Anderson, Sherwood - WINESBURG, OHIO
Bacigalupi, Pauklo - THE ALCHEMIST
Block, Lawrence - GENERALLY SPEAKING
Buckell, Tobias S. - THE EXECUTIONESS
Chesterton, G.K. - THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY
de Lint, Charles - ANGEL OF DARKNESS
Dean, Pamela - THE SECRET COUNTRY
Lord Dunsany - TALES OF THREE HEMISPHERES
Lord Dunsany - TIME AND THE GODS
Lord Dunsany - THE SWORD OF WELLERAN AND OTHER STORIES
Flynn, Michael - EIFELHEIM (sample)
Frost, Gregory - LORD TOPHET
Gaiman, Neil - AMERICAN GODS
Gischler, Victor - THE DEPUTY
Harris, Mark - THE SOUTHPAW (sample)
Hartwell, David (ed.) - YEAR'S BEST FANTASY 3
Headley, Maria Dahvana - QUEEN OF KINGS (sample)
Hobb, Robin - ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE
Hodgson, William Hope - THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND
Hughes, Matthew - THE DAMNED BUSTERS
Jensen, Carsten - WE, THE DROWNED
Kostova, Elizabeth - THE HISTORIAN
Kowal, Mary Robinette - SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY
Link, Kelly (ed) - THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR 2008
Lynch, Jim - THE HIGHEST TIDE
MacDonald, George - PHANTASTES: A FAERIE ROMANCE FOR MEN AND WOMEN
McCammon, Robert - SWAN SONG
McKillip, Patricia - ALPHABET OF THORN (sample)
McKinley, Robin - SPINDLE'S END (sample)
Mieville, China - PERDIDO STREET STATION
Morris, William - THE WELL AT WORLD'S END
Morris, William - THE WOOD BEYOND THE WORLD
Morrow, James - THE LAST WITCHFINDER
Novik, Naomi - VICTORY OF EAGLES
Powell, Anthony - A QUESTION OF UPBRINGING
Powers, Tim - THE STRESS OF HER REGARD (sample)
Pratchett, Terry - NATION
Priest, Cheri - BONESHAKER
Schilling, Peter - THE END OF BASEBALL (sample)
Seger, Linda - WRITING SUBTEXT (sample)
Shute, Nevil - MARAZAN
Stephenson, Neal - CRYPTONOMICON
Tarkington, Booth - PENROD
Valente, Catherynne M. - THE HABITATION OF THE BLESSED (sample)
Watt-Evans, Lawrence, ONE-EYED JACK
Westlake, Donald E. - GOD SAVE THE MARK
Whates, Ian (ed.) - FABLES FROM THE FOUNTAIN
The difference between GRIMM and ONCE UPON A TIME:
The one that was created by ex-BUFFY personnel is the one about a hero who discovers they're the latest in a long line of monster-killers and has to take on the role relatively unprepared, but with the help of an aged mentor and a quirky helper.
And the one created by ex-LOST personnel is the one where everyone's stuck in a location that's pleasant on the surface, only there's a complex mystery going on they have to unravel and lots of flashbacks to their earlier lives before they got stuck in this place.
As for tone, the one created by the Buffyistas feels like BUFFY and ANGEL but at least so far, thinner, and the one created by the Lostians feels like LOST but at least so far, much thinner.
We're following both, here at Casa Busiek, to see what they develop into. They're both watchable, though I'm used to Jennifer Morrison from HOUSE, so I keep wanting her to have snappier, faster-paced, smarter dialogue. Or at least be quicker on the uptake.
[On the great FABLES question: I can readily believe that GRIMM isn't terribly influenced by FABLES, since there aren't that many similarities and there's been a spate of fairy-tale movies that could certainly have gotten the genre some notice. ONCE UPON A TIME has more similarities, though, and in the pilot, the fairy tale characters are referred to as "fables" once, which is odd because, well, they're not. Hard to believe they didn't pick that (and other things) up from Willingham.]
As I've noted before, I try to avoid e-mails that fall into the category of "Can you answer these questions for my school report." I'm not in school any more, and despite that, I seem to have plenty of my own homework to do.
But every now and then, someone finds a way around me on this. Julio, here, tells me:
Hello my name is Julio. I'm a high school student. We have an assignment on interviewing a comic writer. I chose you because you're very talented and we are reading your comic MARVELS. It's very good. by the way.
