By Marc Strom
Adaptations can be tricky if you don't have the right artist for the job. Luckily, LORDS OF AVALON: SWORD OF DARKNESS, based on the first book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's series of the same name, doesn't have that problem.
Artist Tommy Ohtsuka has managed to mark SWORD OF DARKNESS as one of the more distinctive comics on the stands, bringing Robin Furth's scripts to life with energy to spare.
Ohtsuka may be responsible for bringing the various Lords to the page, but he nonetheless remains close to the source material. "I designed the characters only after I had [read] the novel many times," he says of his process.
With the novels' strong fanbase, you'd expect pressure to play a large role portraying such beloved characters. Ohtsuka, however, has a rather different take on the challenge of bringing this work to life:
"I think each person has a different version of the characters in their own mind," he explains. "So even if there's some difference between my version and theirs, I hope that readers enjoy my own personal take on the characters as simply another variation."
Upon receiving a new script, the Japanese artist says "I read over [it] a few times and begin to build up various images in my head." Every once in a while, though, he'll need to look elsewhere to get his creative juices flowing. "I'll sometimes watch a movie or look through various pictures for inspiration."
LORDS OF AVALON requires a wide degree of versatility from Ohtsuka, forcing him to seamlessly transition between comedic and dramatic scenes on the turn of a dime. Fortunately, the artist doesn't have any trouble figuring out the best way to convey a scene.
"I think the most important thing is to synchronize my own emotions to the scene," Ohtsuka notes. "From there I can figure out what any given scene requires from me."
At the same time, Ohtsuka has a firm grasp on what styles the series requires from him. Early on he knew that the color pallet for SWORDS OF DARKNESS would need to be more subdued. He describes his thought process, saying, "I keep in mind to not use loud colors because of the serious nature of the story."
And with such a diverse backdrop, the series' world offers up more than a few opportunities for Ohtsuka to let loose and have some fun.
"My favorite part of drawing the series so far has been the scenes where the dragon appears," the artist enthuses. "It's very fun to draw the dragon or the gargoyle, since they're both very dynamic visually."
Check out Ohtsuka's work in the first two issues of LORDS OF AVALON: SWORD OF DARKNESS, currently available at your local comic shop. And after you've consumed those two, be sure to check out #3 when it hits stands on April 2!
