Interviews

Interview with FUTUR EKO creator Arnie J. Abrahamson

By Christopher Moshier
September 20, 2006 - 17:20

Arnie J. Abrahamson

COMIC BOOK BIN (through Christopher Moshier):  Can you tell us about yourself and your background leading up to FUTUR EKO?

ARNIE J. ABRAHAMSON: I'm just a kid who grew up with the coolest comics.  Batman, JLA, Teen Titans, Iron Man, Gold Key and even Archie Comics.  A kid doesn't know "Archie" isn't cool - It's about being entertained.

I was delighted to see comic book shops sprout up in my neighborhood when I was in my 20's!  But alas, the comics themselves had changed.  Creators had bought into the myth that we were living in a much meaner world than that of my youth.  Creators had been duped into 'graying down' their shiny heroes.

I was compelled, am compelled to produce a comic that I can read and enjoy myself.  So here I am.

CBB:I am curious as to how you put this all together.  Can you discuss the process or are these trade secrets?

AJA: Really no secrets at all...

CBB: Are blue/green screens involved at all?

AJA: Yes, we've been using a green screen, but the owner of the photo studio I rent convinced me to switch to a medium-gray background, and I'll never go back. 

Green screen is impossibly difficult with 'flyaway hair'.  Each strand picks up some of the green light behind it.  Therefore every matte is a compromise.  But I can matte a medium gray into any background, simply by lightening or darkening [old school: burning or dodging] or picking up some of the background color as necessary.

I have learned the necessity of using a full storyboard.  We try to keep the lighting setups simple and repeatable, since each model is photographed separately, sometimes months apart.

Here's a sequence of photos depicting the creation of a single panel from FUTUR EKO:

The illustration process begins with the Storyboard. This is a panel from Page Eight.

In the studio, the actress/model [here Isis MacKenzie] is photographed in front of a Green Screen.

And the resulting image is then masked to eliminate the background.

The same is done for any other actors in the scene [Jamie Walsh].

The background is prepared, in this case a stock photograph, suitably industrial-looking. This image will be color-corrected, and a more dramatic sky stripped in behind it.

Combined in an Image Processing program, the scene gets the "breath of life".

The objects are blended together, shadows and effects are added, and a split-second from the story materializes!

Notice how the effects are compelling, but it's the expressions and body language of the actresses that really sell the image.

Nice work, ladies!

CBB: I am equally curious about the "girls" and who play the characters.

AJA: Jamie Walsh, in addition to her association with the Lingerie Bowl 2007, has done some work for the History Channel as well as indie films, and of course numerous modeling jobs.  She's from Boston, as is Sharon our makeup artist, and when they get together, hoo boy!  I feel like an alien without a Bostonian accent.  She is a professional trainer as well.

Isis MacKenzie is a former Miss Black California who focuses more on the modeling side.  But she has natural acting skills, and a very lovely disposition.  Ask her about her Mom's southern cooking!!!

Jennifer Lee Chan is the smooth, confident professional.  Quite the opposite of her character, Diz-E!!  She played "Jade", the wrestler in David MacLane's short-lived TV series, "Women Of Wrestling" [W.O.W.] At the audition, when I asked to see her form in a leotard she quipped, "I knew I'd have to get naked at some point!"

The actress/models are indeed poured into those outfits in real life.

CBB: I was reading your BLOG on the MySpace site - specifically the topic labelled "I'm in my Extended Network!" - Trying to wear more than one hat I am guessing?  I thought this was pretty funny as you are an extension of your characters, but some people didn't catch on to that.

AJA: Well, of course Castillo et. al. are in my Extended Network, but so is everybody I look up!

Here, I'll sign out of MySpace, and delete all my cookies.  Okay?  In theory, no one should be in my extended network now.  Surprise!!

This is not a big deal to me.  I just wanted to point out that the "extended network" no longer has any meaning in the MySpace world, if it ever did.

CBB: Is MySpace really evil do you believe and is it the workings of the devil?

AJA: MySpace is the workings of Capitalism!!!  So is Capitalism evil?  I don't want to get too political on you here, but the fact is that you, CBB, myself, and most of the people reading this are all members of MySpace. If I really felt that it was evil, would I continue the discourse?

Maybe, if it served my ends.  Forget what I said above.

CBB: Of course I was joking.  Everyone knows the real evil in the world is "Dancing With the Stars".

Back to Futur Eco!  How much of the comic had been completed and where do you want to take the property both storywise and mediawise?

AJA: Issues One and Two are scripted.  Principal photography is complete for Issue 1, and compositing continues as we speak.  Well, actually after we finish speaking tonight.

The origin of Futur Eko is explained in Issue 3, which includes a tie in with the new character, Crimson Dragon, played by Shawn Richardz, star of stage and screen from New York.

Mediawise?  Futur Eko was conceived as a photo-comic, and that's certainly where it works best.  A one-off made-for-TV movie might work. But consider the shortcomings of "Black Scorpion", a series spun off form the Roger Corman movie.  What are the chances it'd be done right?

CBB: How familiar are you with the comic industry as a whole?  I write comics myself and had no idea until I went to San Diego last year how many people are pushing a comic.  This was a big eye opener for me! How do you see yourself among the countless creators who are pushing their wares?

AJA: I don't think about the fact that I'm competing against other creators.  We're all competing against ourselves to get that one impossibly good story out.  In writing terms, it's Man vs. Himself instead of Man vs. Man.  However, if all the other comics producers out there were to die, I think my chances of coming out on top would improve.

It's important to be driven by the love of comics, and the love of what the medium could become.  I love this work, Futur Eko, and it will be released, one way or another, even at a loss.  As for your question, where am I in the sea of comics creators out there?  I don't know. That's up to the market to decide.

CBB: A lot of the (older) pros who I've seen speak talk about comics as a dying industry, but I find this just the opposite with all the new techologies coming out.  In my opinion there are more comics than ever right at this moment?  What do you feel about the industry - Is it dying or being saturated?

AJA: Is AM Radio dead?  Not in L.A., my friend!  If this "death" of comics comes about [remember, nobody really dies in comics], it should be ruled a suicide.

Speaking primarily about superhero comics here, I think a few very influential if not-too-bright writers have dragged the genre in a dangerous, collapsing direction.  There can be no "deconstruction" of the superhero genre.  It's an adolescent fantasy!  That's how it began and that's the direction it needs to evolve in: "Star Wars-ward", not "Godfather-ward".

Superheroes look pretty stupid when they're beaten up by Danny DeVito with a baseball bat.  Gritty reality is not their home.

This is the key: Leave superheroes in their own universe, where superhero rules apply.  Lest Alan Moore come to your house and explain the alternative.  And I hear he's got bad breath.

CBB: If you were to make FUTUR EKO the movie or TV show who would be your dream cast of actors?

AJA: Oh, assuming I can't get JAMIE WALSH, ISIS MACKENZIE, JENNIFER LEE CHAN and SHAWN RICHARDZ?

Hmm, that's a toughie.

I'd probably just pay more money to get Jamie Walsh, Isis MacKenzie, Jennifer Lee Chan and Shawn Richardz, the people I cast for the roles after auditioning dozens of others.

CBB: Anything else you would like to tell the world...err...well the CBB anyways about yourself or anything else that comes to mind?

AJA: Futur Eko is meant to be a new, fun comic book experience.  If you pick up a copy and enjoy it, don't wait for your comic book illuminati friends to tell you if your opinion is valid or not.  If they disagree with you, tell them to make like dead skin layers and flake off.

Then hold your head up HIGH as you exit the comic book shop!!!  But take care that you don't trip over the threshold.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12