They're actually reading MARVELS? For class? Well, okay, I guess since I haven't done this in a year and a half, I can do another one. But I'm answering here on the blog, so anyone else who's interested can read it.
On to the questions:
1. What is the work that you are planning on or that you are working on?
At the moment, what I'm working on is ASTRO CITY, the series I do with Brent Anderson and Alex Ross, and KIRBY: GENESIS, which I'm doing with Jackson Herbert and (again) Alex Ross. On top of those two, I also have a series called BATMAN: CREATURE OF THE NIGHT to write, a novel featuring ARROWSMITH, a character I co-created with Carlos Pacheco, and a new series called THE WITCHLANDS.
2. What was your first work?
My first professional comics work was a 7-page "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" story that appeared in GREEN LANTERN #162, back in 1982. That same day, POWER MAN & IRON FIST #90, which I also wrote, came out as well, but I didn't actually write that story until about a month after the Green Lantern story, so I count GREEN LANTERN #162 as my first.
3. What was your proudest moment?
In comics? It was probably when the first reviews and reader reactions started coming in for ASTRO CITY #1. Alex Ross and I had won a lot of awards and gotten great reaction for MARVELS, but getting that same kind of response to something that I'd created from scratch (with the help of Brent, Alex and others, but not any pre-existing characters or publisher's universe) was a real thrill, and really made us feel like we'd accomplished something worthwhile.
4. What is the most challenging aspect of working in comics?
For me, it's the deadlines. Comics are usually monthly, so if you're writing a series, you need to write a new issue every month, month after month, for as long as it lasts. If you're writing more than one series, that just means more deadlines. It can be exhausting—writing one good script is a lot of work, but doing it time after time after time requires a lot of stamina.
I used to be able to write a script a week, but the longer I do this, the harder it gets to maintain that kind of speed.
5. What is the most rewarding aspect of working in comics?
It's hard to say which is better: Getting to collaborate with talented artists, letterers, colorists and editors, so you're all working together to make a comics story that's the best it can be—or get to reach a large audience of readers, who want you to tell them a story in the first place. The idea that an audience is out there that wants to read what I write is what keeps me doing it, both because telling stories to people is why I write in the first place, and because it's the fact that those readers buy the comics that allows me to keep writing them.
6. What does it feel on having an amazing gift such as writing?
It doesn't feel like a "gift," it feels like a skill. Something I learned by practicing it and getting better at it over time, just like someone who practices piano, or practices at playing baseball, will get better and better. It can be a lot of work, but it's worth the effort.
7. How was it like working with Ross on MARVELS?
Alex is one of the most thoughtful and dedicated artists I've ever worked with. Doing MARVELS with him was a lot of fun, because we both put a lot of thought into how best to tell the story, and we each had a lot of input into what the other guy did. He had suggestions and ideas on the story, and I had suggestions and ideas on the art. We'd go back and forth, talking over even the smallest details—sometimes we'd be on the phone for hours, talking about stuff that most readers would never notice. But even if a reader doesn't consciously notice it, it made the story better, and helped us make the stuff the readers did notice all the more real and effective.
I still work with Alex, on ASTRO CITY covers, and on the KIRBY: GENESIS series, and it's still a rewarding and enjoyable experience, because of the attention and thought Alex puts into what he does.
8. Do you have new ideas?
Tons of them. I have more ideas than I could use up in a lifetime—and I come up with new ones all the time!
The better you get at writing, the more easily ideas come, I think. It's one of the best parts of the job, coming up with new things, new stories and new ways to tell them.
Here's an e-mail I figured I'd deal with separately, so it doesn't get lost amid the others.
Eric Sellers asks...
Did the forums linked at your website and the Astro City homepage get deleted or moved? I tried accessing them from your website but it said it didn't exist and then the Astro City homepage link wouldn't connect with anything.
Yeah, they don't exist any more.
I'm not 100% sure what happened—it was while I was dealing with some pretty severe fatigue issues, so I wasn't listening as well as I might when it was explained to me. But I think it had something to do with the forums generating exponentially-growing spam attacks or something, meaning it was taking up more and more server time, and eventually it got too much to handle, and the guys at Comicraft didn't have the resources to keep running them.
