Comics Interview — Issue #004

Extensive interview exploring Starlin's philosophical preoccupations with death, belief, and human imperfection as they run through his body of work from Warlock through The Death of Captain Marvel to his current series Dreadstar. Reveals that his father died of cancer while he was midway through penciling The Death of Captain Marvel, making the project a personal catharsis — and that he broke his hand during the same job, forcing him to ink with felt-tip pens. Discusses *Dreadstar*'s themes of belief and flawed leadership, his villain Lord Papal as a counterpart to Thanos, and his working process of doing thumbnail breakdowns that allow three rounds of revision before final art. Plans a 20-to-30 issue storyline for the Instrumentality conflict and mentions Berni Wrightson will contribute irregular humor back-up strips starting in issue #6.

Krenkel's last interview before his death from cancer on February 24, 1983, at age 63. A warm, rambling conversation about his life as a fantasy artist and inveterate collector, from doing background pencils for Al Williamson and Wally Wood at E.C. Comics to painting Ace paperback covers for Donald Wollheim. Shares vivid memories of his decades-long friendship with Frank Frazetta — all-night coffee sessions on Long Island, watching Frazetta paint with effortless brilliance — and credits Frazetta with pushing him to work more directly. Characteristically self-deprecating about his commercial ambitions ("I was busy dis-inventing work"), he reflects on his gifts as a visual thinker who grasps the "gestalt" of ancient civilizations, his compulsive collecting habits, and his late-life resolve to finally produce something worthy of his accumulated knowledge.

Discusses his six years as head of Marvel's coloring department, overseeing referencing and quality control for the entire color line under George Roussos' cover coloring. Explains the technical constraints of comic-book coloring — a palette of only 64 colors, the constant battle against muddy printing, and the frequent misuse of color overlays by artists who don't understand the mechanical process. Also details his previous nine-year career at Aurora model kits, where he rose from redrawing track plans to project manager overseeing entire kit development, and his collaboration with Dave Cockrum on dinosaur and movie-monster kit designs.

Part one of a two-part interview with DC's newly promoted Vice President and Executive Editor. Giordano outlines his management philosophy — letting creative people motivate themselves, judging work from the creator's perspective rather than imposing his own — and describes DC's strategic planning retreats where the leadership team (Jenette Kahn, Paul Levitz, Joe Orlando, and himself) maps out multi-year publishing plans. Discusses DC's shift toward direct-sales market research, the potential for 400-500% expansion in comic shop retail outlets, and plans for age-segmented lines targeting children, teens, and adults. Addresses the Omega Men violence controversy head-on, articulating a nuanced editorial policy: sex, violence, and strong language are acceptable when they serve the story, never gratuitously. Also covers the Atari in-pack comics deal winding down and DC's position as a "rights company" that owns characters but shares revenue with creators.

A wide-ranging conversation with the writer-turned-retailer-turned-distributor about all three of his careers. Describes founding Cosmic Comics in Cleveland — buying it from the original owner in 1978, building it into a community institution where he attends customers' weddings and bar mitzvahs, and staffing it with people who actually read comics. Provides a detailed snapshot of 1983 market conditions: X-Men outsells Teen Titans by 40%, Marvel dominates Cleveland, First Comics leads the independents on reliability, and Omega Men is dropping due to violence backlash. Gives practical advice for prospective store owners (find a local distributor, budget $5,000-10,000 in seed money, locate near foot traffic) and discusses his writing projects including Moon Knight and his surreal creator-owned detective series Phil Noir, Hollywood Detective.

Introduces the new "Out of Context" department, which poses the same question to multiple interview subjects. This issue's question concerns the recent trend of superhero deaths, tying into the Jim Starlin feature.

Three creators respond to the question of why readers are concerned about the spate of superhero deaths. Terry Austin questions the inconsistency of keeping Phoenix dead while Elektra was resurrected; Steve Oliff argues stale characters should be killed off to make room for new ones; and Steve Gerber delivers a nuanced meditation on the difference between genuine emotional impact (Siegel's "Death of Superman," Miller's Elektra) and cynical marketing stunts, warning that handling death callously and "sold for $5.95 in the graphic novel format" trivializes the ultimate question.

(int. Jim Salicrup) — A young circus roustabout and electrician discusses her lifelong love of comics, from childhood DC fandom through discovering Barry Windsor-Smith's Conan. Shares how comic-book heroism motivates her real life, critiques the narrow depiction of women in comics ("this little ninety-year-old man hobbles from studio to studio, filling in his style women"), and argues comics should preserve their innocence and sense of wonder rather than chasing shallow realism.