Longtime artist and philosopher, Michael Netzer has joined IMWAN, and has been posting some interesting stuff downstairs in the WANderground. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome him, and encourage him to post here in the Playroom where all visitors and members alike can have a chance to read his comments, and enjoy some of his artwork.

Here, here. I mean, Hear, Hear. I mean, Michael, you are a great artist.

I hope Mr Netzer doesn't mind, but I have an interview link here, with a site associated with a comic shop in Adelaide (where I lived briefly, an excellent comic shop run by a guy named Tony, who dislikes the way comics are going, because they don't smell like they used to, and he's got a point), thought it might interest y'all: http://www.adelaidecomicsandbooks.com/index.html

Edit: Darned link doesn't go direct to page, just click on the Interviews section, and you'll find his name there.

As I said below, I really enjoyed Netzers take on Batman in the early 90s. A bit of a change from Aparo/Breyfogle, but good stuff.

Thanks Dave, Evan, David and Jeff.

That Adelaide interview can be accessed directly here:
http://www.adelaidecomicsandbooks.com/netzer.htm

There's also a comprehensive interview given later at SilverBullet:
http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/features/11285429833515.htm

As long as we have the space, which is very gracious, I'm open for anything that comes up. No holds barred. There had been some controversy about my websites a few years ago which has somewhat leveled off since. My site covers a lot of material but I try to keep the comics in the center of it all. I've talked about the comics mythology taking a stronger hold in our culture and see this as a springboard for affecting change in the world on social, political and economic levels. At the core of it all, I believe comics creators are destined to make a lunge, as a group, for political leadership. So if that's not enough to get a fun thread rolling, we'll try to come up with something better yet. In the meantime, like I said, no holds barred. Especially the personal experience as a comics artist is all open and on the table. And showcasing some rarely seen art is also certainly in the cards.

I'll be honest and say that I'm not really familiar with you or your work, Michael, but based on what I've read so far it seems you have primarily worked for DC, and I've just in the past few years started becoming a real fan of DC comics old and new. Have you ever done anything for Marvel?

Looking forward to reading the insights and experiences of another comics professional. Welcome!

My first professional comics work was a Planet of the Apes cover for Marvel back in '75:



But I was then offered work at DC which kept me pretty busy. I did some sporadic work for Marvel throughout, including some covers. Here's one:



One of my favorite jobs there was Marvel Team Up #89. Spiderman and Nightcrawler. The bulk of my career was rather short-lived back then. I was scheduled to do John Carter: Warlord of Mars with Marv Wolfman when I took a step back and began taking interest in another approach to my comics career. That pretty much killed the continuity of my work. I haven't done anything for Marvel since.

some seriously good art

and

Same here. I'm mostly a Marvel guy. So the last few days have been interesting checking out your work. I love the comic creator drawings I recently saw on your site. Beautiful stuff.

I loved that Mon-El story. Great stuff!

and

to continue the love in . . . .

Thanks. It was an ongoing project with stories about my experience with the creators. The project was stopped for irrelevant reasons but I'm still interested in producing it. I think it'll be a worthy sketchbook.

This thread is fueling some thinking about doing new work while I'm here. I'm usually more inspired when there's some interaction or requests as we go along. That's how the following sketches came about at Millarword a couple of years ago:
http://www.michaelnetzer.com/flamingsword/shop_hvc.htm

Maybe something along these lines to widen the scope of the comics creators sketchbook. If there are requests for sketches of creators you'd like to see, I'll try to do them as we go along. I don't have as much time as I did back then but I might be able to do one or two a day. I'll send a high-rez file of the sketches to those who make the request. As long as I can find reference on the web for the creators, all requests are cool.

Mike, do you have any comic related work going on at present?

one more?

None James. I'm working as art director for a software firm. Graphic design and such. Would love to get back to something in comics and I don't lose hope at all. May be just a matter of time but I'm open for most possibilities..

Gerry: You're really doing a number on me. Haven't seen this stuff in a couple of decades. Being away from the States, I couldn't get a hold of these books from here. Thanks for the good scans.

ive got 2 more of my favourite Batman pages comin up . . .

one

and two . . .

That's the one. We share the favorite Batman work Gerry. As long as we're at it:

For years when I was asked who my favorite Batman artist was, I always responded with "Mike Nassar". Several of the uninformed would ask me who that was, and I would produce the works that Gerry has so graciously posted here, and sit back and listen to the ooohh's and aahhh's.

In fact that image of Batman holding the sheet of paper with his hand on his hip is one of my favorite Batman images of all time. I am thrilled that Gerry posted that here.

Alas, as with many things I owned when a much younger lad, most of my early comic collection is gone now, including this great work (Maybe Gerry would be kind enough to scan the entire story for the sake of one man's nostalgia. That, and because the whole story is a masterpiece of comic art that the younger folk around here deserve to see).

I am quite excited that Michael has decided to join us here, and to be as forthcoming with us as he has been in such a short span of time is refreshing. If any of you still under the spell of a certain other comic creator take a moment and read some of this stuff, you'll see that you can indeed be talented, opinionated, eccentric, and still be an all around nice guy.

Welcome Mr. Netzer. Good to have you here.