The forum was never quite what I wanted it to be, in any case. There was always a spam problem, so anyone who wanted to register for the boards had to be manually approved by the webmaster, which I think prevented people from signing up and joining in.
What I'm planning to do is, sometime between now and when we're ready for ASTRO CITY to start coming out again, I'm going to line up another message board for discussions. For now, those "Comment on this in our forum" links are probably still going to hang around, even though they don't lead anywhere, so that when we have a new forum, we can just slot that in and have the links direct there.
In the meantime, if you're looking to respond to something, or want to keep up on whatever I'm babbling about at the moment, the best places to find me are:
Since spouting off on Twitter or Facebook is easier than writing a blog entry, even, I'm a lot more active there than here. I hope to change that, in time, but for now, theyr'e good places to find me and/or keep up on what's new.
* *
Also, in case anyone's wondering why they signed up for the newsletter and haven't gotten any, the answer is simple:
There isn't any newsletter.
Again, there should be one someday,so when this site was being put together, Design Wizard John Roshell put in a sign-up option, and I've been dutifully saving e-mail addresses for that happy day when I'll have a newsletter to send. For now, though, all that exists of it is that list of e-mail addresses.
So don't let that stop you from signing up for it, but don't be surprised if you don't get anything for a while.
* *
And that's the story of all the stuff that doesn't exist around here!
Hey, folks. I've been under the weather for much of the last six months, and trying vainly to keep up with deadlines, so there hasn't been much time/energy left over to blog. But I've built up a bunch of e-mails to answer, so let me take advantage of a quiet Sunday afternoon to deal with some of them.
Starting off, from JAMES:
Since you ended up revealing that Kang may never become Immortus in AVENGERS FOREVER, do you have any personal theories about the true identity of each character might be?
Did you intend to leave things open to the possibility that Tony Stark would become Kang? There’s certainly a precedent as outlined in my theory on Kang's origin here:
Or Vance Astro being Rama-Tut given both were living in the same time period of 3,000 and both retained docu-chips of the Heroic Age?
I’m not sure if you’ve written any clues since due to having lost my sight in the interim:( but would love to know your thoughts:)
To be honest, James, I didn't think there was any mystery as to who Kang really is—even when Stan was floating the idea that Kang and Dr. Doom could be the same person, it didn't make much sense. Kang, at least as I write him, is just what we saw when his history was first explained: A guy living in a future so well-run that there's no adventure any more, so he creates a time machine and goes off in search of it, becoming the greatest conqueror the universe has ever known.
His motivation is dead simple: He was bored, and he wanted a challenge, wanted to forge a grand legend. So he did.
That's all I need to know. I don't much care who his 20th (or, now, 21st) century forebears are—particularly because over a thousand years, family tress branch out so much that he could be descended from von Doom, Richards, Stark and a dozen other figures. Or none of them. It doesn't seem to affect, to my mind, who he is or why he does what he does, so I was always more concerned with what he'd do next more than where he came from.
As for what happened in AVENGERS FOREVER, that wasn't meant as a revelation that there are unknown secrets to Kang's or Immortus's origins—merely that Kang, by sheer force of will (and with the ambient aid of the Forever Crystal, no doubt), wrenched himself away from his destiny, forging a new track. Immortus was still Kang, but via a different time-branch than this Kang is now following. They have the same pasts they always did; they just now have divergent futures.
But of course, it's up to Marvel to say what's so and what ain't—this is simply how I viewed it at the time.
From RICK:
Since you were a friend of McDuffie's and the Milestone crew, I just wanted to ask, what's DC going to do with Static?
This character and his book already had problems before it was even published:
Rozum leaving has added even more problems (also, there's some good discussions in that thread that apply to why an excellent book like XOMBI failed).
I'm not sure Robert L. Washington III is a big enough name to keep the book from sinking. I'm a fan of RLW, but can't you push for Geoff Johns or Morrison to write it? Maybe you could suggest that to DC?
DC usually has a habit of killing characters off (especially in big events) when their solo series crash and burn. And if Static manages to escape that sort of fate, it's still more than likely the character will never receive another book again if this one tanks this badly.
