Wednesday, December 5, 2012
A Comic Book: Team Up is out today!
I am pleased to announce that A Comic Book: Team Up is out today! You can buy it in print exclusively at Orlando, Florida's A Comic Shop, or digitally with two bonus stories for half the price. Not only was I the Editor-in-Chief on this 60 page anthology featuring 21 creators, but it also features my first-ever published comic, Super Duper Trio. Check it out!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
I’m a Comics Editor for Hire
I
want to be your Editor. Making a comic book, anthology, graphic novel,
funny book, or propaganda pamphlet? I’m your man. But why would you
share your precious with me when I could very well drop it in Mount
Doom? As Gollum showed us, there’s no coming back from that, so let me
share why my professionalism, constructive feedback, and labor policy
are the perfect combination to help you make your perfect comic book.
Professionalism
I will be clear and upfront with all of my feedback. I will make everything concise and to the point so no one’s time gets wasted. And I will make myself conveniently available to you whether by email or phone or messenger pigeon, all while conducting myself with the candor of a five-star hotel concierge. That said, if you fall behind on schedule then you can fully expect me to go from Jeeves to Miss Trunchbull.
Constructive Feedback
I’ll provide you with a detailed analysis of your story’s one-line synopsis, treatment, outline, and script, offering solutions to plot holes, pointing out inconsistencies in character, and keeping continuity airtight. Remember in Avengers vs. X-Men when the Avengers heroically jumped off the Helicarrier in one issue while in another Magneto chucked Colossus through it causing everyone to haphazardly abandon ship? Under my watch, that will never happen to you.
Also know that I’m no slouch on art. No comics are immune to linework that is too light, colors that could use refining, or word balloons that don’t flow properly, so I’ll be there to catch those mistakes to make your visuals as top-notch as can be.
I’m a grammar whiz, too. Not one single error can be found in this entire post. Your copy will be so clean that not even Batman will be able to uncover a hint of grammatical wrongdoing.
Free Labor!
Well, maybe not, but it’s all relative. If you need an Editor for your passion project, but you can only compensate me by putting my name in 6 pt font at the bottom of the credits page, that’s perfect. More than anything, I’m in this to help you create your best quality work of art possible, not a fat paycheck. Then again, if you sign a deal and get a fat paycheck, I would most certainly appreciate a little kickback. The leatherbound books that line my shelf aren’t cheap.
For those of you who like resumes, here’s a short one of those. But if you ask me, the most interesting material is just after where you learn a little bit about me.
Resume including Fancy Titles for Names of Things — and Dates!
Editor-in-Chief (formerly Editor) for A Comic Book Anthology — May 2011 - Dec 2012
Hilarious personality for Flame On! Podcast — June 2011 - Present
Critic for IGN Comics — August 2011 - Present
Serious Grown-Up Job Writing Instruction Manuals for US Military — 2009 - Present
BA in English with a minor in Film from the University of Central Florida — 2009
Skilled in story structure, sequential art, and Star Wars
Personal Deets About Me
I love comics. You can thank Mark Waid’s Unthinkable story arc from his Fantastic Four run for starting what has been a joyous hobby-turned-career for me. I genuinely just want to make comic books. All the time. Full-time. For a living. For me. For you. For everyone.
I’m on a podcast because I love talking about comics and movies. I write for IGN because I am under the notion that I know a thing or two about comics. I work my 40 hours a week writing instruction manuals because I love telling people what to do. That last one might sound bad, but I only have a job where I’m allowed to do that because I know what’s best. And what other kind of quality would you want in your Editor?
If you’re reading this you either have a magic idea that you want to bring to beautifully printed fruition, or you’re my mom and you’re scanning for an email address to send me those pictures of the dogs.
If you're the former, then shoot me an email and let's do this: joshuayehl@hotmail.com
(Mom, I love you, but please don't use my professional email address. I'm content with the last one you sent me.)
Professionalism
I will be clear and upfront with all of my feedback. I will make everything concise and to the point so no one’s time gets wasted. And I will make myself conveniently available to you whether by email or phone or messenger pigeon, all while conducting myself with the candor of a five-star hotel concierge. That said, if you fall behind on schedule then you can fully expect me to go from Jeeves to Miss Trunchbull.
Constructive Feedback
I’ll provide you with a detailed analysis of your story’s one-line synopsis, treatment, outline, and script, offering solutions to plot holes, pointing out inconsistencies in character, and keeping continuity airtight. Remember in Avengers vs. X-Men when the Avengers heroically jumped off the Helicarrier in one issue while in another Magneto chucked Colossus through it causing everyone to haphazardly abandon ship? Under my watch, that will never happen to you.
