Walt Disney Co. took over the Star Wars franchise and launches with its seventh film with much-anticipated pop-culture history with J.J. Abrams as lead Jedi.
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, comic artist Ward Sutton illustrates his way right back into the center of the Star Wars frenzy. Ward Sutton recently premiered his comic-inspired editorial for the Boston Globe, ,and actively collaborates with MAD Magazine too.
In celebration of all things Star Wars, I thought to catch up with Ward Sutton and celebrate his inspired comic goodness:
mark Murphy : when did you experience that ah ha moment to articulate pop-cultural commentary within your illustrated universe?
Ward Sutton : I got my first chance to create cartoons for a newspaper way back in grade school - a friend’s mother had a connection to a community paper and got my work in. In high school, I realized the power I had as a cartoonist when I realized I could make fun of the principal in print and get away with it.
At the time I was a huge fan of Bloom County, (above), especially the way Berke Breathed would incorporate aspects of pop culture into his political commentary. It had a major influence on me.
I was struck this fall that 38 years ago (when I was 11), I was obsessed with Star Wars - drawing the characters, spaceships, etc. And I was also reading MAD magazine.
Now, this fall, MAD asked me to illustrate a piece about Star Wars, (featured above). It was for a hilarious piece written by Al Duran with the concept of the Empire doing a Kickstarter to raise the money to build a new Death Star. As I worked on it, I couldn’t help thinking of that 11-year-old kid I used to be and how psyched that kid would have been to know he would one day draw Star Wars scenes for MAD! (As an adult, I have been pretty psyched myself).
mark Murphy : what is your death star within the world of comics?
Ward Sutton : I would say the Death Star to comics is editors who try to tinker cartoons to death. I don’t want to sound like I don’t appreciate constructive criticism or editorial input - I do appreciate it. But there can be a tipping point where the micro-managing of a piece just ruins it. That creates a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Thankfully, the people I work with regularly are not like that at all. I really value having a good relationship with editors and art directors. (Above, Ward Sutton recently featured in the Boston Globe, A New Hope?).
mark Murphy : who are some of your favorite characters within the Star Wars franchise and how do they affect your work?
Ward Sutton : Star Wars has so many iconic characters, it is rich to use as a basis for satire. The concept and themes, (of the original movies anyway), are so clear and understandable, they resonate with audiences and stick with people. So they are easy to play off of, especially the “dark” and “light," good and bad sides of The Force.
I clearly remember a political cartoon from the late 1970s, drawn to illustrate the frustration some felt by some with President Carter back then. It depicted Carter looking ineffective and a ghost of Obi Wan shouting, “Use the Force, Dummy!”
I’ve used the Star Wars metaphor many times in cartoons over the years. Darth Vader is an easy one to use as a symbol of oppression, Jabba is great as a symbol of sloth. And in a different way, Jar Jar (being a horribly conceived and poorly received character) is a symbol of folly. Plus, all these characters are fun to draw! (Above, illustration for Variety of Disney’s Bob Iger with his latest acquisitions by Ward Sutton).
May the force be with you. Enjoy Star Wars - The Force Awakens and super kind thanks to Ward Sutton and his culturally-inspired comic universe. For more information on Ward Sutton, please check out his website Sutton Impact, the Boston Globe, MAD Magazine and more.
