The Punisher

[v.v 0]

wat are you talkig about??

[Arsh 0]

Punisher 55 is a great set-up issue. Garth's final arc is gonna be so epic.

 

Also, Tim:

 

Your cover for 58 rocks so hard.

 

 

Is that the justice statue, with the scales?

[origin1950 0]

This is the cover of the upcoming Punisher: War Journal #21 by Alex Maleev...

 

 

I must say this is a very impressive cover. What do you make of it Street?

 

-TL

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

I love Sasho's stuff, always have.

I'm a little bummed though since I have had a cover in mind (even have it shot) that is thematically similar.

This is not to say I think Alex ripped me off or anything ludicrous like that, it's just that I never got the opportunity to use it.

I wanted to slip it in several times but editorial pushed me in a different direction.

 

I have several versions, an anguished Frank Castle shown in a moment of torture. In his own mind torture, like remembering the death of his family.

It's a brief glimpse at Castle with his emotional guard down. It's stuff like that which I think we need to see from time to time.

I never thought of The Punisher as a sociopath, nuts, or disconnected with the world at large. I've always seen him as a man waging war on a dark segment of our society.

We need to see him being "human" from time to time.

 

Perhaps I'll do that piece on my own.

 

Also, like I said, love Alex's work but Frank does seem to be a little on the lanky side, even though the arms have been pumped up.

Skull feels too small as well. When it's smaller, it feels like more like a simple T-shirt. My sensibility says the skull should dominate the landscape of his chest a bit more.

This is death advancing on you, not some guy on the street with good taste in light, short-sleeved apparel

But Alex has his own sensibilities so it must have felt right to him. Not knocking it, only a personal observation.

Technique-wise, Maleev's stuff is always breathtaking.

 

- TB

[origin1950 0]

Sasho? lol

 

This particular piece reminds me of one of my favorite miniseries, which is by one of my favorite comic artists...

 

Paolo Rivera's Sabretooth: Open Season

 

 

There's a sense of realism and subconcious imagery. They remind me of dreams.

 

 

I agree on the comments about the skull. I myself would prefer a more prominent image.

 

That image of Castle you never had a chance to use, what story arc were you planning to use it for?

 

-TL

[kwiat_skye 0]

This is the cover of the upcoming Punisher: War Journal #21 by Alex Maleev...

 

 

I must say this is a very impressive cover. What do you make of it Street?

 

-TL

Not that you asked, but I'll throw my 2 cents in anyway 'cause I like this depiction. The anguish around his eyes really comes across well. And maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I see alot of symbolism here. The open, empty hand says as much as the one holding the gun. The skull may be smaller than you like, but it is off-center and a bit warped - maybe a bit like Frank. And as for lanky, well, I don't see Frank spending a lot of time worrying about eating.

 

Just some thoughts from a non-arteest.

[origin1950 0]

You make alot of great points Kwiat.

 

-TL

[Mike V 0]

I never thought of The Punisher as a sociopath, nuts, or disconnected with the world at large. I've always seen him as a man waging war on a dark segment of our society.

We need to see him being "human" from time to time.

 

- TB

 

I agree with this, but I do believe there is some level of psychosis and disconnect to the character. I think it's because he's waging his war on the dark segments of society, that he has to disconnect himself from his humanity. But he also, is still human and they should show more of him with his emotional guard down.

 

 

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

Yes, of course, there is a certain level of disconnect.

To put a gun in someone's face and pull the trigger definitely disconnects you in some way.

It's like soldiers in combat, the ones that come back alive are very different people from the way they went into it.

But the experience doesn't necessarily make them crazy or sociopathic.

Hell, I'm no psychologist, I just prefer to believe that Frank is a sane man at his core.

Even if he may not be

 

- TB

[Mike V 0]

I get what your saying.

[Orion 0]

I agree with TB that he hasn't crossed over to a real sociopath. If he was then innocents wouldn't be a concern. A sociopath is compltetely self-centered. Frank has to be disconnected in order to fulfill his work. But that doesn't make him psychotic. He even sees his own evil in a sense. Fully aware that he is on the verge of completely snapping. The dreams he has show that. I'm marking Ennis's work here of course, but that is the most human Frank I have seen to date.

 

Mentioning the skull on his shirt in the cover you posted; I have a Skull T-Shirt that is more prominent than the one that picture has, so I can definetely see the need for something larger. Especially considering it's purpose as a symbol to draw attention. As for eating, well, I haven't read any of the new War Journal run past it's Civil War tie-in. They portrayed Frank a little too dumb in those issues for my taste. But in Ennis's story lines Frank keeps himself in prime shape at all times. Though I don't know what circumstances that cover finds him in.

