Last month we featured a chat with Bill Rosemann of Marvel about the creation of the KÀ by Cirque du Soleil #1 Comic Book. We also reached out to the staff of KÀ involved in providing Marvel with reference materials for insight into how the comic was created. In the process we learned more about the comic, its purpose, and the future of our heroes left clinging to life on the storm-tossed page.
We were put in touch with Marie-Hélène Gagnon (Mah-RIE – el-ENN gan-YON) who had previously worked for Cirque du Soleil with Saltimbanco in 2000 and Quidam in 2002 as Artistic Coordinator, and has been KÀs Artistic Director for the past six years. In her French-Canadian accent, this Montréal native explained how she first heard about the comic book project. “The first I knew about it was because of a joke. We went to ComicCon (in July of 2011) and did the battlefield [scene] on the stadium wall (at PETCO Park in San Diego). When we came back I was talking to the cast [and somebody said], “So, when do we get the comic book?” (Laughs) And I said well, I don’t know, though it would be great. But the PR person said we were looking into it.”
“It was last spring 2012 when we started discussing it and it seemed that it was going to happen. On Valentine’s Day the people from Marvel came to see the show. We had dinner and spoke about the show and about them. We talked about how many books [we would be creating], so we could pace it so it remained interesting and you don’t get out of breath before you’re done.” It was determined the story could best be told over a total of four comic books. “That was just the first visit, at that time the deal was not yet made, there were probably a series of talks before that between [Cirque du Soleil] Marketing and Marvel that I’m not aware of.”
But a deal was struck soon afterward. “We started working very shortly after they came. One of the things we did was give them a DVD copy of the show they saw (from the static camera that records each show nightly, not the multi-camera version of the show that appeared as a special on the German cable network ARTS). [I also] had to send them close-ups of makeups and costumes when we got closer to doing the coloring, so that it would be more accurate. [But mostly] what they had to work with was the DVD.”
“We did an [outline] of what would appear in Books One, Two, Three and Four. Then we [discussed] the details of what would be in Book One. We got the suggested names of artists [to do the book] before the end of February. A writer from Marvel then sent us a script [describing] what would happen on [each page]. In March we started getting drawings, including the cover which was done by a different artist, and the inside pages. And from there we discussed some of the characters [who needed to be] tweaked a bit.”
Marie-Helen’s responsibility was to ensure the comic book properly represented the show. But it caused her a bit of concern. “This was the translation of the show into a comic book, and I’d never done a comic book [before]. I like comic books but was just a little worried about the translation; [going] from taking care of a show to seeing it on a comic book page and seeing if it’s accurate, if it’s representative, if it’s still in line with the integrity [of the show]. I had a little bit of stage fright – how could I support and help them? Do I have a sharp eye for that? But they’re specialists and knowledgeable in what they do.”
“But you [start the process] and when you get page one, and then page two, you see the action really does [translate]. And the art we got from them was really beautiful, they’re intelligent artists. You don’t often have to tell them when something isn’t working. I might say to them that I was a bit surprised at this or that character, and bang – you’d quickly get another suggestion, and then [be able to] talk about what you meant. I’d say it was a really easy partnership because of their skill and knowledge.”
While there could be no changes to the storyline or characters as it was adapted to the page, so as to keep to the integrity of the show, they occasionally found a moment that needed enhancement. “At one point we were discussing how to have a “to be continued” moment in Book One, so that before we get to the last page we could have a teaser of what’s going to come later. And in the show we have this nanny [character] reading the twins fans. She’s telling them what she sees for them saying, “This is your future”. And so we did a page with fragments of the fans and images of upcoming combats or difficulties or situations, so that readers know after they read Book One what’s upcoming.”
Cirque and Marvel have made the comic available online at www.kacomicbook.com (the site also includes behind-the-scenes material). But it isn’t for sale. “We don’t sell it, it’s a marketing tool, we just gave it away. It is a diffusion tool. (a mechanism by which an idea or product can be accepted by the market.) It was [available] in some select comic book stores for comic book fans and all that, [but] it was given [away] with a purchase. [And] the cast got one comic book each as a present.”
