Reflecting on The Heavy Metal Showdown.

THE HEAVY METAL SHOWDOWN concluded yesterday, and I’m pleased with how it came out.  Sure, there are things I could have done better or differently, but I’m satisfied with the story when looking at the pages as a completed comic.  Even after all this time making webcomics, I’m still learning the craft and this experience taught me a lot.

I tried to challenge myself with every page and panel.  With my previous webcomic, Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire, the panel layout was the same most every update, with even the dialogue bubbles being in the same places every time.  It was a necessary design choice for a comic that had a varying 5-7 day per week update schedule over the course of its run.  With this, I wanted to challenge myself with panel layout.  I don’t feel like I broke new ground in the comics medium, nor did I do anything spectacular for anyone but me, but I felt challenged with each page and the experience helped me grow as a creator.

On the other hand, I also relied on some things I was comfortable with.  Making comics in black-and-white is a strength of mine, and drawing fantasy-esque characters like Karudak the Hammer is another.  Rocky landscapes are not only fun for me to draw, but it’s the only terrain I can stand to watch breaking in a superhero fight.  Seeing plant life destroyed gets me anxious, and city buildings getting wrecked even more so.  Maybe it’s because I was heavily influenced by Fist of the North Star’s wasteland battles in my youth.  Maybe I simply enjoy the visual of shattering rocks.  Maybe it’s a little of both.

Whether you liked it or hated it (but I hope you liked it!) I had fun making THE HEAVY METAL SHOWDOWN.  I don’t know if I’ll be drawing any more comics for Star Power in the future, but if the desire returns I’ll make sure to challenge myself even further.

About Michael

Michael Terracciano loves comic books, superheroes, outer space, and telling stories. His friends call him "Mookie." He spent the last ten years as the author and artist of the fantasy webcomic, "Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire." He enjoys spending time with his wife and their three cats. His favorite planet is Jupiter because it's awesome. He wants having superpowers to be fun again, and for this to be a universe you want to escape to, not from. He hopes you enjoy reading Star Power.