COVERBOYS
by
Mark Walters
I am very lucky. In my life
I've had some great experiences, and met many cool people. Being a comic
fan, some of the most interesting people I know are creators who work in that
industry. Tim Bradstreet is perhaps one of the most impressive cover
artists ever to work in comics. You can see his work monthly on
HELLBLAZER for DC and THE PUNISHER for Marvel. He also happens to be a
very good friend. I recently had the honor of participating in a photo
shoot for Tim, which was to be used for a PUNISHER cover at some point.
Little did I know that "some point" would happen very soon. Only a few
months after the shoot, Tim called to let me know that I would be appearing on
a PUNISHER cover very shortly. But before my issue would come out, I
would see another familiar face on one of those covers. Thomas Jane, who
portrayed Frank Castle on the big screen earlier this year, posed for Tim as
Nick Fury, to be used on the cover to PUNISHER #13. That issue kicks off
the Mother Russia storyline, of which issue #15 is also a part of. So
now Tom Jane and I have something in common. We've both been on the
cover to THE PUNISHER. I decided this had to be talked about publicly,
so I asked Tim and Tom to be part of an interview. And without further
delay, here is what they had to say....
TIM
BRADSTREET
MARK:
Let's start by talking about your initial experience working with Tom. Even
though it's been covered more than a few times, describe how your involvement
with THE PUNISHER poster campaign came about, and that first meeting with Tom.
TIM:
After we figured out that I would be doing a teaser poster for the film I
began talking with Lion's Gate about money, schedule and so forth. It was then
that LGF's Eric Lieb sprung a very cool idea on me. He wanted to do at least
four different poster images, which I thought was a great opportunity to do
more, and it was also very clever because they got more for their money. We
knew I'd be doing multiple images when we scheduled the shoot with Tom so we
were prepared to shoot a lot. The original idea was for me to just show up at
Tom's house and shoot it in his garage but it quickly became apparent that we
had to treat the thing like a professional shoot so we rented a studio and LGF
gave us everything we asked for. Tom showed up relaxed and devil may care. I
could tell immediately that he had no ego about this stuff. If I was initially
a bit nervous about working with him that feeling dissipated right away. All
we had to do was start talking comics. We both grew up around the same time
and found that our sensibilities and tastes in the books we read were very
similar. It's nice because it gives you something else to talk about other
than "Gee Mr. Jane, I really thought your performance in *61 was nails." We
also talked a lot about our favorite artists, so this first meeting with Tom
was not a challenge for me. It all felt fairly natural and comfortable, more
like meeting someone you feel like you've known for a long time. Because of
this, the photo shoot went very smoothly. Tom was very easy to work with. I
knew as we were shooting and I was seeing the shots as we went (because we
shot digitally) that doing that poster job was going to be a lot of fun
because we had a great model. Practically every shot looked like a possibility
for one of the four images we needed.
Tim Bradstreet directs his models during a Punisher photo shoot. Photo by
Scott Harben.
MARK:
How would you compare working with Tom to some of the other models you've
used?
TIM:
Most people I work with have no experience. With those folks I just try and
make them as comfortable as I can. If they relax or get into it, my job is
easy enough. But sometimes it can be challenging and a lot of film is wasted.
I've even had to trick certain people and shoot them when they weren't paying
attention to get the shot I need. However, I'm lucky enough to have a wife
that went to college and majored in theater, and who works in theater
professionally now, so I recruit actual actors as much as I can. I find that
actors are a lot more fearless when it comes to performing in front of the
camera. That was Tom, fearless. He didn't feel silly, he felt like Frank
Castle. When someone is in the character, getting the shots you need becomes a
hell of a lot easier.
MARK:
So THE PUNISHER #13 comes along, and you have to have Nick Fury on the cover.
What made you decide you'd ask Tom to model?
TIM:
I had the idea immediately upon reading the script. While I'm reading the
script I'm already in "casting mode". Meaning, I'm picking out the characters
from the script who I may want to involve on the cover. Obviously I cast the
parts based on the character's description in the text or based on what they
already look like if they are a known character. As soon as I read Nick Fury's
name in the script I knew he had to be on the cover. I've always wanted to
draw Fury. I began to think about who I knew that might be able to pull it
off. It's funny because I think I was picturing Tom as Nick while I was
reading it. I don't think I even considered anyone else. I thought, he's got
the perfect rugged and sculpted face for Fury, I'll only have to age him a
bit. He also had the perfect build. It was a no brainer. I called him a minute
after I'd finished the script and he said "Hell yes I'll do it". All that was
left was to schedule the shoot.
Close-up shot of Tom
Jane posing as Nick Fury.
MARK:
When you saw the finished photos, what ran through your mind?
TIM:
Well I knew I had the makings of a good cover. There were a lot of good "body
language" shots. Just the way he stood, with this look, it commanded respect.
