Friday, July 21, 2006

Samurai Jack Storyboard EP 22 part 1


last weekend I picked up season 2 and 3 or Samurai Jack on DVD which included an episode I boarded but never saw when the show was on the air. To my surprise the episode in question #22 had really been changed a lot from what I had origionally done. It seems Genndy changed his mind and rewrote and reboarded most of that episode after I had finished the entires show and sent it in. He kept my beginning sequence though and I am credited at the end of the episode.

Originally the team of bounty hunters was a cardre of various types playing off of Genndy's fondness for the Fantastic Four, old Transformers and the Herculoids. But now they are gone, replaced by a pack of lion hunters. So I decided what I would do is post the original board so people can see what I originally did.

Samurai Jack was a very pro-artist show where the board artists really were the writers, you'd get a plot which might be a page, page and a half and then you were off to rough out the board, including writing all the dialogue. So the show was written in the storyboard and it was a great bit of fun and a lot of hard work. Being off site, meaning working here in my studio in Philly instead of Cartoon Network's studio in LA meant I had a lot to pull and no day-to-day input with the staff, Genndy etc. In essence it was mostly working in a vacume and I would only talk to the producer or Genndy once in a while. Once I'd roughed out a huge batch or boards I'd send them off to Genndy and he would give e feedback via fax or over the phone.

So witout further delay here is the beginning of the show, I'll hopefully post some more boards on Monday, or even over the weekend.


A bigger scan here.

A bigger scan here.

A bigger scan here.

A bigger scan here.

4 comments:

Echo Shi Volla said...

Storyboard is a hard job I am so proud of you^^

Christian D. Leaf said...

Wow. You're probably one of the most versatile artists in the business and hardest working. Dare I say you're the James Brown of comics/animation/teaching/publishing? Yeah, I think I dare. (At least in my humble opinion.) I usually watch 'From Script to Comic' while I'm drawing and'or practicing my inking. You're a fount of knowledge and inspiration for all us out there in Comicland. Keep it up, good sir.

Kelly said...

Okay, I think I'm starting to get the story board concept now. I suppose simply asking about it would have clarified any MISconceptions I was harboring. Your boards are currently reminding me of contact sheets though--time to shoot!! Summer is almost over and I still have several rolls to go......
(which reminds me--I'd like to do a little shooting around your place. I saw some things I found interesting while I was there. Perhaps I'll stalk you guys)

Mike Manley said...

Kelly, you are more than welcome to shoot 'round here. yeah, the summer seems to be vanishing quick-like a Quick Draw would say.

Ink Blatt, Thanks, well I agreee, I am a very flexible artist, a must in the animation biz where you have to try and match the styles of the shows you work on.

I am really happy to hear my DVD holds up to repeated veiwing as I plan on doing yet another one for next year.

Best,
MM