Finally, the enigmatic “Harlan” takes center stage. From the beginning, my basic idea for The Black Fist, was “Pastor vs. Charles Manson.” It’s seems kind of off-kilter, but when you look at what Charles Manson was hoping to achieve, he fits perfectly within the framework of a Blaxploitation story. I won’t expound any further here, as I’d rather let Harlan’s motivations unspool throughout the course of the story, but some of you might have already guessed what sort of character Harlan was or might have heard me reveal my elevator pitch on the ComicGeekSpeak.com podcast. The story took a while to set up, but hopefully the fun’s just begun.
Also, on another matter, as some of you might know, I started a Kickstarter account last Friday to raise the funds to print a hardcover collection of The Thrill-Seekers. As you can see by the widget on the right-hand side of the page, the fundraising to date has been incredible. Thank you very much to everyone who has contributed so far, and I will be writing a personal note of thanks to each of you. We still have a long way to go, but we’re overjoyed with response so far. If you are interested in contributing, please click the widget and it will take you to the Kickstarter page where you can see all the great incentives at each pledge level.
Thanks again!
- JEP
Would the real Charles Manson please stand up!
I like the dialogue this week, there’s no dumbing it down for the audience which is a respect missing in most modern media these days. It also allows you to present the Harlan character in a more “true” fashion. I think Harlan’s physique and eyes bring a lot of story with him too…you can imagine that the “alternative lifestyle” that comes part and parcel with his wirey frame and wild gaze.
Hello Harlan, you twisted little bastard. He reminds not only of Manson, but Rasputin too. I can’t wait until Pastor gets his hands on that scrawny little neck of his.
Yow, creepy guy, indeed! Glad to see you playing with this character, Jay. The house Manson was born in isn’t far from where I am right now. I’m surprised it’s still standing.
-Dave
Did you ever see the Mr. Show episode where they parodied Lassie with kids having Charles Manson as a pet? He’d do his crazy ramblings and then the parents would say “You’re saying Timmy’s trapped in a well? Lead on boy!” and he’d take them to the trouble.
Martian Art Slave-
The dialogue was a fun challenge, because I had to make sure the readers understood a little about Harlan’s organization his leadership style, and his goals, but it had to be delivered in a way that seemed 100%, bug-eyed, batshit insane. The hardest part was figuring out his body language and whether it should be belligerent, casual, etc.
- JEP
Summey-
I hadn’t thought of that, but that charismatic and insane personality type fits in perfectly with what I need to come across.
- JEP
The tesseract bit started moving him into Farrakhan numerology territory, too. Always fascinated by charismatic leaders who can be crazy as a shithouse rat and still have loyal followers hang on every word. [Insert political jab here].
This gets better and better. I was wondering where this was going … good twist.
… and his eyes look like they are hypnotic …
Doug G-
Using Charles Manson as a template for Harlan does half the work for me in establishing his craziness bonafides, but I’m also trying to set up logical reasons why people would follow him. His intelligence is one of those factors. and you’ll soon see how that comes into play, especially when it comes to controlling Sig’s gang.
- JEP
scott t-
Thanks! I remember reading somewhere that Manson was trying to ignite a race war. I thought introducing a Manson-type figure with similar goals was a a great way to shake up the traditional Blaxploitation dynamic of the hero going up against an establishment figure or mobster. However, Manson’s goals still make him a natural fit within the Blaxploitation formula.
(By the way) Harlan and his “jazz hands” in the second panel are one of the favorite things I’ve drawn for the strip.)
- JEP
^”jazz hands” Life is a caberet for any artist that can get the right number of fingers on a hand, otherwise they and everyone else think they just draw cartoons.
“dollar” Bill-
When I finished drawing this sequence, I did think, “Crap, I’ve drawn ‘jazz hands.’” I should isolate that frame and make a caption contest.
- JEP