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BOB ALMOND
Bob Almond's InkWell
DragynWulf:
You worked with the Taskmaster on SIREN # 1, 2, and 3, SIREN SPECIAL # 1, and SIREN: INFINITY. How does it feel to be part of the only creative team to work with the Taskmaster character in a five issue storyline (all five of these issues ties in together)?
[Note: This interview was conducted prior to the release of TASKMASTER and AGENT-X series]
Bob Almond:
Well, I'm proud to be a part of the only creative team to do a *four* issue storyline with Taskmaster (is that still a first?). Not only was the SIREN SPECIAL drawn by a different artist, John Fang, but Taskmaster wasn't a part of it and only appeared in a one-panel flashback.
DragynWulf: Did you enjoy inking the Taskmaster in the SIREN series?
DragynWulf: Do you like the character Taskmaster?
DragynWulf: What are your thoughts about the Taskmaster?
Bob Almond: I think it best to answer these three questions at once so as not to give one word answers after each and allowing me to elaborate. I enjoyed inking the SIREN series because Kevin and I only worked together at Marvel on
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY for 4 pages and wanted to do more together but our editor there didn't give us a chance. Kevin and I both were dry for work at Marvel around the same time @'94 due to the first cut-backs and Kevin was now a part of the new Malibu team and recommended me to ink him. I believe SIREN was my first 'limited' series so that was also a boost.
And what really got me pumped was to get to work on Marvel characters in the series like Diamondback, The Squadron Supreme, (both recently handled by Mark Gruenwald whose work I admired), Maddog, War Machine, and *especially* Taskmaster. And the reason for this? Because since the age of nine I've been the ultimate AVENGERS fan starting with my first issue, #155 (by Perez which made me a life-long Perez fan) and I spent the next several years
collecting the entire series and all things Avengers-related. So to get to sink my teeth into an Avengers enemy who was first designed by George was simply the best! I think he's a great, dangerous character whose special powers and modus-operandi were original and it seemed strange no one had thought of it before. Photographic reflexes...so simple yet a natural. And all this time fans never thought about who trained all those henchmen for the master schemers. Now they knew.
My only concern for the Malibu work is whether the events are canon or not. All those characters who crossed over such as Black Knight, Sersi, Juggernaught, Warlock and the one's discussed: I've read from Marvel sources that they both are and are not in continuity. So as a Taskmaster fan (among others) it stinks to have these people in major storylines and not know if they even count and never hear reference to them (although some of that, I believe, is a legal matter relating to the original Malibu creators). SIREN was the first and only place to show Taskmasters true face and maybe now it never happened! Although to be honest, I suspect that was a mask or whatever way he'd disguise himself...I doubt it was his true identity, only a way to make Siren feel less threatened in order for them to work together.
DragynWulf: Was it difficult to ink Kevin West's Taskmaster art?
Bob Almond: Only on issues 1 and 2 a little bit. While we worked on the infinity issue Kevin and I notice that were taking quite a bit of time on it and no one was checking with us. There had not been a deadline but we had a bad feeling things were running late. When we inquired we were told everything was on schedule and not to worry. Famous last words. Suddenly the call comes in that they erred and we were suddenly *really* late! They decided to have Kevin do breakdowns in issues 1 and 2 to save time and have me do finishes. This means that I'm expected to work just as quickly if not faster while doing *more* work. And to top it off, my experience with finishes were quite limited at that point (I'm still not the greatest at it). So Kevin kept things simple and I did my thing and by the third (actually fourth consecutive) issue we were allowed to do pencils and inks again. The worst part, though, was that in order for the editors not to get into hot water from Marvel they credited us as 'pencils and inks' throughout the run since there had been much promotion and attention drawn to the Malibu restart and having breakdowns after one issue whould have meant someone was asleep at the wheel...which they were. I thought the 'look' of the two middle issues were obviously fifferent from the other two, which had come out great and hoped people would figure it out. But no. I occasionally run into people who say "yeah, I remember the SIREN series, but to be honest, I wasn't impressed with the work" or even better "a couple of the middle issues sucked"! Now the true story can be revealed...we don't suck guys!!!!!
DragynWulf: Would you recommend using the Taskmaster in another title you are working on, say the BLACK PANTHER for example?
Bob Almond: While I do and have recommended characters and even story elements as well as play continuity cop on BLACK PANTHER (which is why Priest credits me and Sal as 'storytellers', God bless him) I try not to be too pushy. I understand BLACK PANTHER to be Priest' baby and vision since he was there at the rebirth of the character so to speak and he has some clear ideas and directions he's like to go. But TM would be a joy to do, sure.
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