flash Gordon (launching in April from Jeff Parker, Evan "Doc" Shaner and Jordie Bellaire), there were plenty of reasons to be excited. For my money though, possibly the best news though was hearing that art duties (pencils and inks) had been handed over to Evan "Doc" Shaner. Of course, I'm not discounting everything else that's seemingly being done right with this series. It's Flash Gordon after all! Just the choice to launch an ongoing series for one of the most enduring and iconic science fiction characters of all time was fantastic news. For another, it's being written by Jeff Parker, the man behind the high-energy, campy perfection that is Batman '66. This is all excellent news, especially considering that this series will mark the 80th anniversary of the character created by the talented and influential Alex Raymond. Even with all of that going for it, I was most excited by the prospect of having the opportunity of seeing Doc Shaner working on an ongoing series. You might have come across his work recently in Marvel Comics' Deadpool Annual, where he depicted for the reader one of those rare pleasures, the thing you never knew you wanted to see but couldn't imagine living without once you had. I won't spoil it for you, but it involves Luke Cage, Thor, and some fancy footwork. A bit further back, he and writer Nate Cosby brought the hilarious Buddy Cops to the world courtesy of Dark Horse Comics. And if you just can't wait for Flash Gordon to come out, you can check out his work on his website, Tumblr, or pick up the story that he and Ron Marz are putting together for DC Comics' digital-first title Adventures of Superman when it comes out in February. But I digress. Doc was kind enough to sit down with me via email and answer a few questions about Flash Gordon, comic art, and bearded avian thespians:

Michael Brown: So how does it feel to be the artist on, correct me if I'm wrong, your first ongoing series and tackling an icon like Flash Gordon no less? Evan "Doc" Shaner: Great! I should be clear though that while it is an ongoing, Jeff and I are only doing the first four issues. Regardless, I've been wanting to do an ongoing for a while. Getting to draw a character for more than a month and really explore this world is a blast. MB: So, basically while you won't be the artist on every issue, you'll be the artist on four of the best, right? Doc: Ha! Yeah, I suppose I need to have that kind of attitude – at least for a little while, huh? MB: In interviews, Jeff Parker has identified the animated Flash Gordon cartoon produced by Filmation as his first exposure to the character. What was yours? Any particular fond memories? Doc: I actually came to Flash Gordon backwards through being a fan of [artist] Al Williamson. I mean, I've always been aware of the name and the basic gist of the character, but I didn't really get into it until I dug into Williamson's work on Flash Gordon. MB: That's really interesting. I don't think most of our readers are going to be all that familiar with Al Williamson, I know that I'm not. How did you come to be a fan of his work in particular? Doc: First, I think it was his work on the Secret Agent X-9 [strip featuring the character Phil]Corrigan with [writer Archie] Goodwin. Then I realized he was the inker on one of my favorite comic runs of all time, when he and John Buscema were on Wolverine [for issues 1 through 6 of the 1988 series]. Then, amidst other books collecting his work, Flesk [Publications] came out with a big book collecting all of his Flash Gordon stuff. All brilliant, of course. Note: Readers may be interested to know that the strip Secret Agent X-9 was originally written by acclaimed hardboiled detective novelist Dashiell Hammett, author of The Maltese Falcon. Incidentally, the strip was syndicated by King Features who also published Flash Gordon.

MB: Do you have a favorite incarnation of Flash and would you have considered yourself a fan prior to taking up art duties on this latest telling of his adventures? Doc: It's definitely the [Alex] Raymond and Williamson drawn stories for me. I think I'd have considered myself a fan of Flash Gordon, but probably more so since the job came along and I've really spent the better part of the last year digging into the character. MB: Looking at the uniform that Flash appears to be wearing in the covers for the series' first issue, black and red with a white lightning bolt motif, I don't believe I've been able to find a precedent for that precise design. Are you drawing from any particular source? If it's your original work, can you give some insight into your design process? Doc: It is an original uniform for Flash starting with this book. Jeff and I actually came up with it together after some trial and error. It was Jeff's idea to give him the black shirt in Kings Watch, and I liked that so much I really wanted to keep an aspect of that. We knew we wanted some red in there and some kind of motif over the shoulders. I think it may have been Jeff who came up with the lightning bolts that meet in the center. The rest is pretty standard pulp gear. MB: This character, his enemies, and his world have been through so many different incarnations in so many different artistic styles, do you find yourself drawing from any of them in particular in crafting the visual aesthetic for this series or have you been letting your own artistic inclinations run wild? Doc: I'm certainly using the original strips as a launch pad for the look of the book. Of course, I'm putting my own spin on some of the details, but we're trying to make sure this looks familiar to longtime Flash fans. MB: Do you have any thoughts on the different looks and treatments of the character from the original Alex Raymond comic strip, to the Buster Crabbe serials, to the cartoons, to the 1980 film, to the almost anime-styled comics from Ardden Entertainment, and everything in between? Doc: I'll admit I haven't quite seen everything. I'm a big fan of the strip, and of course I'm familiar with the 1980 film. I've seen a great deal of stills from the Buster Crabbe serials and I've been meaning to track those down because they look great. MB: It has to be admitted that Flash Gordon has a long and storied history of campy goodness. With that history and your collaborator Jeff Parker's embracing of humor and camp on Batman '66 can we expect to see any tongue-in-cheek elements in the visuals?

