I am completely mad when it comes to comic book artwork. For me that is my driving love for comics ever since I was a young ambitious collector of the medium. There is just something about the magical world of artistry that has captivated my attention for as long as I can recall. When there is an artist whose style is so painstakingly detailed, it makes me want to just give up drawing for good because I will never be as good as that artist. Then I know those are the creative talents that I faithfully follow, follow to the point I try to get every single issue, cover or variant they have ever drawn.
One of my all-time favorite artist with that kind of mind-blowing God-given talent is David Finch. From the very first Top Cow’s Ascension comic I was sold on this kids style (mind you this was a good 20 or so years ago)! From Ascension, David went on to start drawing a comic book for Top Cow comics named Aphrodite IX. I believe that is what sealed the deal for me becoming a David Finch fan for life.
The day I found out that David Finch was going to be drawing Wonder Woman for DC Comics, I was ecstatic! How could David Finch, the man who brought sexy back into comic books with Aphrodite IX, not do wonders (pardon my pun) for the title? Not only was I floored to see this David/Wonder Woman was happening, but another woman in David’s life was also going to be in the mix, his lovely wife Meredith Finch. While I have been excited for Wonder Woman as being a cool comic book run that it is, the series has just been bombarded with either love or hate over the direction of the character. Even a simple “costume” change seems to have many up in arms over the duos work on Wonder Woman. It’s hard to explain why so much criticism is being tossed around the Finch’s, there is one thing that makes them different than any other creative team out there…….family.
J Scott Campbell and fans uproar over Wonder Woman look – article
This year at #C2E2 2015, I was privileged to get a quick interview in with the very talented but extremely busy couple to talk comics, controversy and most importantly family. Just in time for the unveiling of the new Wonder Wonder costume, let’s hear what the Finch’s have to say about working in comics.
David and Meredith Finch C2E2 2015 Interview;
To set the atmosphere and let the readers know what it is like to get a con floor interview……it’s like complete madness!! Madness at its finest hour. David and Meredith Finch lines at conventions are crazy long and full of highly energized crowds of people chomping at the bit to get one glimpse, autograph, sketch or just have an opportunity to talk to two of the most popular people in comics today. I too was one of those people in the crowd…
……Speaking to David briefly about a meeting we once had 14 years prior at another comic book convention in a different time, in a different era and in totally different atmosphere. That is how I was able to get this interview later on in the convention when we could at least get a few moments to breathe and talk comics.
(As I show David Finch a comic book)
Here is a sketch you did for me 14 years ago in 2001, in a tiny hotel convention where no one was even coming up to your booth. I handed you this Aphrodite IX preview comic I brought with me which had a blank cover. To my recollection this is probably the very first blank cover made specifically for getting sketches on a cover. Silly me at the time, just thought it was blank for no reason, till I gave you the comic to sign and you start drawing on it. I was dumbfounded by the notion of you giving free sketches like that to some random fan…… well this was before sketch covers were so “in-demand” like today. I was already a fan but that moment stayed with me forever.
David Finch – “That is very cool. Man was that a long time ago”
PopcultHQ: Well that’s why I wanted to do this piece mostly. When we first met 14 years ago we were both on different levels speaking in industry terms of course. Our first meeting I was just a fan and you were just getting your name known by fans. I wanted to do a piece on how far you have come in this industry Mr. Finch.
PopCultHQ: Aphrodite IX is when I first heard your name, so was Aphrodite IX your first work in comics?
David Finch – “I got “in” in ’94 so it had already been about 6 years or so”
PopcultHQ: What was your first works actually?
David Finch – “The first thing I had published was with Silvestri on Code Name Strike Force two pages on issue #6, a couple of pin-ups and then I did a Rip Claw #1/2 issue which was a Wizard Magazine exclusive. The first book that I did completely on my own was Cyber Force Annual, that was about ’95 by then.”
PopcultHQ: Do you think Aphrodite IX is what really blew you up while you were on Top Cow?
David Finch – “You know, I think for me the really first success I started having at Top Cow was “Ascension”, that one did real well for me. Aphrodite IX was great but I made more of my name on Ascension, it seems to be much more remembered and “Batt” had an impact with the crowd….you can never predict that.”
PopcultHQ: How much investment did you have in Aphrodite, like with the creating and writing her?
David Finch – “Not much. I mean, I drew all the (rethinks his answer)………..I designed everything. I helped come up with the story you know but to be totally honest at that time I was young. Aphrodite IX was basically created over the course of a night and something I didn’t take very seriously at the time. I think the stories long term it suffered and it showed they weren’t as thought out as they could have been. But yeah, whenever I look back at it I remember I was getting criticized over it and I thought in a few years I’d get around to do another one but then I went to Marvel.”
