I’ve been dropping hints at the last two conventions I attended (at my panels and at my booth) that I’ve been given a once-in-a-lifetime gig, rebooting one of the most important “Golden Age” characters in comics.
Now I can tell you.
It’s arguably the MOST important character in all of comics’ history, the one that started it all.
The Yellow Kid.
Yup.
The first comic strip character in history is finally getting some attention in this land where comics are finally king. Not only a comic book relaunch from IDW, but a Hollywood relaunch as well, with a major motion picture due out this August.
Back in the waning days of the 19th Century, a cartoonist named R. F. Outcault single-handedly invented the comic strip with a series of continuous stories told in illustrated form. The series was called “Hogan’s Alley”, and it featured a precocious Asian fellow, charmingly named “The Yellow Kid”, who literally wore his thoughts on his sleeve.
Here the “Kid” is seen hanging around with Outcault’s other major comic strip creation, “Buster Brown”.
The strip ran for years in New York, it even created the first copyright and intellectual property lawsuit about a pop-culture character when competing newspapers used teh character without permission. It’s where the term “yellow journalism” comes from.
But now he’s coming back as a major Warner Brothers film, a WB animated TV series, and a comic book miniseries from IDW.
I haven’t really started yet, but I’ll be writing and providing covers for the series, with a fairly new artist named Pavel Martin providing the interiors for the first three issues at least. Pavel’s an ex-bootcamper student of mine I recommended for the project and I’m thrilled to be working with him professionally. I think he’s really ready.
Some of Pavel’s early sketches. The skateboard wasn’t our idea, that comes from the TV people, he’s going to have a skateboard on the show…. so you have to forgive us for that.
I’ll post new artwork and the cover for issue #1 as soon as I’ve finished it. It’s pencilled and inked, but I’m in the middle of colouring it right now. You’re going to love it.
After a hundred and twenty years, it’s about time!
After working on characters like Batman, The Simpsons and the Avengers, it’s really an honour to be working on the character that literally started it all.
I won’t let you guys, or R. F. Outcault’s legions of fans down. I promise.
Ty the Guy OUT!
A couple of Yellow Kid appearances from his heyday to whet your appetite!
What an irrepressible scamp he was. I hope we get to give him a proper name.
Ty Templeton's ART LAND!! 