Sorry, Rick, but being a friend of Dwayne's doesn't give me any inside information of DC's plans, or any influence over them. I have no idea what their plans for STATIC are, nor can I push them to put the already-hugely-busy Geoff Johns or Grant Morrison onto the book. If Geoff or Grant wanted to write it and had the time, they'd probably have been writing it right from the start, and if they don't, me suggesting it isn't going to make them change their minds or open up their schedule.
Were I editing the book, I'd probably have given it to Bob Washington, because he co-created the series and is a good writer with a great sensibility for that sort of story. But I'm not, and that doesn't mean that whoever they tapped to replace John—Marc Bernardin, I believe—won't do a good job. And Scott McDaniel's a terrific artist who brings a ton of energy to whatever he does. I worked with him on TRINITY and loved it.
So at this point, I'd just see what comes.
From PERRY:
Kurt, I'm desperate for some good news about the return of ASTRO CITY. I keep checking your site periodically (no pun intended), but of course you haven't posted there since April. I know you got caught in the demise of Wildstorm, and then probably further delayed because of all the attention focused on the big relaunch this month--but please tell me that DC isn't stupid enough to let it languish indefinitely!
What would really make my day is if you told me you and Brent have worked so far ahead during this interregnum that A.C. will publish weekly for a while when it finally does come out. But I know I shouldn't be greedy... ;-)
Am also wondering about that "American Gothic" kind of book you announced...any plans for that to see the light of day, or is it a dead letter now?
Taking it in order:
No, ASTRO CITY's not going to languish indefinitely, and yes, Brent and I have been plugging away at it, piling up pages to make sure we can have the book run monthly when it does come back. And yes AMERICAN GOTHIC (now called THE WITCHLANDS) is still in the works. It's just all taken a lot longer than we originally expected.
Part of it was the demise of Wildstorm and the reorganization and relaunch of DC, yes, but part of it happened even earlier, during the business reorganization that happened when Paul Levitz left the company and DC went for a long stretch without a publisher. During that time, we made big plans to relaunch ASTRO CITY as a monthly and to launch AMERICAN GOTHIC alongside it, so I'd have two monthly books standing side-by-side at Wildstorm, and that'd be the core of my writing career for the foreseeable future. But the business details of all that took forever to work out, because it was happening while DC was working out bigger and more complex business issues themselves. Just the sort of thing that happens, from time to time.
Trouble was, while I was waiting for all this stuff to work out, I still needed to stay busy, so I wound up reviving BATMAN: CREATURE OF THE NIGHT, which had been put on the back burner a few years earlier, and agreeing to do KIRBY: GENESIS with Alex Ross at Dynamite.
And once I was committed to those, naturally, the business deals all worked out and presto!, I suddenly had twice as much work as I could comfortably handle.
And on top of that, I got sick—a resurgence of the detox-related fatigue problems that stem from my bout with mercury poisoning, and the assorted side effects that come with it.
So I spent months trying to meet too many deadlines, and if I was fully healthy, I might have managed it, but since I wasn't, things just went really slow.
And finally, we decided this just wasn't working, and reorganized things a little.
We put THE WITCHLANDS on the back burner for now—it would have been nice to have it debut the same month as ASTRO CITY, but I just can't feet four sets of deadlines at once, not right now. Used to be I could, but I was younger and healthier, and these are more challenging books.
And I've got enough done on CREATURE OF THE NIGHT that Jean Paul Leon can keep drawing for a while without me needing to turn in the next script.
So right now, I'm working on ASTRO CITY and KIRBY: GENESIS, and that's going to be my main workload until K:G is finished. Once that's done, I'll finish off CREATURE OF THE NIGHT. And once that's done, we'll get THE WITCHLANDS up and rolling again, so I'm only trying to meet two sets of deadlines at any one time.
We're far enough ahead on ASTRO CITY at this point that we should be able to make an announcement in the not-too-distant future about when it'll be back (but the word "weekly" won't be in it, I can tell you that!), and the rest will come along as time and schedules permit. I hope that counts as good news—and I'll stick in one of Alex's gorgeous upcoming covers to sweeten the pot!
This is getting a little long, so click on the link below, for more...
