Countdown to Whiteout!
So, a very great friend of mine is finally seeing one of his creative works transformed from one medium to another. Greg Rucka and I went to high school together and we have been friends ever since.
On this Friday, September 11, his first comic book series, Whiteout, is released a a major motion picture.
I have had the privilege of seeing Greg's creativity from an early age. He is the real deal in that he has the imaginative juices and the work ethic that together creates amazing things.
Whiteout was written for Oni Press after he had already achieved success as a published novelist. His first foray into comics netted a nomination for one of the highest awards in comics, the Eisner. He was edged out his first year, but he later won for the sequel to Whiteout (Whiteout Melt) and has collected a number of additional Eisners since then.
From Whiteout, he went on to write for some of the biggest characters in comics: Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman for DC, Daredevil and Wolverine for Marvel. He has also brought his great talents to other characters that are deserving of readership in mainstream comics: Batwoman, Huntress, the cops at Gotham Central, and the (new) Question. And, of course, a bunch of other stuff too.
What many consider his greatest contribution, so far, to comics, is his amazing series, again for Oni Press, Queen & Country. These action-espionage comics are, quite simply, some of the best writing out there. From them, he crossed back into novels, with two Queen & Country books under his belt and a third on the way. Top notch all the way.
Anyway, the best thing is, that he has many, many more years to contribute as a writer, and I am glad that his writing has led to the chance of reaching a wider audience through film.
However, for me, the greatest gift of the film (aside from helping Greg to put food on the table and keep the lights on at home for Greg and his family) will be to get more people interested in Greg as a writer and to open the audience more to his many novels and collected comic books, and his new work, particularly as he opens yet another new chapter with his Stumptown comic book series.
In many ways, this entry is a long commercial for Greg's work because I am a big fan, aside from being an old friend. More so though, it is a love letter to the hard work and dedication it takes to be a creative person in a commercial world. The life of the artist is a hard one, and I salute Greg and everyone like him who turn their creative juices into a career. It takes something very special, something I, as a dabbler, know goes far beyond what your average joe and jane, bring to the table.
So, go see this movie, pick up a book or comic, and be prepared to be amazed and enthralled, because, yes, Greg is just that good.
On this Friday, September 11, his first comic book series, Whiteout, is released a a major motion picture.
I have had the privilege of seeing Greg's creativity from an early age. He is the real deal in that he has the imaginative juices and the work ethic that together creates amazing things.
Whiteout was written for Oni Press after he had already achieved success as a published novelist. His first foray into comics netted a nomination for one of the highest awards in comics, the Eisner. He was edged out his first year, but he later won for the sequel to Whiteout (Whiteout Melt) and has collected a number of additional Eisners since then.
From Whiteout, he went on to write for some of the biggest characters in comics: Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman for DC, Daredevil and Wolverine for Marvel. He has also brought his great talents to other characters that are deserving of readership in mainstream comics: Batwoman, Huntress, the cops at Gotham Central, and the (new) Question. And, of course, a bunch of other stuff too.
What many consider his greatest contribution, so far, to comics, is his amazing series, again for Oni Press, Queen & Country. These action-espionage comics are, quite simply, some of the best writing out there. From them, he crossed back into novels, with two Queen & Country books under his belt and a third on the way. Top notch all the way.
Anyway, the best thing is, that he has many, many more years to contribute as a writer, and I am glad that his writing has led to the chance of reaching a wider audience through film.
However, for me, the greatest gift of the film (aside from helping Greg to put food on the table and keep the lights on at home for Greg and his family) will be to get more people interested in Greg as a writer and to open the audience more to his many novels and collected comic books, and his new work, particularly as he opens yet another new chapter with his Stumptown comic book series.
In many ways, this entry is a long commercial for Greg's work because I am a big fan, aside from being an old friend. More so though, it is a love letter to the hard work and dedication it takes to be a creative person in a commercial world. The life of the artist is a hard one, and I salute Greg and everyone like him who turn their creative juices into a career. It takes something very special, something I, as a dabbler, know goes far beyond what your average joe and jane, bring to the table.
So, go see this movie, pick up a book or comic, and be prepared to be amazed and enthralled, because, yes, Greg is just that good.