April 10, 2015: Composers gather for an evening of Lakeshore Records soundtrack signings. (L to R: Timothy Williams, John Bergin, Reza Safinia, Mark Adler, Geno Lenardo, Daniel Davies.)
Lakeshore Records is pleased to release the single ’K So penned and performed by Daniel Davies from WEDNESDAY (Original Comic Book Soundtrack). The full companion album, featuring music from Davies (Year Long Disaster) and Geno Lenardo (Filter, Device) is coming soon. WEDNESDAY is written and illustrated by John Bergin (From Inside). Released by Stompbox13, Wednesday comic is out now at Comixology.
“I love the concept of comic book soundtracks. Every comic book I’ve written or illustrated also included a suggested soundtrack in the index,” said Bergin. “I can even say I may be the first person to score a comic! In the early 1990s I wrote and recorded a score for The Crow graphic novel.”
John Bergin’s life has been spent creating art as both a writter/illustrator of comics and a musician, most notably in the band Trust Obey. After writing/illustrating the comic Ashes, Bergin went to Tundra (the publishing company founded by Kevin Eastman, creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) who published Bergin’s graphic novel From Inside in 1994. At the same time, Trust Obey was signed to Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records.
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Wednesday’s father is kidnapped by bounty hunters. In order to save him, Wednesday must venture into the unknown with her only friends; sock monkeys Manny, Moe and Jack. Armed only with her wits and driving a rocking 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, Wednesday must overcome bandits, killer robots and a deadly assassin from the past.
Wednesday, the new sci-fi graphic novel from John Bergin (From Inside) is releasing this week from publisher Stompbox13, and Lakeshore Records will be bringing you the official Wednesday soundtrack album later this year.
Wednesday tells the story of a young girl named “Wednesday” who is dissatisfied with her life hiding under a scrap yard. She is curious about the outside world. Sure, it’s the post-apocalypse out there, but anything beats living under a pile of junk with your dad.
On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Wednesday’s father is kidnapped by bounty hunters. In order to save him, Wednesday must venture into the unknown with her only friends; sock monkeys Manny, Moe and Jack. Armed with only her wits and driving a rocking 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, Wednesday must overcome bandits, killer robots and a deadly assassin from the past.
Thursday, January 15 sees the release of the album’s first single “K So” by Daniel Davies (of the bands By Maker and Year Long Disaster). Stay tuned for more!
This fall, Lakeshore Records will release the DVD of the film, From Inside: Gary Numan Special Edition, scored by music icon Gary Numan and Music Producer Ade Fenton. The key art was created by the film’s writer/director, John Bergin, a veteran illustrator and writer who has spent his career pushing the boundaries in the comic book, animation, and screenwriting worlds.
Film Music Daily caught up with Mr. Bergin to ask a few questions about the From Inside: Gary Numan Special Edition movie poster.
The poster depicts a scene from the movie?
Yes. The giant bio-mechanical creature featured in the illustration is called The Leviathan. You could say that it represents inevitability. Like death, it is a massive unstoppable force barreling down on the story’s heroine, Cee. It is completely indifferent to her plight. Through most of the story, The Leviathan looks like what you see in the poster, but it transforms near the end of the story when Cee realizes inevitability isn’t necessarily dark. It’s just nature. Life.
How did you create the artwork?
Like every image in the film, I started with the original art from the graphic novel; a 14” x 17” charcoal drawing on illustration board with oil glazes. I scan the originals and work over them digitally. Photoshop, Maya, Cinema 4D, etc.
Have you made other movie posters? Do you enjoy this sort of work?
Yes, I’ve made many, many posters! I’ve designed and illustrated hundreds of book and album covers. Movie posters are very similar to making book covers and album covers. The challenge is to distill a story or concept into a single image. Sometimes it’s a certain scene, sometimes it’s a single design element — like a color or a logo — that sums up an entire listening experience or a complex story. On one hand you need to give the audience a clear indication of what they’re in for; on the other hand, I love making album covers and posters that tweak expectations with unexpected elements. It could be a typeface or tone that, at first glance, seems completely out of place, but rewards the viewer with a nice “A-ha! Now, I get it!” moment after experiencing the story or music.
I have a new comic coming out soon. It’s called Wednesday. The book is being scored with two soundtrack albums by Geno Lenardo (Filter) and Daniel Davies (Year Long Disaster), who recently did the soundtrack for I, Frankenstein.
Where can we see more of your work?
I have a little gallery at stompbox13.com. You can check out my books there, too.
From Inside: Gary Numan Special Edition scored by Gary Numan and Ade Fenton will premiere Fall 2014. Stay tuned for more updates!
April 10, 2015: Composers gather for an evening of Lakeshore Records soundtrack signings. (L to R: Timothy Williams, John Bergin, Reza Safinia, Mark Adler, Geno Lenardo, Daniel Davies.)
