This weekend, the Long Beach Comic Con is back as we head into one of the last comic book conventions of 2013. Artist Todd Nauck has been a frequent guest of the convention, and one of the most popular artists at the show.
Nauck is best known for his long run on DC’s Young Justice with writer Peter David, which served as an inspiration for the “Young Justice” animated series on Cartoon Network. Nauck and David also teamed up on Marvel’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Nauck has also worked on Teen Titans, Legion of Superheroes and his creator owned series, Wildguard among several other projects.
Currently, Nauck is the artist of Invincible Universe, from Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment imprint of Image Comics. We recently caught up to Nauck as he shared his thoughts on his new book and favorite Long Beach Comic Con memory.
CraveOnline: For fans who haven’t read it yet, what’s Invincible Universe about?
Todd Nauck: Invincible Universe is a companion series to Robert Kirkman’s superhero series, Invincible. The writer, Phil Hester, and I are able to tell stories in the other corners of Kirkman’s superhero universe. We get to flesh out characters that wouldn’t get much airtime in Invincible. Most of our stories spotlight the JLA/Avengers type of team, the Guardians of the Globe. But we are also able to use other Kirkman creations like, Astounding Wolf-Man, Tech Jacket, CAPES, and more!
What’s coming up in Invincible Universe?
We revealed at the end of Invincible Universe # 7, director of the Global Defense Agency, Cecil Steadman, has put together a “black ops” team of Guardians. Issues #8-9 we get to see that team in action as they are assigned to take out a South American crime lord. In issue #10, one of our couples gets married. But this isn’t your typical “superhero wedding where villains show up to attack”. We got other players causing havoc at this shindig! And we’re also building up to the reemergence of a classic Invincible super villain group for future issues.
Who is your favorite member of the Guardians?
Best Tiger is a favorite with Robert, Phil and myself and is proving popular with fans as well. He’s just a flat-out bad ass and a really cool character. I also really like Yeti. He’s such an odd shape, he’s so much fun to draw!
How do you and Phil Hester collaborate on the book?
Phil writes full script after going over story possibilities with Robert. They really hone in the story so it fits with what Robert’s doing on Invincible. But once I get the story, Phil has been very cool and complimentary of my visual choices. He doesn’t mind if I reverse camera angles or move stuff around to fit the page the way I see it. I do my best to keep all the important info and make sure the dialogue is able to go where it needs to. Working with Phil has been a highlight. I admire his work as an artist as well as a writer. We’d only met briefly once or twice prior to teaming up for this series. Now I consider him a good friend.
The Young Justice video game is out this month, have you seen it?
We don’t have cable so I’ve only seen one episode! YJ fans go wide-eyed when I give them the same answer at conventions. The one episode I saw was season one’s Halloween episode. I made sure to catch that one (at YJ inker, Lary Stucker’s house) because I knew Peter David had written it and it would feature two characters I had co-created, Secret and Harm. That was a lot of fun to see them moving on screen and hearing their voices.
You should definitely watch it. It was the best DC animated show since “Justice League Unlimited.”
I hear season two and the whole Invasion storyline is awesome. And it has more of the characters I drew in the comic series, like Wonder Girl and Impulse (two of my favorite characters). So, now I’m just waiting for “Young Justice” to go to Netflix streaming!
At every convention I go to, your table is always swamped with people. What’s your secret?
It’s the eleven herbs and spices I put in every sketch!
I hope it’s because the fans enjoy hanging out and talking comics with me while I sketch for them. I’m still a big fan of comics and love to geek out with like-minded fans. It’s a lot of fun for me and I appreciate all the support I get from my fans!
Who is your favorite character to draw as a commission request?
Spider-Man is my signature character. I do so many at each con and I love drawing him. Impulse is a often requested character that I really enjoy drawing. But I also like when a fan asks for a character I’m not known for like a random X-Man or something. *cough*Kitty Pryde*cough*
Do you have any favorite memories at the Long Beach Comic Con?
The year the con fell on Halloween weekend was crazy fun. A lot of creators came to the con in costume. I was there as Chuck from NBC’s “Chuck.” I really appreciate what my friends at LBCC have been doing with this convention. They go above and beyond to make my experience awesome.
And the downtown Long Beach convention area is a great place for a comic con. I remember a number of dinners with friends at different restaurants, the most recent being steaks with Mike McKone.
What comics are you currently reading? Is there anything that you’re really excited about?
Skybound stuff like Invincible, Walking Dead, and Ghosted. Some DC stuff like Flash and Aquaman. Marvel’s current books have really reminded me of the fun stuff I remember when I was first started reading comics as a kid. All-New X-Men, Superior Spider-Man, Nova, and Avengers Arena has been just plain fun and fresh with really great art.
Do you have any projects coming up besides Invincible Universe? And do you have plans for any more creator owned comics?
I have been fiddling with a creator-owned idea or two of my own. And I’ve been talking over different ideas with a couple other comics biz buddies. Those two projects could be a lot of fun, but it’s still in the early stages.
