THE PODIUM INTERVIEW WITH GREGORY WRIGHT

GREGORY WRIGHT: I got into comics by mistake. I was about to graduate from NYU Film school and realized that I needed rent money, and a degree in film wasn't something that was likely to get you employment. So, I reasoned that a temporary job would keep me alive while my friends and I tried to put together an independent feature film. I actually thought about getting a job in a grocery store, when D.G. Chichester, who was one of the before mentioned friends suggested that I take a job at Epic Co mics, where he worked, that had just opened up. I interviewed, and got the job of editorial assistant, which was basically a glorified secretarial job. And from there, one thing led to another, and I wound up as a full editor, writer and color artist.

THE PODIUM: What kind of formal training did you have that prepared you for this?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I never had any formal comics training. In fact, I never, ever even thought about working in comics until it happened. However, virtually everything I learned in film school was valuable for doing comics. Film school teaches visual storytelling, which is what comics are about. I think my interest in cinematography and lighting is probably what made my coloring more unique.

THE PODIUM: Was there any particular comic or writer inspire you to get into this business?

GREGORY WRIGHT: No, but once I was in the business, many comics and creators inspired me to get into freelance work. Some of the work I saw being done showed me that it was possible to tell the kind of stories I had wanted to tell in films, in comics. I was very lucky to work with/near some very talented people in those early days. Some comic creators I whose work I found inspiring were Archie Goodwin, Jim Steranko, Walt Simonson, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Bill Seinkiewicz, and too many others t o name.
My early days were really great, because a lot of spectacular comics were coming out. Daredevil, Punisher, Dark Knight, Watchman, Moonshadow--it was a good time to enter the business. A lot of integrity on the parts of creators was happening.

THE PODIUM: Tell us a little about some of your comic work, especially some of the titles you've labored on. What was your most favorite gig? Least favorite gig?

GREGORY WRIGHT: The work that I have the fondest memories of are the earliest stuff. And it wasn't because of any particular job. There was a sheer joy in the creation of anything. I can't begin to express the excitment of writing a story and getting back those first pages of art from a penciller. Back in those days it was all magical. And color was much simpler. You had few colors and no airbrushing, so you really had to use what you had to the fullest potential. I really do think that learn ing to do color in those days was a challenge. You really did have to understand the COLOR, because that's all you had.
I don't know if I really have a favorite gig. As a writer, I really enjoyed working on Daredevil and Nick Fury. I thouroughly loved doing Silver Sable, because I was allowed to expand on her character and give her a pretty rich history. I also got to create all the Wild Pack characters. That series tackled a lot of really touchy subjects, like abortion, racism, and political corruption. Deathlok was another pet project. Dwayne McDuffie and I created something special in our revamped version. Our Deat hlok was a decent, intelligent man trapped inside a menacing shell which he deplored. He was a pacifist, a man of peace, horrified to be trapped inside a war machine. It was nice to write a character who was capable of mass destruction, who truly didn't want to hurt anybody. He generally tried to find ways to use his brain. Unfortunately, the series had so much baggage from the old series, multiple artists and two writers writing separate stories, that it took a beating from the readers. It never real ly found it's audience, and Marvel pulled the plug too early, in my opinion. As a colorist, my favorite gig was/is/will be the BATMAN work I've done/will do with Tim Sale. His art always brings back that sense of magic and inspires me to do my best work. I also have enjoyed working with Todd McFarlane on Spider-Man and John Romita Jr, on numerous projects.
My least favorite gigs are ones I quit. I had a bad experience on a project I did considerable development work on for Marvel, which I quit before the series came out. I've worked on some color jobs that were torture due to some bad art, bad stories or just too many characters. I don't like to drag specific people or their work through the mud in public. It hurts the entire industry and seems childish.

THE PODIUM: What do you read in your spare time? What comics are you into?

GREGORY WRIGHT: What is spare time? I read mainly non-fiction. I'm a bit of a DISNEY buff, so I read a lot of books on Disney. I read a lot of books on film and television, history books, books on culture, art, and countries. I do like medieval literature. I don't really read too many comics. Very few really grab my attention. I do like the "BIG BOOK OF--" series DC does, as well as Paul Chadwick's CONCRETE, Jeff Smith's BONE, Frank Miller's SIN CITY, and anything Sergio Aragones does. Oh--DC'S TRANSMETROPOLITAN has my attention right now.

