Eric J. Moreels
Jan 30, 2003, 12:47 am
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/previews/0403/sentinel_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/previews/0403/sentinel_1t.jpg" align=left alt="Sentinel #1 preview"></a>Of most interest to X-Men fans in Marvel Comics recent announcement of the Tsunami wave of titles scheduled to debut in April (see 'MARVEL ASKS WHAT IS TSUNAMI?' (http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15198)) was Sentinel, a new monthly series by writer Sean McKeever and artists from the UDON collective. At his official Sentinel Web site (http://www.seanmckeever.com/sentinel/), McKeever describes the series as "an ongoing teen drama", one that just so happens to star a thirty-foot tall mutant-hunting robot!
X-Fan recently caught up with McKeever and UDON Chief Erik Ko to find out more about the project.
X-FAN: How did you come to be involved in the project?
McKEEVER: {Editor} Marc Sumerak came to me with the basic premise and I took it from there.
KO: We were off Agent X and while I was talking with Marc Sumerak about possible new jobs, he said he is developing this new title about a Sentinel robot and would like to see if we wanted to be involved, For sure we want to do it! We would LOVE to take on drawing some cool mechs! Plus Sumerak is one of the best editor I have worked with so far! So we signed on to do this title!
X-FAN: What is the premise of Sentinel?
McKEEVER: Sentinel is a teen fantasy/drama about Juston Seyfert, an underprivileged, unpopular 15 year-old who lives with his little brother and father in Antigo, a small Wisconsin town, who happens upon a 30-foot engine of destruction in his father's salvage yard. The series is about him developing as a person, and how the Sentinel may alter, hinder or accelerate that development.
X-FAN: What is the first story arc about?
McKEEVER: The first arc, "Salvage", is a six-part sort of "origin story". We meet Juston and his friends and family and we get a sense of his (lack of a) social life. Then we toss in a giant, mutant-hunting robot, stir, and serve. We'll see what he decides to do with the Sentinel, and we'll also see Juston start to develop his first-ever romantic interest.
X-FAN: Does the series take place in continuity and, if so, will readers inevitably see the X-Men show up to investigate the Sentinel?
McKEEVER: Yep, {and} everyone's favorite answer: Wait and see.
X-FAN: The solicitation for the first issue in the April Previews catalog reads very similar to the premise of What If...? (2nd series) #92 - What If Cannonball's younger brother owned a Sentinel? Is there any relation between the two?
McKEEVER: Nope, not that I'm aware of. Never read or heard of it until the announcement was made last week.
<a href="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=4494" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/4images/data/thumbnails/160/whatif092.jpg" align=right alt="What If...? (2nd series) #92"></a>Let me expand on this for a tick: People seem to be coming out of the woodwork about how Sentinel is a rip-off of this or a rip-off of that and how it's so similar to so many stories that have come before it, not only from other media but from Marvel in particular as well. And I can understand why people are doing it. I think our brains are like filing cabinets, and we immediately want to categorize new stuff into existing file folders, since that's the path of least resistance, as opposed to making a new folder.
Anyway, I think it's safe to say that "a boy and his robot" or "a boy and his monster" sort of stuff is a sub-genre unto itself, and that people should wait to dismiss it as a knock-off or rip-off until they get the book in their hands and have actually seen it.
X-FAN: Who from UDON is involved?
KO: Since this {project} emphasises on a lot of robots and mech designs as well as teenage drama, I put our mech and tech guys and the ones who can do cool teenagers on the helm. Heading this project is Eric Vedder who worked on Agent X before. Joing Vedder is Joe Vriens and Scott Hepburn, and {those} three will be doing the black and white art. Andrew Hou (Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra) and Omar Dogan (Xin) will be responsible for the coloring of the book.
X-FAN: Did UDON create the characters for the series?
KO: The book features all new cast of a group of young adults, boys and girls. Some of them are hip and in fashion and some of them more down to earth and more from the roots. And the Sentinel robot... without giving too much away now, would gave different looks in different stages as the story progresses!
X-FAN: What's it been like working with each other?
McKEEVER: I've been really happy with UDON. When it came time to do character sketches, they went the whole nine. Different artists with different concepts and styles. Multiple drafts. They're real troopers, and it's been an absolute delight to receive the pages as they come in. I can't wait until people see their work here.
KO: Sean is definately a hot newcomer that is good at what he is doing! His character development is strong and it drives the story well! We {are} have having a lot of fun executing his ideas!
X-FAN: What do you hope to accomplish with Sentinel?
McKEEVER: I have a great opportunity to deliver a character-driven fantasy book for teens and up at the number one publisher in America. To me, Sentinel is just like one of my earlier works, The Waiting Place, but without the large cast and with a pretty fun fantasy element. So, to be able to do a book like that at Marvel has me geeked to no end, and I know that'll show in the finished product.
