Comics Interview — Issue #100

Interviewed at the 1991 San Diego Comic Con, Claremont reflects on leaving the X-Men after seventeen years, describing it as something like a divorce and noting the dust has not yet settled. He discusses key collaborative moments — the Dark Phoenix saga with John Byrne, the Wolverine limited series with Frank Miller — and Jim Shooter's executive decision to revive Jean Grey against his wishes. He confirms he is writing the first three issues of the new X-Men title and has projects including an Excalibur graphic novel and work for DC, plus a new novel (*Grounded*).

Conducted in Belgrade during Bilal's first return visit in 26 years, this interview covers his upbringing in post-war Yugoslavia, his move to Paris, and his development as one of the leading French comics creators. Bilal discusses his politically charged collaborations with writer Pierre Christin (*The Hunting Party*, Ranks of the Black Order), his non-serial approach to comics, his work on Alain Resnais's film Life Is a Novel, and the current crisis in French publishing caused by market glut.

A brief interview at the Dallas Fantasy Fair focusing on Eisner's recent graphic novel The Building, in which he explores what happens to a building's soul after demolition. Eisner reflects on his urban upbringing as the source of his work's emotional atmosphere — drawing a parallel to Duke Ellington's "Harlem Air Shaft" — and on his approach to autobiographical material grounded in memory and the human condition rather than formal history.

A wide-ranging career retrospective with the longtime artist of the syndicated soap strip Apartment 3-G. Kotzky recounts his early comic-book work in the 1940s for Will Eisner (on The Spirit) alongside Lou Fine, his wartime service, his postwar ghosting work for Milton Caniff, Stan Drake, and John Cullen Murphy, and how Apartment 3-G came together starting in 1961 with writer Nick Dallis.

Mougin traces Heck's four-decade career from Harvey Publications and Comic Media in the early 1950s through his formative years at Marvel (originating Iron Man, Ant-Man, and the Avengers) to his stints at DC (Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Justice League) and back. Heck discusses working conditions and page rates, his admiration for Milton Caniff, and takes issue with Gary Groth and Harlan Ellison's characterization of him in The Comics Journal.

The issue's centerpiece feature ranks the 100 most powerful people in comics as of 1991, covering publishers, editors, artists, distributors, retailers, filmmakers, and syndicators. The introduction tracks the turbulent summer of 1991 (X-Force and X-Men #1 sales records, Claremont's departure, Disney cutbacks) and dedicates the issue to Carol Kalish, who died at 37 before it shipped.

Sidebar profiling figures such as Stan Lee, Peter Laird, and Moebius who were considered for the Power 100 but ultimately left off.

A comprehensive alphabetical index of every interview and feature published in the first 100 issues.

A 100-question trivia contest covering the full history of comics, with a $100 first prize and publication of the winner's own interview in a future issue.