November 15, 2008
The Rookie
Hi again,
Here’s the deal — Although Scott has done a fair bit of writing 
and Mark managed to pass the 6th grade on the 3rd try, neither of us has ever really done what you might call “personal blogging.” So we’re kinda learning as we go here.
Our goal with this main Addictive Comic’s Blog is to try carry on a conversation with you readers — we want to talk with you, not at you.
But occassionally (like today for instance) we might have to talk about ourselves in the third person (like football players do) because that is the easiest way to keep things straight. Rest assured that for the forseeable future Scott and/or Mark will be writing most of the posts you read here.
We want to always use this blog to let you in on the very newest happenings at Addictive Comics and introduce you to some of the talented creators we have lined up.
Please ALWAYS feel free to leave a comment on EVERY post.
For today and tomorrow, we thought it might be good to talk about the two comics we are opening the Addictive Comics site with — The Rookie and Black Jack Justice.
THE ROOKIE
Many of you are, of course, familiar with Scott’s Science Fiction/Gangster/ Football story — and right now those who are not are going, “WHAT?!”
Yes, The Rookie is all those things and more. And since I have already written this once and can’t improve on perfection – and we are busy and lazy – here is the description from ScottSigler.com –
Imagine a story that combines the intense football action of “Any Given Sunday” with the space opera style of “Star Wars” and the criminal underworld of “The Godfather.”
“The Rookie” is set amongst a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future. Aliens play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that — literally — want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assasinated.
Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or hell wind up just another stat in the column marked “killed on the field.”
Sounds pretty Cool, huh?
ADDICTIVE COMICS’ THE ROOKIE
The Story
The Rookie comic is adapted straight from the script by Scott Sigler. If it was in the Podcast or Novel, it’s in the comic.
Quentin Barnes, The PNFL, The Quyth, The GFL, The Krakens, The Creterakians, the Sklorno, the Ki — They’re ALL there.
The Artwork
Mark Hester will be supplying the artwork — both pencils and inks. Rather than talk about it, here’s a sample. It’s a character study for Gredok, the Quyth leader who makes his first appearance in the comic on page five –
Gredok - Quyth Leader
from The Rookie by Scott Sigler
Artwork by Mark Hester
Click on the above picture for a Larger Look at Gredok.
IT’S ALL COMING VERY SOON!
Keep watching the Addictive Comics Prelaunch Blog, Signup for the Email Updates & RSS feed, tell your friends — and Watch Out! Because YOUR Rookie Season starts RIGHT HERE very soon on Addictive Comics.
Scott & Mark
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Comments on The Rookie »
Danflor @ 5:38 pm
Very cool quyth leader! I can’t wait to see what the quyth warriors look like. Could you post pics of the other races?
Mark Hester @ 7:44 pm
Absolutely. Keep watching and you’ll eventually see all of them. And we won’t make you wait for the GFL!
Thanks for the comment and kind words, Danflor.
Mark
w_nightshade @ 6:31 am
Mark,
As a Sigler AND a comics fan, I am very excited to see your work on this so far. What I have seen promises to make the webcomics adaptation of The rookie as impressive as the audiobook. Keep up the stellar work!
RZ Romero @ 12:39 pm
Totally stoked. Mark, you must feel honored to be working so closely with the FDO. I’m so envious. Can’t wait to see the Rookie as a graphic novel!
I’m already Addicted!!!!
Mark Hester @ 12:51 pm
Hey, Romero! How about the FDO feeling honored to work with ME?!
Actually, YES, I am very blessed, honored and excited to be working with all of these super talented people. Scott, Paul, Gregg, Sami and all those we haven’t told you about yet (you’re gonna flip when you hear some of these names!)
This is EASILY the coolest project I have ever been a part of.
Thank you for the comment,
Thank you also Nightshade for the kind words.
Mark
Jesper Schultz @ 4:56 am
Hi Mark,
I promised myself that I’d get back to you on the ‘original OJs have specific mental images of the story characters-challenge’, but somehow my email-signup didn’t pan out, so I haven’t been checking back with the site regularly - sorry man.
OK - for the subject at hand. I actually had this notion that I had an image for Gredok in my head, but looking at your version, I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was!
I think this could be because of 2 equally good reasons:
1. I actually did not have an image, per se, of Gredok, rather than a general feel as to fur/skin, number of appendages etc. And any graphic representation of the Quyth leader that would not disregard the ‘basic parameters’ for the way the character looked, would be fine and fit my ‘mould’.
2. Perhaps I actually did have an image of Gredok (as I mentioned, I don’t think so), and your version just fits the bill perfectly.
Anycase - whether it because we all are blank tablets with vague ideas that you can fill with your ink and images, or because you nail the characters spot-on - I do not think that the challenge of fitting the OJs mental images of the characters is so much of an issue any more
Gredok looks great - like the others, I can’t wait to se the next images.
PS. Pleeease do a close-up study of John Tweedy - bulked up, angry-as-hell, crazy sob, programmable subskin tattoos attack-mode linebacker from Hell.
Cheers, Jesper
Mark Hester @ 7:20 am
Thank you, Jesper, for the comments.
I think of your two reasons — I hope it is #1 because Scott and I word hard to get just the right look. This is as close as we can get to what Scott had in mind when he wrote The Rookie.
Even he, though, is sometimes surprised — like with the toe ring. It just made sense to me that with the big feet, that a rich Quyth would wear a toe ring. So I added it. It had Scott laughing out loud when he say it. It’s something he never considered but loves.
I think more likely, though, the acually reason is #2. We seldom get a really acurate picture in our minds of an object — more of a “feeling.” I run in to this as an artist all the time. It’s even more pronounced and frustrating with actual physical objects. You know exactly what they should look like — but try drawing them an gaps start to appear. For instance — anyone can “describe” the Eiffel Tower or a Volkswagon or a Collie. But just try and draw them and you start noticing things you’ve never considered.
Thank you for the great ideas and please keep it up. These are exactly the kinds of discussions we hope that we can have with the fans on the Blogs.
By the way, I checked — your newsletter signup worked. You’re good.
Mark
PS John Tweedy ought to be a blast.