Getting the Word Out Part 5: Denny Upkins

[JamesFreeman]

-Who is your favorite comic writer?

Hands down that would be Joss Whedon. His work on Astonishing X-Men,
Runaways, Fray and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 has been nothing
short of exceptional. Whether it’s his television series, his movies,
his comics or his online web musicals, you know you’re going to be
taken for a ride. He entertains, he’ll make you laugh with his razor
sharp wit and pop culture references, he scares you, he challenges you
on a moral, philosophical and spiritual level, he inspires, he’ll piss
you off when he kills off a beloved character (Kendra, Wash, Penny, to
name a few). You’ll be laughing like a hyena and then five seconds later, you’re in tears, sobbing. But more than anything Joss makes you
think and I don’t think you can ask for anything more from a writer.

He’s definitely been a game changer and has set the standard of
excellence in genre entertainment, in my opinion.

-Who is your favorite artist?

There are a lot of artists out there whose work I enjoy--Darwyn Cooke,
Humberto Ramos, Jim Lee--but probably my favorite artist is the late
Michael Turner. He was one of the catalysts that inspired me to get my
BFA in computer animation. He was a phenom. His art style was ethereal
and I spent countless hours sketching in my pad, hoping to emulate a
modicum of his ability. The fact that he was both an artist and a> writer really spoke to me as well. Reading up on him, I was stoked to find out that he was a fellow Tennessee boy and the fact that he was a
certifiable hottie wasn’t missed on me either. LOL!

I had the opportunity to meet Michael during a signing at a local
comic book store in Chattanooga TN. I was actually at work and was
going to miss him entirely but it was one of those opportunities that
I knew I couldn’t miss. It was like God was telling me to go because there was something there for me. So I took “an extended lunch break”
and went to the signing.

I stood in line and waited for him to sign issue 12 of Fathom which
was the big crossover featuring Tombraider, Witchblade and the titular
heroine herself. He greeted me with a warm grin and signed my copy. As
he signed, I flipped through his portfolio and saw his various pieces.
"Did you have any formal training?" I asked.
"Nah," he said. "I took one art class one time and I got a C-."
"Do you have any advice for novice artists?"
"My only advice would be to just to keep at it and keep working on it."

Michael couldn’t have been nicer or any more gracious. The man
redefined the term class act. He was genuinely eager to chat with the fans. In fact he stayed beyond the time he was scheduled, signing autographs and hanging out.

A few weeks after the signing, I first learned that he had been
diagnosed with cancer. What was even more inspiring was not only did
he beat it, but he came back with a vengeance. He launched his own
company, produced his own titles, and was still sought after by Marvel
and DC alike to do cover art and story arcs. And when the cancer
returned, he didn't let it stop him. Giving credence to the notion
that Turner was every bit the superhero that he made his living
drawing. When things got rocky in art school for me, his indomitable
spirit was one of my inspirations to keep me persevering.

And though the cancer returned one final time, I know he didn’t go
quietly into the night. When my audio short, Stranger Than Fiction (a
tale that featured a young comic book writer/artist), was published at
Sniplits, I dedicated it to Michael. I also keep that signed comic
next to BFA diploma and my awards. While he’s no longer with us, he’ll
never be forgotten.

-Your favorite current series?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8. Each time I get a new issue, I’m
immensely giddy with excitement because I can’t wait to see where the
characters are going to be taken next.

I’m also enjoying the current run of the Black Panther with Shuri as
the titular heroine. It’s one of the few titles which celebrates
African culture/three-dimensional compelling black characters with
respectability. The art is enjoyable and the stories are a perfect
blend of action, adventure, fantasy and conscious social political
commentary. For 15 minutes I’m taken to a world where being black
isn’t a scarlet letter but a badge of honor, one of vibranium even.

-How did you first get into writing?

I’m an 80s kid so He-Man, She-Ra, G.I. Joe, Jem, Thundercats,
Brave-Star and the rest weren’t just cartoons but a way of life. Even
as a child I was imbued with a sense of wonder and those cartoons were
from the era that taught kids that they had the power to change the
world and should always strive to do so. Connected to those worlds and
wanting to be a force of good in this one, I found my calling in
storytelling.

-Who are some influences on you?

From a professional standpoint, aside from Whedon, my other influences
range from F. Scott Fitzgerald, to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to J.K.
Rowling. It’s been repeatedly postulated that she got people reading
again and that coupled with the epic saga of an endearing British
teenage wizard who lived is nothing short of magic.

Russell T. Davies is another personal hero of mine. From ***** As Folk
to Doctor Who to Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures, not only has he been creating entertaining gems but he continuously manages to showcase women, POCs and LGBTs in positive upstanding roles. In his shows being a minority is not a sin and interracial relationships are portrayed as a matter-of-factly, instead of preaching on it.

Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie not only redefined comics but the
animation industry with their work on Batman, Superman and Justice
League. Their work was frequently used as examples of excellence in
animation and storytelling when I was in art school and I repeatedly
used said examples when I taught my college students.

From a personal standpoint, I would say my grandmother who always
encouraged me to be a good person, keep God in my heart, and to strive
for whatever I set my sights on.

-Your favorite character?

I have to pick just one? LOL! It’s probably a toss-up between Storm
and Cyclops. I think the fact that one of the most iconic superheroes
in all of comics is a black woman, is a testament to the phenomenal
character Storm is. Regal, intelligent, beautiful, and powerful, Storm
debunked many of the deplorable stereotypes that inundate those of us
of Nubian descent. And to have said character actually lead the
premiere superhero team in comics and not be the comic relief or the
sidekick, that’s virtually unheard of. Many white fans might take such
things for granted but for minorities who are still treated as second
class citizens, that’s a major turning point for us.

