Comics Interview — Issue #003

Joint interview about the upcoming Killraven graphic novel for Marvel, their first return to the series after a six-year hiatus. Russell discusses his artistic evolution since the original Amazing Adventures run — reworking the Martian designs ("they used to look like Mr. Potato Head"), drawing from life models, and his influences ranging from 19th-century Symbolist painters to Wagner operas and foreign films. He also discusses his collaboration with Michael Gilbert on Elric for Pacific Comics and his wordless Symbolist fantasy stories. McGregor explains the graphic novel's 50-plus page scope, the introduction of Killraven's brother Deathraven, and a new character — a woman astronaut in her 50s at Cape Canaveral who provides a counterpoint to Killraven's brooding nature. He notes the creative freedom of working without page restrictions: "I put my dues in on it, that's for damn sure."

Expansive interview covering his traumatic tenure as Marvel's editor-in-chief ("there is no way one editor can edit fifty-four comics and keep his sanity"), his detailed character-by-character breakdown of the Teen Titans cast, and major upcoming storylines. Reveals that Robin will give up his costume and adopt a new identity, that Terra is secretly working for the Terminator, and that Kid Flash is leaving the book. Discusses his plans for Superman with Gil Kane — splitting up Lois and Superman, pairing Clark with Lana Lang, and wishing he could de-power Superman to his original 1938 levels. Defends the violence in The Omega Men by noting the book has no Comics Code seal and isn't aimed at children. Also covers DC's new talent Showcase book, where he bought Todd Klein's "Class of 2064" and discovered artist Scott Hampton.

A candid snapshot of the feast-or-famine freelance painter's life. Larkin, running on 48 hours without sleep, describes juggling Marvel paperback covers, Bantam Doc Savage paintings, and TV Guide illustrations while coping with the loss of nine major clients in a single year after his best year ever. Discusses his gouache painting technique, his accidental entry into comics through Neal Adams at DC, and how Stan Lee gave him his first full-color cover assignment. Despite the instability, he remains committed to freelancing: "I'd never have a steady job again, unless I had to. But I won't. Never. Ever."

Detailed preview of American Flagg for First Comics, the project that brought Chaykin back to comics after a two-year hiatus painting paperback covers. Describes the series' near-future setting in 2031 Chicago — a post-collapse America governed from Mars via 24-hour television, with street gangs, corporate drug distribution, and competing Brazilian and Pan-African empires. Explains that his hero Reuben Flagg is a 32-year-old former TV star turned suburban cop, and that the series deals with politics, sex, and advertising as adventure — "a comic book that's about something, other than about twenty-eight pages." Notes he could never have sold this book to DC ("it is antithetical to what DC Comics does") and stresses the writing is as important to him as the art.

Discusses his dual career as DC's assistant production manager and freelance letterer, including his logo design process using technical pens and plastic vellum. Explains that the creative outlets for letterers are sound effects, titles, and logos, while standard lettering "should not be something that the reader stops to look at." Also discusses his emerging writing career — his science fiction series "Class of 2064" for DC's Showcase new talent book, drawn by Scott Hampton, based on NASA's LaGrange colony concepts. Warns about the danger of targeting too closely to the direct fan market: "If we narrow our scope too much to a particular market, we could be heading for trouble."

The co-publisher of Archie Comics and Red Circle discusses reviving the Red Circle superhero line for the direct sales market, with Rich Buckler as managing editor and titles including Mighty Crusaders, The Fly, The Shield, and The Black Hood featuring collectible artists like Alex Toth, Steve Ditko, Jim Steranko, and Gray Morrow. Gives a history of the company — his father created Archie in 1941, and Dick started in the business in 1956 cleaning stockrooms. Reveals Archie digests are thriving in supermarket checkout racks, that Marvel handles Archie's licensing, and that plans are in motion for a live-action Archie feature film. Pledges that Red Circle books will adhere to Comics Code standards voluntarily even though direct-sales titles don't require the seal.

Marvel's representative in Japan describes overseeing 208 live-action half-hour TV episodes produced with Japanese partners, including 52 episodes of a Japanese live-action Spider-Man and team shows like Battle Fever J (based on the Avengers concept, with international heroes) and Sun Vulcan. Discusses acquiring a Japanese anti-nuclear animated war film and coordinating new Spider-Man animation episodes for NBC. His proudest achievement: conceiving the Pope comic book after briefly meeting Pope John Paul II in Tokyo, then connecting Marvel with the Pope's official biographer Father Malinski to write the script.

Introduces the behind-the-scenes staff of Comics Interview, profiling art director Ron Fontes (formerly of Western Comics, now at Marvel Books), contributing editor Steve Ringgenberg (formerly of Fantagraphics), contributing editor Mitch Cohn (of the Fantaco Chronicles), and production associate Lesley Benjamin-Aull.

First-person essay about Zimmerman's visit to France, marveling at the country's vast comics culture — more titles than the US ever had, sold in album format averaging three dollars each, spanning every genre from westerns to erotica. Notes the French respect for creators, the popularity of Teen Titans in Paris, and that French children proved surprisingly knowledgeable about American comics when he lectured at his girlfriend's English classes.