I think Fury was easy for Tom to do because he also knows the character. It
was easy for him to step into Fury's shoes. I got him in a suit because in the
storyline Nick is dealing with suits and politicians, he's still the director
of SHIELD but in the story he seemed to be playing the part of a corporate
director, not a military figure, So we did the suit, threw on the eye patch,
stuck a 9mm Baretta in his fist, and Tom took over from there. All I had to do
was light it and direct a little. I got some close ups that are just way to
cool. Tom's just looking right through the camera. There is so much going on
behind his eyes (eye). You don't know whether he wants to kill you or lead you
into battle. I hope that I can find a place to use them eventually.
Bradstreet taking a break from shooting. Photo by Scott Harben.
MARK:
Here's an interesting question, is Tom now (in your mind) going to be your
official model for Nick Fury on any future covers? For instance, if Fury is
used in any upcoming storylines, is Tom getting a call?
TIM:
Most certainly. It's not hard for me to throw lights in my car and drive up to
LA, and if Tom is game then it's easy. I'd love to do a Fury one-shot with
Tom. Or even just covers for a mini series. I know Tom would dig it. Right
now, for me there isn't anyone else I would even consider. Since Tom has a
good relationship with Marvel it's just a matter of getting him to sign off on
their usage of his likeness. To us that is just paper, it's not a problem,
it's a formality, you gotta keep the guys in legal happy.
MARK:
How do you decide who to use as models for these covers?
TIM:
It's a simple matter of putting a face to this two dimensional character.
Some are based on actual people, whether they are famous or no. Remember
Gulacy using Brando in those classic Master of Kung Fu comics in the 70's? Or
Michael Caine, or James Coburn. Gulacy was the master. With Azzarello on
HELLBLAZER I didn't have scripts to work with very often so I'd skull out
casting with Brian over the phone. It's very simple, instead of giving me a
written physical description, I'd just say, "If you were casting this part in
a movie . . . who would you cast?" If the character looks like Yaphet Kotto
then I go try and find a guy that looks as close to Kotto as possible. It's an
easy way to get on the same page, though not always easy to cast. I get lucky
a lot. I just think like a casting agent. Now if I only I had a real casting
agent's contacts and a film's budget!
Tom Jane posing as FBI Agent Frank Castle for THE PUNISHER DVD mini comic
cover.
"This was just an alternate shot that was never used" Bradstreet explained, "I
wanted to show Frank a bit exposed here, like he just saw some serious stuff
go down. I wanted to show him exhausted and a bit burnt out. I guess I
knew when I shot it that it would never be the kind of thing Marvel would want
to use as a cover image but it felt natural to run Tom through the process.
It's also a shot I wanted to see."
MARK:
I actually didn't get into comics until 1990. The first Marvel comic book I
ever bought was THE PUNISHER, and I fell in love with the character. I've been
a fan of your covers since before we became friends. Now you've given me an
extreme honor. I'm going to be on the cover the THE PUNISHER #15, as a member
of the Russian mob. This is too cool for me to even talk about, so I'll let
you do the talking. Describe how this particular piece came about, and what
was your reasoning behind using my ugly mug on the cover?
TIM:
Well beyond the fact that we shot it in Dallas, your home town . . . during a
convention weekend where I was a guest at your show, as well as hinting
constantly at how cool it would be to grace a cover, and following me around
and inviting yourself to the photo shoot I had planned with Scott Harben
(local Dallas pro photographer genius friend), I'd say the chances of you
being used as fodder for Frank Castle shot up to around 95% probability.
MARK:
Uh, what?
TIM:
Sorry Mark, I couldn't resist. No, the real truth is that you were kind enough
to come and help Scott and I during a photo shoot we had initially planned for
an Activision project. That fell through so we still wanted to get together
and goof off. That afternoon turned into an impromptu PUNISHER shoot. We
didn't have our Punisher model but we had a coat and some bodies. I had to
think outside the box and try and come up with some cover concepts that either
had no live Frank model or didn't really focus on Frank's face. We shot about
6 cover concepts that afternoon. There were two with you. The one in the
locker where you play a corpse, stuffed into and hanging inside (which has not
been used yet) and the one on the fire escape which is the stuff we used for
issue 15. I was not sure at the time that it would be used for the Mother
Russia arc, but I must have been thinking about the possibility when I chose
the AK-47 for your character. Scott stood in for The Punisher sneaking down
the stairs towards you. Then when I knew we would use this photo rough as a
cover, Grant Goleash (my colorist/painter/collaborator) and I conceived the
whole "hammer and sickle" pink silk shirt motif. That was the move that really
put that cover over the top. We laughed so hard when Grant was painting that
shirt. I kept thinking Mark is either going to be happy as hell that he's
going to get this cover or he will be mad as hell that we turned him into a
sleazy, Russian, Euro-trash rube. I think it's safe to say that you get the
joke and are not offended, to which I must say thanks for being a good sport.
