DC COMICS has posted the first chapter of the Arrow digital comic series, with artwork by legendary artist Mike Grell and story from Arrow’s own Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg. The digital comics will and do tie in directly to the Arrow television series.
You can purchase the first chapter for 99 cents on the DC Comics app.
This interview was conducted by phone and originally appeared at a now defunct webzine almost four years ago (Feb ’09?). I was worried it had been lost to the ages, so for posterity I represent it here, unedited. Because I am still very proud of the opportunity to have spoken at length with a true idol of mine.
Mike, you have been in the business, coming up to 40 years now?
Yeah, and it sure feels like it! Actually, I’ve been in this business for a year longer than the Warlord, so- 36 years. I started in ‘73 …
TV Guide: First Look, Arrow Digital Comic Book Click here
As you can imagine, I’m very excited to be working on the new ARROW comic. Especially since it comes during the 25th Anniversary of THE LONGBOW HUNTERS. I have Geoff Johns to thank for putting this in motion and producers Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, who are also writing the comic, for making it happen. Their support has been amazing and this is very much a collaborative effort.
Because the comic is being released digital-first, there will be 3 ten-pages chapters released weekly, followed by a print version. That makes it pretty much impossible for one artist to produce a finished page a day continuously, so I’ll be switching off with two other art teams. I have the lead-off chapter in issue #1 and chapter 6 (the third chapter) in issue #2. That was to give a little extra time to get ahead on the schedule, because this all happened very fast and the deadline was extremely short for the first chapter since the script hadn’t even been written yet.
While I waited, I worked on the cover. I’ve included a batch of sketches to show fans the process we went through in designing the covers. For issue 1, I wanted something resembling a movie poster and went through several variations on a theme before I received a copy of the series pilot and realized the city and the island where Oliver is marooned were equally important elements of the story.
For issue 2, editor Alex Antone suggested something set on the island, so I reprised a scene from the pilot where Oliver signals the rescue boat. The problem was that, from a design standpoint, having the mountains across the bay at the right made everything come to a visual standstill, so I moved the mountains and made it look as if Oliver might be shooting at some threat out to sea. Then word came that in my chapter of that issue (chapter 6), he’d be traveling to an as yet unspecified exotic locale, so I redesigned the cover with ARROW in full costume and inserted the island background with a note that it could be replaced with something suitable and identifiable whenever the location was decided. The finish tells you exactly where that is.
I’ve watched the pilot several times now, and I can tell you it’s excellent. The production values are extremely high, far better than you’d expect to see on TV. The whole cast is just great and Stephen Amell carries not only the dramatic but the physical aspects of the OLIVER/ARROW role with style.
For fans who enjoy insider stuff, pay attention to details that foreshadow future storylines and watch and listen for all the little tributes they pay to the artists and writers who’ve worked on GREEN ARROW over the years. After 40 years in the business, my family now thinks I’m famous.
Best,
Mike
“DC Comics has declared Wednesday, Oct. 10 as “Arrow Day” to celebrate the premiere of the Arrow television series on The CW.
What’s Arrow Day, you ask? Well, when fans visit direct-market stores on Oct. 10, they’ll receive a free Arrow #1 Special Edition custom comic … Readers will also be able to download the first chapter of the new Arrow digital comic series written by the show’s executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, with art by Mike Grell.”