Comments on: American Flagg episodes 1-30 (and special 1), by Howard Chaykin and others (Books 2008, 15) http://devilgate.org/blog/2009/01/07/american-flagg-episodes-1-30-and-special-1-by-howard-chaykin-and-others-books-2008-15/ Warning: contains language from the outset Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:32:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alan Jeffrey http://devilgate.org/blog/2009/01/07/american-flagg-episodes-1-30-and-special-1-by-howard-chaykin-and-others-books-2008-15/#comment-5602 Alan Jeffrey Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:39:54 +0000 http://devilgate.org/blog/?p=273#comment-5602 Chaykin's work right after the first year of Flagg! was Time^2 and The Shadow, which were just riffs on the same old same old by that point. I stopped paying attention after that. Pretty much everything that's good about Flagg! is the visuals (and maybe the timing of some of the snappy dialogue) so I'm not surprised (and not horrified or appalled) that it's not setting your heart on fire. I think it's difficult now to see Flagg! without the lens of Dark Knight Returns and its follow-ons. I think Flagg! must have had a huge influence on Dark Knight, in the way Miller uses pacing and graphic elements. Dark Knight is a lot faster paced and glibber than Ronin, some of which must have come from Flagg! The letterer was Ken Bruzenak, and indeed he did an excellent job, but the placing of the lettering in the image, and the use of lettering as a design element was (I believe) Chaykin's. Chaykin’s work right after the first year of Flagg! was Time^2 and The Shadow, which were just riffs on the same old same old by that point. I stopped paying attention after that.

Pretty much everything that’s good about Flagg! is the visuals (and maybe the timing of some of the snappy dialogue) so I’m not surprised (and not horrified or appalled) that it’s not setting your heart on fire.

I think it’s difficult now to see Flagg! without the lens of Dark Knight Returns and its follow-ons. I think Flagg! must have had a huge influence on Dark Knight, in the way Miller uses pacing and graphic elements. Dark Knight is a lot faster paced and glibber than Ronin, some of which must have come from Flagg!

The letterer was Ken Bruzenak, and indeed he did an excellent job, but the placing of the lettering in the image, and the use of lettering as a design element was (I believe) Chaykin’s.

]]> By: Martin McCallion http://devilgate.org/blog/2009/01/07/american-flagg-episodes-1-30-and-special-1-by-howard-chaykin-and-others-books-2008-15/#comment-5601 Martin McCallion Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:23:21 +0000 http://devilgate.org/blog/?p=273#comment-5601 Well, I didn't say anything _against_ any of those things! And I've no idea what Chaykin did next, so I don't know about him becoming a self-parody. But this just shows how I'm not really a visual person (or not so much as I am word-influenced, anyway). I read comics for the _stories_. As long as the artwork is OK - basically, if you can see what's happening - it very rarely bothers me one way or the other. This attitude may horrify and appall you. Sorry. That said, I do remember comments on the innovative lettering style at the time. But wasn't that down to the letter (whose name escapes me at the moment)? Well, I didn’t say anything against any of those things! And I’ve no idea what Chaykin did next, so I don’t know about him becoming a self-parody.

But this just shows how I’m not really a visual person (or not so much as I am word-influenced, anyway). I read comics for the stories. As long as the artwork is OK - basically, if you can see what’s happening - it very rarely bothers me one way or the other. This attitude may horrify and appall you. Sorry.

That said, I do remember comments on the innovative lettering style at the time. But wasn’t that down to the letter (whose name escapes me at the moment)?

]]> By: Alan Jeffrey http://devilgate.org/blog/2009/01/07/american-flagg-episodes-1-30-and-special-1-by-howard-chaykin-and-others-books-2008-15/#comment-5599 Alan Jeffrey Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:50:13 +0000 http://devilgate.org/blog/?p=273#comment-5599 Hang on, you've missed all the stuff that was great about Flagg! Chaykin's storytelling is brilliant here, the first 12 issues are him at his peak, right after he worked out what he was doing, and right before he became a self-parody. The story itself is, as you say, rubbish, but ooh the way it's told... the design of the thing... the lettering, etc. Hang on, you’ve missed all the stuff that was great about Flagg! Chaykin’s storytelling is brilliant here, the first 12 issues are him at his peak, right after he worked out what he was doing, and right before he became a self-parody. The story itself is, as you say, rubbish, but ooh the way it’s told… the design of the thing… the lettering, etc.

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