Todd McFarlane Talks New Spawn Collaboration with Co-Image Founder Erik Larsen
During New York Comic Con, Image Co-Founder and comic legend Todd McFarlane revealed that he would be working with Savage Dragon co-creator and fellow Image Co-Founder Erik Larsen to help breathe new life into his series Spawn. And in an interview with Comic Book Resources, the way these two came together was both funny, and very cool.
“I go, “Look it, I need to come up with another artist” and I wanted — I want somebody that’s going to sort of get me jolted — that’s going to excite me. And somebody who I know I can trust. I can just — so, if I get sick, they’ll carry the workload or vice-versa. So, the big deal here is that Erik and I are going to do this hybrid book — because Erik Larsen, when he’s doing “Dragon,” that’s him, and he is anal about it. … So I just go, “Erik, someday — you’re just going to have to let me ink you, because I think you and I together would be this cool look. It’s your big, sort of Kirby-esque, sort of big foot, awesome comic book stuff, but with a little — with some Todd sexy on it, right? They like the sexy and they like the big — big foot stuff. What’s that combo look together?” … So anyways, we get to where we’re at now, I need somebody to do a quick fill-in for me, so I’m looking for an artist. Erik’s having a pretty good time and then he just goes, “I hear you’re looking for a writer. I can help you write.” I’m like, “Yeah.” So we talk about some stories. I go, “Yeah, yeah.” [Erik Larsen:] “Maybe I should just draw it too?” And I went, “Well –”
And I go, “What are you talking about? You’re doing — You’re doing ‘Dragon.’ You can’t –” And he’s like, “Well, you know… what if–” And I go, “Well, I was thinking of coming back and just inking it, so at least the pages will get done.” And he’s going, “What if I just give you some roughs, and then you ink it, and then we just go back and forth, and we just make this blend.” And I thought it was cool. And then he sent me the first couple pages of his issue, and they’re awesome.”
Currently, McFarlane and Larsen will work on five issues of Spawn together, where it goes after that is up in the air.