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A Life Invested in Comics
Watchmen is based upon twelve issues of comic books published by DC Comics back in 1995 and written by Alan Moore. Kesel worked as an editor for DC Comics on the project when the twelve issues were compiled and sold as one book. Fast forward 14 years. Kesel recently returned from Los Angeles, where she attended the premier of Watchmen at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The movie opened March 6 and earned more than $55 million during its opening weekend, making it third in all-time openings for the month of March. Now a comics writer and editor, Kesel reflects back upon her time spent with the original Watchmen story and her thoughts of the project. "It was the first super hero comic book to use a novel writing approach with a beginning, middle and end. Each issue contained back information to add to the volume," she explains. "We knew it was a groundbreaker - the 'new' thing that would be analyzed, copied and loved or hated." Obviously with the initial success of the movie, the story's groundbreaking change in providing comics for adults has proven successful. Of the movie version Kesel says, "I'm pleased with it. It's a good adaptation of the source material and the updating they did to the story line is still fitting to the original story."
Her interest in comics was sparked by a rather scary situation, but one that she says was the beginning of her journey. In 1989 she was attending college in California as a theater major. One day while walking in an open air market area, a stranger attempted to kidnap her. She escaped by running into a small book store that sold comics. She hid behind a rack of books as the attempted kidnapper came through the store in pursuit of her. After he was gone, she struck up a conversation with the owners of the store and ended up buying a few comic books before she left. Still hoping to land an acting job, she accepted at job at DC Comics in New York as a writer and editor. She thought working in New York would be her ticket into acting. It was during her time there that she worked on Watchmen. Although she never ended up with the acting job of her dreams, Kesel has enjoyed a successful career in comics. From DC Comics in New York, she decided to move to Portland, Oregon, where she worked as a freelancer for a while. She eventually went to work for Dark Horse Comics as both a writer and editor. At Dark Horse, she worked as a development editor on the popular Hellboy comics.
As her career has included both writing and editing projects, Kesel does have a preference. "There's something to helping people shape their creative works into sharp ideas that really appeals to me, but when I get the chance to show off my own stuff in print, that's the best." For those interested in seeing Watchmen, Kesel warns it isn't a movie for children. "People in America tend to gravitate toward the association of comics with children's stories, but there are so many different comics out there now for different levels, and readers, that it's never been more untrue that 'comics are for kids.'" In her years of experience, Kesel has seen comics evolve into a much different medium than it was when she started. "As more and more creator-owned titles enter the scene, it's becoming like the film industry, from small, self-funded entrepreneurs showing off their particular vision to mass-marketed stories sponsored by large companies [and] edited by marketing committees. Every kid with a Mac can make his or her own separations and have them printed up just like the big companies." To stay connected to her comic contacts Kesel travels to comic conventions in Orlando, New York and San Diego. She suggests anyone hoping to get started in the field of comics show their work in an online forum or at a comics convention. She reveals, "The way you end up working in comics is to make comics!" By Lisa Stephens, Resident of West Park Village |
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Have you seen any good movies lately? If you ask Chelmsford resident Barbara Kesel this question, she'll most likely suggest the action/adventure movie Watchmen. Anyone going to see this movie invests only two hours and 43 minutes of their time in the theatre. Kesel, however, has a lot more than movie time invested in the story.
Kesel's journey into comics was never anything she thought much about as a child. You might imagine that she was one of those kids who ran to the local book store each time a new comic book was released. Not so, she says. "I did know my whole life I'd be a writer and I was always interested in Greek myths and super heroes," she explains. Though, comics, she says, didn't enter the picture until her college days.
Kesel moved to Tampa when she accepted a job at Cross Generation Comics. "I was intrigued by the opportunity to help create a new comic company." Though the company is no longer in business, Kesel continues her work in comics with freelancing opportunities. Her recent work includes stories for Legends of the Dark Crystal, Ghost Whisperer, The Muse, Rogue Angel and Teller of Tall Tales.