OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWERS

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by ckb »

Warren Simons wrote:
ckb wrote:Warren,

One of the things that was so attractive about Valiant in the 1991-1993 timeframe was the "house style." No matter who the artists were you could rip a page out of any of those books and anyone could see it was unmistakably Valiant. From the hand watercolors to the panel layouts, it was all clean, crisp, and beautiful to look at.

Modern comics are the antithesis of this style. Stylized figures, computer coloring, and layout madness are typical.

Can you reveal to us your plans in this area? How can you avoid a situation like the failure of the Gold Key Dark Horse line? I'm sure they thought they were doing great stuff in regards to style and art, but it really did not resonate at all.

Thank you!

Hey ckb,

We are definitely going to do our best to avoid layout madness ;)

I tend to prefer a conservative approach to page layout and panel composition. I have always been an advocate of crisp, clean storytelling in the titles I've edited -- clarity is key.

That said, we will not have a house style that all artists must adhere to.

Warren Ellis wrote a great column a few weeks back on the broadcast of comics. In the column, he talked about a page from Howard Chaykin's American Flagg:

http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=13421" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And David Aja had four or 500 examples of brilliant storytelling in the Iron Fist title that violated all sorts of rules that a guidebook might establish.

As an editor, you want freelancers who are passionate and put their hearts into the work. We will place a tremendous emphasis on great storytelling, but I don't want to put arbitrary rules into place that will have artists looking over their shoulders. I know that the writer of a recent group of books issued a set of rules to the freelancers he was working with, and those books did not fare well either critically or commercially. It's a collaborative medium, and while rules about art can be well intentioned, they can be creatively stifling, especially if they're antiquated.

As for the Gold Key line, while I have a lot of affection for those characters, we're just going to go in an entirely different direction with the style of books we're putting together, both creatively and editorially. Our goal is to bring tremendous excitement and energy to the marketplace in 2012. Thanks for the great question!
Thank you for demonstrating you have given this critically important issue some serious thought.

I'll hazard another, equally as important, question:

How do you like working for "the children"? :P

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWERS

Post by StarBrand »

Warren,
Which part of 2012 can we expect the first new Valiant books? Thanks!


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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

Daniel Jackson wrote:Will Mike LeRoi still play a role in the Shadowman storyline (hopefully as a third Shadowman) and are there any plans to merge the Deadside theme into the original version? Also, I really like the V3 Acclaim Shadowman logo, have you considered using it?
Hey Daniel, we've had extensive discussions about Shadowman up at Valiant. He's a great character, and one that Gavin Cuneo absolutely loves. I don't want to delve too far into the details or plot points just yet, but I promise there's a lot of love in the office for Jack.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

Daniel Jackson wrote:
BruceReville wrote:
I want to know if Acclaim character Joshua Fireseed can be used in the new Valiant as he is not a Gold Key character. :hm: [/b]
Good question, I would like to know about this as well. I really enjoyed the premise of the Fireseed lineage and light burden.

Hey guys, thanks for the question. I want to avoid discussing which characters we will and will not be using until we begin soliciting the titles. Thanks ;)

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

dave wrote:Solar seemed to be the 'linchpin' of the old Valiant, will there be a central key figure to the New VU? A centralized event that sparks/holds the uni together?

Thanks for the willingness to do this. :D
Dave, it is my pleasure -- thanks for having me. While I totally hear where you're coming from, I think the Valiant Universe is an incredibly robust place populated with amazing characters. I think X-O, Bloodshot, and Archer & Armstrong, to name a few, are quite brilliant. I want to see X-O blast an alien in the face and then toss it out an airlock. I want to see a semi-inebriated Armstrong tell a tall tale to his naive sidekick, who may be packing a brilliantly redesigned crossbow. I want to see Bloodshot, after a grueling 4-issue journey, finally come face to face with the *SQUEE* who -- wait -- sorry ;)

There I go again, about to spill the beans. I think all of these things get me stoked for 2012, and I know I can enjoy those characters and moments independently of a lynchpin holding them together. But as with the original Valiant, how the characters interact with each other will be critical. It's a shared Universe, and that can be a great asset.

