BOB'S LETTER OF THE MONTH:

Hey Bob!

Just want to start with I’m a huge Iron Man fan and the best runs were by you, Romita and Michelinie! I met you many, many years ago (won’t say how long ago, we don’t want to remind ourselves of our ages!).  And, you were a genuine gentleman and were nice enough to sign a whole short box of comics for a young kid. And yes, I still have them!

So I wanted to get a commissioned piece of art from you. But I want it because I’m going to have it tattooed to my leg. I already have a local tattoo guy that is more than excited of the idea of transferring your work on to me permanently.  I’m currently struggling with what I want. I love your poster from the Original Armor wars with Iron man in the Silver Centurion armor looking quite mean with everyone on the ground around him. I guess I’m looking for a little bit of guidance from you. Since you’re my favorite IM artist I was wondering what your favorite armor is. I am torn between the Silver Centurion or the armor from the end of the Armor Wars. (the Kick- The-Crap-Out-Of-Firepower armor) . I also love the stealth armor but I need to have the red-and-gold or red-and-silver !  I also love the armor from the days of the DOOM/Iron Man/Camelot two-parter. GAH! Might just go with that!

So, if you can maybe give me a little input on your favorite, it might help me decide. Then, we can get the commissioned art going.

I know your mad busy with the IM/Doom mini-series (CAN’T WAIT) but I'm hoping you have some time for me. Also, do you ever do commissions with color? If not, I understand. I’m just trying to give my Tat artist as much that’s done by you to transfer. I will, of course, send you a picture of the Tat once it’s done to put on your web site-- if you want. And, if so, what is the cost.

I greatly look forward to your reply!

Tony Intrabartolo 

Dear Tony,

Congratulations! Your unusual request has qualified you to be this month's recipient of free Iron Man Concept of the Month Art! As soon as you send me your mailing address, you will receive this month's drawing of the lovely Bethany Cabe in her Christmas attire.

I think SHE would look great tattooed onto you, but that's just my opinion!

I've stated in the past that I believe, "Human flesh is a terrible medium for an artist to work in." But, if you're bound and determined to make one of my designs part of your epidermis,  I would have to tell you that the Mark IV armor (post-Silver Centurion) is my favorite design from my run on the series.

If you're really interested in having me create a drawing for your tattoo artist, just give me the information when you send me your address and we'll discuss it further.

I would appreciate, if you're really going through with this, sending pictures so my readers can check out the final product.

Personally, are you sure you wouldn't rather have a puppy?

Mr. Layton,

Always a pleasure to visit your site and all things truly Iron Man, not that sham Marvel is trudging along.

I have a request which has been on my mind for years. I don't know if it was you or someone else but someone in the 1980's during your reign of Iron designed a new Titanium Man armor that was featured in the 200's or so during Armor Wars. Actually as I am typing, if memory serves me correctly the suit was first introduced in Avengers vs. X-Men the four part mini-series. It's the suit with Gremlin in it. I guess the best image of the suit back then was on one of the covers from Armor Wars when Iron Man dawned his stealth suit for a soviet infiltration mission against Titanium Man and the Crimson Dynamo (yeah, the cool one you designed)...

So here's the story, nowhere has there been a full-on image of this Titanium Man armor. There is no full-pager or even a full-length body shot in a frame in any Iron Man comic or other appearance elsewhere. The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe featured T.M. in it's original and Deluxe editions from the 1980's, but they featured the old, gigantic suit (the one with the skirt).

I don't know about anyone else but this suit, I thought, kicked so much ass! It was good and modern, particularly at the time, and I think whoever designed it, whether it be you or someone else (?) did well and made a rather unique villain armor to say the least. I don't like the fact that it's never had its day in the sun. The animated Iron man series featured a gross interpretation of the suit as did Toybiz with their figure from the show. Someone made a nice custom figure of it once, I saw on Ebay (see photos attached). I guess the best image, I've ever had that could be considered a full frontal pose would be in of all things a coloring book which was also released along side the animated series... 

SO, MR. "MY FAVORITE COMIC ARTIST AND WRITER OF ALL TIME". Get off your butt and let the 80's Titanium Man rise outta the... snow/ice. Show me Titanium Man.

By the way, loved the full body shot of your Crimson Dynamo suit you had up last year or so, thanks, fortunately the official handbook did feature the Dynamo a few times properly.

Thanks again,

Dustin S. McGinnis

Dear Dustin,

I was not the designer of your favorite version of the Titanium Man. I agree that the design "kicked so much ass!" Sorry I can't take credit for it.

However, after your chiding, I promise to "get off my butt" and start working on a new Titanium Man design for the Iron Man Concept of the Month. Stay tuned for further developments in that regard! Thanks for your letter of comment.

Bob,

It was a pleasure to finally meet you in person this year at The Big Apple Con in NYC. I appreciate all the great Valiant commissions you have done for me in the past and was happy to finally be able to thank you in person. Your wonderful creations are the cornerstones of my small original art and commission collection.

