Marcus Perry's Pipeline

Marcus Perry

About

A screenwriter, film director and comics writer based in Los Angeles, Marcus is no stranger to the adventure genre, having penned action projects for a variety of motion picture studios. Known for his award-winning action short film, RAZOR SHARP -- which has received acclaim in outlets from Scr(i)pt Magazine to MTV, and helped launch its star, Cassidy Freeman, to a starring role on the hit TV series SMALLVILLE -- Marcus is also the co-author of the Image Comics' series, DESCENDANT, featuring pe... view portfolio see more

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Covers

DESCENDANT, Issue 1 Cover - Pencils by the great Tyler Kirkham! Being a film guy, when we designed this cover, my instincts were to lay it out like a movie poster. Hence the montage of imagery in the background -- only instead of like, John Travolta's head, an American flag and an explosion, we've got Incan temples and other headliner characters from the series. You'll also notice Tyler left the sky blank, knowing that his colorist would drop in the gorgeous dusky clouds seen in the final version. 12-01-2010

DESCENDANT, Issue 2 Cover - Pencils by Tyler Kirkham. I owe Tyler HUGE for this incredible cover, because... at the time my co-author, Michael Dolce, and I submitted the pitch for DESCENDANT to Shadowline at Image Comics, publisher Jim Valentino had no idea who either of us were. Okay, I take that back - he knew Mike, but not our writing. Which means he wouldn't have accepted us if the covers weren't done by such a heavyweight, so I have Tyler to thank for getting my foot in the door of comics :) 01-05-2011

Razor Sharp #1 Cover - Penciled and inked by the incredible Humberto Ramos. You'll note... even in the future, 7-11. This piece is probably the jewel in my pipeline's crown, crafted masterfully by my favorite comics artist. Ramos' style captures the playful and sexy tone of RAZOR SHARP. I just wish I could afford him for the entire run of the series! Though I am thrilled to see him resurrecting my all-time favorite Spidey bad guy, The Hobgoblin, in "Big Time." 01-12-2011

DESCENDANT, Issue 3 Cover - Funny story about this Tyler Kirkham cover: Tyler got our notes on all three of the covers we asked him to draw for this series before ever reading the scripts. For this particular image, series co-writer Michael Dolce and I asked for a village in the background populated by terrified villagers. Not realizing the setting was South America, the first version of this cover came back with African huts and tribesmen holding spears. Needless to say, we had to retool things a bit :) 02-02-2011