THE PODIUM: What is your average work day like? How long, on average, does it take you to color an issue?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I don't have average work days. They're all different. Some days nothing gets done, other days I'm very productive. I tend to work all day, not that it's all productive. It takes me between 4 to 6 days to color an issue. Some take longer, some shorter depending on the art.

THE PODIUM: How do you go, specifically, about creating an issue? The steps involved to get from unfinished art to final colored piece.

GREGORY WRIGHT: Let's go through the process as it SHOULD work. As a writer, you start out with the character or characters that you've been assigned to write. You come to an understanding with the editor about the way the character is to be treated and what type of stories are approprite. Then the story is either written in plot form (Which pages out the story without dailogue) or full scripted (pages are paneled out WITH dialogue). From there, the editor reads the story and usually makes comm ents which lead to a second draft. Once the plot is approved it is sent to the penciller who then illustrates the story utilizing storytelling skills. That work is sent to the editor, who may ask for different layouts, additions, deletions, or just ask to have the pages totally redrwn if they don't tell the story. Once those are approved, xeroexes of them are sent to the writer who them procedes to script the pages with dialogue and captions. Meanwhile the pencilled pages are sent to an inker who inks and sometimes embelished the pages to their final black and white form. The scripted pages are sent to the letterer who letters the dialogue and sound effects and emparts a bit a design to the test part of the page. Once the inks and lettering is approved by the editor, they are cobined and then xeroxes of the pages sent to the colorist. Thge colorist then chooses colors that fit with the mood and tone of the story and art. Once the editor approves the color it is sent to a separator, who translates the color guides into computer separations. Once the editor approves the separations, they are sent to the printer and TA-DAA! A comic. Unfortunately, the process doesn't always seem to go quite like that. Schedules tend to get blown, and editors are frequently forced to allow work to proceed that could use tweaking.
As for my specific way of working with color--I read the story first, and stare at the art. I try to figure out what color would most enhance what scenes. I decide what color rooms should be, clothing etc, all based on the story. I then decide what type of rendering to do--based on the art. Then I mix my colors and start coloring one panel at a time. At the end I compare the black and white to the color to make sure I have made a positive impact, and that I haven't hurt the drawing in anyway. If I fin d mistakes I fix them. Occaisionally I'll scan the color into my computer and add some special effects as a guide for the separators.

THE PODIUM: Did you find it difficult breaking into the business of comics?

GREGORY WRIGHT: No, as I got recommended by D.G. Chichester. Freelance came easy as well, because I was on staff at Marvel. Staffers always had the advantage of getting immediate feedback on their work and could alter it until someone gave them a chance. Staffers also seemed to have first pick. Not terribly fair to those who were strictly freelance, but that's how it worked.

THE PODIUM: What was you first comic work published?

GREGORY WRIGHT: Probably color over Archie Goodwin's drawings of himself for the editorial cartoons he did for the Epic Comics. But as far as actual full jobs--West Coast Avengers annual #2 for color, and as a writer, a Wonderman story I co-wrote with Dwayne McDuffie.

THE PODIUM: What peers in this industry do you look at and find yourself being VERY IMPRESSED with? Is there a 'league of colorists', like there are in writers and pencillers?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I like the work of Steve Oliff a lot. His work embodies everything I thing is essential. He can do great rendering, but he's actually even better at color selection and storytelling. I'm not sure what you mean by a league of colorists. Do groups of us hang out? I wouldn't know. I don't really have much communication with any others. Occaisionally I'll call someone up to compliment a job.

THE PODIUM: How long do you think it will be before a polictican stands up and declares "Guns don't kill people...comics do?"

GREGORY WRIGHT: You mean they aren't already? Politicians, and just people in general, tend to shift responsibility for their actions onto something else. Comics will take some blame when they get too popular again.