Now that the first issue has been released, and sales aren’t a priority since it was created to be given away for free, are there any plans for Books Two, Three and Four? “It’s a discussion we are having. Ideally, the goal is to try to get Book Two [out] at ComicCon 2013. We’re having fun thinking of ideas, pacing our brains and minds for [the] structure of four books. The idea would be to have four books, and then have a book that combines the four. But I’ll probably be 276 years old when it happens!” (Laughs)
Providing input and references for the comic book was in addition to Marie-Hélène’s other duties as KÀ artistic director, which already make for a busy day. “An average day is from around 2pm to 11:30-ish. I come to work and check all the emails from Montréal, either for casting or for changes or for meetings, and respond to those. We have trainings in the afternoon, and I usually go and watch a part of those or discuss with the head coach some of the things I would like to see worked on. Technical setup starts around 4:30, and I see some of the artistic people who have questions and we talk about the line-up for that day. In the evening I either watch a show, do some paperwork, or have one-on-one discussions about things we’re working on.”
Cirque describes the position of Artistic Director in part as being responsible for nudging the show forward by leveraging the individual qualities of each artist, a description Marie-Hélène agrees with. “There’s a responsibility to help the show grow. The job for us is to keep working on it, as much as we can we’re there to help it evolve and change. That being said, the original conceptors remain the ones who signed the show, and if we make changes they’re told, they’re shown, and they can always say yes they agree with [a change] or no they don’t.”
“The show department I work for is called “Show Quality and Integrity,” which means that I need to not change the show into what it is not. But it’s a collective work, and we have leeway. We’ve changed almost all the choreography in the show and put some new elements in. We do a bunch of stuff but we know that the director Robert Lepage will always be aware of what we’re doing. He comes once every year or year and a half to look at the show and lets us know if he’s pleased, if he likes it or if there’s something he doesn’t like.”
Part of the attempt to help the show grow is in the changes both major and minor made as the years go by. Change on an individual level might come when, “You have a new casting and the new person’s makeup [needs to be] adjusted because it doesn’t look as good or [the costume] doesn’t fit as well. So we will work on it and make suggestions – request a costume change, request a makeup change. And sometimes the creator will say, ‘The next time I come and visit we’ll look into it.’ [On another show I worked on] the person I wanted to take one of the major roles was absolutely not in the profile. And we had a lot of discussion but finally it was agreed upon, because it was a good idea for the character.”
One “major” change that was announced by Cirque when it was implemented was changing the choreography of the battle scene. “It was a big change, yes. It’s not a major change – yes it ends up being that because of the choreography – but it’s in line with the original thought. Originally the choreography was very geometric, like figures. [We wanted] to find a way to put [new choreography] in while still having a battle. And if you remember from the early days [of the show] the Firefly character was doing the beginning of the attack. We wanted to have it be more the fight of the two twins, so we gave them their partners, twin brother with his jester and twin sister with the Firefly. But it’s in line with the idea of the show.”
“Is it a major change? It’s still KÀ. This is the one thing that is absolutely necessary. The idea is not necessarily to make it different. When you have a big deck to put up and the show to create it takes time to get to the fine tuning. But then later you can consider – hey, we could do it this way or we could add that character.” But sometimes just making it different makes it better. “For a team that does so many shows per year, a change that is just a change can be very good for the atmosphere. Everybody gets excited because we’re working on something. But we’re not going to do anything that’s different from the original creation of the piece.”
“The backup act is a very good example of things you can discover. You have your house troupe working on stuff and you can find a backup act within your own team that wasn’t [originally] in the show, and then you work on its integration. KÀ doesn’t have that because it has it’s full story and its acts, and does not have a backup act [as] on other shows.”
Reflecting on the growth of the show, Marie-Hélène commented, “It’s funny because I’ve been with KÀ for six years now and I don’t see an act I haven’t worked on. And I think I’ve changed two-thirds of the cast.”
Despite all the challenges, it’s the variety (like occasionally being called upon to work on a comic book) that keeps her interested. “[My day] can go in all directions. The multiple facets of this type of work are so much fun. I can spend all afternoon in wardrobe [for example] when we’re discussing costumes or makeup. It’s a little bit of everything all the time but it’s great, I love it.”
NOTE: As part of CirqueWeek 2012, on December 6, KÀ will be presenting a discussion and overview of how the KÀ comic book was created and the thought process behind it, digging a little deeper, offering a closer look at some of the sketches and more.
My sincere thanks go to:
Ms. Gagnon for so graciously talking with us,
Kala Peterson, KÀ Publicist,
Chantal Côte, Corporate PR Manager