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

Yep, it's all sensibilities and I'm not for a second knocking Alex's version.

Just offering my honest impression.

Hell, I had it easy, Tom O'Brien was awesome!

 

As for writing Frank, for me, Garth's run on Punisher Max will always be my preferred incarnation.

As a fan I'm sorry to see him go. I hope the next guy can keep it in the same vein.

 

- tb

[johnpweber 0]

As for writing Frank, for me, Garth's run on Punisher Max will always be my preferred incarnation.

As a fan I'm sorry to see him go. I hope the next guy can keep it in the same vein.

 

- tb

 

I've always liked the Punisher. The first issue I read was back in the early 90's. I loved the image of the Punisher, but always felt that he was a character that was too dark and too aggressive at the time. Then came Garth. The Marvel Knights series was great, finally I got to read the Punisher I always knew was out there. I'm just glad that someone in Marvel saw the benifits of moving Punisher to MAX. That is the true Punisher.

 

I second you Tim, I too hope the new guy knows what he's up against. Just read the RAW boards to see what fans are expecting, it won't be an easy task.

 

By the way, does anyone know who the next writer is yet?

[Jason 0]

I've always liked the Punisher. The first issue I read was back in the early 90's. I loved the image of the Punisher, but always felt that he was a character that was too dark and too aggressive at the time. Then came Garth. The Marvel Knights series was great, finally I got to read the Punisher I always knew was out there. I'm just glad that someone in Marvel saw the benifits of moving Punisher to MAX. That is the true Punisher.

 

I second you Tim, I too hope the new guy knows what he's up against. Just read the RAW boards to see what fans are expecting, it won't be an easy task.

 

By the way, does anyone know who the next writer is yet?

No but he better be pretty good.

[Mike V 0]

I read Arthur Suydam is taking over, I think he's a good choice.

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

Art Suydam is a wonderful artist, especially love his "Cholly and Flytrap" from the classic "Epic Illustrated".

But speaking strictly as an art director, he would not have been on my list for possible cover artists for Punisher.

 

Theme, urban grit, and subject matter just not really in his wheelhouse.

 

Anxious to see where he takes it though.

Definitely a 180.

 

- TB

[Guest AdminGuyX]

I have to agree I'm not sure Arthur is the guy for this, but I must admit I'm not crazy about Marvel as a company and haven't been for years. Punisher and Gunslinger were the only marvel books I was buying, and I have a feeling Punisher will be off the list soon, just a hunch.

 

Arthur had a good run with the marvel zombie works he did, and his fantasy work is terriffic. It's probably not about anything else for whoever is making this choice.

 

Either way, I'll check it out and give the new guard a chance.

 

I don't really care for that Maleev piece as a cover. Maybe as the first page of a story it would grab me, but as a cover it's not floating my boat. I've loved Maleev's work since I saw him the first time, which I think was a crow story. Not sure, but I've always loved his work since, and I like that he spends a little time over on newsarama chatting with his fans. He seems like a down to earth guy.

 

Njc--------------

[Mike V 0]

Found the interview, he's apparently approaching it with a 1930s pulp look.

 

Also the new writers. The only thing of Swierczynski's I've read was his "Force of Nature" one-shot, which I liked quite a lot, I'm not really sure about the other two guys though.

[boston1987 0]

Hey guys! Tim, I just wanted to say how much I love your work. I had some questions for you guys on the forum.

 

1) I just got into the Punisher series, and I want to begin with a good starter run. Is the one right now (with issue 57), a good one to start with, with issue 55?

 

2) Were there any single issue runs of the punisher with Tim doing interiors?

 

Thanks guys!

[Mike V 0]

I'd say go and start with issue 1 of the MAX series as all the arcs end up connecting to one another throughout the series.

[relias33 0]

So this is the man who is taking over Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't mind this work but..... TIM COME BACKKK!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

-Raf

[johnpweber 0]

Yeah, it looks a little more like a War Journal cover than a MAX cover.

[relias33 0]

That's exactly how I feel J.

[Mike V 0]

I thought Suydam was doing the covers? I was kinda looking forward to seeing what he was gonna do.

[johnpweber 0]

I was kind of hoping for a Suydam cover as well, as long as it wasn't a zombie cover. I love his zombie stuff, but Marvel started to get a little crazy with it last year. As for #61, I don't know. I was kind of hoping that it would have been somthing amazing. Tim set the bar at the ceiling with his covers, I know it's a hard act to follow, but come on. The only thing that stands out for me that I like is how the skeleton's eyes seem to glow. Other than that it's kind of blah.