That said, since I'm half writing it to myself, there will be randomness. I do talk to myself sometimes like I'm a teacher, or make the odd self-referential comment. Don't take it personally. I will try and be ordered.
I do like to write too, so if you get bored, or don't like to read, skip through, look at some of the pretty pictures and vids and you'll get an idea of where we're going.
My first thoughts go to the current master of the graphic novel form; Charles Burns.
Black Hole, his seminal work that took him ten years to make (lets fucking hope it doesn't take us that long), is a touchstone for me and for the series in terms of design, tone and sense of realism.
Anyway, what Black Hole isn't is funny. It's hilarious. Full of richly observed awkward reality. It's not hilarious very often, but when it is, it feels like someone who knows you very well is tickling you somewhere deep and dark.
It is tragic, it has a sense of gravitas, it has superbly realised characters and a unique vision.
Design wise - super sharp, excellent use of black, fantastic lines and cinematic staging lend the whole g. novel an absurd grandeur.
It's worth checking out. If you can't get it, get his latest, X'ed out, which again, has superb storytelling, but more sublime and even surreal.
Burns bio: http://www.fantagraphics.com/artist-bios/artist-bio-charles-burns.html
So why a touchstone. My original vision for Dangerous Days was some of the shit above. Unique vision, hilarious but not with a high gag rate like Family Guy or our previous series pilot Field Day. (what's up with the fascination with putting Day somewhere in the title..?), a tragedy (because it is film noir inspired, so it has to be tragic) and deeply dramatic without ever seeming to take itself seriously.
Burns nails this because he's fought tooth and nail to develop his voice and found someone who was willing to publish him as he wrote it (although I imagine there were a few battles, I don't know). His work, like David Lynch, another touchstone I guess, and the mighty Chester Brown, a massive inspiration for storytelling, comes from only one writer's head and consequently feels unique to the core. It is also, maybe not Lynch as much any more, very accessible to people.
Burns' work doesn't have a MASSIVE audience. It has a deeply loyal one who appreciate his work and like something a little different.
You've heard all this before. I have. We're all post modern! But there you have it, that's the vision I started with for Dangerous Days.
Here's the man, Burns, chatting to some french dude, skip the french bits and there's a few nuggets in there. Not particularly interesting but...
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