I was extremely pleased to find out that you are working with Valiant Entertainment (VEI) on the upcoming X-O Manowar hardcover. The fact that you are writing and inking the new story tells me that VEI is serious about putting out a quality product featuring one of my favorite comic characters. I always associate your name with X-O and getting you onboard the new project is HUGE in my eyes. Sean Chen working on the dust jacket cover at the very least is also a positive sign for the fledgling VEI. I am hopeful that he will also have the time in his schedule to pencil the new story - that would be SWEET!

Do you know if a colorist has been chosen for the new story? I, personally, am a fan of the work of Ian Sokoliwski. He has done some fantastic work for me on some X-O commissions. His recent coloring of the Origin of Harada card art for the Harbinger hardcover was also well done. I think he would do a wonderful job on the X-O Manowar short story.

I am a bit disappointed that I will not be able to read a new Colony story until January 2008. I have been following the series since your first episode and think it is great! I think the diversity of the characters will make for many interesting stories on the prison planet. Scott Landus' character as the unwilling hero also holds much promise toward future adventures. I highly recommend that people give your free web comic a chance!

One last thing - thank you for your continued support for the charity fundraising projects I am putting together. I appreciate you signing all the comics I brought to NY with a smile on your face. Once the projects have been completed and distributed I will give you a tally as to how much money you helped raise for various charities including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for The Shriner's Children's Hospital of Cincinnati. Your willingness to take part in these projects is a shining example of the type of person you are.

Your friend,

Chris Gould

Dear Chris,

I enjoyed spending time with you at the convention in New York, as well. I appreciated your candor concerning my upcoming X-O project for VEI. I'm going to do my best to stay true to the original spirit of the character. Hopefully, in the  months to come, I'll be able to give the Valiant fans a lot more information concerning my contributions to that project.

I'm glad you're enjoying COLONY. Rest assured that the series will be back next month with all-new episodes. Dick has already finished the next two, as we approach one of the big turning points in the series. This summer you'll see some major changes in the story direction as the mystery of Erus becomes crystal clear!

I always try to find time to help out in a good cause. I thank you for allowing me to contribute to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation effort. Always good to hear from you!

Hey Bob,

Regarding your Doom armor…while it’s a cool concept, what struck me was that more likely Doom’s armor already has E.V.A. support. And probably via a combination of high tech and magical means of maintaining life support!

On a side note, here’s a couple of concepts I’d love to see you take a shot at:

1)What If….Tony Stark had built the Iron Man armor during WWII, using WWII tech? How would Bob Layton had made it work?

2)Remember that phony “Captain Iron Man” art that was floating around after they temporarily put Steve Rogers back on the shelf? How would Bob Layton have done a Cap in Iron Man armor design?

Food for thought, eh?

OM

Dear Om (if that's your real name),

I don't think Doom's armor would be capable of functioning in a vacuum. If you look at the basic design, it's somewhat archaic in nature. Also, as I have said it in the past, the more holes you have in a facemask, the the greater the odds are to have your organs sucked out into space!

I love your ideas for the two Iron Man designs. I will put those concepts on my notepad and hopefully use them an upcoming Iron Man Concept of the Month feature.

Hey Bob,

My friend John Eboigbe, drew three pages of Iron Man I thought you like to see.  If you could take time to take a look and critique his work.    He has been trying to get in as a comic book artist for a while now and any tips you have for him, I know that he appreciate it a lot.

Thanks a million!

Kerry Parks

Dear Kerry (and John),

Overall, I think that your friend has some inherent ability and a fair sense of storytelling. However, there are some elements that he needs to refine before his work can reach a more professional level. I will make a comment about each page to John and what I think he needs to work on in order to improve.

(From left to right):

1) Great flying scene. I love the dynamics you got into the Iron Man figure. However, like most fledgling artists, you tend to draw the things that you like and leave out the stuff that you find boring (i.e. backgrounds). So many great shots in comics history included detailed and credible background art. It is the real world in which your place your fantasy character. In order to make the drawing more convincing, you need to put as much emphasis on the setting as you do the figure.

2) Again, while dynamic, you're not making definitive statements with your pencil lines. What I find missing in this page is any sense of lighting. You have the dynamics, but are lacking the drama due to insufficient light-sourcing. Figure out what's creating the light in the room and use that to create solid blacks that help define and to give power to the figures on the page.

3) Always establish where your character is. Although it opens with a shot of a building, the next few panels left me confused as to where exactly we were. Is he on the rooftop? A room with a view? It was somewhat unclear to me because, after your establishing shot of the building, you made little effort to let me know where the character was before the action began.

All in all, I think John has a lot of talent. Obviously, he needs to work on certain areas, but tell him that I send every best wish and would love to see more of his work as he progresses.

Thanks for sharing this with me and my readers!

Hi Bob,

In case you did not know, there is a updated version of the Iron Man movie trailer just out today. You can check it out at the following link.  I love the work you and Ron Lim are doing on the Iron Man limited series.  I can't wait for it to hit the shelves.

Kent Kochi

Dear Kent,

Love the new trailer!! Who wouldn't? As I've said in the past, let's hope the story lives up to the visuals!

