Sex, American Flagg, and Selling Out -- Howard CHAYKIN vs the Comics Journal! with Michel FIFFE!

Ed's Links (Order RED ROOM!, Patreon, etc): linktr.ee/edpiskor
Jim's Links (Patreon, Store, social media): linktr.ee/jimrugg
Michel Fiffe's Links (Copra, Patreon, Etsy): michelfiffe.com/
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[@adriananthony602]

I met Howard at Long Beach comic con a few weeks back, specifically to get a critique on my most recent work and man, he revealed ALL of my storytelling deficiencies! He was amazing and freely discussed areas of improvement and how things could have been done to greater affect. When I asked if he would critique my story telling, his response was, “If you think my %#*$ing opinion matters… then yeah of course.” My none comics making friends and family were flabbergasted at how excited I was to finally get actual criticism from someone that outsiders consider to be nothing more than “A grumpy old cuss” as one friend put it, but his love for the craft and his openness and willingness to discuss improvements with me was life altering. Get episode gents! Let’s get more Chaykin episodes!

[@andybrining]

Deconstructing TCJ like Wizard, issue by issue, might run off some of the more "speculatively minded" audience, but I think the channel's core fanbase would be ecstatic.

[@buckocean7616]

Count me in ❗

[@alfredfrancis1475]

Me too

[@jeremystone286]

Me three!

[@LXhSh]

Yes please

[@bryanharris5823]

When I first got into Chaykin as a teenager, interviews like this transformed him in my estimation from a cool comics artist to one of my heroes, because he was so articulate and unusual ("If my government were to provide me with the means to eat whatever I wanted and remove it from my body modularly, I would do nothing else.")

[@cjansenATL]

I met HC, Mike Zeck, and Dan Green at a Howard Johnson's in Miami during a Comicbook Convention in the 80s. I think American Flagg had recently come out. Zeck was doing Captain America. Teenage me was filled with questions that they patiently answered.

[@CantosHype]

The fact that you went to a convention at a Howard Johnson’s is awesome in itself.

[@bobblehead67]

Great conversation. I look forward to deep dives into mid eighties TCJ if it sparks these kinds of discussions. Looking back, lucky there was something like TCJ casting a thoughtful critical eye on comics. Looking forward, at the risk of sounding goopy, comics posterity is gonna be grateful for the work you guys do here.

[@ChuckArnold1]

If you all are looking for a good follow up Chaykin interview, check out Comics Interview 75. Chaykin is just starting in Hollywood, Black Kiss has been released and he's looking to be done with comics.

[@scottmaclellan5688]

15:12 Morality used to be a large concern for people in the west. There used to be a genuine interest in the well being of not only people, but institutions and skills as well. I would say that the corporatization of art and media has brought with it the amoral (as opposed to immoral) nature of corporations. Big business is interested in making money and the only concern is legal trouble and public relations. Horrendous things can happen and be kept under wraps and it's all good. The bottom line is not hurt and the gears keep grinding. The catch is that when you try to corporatize the creative arts, you breed sterility because you have ledgers, schedules and bosses who are there to manage rather than direct artistic development and the guy screeching about morality is not going to be the one drawing the same thing over and over again like a robot just because market research says that people like the same thing over and over again.

[@hcanderson3787]

Holy shit! I haven't even watched this yet but I am hella excited!! This interview is a rosetta stone for me, thank you so much for doing this!!!

[@hcanderson3787]

If you want some Black Kiss talk I would recommend Chaykin's 1987 Amazing Heroes interview for Blackhawk (number 181 I think??). At the end of the interview he gets into his upcoming work and Black Kiss was next up. Phenomenal episode

[@buckocean7616]

Absolutely fascinating episode guys. I used to read The Comics Journal regularly, long after I pretty much stopped reading comics. Those looong interviews were just incredible and essential reading for really *anyone* interested in not only comics, but in any creative endeavor that was made to be printed, as opposed to being hung in a gallery. I haven't saved too much of my collection, sad to say, but I do have the original printing of Watchmen, The Dark Knight, and American Flagg. Chaykin is an amazing talent, and a real interesting and knowledgeable cat.

[@toddblackwood129]

Still my favorite quote from this interview after all these years: Chaykin: ‘I hear Kevin Nowlan is a strange duck.’ Groth: ‘I don’t think he’s a strange duck.’

[@sdowdca]

Great series of episodes this week, guys. This should be an annual event!

[@TheFuersty]

You all are awesome. Didn't know about Mr. Fiffe before this series and am going to check out his stuff. Thanks.

[@doomtripper]

Game changing episode. You dudes continue to inspire. Hitting my lcs tomorrow to pick up some Copra.

[@joblotcomics7076]

Love Chaykin's series Hey Kids ! Comics. Hope the team here take a look at it soon, and wonder if any of you have watched the comic book movie Funny Pages yet. It is worth a view.

[@theartofSkinner]

This was so great! Amazing conversation!

[@MrSamfonseca]

Awesome episode - I loved the conversation.

[@anthonytee6798]

fan of his since sword of sorcery hit the stands almost 50 yrs ago

[@buckocean7616]

Oh man ... haven't thought of that in years. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser! 😍

[@timothymarkin4481]

Leslie Chaykin was a colorist known professionally as Leslie Zahler. Howard is now on his fourth marriage. Btw one of my favorite Chaykin Marvel jobs (besides Dominic Fortune) was Marvel Spotlight 31, a Nick Fury one-shot story where Howard was doing his damndest to channel Alex Toth.

[@matthewlangleyartblog]

Totally agree - that was my first Chaykin - it really dug into me.

[@gabrielcarras1699]

The U Miss books about comics has a great collection of Chaykin interviews from across the years.

[@frankstrysik1558]

TCJ #43 and #51 might be worth a look.

[@ottawabrands6045]

Glad you guys liked the Stark Future ad and amazed you guys bought them. I would like you guys to take a close look at Dragon Ring's first run Black and whites 1 to 6. I think Guang Yap did some of the best artwork out there. And just a note we were outselling TMNT 4 to 1 back then.

[@thetabletopskirmisher]

I was flabbergasted to learn that Chaykin never did any pencilling but drew straight on the page in inks. Explains a lot of his latest works and why the anatomy was so off. Having said that, Chaykin at his worst is still better than 99% of modern artist today.

[@nickjanecke6688]

I think you guys hit the nail on the head with the idea that doing art for the sake of art (without any concern for the financial aspect) is just not feasible/realistic for most people. I think Ed brought up the idea that someone else (a partner/spouse maybe) is bankrolling you, and it just made me think of how hundreds of years ago artists would literally have wealthy patrons/nobility backing them, so this dynamic has existed for a very long time.

[@hectorgomezrioja5927]

that cover!

[@andnajera]

"Flag Waving Fanboy!!" HA! nice !!