What if.......

[Row]

Hi Alan,

For once I have a question that's non-related to art...not very often that happens, but what the hey.

I was talking to a couple of people I do work for, and one of the sideline topics that cropped up in the emails were classic stories from years ago, now as good as the originals were, the ' What if..' question was asked. If the original artist hadn't worked on them, then who's artwork would we like to have seen on the books.

So with that in mind, out of all the great books from the silver age. golden age etc, is there one story that you've read and would've liked to have worked on?

My answer to the question was you and Mark on the Dark Phoenix saga.

Sorry for asking such a fanboy question, normal service will be resumed asap.

All the best.

Roland.

[Alan Davis]

Hi Roland

This is certainly a question I have never been asked before… And undoubtedly one to cause discord. I remember the near riot in a convention bar some years ago when I dared to suggest the Dark Phoenix saga was superior to the Watchmen.
On some level I have always judged the quality of a comic by the ‘I wish I had done that/could do that’ feeling. So my first thought in replying to your question is that, even though you qualified the question with ‘,now as good as the originals were,’ I’d have to believe I could do the story better or add something I felt was missing if I was to nominate a particular comic. I can’t think of any stories I view as classic that I would want to change. I can say that I love many of the Silver age characters because of the entertainment values in comics at that time—but that’s a pretty romantic notion-- And I have been extremely fortunate in being able to work on most of the characters (and scenarios) I loved as a child. The only comics I can think of that I’d like to work on now, with the benefit of hindsight and years of experience are ones I mucked up myself.
Detective Comics 571 ‘Fear for sale’, which is a terrific Batman story by Mike Barr—I don’t think my art at that time was up to the quality of Mike’s story.
Excalibur 52 ‘All you ever wanted to know about Phoenix but were afraid to ask’. I really regret letting another artist pencil (really badly) what was such an important Excalibur story.
Finally, there is a Star Wars story, ‘Dark Knights deviltry’, written by Steve Moore that I’d have to nominate as my worst ever hack job. In my defence, I was still working in a regular job, drawing comics as a hobby, I had been promised months to draw the story but, after a few weeks had passed, I was told there had been a mix up with schedules and the art was needed the following week. I pencilled and inked the whole 15 page story across three nights (I was working during the day) and a weekend. Six pages on the Sunday, from blank page to inks.

Alan

[j1jes]

I wondered what brought about the mix of a new writer/artist for Excal 52/

I remember being so excited at issue 51 when the next month caption was about you addressing the pheonix.

That being said, you made up for it completely with your art and story when Phoenix confronts Galactus and the resoution of the Days of a future past.

[Row]

Thanks for the answer, Alan

For some unknown reason after reading the part about the near riot over The Dark Phoenix Saga and Watchmen, I have images of West Side Story running through my head.

I think your work does capture the entertainment value that you mentioned loving about the Silver age books. Every book you've worked on has it..something that seems to be missing from a lot of other titles around today.

All the best.

Roland

[Crusader K]

I remember the Phoenix issue as well and was both thrilled that someone had the guts to straighten her backstory out but was disappointed that you hadn't drawn it. I won't criticize the artist on that issue but I will say it would've looked gorgeous had you drawn it Alan.

What WAS the reason another artist (was it Dave Hoover? Memory fails...) wound up drawing #52?

[j1jes]

I think one person did layout and one person did the pencils FERN?

[Ilke]

Excalibur #52 art credits: breakdowns by Will Simpson, finishes by Jimmy Palmiotti and Dave Hoover.

http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=51501

[Alan Davis]

I had asked Terry Kavanagh to give Will Simpson a chance at pencilling so I have to take responsibility for what occurred on Excalibur 52. I don't know what happened to cause Will to produce such a substandard job but it certainly ruined his chances of gaining regular work from Marvel. In fact, the pencils were so bad I was sent the pages in a desperate attempt to fix what I could within the confines of a very tight deadline. I suppose if there had been more time I would have redrawn the whole job.

Alan

[Paulo Pereira]

Wow, I don't remember #52 at all or if I even read it as I tended to avoid the fill-in issues. Now I want to read it out of nothing else than morbid curiosity.