I've NEVER had that O'Neil story JB, and it is damned funny!

Re: Aparo.  Jim did one page a day of letters-pencils and ink (and in THAT order).  Every editor he worked with KNEW that and scheduled accordingly.  While working on BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS, Mike W. Barr (the writer AND editor) would sometimes shorten the lead story or schedule a two parter by a "guest" artist to provide extra lead time for Jim on upcoming issues.

As Scott Peterson once said to me, it it was scheduled correctly, Jim could go a whole year before "scheduling" caught up with him and they'd need him to do only pencils or to get a "guest" artist.

Scott also told me (all though maybe it was Spencer Beck) that while Jim was penciling Green Arrow, it was HE was keeping the book ON SCHEDULE because almost every writer that was working on the book was LATE and it was Jim's herculian efforts that kept the book on track.  I chuckled when I was told that because I was under the impression that it was usually the inker and the colorist whose shoulders that task fell upon!  Aparently, tho, Jim's inker ont he series lived in South America, and they kept forgetting to schedule in the "transit" time for the pages.

MPH

In his initial run on The New Teen Titans, I think George Perez had three fill-
ins: one by Curt Swan and two by Keith Pollard

===================================================

Issue 5 was pencilled by Curt Swan. If memory serves Keith Pollard did 35-36 to help Perez get Annual 2 ready and Carmine Infantino and Steve Rude did 48 and 49 to give him time to do issue 50. Marv Wolfman said that's why these artisits filled in in the LOC.

I feel bad for the artists who are dependable and work hard, but don't receive the recognition of the so-called 'super-star' artists. Rags Morales is an example; from what I've read, his attitude and work ethic are very professional (and his stuff kicks butt), and yet he worries about getting constant work.

I find it unfortunate that it appears editorial walk on egg-shells around talent that are proven to sell books, despite their inability to respect deadlines. The market seems to tolerate and even encourage these prima donnas, considering that sales remain high whenever their books eventually appear.

Too true, Joakim (sigh).

It is entirely because of this that I have to amend the statement NO BOOK OF MINE HAS EVER SHIPPED LATE with "because of anything I did."

Steve Horton wrote: Actually, the music industry is a good analogy. How long have we been waiting for Chinese Democracy?

I'm not sure it is.  How often does this occur in the music industry and do artists have deadlines in their contracts?  Anyway, I stopped waiting for GNR's new CD a loooong time ago.

Ron Sluyter wrote: I saw Axl Rose and his mock Guns N Roses perform some of Chinese Democracy last  year.

Guns N' Posers?

Felicity Walker wrote: Speaking strictly as a fan of the medium, and setting aside for one moment the business angle and how a late comic affects people’s livelihoods, I would rather get a perfect comic late than an imperfect comic on time.

Is there such a thing as a perfect comic, though?  It's supposed to be a monthly or at least periodical and serial publication, so one would expect you're expecting more in the future.  I think it just needs to be good.  It's not the statue of David, after all.

JB, I must say I do find it somewhat curious that you keep bringing up Frank Miller in terms of someone who is a stickler for deadlines.  He's been a party to 4 of the most delayed series of all time:  Dark Knight Returns, Ronin, Dark Knight Strikes Again, and (currently) All-Star Batman & Robin.

I realize the most current one is a "combined effort" for lateness, but not the other 3.

Also, IIRC, 300 started getting later and later as the series wore on.  But I don't know that to be fact.

QUOTE: More dynamic and much less static and bogged down by details unnecessary to tell the story? Mind you, just a small hypoithesis.

Basically, Joakim.  Of course, it's perhaps the plots and scripts that breed this type of storytelling or it could be the other way around.  Whatever the case, there is a marked lack of story flow, not to mention content.  There seems to be too much focus on getting things to look realisitic and not enough on showing things happening.  And too many fans seem content to be wowed by the photorealism than to be entertained and drawn into the story.  That's just a basic impression, mind you.  I don't intend to speak for what fans read into these current comics.