Razor Sharp, Issue #1 - Inked Pages

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 1 - The first inked page in the RAZOR SHARP comic series by artist Mariano Navarro. First pages are tough, particularly in a book that's as stylized and humorous as this one. It was important for me to not only set up the futuristic landscape (seen in the architecture), but also establish the heroine, Veronica Sharpe's, personality. She isn't some one-dimensional, bullet-proof superhero -- rather she's got klutz and quirk that make her an underdog. As you can see in this page, her first close-up reflects just what a fish out of water she is, getting choked-out by a security officer in the midst of a getaway. 12-01-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Pages 2-3 - If you saw page #1 in the RAZOR SHARP series, beautifully rendered by Mariano Navarro, then you already know the jumping off point. As we go wide for this double-splash page, we see just how much trouble Veronica Sharpe is really in. This introduction is pretty atypical for a hero -- stuck on the losing end of a beating -- but that sums up the tone of this entire series. 12-03-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 4 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. There's so much energy to Mariano's work, it's ridiculous. But just as important as his inks are spaces he's leaving for color. RAZOR SHARP takes place in an uber-corporate world designed to be an arcade of neon lights and billboards, so those more glossy aspects needed room to play in the panels. 12-06-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 5 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. For some reason, panel 1 of this page gave us a fit. We went through at least five different versions of her facial expression, trying to hit the perfect balance of scared yet bad-ass. The first few takes had her screaming, but since that was all she seemed to be doing in the first couple pages of the issue, I worried it made her too cowardly. If you guys are interested, I'll post some other versions of this panel so you can see what I'm talking about. 12-08-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 6 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. Another deceptively challenging page. The face on the computer screen in panel 3 belongs to villain RORY VESS (played by actor Michael T Weiss in the film version of RAZOR SHARP), and it's his big entrance, so I wanted it to have the right smarmy energy. For some reason, the posture and expressions Mariano kept coming back with felt a little wooden, but eventually (after three or four passes) we got to a happy medium. Not my favorite page in the issue, but hey, them's the breaks. 12-10-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 7 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. Mariano's really dialing in the spirit of the book now, and I love Ronnie's pose in panel 2. He so captures the playful energy of the character, the same way SMALLVILLE actress Cassidy Freeman did in the film: www.razorsharpmovie.com (shameless plug!) 12-13-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 8 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. This was another page where we went back and forth on Ronnie's face in panel 1. I felt she was a little off-model (and still kinda is, but it's good enough for government work), but I loved the energy of the pose and action. Also - in panel 2, this is an example of how art sometimes differs from the script for the better. Originally, I had written the guys in the cockpit of the chopper to be sitting side by side, but Mariano changed the design to have them seated tandem, like in an attack helicopter. His change added extra depth to the panel in a way that I like. 12-17-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 9 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. This is, without a doubt my favorite action page in issue #1. Mariano nailed the design, and it's pretty much exactly how I pictured it. Wait 'till you see the colors! 12-20-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 10 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. This was a deceptively tough page, as it's the first time you get a really good close-up of Veronica Sharpe. I must have had Mariano do six versions of Panel 2 to get the right amount of femininity in her jawline. For some reason, Mariano tends to draw his women a bit square-jawed (though in fairness to him, it may have something to do with the references I gave him. In the case of RS, he was designing her to look like a cross between the short film's star, Cassidy Freeman, and my dream choice for the feature, Kristen Bell - both of whom have pretty strong jaws. Beautiful ladies. But strong jaws), which was something my DESCENDANT co-writer, Mike Dolce, and I noticed about him over the course of our first collaboration. But eventually, we landed with this result, which I'm very pleased with. 12-27-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 11 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. Here's the introduction of The Board of Directors; the shadowy organization controlling the United States. They're the primary villains for the series, and I thought Mariano introduced them beautifully :) 01-03-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 12 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. The introduction of Ronnie's smarmy handler, Rory Vess, played wonderfully in the film by actor Michael T. Weiss (TVs' THE PRETENDER). His lair is an abandoned MTA tunnel, and the signage is a nod to my movie concept artist, and brother-from-another-mother, Jeff Henderson. 01-10-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 13 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. Mariano's a master of setting, and every panel he packs maximum detail. I think in the script for this page, Vess' secret vault room was built into the station wall, but by transforming it into a train car, it not only makes great use of the locale but provides a quick escape for all his valuables. That's what's great about working with really talented artists: they make you seem WAY more creative ;) 01-17-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 14 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. It's funny, the only places I ever run into revisions with Mariano are on facial expression like the one in panel 3. For some reason, he has a fit keeping the jawlines of women feminine, especially for a character like Ronnie who is supposed to be a lot more "girl next door" than "slutty comic book babe." But when it comes to insanely difficult panels of action and twisted perspective, Mariano always nails it in one. 01-24-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 15 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. This page is what spawned the character designs for Silk I posted in December. Originally, Mariano depicted him in military fatigues, and they just didn't have enough personality for a character I was setting up to be a major foil. So we had to put a break on the forward momentum of the pages to get the look right, but I think it really paid off. 01-31-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 16 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 02-07-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 17 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 02-14-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 18 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 02-21-2011

Razor Sharp, Issue #1, Page 19 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 02-28-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 20 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 03-07-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 21 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 03-14-2011

Razor Sharp, Issue 1, Page 22 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 03-21-2011

Razor Sharp, Issue #1, Page 23 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 03-28-2011

Razor Sharp, Issue #1, Page 24 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. 04-04-2011

Razor Sharp - Character Sketches

Razor Sharp's Artimus Silk - Character sketch by Mariano Navarro. A rival corporate thief, this militant mo-fo is a character created specifically for the comic. Head of a band of "data grifters" bent on toppling the corporate regime that controls the country, he's potentially Ronnie's biggest threat. 12-02-2010

