Page Created: 11/03/16. Last Updated: 06/15/18.
MARK MCKENNA
Official Site: http://www.markmckennaart.com/
Website Bio: http://www.markmckennaart.com/about-me.php
Social Media:
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Mark-Mckenna-Art-708923312493524/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mckenna-245a101
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkMcKenna419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Articles / Interviews / Etc.
..........http://marvel.com/comics/creators/558/mark_mckenna (Marvel Comics)
..........http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=2025 (Comic Book Data Base)
..........http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Mark_McKenna/Cover_Artist (Marvel Wiki)
..........http://purposerockstar.com/mark-mckenna/ (Purpose Rockstar Interview)
..........http://www.graphicnovelreporter.com/authors/mark-mckenna/news/interview-070610 (Graphic Novel Reporter Interview)
MEETING DETAIL
Meeting Date: May 13, 2017.
Meeting Site: Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Attendance: 26.
Meeting Program: Talk w/Q & A by Comic Book Artist / Creator.
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2017 Philip J De Parto:
Comic Book / Graphic Novel creator Mark McKenna spoke and answered questions at the Saturday, May 13, 2017 meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County at the Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. McKenna has worked in the industry for over 30 years, working for both Marvel and DC.
Both of our pre meeting events bounced back after a lackluster April. The Writers Space Salon conducted a vigorous discussion of Voice and other matters while Ice Nine, meeting for the first time in the adult area of the Fellowship Hall, talked about comics, television, movies and more.
Mark McKenna is best known as an inker, although in his long tenure in the industry, he has done a bit of everything. Inking is one of the five steps in the creation of a comic book or graphic novel. A book begins with a plot and a script. Next comes a pencil sketch in non-repro blue (which is invisible to photocopy machines) which breaks down the panels and depicts the main action. Inking, which adds depth, light sources and often background detail, overlays the pencils with ink. The lettering of dialogue, thought balloons, and narration is then added. The process concludes with with coloring the illustrations.
Our speaker's slide show depicted each step in the process. He also showed and explained the various tools of the inker's trade: Black Magic Ink, Black Indian Ink, brushes, pens, markers, templates, Pro White White-Out, beveled edge rulers, and Magic Rub Erasers. It takes him 3 - 4 weeks to ink a 32 page comic.
McKenna grew up a comic book and a movie fan. His original intent was to work in animation, but came to realize that the quicker pace of comics was a better fit. His college Art Perspective instructor was the DC Comics New Talent Coordinator. Young Mark honed his craft in weekend sessions at DC with other fledgling craftsmen. As his work improved, he showed samples to Marvel and was soon hired as a freelance Production Artist who fixed art problems which developed en route to the printer.
He moved from Production Inking to Book Inking and from Marvel to DC (who took much better care of its freelancers). He later moved back to Marvel for a number of years as a Staff Artist before being downsized to freelancer. He worked at both companies as a freelancer for years.
The same forces of globalization which have turned the Midwest to the Rust Belt have impacted the comic book industry. Third world artists work for 1/3 the cost of Americans. Our speaker supplements his income with paid appearances at comic book conventions (23 in 2016) and by creating independent titles like BANANA TAILS and COMBAT JACKS.
To be continued on 2017 - 05/2017 Meeting Page on club website, sfabc.org.