Travis's work is like comics back in the days before digital coloring and printing. It seems like all the subtle error's of the misprint added details. With digital, it took that away. Everything was smooth and perfect. Travis detailed work with your inkwork, brought that feeling back. Where everything was grimmy and raw.
Travis is a phenomenal talent. To watch his art evolve from the stuff he did on Darkstars, to WildC.A.T.s, is just mind blowing. Love your inks over his pencils. A unique approach and look, especially compared to the art coming out at the same time. In places I get a real Serpieri vibe from it. Couldn't be beat. Great stuff and I'm so glad you did this video.
Yes, his art really changed over a very short period of time. His Darkstars stuff is like imitation Jim Lee, but then he quickly evolved into his own very shortly after that.
You guys were a hell of a team, the ultimate dream team, and the work will forever be stored in the panels of GREAT graphic comics..and I echo your sentiments on missing the excitement of waiting for the next issue and you dropped some great names of other artists that I have admired over the year's
@Richard friend Really Great stuff!! Travis is a GENIUS!!!...Ur inks was perfect on this series!! Much Respect & thanks for sharing this Great art!!!🔥💯
This series blew me away as a young kid just getting into comic book art! Thank you for your incredible work and for sharing this behind the scenes commentary, so cool to hear. Travis is a very special artist, there is really no one else out there like him, though many try to imitate him. Like everyone else, I wish he would do more interior work and produce more in general. That said, have to end on a positive and say again how much I love this work from you guys, means a lot to me!!
This is amazing! Reminds me of so many things and experiences, in my own life and that which I experienced vicariously in cartoons, movies and music. Thank you, Richard, for sharing this with us.
dude tell me about it. If we would have done all 12 issues...oh my god...it would have been insane. A while back Travis and I talked about it, and how it was too bad we didn't do more...stuff was changing though in comics and at wildstorm...he wanted to try that Metabaron project which was a good idea.....so you know my hope is I can pick up the pieces and maybe do something that picks up here.
I was a big Charest fan as well. Always felt he was unappreciated. Haven't seen anything from him in years (except Superior Spiderman cover Just recently oddly) hope to see more from him! Hyper detailed
Man that was Super Fun. Finch is probably going to see this and say Travis? I have to hire Rich again and then fire him again for that. Those pages with all of the cars, Spartan standing in front of the shot up car is awesome. I think the first place I had seen his work where I actually started taking note of him was on Flash, and some weird proportions in those comics, but the rendering and action was cool. I'm pausing every so often to comment. My mom had an Austin Healey car like the Voodoo one. When you were inking him, was it really with fine tech pen, would you change anything in the inking process after all this time as far as tools go? Being someone that likes Firearms, his gun drawing is exceptional. I love the shot of Grifter hanging out of the truck shooting, that piece is so cool.
@@farben_ Alex for sure colored the promo poster we did and also did the cover wrap around on this collection. I remember that for sure. The Back Cover has sort of a Struzan style collage they pulled from panels we finished early on specifically for that montage/
@@RichardFriendartist The one with Grifter and Voodoo with some rocks and smoke in the background? images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/556283/copyOfFirstPage._SX400_QL80_TTD_.jpg
@@farben_ no he may have colored that but we did a piece for CBLDF that was a poster as well as a print. This piece: travischarestgallery.com/images/poster.jpg
Hi! I have a serious problem with this story. Noir has Spartan be shot with machine guns, then not only Grifter doesn't shoot him, but he JOINS the team? Mr. Lobdell must have been taking the wrong kind of medicine. Having said that, no wonder you wanna replicate this look!!! It's extremely well accomplished!!! You guys did something that has lingered on the minds of fans since then. Completely agree with you on the reference bit. Doesn't Geoff Darrow, too, have a collection of miniature cars and guns?
I remember Travis questioning some of the writing choices. I'd not seen the script for the first issue. I do though somewhere have a very cool 4 page intro thing that was never drawn that takes place in a cave. I've always meant and wanted to draw it. I should try and find that script and do it for fun
@@professorpedropontes4402 I need to look for that script. Thinking about it now. I think I also had the full script for issues 4 and 5. 5 Brysn Hitch ended up drawing but it's fun reading it and imagining what Travis might have done
Hello Mr. Friend, I tried a couple of times to contact you through FB but somehow that doesn't seem to work. I would love to have one or two pages inked by you. Would that be possible?