Veronica "Ronnie" Sharpe - Face study by Mariano Navarro. One of the most important aspects of the RAZOR SHARP series is Ronnie's vulnerability, seen through her sometimes cartoony facial expressions. It was important that she react with as much wonder and surprise as any of us would should we be faced with her harrowing escapades. I call it, INDIANA JONES syndrome :) 12-02-2010

Veronica "Ronnie" Sharpe - Character study by Mariano Navarro. The gum-smackin', wise-crackin' corporate thief who headlines this action-packed series. Mariano's take on her was a cross between the film's star, Cassidy Freeman (Tess Mercer from SMALLVILLE), and Kristen Bell. Did he pull it off? You be the judge, but I'm a fan! 12-02-2010

RAZOR SHARP - RONNIE FINAL COSTUME - Veronica Sharpe's costume in all its glory for the RAZOR SHARP feature film! Designed by myself and concept artist, Jeffrey Henderson, this is the result of dozens of trial-and-error incarnations, most of which you'll get to see over the course of the next few months. It'll be a fun, reverse-engineering journey on the road to designing a hero's costume; exploring all the aspects that make her suit functional and sexy. 12-02-2010

Razor Sharp's Dorian Dex - Character sketches by Mariano Navarro. These early concepts for the series' principal baddie were very imperial, even for a guy who's the head of a privatized army controlling the United Stated, called "The Global Consumer Alliance." But he does have a cool, smarmy, Christian Bale vibe going, which I like. 12-07-2010

Razor Sharp's Artimus Silk - Character sketch by Mariano Navarro. Gen 1 costume. Behold, Mariano's original take on the character... with the stylings of a 1970's street pimp? Guess that's what I get for naming a guy Silk, huh? 12-09-2010

Razor Sharp's Artimus Silk - Character sketches by Mariano Navarro. Gen 2 costume. We launched off in a more militaristic direction with the round, some of which was ultimately poached for the comics' villain, Dorian Dex. This is one of my favorite pieces, because not only does it show you the evolution of the character's look, but the way designs tend to bleed over into other characters as well. It's the really fun part of designing a world from scratch - you never know where ideas will come from. 12-14-2010

Razor Sharp's Dorian Dex - Mariano Navarro's character sketch finalized--with a belt! This is the final design we settled on for the series' icy villain. Talk, Mr. Bond? I expect you to die! 12-23-2010

Razor Sharp's Dorian Dex - Character sketch by Mariano Navarro. Refined costume. The gen 2 version, still with the coiffed Bale-ness, but we've got the wardrobe dialed in. Dex still has overtones of the military, but they're more subtle and Gestapo-like. Especially with the Nazi SS inspired riding pants and boots. Most creepy. 12-30-2010

RAZOR SHARP's ISIS - The feature film version of Veronica's pint-sized, eleven year-old sidekick, Isis. I can't say much more about her without spoiling a major surprise in the RAZOR SHARP feature film, but let's just say her trusty turtle is a lot more than a toy ;) If you compare this incarnation of the character to the black and white piece from the short film's pitch book, you can really see how the design has matured. We've done away with some of the gimicky anime aspects of her in favor of a more sophisticated, haunted look; this time a brunette to better contrast Ronnie's blonde. The vest was a detail added in the short by my costume designer Rachel Ford Pritchett - one I loved so much I decided to carry it over. 01-11-2011

RAZOR SHARP - MR.LUK - The vile right hand henchman to the film's villain, Dorian Dex, it's anything but your lucky day when you cross paths with this far-east gunslinger. Designed to be an urban desperado, Luk packs a futuristic version of the classic Colt Peacemaker handgun, able to fire miniature explosive rockets. He's my take on the classic James Bond bad guy, Odd Job. 02-08-2011

RAZOR SHARP - BRYCE - No action adventure film would be complete without a mentor character for the hero, and RAZOR SHARP is no exception. Here's the color final for Karloff Bryce, the cantankerous Russian machinist who manufactures all of Ronnie's thief gear. Shame he uses old Soviet parts, so they only work about half the time. 03-08-2011

