Tony Lee interview

Interview with Tony Lee at ComicBookResources:

"Robin has to have a loss that makes him human. He can't just walk in with a witty quip - he has to earn the right."

Out today in the USA

And some new reviews:

School Library Journal

Book Trust

Post Tribune

Becky's Book Reviews

Again, thanks to all who took the time to review the book.

Tony Lee in Edinburgh

So this weekend I'm flying up to Edinburgh for four days, where I'm a guest at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. It's an absolutley massive book expo with a ton of famous writers, and I'm there to talk about Outlaw: The Legend Of Robin Hood among other things, and show kids how to write comics.

It's an incredible honour for me, actually - if you read my columns you'll know that I pretty much love doing school talks to kids who want to grow up doing what I do - after all, if it wasn't for a children's book writer doing the same to me when I was a kid, I'd never have become a writer. So the chance of being able to talk to kids on two days, let alone spend a day in Glasgow doing an outreach programme for a couple of schools - is brilliant.

ForeWord Magazine

We are on the cover of this month's ForeWord Magazine, and Tony and I will be at this weekend's London Film and Comic Con - with posters and sketches for sale.

Reviews

We have some reviews, even an audio one:

Good Reads
Reading Rants
The Bookbag
Geek Syndicate

Thanks to all who took the time to write (or talk) about our book.

Video clip

I asked a friend to make a music track and put together a video clip with images from the graphic novel.

Interviews

Tony and I have been interviewed for the Bold Outlaw website:

Tony Lee interview

Sam Hart interview

A dashing, brooding outlaw

"(Robin Hood) is a dashing, brooding outlaw—impressive,

admirable and a little scary."

We are reviewed in Kirkus Reviews Graphic Spotlight 2009, along with many other excellent Graphic Novels being released in the USA in August/September.

BEA choice

We have been chosen as a Hot Fall Graphic Novel for Libraries at BEA (BookExpo America), the largest book publishing event in North America.

Now on sale

As of yesterday, it's out!

No idea how it's selling, but I suppose this can't be bad (even if only for a couple of hours): 

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank:

#48 in

Books > Children's Books > Comics & Graphic Novels

Scene

Robin Hood Links

More information about Robin Hood:

BoldOutlaw.com

Robin Hood Wiki

In the News

At Robot 6: Candlewick's graphic novel line gets some attention.

In Brazil: Robin Hood is news (in Portuguese).

Scene

Links

 

Tony Lee will at a table on graphic novels at the School Library Association Annual Conference with Andi Watson (Glister) and Paul Gravett. University of Surrey, Guildford, June 21.

 

Then later this year he'll also be talking about comicbook and graphic novel writing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, August 27.

 

4 Page Preview

When I was a kid I used to play at “Robin Hood battles Little John” with my younger brother - who is now twice my size - and so decided to use his likeness for the large outlaw...

Cover Process

The idea I had for the cover was Robin Hood coming in through the window... It could be from the scene in the book when he visits Lady Marian, or he could be coming in to steal the jewelry...

First layout, with original title.

3D figure pose.

Rough sketch in Photoshop.

Final lineart. All Digital so far.

I then printed out the Black & White artwork and put some watercolours over it.

Scanned it back in, put the lineart on top, fiddled around with layers, levels and colours until I was happy with it.

Final cover, design by Patrick Insole

Links

From Tony Lee's January 12th He's Just a Writer...

I received an email from my editor at Walker Books, Lizzie Spratt, just before Christmas about Outlaw: The Legend Of Robin Hood. The email went as follows -

Dear Tony and Sam

I just wanted to let you know that Robin Hood is a Junior Library Guild selection. This is a wonderful thing and means that Robin Hood will be in every library in the States - it's a real mark of quality. Congratulations!

As you can imagine, I'm over the moon. The Junior Library Guild is well known for many years for only choosing the best books every year, and a large percentage of them go on to win multiple awards. And we're a 2009 choice.

And from a Newsarama interview Tony gave when we were starting on the Graphic Novel:

One of the issues we've had is which Robin – is it the Robin of Loxley, or Locksley – or is it Robert of Huntington? Both are 'origins' of the character. Robin of Sherwood used both of them for two different Robins – In Outlaw's Pride we've gone for both on the same outlaw, having Robin of Loxley made Earl of Huntington only to lose it when he becomes outlawed.

But that's not the only change – we've also played with Tuck, made him a Knights Templar Friar who Robin meets on the Crusades – he's the same Tuck, but with a bit more spark – as if he was played by Brian Blessed on crack.

Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest is still there, close to Nottingham and Edwinstowe, although much smaller than it was in Robin's time. 