Rich I’m an artist but I just started to draw almost 2 years ago...and I need some major help..I’m trying to do my book but I still need so much work..but can I send you a picture of a page and could you give me some pointers? I have been drawing everyday but it still feels like I got a wall..
I ached for these back in the day and it pained me when Travis stopped working on this. I never had a problem waiting 2 months for each issue, because I knew it would be high art. Didn't he also get fired from Metabarons? Either way Charest is super missed. At least I have Sean Murphy and Sana Takeda.
This is so strange, i ordered most of vol 2 and vol 3 of wildcats in trades and they just arrived today, noticed your name on the front, go on my computer and here this video is. Sick.
I absolutely HATE when they blur the lineart to give the illusion of speed. It ruins the art for me. I can imagine how frustrated and pissed off a penciler (or inker) can be when he checks his printed work and realizes all his effort to represent speed in a graphical way was completely ignored.
not taking away anything from Travis' art, it's incredible work, but it just wasnt for me. His figures look "pudgy", like they all still have baby fat on them. The proportions arent the typical squared jaw, super cut, hyper muscled figures.
@@PsychosisPC05 I think his wild cats annual had the pursed lips a bit more. I wish I could remember who said Gerber baby. Its been so long I cant remember. Its interesting to look at Jim Lee's X-Men and Uncanny work. You can really find little footprints Travis learned from in that work occasionally that made it into DarkStars and The Flash
@@RichardFriendartist That is the one I was trying to think of was DarkStars. Yea there was definitely influence there. It definitely looked like he was going for that style. In Darkstars he seemed to be having a bit of trouble pulling it off. Flash stuff was a bit better, a little stiff I remember. As hard as I tried back then, I could not draw well in that rendered style.
@@PsychosisPC05 dark star issues 6 is the best of all those to me. Better than the Flash annual and really way better than issues 4 and 5 of Dark Stars. I think if I remember correctly he did them sort of out of order. But issue 6 of Dark Stars has some real finesse. You can for sure see things are clicking for him then.
Travis's work is like comics back in the days before digital coloring and printing. It seems like all the subtle error's of the misprint added details. With digital, it took that away. Everything was smooth and perfect. Travis detailed work with your inkwork, brought that feeling back. Where everything was grimmy and raw.
Travis is a phenomenal talent. To watch his art evolve from the stuff he did on Darkstars, to WildC.A.T.s, is just mind blowing. Love your inks over his pencils. A unique approach and look, especially compared to the art coming out at the same time. In places I get a real Serpieri vibe from it. Couldn't be beat. Great stuff and I'm so glad you did this video.
Totally agree. I went back and got all that stuff in the late 90's as I could find it in back issue bins!
Yes, his art really changed over a very short period of time. His Darkstars stuff is like imitation Jim Lee, but then he quickly evolved into his own very shortly after that.
You guys were a hell of a team, the ultimate dream team, and the work will forever be stored in the panels of GREAT graphic comics..and I echo your sentiments on missing the excitement of waiting for the next issue and you dropped some great names of other artists that I have admired over the year's
I’m so happy I found this channel!!! It’s so awesome to find someone who talks shop regarding comic art. As opposed to fan reviews. 🙄
@Richard friend Really Great stuff!! Travis is a GENIUS!!!...Ur inks was perfect on this series!! Much Respect & thanks for sharing this Great art!!!🔥💯
This Motivates me to get my ass to drawing table, love Supah Fun Sundays!!!
totally do it...it's fun. Challenging at times...but the rewards are well worth it!!
This series blew me away as a young kid just getting into comic book art! Thank you for your incredible work and for sharing this behind the scenes commentary, so cool to hear. Travis is a very special artist, there is really no one else out there like him, though many try to imitate him. Like everyone else, I wish he would do more interior work and produce more in general. That said, have to end on a positive and say again how much I love this work from you guys, means a lot to me!!