Also know that I’m no slouch on art. No comics are immune to linework that is too light, colors that could use refining, or word balloons that don’t flow properly, so I’ll be there to catch those mistakes to make your visuals as top-notch as can be.
I’m a grammar whiz, too. Not one single error can be found in this entire post. Your copy will be so clean that not even Batman will be able to uncover a hint of grammatical wrongdoing.
Free Labor!
Well, maybe not, but it’s all relative. If you need an Editor for your passion project, but you can only compensate me by putting my name in 6 pt font at the bottom of the credits page, that’s perfect. More than anything, I’m in this to help you create your best quality work of art possible, not a fat paycheck. Then again, if you sign a deal and get a fat paycheck, I would most certainly appreciate a little kickback. The leatherbound books that line my shelf aren’t cheap.
For those of you who like resumes, here’s a short one of those. But if you ask me, the most interesting material is just after where you learn a little bit about me.
Resume including Fancy Titles for Names of Things — and Dates!
Editor-in-Chief (formerly Editor) for A Comic Book Anthology — May 2011 - Dec 2012
Hilarious personality for Flame On! Podcast — June 2011 - Present
Critic for IGN Comics — August 2011 - Present
Serious Grown-Up Job Writing Instruction Manuals for US Military — 2009 - Present
BA in English with a minor in Film from the University of Central Florida — 2009
Skilled in story structure, sequential art, and Star Wars
Personal Deets About Me
I love comics. You can thank Mark Waid’s Unthinkable story arc from his Fantastic Four run for starting what has been a joyous hobby-turned-career for me. I genuinely just want to make comic books. All the time. Full-time. For a living. For me. For you. For everyone.
I’m on a podcast because I love talking about comics and movies. I write for IGN because I am under the notion that I know a thing or two about comics. I work my 40 hours a week writing instruction manuals because I love telling people what to do. That last one might sound bad, but I only have a job where I’m allowed to do that because I know what’s best. And what other kind of quality would you want in your Editor?
If you’re reading this you either have a magic idea that you want to bring to beautifully printed fruition, or you’re my mom and you’re scanning for an email address to send me those pictures of the dogs.
If you're the former, then shoot me an email and let's do this: joshuayehl@hotmail.com
(Mom, I love you, but please don't use my professional email address. I'm content with the last one you sent me.)
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
IGN: The Comics We're Thankful For This Year
"Thank you, Astonishing X-Men." - Joshua Yehl
Check out the rest of my entry and what everyone else had to say on IGN.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
IGN Holiday Gift Guide 2012
I generated half the content for the Comics and Collectibles section of the IGN Holiday Gift Guide, so check it out so you know the best stuff to get the nerd in your life. Don't miss my favorite entry, the one for Saga.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Why Do We Love Lightsabers?
In my last post I started to talk about Disney buying Star Wars, but I ended up talking about my fascination with lightsabers. I'm sure I'm not the first fanboy that's happened to. But I think I was onto something. What is it about lightsabers that makes everyone go gaga over them? Fans have made countless YouTube videos of the various movie light saber fights, bought or made light saber replicas of their own, and filmed themselves fighting with them against their friends in the backyard.
In the original trilogy, a lightsaber was truly something special. There were only four different sabers in the entire trilogy and only three people who could use them. A majority of the action centered around the use of blasters and space fighter ships, with lightsabers only making an appearance in special encounters. Luke used a blaster most of the time, even after his Jedi training on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. It wasn't until he had mastered his abilities by The Return of the Jedi that he depended on it exclusively.
That was a gross error of the prequels. Everyone had a lightsaber. Even the kids! Although I wager those were non-lethal training sabers, assuming there is such a thing. But lightsabers were so prevalent that they lost their impact as the weapon of a highly skilled warrior. Did you notice how Gandalf rarely used magic in The Lord of the Rings? He hardly seemed like a wizard until that bit with the Balrog in The Fellowship of the Ring, but man when he cut loose it was awe-inspiring. That's why when dozens of Jedi were running across the screen with lightsabers in Attack of the Clones it didn't feel as awesome as it should have. In fact, it felt depressing to see so many "highly skilled warriors" go down while wielding everyone's favorite glowing sword. How special could those Jedi have been if they went down so easy?
Lightsabers go beyond Star Wars as to why they are so loved. Throughout all manner of story and legend, special swords are a recurring theme. Most notable is the Sword in the Stone from Arthurian legend. A special blade with great power destined to be wielded by a single owner. The same sort of feeling came when Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Anakin's lightsaber to Luke. It was a sacred family heirloom. A continuation of a legacy. Something that was unique and important because it was destined to be passed down to Luke when he came of age. And only Luke could wield it because of his predisposition to the Force. It's not the exact same story as King Arthur, but it has the same basic principles.
