Comics Interview — Issue #006

A bombshell "First Look" about the stalled JLA/Avengers crossover. Perez gives a detailed, anguished account of the project's collapse — Gerry Conway's original plot was rejected by Jim Shooter, DC prematurely greenlit Perez to pencil 21 pages before Marvel approved, and Shooter then spent months neither approving nor rejecting Roy Thomas's revised plot. Perez announces he is leaving the project, calling the experience "the most heartbreaking decision I've ever had to make" and accusing Shooter of deliberate procrastination. Thomas corroborates Perez's account, describing Shooter's failure to read or respond to a 17-page plot as inexplicable and unprofessional, and vows not to let the blame be shifted onto DC. Both express deep frustration that a project they loved — one Perez had dreamed of since before turning pro — has been reduced to a political meatgrinder between the two companies.

Part Two of the Elfquest interview, focusing on the series' approaching conclusion with issue #20 and the Pinis' future plans. Wendy discusses the emotional challenges of sustaining the story over six years, including drawing a key scene of Cutter and Skywise years in advance out of fear she wouldn't be able to recapture the emotion later. They detail post-Elfquest projects including the Blood of Ten Chiefs storybook, a Stormbringer art book compiled from Wendy's aborted college animation project, and plans to publish new comics in the Elfquest format. Richard offers publishing philosophy — distinguishing genuine "alternative" comics driven by personal vision (Elfquest, Cerebus, D'Arc Tangent) from "independent" four-color comics that resemble mainstream superhero books. They give a cautiously optimistic update on the Nelvana animated film, noting three other studios have also made offers, and discuss the explosive growth of the direct sales market that made their self-published success possible.

The Bloom County creator discusses his rapid rise from college cartoonist to syndication in over 400 newspapers, boosted by Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury sabbatical which doubled his paper count overnight. He addresses the inevitable Doonesbury comparisons — "after a couple of months, that image is just dispelled" — and traces his real influences to Dr. Seuss and irreverent humor rather than political satire, explaining he deliberately avoids injecting his personal politics into the strip. Shares a cautionary tale from his college strip Academia Waltz about an insensitive cartoon depicting Mexican-American protesters that nearly got him shot. Discusses the origins of characters including the wheelchair-bound Cutter John (chosen to represent an underrepresented minority without exploiting the disability) and how his original dog character had to be scrapped when Garfield debuted with a nearly identical personality. Expresses frustration with the state of newspaper comics — strips being developed primarily to sell merchandise rather than tell stories — and admits he'd ultimately prefer writing screenplays and novels to cartooning.

Marvel's colorist discusses his path into the field through George Roussos's coloring department, his love of the job despite time pressures, and his advocacy for greater use of zip-a-tone overlays to add texture and depth beyond standard color-on-black-and-white art. Gives a colorful behind-the-scenes account of the Spider-Woman #50 photo cover shoot, where the Marvel Bullpen — Mark Gruenwald, Mike Carlin, Ann Nocenti, and others — dressed in costume and posed on a fire escape in January, with Bob Camp nearly falling off. Explains the practical challenges of coloring characters like the Hulk against green foliage and names Doctor Strange as his favorite assignment for its opportunities to create weird lighting effects.

Heavy Metal's art director discusses the editorial process of assembling each issue from a vast backlog of European material (three years' worth in the office), his creation of the "June 2050" feature as a way to showcase American artists, and his disappointment that so many artists couldn't conceive of creating a single page without a writer. Passionately advocates for the auteur model in comics, naming Kurtzman, Eisner, Toth, Barks, Krigstein, Steranko, and Corben as genius-level creators, and argues that the fragmentation of comics labor into separate writer-penciller-inker-letterer roles dissipates the storytelling power that one person can bring. Expresses concern that American comics publishers are losing their traditional young audience by catering to continuity-obsessed fans while newsstand distribution collapses in smaller towns. Praises Frank Miller's Ronin as proof that "an American can shoot the Europeans right out of the water" and hopes Epic and other publishers will create more Heavy Metal-style anthology magazines.

The former comics writer, publisher, and Marvel direct sales manager discusses his new career as the comics industry's first professional agent, representing creators like Steve Gerber, Roy Thomas, Craig Russell, Mark Evanier, and Will Meugniot in negotiations with publishers. Explains the value he provides — top-level connections, knowledge of the deal landscape across all publishers, and time savings that let artists earn more by working instead of spending months negotiating contracts. Offers a bullish forecast for the direct sales market, predicting that specialty outlets will eventually match the reach of traditional magazine distributors and that the first million-selling comic is only two years away. Delivers a provocative long-term prediction: as creator ownership becomes the norm, company-owned characters will become "entry-level jobs" and established properties may wither — "It is possible that in thirty years no one will want to write Superman." Reflects on his own career trajectory driven by the pursuit of control — from writer to editor to publisher to distributor to agent — and notes his creative writing impulse has simply been replaced by the creativity of deal-making.

Announces the upcoming publication of Don McGregor's James Bond magazine, a photo-intensive guide covering classic spy series, fight scene breakdowns, and a Bond-versus-Indiana Jones comparison, priced at $2.95.

(int. Jim Massara) — A University of Georgia graduate student and humor columnist with a 13,000-book collection shares his lifelong DC loyalty, from buying comics with Coke bottle deposits as a child to being pulled back into collecting by a chance encounter with Superboy #210 his senior year of high school. Praises Curt Swan's remarkable 20-year consistency on Superman and laments the modern trend of artists hopping between titles.