DEFENDERS: FROM THE MARVEL VAULT #1
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA & KURT BUSIEK
Pencils & Cover by MARK BAGLEY
A Marvel Masterpiece from deep inside the treasure vaults can now be told! The original team of Doctor Strange, The Hulk, Silver Surfer and Namor are together again for a hidden adventure! But why was this tale lost? What happens in other dimensions stays in other dimensions, so what unspeakable secrets of the The Defenders are to be revealed? Find out at last in these pages with the illustrious words of Kurt Busiek (THE DEFENDERS, MARVELS) and the incomparable artwork of artist Mark Bagley (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN)!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
This may be one of the greatest Defenders stories ever told. Or it may be a total trainwreck. Or, just possibly, both.
Or, you know, somewhere in between, there, but who sells comics with wishy-washy statements like "somewhere in between, there"?
Here's what happened:
Back when Erik Larsen and I were doing Defenders, editor Tom Brevoort had a fill-in prepared, just in case. Mark Bagley had some time in his schedule, so Tom had Fabian Nicieza write up a plot—apparently very quickly, from what Fabian remembers—and then Mark drew it up, and it got put in a drawer. And then it was never used.
Until now.
As part of their whole "From the Marvel Vault" program, they've resurrected this story and finished it up. But there were a few problems along the way.
First off, Fabian couldn't script it, because he's currently under contract at DC.
So they asked me. I like writing the Defenders, I had a blast on that run with Erik, here's a chance to revisit it, and it's Mark Bagley art to boot, so why not? I agreed. Just send me the art and the plot.
Well, they could send me the art. They don't have a copy of the plot.
No problem, I'll just ask Fabian.
No, he doesn't have one either. Lost in a hard-drive crash, years ago.
And to make matters worse, Fabian doesn't even remember what the story was. He remembers that he wrote it—probably got the job on Friday and had a plot in by Monday or Tuesday—but he doesn't have a clue what the details of the story are. Even the art doesn't jog his memory beyond, "Yeah, Mark sure did a nice job, didn't he?"
Mark doesn't remember much more. It was years ago.
So I look over the art, and Mark Bagley did indeed do a very nice job. And he's a good enough storyteller that I can piece together an outline of what the story must be, at least in the basics. But the bits where explanations happen, where the texture and detail go that make it more than just a simple structure?
Haven't a clue.
So I have to come up with a story to fit the art. A new story. One that might bear some resemblance to what Fabian intended, at least at the big structural moments, but other than that, it's wide open.
And as I keep looking through the art, I get an idea. A pretty demented idea, really, based on one cryptic panel late in the book (You'll know it when you see it. The script for that panel is "HTNN--!"). But it's an idea that, demented as it is, won't go away. And actually, I'm thinking, it could be kinda fun...
I tell Fabian the idea, mostly as a joke. But he laughs, and says that it sounds like a hoot, and it might even be better than whatever his original story was.
And I tell Rachel Pinnelas, who's editing it, and she cracks up, and says "Do it, do it."
So I do it.
It's not what Fabian plotted, not by any means. It's very strange. It has a very old, very dumb joke about a hot dog vendor in it. It has the Hulk building sandcastles. A near-pointless cameo by Empress Lilandra. And I had a blast writing it.
I think readers are going to have just as much fun with it. The Lady Dorma scene alone should be worth the price of admission.
[Note: Lady Dorma was not even in the original version.]
A gallery of sketches by Stuart Immonen, Alan Davis, Paul Ryan and (ulp) me!
More nifty design!
Bitchin' endpapers!
Dogs love it!
SUPERSTAR: AS SEEN ON TV
Kurt Busiek (w) Stuart Immonen (a & c)
Meet Superstar, a hero for the media age: the more popular he is, the more powerful he is. With the public behind him, he can work miracles—without them, he's nothing. Superstar's made a deal with his father, an international media tycoon, to promote him and keep him powerful enough to save the world. But now he walks a fine line between staying famous enough to do the most good, and becoming just another "property" in his father's portfolio.
HC FC $14.99 80 Pages ISBN: 978-1-60010-889-1
Bullet Points:
Contains the complete saga of Superstar, and behind-the-scenes text and art detailing the development of the character with never-before seen art, including character designs from Paul Ryan and Alan Davis.
All the action, suspense and characterization you expect from Kurt Busiek (Astro City) and Stuart Immonen (Fear Itself) plus, an incisive look at superheroes and celebrity in a world where fame literally is power.
In your grocer's freezer—er, on the shelves at finer comics shops—this Wednesday!