I went for a visit to sketch and take photos, in May 2007, when I had just started on Outlaw.

Page 18 Process

Here is an example of the artwork process for a page, starting with Tony's script - in the fist panel I thought it was worth a large shot of Maid Marian, as it is her first appearance in the book.

1) Scene change. We’re now looking at Nottingham Castle, it's evening.

CAPTION

NOTTINGHAM CASTLE.

CAPTION 2

“AHA! THE NOBLE HERMIT GRACES US WITH HER PRESENCE!”

2) We’re now in a banqueting hall, looking at the top table. There sits an older Murdach, an older and slightly more battle scarred Gisburn, a couple of flunkies and a serving maid or two. Murdach is calling to Marian, who has appeared at the door to his right, near the table.

MAID MARIAN

MY LORD SHERIFF, I’VE NOT BEEN THAT HARD TO FIND.

(Link)

A SIMPLE KNOCK ON MY DOOR WOULD HAVE FOUND ME.

SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM

INDEED!

(Link)

BUT WHAT MAN WOULD DO SUCH A THING TO A LADY IN MOURNING, FAIR MARIAN?

3) We now look from Marian’s POV. Gisburn looks at her while attacking a large leg of lamb in his hand. The sheriff is appalled at him!

GUY OF GISBURN

YOU KNOW WHAT -CHOMP- YOU NEED?

(Link)

YOU NEED A MAN. IT’S BEEN WHAT, TEN MONTHS, A YEAR SINCE JOHN OF LYE DIED?

GUY OF GISBURN 2

YOU’RE NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER, YOU KNOW.

SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM

GISBURN! APOLOGISE AT ONCE!

4) Gisburn turns back to face the Sheriff, waving the leg like a club. The sheriff shrinks back!

GUY OF GISBURN

OR WHAT, YOU ODIOUS LITTLE CRETIN?

(Link)

YOU THINK YOU COULD HOLD THIS POSITION IF IT WASN’T FOR ME?

SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM

I WILL ADMIT I OWE YOU SOME MODICUM OF THANKS, BUT -

5) Sheriff’s POV now - Gisburn spits bits of meat as he snarls.

GUY OF GISBURN

-DON’T MAKE ME PUKE.

(Link)

A ‘MODICUM OF THANKS’? YOU OWE ME AND YOU DAMNED WELL KNOW IT.

(Link)

I CAN SAY WHAT I WANT TO ‘MAID’ MARIAN!

3D figure layout

digital inks and textures

then colours, by Artur Fujita, and letters

Page 48

I did this page before there was a script, just to see a sample of the mood and style I wanted for the art... Tony then managed to include it in the story (with one minor change: the figure in panel 4 was originally Robin Hood).

Links

Oregon Live choses Robin Hood in Top Nine of Comic Art Now article.

Page 1 is used in Robin Hood movie article.

8 Page Preview

Character sketches

Some of my first, very loose, character sketches.

Call Me Robin Hood…

By Tony Lee

From He’s Only A Writer

I had a drink in a pub this week.

Nothing unusual in that, I hear you say - you often seem to be drinking in pubs, you goddamn layabout, but fear not, I mean something else when I start this column with such a phrase.

You see, I had a drink in a pub with a very old friend this week: Peter Howarth, a singer, songwriter and musical impresario.

When I was a lot younger, back in the days of black and white when dinosaurs walked the earth, I didn't want to be a writer, I wanted to be an actor, a vaudeville song and dance man, and I seriously worked at performing arts as my future. But of course, as all things do, life didn't work out that way and I ended up behind the pen than on the stage. But I still loved the theatre with a passion and went as much as I could, usually getting into shows on free passes provided by friends who were in the shows, or by friends in the more technical sides. There was a point in the early nineties when I would regularly sit on the sound engineer's desk of Les Miserables, happily pressing the sound effects that 'shot' Gavroche. There's a lot of pleasure in 'shooting' Gavroche.

But I digress. I was talking about my drink with Peter. In the early nineties we met up for the first time – he had written a musical called 'Robin: Prince Of Sherwood’ (which was on in the West End) and was starring in it as the Sheriff, I’d gone with two friends, David and Malcolm to see it and in the bar afterwards we met and over a couple of drinks (or maybe a few) a friendship was formed. In the following couple of years we saw the show many times, met up with Peter and his wife Sarah on non-show occasions for drinks and even popped up to Derby (with another mate, Michael) to surprise him when the show was on tour. I never fooled myself, as far as I was concerned we were fans of the show, and he was the 'talent’. He had to be nice to us as we were his bread and butter. But Peter didn’t see it like that. He truly embraced us as friends, and I have many pleasant memories of those months when he was in the West End. We even surprised him once by turning up to a performance dressed as the 
Sheriff, we sat directly in front and centre and cheered when people booed and booed when people cheered. His expression when he saw us was one of delight. And afterwards he demanded we came round the side door so he could have a picture taken with us.