THE PODIUM: Do you do shows?And if so, how do you like that? Has your work been well received?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I don't do shows anymore. They tend to cost me too much time, money and energy, for very little return. If I'm going to take off time from work to do something I'm not being paid for, I'm going to do something for me. Like take a real vacation. When I did do shows, I enjoyed getting together with all the other creators in person, and it's always great to meet the fans. My work was always received well as far as I know. I once had a fan come up to me with two boxes of comics. It was everything I had ever done up to that point in my career. That was a real kick. But, I would lose a weeks worth of work, and have to spend money on airfare and hotels. In the end it cost me far more than it was worth. The last show I did was really depressing. Too many fans oohing and ahhing over work I thought was dreadful, and too many companies basically trying to cut deals with certain creators while ignoring others. Too political for me.

THE PODIUM: Is all of your work colored on the computer, or do you still do some of it by hand?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I do my work by hand. I'm too slow with the computer. My work does get separated on computer though. I really should do it all myself, as the separators sometimes destroy what I do.

THE PODIUM: If you were stuck on a desert island, with plenty of food and water, what two things would you need to survive and why?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I don't need anything further to SURVIVE. I've always liked the idea of creating from what's available. That's why Swiss Family Robinson and Gilligan's Island were always favorites of mine. But I would want my fiance for companionship, and maybe a radio for music and news.

THE PODIUM: Future plans: what are you working on now?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I'm currently coloring: PETER PARKER:SPIDER-MAN, SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN, THOR, BATMAN, STARMAN, and TEEN TITANS. I'm working on getting back to writing, but haven't decided exactly what I want to write. And of course it's dependent on people remembering who I am, and actually givng me a job.

THE PODIUM: How do you feel about the comics industry in general as opposed to when you first broke in?

GREGORY WRIGHT: Well, I'm a different person now, so that colors my opinion. I think comics were much better when I broke in, and there were far more creators doing their best work. Today too many people are too concerned over how much money they make, and how fast they can become stars. Some companies are in panic mode and don't trust their creative people. I'd go back in time to work in the mid-eighty's in a heart beat. Everything had more integrity. It's still there today, but you really have to dig hard.

THE PODIUM: Do you see a continued rise in self-publishing and a decrease in the mainstream? Or has the self publishing boom died out?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I think the boom is dead, but I think many seasoned creators are sick of the treatment they get from the companies. I think self-publishing will continue to rise slowly, and with better material. The mainstream's in big trouble and won't admit it. The solution is simple. Do better comics. Treat the creators with respect. Learn how to market.

THE PODIUM: Now, a mutual friend said you had one or two funny Marvel stories. Care to share them?

GREGORY WRIGHT: When I was on staff funny stories happened daily. You may be referring to a gift of fruit scented soaps that we were given by a certain tall editor-in-chief who made certain assuptions about two of us based on the fact that we were roommates. Untrue assumptions by the way. But others on staff found it highly amusing. I did find my desk drawer to be mysteriously filled with water and goldfish once. And I was given the nickname LYNCHPIN due to my arrogant overestimation of my value as a staffer. That was pretty amusing to many.

THE PODIUM: In regards to your life and your craft, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

GREGORY WRIGHT: I'd like to see myself making movies. I'll always be telling stories and doing artwork, but maybe just not in comics. Comics have been good to me, but I don't see it as a place to work forever. Tomorrow I could change my mind again.

THE PODIUM: What do your friends and family think of you "making a living" in comics? And how supportive have they been?

GREGORY WRIGHT: They've always been supportive no matter what. Since I've been pretty successful, they naturally are even more supportive. My friends think it's really funny that people have actually lined up at conventions for a chance to get an autograph or to buy a piece of artwork. When I think about, it makes me laugh too.

THE PODIUM: What words of advice would you give to someone who wants to make a living out of this business?

GREGORY WRIGHT: Don't expect to get rich or famous. Only do it if you really have a desire to tell stories visually. If you don't love the medium, don't bother. Be prepared to devote all you time to improving your craft. And be prepared to be treated like dirt. Breaking in is hard or impossible for most people, despite their talent, and staying in the business is a crap shoot. It's not an easy business to succeed in.

THE PODIUM: Any last words of wisdom...or anything I might have left out?

GREGORY WRIGHT: Find comics you love to read and tell others about them.

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