Thread by @GailSimone

I want to show a thing that should be required viewing for people wanting to work on a traditional superhero book. Early in my career, I got a call I could never have possibly dreamed of, from then EIC Mike Carlin. 1/

He asked if I had a JLA story in me. That was a big chance for him to take on a new writer who had not written any icon books.

JLA was the book that made me a comic fan, the first comic I ever bought was JLA. I freaked a little, and said yes.
2/

I asked who the artist is, and he said Jose Garcia López.

My favorite comic artist, period.

So, my favorite book, drawn by my favorite artist.

To this day, that boggles my mind.

3/

Jose was too valuable to DC to draw interiors. He did most of their licensing work, and a few covers. He hadn’t done anything like this in years.

I got sent the full sized copies of his pencils, they were huge and unbelievably gorgeous. 4/

I took those pages to one of my first cons. Everyone heard about them, pretty soon, the biggest names in Comics were at my table, studying them in awe. @KurtBusiek Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, @BRIANMBENDIS and a ton of others, just staring. 5/

Brian said, “I want THAT guy!”

And it was fun, because Jose is the artist’s artist, he’s the ungettable catch. And here was this redhead newbie, working with him on JLA no less.

Just fun. 6/

I have told this story many times. I retell it hear for background. Because Jose put a rough layout sketch for a two-page spread on his Facebook feed from those issues and I wanted to share it. 7/

The scene is, Flash has been infected by the Starro virus; he is out of his mind, and in unbearable agony. Wonder Woman volunteers to stay behind to watch him in the satellite, knowing he could go berserk at any moment. 9/

I skipped number 8. 10/

Okay here it is. Take a look at the storytelling, because I swear, this is the good, good stuff.

I no longer have that script to be sure, but I just asked for seven panels on two pages, I believe. All the power comes from Jose. HOW he chose which panels to emphasize, and note how he directs your eye twice to the right, only to then at a 3rd dimension. 12/

A complete perspective reversal in the penultimate panel, and the camera moves in on the last shot.

The whole book was like this. It never failed that when I showed these pages to creators, they would just stare at them, like the world disappeared. 13/

Anyway, this is not about me, it’s not even about Jose. It;s about studying what’s good out there and learning what you can from it. I see people get into comics for a lot of different reasons. Good for them.
But the best are always trying to reach up.
15/

Thanks for listening. :)

16/end

Ps. I messed up the numbering repeatedly.

Bonus pencil page from that arc to show that I got to write Superman for Jose way before that latecomer @BRIANMBENDIS.

Also, the person reaching up is Jose, I was just trying to hold on. :)