Meet the men behind the superheroes

If the original is good itll survive adaptation David LloydYou started exploring the digital medium for comic art with Aces Weekly How has the journey been so far mdash transitioning from hard copies to digital comics and how are fans reacting Theres a definite resistance mdash this is a transitional period in publishing We all know that digital is the future but the printing press has been around for a long time and computers for a relatively short time So itll take a while for the new kid on the block to make a name for himselfThis is the 21st century and we dont need all that old machinery anymore to get images and stories out to the people especially when we have computer devices all over the place We can just beam stuff to themThe original masked vigilante in V for VendettaThe Guy Fawkes mask has found recognition across countries where citizens are protesting against corrupt bodies and even a popular DJ who wears it to his gigs Had you ever imagined that the mask would gain such recognitionNo its a pleasant surprise The great thing about that mask is that it has become an allpurpose symbol of resistance to oppression without being tied to any political end other than freedom from that oppressionWhat idea did you have in mind while designing the character of V and his mask Only the idea of resurrecting the spirit of rebellion in the form of the failed rebel mdash Guy Fawkes We want to make him a successful one this time The clothing is all authentic to the period of Fawkes existence and the mask is just a stylised representation of his featuresIllustrator David LloydWhat is your take on digitisation of the comic industryIt hasnt affected the art except for the often damaging overuse of computergenerated special effects It has boosted the reproduction processes to a great degree and the digital editions of comic books on platforms like Comixology They have helped spread comics into the computerusing community So thats a mix of good and bad in terms of the comic industry In the context of the art form digitisation has led to lsquomotion comics which is clearly a bad development and the development of the lsquoguided view technique used in Comixologys presentation of digital editions also not a happy circumstanceMy company Aces Weekly is using the convenience of digital presentation to publish comic art and spread it cheaply without unnecessary costs of printing shipping etc It benefits the reader and the creatorLloyd now works on digital comic art magazine Aces WeeklyWhat do you think filmmakers should do to do justice to comic books Of course filmmaking adapters of comic books should stay true to what they are adapting But filmmakers are creative individuals and find it hard to resist adding their inputs to adaptations from any other media Theres only one way to guarantee truth to an original source and that is for the creator to retain control of it Its the choice of the creator to do that But whatever happens mdash the original still exists And if the original is good enough it will withstand any blows that may be made to it by an unfaithful adaptationAre there any current films based on comic books that you have likedI dont watch themHave you checked and liked any works by Indian artistsI am completely ignorant of it except for seeing some work on Facebook I look forward to seeing more on my tripNot fazed by superhero movies Mark WaidYou have worked on epic titles such as Captain America Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk How are they relevant to the timesTherell always be a cultural significance to watching the struggles of good men and women fight for justice in any era Superheroes stay relevant to the times by the sort of menaces they face and right now a lot of American superheroes are battling enigmatic political forces and wealthy plutocrats mdash just like ordinary Americans doCover of Superman BirthrightWhat is your reaction to superheroes becoming massively popular through the medium of films Do you feel they subsume your work somehowNot at all A good story is a good story regardless of the medium in which its told And if good movies can remind people that good comics are still out there and available so much the betterComics writer Mark WaidIn your opinion why is it considered cool to be a writer editor of comic books What are the nuances of being one any tips Ha I dont know how cool it really seems to be but I think everyone respects and admires people who follow their passion in life rather than settle for an uncreative job The nuances of being an editor are knowing that your job isnt to tell the writer what to write its to help him get his story across with power and clarity Being a writer is about expressing your beliefs with passion and truthIs this your first trip to India and how familiar are you with the comic scene hereIt is my first trip and I know little of the local comic scene but Im very eager to learnA page from the Insufferable Digital Comic Collection by ComixologyIf you could move away from the superhero trope what kind of character would you like to devise keeping the times in mindIve actually done a lot of nonsuperhero work in my career and I tend to veer towards mystery stories and detective stories Ruse for Crossgen and later Marvel Potters Field and The Unknown for Boom Studios Next to superhero tales mysteries are my great loveA page from Superman Birthright It is a twelveissue comic book limited series written by WaidWhich is your favourite comicThere is an issue of Action Comics from 1980 mdash the 500th issue The 64page booklength story chronicles the entire legend of Superman from start to finish it is written by Marty Pasko and drawn by Curt Swan two of my favorite comic creators of all time Thats the one comic Id take to a desert island