I know I don't need to know the origins of the Marvel Universe to enjoy Ultimates or how the DC Universe started to enjoy All-Star Superman. But we have discussed this facet of the Universe in detail, and think it's pretty well covered.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

iggy101us wrote:Will there be digital as well as traditional comics? If so, what is the pricing and will there be any delay in the digital release?

Any update on any of the movie options?

Thanks and looking forward to the new Valiant.
Hey Iggy, we will have news about digital comics, as well as the pricing, in the coming months. Regarding the movies, I'm sure we'll have a lot of major announcements in the coming year. A crazy amount of incredibly cool activity is happening on that front, but I am sworn to secrecy. Dinesh keeps telling me that I would be perfect for the role of Armstrong, and he's begging me to go out to Hollywood to meet the producers, but I am jammed up with publishing at the moment.

I am so happy that you are fired up for the new Valiant. When you see the character redesigns, you're going to jump out of your seat.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

vooch311 wrote:This may have been answered somewhere already but I would like to know if the covers will use the same or similar layout/style of the pre unity stuff. Things such as the Valiant star in the corner, title placement, title design for each character etc.

for me, the covers of Magnus, Rai, Solar etc are one of the main reasons I became interested in Valiant.

thanks!

We've been working closely with one of the best designers in the world on the covers and logos, and I think it shows. Soon, I promise!

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWERS

Post by Heath »

Regarding the digital/paper comics discussion...

Typically speaking, how much of the cover price of a printed comic covers the actual cost for printing that comic?

I know there are costs tied up in digital distribution as well (servers, storage, bandwidth, etc - which I'm sure is all outsourced just like the physical printing is). How does that compare to the cost of printing?

The reason I'm curious is because I am completely in favor of digital distribution of comics. It took me a long time to come around to that, but I'm there now. I would happily sign up for a subscription to a digital comic series. (As far as I know, nobody offers a digital subscription service.)

The problem right now, however, is the cost. I think the current typical price of digital comics is way too high. If I'm going to have to pay $3-$4 for a comic, I want the dead tree version. For that kind of money, I want something tangible. I just can't see paying more than 1/2 the dead tree cover price for a digital comic. Really, I'd have a hard time paying more than $1 for a regular digital comic. But realizing that with the move from print to digital, you're merely exchanging one set of expenses for another, I don't know if digital distribution can be done at a price that I'd be happy with. I don't know if it is economically feasible for you, but if you could offer a digital subscription service for ~$1 per issue, then sign me up!
I would agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWERS

Post by Crow331 »

Heath wrote:Warren, are you going to ignore the radical fringe element of the Valiant fanbase that thinks there is anything redeeming/appealing with the Acclaim version of the Shadowman character and do what any sane person would do and offer that book back to Bob Hall?

Ok, so maybe I'm a little biased regarding Shadowman and Bob Hall's run on the book (which is my all-time favorite run of a comic book series). :lol: But I guess I can rephrase my question to something you might can hopefully answer...

Will any of the old Valiant talent be brought back in to work on the new Valiant?
This is what I want to know as well! This is all exciting news though and I'm especially excited about the X-O and Shadowman plans and that there is a lot of love for Jack in the offices. I bought every issue of Shadowman VH1 and followed the first couple issues of the next incarnation, but once I saw that it was not the same, I was no longer interested in it and much of my love for Valiant died with it.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Crow331 »

ckb wrote:
How do you like working for "the children"? :P
:lol: :thumb:

Thanks Warren! I am soooooooooooo excited after reading this thread. I almost never go to the comic book shop anymore and can practically count on one hand the number of titles I have read in the past decade: Daredevil, The Rocketeer (IDW), Green Hornet (Dynamite), and the DHGK line. These Valiant books are going are to bring me back to comics ... at least to Valiant and maybe Daredevil too. Don't let me down!!!

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by iwantvaliant »

Warren,

We've seen recently how a poor shipping schedule can kill a comic book line. Is getting the books out on time a priority for Valiant? What comprises get made to make sure a book comes out on time? And what's being done to make sure compromises don't have to made?

Thanks for taking our questions! I cannot wait 'till new Valiant books come out.