Would love it if at some point you wrote a few things about Conan: Born on the Battlefield...the writing process, the goals you wanted to achieve and how you went about achieving them! For me Born on the Battlefield is like a Terrence Malick film, difference being that unlike Malick nature offers no sanctuary to the characters.
As for Born on the Battlefield...I'm not sure what to say. We set out to do two things, really. First was to tell the story of Conan's youth, based on the various hints and snippets and references made by Robert E. Howard in both his Conan stories and his letters. We dug up all the information we could—from the information that he was in fact born on a battlefield to things like his father being a blacksmith, his grandfather telling stories of raiding into the civilized lands in his youth, the bit about breaking a bull's neck with his bare hands and so on—and tried to shape it into a set of stories that would show Conan growing into the person we meet in "The Frost-Giant's Daughter," a wanderer driven to see new things, unable to stay in one place, distrusting of authority but strong enough to lead, smart but moody, someone with so primal a core he stood out even among his own people and so on.
The second thing was that we wanted to use the arc as a way to save Cary Nord some schedule time. So it was done as a series of single-issue stories (except for the two-part finale), to be dropped in in-between the main story arcs. A way of doing fill-ins that wouldn't feel like fill-ins, but as an event readers could look forward to. It was a little tricky, sometimes, to write it so that it'd work as standalone issues and still read well when collected into book form, but it was worth it. Readers liked it, and it's gotten equally good reaction in book form.
Howard never really showed us Cimmeria, so building it from his references was fun, making it a relatively cheerless, almost Calvinistic place, full of grim purpose and unending work, building a culture that was primitive enough to be considered barbaric but developed enough to have blacksmiths, and so on. And Greg Ruth did an amazing job with the artwork. I think I drove him crazy sometimes with nitpicks obsessions about swords and terrain and kilts. But he really made it all come to life beautifully.
From MITCH:
I understand a lot of writers don't like to comment on writer's block, but I know that it is a real problem sometimes. When you have a deadline, and have yet to nail something down, what do you do to get yourself inspired to write?
Who would be some of your dream actors for Astro City the movie?
Since I'm a producer on the Astro City movie, currently in development (knock wood), I'll hold off on revealing my top choices, because I wouldn't want to deal with people saying later, "You wanted Hartley Thrushlocks for that role and had to settle for Craigston Hardwick! Why don't you like Hardwick?" when ol' Craigston is in fact perfectly good for the role.
Also, these things tend to be about casting every role with familiar stars who look just like the character even if they can't act the part, and I'd be perfectly happy with unknowns who can act the essence of the character even if they don't resemble what Brent and Alex drew. I've said for years that someone like Denzel Washington could project what I see in Samaritan, so I'm not that worried about appearance. [Er, not that Denzel is an unknown, or anything.]
As for writer's block, I'm not sure I've ever had it. There are times I find it hard to get going, but that's usually physical—fatigue, allergies, sinus infections, whatever. So deal with the physical stuff and let the brain work. Or if I'm having a hard time making a story work, I'll talk to my wife or call a friend and bat it around. I often find that just explaining the story to someone else lets me solve the problems I'm having, that my brain's chasing things round and round fruitlessly, by forcing myself to articulate the problems out loud brings along the solution pretty easily.
Karl Kesel occasionally mocks me for calling him up for story help, explaining the problem and figuring out the solution without him having to say anything more than, "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. That sounds good." But I wouldn't get to the solution without the process of talking to him. Whatever works.
From [Name Deleted]:
My name is [deleted again] and I am seeking a penciler,colourist/inker and a writer for my own comic book. Could you please send me an email to [deleted] with a quote for the following:
2 page origin story
22 page comic book &
88 page graphic novel like (example movie 300). [here, a link was given to a YouTube slideshow of what seemed to be the entirety of Frank Miller's 300 graphic novel, which is an interesting form of online piracy I hadn't seen before]
Looking forward to doing business with you.
I'm deleting the identifying info because I'm not posting this in order to hold this person up to criticism, just using this as an opportunity to publicly respond to this kind of query, which I get every now and then.
