Inspiration, fun, and joy are to be found a plenty in Patrick McDonnell’s all-new The Super Hero’s Journey. Published by Abrams ComicArts and Marvel, the book has been years in the making, but is more than worth the wait. Here, McDonnell, who is best known for creating the beloved Mutts, explores 1960s Marvel comics and all the magic and weirdness that era represents. That includes the spiritual connectedness, positivity, and wonderment that Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Steve Ditko, among others, brought to the world through their many stories.
I was lucky enough to ask McDonnell a few questions about the upcoming project that will bring both a smile, and maybe even a bit of spiritual awakening, to readers. McDonnell talks about this truly unique Marvel project, his favorite Marvel comic stories, and more in an interview that explores the pure power of great comics.
The Super Hero’s Journey arrives in comic shops and bookstores on September 26.
Courtesy of Abrams ComicArts.
AIPT: To say The Super Hero’s Journey is epic is an understatement, what was the process like crafting this tale and what went into breaking the story?
Patrick McDonnell: The Super Hero’s Journey was pure fun — a joy to create. It was a childhood dream to work with the Marvel characters and to integrate the classic work of Kirby, Lee, and Ditko with my art and story. My simple premise was to use as many of the legendary characters as I could to tell a new story, one about finding the super being inside us all. The two powerful Kirby quotes that begin and end the book, and the great Fantastic Four Annual #3 (Reed and Sue’s wedding), were the major inspirations in kickstarting my imagination. Then the book kind of wrote itself.
AIPT: You can tell the narrative was a lifetime in the making. When did you first ponder taking on this project?
PM: You’re right about it being a lifetime in the making. The narrative probably began with me drawing at my kitchen table when I was ten years old. Like any kid, I’ve always had the desire to create my own Marvel comic, but never really thought it could happen. In 2019, I worked with Abrams Comic Arts Editor-in-Chief Charles Kochman on my Mutts 25th anniversary book (The Art of Nothing). Two years later, he asked if I’d like to do something with the Marvel characters. The Super Hero’s Journey became the second book of Alex Ross’s MarvelArts imprint.
Courtesy of Abrams ComicArts.
AIPT: There are so many great clips from classic comics, was there a sequence integrating Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s stories that hit the cutting room floor?
PM: We’re talking about a bounty of riches, aren’t we? With Stan and Jack’s huge oeuvre, there were so many panels and pages I would have loved to include, but the book would have been a thousand pages. When I was growing up, the original X-Men were my absolute favorites, but, unfortunately, there was really no room to fit them into this story. However, they do make an “impressive” appearance on the acknowledgment page (in a drawing I did as a 10-year-old).
AIPT: How important was it to use mixed media in this work?
PM: I wanted my art to have the freedom of children’s art, so I played with whatever materials were around, mostly markers and colored pencils. The large-scale acrylic paintings were done long before the book, but they fit in well with the narrative. The end result, a mashup of my quirky drawings and paintings with Kirby and Ditko’s masterful work, somehow all comes together. The common thread is the love and enthusiasm we all have for the art form.
Courtesy of Abrams ComicArts.
AIPT: When crafting this work, how much of the process was similar to crafting Mutts? How much was different?
PM: The art process was very different from Mutts. It’s a major reason I enjoy doing these outside projects — I’m able to experiment with other mediums, styles, and different sizes. And I get to explore new characters in new worlds. The similarity is that I use that same creative muscle: to be kind, to always try to find the humor in things, to tell the story simply and directly, to get to the heart of it all. And, of course, making deadline.
AIPT: Can you talk a little bit about the themes of love in this work?
PM: Love is an underlying theme in all my work. The Super Hero’s Journey starts with a quote from Jack Kirby saying that his super power of choice would be “love”. It ends with Mr. Fantastic’s journey of discovering that same superpower in himself.
AIPT: Do you have a favorite Marvel story arc? If so, which one and why?
PM: My two brothers and I started collecting comics at the beginning of and, for me, the height of the Marvel comic book explosion. There are way too many favorite story arcs, so I’ll name three for now. Of course, at the top of my list would be the Galactus / Silver Surfer story, all the way to Doctor Doom riding the surfboard. The three of us all loved the Captain America Red Skull Sleepers robot story. And with the X-Men, I’ll mention the Sentinels thriller arc, one of the first comics I ever owned.
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