Razor Sharp Costume Design - Character sketch by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 03-11-2011

Razor Sharp Costume Design - Character sketch by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 03-18-2011

Razor Sharp Costume Design - Character sketch by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 03-25-2011

Razor Sharp Costume Design - Character sketch by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 04-01-2011

RAZOR SHARP - RONNIE, BACK - And here we are at last, back to the design that began this costume evolution for the RAZOR SHARP feature film. After catching glimpses of all the versions leading up to this final suit, I'm sure you've given as much thought to "function over form" as Jeff and I did, and that you appreciate the final aesthetics of Ronni'e gear. Next stop... the big screen! 04-05-2011

Razor Sharp Costume Design - Character sketch by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 04-08-2011

Razor Sharp Costume Design - Character sketch by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 04-15-2011

Descendant Issue #1 - Inked Pages

Descendant Issue #1, Page 1 - Penciled and inked by Mariano Navarro. A little terrorist attack on a cruise ship chugging through the Panama Canal. Check out Panel 5, and notice how clean Mariano left the night vision scope POV so that colorist and co-writer, Michael Dolce, could work his mojo on it with digital grain and video filters. 12-04-2010

Descendant Issue # 1, Page 2 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. The big intro for our heroine, Rayne Santiago, along with the rest of her U.S. counter-terrorist team. Honestly, the first 5 or so pages of this issue have too many panels for my taste - but they were part of the required number of pitch pages for Image, so we wanted to tell a complete action sequence within that allotment of space. For the later issues, we let the action breathe a bit so that Mariano could show off his skills. 12-05-2010

Descendant Issue # 1, Page 3 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. Our team goes toe-to-toe with some terrorists! 12-11-2010

Descendant Issue # 1, Page 4 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. Things go south quick, when Rayne finds herself plummeting into the Panama Canal. Man, been there. 12-15-2010

Descendent Issue #1, page 5 inked - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 12-22-2010

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 6 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 12-28-2010

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 7 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. This page is where the emotion and vulnerability started to shine in Mariano's work. Where he may be a little weak in figure drawing, his emotional connectivity has never suffered. 01-05-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 8 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. You know, I think one reason I enjoy working with Mariano - selfishly - is because he shoots a lot like I do. What I mean by that is, compositionally we're very similar, and we tend to dig the same type of scene coverage. Would love to bring him on as a storyboard artist one day when I can afford to put him on salary. Come on Hollywood, write the check! 01-12-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 9 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 01-19-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 10 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro. This is one of those instances when the artist has a better imagination that the writer. Mike and I had no idea what the ancestral tablet for a South American village should look like, so I think we half-assed something along the lines of "a Mayan calendar." Thankfully, Mariano is from Argentina, and in addition to tolerating us ignorant gringos, did a little research of his own to make it more authentic. 01-26-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 11 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 02-02-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 12 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 02-09-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 13 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 02-16-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 14 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 02-23-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 15 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 03-02-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 16 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 03-09-2011

Descendant, Isue #1, Page 17 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 03-16-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 18 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 03-23-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 19 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 03-30-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 20 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 04-06-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 21 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 04-13-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 22 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro 04-20-2011

Razor Sharp Issue #1 - Color Pages

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 1 Colors - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by JD Smith. In a futuristic L.A., meet Veronica "Ronnie" Sharpe. She's one thief who's had better days.. I've really got to give mad props to colorist JD Smith on this series, his work makes the world explode off the page. We were very conscious to not rip off a BLADE RUNNER-type aesthetic for our cities, but rather create a glittering utopia marred with corporate slogans and marquees. He's every bit as vital to this series as any of the main characters. 12-01-2010

Razor Sharp, Issue #1 Pages 2-3 Colored - Double page splash, penciled and inked by Mariano Navarro, colored by JD Smith. You know, if we really did have decent public transportation in Los Angeles, it'd probably end up like this. Ronnie battles it out with some Global Consumer Alliance (Globocon) goons over possession of a nano-chip. 12-03-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 4 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by JD Smith. Just another night on the town for Ronnie Sharpe! 12-06-2010