Hello again.

Thank you very much for forwarding my questions to Bob Hall last time.

I was hoping if maybe you could forward this question to David Michelinie in the same matter, and maybe add your own two cents to it.

I've recently re-read the first five issues of Rai and I was wondering; had Mr. Michelinie had more than a handful of issues to explore life in Japan during its exile from Earth, what issues would he have liked to explore besides the ones he got a chance to do?

In that vein, if given the chance to revisit this era in VALIANT history, would he be interested in doing it? (I for one would be very interested in reading it, especially if it was on part with those five issues)

Another question would be; why was the Rai series' exploration of life in Japan during its exile from Earth so short? Was it because Unity forced the series to be that way, or was the series plotted that way on purpose?

I've also been re-reading HARD Corps, another favorite of mine and wanted to bring up an observation.

While reading Metallix I noticed that the team dynamic seemed to somewhat mimic what we saw in H.A.R.D. Corps, and even a scene in one issue of Metallix was a reproduction of a scene in HARD Corps (the scene in question has Hammerhead in his gun store shooting a target. That scene, from similar angles, was later reproduced in Metallix).

The question would be, was anything that appeared in Metallix originally plotted or conceived for H.A.R.D. Corps?
 

Thanks,
Mike Sacal

Dear Mike,

As part of our full-service website, I have forwarded your letter to yet, another super-star creator. This time, it's my writing partner and buddy, David Michelinie!

David was kind enough to take time out to reply to your questions, which I have posted below. I'm not sure if I have anything else to add to it, so we'll let David take it from here.

Q) I've recently re-read the first five issues of Rai and I was wondering; had Mr. Michelinie had more than a handful of issues to explore life in Japan during its exile from Earth, what issues would he have liked to explore besides the ones he got a chance to do?

A) I honestly don’t remember if I had specific plans for further storylines. That was 15 years ago, and any notes I may have made are either long gone or lying forgotten in some box in the attic. I likely would have let the character lead me into his future, with the conflicts and decisions he’d face in his (then) current situation dictating the direction I’d take.

Q) In that vein, if given the chance to revisit this era in VALIANT history, would he be interested in doing it? (I for one would be very interested in reading it, especially if it was on par with those five issues)

A) Rai was a unique character and a unique series set against a unique background. As a result, I found the character fascinating and his potential virtually limitless. With an imaginative artist, and the right editorial mind directing things, I’d be happy to return to that world.

Q) Another question would be; why was the Rai series' exploration of life in Japan during its exile from Earth so short? Was it because Unity forced the series to be that way, or was the series plotted that way on purpose?

A) As I remember it, the reason for the change in Rai’s direction was sales. The book was lagging behind other titles and it was thought that going for a different vibe, more action-oriented and less introspective, might appeal to a wider audience. At least, that’s what I was told at the time.

Q) I've also been re-reading H.A.R.D. Corps, another favorite of mine, and wanted to bring up an observation. While reading Metallix I noticed that the team dynamic seemed to somewhat mimic what we saw in H.A.R.D. Corps, and even a scene in one issue of Metallix was a reproduction of a scene in H.A.R.D. Corps (the scene in question has Hammerhead in his gun store shooting a target. That scene, from similar angles, was later reproduced in Metallix).The question would be, was anything that appeared in Metallix originally plotted or conceived for H.A.R.D. Corps?

A) I admit that it’s an interesting coincidence that both scenes you mention took place in issue #3 of their respective titles, but that’s actually all it was: a coincidence. One scene was not a reproduction of the other, consciously or otherwise. The only similarity is that they both took place at a gun range, and all gun ranges pretty much look alike: a big room with silhouette targets at one end and a bench divided by partitions for the shooters at the other end. The situations, characters and dialogue were completely different; the only real similarity was the setting. That’s like saying if you have two scenes of people talking at McDonalds, one where the conversation concerns plans to take over the world and the other concerns what to wear to the senior prom, that one would have to be a reproduction of the other simply because they both take place in a similar environment.

So, no, for me everything about H.A.R.D. Corps had been put aside by the time I got to writing Metallix. Both series concerned teams with varying powers, and of course my sensibilities and preferences as a writer and as a person would remain fairly consistent, but that’s about the only reason any similarities may have existed.

I RECEIVED A COUPLE OF HEART-WARMING COMMENTS ON LAST MONTH'S TRIBUTE TO STEVE MASSARSKY. I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THEM WITH YOU READERS--

Hey Bob,

Great job on the Steve Massarsky tribute section.  Thanks for creating a place to share our thoughts.  I really like how it was balanced and so honest.  As I read it, my emotions ran the gamut from laugh out loud, to really sad.

Sean Chen

Bob,

Thank you for continuing the spirit of Valiant though you words, work, and recognition of the many great Valiant creators and characters.

The video and comments you got together in honor of Massarsky is truly special.

Thank you for continuing to be a positive influence in the comic’s world.

Take care,

Chris Morrill

Valiant & Layton fan since 1989.