And seriously, thanks for helping us that day.
MARK:
Actually I'm very offended. Heh. How did the editors react to this one?
TIM:
Axel LOVED it. Like I said before, the pink shirt thing really told the story
on this one. It says a lot about the fashion victims that troll around in the
Russian underworld, or just the Euro-trash club scene thinking they are too
cool for words when in reality they are completely oblivious to the fact that
they look like complete nitwits. It tells a story of who this guy is, with his
pinky rings and his gold chains. He's the kind of guy you see on the street or
at a club acting like a massive jackwipe and you say to yourself, "That's a
guy I wouldn't mind seeing get hit by a gas truck and tasting his own blood".
So at least with me and editorial it is a cover that conveys that kind of
feeling, you really wouldn't mind seeing that guy get taken down hard by 'ol
Frank.
The intrepid interviewer, Mark Walters poses as a mafia style enforcer for an
as yet unspecified cover.
MARK:
Despite my personal feeling toward this cover, I think it's a great
composition, and terrific representation of the character. Are you happy with
it as well?
TIM:
Most definitely. For me it has the added plus of having friends on the cover.
So while it works within the scheme we have for story telling covers, it also
works on a personal level. I look at it and think back to the day we shot all
that stuff and all of the fun we had making all this stuff up.
MARK:
We have to give a healthy nod to the greatness that is Scott Harben.
TIM:
Yeah, more people should know about Scott's recent contributions to the
PUNISHER film as well. Not only did Scott provide us with a space to do that
shoot described above, as well as providing me with his equipment and time,
but he is also was the guy I called when I really needed a serious
professional to help with the Tom Jane shoot for THE PUNISHER posters. I
started to feel like that whole thing got a little big for me to deal with
myself so I called Scott to see if he might be interested in shooting it since
at the time I wasn't even working digitally yet. Scott had the proper
equipment and expertise to see that I didn't screw that one up. LGF looked at
his work and gave us a green light to fly him in. Now I must say that Scott
really took no credit for those photos, or maybe more accurately, was given no
credit. He was the man behind the scenes, and the truth is I could not have
done it without him. He knew what he was getting into. He knew he wouldn't get
paid for the shoot, and he knew that he would most likely get no credit for
his efforts but he came to help me anyway. That says a lot about him. I've
relied on Scott before for certain other photographic help and he has always
been there for me. Why this guy isn't working in Hollywood is beyond me. He
has a truly great eye for composition and lighting, the whole nine yards. He
sculpts, he's a talented graphic designer, he directs. The list goes on, he's
multi talented and damn good at all of it. For people that don't know the name
you should check out his
website.
You will probably see some work there that you have seen before. His concept
design and marketing work on Castle Wolfenstein was brilliant. Mr. Harben has
been a great inspiration to me and is responsible for helping me to improve my
own photographic skills and knowledge. I really can't say enough about him.
Scott Harben and Mark Walters pose as yet another pair of potential Punisher
victims.
MARK:
So Tom is appearing on the cover the issue #13, and I'm appearing on the cover
to issue #15. I'm in pretty good company! If I play my cards right, is there a
chance I'll end up on any future Bradstreet pieces?
TIM:
Chances are that if you know me and are in close proximity to me, you will get
recruited at some point to be on a cover. I just shot some folks here in Italy
at the Lucca Comics and Games show this last weekend that I'd only just met.
Sometimes I just see a face and have to shoot it. A lot of that stuff will
likely show up on HELLBLAZER. When I have a camera in my hand, no one is safe.
I've known some people all my life that have still not been on a cover. I'm
always getting flak from them since they have not been used yet. For me it's
always a matter of casting. If you are right for the part you get the call.
Until then they simply have to wait for that script that will open the door of
opportunity. But that only applies to the folks that aren't blessed with an
expressive, memorable "look". When I discover an expressive mug I have got to
shoot that person regardless of whether I have a project or character in mind.
In my position you have to take advantage of opportunity when it presents
itself. It already looks like you will make it on another cover since I used
you as a dead body along with Harben on PUNISHER 17. Only time will tell if
you get another starring role.
The finished
cover pieces. Click on the thumbnails to see the full-size images.
On the left, Tom Jane as Nick Fury on the cover to PUNISHER #13. On the
right, Mark Walters as a Russian mobster about to get punished. Dig the
pimped out shirt!
TOM JANE
MARK:
Let's get started by talking comics. You're a big comic book fan. What were
some of your favorite titles as a kid, and some of your favorite titles today?
