John Cassaday

I have to pass a note like in high school.

So I was like, I was like, Mr. Ham on my Mark Hamill signed my, um, Return of the Jedi Empire Strikes Back movie poster and Star Wars issue one not the one from the 70s or 80s but the one that came out a handful of years ago with Jason Aaron I believe was the other writer on it but anywho so yes John Cassidy that's who it was so Mark Hamill so he signed it and I said hey Jim Steranko gave me to give this to you because I love Jim Steranko and I forget it was a note about like meet up for dinner at some time so I had to pass along a note from one of the greatest artists of a golden era To give to Luke Skywalker.

So that's my big Jim Steranko story.

But yeah, what a, what a character indeed.

Who do you consider your influences when you're making your work?

I think my biggest influences were Stuart Timonen, John Cassidy, and John Paul Leon.

So, you know, very big guys, big names.

And yeah, but what I've learned from them is, you know, try to tell the best story that you can, you know, that's what I took from their work.

So I'm grateful that somebody says the story is good, it's gone great because I...

It's nice to hear that.

I can really see the John Cassaday and the John Paul Lee Owen reference.

I can absolutely see that in your work.

But this up-and-comers checklist also contains a fascinating sidebar titled First Published Work, which as you might imagine reveals the first time these hot new artists have got their names in the credits of a comic.

It's just fun to see the origin, right? It's like, where did they get their first professional break? First up is John Cassaday, who we were talking about a lot on the main episode, and it's called Bill the Bull.

And let's read about this.

"A fresh-faced Cassaday got his first break penciling a backup tale in Boneyard Press' adults-only Bill the Bull one-shot, One Bourbon, One Beer #1 in 1994.

And then around the time Kevin Goodman takes over the book, it's just that we're only dealing with the component pieces that we have and you know I just wanted more glimpses into like what else has occurred that was what was really enrapturing you know this is a guy that unites all of humanity and I get that at a certain point you have to focus when you're telling a story right I just like I missed the more anthology aspects of this book as it went along which is I mean it's a classic thing that happens you start out as an anthology and then you get really locked down on your own I wish more comics had the courage to just stay in anthology.

I love the book Planetary by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday.

But the half of that book that I love more is when they're just kind of doing like bizarre sci-fi case of the week stuff.

And then it gets into all the plot and all the lore.

We are ready to roll as well, but before we go where the wizard wind takes us, I, I just feel like we should mention that Wizard 133, with October 2002 cover date, was published with two covers.

The first was a John Cassaday Captain America, September 11th, one year later memorial cover, while the second was a J. Scott Campbell East versus West cover of a Superman battle against a Super Saiyan version of Goku from Dragon Ball Z.

And Phil, look, you know I love my J. Scott Campbell.

[laughs]

This was that transition out of comic book stuff before he got way into, like, you know, all the covers that he does now, and the fairytale fantasies.

And so it's like, who knows how regularly he was drawing at the time other than the occasional Wizard cover.

And it's funny, looking at these two covers, like, the John Cassaday Captain America one has very little, like, text on the cover.

Wizard is very much like, you know, this is what it's about, and they give a spotlight to the image.

But as soon as Morrison leaves the book, we get massive structural whiplash.

Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday take over the flagship title, launching astonishing X-Men from 2004 to 2008.

Oh, the contrast is stark.

It really is.

Morrison wrote sprawling, weird science fiction manifestos.

Whedon writes tightly paced, emotionally driven missions that feel exactly like a prestige season of television.

John Cassaday's art really cements that feeling of prestige TV.

The wide cinematic panels, the incredibly specific facial expressions.

Empire.The visual evolution of this book perfectly tracks the tone of the war, too.

John Cassaday's early art is overtly cinematic: wide skies, composed hero shots, bright colors.

Very classic Star Wars.

Exactly.

But what really I'm mystified by, and I know this is like an Elseworlds, so it doesn't really matter.

But why did my homie decide to draw Beast like the astonishing X-Men cat version that only John Cassidy ever drew him like? He hasn't looked like that ever other than Astonishing X-Men.

And it's so clearly a John Cassaday.

It's a