Doc: I don't know that we're doing anything particularly tongue-in-cheek, at least in a visual sense. One could argue that there's some of that in the story itself. Our Flash in particular is unblinkingly optimistic and I think that bleeds through to the rest of the book. Fans of Jeff's work on Batman '66 should be pleased, certainly. MB: How would you characterize your artistic style and how do you think your style complements the world of Flash Gordon? Doc: I tend to end up on the simpler side of things, I suppose. I depend more on cleaner lines and broad strokes. I get "retro" a lot, which I guess I can see. I'm hoping that I can bring something new to Flash Gordon while keeping the basic feel of the old series intact. MB: As someone who enjoys your work, I can see why folks would use the term "retro" to describe it though I prefer "classic" myself. It doesn't sound as though you are necessarily trying to cultivate that look. Is that the case or is it a conscious choice? Doc: It's certainly not intentional. "Style", in that sense, is largely a byproduct of the storytelling. It's an amalgamation of all of my influences plus my own outlook, which just happens to come out looking "retro" or "classic." MB: Who would you say are your greatest artistic influences? Doc: [Joe] Kubert, [Alex] Toth, [Mike] Wieringo, [Frank] Robbins, [Jordi] Bernet, [Milton] Caniff, [Charles] Schulz. Probably a dozen others. Note: Readers would benefit from researching one or all of those artists. Just saying… MB: So they say you're picking up from the continuity established in Parker's Kings Watch. It's my understanding that the miniseries more or less depicts a Flash Gordon just getting his start in adventuring. Does this mean that readers will be treated to a fresh start for the character? Doc: I think so. I won't spoil how Kings Watch ends but it does a great job setting up the adventure we put Flash on at the beginning of our series, while introducing the reader to the character on his own. MB: Changing gears a bit, there's always been an undeniable element of racial insensitivity and "Yellow Peril" to the character of Ming the Merciless. The variant covers suggest that he will be a factor in the new series. Do you find that there are ways of treating the character artistically that help to minimize those associations? Do you think it's an issue worth considering? Doc: Ming is in the book, yes. I don't want to say it's not an issue in the history of the character, but I don't draw him with any notion of "Yellow Peril" in mind. He's certainly got a unique look but we're not bringing any sense of that cultural baggage to him here. MB: Can readers expect to see a lot of action on the planet Mongo with its associated kingdoms and dignitaries such as Prince Barin, Queen Fria, and Prince Vultan? Doc: Absolutely! Much of our book is going to be about Flash exploring these new worlds and their inhabitants. Arboria plays a large part and we see Frigia in the first issue. There are a handful of others I requested specifically that should be familiar to longtime fans.

MB: Some of the preview art that has been released seems to depict Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. Is this the case and will they constitute the series' supporting cast? Doc: Yes, Dale and Zarkov are in the book and they're as integral to the series as expected. I particularly enjoy drawing the both of them. MB: What has it been like so far working with writer Jeff Parker and colorist Jordie Bellaire? Doc: Excellent, couldn't be happier. I've wanted to work with Jeff for years and I'm really glad that this is what we're finally coming together on. I haven't known Jordie for quite as long but I've wanted to collaborate with her since I saw her work. I love handing the inks over to her knowing that she's going to make it look like I know what I'm doing. MB: If there was one thing that you wanted to say to readers about this series and your work on it in particular, what would it be? Doc: I think the book's going to be a lot of fun. It's the sort of book I love to read and I hope readers old and new to Flash Gordon will give it a try because we're looking to play to both crowds. MB: And just because I couldn't let this opportunity go by without asking, any thoughts on trying to sneak in a "cameo" by Brian Blessed? Doc: Wink Wink.