| James Vance | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1953 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 2017 (aged 64) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer |
Notable works | Kings in Disguise On the Ropes |
| Collaborators | Dan Burr |
| Awards | Harvey Award, 1989 Eisner Award, 1989 |
James Vance (April 2, 1953 – June 5, 2017) was an American comic book writer, author and playwright, best known for his work from Kitchen Sink Press and in particular the lauded Kings in Disguise.
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Transcription
What do Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo all have in common with the heroes of ancient myths? What if I told you they are all variants of the same hero? Do you believe that? Joseph Campbell did. He studied myths from all over the world and published a book called, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," retelling dozens of stories and explaining how each represents the mono-myth, or hero's journey. So, what is the "hero's journey"? Think of it as a cycle. The journey begins and ends in a hero's ordinary world, but the quest passes through an unfamiliar, special world. Along the way, there are some key events. Think about your favorite book or movie. Does it follow this pattern? Status quo, that's where we start. 1:00: Call to Adventure. The hero receives a mysterious message, an invitation? A challenge? 2:00: Assistance The hero needs some help, probably from someone older, wiser. 3:00: Departure The hero crosses the threshold from his normal, safe home, and enters the special world and adventure. We're not in Kansas anymore. 4:00: Trials Being a hero is hard work: our hero solves a riddle, slays a monster, escapes from a trap. 5:00: Approach It's time to face the biggest ordeal, the hero's worst fear. 6:00: Crisis This is the hero's darkest hour. He faces death and possibly even dies only to be reborn. 7:00: Treasure As a result, the hero claims some treasure, special recognition, or power. 8:00: Result This can vary between stories. Do the monsters bow down before the hero, or do they chase him as he flees from the special world? 9:00: Return After all that adventure, the hero returns to his ordinary world. 10:00: New Life This quest has changed the hero; he has outgrown his old life. 11:00: Resolution All the tangled plot lines get straightened out. 12:00: Status Quo, but upgraded to a new level. Nothing is quite the same once you are a hero. Many popular books and movies follow this ancient formula pretty closely. But let's see how well "The Hunger Games" fits the hero's journey template. When does Katniss Everdeen hear her call to adventure that gets the story moving? When her sister's name is called from the lottery. How about assistance? Is anyone going to help her on her adventure? Haymitch. What about departure? Does she leave her ordinary world? She gets on a train to the capital. OK, so you get the idea. What do you have in common with Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo? Well, you're human, just like them. The hero's journey myth exists in all human cultures and keeps getting updated because we humans reflect on our world through symbolic stories of our own lives. You leave your comfort zone, have an experience that transforms you, and then you recover and do it again. You don't literally slay dragons or fight Voldemort, but you face problems just as scary. Joseph Campbell said, "in the cave you fear to enter lies the treasure you seek." What is the symbolic cave you fear to enter? Auditions for the school play? Baseball tryouts? Love? Watch for this formula in books, movies, and TV shows you come across. You will certainly see it again. But also be sensitive to it in your own life. Listen for your call to adventure. Accept the challenge. Conquer your fear and claim the treasure you seek. And then, do it all over again.
Biography
Vance's introduction into comics writing came in 1988, with his Kitchen Sink-published limited series, Kings in Disguise, later collected by W. W. Norton, with an introduction by the legendary Alan Moore, who calls it:
- "One of the most moving and compelling human stories to emerge out of the graphic story medium."[1]
This work, with art by Dan Burr, earned both a Harvey Award and an Eisner Award (both 1989) for best new series, as well as another Eisner Award for Best Single Issue (also 1989). It also made the list of the one hundred best comic book stories of all time.[2]
In 2013, Vance and Burr published On the Ropes, the long-awaited sequel to Kings in Disguise. On the Ropes was positively reviewed by, among others, the Los Angeles Times,[3] Publishers Weekly,[4] and writer Alan Moore.[5]
Vance also wrote Neil Gaiman's Mr. Hero the Newmatic Man for Tekno Comix in the mid-1990s, and was co-editor of Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie's Lost Girls as originally serialised by Kitchen Sink Press. He has also contributed scripts towards comics featuring The Crow, and the Dark Horse Comics-published licensed properties Aliens and Predator.
Vance was married to cartoonist Kate Worley for the last ten years of her life before she succumbed to cancer[6] in 2004. After Worley's death, Vance edited and completed (with artist Reed Waller) the final chapters of her Omaha the Cat Dancer strip, which were serialized in Sizzle magazine.[7] He died on June 5, 2017, from cancer.[8]
Bibliography
Comics work includes:
- Kings in Disguise (Kitchen Sink Press, 1988) — with artist Dan Burr
- Mr. Hero the Newmatic Man (Tekno Comix, 1995)
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight: Idols #80–82 (DC Comics, 1996) — with artists Dougie Braithwaite and Sean Hardy
- Aliens: Survival (Dark Horse, 1998)
- Predator: Homeworld (Dark Horse, 1999)
- Omaha the Cat Dancer in Sizzle #28–30, 32, 34–35, 38–40, 42–44, 46–49, 51, 53, 55, 56 (Eurotica, NBM Publishing, 2005–2012) — with artist Reed Waller
- On the Ropes (W. W. Norton, 2013) — with artist Dan Burr
Awards and nominations
In addition to his 1989 Eisner and Harvey Awards wins (with Dan Burr), Vance was also a 1990 Eisner-nominee with Burr for Kings in Disguise, and a 1991-nominee as best writer.[9]
Notes
- ^ WW Norton's Kings in Disguise listing Archived July 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed March 19, 2008
- ^ Weiner, Stephen. The 101 Best Graphic Novels (NBM, 2005).
- ^ Ulin, David L. The Reading Life: James Vance and Dan E. Burr's new graphic novel goes to the circus," Los Angeles Times (March 5, 2013).
- ^ "On the Ropes," Publishers Weekly (August 27, 2012).
- ^ "About," Dan Burr's official website. Accessed January 17, 2014.
- ^ Dueben, Alex . "James Vance is 'On the Ropes'," Comic Book Resource (March 13, 2013).
- ^ "History of Omaha the Cat Dancer". CatDancer Corporation. Archived from the original on June 25, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- ^ Arrant, Chris. "James Vance Passes Away at 64," Newsarama (June 15, 2017).
- ^ James Vance at the ComicBookDB. Accessed March 19, 2008
References
- James Vance at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
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This page was last edited on 23 February 2024, at 22:35