Comics Interview — Issue #137

Main Topics: Generation X, X-Men, Rogue Mini-Series, Comics Industry Direct Sales Crisis

Contents
  1. Scott Lobdell
  2. Mike Wieringo
  3. "Up Front" (David Anthony Kraft)
  4. "The Last Word: Survey Says: Comics Shops Are Like Porno Shops" (anonymous reader)
interview Scott Lobdell
Interviewed by Mark Lucas
Scott Lobdell Writer, Marvel Comics Working on: Generation X, Uncanny X-Men
Lobdell discusses the creation of Generation X, the new X-Men spin-off he is writing with artist Chris Bachalo, set at the Massachusetts Academy and led by Banshee and Emma Frost. He explains his vision of bringing optimism back to superhero comics, how he broke into Marvel through years of writing minor characters before being handed Uncanny X-Men under deadline pressure, and addresses rumors about his relationship with editor Bob Harras.
interview Mike Wieringo
Interviewed by Sandra Dincher
Mike Wieringo Penciller, Freelance (Artamus Studios) Working on: Rogue mini-series (Marvel), Robin (DC)
Wieringo discusses pencilling the four-issue Rogue mini-series written by Howard Mackie, a sequel to the Gambit mini-series. He reflects on his previous run on The Flash, his fashion illustration background at Virginia Commonwealth University, and his upcoming move to DC's Robin series starting with issue #18.
article "Up Front" (David Anthony Kraft)
DAK summarizes reader survey responses from issue #134's comics industry crisis roundtable, noting that readers favor comics expansion outside the direct sales market and express a "vote of no confidence" in the current direct sales system.
article "The Last Word: Survey Says: Comics Shops Are Like Porno Shops" (anonymous reader)
An extended reader survey response arguing that comic shops need to clean up their presentation to attract mainstream audiences, proposing genre-segregated shelving, community outreach, and reformed distributor discount tiers based on individual title orders rather than publisher affiliation. ---