• Interview - Scott Kolins - Leading Up To Omega

    Leading up to the launch of Omega Flight, series artist Scott Kolins discussed the title with AlphaFlight.net.

    AlphaFlight.net: First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time for this interview Scott. I look at this as a chance for the fans to get to know a bit about the man behind the pencils of Omega Flight before it hits the shelves.

    How did you first become interested in comics, and what made you decide to make a career in penciling them?

    SCOTT: I was about 5 or 6 when I ran past a magazine shelf that also had comics – something I’d never seen before. They had 2 Hulk consecutive issues that just leapt out at me. Hulk #179 & 180 I believe. My friends had gone on and had to double back to find me; I don’t know what happened the rest of the day – Iwas hooked. I read a lot of comics for years and years and after scribbling in my pads of paper – thinking it was not going to be anything but a hobby - I luckily found a local comics artist in my home town. Dennis Jensen – who helped me for years. Once I learned you could make a living as a comics artist I never wanted to be anything else, except maybe be in a band.

    AlphaFlight.net: I'm curious about your artistic influences. Your group images remind me of George Perez in some ways, but grittier.

    SCOTT: Perez was a big influence on me as was Byrne. Both were some of the biggest names of the time and both continued a tradition that I feel close to. Artist writers. That’s my ultimate goal. They also were storytellers first –which I also try to do.

    AlphaFlight.net: How was it that you became involved in the Omega Flight project?

    SCOTT: I heard that a new ALPHA FLIGHT book might be getting organized and sent off a note to Tom Brevoort – my editor then – asking to add my name to whatever creator list was forming. A couple emails with Mike Marts (then editor of the new OMEGA FLIGHT book), an EXCALIBUR fill-in later and Mike asked me on board.

    AlphaFlight.net: Before this starting this project, did you have much exposure to Alpha Flight?

    SCOTT: I was big fan of the group from their X-MEN appearances through the first couple years of their monthly title. I fell off big time after that. I’ve tried from time to time to get back into the group but without much success.

    AlphaFlight.net: How do you see Omega fitting into the post Civil War Marvel Universe?

    SCOTT: I think OMEGA fits in nicely with post CIVIL WAR. OMEGA serves a cool new purpose on top of what’s leftover from ALPHA FLIGHT. Plus the new interactions between the Canadian and American members – it’s a lot of fun.

    AlphaFlight.net: Some writers look more to the artists for input and collaboration on the books they do together. What is the creative process like with Mike Oeming? Do you find that working with him is different considering his own experience with a pencil?

    SCOTT: Mike’s always open too my ramblings and ideas – he’s absolutely wonderful to work with. His experience as an artist only enhances his writing and team work mentality. He will sometimes suggest page layouts and yet give me total freedom to do what I think is best. We may not have the same taste of pacing or how to play out a scene but Mike’s also very much aware of giving a variety of pages to draw – not just 5 panels of every page. We talk sometimes as he’s formulating an outline or something and we’ll chat about the books direction and what’s going on with each character. Sometimes I’ll pop up with an idea as I’m working on the page and send him an email or call him.

    AlphaFlight.net: You've done some work with Oeming in the past, but if I'm not mistaken this is your first full length series. Do you find that changes the nature of your work together?

    SCOTT:
    We had a lot more discussions about where the book was going before he started on the 1st script. THOR BLOOD OATH had already been pretty much set up by the time I was on board. Omega was still mostly new to Mike when I joined. Plus this is a new direction for the OMEGA characters, so we had lots of talk about them and what book was going to do to them. BLOOD OATH was set in old times, stuff that had been well established.

    AlphaFlight.net:
    When you were interviewed by PopCultureShock you mentioned you were working on Character designs and promo art. What stage of the creative process do you find you self in now? We have learned that the art for #1 has been finished.

    SCOTT:
    I finished #1 and have worked on ½ of #2. I’d be done with #2 already, but there were some major changes that you’ll be hearing about soon. So while Mike and Andy Schmidt figured out to handle the new situation, I’m working on a 19 page FIRELORD story with Keith Giffen. But I’ll be getting back to OMEGA in about a week or so.

    AlphaFlight.net: Recently Mike Oeming announced that we will be seeing some classic Alpha Flight villains, such as The Master and The Great Beasts. Do you have any intentions on revamps to these characters? New costumes, updated looks ect.?

    SCOTT: I‘d love to work up a ton of new versions of some classic ALPHA FLIGHT characters and make them more unique for our book. Time will tell which ones I get to work on. I’ve had some thoughts on The Master and what I’d like to do with him. The Great Beasts would be incredible to really work over. Wen-Di-Go would be awesome too.

    AlphaFlight.net: Are we looking any drastic costume changes on classic characters? We all saw that fantastic piece of Snowbird art you did, and the speculation that we well see an updated Talisman.

    SCOTT: Some yes, some no. You also saw a Guardian in the OMEGA promo piece and he looks pretty much the same as before. If anything drastic does change it will still feel very natural. Like that sketch I did of Snowbird in her snow owl form. Putting the Snowbird head piece on the “realistic” bird is cool, new and yet very natural to the character - I think.

    AlphaFlight.net: So far we have seen two pages of Omega Flight #1. Fans are ecstatic to see Sasquatch. It has been said that he is one of the toughest characters to draw in the Marvel Universe. Did you find he was difficult to get nailed down? Did you have to study John Byrne's version to capture that happy-go-lucky expression?

    SCOTT: I did study Byrne’s approach to Sasquatch but mostly it’s just me loving the character. He was easy – as far as getting the feel and I’m glad people are already responding to those pages. He’s some extra work with all that hair/fur – but beyond that it’s just loving the character. Walter’s awesome.

    AlphaFlight.net:I want to congratulate you on a great job on the costumes for the wrecking crew. They have faced Alpha Flight once in the past, can we hope to see them as recurring villains for Omega Flight?

    SCOTT: I love the Wrecking Crew – they’re just a bunch of thugs wanting to be rich and party all the time. It’s the 80’s brought to horrific Marvel proportions. I hope they come back. I mean after they’re ki - ooops. Ahem. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

    AlphaFlight.net:What overall artistic "feeling" are you hoping to convey with Omega Flight?

    SCOTT: Just to kick as much @$$ as possible. OMEGA FLIGHT has as much fun as it has action and intrigue. Just a good book.

    AlphaFlight.net:Have you set a limit to how many issues you plan on being involved in, or are you in it for the long haul?

    SCOTT: I have NOT to set a limit. I’m hungry to beat the length of my Flash run. I’ll be here until they tell me to go.



    Mr. Kolins offered the Alpha Waves Forum a sketch of any character the forum chose. After conducting a poll, the forum chose Aurora as Scott's subject.
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. -K-M-'s Avatar
      -K-M- -
      I remember reading this article and when Scott said about the Wrecking Crew " I hope they come back. I mean after they’re ki - ooops." left me wondering if they were going to be killed. Perhaps the plans changed.
    1. mreeez's Avatar
      mreeez -
      Probably that Bendis wanted to use them in his gang of Hood followers.
    1. Le Messor's Avatar
      Le Messor -
      Quote Originally Posted by mreeez View Post
      Probably that Bendis wanted to use them in his gang of Hood followers.
      I think the interview with that was way too soon for that; it was a couple of years before The Hood.

      - Le Messor
      "Genius is talent exercised with courage."
      ~ L. Wittgenstein