The list of important swords goes on: Link's Master Sword, Lion-O's Sword of Omens, Aragorn's Narsil reforged into Anduril, Harry Potter's Sword of Gryffindor. But where the lightsaber trumps other blades is how it looks, operates, and cuts. A glowing blade looks cool enough as it is, but imagery of a sword of light can be found dating all the way back to ancient times. Old paintings show angels wielding fiery blades to banish sinners. The lightsaber has religious undertones resonating off of it without even trying.
It's sleek and compact silver handle is easy to store and even hide up your sleeve, like we saw Emperor Palpatine do in Revenge of the Sith. And who do you know who hasn't made that "tssch" sound of a lightsaber igniting and the "bzzz" of its laser hum? It's practically alive with sci-fi magic. The lightsaber can cut through anything but another lightsaber, enforcing that its wielder can overcome any obstacle. One who uses a lightsaber can also deflect the laser bolts of lesser men's puny guns. It's a weapon of supreme power in both symbolism and practicality. You can imagine why so many fans, myself included, lost their shit when Darth Maul whipped out a double-bladed lightsaber. All that stuff I just talked about TIMES TWO!
If Episode VII is going to be a success, it's vital that they tone down the lightsabers. Make the movies about something else than different scenarios that call for the characters to whip them out. This problem might solve itself simply based on the fact that Luke is a lone Jedi in the universe. It's hard to say how much time will have passed in between films VI and VII, but even if in that time he set out to rebuild the Jedi Order, there couldn't be more than a handful of Jedi. And all for the better.
In the original trilogy, a lightsaber was truly something special. There were only four different sabers in the entire trilogy and only three people who could use them. A majority of the action centered around the use of blasters and space fighter ships, with lightsabers only making an appearance in special encounters. Luke used a blaster most of the time, even after his Jedi training on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. It wasn't until he had mastered his abilities by The Return of the Jedi that he depended on it exclusively.
That was a gross error of the prequels. Everyone had a lightsaber. Even the kids! Although I wager those were non-lethal training sabers, assuming there is such a thing. But lightsabers were so prevalent that they lost their impact as the weapon of a highly skilled warrior. Did you notice how Gandalf rarely used magic in The Lord of the Rings? He hardly seemed like a wizard until that bit with the Balrog in The Fellowship of the Ring, but man when he cut loose it was awe-inspiring. That's why when dozens of Jedi were running across the screen with lightsabers in Attack of the Clones it didn't feel as awesome as it should have. In fact, it felt depressing to see so many "highly skilled warriors" go down while wielding everyone's favorite glowing sword. How special could those Jedi have been if they went down so easy?
Lightsabers go beyond Star Wars as to why they are so loved. Throughout all manner of story and legend, special swords are a recurring theme. Most notable is the Sword in the Stone from Arthurian legend. A special blade with great power destined to be wielded by a single owner. The same sort of feeling came when Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Anakin's lightsaber to Luke. It was a sacred family heirloom. A continuation of a legacy. Something that was unique and important because it was destined to be passed down to Luke when he came of age. And only Luke could wield it because of his predisposition to the Force. It's not the exact same story as King Arthur, but it has the same basic principles.
The list of important swords goes on: Link's Master Sword, Lion-O's Sword of Omens, Aragorn's Narsil reforged into Anduril, Harry Potter's Sword of Gryffindor. But where the lightsaber trumps other blades is how it looks, operates, and cuts. A glowing blade looks cool enough as it is, but imagery of a sword of light can be found dating all the way back to ancient times. Old paintings show angels wielding fiery blades to banish sinners. The lightsaber has religious undertones resonating off of it without even trying.
It's sleek and compact silver handle is easy to store and even hide up your sleeve, like we saw Emperor Palpatine do in Revenge of the Sith. And who do you know who hasn't made that "tssch" sound of a lightsaber igniting and the "bzzz" of its laser hum? It's practically alive with sci-fi magic. The lightsaber can cut through anything but another lightsaber, enforcing that its wielder can overcome any obstacle. One who uses a lightsaber can also deflect the laser bolts of lesser men's puny guns. It's a weapon of supreme power in both symbolism and practicality. You can imagine why so many fans, myself included, lost their shit when Darth Maul whipped out a double-bladed lightsaber. All that stuff I just talked about TIMES TWO!
If Episode VII is going to be a success, it's vital that they tone down the lightsabers. Make the movies about something else than different scenarios that call for the characters to whip them out. This problem might solve itself simply based on the fact that Luke is a lone Jedi in the universe. It's hard to say how much time will have passed in between films VI and VII, but even if in that time he set out to rebuild the Jedi Order, there couldn't be more than a handful of Jedi. And all for the better.
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