PopcultHQ: So Marvel! How was that move for you and the experience?
David Finch – “It was great! It was a real lesson in discipline. Because the books have to come out on a schedule they can’t afford to not get it done. It was the right thing for me to do at that point for my career.”
PopcultHQ: It put you on the track to the professional worker you are today you would say?
David Finch – “Yea. I needed to start taking it seriously and getting it done on time. It was a learning curve”
PopcultHQ: How long was your stint with Marvel then?
David Finch – “Nine years”
So what made you decide to go over to the DC side?
David Finch – “Batman”
PopcultHQ: Batman!
David Finch – “Yeah, I really wanted to do Batman, it was a longtime goal. It just seemed like the time was right and I don’t know when I went to DC if I had any long-term plans to stay with them because I was so happy at Marvel. But DC’s been great, I’m having a great time there, the people there are great. I just can’t imagine not being there you know. So yeah, it’s good. Right now I’m working on Wonder Woman which is a real surprise, I never expected. Who would have thought I’d be at DC drawing Wonder Woman.”
PopcultHQ: So how did the collaboration with Meredith happen and decide to jump into comic books?
David Finch – “Well she’s been writing for year…..she’s been writing for a long time. But we have young kids, my job’s pretty work-invested and she’s been taking on a lot, she just never had time to write. But it was getting to the point where we were getting a lot more freedom, the kids are getting older, our oldest has special needs taken care of and Meredith was then able to write more seriously and doing very well. She had been doing a lot of work over at Zenescope and that work is what was able to get us a very unexpected deal with DC. Who would have ever thought we would get that chance and when it came we jumped on it.”
PopcultHQ: Really? That’s great to hear!
This is when Meredith Finch was able to join us. (Now directing my questions to Meredith) This was the very first time getting to meet Meredith and she did something here that just made me have instant respect for her. Just as a mother hawk would do by swooping in, arms spread around her kids and husband as the protective dominate woman she is. Gracefully answering my questions looking directly into my being.
PopcultHQ: So what kind of work did you do before comic book writing?
Meredith Finch – “I’ve been a full-time Mom for 14 years, so that’s pretty much taking up a big chunk of my adult life.”
PopcultHQ: Right, I know all too well. I’m a parent of two and they’re teenagers now. I know just how it is (laughing)
Meredith Finch – “Yeah, everything else in life after that is a luxury” (laughing)
PopcultHQ: How does it feel now working with your husband and the opportunity when presented to you to do so?
Meredith Finch – “I think David is one of the greatest artists in the business”
PopcultHQ: Absolutely
Meredith Finch – “So to have him and be able to work with him on a character with the caliber of Wonder Woman was a chance I couldn’t turn down. I felt like I would really rather fall flat on my face giving it 100% of my effort then to not take a chance and not have that opportunity ever come my way again.”
PopcultHQ: How do you feel about all the critics who just always have something to say about a new writer coming into the business?
Meredith Finch – “It would be very hard to find a writer in comic books who doesn’t have a critic on some way shape or form and that’s just the nature of the business. The more we are on social media, the more people feel empowered to express their opinions and they do and I think that’s great.
PopcultHQ: That’s perfectly said.
PopcultHQ: Have there been any projects you guys have thought about now working together in the future after Wonder Woman? I do enjoy the run right now.
David Finch – “Really that’s kinda where we’re at too, just enjoying it for now. I can’t give too much to a future project when I have so much invested now. I don’t want to look back and say I didn’t give it 100% now by thinking on another project. So this is what we’re doing and concentrating on.
Well to end off I was just want to tell you both I love the teamwork. I personally love that you’re pulling it off as a husband and wife team and taking this to another level by bringing your family along. It’s not easy on that standpoint alone since many people just don’t know how difficult it is to create comic books with spectacular art and good storytelling. Thank you both for a great time talking comics with PopcultHQ!
As a closing statement I want to give a big hand to Mr. and Mrs. Finch. While the new Wonder Woman comic book is not the same tone as the previous creative team on the series, which included an Eisner Award Winning writer on the team. Wonder Woman by Meredith and David Finch is still a pretty cool comic book to read and droll over the artwork each and every month by this team.
The recent Wonder Woman Annual issue is one to pick up for sure as well as the newest reveal of Wonder Woman armor by David Finch. As time goes on I am very certain Meredith will find her spot also in the names of great comic book writers. Pick up Wonder Woman today as she debuts her all new look created by David Finch.
