March and April were that way for me, and it was unusual in that they spanned the vast geographical distance between Portland, Oregon, and Wellington, New Zealand.
But whether I found myself in Bridge City or Down Under, I was fascinated and energized by the creative activity I found in each location: Weta Workshop in Wellington and the Stumptown Comics Fest right in our own backyard in Portland. The projects I encountered were very different, but the common elements were talent, originality, and an energetic approach to the process that is inspiring.
I have been dreaming of going to New Zealand for ages, and am happy to report it is “as advertised” -- incredible scenery, friendly people, and a politely laid-back attitude. I got to drive around and see quite a bit of the place over a couple of weeks, and was very taken with the diverse natural settings, the clean and vibrant cities and towns, and the many nice folks encountered along the way. But a genuine highlight was visiting our friends at Weta Workshop -- home to the talented crew that were instrumental in bringing us the look and design of films like the all-time classic Lord of the Rings, King Kong, the Narnia movies, and much else besides.
When five-time Oscar winner Richard Taylor asked his team to turn their attention to producing a range of collectible statues and figurines, Dark Horse entered the picture as their exclusive worldwide sales agent. We are proud that this bunch has selected us to work with, and have been gratified to be able to assist them in bringing their artistic products to the collector marketplace.
If you were to take a peek behind the curtain at their home base, as I was able to, you would discover a legion of sculptors, designers, makeup artists, tooling and machining experts, and even a bona fide sword smith. While their primary focus is on film productions, they have also come up with an outstanding array of products from not only those films, but also other licensed entertainment properties and their own fertile imaginations.
Richard’s assistant Ri Streeter was the guide who, along with marketing head Tim Launder, welcomed me to the premises. First stop was a conference room that doubles as a veritable art gallery of fabulous three-dimensional work, as well as the aforementioned Oscars and a slew of other awards. About the closest I can get you to it is a trip to Weta’s website, which is worth a visit: wetanz.com.
In the past year, we have brought forward their line of Doctor Who statues, and as you read this, the first of four very limited-edition sculptures of characters from The Chronicles of Narnia: Price Caspian will be arriving on these shores, as well as the latest in phantasmagoric Victorian science-fiction weaponry from the armory of intergalactic adventurer and “naturalist” Doctor Grordbort.
What is on the horizon for these intrepid talents? Halo 3 is what! Weta is now hitting the production phase on four extremely sought-after pieces inspired by the successful interactive game. I asked Tim Launder for a couple of work-in-progress photos, in order to share with you a bit of the flavor I experienced on the visit, and he was kind enough to oblige. I asked him for his comments on the creative process of this undertaking. He replied, “We are incredibly excited to get these wonderful pieces out into the market. Weta has a long association with Halo, going back to our work on the Halo movie shorts and building the only full-scale, working Warthog in the world. Our Halo range is crafted by the same artists who work on our movies, and have been art-directed by multi-Oscar-winning Richard Taylor. We really hope fans will enjoy these premium pieces of art.”
Upon returning home, I was just in time for the annual Stumptown Comics Fest. This homegrown event just gets better every year. Like Portland itself, the emphasis tends to lean toward “alt” or “modern” comics. When you get a whole exhibit hall full of the folks who make these comics, you are quite taken by the vibrant energy and creativity that goes into not only the creation of the characters and the stories in the work itself, but also the quality and innovation of the various formats, and a few unusual marketing schemes as well. If you drive around town, you’ll see bumper stickers here and there proclaiming “Keep Portland Weird.” Well, I am happy to say that Stumptown continues to do its part in making that statement true! All with nary a superhero comic or Klingon costume in sight.
Dark Horse is always in attendance at the show, and this year was no exception. We were delighted to see that the guest list this time included our longtime associate Matt Wagner, Pop Gun War creator Farel Dalrymple, Achewood creator Chris Onstad, stationery/journal artist Camilla d’Errico, The Helm scribe Jim Hardison, and a rare appearance from “The Wizard of Wahoolazuma”—none other than Beanworld guru Larry Marder, who not only signed books, but also gifted all and sundry with his handmade Beanworld action figures.
However, the creative menu was served up by many others as well, from household names (at least to comics fans) like Jeff Smith, Jim Valentino, Mike and Laura Allred, and Craig Thompson, to interesting new talents like Joshua Kemble (Polynothing), Erika Moen (Dar), Lucy Knisley (Pretty Little Book), Steve Bialik (Minister Jade), and many others besides.
I would like to make special mention of Craig Thompson’s outstanding presentation on the work in progress of his most ambitious graphic-novel project yet, Habibi. This project, already four years in the making, marks the next step in Thompson’s evolution into one of today’s premier graphic-story practitioners. It is a real departure from the autobiographical nature of Blankets and Goodbye, Chunky Rice, and will no doubt surprise readers when it is ready for publication in the future. Thompson’s research, preliminary sketching, story structure, and working techniques were all displayed for an enthralled audience, and I think it is safe to say that everyone left with a greater appreciation of Thompson’s work. It’s the kind of unexpected pleasure that one finds at Stumptown everywhere you turn.
So even though I might wake up on different continents in a given month, I am lucky to be able to be in a world where creativity is a universal language.