Being the first son and the over-achieving golden boy perfectionist, I
could always relate to Cyclops who has certainly come into his own as
a man, a leader and a superhero. A brilliant strategist, still a boy
scout, but now a straight arrow with an edge, he could be considered a
hybrid of Superman and Batman which is something I definitely enjoy.
That and those frequent shirtless panels. LOL!

-Favorite all-time comic book?

I still have to pick just one? These difficult questions.

X-Men will always holds a special place in my heart because it’s based
on the Civil Rights movement and today it represents any type of struggle against bigotry and institutional oppression. One of the things that definitely made X-Men unique and I hope they eventually return to is that there was no hierarchy. Before the comic devolved into The Wolverine Show & His 150 Sidekicks, every character was equally developed and anyone could take center stage with a front-burner storyline at anytime: be it Rogue and her struggles with her powers, Angel and his ongoing battles with Apocalypse, Psylocke, Bishop, etc. The diversity was also one of the key components to X-Men’s initial success in my opinion. The characters came from all
walks of life and that appealed to a wide demographic of fans. There
was a hero and a heroine for everyone and it worked. Excellent conscious stories, compelling characters and respect to diversity is
what contributed to X-Men becoming one the best-selling comics of all
time.

-Pet peeves in comics.

Using death as if it’s vacation getaway. That tends to get old very fast.

Also seeing minority characters regularly demeaned. If it isn’t the
female characters with unrealistic proportions (even by comic book
standards) even more unrealistic characterizations and the
disproportionate inhumane treatment (Gail Simone’s essay, Head In the
Refrigerator) , it’s the racist tropes that characters of color are
limited to. At best they get to be the sidekick to their caucasian
heroes and at worst racist caricatures are passed as art and
compelling characters. In any event, the POCs are always inferior. And
LGBT characters, don’t even get me started. Homophobia is not only
accepted as a norm in comic but seemingly celebrated. Northstar and
the Rawhide Kid were two prominent examples of gay characters playing
to ever deplorable stereotype of gay men and it was sickening. I would
also recommend Perry Moore’s piece, Who Cares About The Death of a Gay
Superhero Anyway?: A History of Gays In Comic Books. Much in the
spirit of Simone’s essay which brings awareness to the industry’s
misogyny, Moore’s article chronicles LGBT superheroes who have been
met with torture, rape, disembowelment, decapitation, had their
genitalia disfigured or removed, and/or was retconned as heterosexual.

It’s disheartening that comics are often written as porn for the
self-congratulatory circle jerk for the bigoted privileged
heterosexual sophomoric white male fanboy. And I believe
wholeheartedly that we can do better than that.

-Has anything in a comic ever offended you?

That’s like asking if I’ve ever gotten wet while walking in the rain.

Marvel killing off Freedom Ring, this awesome new character who
happened to be gay and could’ve easily carried his own series, made me
livid. Not only did they kill him but they mutilated and sodomized him
as well. They wouldn’t have dared done that with a heterosexual superhero.

Another example would be Nation-X #2. The issue was broken down into
four mini-stories. Jubilee gets a wonderful introspective tale on
identity and what it means to be a mutant/heroine even when one no
longer has their mutant powers. Martha Johannesburg, who is a giant
brain in a jar of fluids, gets to shine as she saves all of the
mutants on the island of Utopia from a superior super villain. Gambit
gets an endearing tale on redemption and loss and facing one’s inner
darkness. And what is Northstar’s story? A ***** minstrel show.

He gets chased down by these floating white creatures and has to be
saved by the other X-Men. Later Cyclops rips into him for not doing
his duties and handling his business on the X-Men team. And like the
typical stereotype, he bitched about having boyfriend problems and
that’s why he can’t concentrate because his beau hasn’t visited him.

Say what you will for Cyclops, Emma, Jean, Rogue or the others. They
may have their share of soap opera drama but when business needs to be
handled and lives saved, they were always competent enough to do it.

So the rest of the story shows Northstar whining and moping and when his boyfriend does arrive, the two of them are whining nonstop about their relationship. So then when the creatures return to get revenge
on Northstar, he once again gets saved by the other X-Men. So what does he do? He abandons his teammates in the middle of the battle so he can have a romantic dinner with his boyfriend. I’m a lifelong straight-edger, by no means am I exaggerating when I state that issue nearly drove me to drink. In the age of WIllow Rosenberg, Wiccan, Hulkling, Satsu, Jack Harkness, Lafayette Reynolds, Thom Creed, we still get this homophobic garbage?

That’s why Midnighter was such a godsend for me. It was refreshing to
see one example illustrating that us gay boys can be just as
masculine, hardcore and ass-kicking as our heterosexual peers.

We need more Midnighter, Buffy, Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), Storm, Black
Panther, Arana, Runaways and Young Avengers.While some progress has been made in comics, Runaways and Young Avengers for example, we still
have a long ways to go.

I know some people reading this profile are asking, “Why is it always
about being a minority?”

Because the truth of the matter is, comic book fans aren’t just
limited to the heterosexual white male. Many of us are POCs, LGBTs,
women, who come from all walks of life and deserve to have our stories
and experiences celebrated and shared as well.
We need these stories to teach/remind us that while we may have our differences, culturally or otherwise, we’re a lot more similar than we
we think and no one is 3/5 of a person (look up the 3/5 compromise if
you don’t get that reference) and we should be treated equally and
that heroes and heroines come in all forms. Stories shape our
perceptions and how we view the world, ourselves, and each other and
that’s why these issues are so important.

I critique out of love because I love comics and I think it’s the
greatest medium ever. I critique because I’ve seen the good it has
done, what it can do, the lives it can reach, I genuinely want to see
this industry, this medium, actualize its full potential.