Category Archives: Flash History

Meet Flash TV Series Actresses Amanda Pays and Joyce Hyser Next Week

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Amanda Pays, who played scientist Tina McGee on the 1990 Flash TV series, and Joyce Hyser, who played recurring character Megan Lockhart on the show, will be appearing at the next Hollywood Show on February 12-13 at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel in Burbank, California.

Tina McGee was one of several elements from the then-current Wally West series to be incorporated into the TV series, and she became Barry Allen’s support crew and one-woman research team. Megan Lockhart was an original character, a detective hired to discover the Flash’s identity. She later found herself mixed up in the Trickster’s origin. More info: Flash TV Series supporting cast.

(Via Scott Ray)

Interview: Freddie E. Williams II on gorillas, lightning and Spin

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Today’s guest post is the fourth in a series of interviews by Greg Elias on The Art of Speed.

Between stints working the Gotham City beat with Robin, artist Freddie E. Williams II took his talents to Keystone City and the home of the young West family.

First teamed with Mark Waid, Williams hit his stride when Tom Peyer took over as writer.  Ringing in a mind-bending new villain, the wrath of Grodd and the challenges of high-speed fatherhood, Williams and Peyer brought Flash from Keystone to Gorilla City and into the Speed Force.

In addition to his work on Robin, Williams has handled art duties on Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle, Final Crisis Afterman: Run and JSA All-Stars.  Though his time on Flash interiors ended with issue #246, he contributed the cover to issue #248.

We spoke with Williams via email about his time on Flash, including the design of new villian Spin, the joy of gorillas and learning to love the lightning.  He shared some of his techniques, as well as some original art!

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Interview: Norm Breyfogle on the first Flashpoint

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Today’s guest post is the third in a series of interviews by Greg Elias on The Art of Speed. 

With a new Flashpoint on the horizon in 2011, longtime Flash fans are likely reminded of the 2000 miniseries with the same name.  Written by Pat McGreal with art by Norm Breyfogle, the first Flashpoint was released under DC’s Elseworlds stamp in 2000.

In a world where the Flash is the only superhero, Barry Allen is paralyzed from the neck down while thwarting the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  Confined to a wheelchair, Barry becomes the leading figure in the world of space science. He also dreams of a heaven revealed to be the Speed Force, has visions of an alternate-Earth Flash career with the Justice League, and is friendly with his world’s incarnation of Vandal Savage.

Through a series of “accidents” tied to Savage’s machinations, Barry, Wally West, Ralph Dibny and the Martian Manhunter are embroiled in an attempt to keep the destructive power of the flashpoint from being unleashed on the world.

Best known for his long tenure and defining work on the Batman family of titles throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Breyfogle’s Flash resume is short but memorable. In addition to Flashpoint, he illustrated a Kid Flash/Jay Garrick story in Flash 80 Page Giant #2.

We spoke with him via email about some of the techniques used on Flashpoint.

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Interview: Paul Ryan Talks Flash

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Today’s guest post is the second in a series of interviews by Greg Elias on The Art of Speed.

With a Flash resume spanning a presidential election, trips to Hell, living clothes and a cosmic death-race, Paul Ryan’s work on the title is some of the most diverse of any artist to ever pencil those pages.

Starting with issue 119, a crossover with the Final Night mini-series, Ryan was paired with Flash scribe Mark Waid. From the Presidential Race storyline through Hell to Pay, Ryan was present for the return of The Top, Wally’s temporary relocation to Santa Marta and the raging comeback of the undead Rogues.

When Waid took a break from Flash in 1997, well-known writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar took over for a year’s worth of stories. The tone of the book changed with the reintroduction of temporal challenges, mystical concepts and sci-fi elements reminiscent of the Silver Age Flash, as well as the expansion of more recent tropes like the Speed Force and Wally’s childhood.

Ryan also illustrated Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths, by Crisis architect Marv Wolfman, which tells the story of Barry Allen’s time on Earth D.

Previously an artist over at Marvel Comics, Ryan co-created the New Universe series DP7 and spent a notable, lengthy run on Fantastic Four. Most recently, he has illustrated The Phantom comic strip.

Recently collected for the first time, Emergency Stop and The Human Race showcase much of the second half of Ryan’s run on Flash.

Ryan answered our questions via email, revealing some of the process and his favorite Flash.

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Interview: Greg LaRocque on “Flash: The Return of Barry Allen”

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Today’s guest post is the first in a series of interviews by Greg Elias on The Art of Speed.

In 1988, Wally West was powerless, penniless and nearly homeless. With Flash #15, the creative team of writer William Messner-Loebs and artist Greg LaRocque began their memorable take on the title. Throughout their run, Loebs and LaRocque established the touchstones of Wally’s life in Keystone City, including many of the character’s major themes and a supporting cast that remains vital. LaRocque was also on board when writer Mark Waid took over, starting with issue #62 in 1992. Wally West continued to bloom under Waid, reaching new levels of confidence and self-assuredness each month. Wally’s road back from that low point played out over five years and 64 issues.

Each and every benchmark during that time, including the landmark issue #50 and introduction of a new Flash costume, was seen through the eyes and pencils of LaRocque. Previously associated with a highly- regarded body of work on Legion of Super Heroes, his style would end up defining the Flash for longer than any artist since Carmine Infantino or Irv Novick.

Perhaps no storyline is more closely identified with the development of the Wally West character than 1993’s The Return of Barry Allen. Within, Wally is faced with the shocking apparent return of his deceased uncle and mentor, Barry Allen, the second Flash. This was LaRocque’s last stand on the title – his final run with the character he had drawn from the depths of poverty and doubt. We asked LaRocque about his work on the story, focusing on the construction and the subtleties of putting together a super-speed coming-of-age.

Q: One of the things that defines The Return of Barry Allen is the super-speed action sequences. You’ve got Johnny Quick and Max Mercury in the mix, along with Wally West, Jay Garrick and “Barry Allen”. Given the larger cast, and each character having the same power (and somewhat similar costumes), what were some of the challenges in constructing these memorable scenes? Was there an attempt to define each character’s own “style”?

GREG LAROCQUE: That is best demonstrated in the construction scene when Max Mercury teaches Zoom a lesson in technique. Mark wrote it out for me in the script & it was a challenge to visually portray the different ways the cast displayed their skills. With Max, he was all about grace & fluidity, like water, like mercury. Zoom ran & moved effortlessly because he was the fastest & gloating. Jay & Johnny were the traditional full speed ahead runners.

Quick note on Wally. I never drew him running. He GLIDES like an ice skater.

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