This is amazing! Reminds me of so many things and experiences, in my own life and that which I experienced vicariously in cartoons, movies and music. Thank you, Richard, for sharing this with us.
Awesome thanks!
20 years later and I still get butterflies. Legend...ARY!
Love this Travis dude's work.
He good!! :)
Glad to see that Super Fun Sunday is back! Happy to hear that you sound super energized for the new year!
yeah it should be really fun. thanks!
Saw his art influence so many people years after this. Especially they Fantastic Four run by Steve McNiven
His Wildcats work was very inspired, it was fun and he seemed to be full of joy working on it, these days he just works on the iPad.
Yessss !!! I've waited that video for years !😂
I knew people were wanting it. Timing is everything. ;) There will be a part 2 down the road.
Hitch did a good job there. Imagining Travis and you doing that makes my mind warp a little.
dude tell me about it. If we would have done all 12 issues...oh my god...it would have been insane. A while back Travis and I talked about it, and how it was too bad we didn't do more...stuff was changing though in comics and at wildstorm...he wanted to try that Metabaron project which was a good idea.....so you know my hope is I can pick up the pieces and maybe do something that picks up here.
No worries, Rich. Blasterkid will be good at the worst of possibilities!!!! I'm sure you'll make something unique.
In some ways his art always reminds me of Barry Windsor Smith. They both draw more like illustrators than your typical comic book artist.
I could see that.
wow I forgot I did this. haha it got recommended to me and I was like...oh yeah. haha
ive pulled this book out last night cause i am studying Travis! gorgeous art, nice inks !
Great stuff, all the guns look believable I liked that the most. Having patience when drawing really pays off.
yeah for sure...patience and giving yourself the time to do your best and focused work is important!
Really loved this video! You guys did a rad job on this book, I'm going to definitely pick it up!!!
Travis is the man...so gooooooooooooooooooooooood!!!
I was a big Charest fan as well. Always felt he was unappreciated. Haven't seen anything from him in years (except Superior Spiderman cover Just recently oddly) hope to see more from him! Hyper detailed
Man that was Super Fun. Finch is probably going to see this and say Travis? I have to hire Rich again and then fire him again for that. Those pages with all of the cars, Spartan standing in front of the shot up car is awesome. I think the first place I had seen his work where I actually started taking note of him was on Flash, and some weird proportions in those comics, but the rendering and action was cool. I'm pausing every so often to comment. My mom had an Austin Healey car like the Voodoo one. When you were inking him, was it really with fine tech pen, would you change anything in the inking process after all this time as far as tools go? Being someone that likes Firearms, his gun drawing is exceptional. I love the shot of Grifter hanging out of the truck shooting, that piece is so cool.
Yeah mainly we'd use the Koh I noor 4x0 and 6x0. So very small pen. Works well but super fragile and clogs really easy which does kinda suck!
@@RichardFriendartist I've used them and kinda of thought that was the case. They are fragile.
@@PsychosisPC05 yeah they are very touchy
What volumes should I get for Travis Charest art? Thanks for the upload I love your inks and Travis Charest's drawings.
You want this one. Wild Cats Street Smart. There's this soft cover and a hard cover version. Thanks!
In an alternate universe, your doppelganger clone is called Richard Enemy!
Haha. We fight every night on the rooftops of Gotham for control over who will rule the city.
Just call him "Dick"...
Colors were by Justin Ponsor I think.
I think Alex had to bail out and Matt Milla and Justin did them. I saw that as I watched this back. Both excellent colorists!
@@RichardFriendartist David Baron was another colorist from Wildstorm FX that worked in this style, Alex Sinclair style would clash with Travis' work.
@@farben_ Alex for sure colored the promo poster we did and also did the cover wrap around on this collection. I remember that for sure. The Back Cover has sort of a Struzan style collage they pulled from panels we finished early on specifically for that montage/
@@RichardFriendartist The one with Grifter and Voodoo with some rocks and smoke in the background? images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/556283/copyOfFirstPage._SX400_QL80_TTD_.jpg
@@farben_ no he may have colored that but we did a piece for CBLDF that was a poster as well as a print. This piece: travischarestgallery.com/images/poster.jpg
5:48 Aaron full name please?
