TAYLOR-MADE
In 2015, with the
Legion cancelled many years previously and no sign of a revival,
comic book artist Christopher Taylor took it upon himself to create
a pitch for a new series.
Christopher could already boast of pencilling
several Legion issues in the past, with the group having
long been a personal favorite of his.
In the introduction to his pitch for DC
Comics, he said: "The project is unsolicited. The project is
unapologetically diverse."
The plot involved restylings of Legion
characters old and new, including diverse groups such as the Justice
Squadron, the Legion Brigade and the Heroes of Lallor.
With Christopher providing sample pages
of his concept, he invited hardcore Legion fans throughout social
media to weigh in, and more importantly, to write in to DC Comics
directly, supporting the proposal.
"From the onset, this was an experiment.
The aim was to develop a long form single story focusing on the
Legion, a comic book franchise that's more than 40 years old and
retains some of the most passionate and critical fans in all of
fandom," he said.
"This presentation was unique, utilizing
the social media platforms Tumblr and DeviantArt, to visually -
almost organically - present story ideas along with corresponding
character designs while simultaneously engaging fans on various
Facebook Legion fan sites (including this blog's complementary page).
"The question remains
in an
environment where unsolicited pitches are frowned upon by the editorial
status quo, as in "don't come to us
we'll come to you",
can creators use new social media tools to win over fans, and petition
the legitimacy of their projects? Or does this path remain a delusional
quixotic pursuit?"
Sadly, nothing came of this initiative.
Whether you like his concepts or not, Christopher was the only comic
book professional around who gave a damn enough about the Legion
to devote his time and energies to rejuvenating the title.
Interestingly, since the pitch was looked
over, there have been a couple of Legion reboots, none of which
have lasted the distance. Maybe Christopher deserves a second chance
and the support of all Legion fans.
Here are his sample pages and characters:
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