TOM:
I started out reading MAD as a kid. Through that I got into the EC
reprints, the TALES, the VAULT, HAUNT, FRONTLINE, WEIRD, and SHOCK. That
led to CREEPY and EERIE, which turned me onto Wrightson (Bernie), which led to
SWAMP THING and CREEPSHOW, and PACIFIC COMICS. Bruce Jones' TWISTED
TALES, ALIEN WORLDS, where I discovered Dave Stevens and then ROCKETEER,
discovered Bill Stout, and Corben (Richard), discovered Rand Holmes, which led
to DEATH RATTLE and HAROLD HEDD, which opened up Kitchen Sink and the whole
underground. Then I was off of THE FREAK BROS., a great book called CORN
FED, then ZAP and Crumb (Robert), R. Williams and by then I was totally
warped, having to reaffix my eyeballs to my skull every morning. Then I
took a break. When I came back I got into stuff like FAUST with Tim
Vigil, BLACK HOLE by Burns, WANTED by Millar, Jim Woodring, Thomas Ott and a
couple of books called CRIMINAL MACABRE and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, both by Steve
Niles. And I'm cultivating a serious pre-code horror habit. BLACK
CAT, HORRIFIC, WEIRD TALES OF THE FUTURE...
MARK:
Let's talk about the first time you worked with Tim. He had shot several
images of you for the PUNISHER poster art campaign. What were your
thoughts about becoming a popular Marvel icon?
TOM:
I fell in love with Tim's art for PUNISHER. Called Marvel and asked if
we could get Tim to do something for the film. They said they loved Tim,
but didn't know what to do with him, as they weren't using art on their
posters at that time. I suggested doing some promo material or a comic
cover for the adaptation. Told them the reason I had signed on to the
film was largely because of Tim's cover work, the realism he instilled to the
character, the grittiness. So I met Tim at a studio in Santa Monica and
we worked on what was supposed to be some promo material for comic geeks.
We got along real well, made fast friends. Tim is the kind of guy I like
right away, crazy and smart as hell. Before I left he showed me a book
of his, with some art he did from THE CROW: CITY OF ANGELS. And there I
was, as Nemo. He'd already painted me! We were blown away.
MARK:
How did you feel about Tim's representations of you on the posters? Is it
strange seeing yourself depicted in that style? How did you feel when
Tim approached you to model for Nick Fury on the cover of THE PUNISHER #13?
TOM:
The poster stuff was really cool, so cool that Marvel saw the art and smartly
changed their policy about art on their posters right away. But the
comic cover is the shit. It's really flattering in a total geek out way.
I never dreamed I'd actually be drawn on a comic cover. No way!
MARK:
You've done many photo shoots before. Is there any difference in your mind
when doing a photo shoot for print, and doing a photo shoot that will end up
being interpreted as art?
TOM:
It's cool watching Tim work. For the cover, he came over to my house and
we set up in the bedroom and just went to town. Lot of fun, goofing
around. It's exciting because I was imagining what Tim was seeing in his
head, the finished paintings. Then Steve Niles came over, we did some
Cal McDonald stuff for an upcoming paperback, and we all went to Korean
Barbecue, the three of us and our wives. A lot of fun.
Tom Jane and Steve
Niles outside the Korean BBQ restaurant were they had dinner after the shoot.
Photo by Bradstreet.
MARK:
After seeing the finished art, what did you think?
TOM:
Well I was knocked out. I wish I could look that cool in real life.
MARK:
Would you enjoy posing as Nick Fury again if the situation came up?
TOM:
I'd do just about anything Tim asked me to, long as he wasn't naked and it
didn't involve gerbils or crazy glue.
MARK:
You're currently working on a comic project with Steve Niles. Tell us a
bit about BAD PLANET. I understand things are moving forward rather quickly.
What is the basic storyline, and what can we expect from the comic?
TOM:
BAD PLANET is a sci-fi thriller about an accidental alien invasion. I
pitched it to Steve, and he loved it. We polished the story together and
IDW picked it up right away. We just turned in the script for #1.
We have found an extraordinary artist out of Australia, by the name of Chris
Bolton. He's strapping himself to the drawing board as we speak.
For me it's literally a dream come true. I was strung out on a lot of
Vicodin, recovering from a car accident last year, when the story came to me
in a nightmare fever dream.
Big thanks to Tom Jane and
Tim Bradstreet for their time. Look for THE PUNISHER #13 and #15 at your local
comic shop. Buy lots of copies! Also look for BAD PLANET from Tom Jane and
Steve Niles, coming soon to comic store near you. Tom and Tim will both be
appearing at the DALLAS COMIC CON 5 on February 12-13, 2005. For more
info check out
www.dallascomiccon.com
Check out Tim Bradstreet's amazing artwork at
www.timbradstreet.com
Tom Jane did the voice to the upcoming video game for THE PUNISHER from
THQ. This game looks like it's going to be awesome. Check out more
on that here -
www.thq.com
Mark
Walters and Tom Jane
The photos on this page may not be
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