Razor Sharp Issue #1, Page 5 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by JD Smith. JD is really the big star of this series. He completely understood the high-gloss I was trying to achieve in this neon future-world, and the finished pages are saturated with it. It's like eye candy, I just want to lick it up! Well... um, you know what I mean... 12-08-2010

Razor Sharp, Issue #1 Page 6 Colored - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by JD Smith. This page is still a work in progress - check out panel 3, where the un-revised version of Rory Vess' face can still be seen on the computer screen. We're also missing digital interlacing lines and other video effects on the screens. But I love JD's "coffeee stain" look for the dingy street outside the movie palace. 12-10-2010

Razor Sharp, Issue #1, Page 7 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by JD smith. JD really punctuates the drama with his use of light, particularly in pane 2. Very cinematic! We're still missing the video filters and digital interlacing lines on panel 4, though. 12-20-2010

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 9 - RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 9. As much as I love the inks, JD's colors really make this page fly and clarify the action. Here we riff on classic action movie physics where, if they get far enough ahead of a fiery blast, a hero can "ride" an explosion to safety. As you can tell, things don't ever work that smoothly for Veronica Sharpe. 01-17-2011

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 10 - RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 10 01-31-2011

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 11 - RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 11 02-14-2011

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 12 - RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 12 02-28-2011

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 14 - RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 - Page 14 03-28-2011

Descendant Issue #1 - Color Pages

Descendant 1, Page 1 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, Colors by Mike Dolce. Mike's final touches on the targeting screen panel. 12-04-2010

Descendant Issue # 1, Page 2 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Mike Dolce. We experimented a lot with color and mood in these opening pages of the series. Again, I'm much more of a film person than I am a comics guy (but I'm learning, don't judge me ;), so I spoke in terms of "desaturated, high-contrast." In other words, we wanted a gritty look with muted colors and crushed blacks - something bleak and oppressive. 'Cause that's how we roll in this post-Dark Knight world where everything's gotta be "edgy." 12-05-2010

Descendant Issue # 1, Page 3 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. In my opinion, we overcrowded the page a little here, and the action suffers. Everything that's happening (soldiers parachuting in to kick terrorist booty) should feel grand and sprawling, but instead it's jammed in there. Prior to writing this first issue of DESCENDANT, I had never written a comic before, so I was learning a lot of hard lessons as I went. Present day Marcus would like to believe he wouldn't make the same mistake - and also not talk about himself in the 3rd person. 12-11-2010

Descendant Issue # 1, Page 4 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Mike Dolce. Unlike the last page, the action here feels like it plays a little better for me. Plus, Mike got us some nifty texture on the canal wall. 12-15-2010

Descendant Issue # 1, Page 5 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Mike Dolce. This page was a challenge because it's the first time in the series Rayne Santiago hints at her pyrokinetic powers (panel 2). She's struggling not to use them -- for reasons only a read of the comic can reveal -- which was a difficult thing due to the finite panels at our disposal. This page marks the end of the 5 sample pages Image Comics requires before they'll accept a comics proposal, so we had to end the action sequence here. Luckily, comics let you plug in "inner monologue" in the form of captions, so that helped us out a lot. You know, stuff like... "Damn! Itching in pants growing stronger!" Well, maybe not the best example. Also, Mike's experimenting with some defocus filters here in panel 4, much to Mariano's displeasure. Personally, I think it's cool. 12-22-2010

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 6 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce 12-29-2010