Sentinel #1 is due to go on sale April 2. A reminder to all that you can pre-order the first issue, signed by those talented folks at UDON, online now from X-World Comics by clicking here (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=346&cat=X%2DCLUSIVE+CREATOR+EDITIONS#3528).
X-Fan Correspondent Benjamin Ong Pang Kean contributed to this article.
X-Fan recently caught up with McKeever and UDON Chief Erik Ko to find out more about the project.
X-FAN: How did you come to be involved in the project?
McKEEVER: {Editor} Marc Sumerak came to me with the basic premise and I took it from there.
KO: We were off Agent X and while I was talking with Marc Sumerak about possible new jobs, he said he is developing this new title about a Sentinel robot and would like to see if we wanted to be involved, For sure we want to do it! We would LOVE to take on drawing some cool mechs! Plus Sumerak is one of the best editor I have worked with so far! So we signed on to do this title!
X-FAN: What is the premise of Sentinel?
McKEEVER: Sentinel is a teen fantasy/drama about Juston Seyfert, an underprivileged, unpopular 15 year-old who lives with his little brother and father in Antigo, a small Wisconsin town, who happens upon a 30-foot engine of destruction in his father's salvage yard. The series is about him developing as a person, and how the Sentinel may alter, hinder or accelerate that development.
X-FAN: What is the first story arc about?
McKEEVER: The first arc, "Salvage", is a six-part sort of "origin story". We meet Juston and his friends and family and we get a sense of his (lack of a) social life. Then we toss in a giant, mutant-hunting robot, stir, and serve. We'll see what he decides to do with the Sentinel, and we'll also see Juston start to develop his first-ever romantic interest.
X-FAN: Does the series take place in continuity and, if so, will readers inevitably see the X-Men show up to investigate the Sentinel?
McKEEVER: Yep, {and} everyone's favorite answer: Wait and see.
X-FAN: The solicitation for the first issue in the April Previews catalog reads very similar to the premise of What If...? (2nd series) #92 - What If Cannonball's younger brother owned a Sentinel? Is there any relation between the two?
McKEEVER: Nope, not that I'm aware of. Never read or heard of it until the announcement was made last week.
<a href="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/4images/details.php?image_id=4494" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/4images/data/thumbnails/160/whatif092.jpg" align=right alt="What If...? (2nd series) #92"></a>Let me expand on this for a tick: People seem to be coming out of the woodwork about how Sentinel is a rip-off of this or a rip-off of that and how it's so similar to so many stories that have come before it, not only from other media but from Marvel in particular as well. And I can understand why people are doing it. I think our brains are like filing cabinets, and we immediately want to categorize new stuff into existing file folders, since that's the path of least resistance, as opposed to making a new folder.
Anyway, I think it's safe to say that "a boy and his robot" or "a boy and his monster" sort of stuff is a sub-genre unto itself, and that people should wait to dismiss it as a knock-off or rip-off until they get the book in their hands and have actually seen it.
X-FAN: Who from UDON is involved?
KO: Since this {project} emphasises on a lot of robots and mech designs as well as teenage drama, I put our mech and tech guys and the ones who can do cool teenagers on the helm. Heading this project is Eric Vedder who worked on Agent X before. Joing Vedder is Joe Vriens and Scott Hepburn, and {those} three will be doing the black and white art. Andrew Hou (Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra) and Omar Dogan (Xin) will be responsible for the coloring of the book.
X-FAN: Did UDON create the characters for the series?
KO: The book features all new cast of a group of young adults, boys and girls. Some of them are hip and in fashion and some of them more down to earth and more from the roots. And the Sentinel robot... without giving too much away now, would gave different looks in different stages as the story progresses!
X-FAN: What's it been like working with each other?
McKEEVER: I've been really happy with UDON. When it came time to do character sketches, they went the whole nine. Different artists with different concepts and styles. Multiple drafts. They're real troopers, and it's been an absolute delight to receive the pages as they come in. I can't wait until people see their work here.
KO: Sean is definately a hot newcomer that is good at what he is doing! His character development is strong and it drives the story well! We {are} have having a lot of fun executing his ideas!
X-FAN: What do you hope to accomplish with Sentinel?
McKEEVER: I have a great opportunity to deliver a character-driven fantasy book for teens and up at the number one publisher in America. To me, Sentinel is just like one of my earlier works, The Waiting Place, but without the large cast and with a pretty fun fantasy element. So, to be able to do a book like that at Marvel has me geeked to no end, and I know that'll show in the finished product.
Sentinel #1 is due to go on sale April 2. A reminder to all that you can pre-order the first issue, signed by those talented folks at UDON, online now from X-World Comics by clicking here (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=346&cat=X%2DCLUSIVE+CREATOR+EDITIONS#3528).
X-Fan Correspondent Benjamin Ong Pang Kean contributed to this article.