Klaus Janson

Um, speaking of the, of the artists, let's, let's, let's talk about that really quickly because there, I mean, other than, than the first issue, which is of course issue zero, the special Tim Sale art, you've got 10 issues here and the 10 different artists, um, which I wanna talk about the decision to do that.

But the artists, just to give them credit, we've got Eduardo Risso, Klaus Janson, Mark Chiarello, Cliff Chiang, Bill Sienkiewicz, Enrico Marini, Dave Johnson, Becky Cloonan, Chris Samnee, and Matteo Scalera.

Um, so the decision was made because they couldn't ob- obviously they couldn't have Tim Sale.

They would use a rotation of artists so no one art style was across the entire book.

Scott Williams had a clean jag to his line.

Cl-Klaus Janson had a very jagged line.

Between Scott and Terry and Klaus, I've just covered some of the biggest comic books that we-- that were ever published.

Biggest meaning most commercial, most successful, uh, the, the ones that connected the most with audiences in terms of commercial viability.

And so, you know, and Paul's awesome, obviously.

And then, and then who else did I see? Yeah, and last but not least, I met Klaus Janson on the el- escalator r- randomly.

[laughs] Uh, so, so I, I, I had...

This is the weird, surreal moment that I had at the end of New York Comic Con.

This is, like, literally the last panel that I attended, and it was, uh, a panel on, for the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame inductees, and they, this was all Batman creators.

And so of the Batman g- there, there's very few of them alive.

The only ones that are still alive are Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and I blanking on the, the third person.

And, uh-

My man, shrimp, Sal Buscema, okay? I buy...

Oh, Frank Miller and Klaus Janson.

Frank Miller.

Guys, I'm in the comic book business for the art.

All of the Hall of Fame inductees were associated with Batman in some way or, or another, the first one going to David Mazzucchelli.

But they also awarded, you know, DC president and publisher Jeanette Khan, uh, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and, and then nine posthumous Harvey Awards as well for Jerry Robinson, Dick Sprang, Carmine Infantino, Frank Robbins, Denny O'Neil, Dick Giardino, Jim Aparo, Marshall Rogers, and Tim Sale.

And most of those people had family members represented that got a chance to speak on the stage, and that was a really emotional moment in the show.

And there was a lot of anticipation leading up to that moment because we had not fully worked out how that was going to be done, like how we were going to pass out the awards to the people who were there and who weren't there and who were speaking.

She, you know, she's such an important figure in comics, and to see her get that recognition from peers and from the people that she's influenced w- was astonishing.

And, you know, to, to witness the family members accept the Harvey Awards for their relatives was really beautiful.

Uh, you know, [laughs] Jock presenting the Hall of Fame award to Klaus Janson was really lovely.

Then Todd McFarlane presents Frank Miller with his Hall of Famer, and that moment, you know ...

Not only could Frank Miller draw, he could write.

From then on, Miller wrote and drew the book with the help of Klaus Janson, who was more than an inker.

He was a finisher who completed Miller's layout.

The next dozen issues were a dazzling whirl of shifting alliances between Daredevil, Elektra, the Kingpin, Bullseye, and the ninja clan known as The Hand.

This wasn't printed on the cheap disposable newsprint that comics traditionally used.

No, it was released as a four-issue prestige format limited series written and drawn by Miller with inks by Klaus Janson and revolutionary colors by Lynn Varley.

And the format is a huge part of the message here.

The prestige format meant heavy glossy paper stock.

I assume most everybody knows who these creators are, 'cause they're going in the Hall of Fame.

Um, you've got Tim Sale, Marshall Rogers, Jim Aparo, Dick Giordano, Denny O'Neil, Frank Robbins, Carmine Infantino, Dick Sprang, Jerry Robinson, Jeannette Kahn, David Mazzucchelli, Klaus Janson, and Frank Miller.

Damn.

A very Batman-centric Hall of Fame.