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Concrete #3
Concrete, Volume 3: Fragile Creature
When you're seven-feet plus of walking, talking stone, you're bound to draw the media spotlight, especially when you live in Tinseltown. Concrete's celebrity status is sometimes a pain in the buttress... but it does bring the occasional paycheck gig. When the producer of a low-budget science-fiction film approaches Concrete to use his prodigious strength to help save money on the film's FX budget, the siren call of Hollywood draws Concrete like a moth to a flame... a seven thousand dollar a week flame, that is.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
1 person is currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Paul Chadwick
206 books60 followersPaul Chadwick (b.1957) has worked widely as an artist and writer for comic books, with collaborators like Ron Randall, Doug Wheatley, Alan Moore, John Bolton, Harlan Ellison, Jan Strnad, Randy Stradley, Archie Goodwin, Brian K. Vaughan, and others.
He's most noted for his award-winning series Concrete, about a thoughtful man stuck in a brutish, rock-coated body. Born in Seattle, he grew up in its lakeside suburb Medina, then a haven for Boeing engineers and their families, now the site of palaces for Bill Gates and his ilk. His father Stephen F. Chadwick was City Attorney for the small hamlet.
As a teen, he joined Apa-5, the amateur press alliance of comics fans which also provided a creative outlet for future comics luminaries like Frank Miller, Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley, Chris Warner, Randy Emberlin, and others.
He attended Art Center College of Design, majoring in illustration. Around this time Chadwick lived in a courtyard apartment building, The Golden Palm, which teemed with talent. Bryn Barnard, Ron Harris, David Mattingly, James Gurney, Thomas Kinkade, Kurt Cyrus, Mark Verheiden, Andy Su, Terry Robinson all lived there, five of them as Chadwick's roommate (at different times).
Chadwick graduated in 1979, and began storyboarding movies for Disney, Warner Brothers, Lucasfilm and others. Credits include Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Strange Brew, The Big Easy and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. Chadwick says the auteurs behind two small films he worked on, Lies (Jim & Ken Wheat) and Miracle Mile (Steve DeJarnatt) were the greatest personal influences on his writing.
Chadwick also freelanced illustration, mainly for movie advertising (Streamers and Galaxy of Terror were the only finished posters among the dozens of preliminary paintings he did) and for SF and Fantasy paperbacks.
Chadwick decided to devote himself to comics, but Concrete didn't sell at first. Chadwick's first comic in print was The Life of St. Norbert, published by an order of Norbertine monks. Going from the sacred to the (mildly) profane, he next drew Steve Perry's strange and silly Salimba, about a jungle girl fighting "wormboys" and a giant three-headed were-dog.
A year on Marvel's Dazzler completed Chadwick's apprentice years, and he sold Concrete in 1985 to Dark Horse comics. It has appeared intermittently ever since.
A Concrete movie has been in development for years. Chadwick has written several screenplays for it, first in collaboration with Larry Wilson, then solo. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh wrote one, as well, which briefly won a green light for the film.
The decision was reversed upon the release of the surprise hit The Blair Witch Project, which caused the sudden mass delusion that Hollywood could dispense with costly visual effects and stars. The fever passed, but Concrete's window had closed, at least until somebody with the clout or energy decides to brave the thousand demons that lay waiting to kill every movie.
Chadwick wrote and drew (inks by Ron Randall) eight issues of The World Below, about a network of vast, mysteriously lit caverns beneath northern Washington State, and the strange beings and technology to be found there. Dark Horse plans to reissue the series as a collection.
The Human Dilemma, the newest Concrete series, won an Eisner Award (best cartoonist) and a Reuben Award (best in comic books division) from the National Cartoonist Society.
Chadwick is currently drawing a miniseries for DC, Seven Against Chaos, written by Harlan Ellison.
He's also working on a (non-Concrete, TBA) graphic novel for Dark Horse, as well as a new Concrete miniseries.
Biography updated 2010
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 22, 2011
another Christmas gift I love. Concrete is my favorite.
July 26, 2021
Is there anything cuter than when Concrete tries to use the right movie terminology? I loved that. This one gets a little bump because the movie-making stuff is so fun and interesting and, I thought, very well done. There's also a moment where he talks about the dangers of trusting out of context video clips. How camcorders mean everyone will some day be caught on tape in some embarrassing moment and it may not reflect the truth. And that story is from 1986! A lot of wisdom herein.