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 7 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. I think this was the point in the series where Mike found his groove with the colors too. I love the way the kiss in panel 2 pops against the warm backgrounds, it's an organic way of punctuating that emotion. If only we hadn't covered up so much of the art with dialogue! ;) One surprise in working with Shadowline on this series was...no last looks for creators. Once the editor (at the time, Pipeline guru, Kris Simon) did her check, that was it. And that happened LONG before we ever saw artwork, making adjustments to accommodate said artwork impossible. Just goes to show you, even on "creator owned" books, sometimes the creator still doesn't get the last word. 01-05-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 8 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. Mike's worked up some nice texture in these panels, a real painterly quality. I think we floundered around as one often does during issue 1s of any series trying to find the style, but this page is reflective of what we were striving for. We wanted a moody book, grounded and earthy, rather than bubble gum superhero pop. 01-12-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 9 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. Again, Mike's colors are seminal in telling the story with the two flashback panels in the middle of the page. 01-19-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 10 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 01-26-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 11 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 02-02-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 12 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 02-09-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 13 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 02-16-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 14 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 02-23-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 15 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 03-02-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 16 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 03-09-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 17 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 03-16-2011

Descendant, Issue #1, Page 18 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 03-23-2011

Descendant, Issue 1, Page 19 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 03-30-2011

Descendant, Issue 1, Page 20 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 04-06-2011

Descendant, Issue 1, Page 21 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 04-13-2011

Descendant, Issue 1, Page 22 - Pencils and inks by Mariano Navarro, colors by Michael Dolce. 04-20-2011

Razor Sharp Film Production Art

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Here is the final cover to the "pitch book" for the film version of RAZOR SHARP. Featuring artwork by concept artist Jeffrey Henderson (30 DAYS OF NIGHT, SPIDER-MAN 4, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ, THE RED STAR), it was seminal in getting the project financed and taken seriously by film industry professionals. Over the next few months, I will release every aspect of this 100+ page presentation, providing a detailed look at just what it takes for a film to be seriously considered for production by major film studios in the current climate. The pitch book includes costume designs, set concepts, and endless storyboards, working in conjunction with text and story breakdowns to paint a vivid picture of RAZOR SHARP's world. For any aspiring filmmakers, you're sure to get a kick out of this stuff. And if not, hey, no hard feelings :) For even more behind the scenes, check out: www.razorsharpmovie.com 12-01-2010

Razor Sharp Film Production Art: Story Synopsis - Here's a look at the RAZOR SHARP film's story synopsis, along with one of the early Ronnie costume designs from concept artist, Jeffrey Henderson. For even more behind the scenes, check out: www.razorsharpmovie.com 12-03-2010

Razor Sharp Film Production Art: Character Design - This is an example of the chapter dividers from the RAZOR SHARP pitch book. Concept artist Jeffrey Henderson and I are process junkies, and wanted to give the reader a peek into our design process. We felt these dividers were the perfect opportunity, and as you can tell from the drawing, this version of Ronnie's costume is a little different than the final, complete with Jeff's notations. 12-07-2010

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Ronnie Design - The final costume design for RAZOR SHARP's leading lady, Ronnie (as seen in the short film version: www.razorsharpmovie.com). Every bit as important to concept artist Jeff Henderson and myself as creating a look that was functional and sexy, was capturing the spirit of the character's personality. Jeff is a master at conveying emotion on paper, as evidenced by Ronnie's pose and expression. 12-09-2010

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Check out the character bio for RAZOR SHARP's leading lady, Veronica Sharpe. Actors love this stuff :) The artwork by Jeffrey Henderson doesn't hurt, either. For more, go to: www.razorsharpmovie.com 12-16-2010

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Here's a pretty detailed breakdown of Ronnie's thief gear and costume, complete with descriptions. When designing super hero-ish wardrobe, nothing chaps my ass more than extraneous tech that does nothing more than make the character look "cool." Concept artist Jeffrey Henderson and I went to great lengths to justify every pocket and snap on the suit, making it as utilitarian as we could while still keeping things sexy. Just goes to show you, you can strike a balance between the two that helps ground everything in reality. For more RAZOR SHARP, check out: www.razorsharpmovie.com 12-21-2010

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Razor Sharp Film Production Art www.razorsharpmovie.com 12-27-2010