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by caxiotis »

Warren,

would you send me free comics of everything you plan on publishing? :wink:

Also, I currently like the way you guys has been interacting with fans with contests via facebook. Are there plans to continually interact the fans who love VALIANT? and in what ways?
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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by Triumphant Serial Number »

Hello Mr. Simons,

I'll try to ask a question you can shed light on (as opposed to titles and dates and talent, which we understand to be coming in due time).

How big or small do you anticipate the actual VEI production offices being?

Meaning, will there be such a thing as 'knob row', i.e. a bullpen/art dept/corrections/ etc?

Or in the modern age of comics, is there no need for such a thing as art files are sent electronically from the artist to the colorist to the letterer to the home office, and any corrections or issues are handled in photoshop by whichever party has the file . . .

Is it possible to just have a skeleton crew?

thanks,

TSN

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by bribri »

Warren,

What is the average airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Thanks.

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by TheVisitor »

bribri wrote:Warren,

What is the average airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Thanks.
What do you mean? An African or European swallow? :devil:

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by Elveen »

I'm not looking to pick a fight, but it would be cool to leave this thread for it's intended purpose.

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by Daniel Jackson »

I agree. I know we like to inject humor into a lot the threads and that's fine, but let's try to stay on topic with this one.

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by havok1977 »

Hello Warren, thanks a lot for taking the time to do this :)

I posted this question on your facebook page a while back, but got no response... so I'm back at it, hoping you can let us know a bit more.

I wonder if the relaunch of the Valiant line will include two timelines like the original VH1 did?

I'm getting the drift that for sure X-O, the Harbinger kids, Bloodshot etc will be in present day with Gilad and Armstrong cruising around history a la Highlander.

Yet without Magnus around, having the future timeline of the year 4000 in which Rai and others ran around might be a though thing to sustain I think; can you shed any light into this?

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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by SJS4 »

First off thanks for doing this Q&A.

Kind of dissappointed I haven't seen Gilad/The Eternal Warrior mentioned...I know you can't say if he will get his own title but can you tell us if he is at least in the plans of the Universe?

FWIW he was always my favorite character and I really enjoyed all the different types of stories they did with him in VHI (the yearbooks and the wings special were some of my favorites).

Thanks again and good luck in 2012. I am really looking forward to buying my first new comic in over a decade next year...and I am pretty stoked that it will be a Valiant comic!
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Re: OUR Questions for Valiant's Warren Simons - WARREN ANSWE

Post by Draco »

Are we done here?
I just noticed the same thread on the Valiant fan page on Facebook, but there are questions still unanswered here?


I thought my question was quite relevant and different to most others, so look forward to a reply.

here it is again.

'Hi Warren, in a world where inter company crossovers are more easily achieved, any crossover using the characters that Valiant own would be exciting news IMO.
I'm guessing it's a no brainer that you guys have considered this right?
If so, how far down the line would you consider this option and are there any publisher names that stand out as having great potential to do business with?

Cheers'


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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

400yrs wrote:Warren,

From looking at the list of books you've edited (I used Comicbookdb.com which may or may not be accurate), you've had long editorial runs on many of Marvel's heavy hitters such as ASM, DD, Thor, Invincible Iron Man, etc. as well as some of the smaller, but excellent books such as The Immortal Iron Fist and Magneto Testament.

What strikes me about this list is that I recall them mainly sticking to a pretty regular release schedule with the exception of Thor by JMS and Coipel. From your experience, what is better for the livelihood of a book, to ensure a regular release schedule with possibly a lower caliber of creators or to permit delays with very talented creators in order to tell the best possible story?


Also, along the same lines of creator consistency in a series, will the new Valiant stories be written with an eye toward the trade format or will the best possible stories be told regardless of whether they are one issue, two issues or six issues long?
400yrs,

Thanks for the great question and the kind words.

The writers and artists we’re working with understand how absolutely critical it is to Valiant’s success to maintain a consistent shipping schedule. We want our fans to know that the books will be on-sale for the dates we’ve solicited. That’s is the goal. And that’s how we’re building our schedules.