My only criticisms would be that the main story uses a different inking style from the other concrete stories I've read and the art is a little muddled at times as a result. But it's still great. The other thing is that there are two shorter stories that tie in with the main narrative, but they're bundled into the back rather than integrated in. That's a little confusing, especially because one of them ends up leading directly into a scene one of the issues of the main story. I thought I'd missed something. Still, a really get set of stories.
My only criticisms would be that the main story uses a different inking style from the other concrete stories I've read and the art is a little muddled at times as a result. But it's still great. The other thing is that there are two shorter stories that tie in with the main narrative, but they're bundled into the back rather than integrated in. That's a little confusing, especially because one of them ends up leading directly into a scene one of the issues of the main story. I thought I'd missed something. Still, a really get set of stories.
January 21, 2023
I almost 1-star did not finish. But it's not all bad. The art is professional, and inventive in places. The writing contains some good and interesting ideas. But overall I found this volume boring, and odd... But not a good type of odd. The plot and pacing is not good, there are so many random asides that don't seem important in any way, that don't seem to add anything to the experience. Concrete's fascination with art nudes feels like something Chadwick wanted to give his character because it's an interest of his own, and not because it has any narrative value.
There are a lot of good ingredients. I think if Chadwick had a good storyteller collaborator the result could have been outstanding.
There are a lot of good ingredients. I think if Chadwick had a good storyteller collaborator the result could have been outstanding.
March 22, 2018
Love the short stories, smart, creative, heart-felt stuff. The main story, "Fragile Creature," was something that appealed too specifically to a film school geek though. The trials and tribulations of making a motion picture was interesting, but not engaging.
Chadwick's art is always great, although I do occasionally wish that he used more blacks to give some weight to certain pages.
Chadwick's art is always great, although I do occasionally wish that he used more blacks to give some weight to certain pages.
May 4, 2023
Much more expansive and ambitious than previous Concrete stories while still maintaining the nuances of human relationships and razor sharp explorations of societal structures.
Maureen is the heart of this story. Tragic and hopeful.
Paul chadwick is so economical in his writing and illustrations that he can layer multiple storylines seamlessly together in just a few pages.
Maureen is the heart of this story. Tragic and hopeful.
Paul chadwick is so economical in his writing and illustrations that he can layer multiple storylines seamlessly together in just a few pages.
September 26, 2023
the amusing irony of concrete is that for being about an enormous man of great strength it's generally a very quiet, low-key and sensitive series about the little aspects of life, ordinary foibles
June 9, 2024
This is probably the funniest of the series, detailing Concrete's experience working on a film set for an action movie. This gives a lot of opportunity for blunders both physical and social, which is when the series is at its best
June 24, 2024
Worked well in one long story. Continues to deliver conceptually in interesting ways.
October 4, 2024
Volver a leer
May 20, 2025
What will Concrete get up to next?
August 11, 2018
WRONG PICTURE
Should be Concrete hugging Maureen from behind
Should be Concrete hugging Maureen from behind
April 6, 2015
This trade collects Concrete: Fragile Creature issues #1-4 and numerous shorter stories from various anthology comics.
The first two volumes add depth and context to what's here but aren't really prerequisites.
Former Senatorial speech writer Ron Lithgow is known to the world as Concrete, the result of a government cyborg project. The story is a compromise with the government to allow him some freedom without alarming the public with the true alien origins of his 7+ ft. and 1,000+ lb. body of stone. With unique abilities and requirements that are both blessing and curse, Ron travels with the only friends who know his secret trying to find meaning in it all, handle his newfound fame, and do some good along the way.
I found Fragile Creature to be tighter and better paced than the previous trades. The first half is the titular four issues mini-series, which sees Concrete sign on to help produce special effects for a movie. Largely inspired by the author's own experiences in Hollywood, this is a layered story that contains the usual deep, introspective analysis of the human condition that permitted the first two collections. It's done with an extremely deft touch here, with interesting backdrops of the difficulties and complications of filmmaking and developments on Concrete's homefront that could have big consequences down the road.