Razor Sharp Film Production Art: ISIS - Razor Sharp Film Production Art, ISIS profile. Designing this character for the film (and subsequently comic) was particularly difficult. While having a haunted little girl as the object of interest certainly echoes films like ALIENS, I was determined Isis not be another Newt clone. Which is why originally she was a pierced, gothed-out teenager with a fuck you attitude. But after a couple drafts of the script, that tac felt too hard-boiled and joyless. So I settled on the precocious, matter-of-fact 11 year-old you see in the film, played wonderfully by actress Skye McCole Bartusiak (BOOGEYMAN, 24, DON'T SAY A WORD). As you can see in this drawing, Isis looks vaguely Asian, but that trait was abandoned in the casting process, because options are usually limited with child actors. In other words, you take whatever talent you can get! For more, visit: www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-03-2011

Razor Sharp Film Production Art: Karloff Bryce - Razor Sharp Film Production Art: KARLOFF BRYCE www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-10-2011

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Razor Sharp Film Production Art: Production Design. In this section, you'll get an in-depth tour of the set design process for RAZOR SHARP, starting with this rough sketch of the computer vault set piece. For more, visit: www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-17-2011

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Razor Sharp Film Production Art www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-24-2011

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Razor Sharp Film Production Art www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-31-2011

Razor Sharp Film Production Art - Razor Sharp Film Production Art www.razorsharpmovie.com 02-07-2011

Razor Sharp Film Art - Razor Sharp Film Art 02-14-2011

Razor Sharp Film Art - Razor Sharp Film Art 02-21-2011

Razor Sharp Film Art - Razor Sharp Film Art 02-28-2011

Razor Sharp Film Art - Razor Sharp Film Art 03-07-2011

Razor Sharp Film Art - Razor Sharp Film Art 03-14-2011

Razor Sharp Film Art - Door Revision. Artwork by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 03-21-2011

Razor Sharp Key Art

RAZOR SHARP - RONNIE'S ENTRANCE - Over the next few months, I'll be give you glimpses of KEY ART created for the RAZOR SHARP feature film. Essentially snapshots from the major set pieces, these images are enlarged and mounted on foam core board for pitch meetings. They give executive types visuals so they can tune you out during the meeting, a necessary part of any studio pitch :) In this frame: High above the streets of Tokyo, an unsuspecting Ronnie gets ejected through a hotel's penthouse windows by enraged security officers on the hunt for a nano-chip she's stole from a local factory. This is first time we meet the leading lady, and it's an entrance designed to be anything but heroic! 01-25-2011

RAZOR SHARP - DEX ESCAPES - Dodging a jail sentence, corrupt military defense engineer, Dorian Dex, turns his doomsday weapon on a committee of Senators to make his escape in the opening sequence of the RAZOR SHARP feature film! 02-22-2011

RAZOR SHARP - RESCUING ISIS - With no other recourse, Ronnie must play a deadly game of leapfrog across a cargo container to escape a container ship with Isis. This is easily one of the most harrowing moments in the proposed RAZOR SHARP feature film. Sure looks expensive, don't it! :) 03-22-2011

RAZOR SHARP - CLIMAX - It's the brawl for it all when Ronnie faces off with Dorian Dex for the final time inside the depths of his chemical weapons plant in order to rescue Isis. Inspired by the steel mill finale in T2, this sequence is sure to bring an action-packed close to the RAZOR SHARP feature film! 04-19-2011

Razor Sharp Film Storyboard Art

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Storyboard Art divider, with artwork by Jeffery Henderson. This is gonna be a blast for you film buffs - and easily my FAVORITE section of my pipeline! You'll get a first hand tour of my (and the entire film production team's) thought process on the climactic machinegun/vault explosion sequence in RAZOR SHARP, broken down shot-for-shot. I'll time the release of this section with the high-definition posting of the film, so keep checking back for all the exclusive details! Also, visit: www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-07-2011

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Page 1, text by Marcus Perry, artwork by Jeffery Henderson. Here we go, page 1 of this 30 page sequence! The thing that attracted me to Jeff's style from the beginning was its graphical impact. In addition to a great comics flair, he has the compositional sensibilities of a filmmaker. He earned his chops penciling material for THE RED STAR, a series that was incredibly sweeping and cinematic. Jeff understands lenses and the way they compress space almost as well as he understands lighting and perspective. In designing this RAZOR SHARP presentation, one of our big touchstones the Wachowskis' art book from THE MATRIX, where they laid out the entire film as if it were a graphic novel. Jeff and I wanted to present the action in RAZOR SHARP in the same vein, because ultimately we hoped the project would split off into comics as well. Now, three years after if first hit the screen, we may get our wish. For more, visit: www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-14-2011