Currently, we’re targeting a great caliber of writers and artists who also understand how aggressive our shipping schedule is. And ideally, timeliness won’t mean a sacrifice in quality. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Guys like John Romita Jr. or Mark Bagley or Mike Deodato or Salvador Larroca are amazing storytellers, and they move at a very good pace and create stellar work on a monthly schedule. (Conversely, that doesn’t mean that artists who take a bit longer are any less valuable. Some of my favorite artists in the world might take two months or more to complete an issue. That’s where scheduling and planning comes into account. It might take an artist 52 weeks to produce a 4-issue series, but if everything’s scheduled correctly, that 4-issue series might be one of the most impressive titles of the year.)

Putting together a comic is still a very labor-intensive process. Freelancers often work 12 or 15 hours a day. And shipping on time means creating about 22 pages of art every 28 days across five separate disciplines. But no matter how hard we try, variables do tend to pop up that you can’t predict. A writer catches the flu. An artist breaks a finger. A family member gets sick. Life can get in the way, just like it does in every industry. Ideally, though, we are targeting a steady, predictable schedule.

As for the length of the arcs, content will dictate length. We are concentrating solely on telling great stories, and if that’s a one-shot, a maxi-series, or an OGN, we’ll examine every possibility in service to the quality of the story.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

kevinbastos wrote:I'm looking for all of the biggies, of course - which, when, and plans...

But in line with that - how can we help? Something more than talk it up or even pre-order would be great. This is a line we all love - and want to help along - so how - specifically - can we help this company be as successful as it can be?

I also want to know WHEN we can expect to know - and how the roll-out is planned - months, years, etc.

Valiant also did some great things - on both launches. We hesitate to compliment Acclaim as much as we should - some are throwing compliments to Shadowman, for example. Will we see homages to the mutual - or expansive past? What portions of each can and will be retained? I know questions have already been raised over premium issues - and I am still uncertain how I feel about that path - but what does the new Valiant plan to change/retain/retell/or restart?

Thanks!

Kevinbastos,

Thanks for your great post -- it is appreciated! Everyone up at Valiant has a real love for these characters, and we're working around the clock to make the books as good as humanly possible. As you noted, getting the word out online about Valiant returning is a great help. All the blogs, posts, and podcasts about the Valiant Universe that are online now are great, and continuing to discuss Valiant's titles as we release information is a big help.

Setting up a pull-box with your local retailers and preordering the book is definitely a key step that our fans can take to spread the word. (And while I can't get into the details just yet, we're focused on rewarding our fans who are with us from the start.) Everyday we're inundated with e-mails from fans asking about when the books are returning, and we want to communicate this excitement to our retail partners.

As for the change/retain/retell/restart angle, we are relaunching the Universe in 2012, but everything we do will be influenced by the titles that came before us, which we consider the foundation of the Valiant Universe. Our goal is to cast as wide a net as possible and bring in new readers while showcasing how these characters helped change the comic book world.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

geocarr wrote:Will I ever be able to read any new Quantum & Woody material written by Christopher Priest?
Please tell us anything you can about Quantum & Woody and/or Vincent the Goat.
Thanks!

Hey geocarr,

We all think the world of Priest and Bright’s amazing run on Q & W. These are characters that we have a soft spot for. Fred Pierce, in particular, loves Vincent the Goat. It seems like every 15 minutes Fred’s at my door, badgering me about Vincent, or “V-T-G” as he likes to call him. Stay tuned.

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

JonesyAZ wrote:Warren,

What will the general pricing be for the books? Will there be regular editions and deluxe editions available? Are you planning on creating variants of the first released books?

- JonesyAZ

Hey Jonesy,

I promise that we’ll have answers to all these questions soon, but it’s a bit premature for me to announce this stuff just yet. Hang in there – thanks!

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Re: OUR Questions for Warren Simons

Post by Warren Simons »

Daniel Jackson wrote:Will we see the return of Tohru Nakadai as Rai and will Grandmother and the Dragon City be brought back?
Hey Daniel,

One of my favorite moment in Rai was that amazing double-page spread of the Dragon City. And speaking of Rai, we’ve had a number of discussions about the character. Yes, we like to talk a lot at the offices. ☺

But I think the plans we have for Rai will be quite… controversial. He is an amazing character. I love the idea driving him. This is the one that might break the Valiant Message Board directly in half.


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