The thing is, I'm not actually looking for work, and when I am I'm not just looking for someone to meet my rates, and will produce origin stories and graphic novels like yard goods. I'm plenty busy, and when and if I am looking for assignments, I'm going to seek them out from established publishers. Writing for a living isn't just about getting paid a certain amount—everyone who writes for the public wants the material to reach an audience and be presented well, so we want to know that just as we bring talent, craft and creativity to the table, the publisher brings the ability to do their side of the job well, too. Can they produce a well-made book, promote it well, get it distributed to stores, and more? Will they be able to team me up with good collaborators for the art, the lettering and so on? Are they well-established enough that I can be confident they'll pay their bills, and pay royalties on a steady schedule?
So I'm just not going to be available to be hired over the internet by an individual. Sorry. On top of that, I'm trying to concentrate on material I create myself these days, rather than working on someone else's ideas. [I'll make an exception when it's Jack Kirby's ideas and I get to work with Alex Ross, but that's a special case, I think you'll agree.]
I'm also forced to wonder: If other creators are going to be writing, penciling, inking, coloring and lettering the comic, what's left?
In any case, no offense is meant to the person who e-mailed. I'm just not available on that kind of basis.
From BOB:
Are DC and yourself still going to follow up on the end of Trinity? Is there any timeframe if yes?
As I understand it, you've already seen a follow-up, though I'm not entirely sure which one. At one point, the "Earth-One" created at the end of Trinity was going to be the setting of the DCU Online roleplaying game, in which case the follow-up is the DC Universe Online Legends series that Marv Wolfman and Tony Bedard are writing.
Of course, it's possible that plans changed, and the Earth-One you saw at the end of Trinity is the setting for J. Michael Straczynski's Superman: Earth-One graphic novel. Or maybe it's something else.
But when I finished Trinity, it wasn't with the idea that I'd be following up that thread—it was put in at DC's request, so they could take things onward as they chose. So it's entirely up to them.
It would be nice to see someone pick up the Dreambound or Tomorrow Woman or Warhound and do something with them, but since I'm currently not writing anything set in the DCU, it won't be me, at least not at present. Maybe someday.
From DAN:
I just wanted to say that I first read Astro City when I was 15. I'm 25 now and I've just started to gather all the paperback collections so that I can read them over and over again. I have volumes I-III and I've probably already read them five, six times over (this is considering I've only had them for a month!)
Thanks again for creating the best comic books that have ever existed.
My pleasure, Dan, and it's Brent's, Alex's and the rest of the team's, as well. We're delighted you like it so much.
From ELLIS:
I don't think I've ever written to you before, but I just wanted to stop buy and saying thank you for Thunderbolts. It's my favourite comic ever published, and owes everything to your idea and groundwork. In fact, it was the comic that got me into comics in the first place, which is a hobby I have loved (and still do) for 10+ years.
I know it must be odd, getting a message like this after so long, but it occurred to me I have never expressed to your how much enjoyment and pleasure I have gotten from Thunderbolts. I truly hope it gets made into a film (trilogy) one day. Your work deserves it!
I don't have much to say in response but thanks—it's great getting mail like this, but hard to respond to.
I'm quite proud of the Thunderbolts, and glad of the time Mark Bagley, Tom Brevoort and I spent working on the book, and I'm very happy it's still going today. Not sure it'll ever make a movie property (so much background and context to explain), but it'd be fun to see someone try it...
From REO:
On page 188 of the trade paperback of Superman: Secret Identity (this would be in the 4th issue) Clark is contemplating what to do with his two daughters when he notices a Post-It by the phone. I was just wondering what was written on that Post-It or what the significance of that note was.
I know it's been a while since Superman: Secret Identity was finished and released but this has been something that's really been at the back of head for quite some time now.
Still waiting for the possibility of a Shockrockets Vol. 2 and even Superstar. :) Thanks so much.
I didn't remember a Post-It in the story, so I had to go check. No, there's nothing important on that Post-It (or at least, not important to the story; it may well be important to Clark. It's just part of the general clutter of his office. What he's reacting to is the sound of the train derailing, as he notes on the next page. Sorry that was confusing!
And more Shockrockets or Superstar would be nice, someday. In the meantime, I'm just happy both are back in print and available for new readers to try 'em out!