But by 1993 the show was closed, the tour was ended and we had no reason to see Peter anymore. But, again, Peter still kept in touch, even coming to see me when I was in a show of my own. But the years moved on and we eventually lost track, house moves, new cities and new jobs taking their toll. He became the new lead singer of the Hollies, and I moved into writing comics. Every now and then I’d think about getting in touch, but usually I’d just forget.

 

Fast forward to last week. By the joys of Facebook and Twitter, I’d recently had David Moore, one of the three original 'Sheriffs’ get back in touch with me and, while reminiscing about the olden days, he mentioned that he still had the picture lying around of that 'Sheriff dressing’ day – and he uploaded it to his facebook account.

 

Seeing this brought back a lot of memories of that time, because even though I claim not to be anything of the sort, there is a kind of 'celebrity’ image on the comic circuit, especially on the Doctor Who one – I learned this at Gallifrey One in LA – And anyone who doesn’t believe me? Go to the London MCM Expo on the Saturday afternoon this May and check out the Warren Ellis worshipping - but thinking about the conventions that I did, I realized one very surprising thing. I did my best in all occasions to treat the fans of my work like mates, and I realised that this was because of the way that Peter had treated me when I was a fan. I have fans who are now solid friends, and I believe strongly that it purely because of the attitude of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

 

But more importantly, I realized that Peter, more than anyone else was influential in the creation of Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood – and I’d not only not realized this, I’d never credited him.

 

You see, Peter, and his excellent musical (which really does warrant a repeat run in the West End, mister Kenwright) had reignited my love of Robin Hood, a story I’d loved as a child. And over the next decade, every now and then I’d hear a snippet of a song from the musical and it’d bring that love back. And when I wrote Midnight Kiss, I originally had a subplot for the later issues that involved Robin Hood and a connection to Nightmare De’Lacy. Unfortunately Midnight Kiss died, but the subplot was still shown, that Maryanne (De’Lacy) stole the silver arrow from Robin Hood, it being the silver from the arm of Nuadha, the king of the Fey. Nothing more was ever said of it, but it was Peter Howarth that, albeit subconsciously, instigated that scene.

 

That scene inspired Sam Hart to draw me a page of fan art. We’d just finished Starship Troopers together and he wanted a break to clear the pallet, and so he drew a sketch for me, a picture that when I looked at it made me go 'bloody hell. We need to write this story. ’ That sketch, with nothing added to it, became page one of the graphic novel.

 

So indirectly, Peter had created Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood, in a manner of speaking.

 

I decided that even if he didn’t remember me, I should at least tell him of this. It had been over a decade since we had last spoken, but after a little bit of Google stalking, I found his MySpace page and fired him off a message saying thanks.

 

Within a couple of hours I had a reply. Peter did remember me well, and was happy I’d gotten back in touch as he’d lost my details years ago. We were also both going to be in London on the Friday, so a drink was planned.

 

Seeing Peter for the first time was like walking back through a door on memory lane. We sat down in a bar that was once the after show bar for Robin: Prince of Sherwood, and talked like we’d never been apart. Peter’s writing a new musical and had a CD of Robin for me – I gave him a printed out letter proof of my graphic novel. We talked about everything and everyone and I realized that what I had wanted when I was a kid, the performing, and the showmanship? I had it. It was just in a slightly different way. Peter works for the Hollies as their lead vocalist, but it’s not his own work, in the same way that I would write a Marvel, or 2000 A.D. story. When he gets a chance (and usually when his writing partner, 10CC’s Rick Fenn is back in the country) he writes music, in particular musicals – telling his stories in the same way that I write my creator owned stuff. He meets people who like his stuff, and he still to this day treats all fans as friends, and I was honoured to finally tell him how much of an influence he’d made in my life.

 

And at the end of the day, we said our goodbyes and went back to our respective lives, Peter off to prepare for another singing gig this weekend, myself to meet with screenwriter James Moran for a beer around the corner, where we discussed the differences of screenplays and scripts.

 

I listened to Peter’s CD this weekend, and the music was as clean and crisp as it ever was, and I found myself remembering just how damned good that show was back in the day.

 

I only hope that a decade down the line, when someone reads my own work, they feel the same.

Outlaw the Legend of Robin Hood