A professor who gets graphic
Brian Coburn
Issue date: 3/24/08 Section: Inside WCC
"Philosophically, I tried to take all different approaches with each name. They each wrote in kind of a different style," he said. "Since it was new to me, I didn't really have a particular style. So one guy would write with thought balloons and this guy would write with word captions and denser meaning. It allowed me to find my voice."
Shortly, Reed will be able to expand his voice in a new medium. He is in the stages of writing a non-illustrated novel, one that will continue the mythology of Deadworld (a franchise Locke handed over to him as a favor), and it's something he admits is a bit intimidating since he has only worked in the far simpler realm of graphic novels.
"(Prose) hasn't been nearly as important for me as it would be in a novel," he said. "I've had to be much more succinct and brief. You can't spend your time doing these flowery phrases. They always say 'Show, don't tell' and when you're in the comics medium, you're showing it."
What Reed seems most excited about these days is a project that will blend his two professional lives-- a graphic novel that tracks the history of evolution, from theories that started in ancient Greece to post-Darwinism, a project he has tentatively titled "Of Men and Monkeys."
"Most people who are vehemently against evolution, they don't understand it," he said. "I'm not trying to convert people. It's just to bring awareness and make it simplified but still keep the science."
Summer is the time Reed takes off from teaching and turns all his focus toward graphic novels, something he sees no end in sight to as long as fresh things keep coming to him.
"Ideas are a dime a dozen. Everyone has them," he said. "I've got pads that are just full of ideas. One of these days I'll get to all of them."
Shortly, Reed will be able to expand his voice in a new medium. He is in the stages of writing a non-illustrated novel, one that will continue the mythology of Deadworld (a franchise Locke handed over to him as a favor), and it's something he admits is a bit intimidating since he has only worked in the far simpler realm of graphic novels.
"(Prose) hasn't been nearly as important for me as it would be in a novel," he said. "I've had to be much more succinct and brief. You can't spend your time doing these flowery phrases. They always say 'Show, don't tell' and when you're in the comics medium, you're showing it."
What Reed seems most excited about these days is a project that will blend his two professional lives-- a graphic novel that tracks the history of evolution, from theories that started in ancient Greece to post-Darwinism, a project he has tentatively titled "Of Men and Monkeys."
"Most people who are vehemently against evolution, they don't understand it," he said. "I'm not trying to convert people. It's just to bring awareness and make it simplified but still keep the science."
Summer is the time Reed takes off from teaching and turns all his focus toward graphic novels, something he sees no end in sight to as long as fresh things keep coming to him.
"Ideas are a dime a dozen. Everyone has them," he said. "I've got pads that are just full of ideas. One of these days I'll get to all of them."
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