Wiesenfeld. He does fine art now...which is fantastic but the comic work would be Team 7, Wildstorm Spotlight, and Wolverine Deathblow.
also Guardian Angel.
Hi! I have a serious problem with this story. Noir has Spartan be shot with machine guns, then not only Grifter doesn't shoot him, but he JOINS the team? Mr. Lobdell must have been taking the wrong kind of medicine.
Having said that, no wonder you wanna replicate this look!!! It's extremely well accomplished!!! You guys did something that has lingered on the minds of fans since then.
Completely agree with you on the reference bit. Doesn't Geoff Darrow, too, have a collection of miniature cars and guns?
I remember Travis questioning some of the writing choices. I'd not seen the script for the first issue. I do though somewhere have a very cool 4 page intro thing that was never drawn that takes place in a cave. I've always meant and wanted to draw it. I should try and find that script and do it for fun
@@RichardFriendartist well, caves are fun to draw!
@@professorpedropontes4402 I need to look for that script. Thinking about it now. I think I also had the full script for issues 4 and 5. 5 Brysn Hitch ended up drawing but it's fun reading it and imagining what Travis might have done
Hello Mr. Friend, I tried a couple of times to contact you through FB but somehow that doesn't seem to work. I would love to have one or two pages inked by you. Would that be possible?
Got it! Thanks!
Rich I’m an artist but I just started to draw almost 2 years ago...and I need some major help..I’m trying to do my book but I still need so much work..but can I send you a picture of a page and could you give me some pointers? I have been drawing everyday but it still feels like I got a wall..
I ached for these back in the day and it pained me when Travis stopped working on this. I never had a problem waiting 2 months for each issue, because I knew it would be high art. Didn't he also get fired from Metabarons? Either way Charest is super missed. At least I have Sean Murphy and Sana Takeda.
This is so strange, i ordered most of vol 2 and vol 3 of wildcats in trades and they just arrived today, noticed your name on the front, go on my computer and here this video is. Sick.
wow cool...we are in the Matrix. hahaha :) enjoy them!!!!!!!
What ever happened to Travis? Did he stop drawing comics or what? I haven’t seen anything from him in many years.
He's done some covers...but I am not sure if he has a top secret project he's been working on.
Spacegirl. Was like an old fashioned long panel comic strip. You can find it online. Pretty cool.
He did some X-Men cover a few years ago. But it is sad someone so talented stopped producing anything.
I absolutely HATE when they blur the lineart to give the illusion of speed. It ruins the art for me. I can imagine how frustrated and pissed off a penciler (or inker) can be when he checks his printed work and realizes all his effort to represent speed in a graphical way was completely ignored.
Yeah it's like I just spent 90 minutes doing beautiful speed lines. Please use a shitty filter that takes 1 second to obscure all my line work. Haha
I loved this series .. the story was solid until the end
not taking away anything from Travis' art, it's incredible work, but it just wasnt for me. His figures look "pudgy", like they all still have baby fat on them. The proportions arent the typical squared jaw, super cut, hyper muscled figures.
Right early on I remember someone saying he drew gerber babies because of the pursed lips. ;)
I do think his early DC work was very much that way.
@@PsychosisPC05 I think his wild cats annual had the pursed lips a bit more. I wish I could remember who said Gerber baby. Its been so long I cant remember. Its interesting to look at Jim Lee's X-Men and Uncanny work. You can really find little footprints Travis learned from in that work occasionally that made it into DarkStars and The Flash
@@RichardFriendartist That is the one I was trying to think of was DarkStars. Yea there was definitely influence there. It definitely looked like he was going for that style. In Darkstars he seemed to be having a bit of trouble pulling it off. Flash stuff was a bit better, a little stiff I remember. As hard as I tried back then, I could not draw well in that rendered style.
@@PsychosisPC05 dark star issues 6 is the best of all those to me. Better than the Flash annual and really way better than issues 4 and 5 of Dark Stars. I think if I remember correctly he did them sort of out of order. But issue 6 of Dark Stars has some real finesse. You can for sure see things are clicking for him then.
Travis Charest art got worse with time, seems like he burned out with the Metabarons. Just look at this cover: i.imgur.com/FXam5DA.jpg