Darwyn Cooke. I once observed how artists tend to draw characters that look like them. Apparently Darwyn Cooke draws (and writes) characters that act like him.

Tough as nails, stand up to anyone, never back down from a fight, cock-sure, not taking crap off no body. These are the kind of characters that Cooke creates. Test pilots like Hal Jordan who are as tough and fearless as real-life pilot Chuck Yeager. Detectives like Slam Bradley who are every bit as macho as Dashielle Hammett's Sam Spade. Or young adventurerers like Denny Colt imbued with the moxie and charisma of Cary Grant.

According to a recent article in Wizard Magazine, Cooke's creations come by their jutting chins naturally. By Wizard's account, Darwyn Cooke is like a Tareyton cigarette smoker from the 1960s. He'd rather fight than switch. Literally. Ask Cooke to make changes to his art and you're askin' for a fat lip, buddy. Tell Darwyn that you don't agree with his idea and them's fightin' words. Cross Darwyn in a discussion and he might just ask you step outside. And mean it.

When I first read this Wizard article, which basically states that people in the comics biz generally find Darwyn Cooke difficult to work with, my initial reaction was shock. Mostly shock at Wizard for dealin' the dirt. They usually white wash everything before they candy coat it. But they didn't pull any punches in this article. Maybe they're looking for a fist fight from ol' Dynamite Darwyn hisself.

After a couple of minutes of reflection though, I aligned my earlier impressions of Cooke and his work with the guy described in the article, and as dirty as Wizard makes it sound, it certainly makes sense. Darwyn Cooke's characters are convincing BECAUSE their creator is a scrapper.

With my very first exposure to Darwyn Cooke's creative talents, I was completely impressed. I read some of the press before it first saw print. Cooke will write and draw. He will re-envision the entire DC Silver Age. He will create an epic story on par with the hit film, The Right Stuff. It sounded arrogant. Almost conceited to imagine a comic book creator taking on so much all by himself. But when DC: The New Frontier went from my comic book store into my hands, face and brain, it was like one big "I toldja so!"

It wasn't until later that I discovered that I had previously hit by the creative punch of Darwyn Cooke. He did the storyboards of Batman: The Animated Series. Like everyone else who loves comic books, when I first saw that show I knew it was the closest thing to comic book pages coming to life.

And then there was Batman Beyond. I liked the show. But the opening credits really blew me away. I came to find out later it was due to the Cooke touch. And I watched nearly all of the Men In Black Animated Series as it was originally broadcast simply becasue it was super cool. I was completely unaware that Darwyn was behind the wheel.

Since DC: The New Frontier, I haven't let any of Darwyn Cooke's great work slip past me. I went back and picked up his Catwoman books, Batman Ego, and Selina's Big Score. I already had a copy of X-Force becasue I'm also a big fan of Cooke's pal, Michael Allred. When Cooke was featured in Solo, I didn't miss the chance to grab a copy. And when I heard he was going to be bringing back Will Eisner's The Spirit, I nearly camped out in my local comic book store in waiting.

Darwyn Cooke writes comic book stories that are fun. He weaves together a balanced tapestry of drama, humor, excitment, and laughs that is every bit as thrilling as a Spielberg adventure movie or as wild as a John Carpenter action flick. When you read Darwyn's stories, you don't get the sense that he is inspired by those well known creators of entertainment. Rather, you come to the conclusion that he is genuinely driven by the same forces that birthed characters like Indiana Jones, Philip Marlowe, Snake Plissken, Allan Quatermain, Nathaniel "Hawkeye" Natty Bumppo, R.J. MacReady, Ethan Edwards or John McClane.

What is probably even more amazing than his ability to write such characters, is his ability to draw them. At first glance, Cooke's drawing style comes across as cartoony. (Them's fightin' words!) Rather, Cooke's style is iconic. He boils down his character designs to the essentials and then builds them back up. Like a modern day Jack Kirby, Darwyn Cooke has created his own visual language. A language perfect for expressing a bone crunching punch in the nose, a shameless come-on from a sexy vamp, or the terror stricken emotion of someone headed for their inevitable doom. Simple lines and brush strokes that come to life through some kind of mysterious alchemy, rendered with the power to blacken eyes and knock the breath out of anyone who happens to get in the way.

Consider the way Cooke deals with the pressure of filling the boots of comics' greatest creator, Will Eisner. In an interview with Newsarama, Cooke explained, “I'm feeling exhilaration, fear, excitement, anxiety, and some naked terror. I cope with interpretive dance and by firing endless rounds of high caliber ammunition into the valley behind my place.”

So when you add it all up, is it really a surprise to hear that Cooke is capable of fighting tooth and nail for what he believes in? Is it shocking to learn that he has a passion for what he does? Or that he might be considered arrogant by others in his line of work who have a little less talent and the misfortune of having it overshadowed by Darwyn's magic?

If you doubt the brashness of Darwyn, just pick up the recent trade paperback collection of 100 Bullets, titled, "Decayed" where Darwyn Cooke writes the introduction. He uses his soap box to start a rumble between artists and writers by posing the question, "Who's more important in the creation of a comic book, the writer or the artist?" Given the fact that he is supremely skilled in both areas, he is certainly qualified to discuss the issue. But he doesn't bother to soften his argument one way or the other. I'm sure there are pissed-off creatives on both sides. Especially those guys who've already had their toes stepped on as Cooke swaggered past them (or over them as the case may be).

A creative director (who I now forget the name) once wrote in Adweek that good copywriters all swagger. The reason for this is twofold. First, they have earned their swagger by producing outstanding creative that can't be easily replicated. And two, they are constantly subjecting themselves to the criticism of clients and consumers alike and their swagger is the necessary insulation that keeps them from losing their amazing talent to self-doubt and second-guessing.

There's no room for self-doubt and second-guessing in greatness. Business scholar Jim Collins once wrote that "good is the enemy of great." The idea that people too quickly settle for "good" and it keeps them from achieving "great." In Darwyn Cooke's case, good gets a black eye and busted jaw from great, so you'd better watch it, Mac!

Wikipedia says that Darwyn Cooke (b. 1962, Toronto, Canada) is an Eisner Award winning comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator, best known for his work on the DC Comics' Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier and Batman/The Spirit. (You can read the entire Wikipedia entry here.)