Runaways : Dead End Kids

You’re an artist who’s been published professionally for over a decade. You’ve worked with the likes of Chris Claremont, Peter David, and Walt Simonson, but most of your books haven’t been Top 10 sellers.

Then you find out you’re the new artist on Runaways, taking over from fan-favorite Adrian Alphona. Oh yeah, and you’ll be working with Joss Whedon.

No pressure there, huh?

Michael Ryan (New Excalibur, Captain Marvel> and Mystique, where he worked with Runaways co-creator Brian K. Vaughan), has found himself in this position with Runaways #25, which comes out on Wednesday. Ryan talked with us about working with Whedon, living up to fan expectations, and which Runaway’s the hardest to draw.

Newsarama: So Michael, how’d the Runaways gig come about?

Michael Ryan: Just before Mike Marts left the company, he asked me if I was leaving New Excalibur for a while, and he didn’t really tell me anything until I said, “Yes.” So then Nick (Lowe) called me and gave me the details of the assignment - Runaways, Joss Whedon, that kind of stuff - and that’s pretty much all I know. (Laughs)

NRAMA: So how was the transition from New Excalibur to Runaways?

MR: I did as much as I could at the time - I had two, maybe three issues left when I got the Runaways assignment. I got it done, and then, you know, started doing character sketches for Runaways, because, basically, they wanted to know what they were getting.

NRAMA: What was your reaction to finding out you’d gotten the assignment?

MR: Um...mild freak-out, I would call it.

NRAMA: How so?

MR: It’s a funny thing - you read a book like that, and the characters are really endearing, and you start to enjoy it, and then you also find out you’re going to be working with someone like Joss Whedon, and you’re like (imitates fainting) “Uhhhh...”

NRAMA: Were you a fan of Runaways before getting the assignment?

MR: I hadn’t really been reading it, you know, religiously, but I read it when it first came out because my roommates were reading it and because it just looked good. And I didn’t notice, because I didn’t pay attention while I was reading it, that Brian K. Vaughan was writing it. So, until the first two trades came out, I was just sort of a wandering fan, and then, all of I a sudden, I was like, “this is really cool!” after I got to read it all in one place.

NRAMA: But you didn’t know Brian was writing the book, though you’d worked together in the past...?

MR: Yeah like I said, I don’t really pay attention to what’s coming out or what’s going on, because I don’t want to be too influenced. But when you’re living with a couple of people who are reading a lot of comics every month, you tend to pick up whatever’s on the coffee table and start to read it and go, “Hmm, this is good,” or “Hmm, this is cool,” and then much later you find out, “Hey, you know who’s writing that...?” That kind of thing. I try to keep up nowadays with what my friends are doing, what they’re working on, so I’m getting a little better at it.

NRAMA: Did you talk to Brian or Adrian about how to approach the book?

MR: Oh, no. There was no time for that. There was just, “Here’s the plot, and here are the characters you’re going to be dealing with, let’s see what you can do to make them look good.” (laughs) There was really no...mmm, I don’t know. I wouldn’t call it “involvement,” because I haven’t heard anything from either of them, so I don’t know. Worry, worry. (laughs).

NRAMA: Were you familiar with Joss’s stuff before, such as Firefly?

MR: Oh yeah.

NRAMA: Have you had any interaction with Joss, or has it mostly been through email, that kind of thing?

MR: Oh, it’s almost all been through email, and through the editors, Nick and Daniel.

NRAMA: What’s it like working from Joss’s scripts?

MR: (laughs) It’s great! They’re really cool...let’s put it this way. Usually, I don’t laugh out loud at a script, you know, if there are jokes involved, because you’re going to draw it and you don’t really think about it as an entertainment. But the scripts themselves for Runaways are entertaining enough that I’m sitting there laughing and going, “Oh crap! Now I have to make this look funny!” It becomes an effort to keep up with it, you know what I mean?

NRAMA: I can imagine. Now, you had a funny story about drawing Nico recently...

MR: Oh yeah, at WonderCon. The first book isn’t even out yet, and literally there have been maybe five preview pages floating around. So, I go to WonderCon, and usually, when it comes to sketches, I don’t think about it that much. Whoever comes to my table and asks for a sketch, I’ll do it, I don’t usually worry about whether they know who I am, I just draw whatever they ask me to. Well...not everything. Whatever they happen to be interested in as long as it’s, you know, PG.

And, I don’t know, I’d say I did about 25 sketches (of Nico) within the first day and a half. And that...I don’t know if that’s statistically unusual, but for me, it’s usually like, “Captain America!” or “Hey! Can you draw me a Wolverine?” (laughs)

NRAMA: And what have been some of the challenges of drawing the different characters? MR: Well, that they were already so visually appealing. I mean, you don’t want to put your own spin on something that’s so nice, so good. So, you kind of have to...keep up with what’s already there, keeping the pace, and usually failing, if you’re trying harder than intended. It’s been a lot of work, a lot of hard work, and hopefully, it’s going to be appreciated in the end. I doubt it, but...(laughs)

NRAMA: What character was the biggest challenge to draw?

MR: Ohhhhh, Molly. (laughs) It’s Molly, all the way. Getting the size right, getting the age right, and how happy and cute she is, and also how incisive and direct she can be. It’s all about Molly.

NRAMA: Do you have any favorites to draw?

MR: Karolina, when she’s glowing, is great to draw. She’s my favorite character, visually, and as a character, I kind of like her the most.

NRAMA: Why?

MR: I...have no idea. She’s visually appealing, and, again, it’s kind of the straightforward, nice person who’s...I’m being so articulate. (laughs) I can’t explain it. There’s just certain characters who step forward for you. On X-Men, it was Angel, and everyone was like, “Oh, Wolverine is so cool!” and...well, whatever.

NRAMA: How far along are you on the book?

MR: I’m drawing issue #27, and I think the scripts are already ahead of that, I’m not sure. They only send me what I’m going to be working on, so...

NRAMA: What kind of fan reaction have you gotten so far?

MR: I don’t know! There’s only been the few preview pages out, so I guess it’s been positive so far....from the con, and the con that my inker and my roommates have gone to, I’ve heard good things, anyway, a good reaction. And of course, that everyone’s looking forward to...well, obviously, they’re all looking forward to Joss Whedon’s run on the book, what he’s going to do with the characters, but there’s also a lot of visual trepidation because I’m following Adrian, and he does such a great...the book is his style. It was born that way, and that’s how I would expect all the fans to view it in their imaginations: His is the way the characters should look. Playing up to that’s going to be hard.

NRAMA: What’s next after Runaways?

MR: I...have...no...clue. (laughs)

NRAMA: What would you like to work on?

MR: I guess...whatever comes up. I don’t know. Runaways is, for me, I think, six issues long. I don’t know what happens after that. Obviously, I’ll be drawing something.

NRAMA: You’re poised to get a lot of exposure from this book. How’s it feel to be poised to get that kind of recognition?

MR: That, too, is kind of a freak-out. But I’m not one to worry too much about it. I just draw the book they ask me to, and whether it’s Mystique or if they were to put me on Slapstick, I’d do as good a job as I can. I’m not making any real plans based on any of this. I just want to do as good of a job as I can, and see where it goes from there.