Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, dc, flashpoint, francis manapul, geoff johns

Francis Manapul On Leaving Flash… In A Flash (UPDATE)

Artist Francis Manapul didn't draw last week's issue of Flash, Scott Kolins did, despite Francis being listed in the solicitions, and the book having been rescheduled after previous issues were late. Francis is also no longer listed on upcoming issues, which has caused some pained internet discussion.

After an initial tweet, Francis addressed this issue head on with his blog, Art Journal 2.0. He writes;

As some of you I'm sure have noticed I didn't draw the recently released Flash #11. I'm disappointed that I didn't get to finish this story arc. However, in order to get the last 2 issues out before Flashpoint they had to be done in an impossible time frame that there was no way I could do it without the work suffering. Talking to my editors we felt it wasn't the right situation for me, and that we should begin developing my next project. That said, I will state on the record that I've never had an issue with turning in my work and editorial has never had a problem with me. I may have stumbled a bit out of the gate as I was on the road filming during my first 3-4 issues of the Flash, but with the lead time we had we were able to avoid any major delays. I take my normal 4-5 weeks to pencil, ink, and watercolor a book which is the standard time everybody gets just to pencil it. Much of the delays were due to the multiple stops and starts in the work process that is completely out of my hands. Hopefully I won't have to address this issue again, but I just felt the need to clarify to try and avoid further vilification.

Moving forward my next project at DC is in the works. I'm EXTREMELY EXCITED about it, and my editors enthusiasm and endless support has been great! I've been developing it with my collaborator and editorial soon after my last issue of the Flash. Hopefully if all goes well, we can get started on doing the new book in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime I've done a few covers for Flashpoint as well as other DC titles, I also ended up contributing 5 pages for Flash 12 to help close out the series.

I'm so jazzed about the future and my next project, I think a lot of people will be too. I appreciate the fans that's stuck with me through this time and patiently waited. I really feel that the best is yet to come, and that 2011 will be an even bigger year for me. Thanks for reading!

UPDATE: Francis writes to clarify;

By "delays in the the work process" I'm not referring to my actual work process of my pages (I guess I should have worded it better). I'm talking about the entire production. I've admitted that when I was filming it did affect our lead time. However depriving myself of sleep, we staved off any major delays on the book. The fill in was the light at the end of the tunnel that was going to get us back ahead. But things change…

The major delays started just before the fill in and well after the fill ins. There were multiple stops and starts in the books production that I have no control of what so ever. Essentially there were days to over a week where I had nothing to do, so my editors gave me covers for other books to keep me occupied. To tell you the truth I didn't mind as I got some time off ;) My work process on my pages did nothing to delay the schedule. In fact it speeds things up for my editor as I've gotten covers before at 3-4 in the afternoon and turned in a fully finished inked and colored piece to my editor the next morning. I'll be very clear. The delays were due to production stops, not my art process.

Here's a reminder of some of that art – and the process that goes into it.

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