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Page 2, Storyboard artwork by Jeffery Henderson. We're leaning closer to comics than standard storyboard layouts with this page, but it was right for the dramatic impact we wanted. Rather than larger panels, traditional storyboard pages are broken up into three or four horizontal panels that approximate a film's desired aspect ratio. All action is then choreographed within the boundaries of those panels so it can easily translate. But for us, we wanted this artwork to be equal parts presentation and practical. For more, visit: www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-21-2011

Razor Sharp Film Storyboard Art - Page 3, storyboard artwork by Jeffrey Henderson. Again, comics layout wins the day with shells trailing down the spine of the page. However, the remaining three panels are positioned to convey a more classic storyboard flow. All of these shots made it into the film in a sequence where we ran through nearly 1,000 blanks. For more, visit: www.razorsharpmovie.com 01-28-2011

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Page 4, Storyboard artwork by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 02-04-2011

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Page 5. Storyboard artwork by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 02-11-2011

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Page 6. Storyboard artwork by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 02-18-2011

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Page 7. Storyboard artwork by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 02-25-2011

Razor Sharp Storyboard Art - Page 8. Storyboard artwork by Jeffery Henderson. www.razorsharpmovie.com 03-04-2011

Script Pages

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 Page #1 - Well guys, since you've seen so much artwork from it over the past few weeks, here is the first script page from issue #1 of the RAZOR SHARP comic! If you're not a fan, there's no one to blame but yours truly... but I hope you'll be hungry for more. Enjoy! :) 01-04-2011

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 Pages 2&3 - The double-splash intro of Veronica Sharpe in the first issue of the comic. 01-13-2011

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 Page 4 - Script page 4 from the first issue of RAZOR SHARP. 01-18-2011

RAZOR SHARP, Issue #1 Page 5 - Script page 5 from the first issue of RAZOR SHARP. 01-27-2011

Pipeline Comments

07/25/2011 08:43 PM

Marcus Perry

Guys, check out the teaser for my new film based on the Image Comics series, SMALL GODS...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITbTBgrPMuQ

01/03/2011 12:20 AM

Marcus Perry

Eric, be sure to scope out the pipeline this month. I've sprinkled in some script pages for the first issue of RAZOR SHARP to give you guys an idea of how I write. I know it's tough finding comics script samples on the web, but my style is modeled after Mark Millar's (what a dubious honor for the Millarworld, right?). There are some things I've tweaked to my own sensibilities, but everybody does it a little differently.

12/09/2010 05:42 PM

Marcus Perry

Eric, thanks so much for the comments! My plan for RS was always to create a hybrid of high-tech and classic adventure. Budget limited how sweeping I could go with the serialized adventure motif in the short, but happily, the sky is the limit in comics. You can expect a health blend of functionality and spectacle, with all tech aspects grounded in real-world science. The set pieces, however, will be pure Cameron/Spielberg epic adventure. Should be a lot of fun, and pretty unique for a dystopian, futuristic series. Plus, I'll be making with plenty of the funny too. After all, you can't put foot to ass without having something snappy to say!

And great suggestion about posting script pages, I'll add some of those in for January :)

12/09/2010 01:30 AM

Erictcarrasco

Also, i think since not everyone on the pipeline is a writer, it'd be cool on yours to see aside-by-side script to art comparison.

12/09/2010 01:29 AM

Erictcarrasco

Looks like some of the Razor Sharp images have a kind of adventure movie feel, with Dex and all the original Silk designs and stuff. But the short seemed all grounded and technological in the costumes etc... how much of the comic is going to have a throwback serial feel versus a tactical, functional look?

12/02/2010 12:26 PM

Kris

I'd totally pay $5 a month for this Pipeline! Your descriptions are FANTASTIC! :)

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