Speaking of Secret Identity, here's MATT:
I just finished reading all 4 Superman: Secret Identitys and I just wanted to say it's a piece that really spoke to me. It just made me feel better about my own life. A lot of the things Clark dealt with I could absolutely relate to, I think a few times my thoughts matched his on the page. The books just left me with a very good feeling about life in general, and that for the first time in a long time I'm looking forward to what's down the road for me. I'm ready to live my life and have my own adventure.
Thank you again for your wonderful work.
You keep writing them, I'll keep reading them.
It's a deal. Thanks for the note.
From KEN:
Is Astro City ever gonna come back out?
Yes, it is. We've been working on it steadily, but haven't firmly scheduled its return yet, because (a) there've been a couple of waves of business upheaval that delayed things, and (b) we want to make sure both Astro City and the new book, The Witchlands, will be on a monthly schedule when we do return, something we haven't exactly been great at the last few, uh, forever.
So we want to make sure everything's going to work smoothly and stay working smoothly, rather than come back with promises of being monthly and then immediately fall off the rails. But we should be ready to make an announcement fairly soon.
I've worked with Neil Vokes a time or three—not nearly often enough, given his energetic storytelling, charming drawing and fantastic character designs—but after an abortive plan for us to work together on Vampirella, we managed to collaborate on Jack Kirby's Teenagents, Jonny Demon, Ninjak and Untold Tales of Spider-Man: Strange Encounter, and we keep making plans to do something else together someday.
Now one of Neil's earliest works is coming back into print: A collection of the first batch of issues of Eagle, a series he did with Jack Herman (writer of a mess of Robotech and other comics) and fellow artist Rich Rankin. Informed equally by Hong Kong action movies and classic American horror films, with a strong dash of superhero storytelling, it's an involving series about a mysterious swordsman on a desperate quest into murky and dangerous territories. And it's a ton of fun.
Here's a description I stole from the Westfield catalog. Sorry, guys!
Eagle Original Adventures Vol. 01 SC
(W) Jack Herman (A) Neil Vokes, Rich Rankin
Out of print for over two decades, one of the original 1980's black and white independent comic book classics returns in a deluxe edition trade paperback! Described as Lone Wolf and Cub meets Blade Runner, the series follows the supernatural laced adventure of a man seeking justice along the edge of a sword. Eagle: The Original Adventures collects the first six issues of the groundbreaking series and includes a preview of the new comic book series in development. Packed with special features including an original cover gallery, concept sketches, and editorial pieces from the creative team and artists that were inspired by the series, this collection is an essential for classic comic book fans.
Anyway, if you're already a Neil Vokes fan, you already know you want this. And if you're not, it's a great place to start. Get your pre-orders in now—it's likely to be hard to find, but it's worth the effort!
Look for this cover in your local comics store in March, because that's when IDW's new Superstar: As Seen on TV hardcover hits the shelves!
Or, if you're in one of those shops that displays books spread-eagled, you'd be looking for this:
Click on the image for a larger view.
And as a Special Added Super-Bonus, click here for an 8-page preview! Are we nice to you, or what?
The new Superstar HC is another gorgeous, gorgeous book from the fine folks at IDW. Like their recent Shockrockets HC, it's designed by the affable and ingenious Bill Tortoloni, with me looking over his shoulder and saying, "No, wait, let's change page 80 again!"
And it's full of pretty much all the Superstar stuff there's ever been. Here's how IDW describes the book:
SUPERSTAR: AS SEEN ON TV
Kurt Busiek (w) Stuart Immonen (a & c)
Meet Superstar, a hero for the media age: the more popular he is, the more powerful he is. With the public behind him, he can work miracles—without them, he's nothing. Superstar's made a deal with his father, an international media tycoon, to promote him and keep him powerful enough to save the world. But now he walks a fine line between staying famous enough to do the most good, and becoming just another "property" in his father's portfolio.
HC FC $14.99 80 Pages ISBN: 978-1-60010-889-1
Bullet Points:
Contains the complete saga of Superstar, and behind-the-scenes text and art detailing the development of the character with never-before seen art, including character designs from Paul Ryan and Alan Davis.
All the action, suspense and characterization you expect from Kurt Busiek (Avengers) and Stuart Immonen (Superman) plus, an incisive look at superheroes and celebrity in a world where fame literally is power.
Special note to online sites, blogs and what-have-you: If you'd like to showcase any of this art (including the preview) on your site, feel free—Stuart, IDW and I would be glad to have you spread the word!
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