The remainder of this volume is comprised of short stories, varying in style and approach. Again as usual the tone can get pretty dark, but always for a thematic reason and with something to say. A couple of recurring supporting cast members seem to be gradually developing in these stories and there are a few that expand on incidents mentioned in passing in the longer stories, which I appreciate and find quite interesting.
With such a philosophical and diverse comic the particular subjects and material for each story holds significant influence over its connection with the reader. Fragile Creature pretty much hit all the right notes for me and is my favorite volume thus far.
The first two volumes add depth and context to what's here but aren't really prerequisites.
Former Senatorial speech writer Ron Lithgow is known to the world as Concrete, the result of a government cyborg project. The story is a compromise with the government to allow him some freedom without alarming the public with the true alien origins of his 7+ ft. and 1,000+ lb. body of stone. With unique abilities and requirements that are both blessing and curse, Ron travels with the only friends who know his secret trying to find meaning in it all, handle his newfound fame, and do some good along the way.
I found Fragile Creature to be tighter and better paced than the previous trades. The first half is the titular four issues mini-series, which sees Concrete sign on to help produce special effects for a movie. Largely inspired by the author's own experiences in Hollywood, this is a layered story that contains the usual deep, introspective analysis of the human condition that permitted the first two collections. It's done with an extremely deft touch here, with interesting backdrops of the difficulties and complications of filmmaking and developments on Concrete's homefront that could have big consequences down the road.
The remainder of this volume is comprised of short stories, varying in style and approach. Again as usual the tone can get pretty dark, but always for a thematic reason and with something to say. A couple of recurring supporting cast members seem to be gradually developing in these stories and there are a few that expand on incidents mentioned in passing in the longer stories, which I appreciate and find quite interesting.
With such a philosophical and diverse comic the particular subjects and material for each story holds significant influence over its connection with the reader. Fragile Creature pretty much hit all the right notes for me and is my favorite volume thus far.
July 8, 2011
Concrete is one of those characters that was always there when I started looking into fan press and comics catalogs as a young collector. It does not speak well of me that I've waited so long to read any stories featuring Paul Chadwick's creation. As I suspected, Concrete is not the type of character that lends himself to superhero slugfests or cosmic weirdness. Despite aliens in his origin and the fact that he looks like an obvious Ben Grimm analogue, Concrete's stories are grounded in the all-too-real world.
This particular story is not a bad jumping-on point. Based heavily on Chadwick's own experience working on a movie set, Fragile Creature follows Chadwick's character as he works with the egos and the spinal taps of the motion picture business.
Fitting that Concrete should wind up on the set of a movie, as Chadwick's stories are what all comics and all movies should be: the perfect mix of words and pictures. He does interesting things with the artwork, and even the panel borders that few artist even conceive of. Though I admit that the symbolism of the the intertwining LA highways becoming the panel borders and other images was a little beyond me, it was beautiful to see. Another stoke of brilliance was punctuating the chapters with illustrated pages of movie script that must have been meant to look and read far better than the movie in the comic would actually look on the screen.
To say too much more would be to give away too much more. Suffice it to say, there will be more Concrete in my future reading.
This particular story is not a bad jumping-on point. Based heavily on Chadwick's own experience working on a movie set, Fragile Creature follows Chadwick's character as he works with the egos and the spinal taps of the motion picture business.
Fitting that Concrete should wind up on the set of a movie, as Chadwick's stories are what all comics and all movies should be: the perfect mix of words and pictures. He does interesting things with the artwork, and even the panel borders that few artist even conceive of. Though I admit that the symbolism of the the intertwining LA highways becoming the panel borders and other images was a little beyond me, it was beautiful to see. Another stoke of brilliance was punctuating the chapters with illustrated pages of movie script that must have been meant to look and read far better than the movie in the comic would actually look on the screen.
To say too much more would be to give away too much more. Suffice it to say, there will be more Concrete in my future reading.
March 14, 2009
I am impressed with the depth of this book, and with how sympathetic of a character Concrete is. Concrete agrees to work on a film shoot, providing brute strength and performing tasks that would otherwise be automated. He's treated as a piece of equipment by many on the shoot but at no point does his humanity falter, which is impressive considering he's essentially a living rock.
Paul Chadwick accomplishes in Volume 3 what many graphic novelists do not - with few words he creates characters that are real. As a graphical character, Concrete does not have a lot of features to manipulate yet Chadwick (also the artist) manages to imbue a sensitivity and vulnerability to Concrete that is quite remarkable. In some ways I'd love to see more of Concrete's story in a non-graphical format, just to see how Chadwick would expand the story, but at the same time, I have a hunch that without actually seeing Concrete represented in art and truly seeing how fragile a creature made of concrete can be, the story would be much less affecting.
Paul Chadwick accomplishes in Volume 3 what many graphic novelists do not - with few words he creates characters that are real. As a graphical character, Concrete does not have a lot of features to manipulate yet Chadwick (also the artist) manages to imbue a sensitivity and vulnerability to Concrete that is quite remarkable. In some ways I'd love to see more of Concrete's story in a non-graphical format, just to see how Chadwick would expand the story, but at the same time, I have a hunch that without actually seeing Concrete represented in art and truly seeing how fragile a creature made of concrete can be, the story would be much less affecting.
April 24, 2016
The third volume of Paul Chadwick's Concrete collects the miniseries Concrete: Fragile Creature as well as the shorter stories "The Gray Embrace", "Burning Brightly, Brightly", "Little Pushes", "Next Best", "Fire at Twilight", "Byrdland's Secret" and "The Artistic Impulse" (all of which have been previously published in Dark Horse Presents.
I have to say I am really fond of Chadwick's set up and the character of Concrete a.k.a. Ronald Lithgow; and the stories Chadwick tells using his unusual character is often touching, funny and interesting.
This time around the main focus lies on the movie industry. Mostly because the main story is dealing about Concrete's participation in a movie production, but also because the shorter stories tie in with the main story; both in terms of many of them taking place within the same time frame and in terms of the themes of movie making and general L.A. culture.
All in all this is another good instalment of Concrete stories. Pick this one up or either of the two previous volumes. I recommend all three of them heartily.
I have to say I am really fond of Chadwick's set up and the character of Concrete a.k.a. Ronald Lithgow; and the stories Chadwick tells using his unusual character is often touching, funny and interesting.
This time around the main focus lies on the movie industry. Mostly because the main story is dealing about Concrete's participation in a movie production, but also because the shorter stories tie in with the main story; both in terms of many of them taking place within the same time frame and in terms of the themes of movie making and general L.A. culture.
All in all this is another good instalment of Concrete stories. Pick this one up or either of the two previous volumes. I recommend all three of them heartily.
May 2, 2011
I didn't appreciate this volume quite as much as the previous one. Chadwick admits to experimenting with his drawing technique in this series. I don't think it improved the story, as the frames seem very cluttered, and I had to really look sometimes to discern what was going on.
Also Concrete seems a bit more uncertain about life in these stories. He seems to be descending into confusion instead of finding his way in life.
Also Concrete seems a bit more uncertain about life in these stories. He seems to be descending into confusion instead of finding his way in life.
June 3, 2008
What if you were a travel writer that had his body replaced by aliens with a 1.5 ton semi-indestructible oversized and pseudo-humanoid stone golem?
You'd try to get a freaking job, duh.
This is very grown up superhero stuff. Concrete gets a job as a grip on a fantasy movie. There's Hollywood dealings, sexy metal bikinis and a few murder attempts.
You'd try to get a freaking job, duh.
This is very grown up superhero stuff. Concrete gets a job as a grip on a fantasy movie. There's Hollywood dealings, sexy metal bikinis and a few murder attempts.
June 23, 2007
Concrete is an interesting graphic novel character. In this volume he meets one of my favorite authors, Harlan Ellison, at his home. The rendering of Harlans home is sincere, informed, and a pleasant surprise.
May 12, 2008
This was the story arc that first got my attention. What a seemingly mundane tale - but wow! in Chadwick's hands, there is magic and beauty at every page - what a wonderful achievement- what an amazing artist.
December 15, 2012
It's a little like stepping in a time machine, reading these Concrete stories originally published when I still worked in "the business." Chadwick's illustrations and story telling remain beautiful and poignant.
July 3, 2011
Still not a fan of graphic novels
February 24, 2009
Again, Concrete is a great character in a strange body. This is good, good, good.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews