« August 2006 | Main | October 2006 »

September 26, 2006

The Comics Outsider - 26th September 2006

Don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm back. Everyone's talking about Civil War. And we've got tons of news on that. And a few other choice bits. Including more blatant artist swipes.

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

Definitely true.

Maybe not so true.

Mostly lies.

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?... HOW ABOUT NOW?

Marvel is scrambling to try to make the pro-registration side seem more sympathetic in lieu of it being revealed in Civil War #4 that they cloned their friend as a weapon and in Amazing Spider-Man #353 that they are keeping heroes jailed without trial in the negative zone.

Check out this leaked revised scene from Civil War #5! With the art already drawn, they only had time to change what the characters said.

Here's the original dialogue:

And the revised page:

ARTISTSWIPING 1?

= ?

PLANETERRIBLE

The secret ending to Planetary was recently leaked to the Outsider.

Four words: Randall Dowling is secretly Ambrose Chase.

Wait... sorry, six words.

ITEM: WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN?!

Speculation rages over the identity of the masked observer seen in Civil War #4, conventional wisdom leaning towards it being either the Punisher, Hawkeye, or a masked Spider-Man. Well, your Comics Outsider has got the inside scoop, and the secret identity is (swipe below):

Marvel comics writer Paul Jenkins, last seen in the pages of New Avengers. That's right, Paul Jenkins is on Cap's side.

ARTISTSWIPING 2?

= ?

WHO IS SUPERNOVA?

DC Comics has revealed to the Outsider that Supernova, the mysterious masked Metropolis marvel in the weekly 52 series will definitely be revealed to be one of the following people:

Booster Gold, returning to the past to be the hero he yearned to be
Superboy, cloned again and trying to start anew
Martian Manhunter, suffering amnesia after the events of Infinite Crisis
Just some guy named Alvin

CIVIL WAR: MR. MOM

In other news, Franklin and Valeria Richards are going to be in a Civil War one shot with their father, Reed Richards, that will display how much trouble they can get in without their mother being in the Baxter Building. It will be called Fantastic Alone. It's been rumored that the writer attached is none other than John Hughes.

ARTISTSWIPING 3?

= ?

REJECTED NAMES FOR THE THOR-CLONE

Found by the Outsider scribbled on a piece of Marvel letterhead in the garbage outside the Marvel offices:

Thor-Clone
Clor
Tho'or
facsimi-Mjolnir
Thor-Not-Thor
Bizarro-Thor
phoThorcopy
Ragna-reprint
Thorgery

Read the previous Comics Outsider.



Discuss this article in our forum.

Posted by YourMomsBasement at 06:00 PM

September 20, 2006

SNL RANKINGS

by Pete Goodrich
Thanks to Jesse Farrell, Casey Ontiveros, Wikipedia, and http://snltranscripts.jt.org/ for information and input.

As a youth, I got hooked on Saturday Night Live. I don't think that I am unique in this, I think most people of my generation would have been in the same boat: old enough that we were allowed to stay up late enough for SNL, not old enough to have a saturday curfew past 11 PM. I was lucky enough to 'come of age' right at one of the highest points of SNL's history: the last 80's/early 90's period, with Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Dana Carvey, and Mike Myers and such all in their primes.

Through the magic of basic cable, I also got tuned into the reruns that seemed to always be running on Comedy Central. The video stores had collections of the best of Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and John Belushi. This foundation of SNL affection in my youth continued up through...well now. There was the dark age in 1994-95 where the cast on paper was incredibly solid, but the results were all but garbage. But that's kind of the nature of the show. The original Not Ready For Prime Time Players were followed by a terrible cast in 1980-1981, and my revered cast of the late 80's/early 90's was similarly followed by a...well like I said, the cast was solid but the shows were pretty suck.

I don't go out of my way for the show like I once did, but I always keep an eye on it in one fashion or another. And I always pay special attention to those from the cast. Back in the day the funniest movies out there were by guys like Aykroyd and Belushi, Murray, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Martin Short. And the SNL to movie thing got big with my generation, with "Wayne's World" hitting big when I was in high school. Oh how I loved "Wayne's World".

But then again, there was...well I once saw a movie called "Feds." A colossally unfunny movie, I only watched because it was on for free (well, HBO) and starred Rebecca DeMornay who most everyone will remember as the hot chick from "Risky Business." Co-starring with her was a woman named Mary Gross, who was also unfunny. Imagine my surprise when I learned that Mary Gross was a former SNL cast member. Or when I learned that Gilbert Gottfried had been on the show as well. And when Seinfeld got big, I was distinctly surprised to learn that Elaine had been on SNL as well, the same time as Gottfried no less!

What the hell?! How can so much good and so much mediocre come from the same source? This is the question that led me to this project here. Through the sterling resources of Wikipedia and my own memories of the show both watched at the time and through many, many hours of reruns I've run down the entire cast list of SNL. No 'featured players' are included unless they got the promotion to regular cast member. And I left out the writers unless they were also performers as well, as funny as Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel are they do not fit the same mold as the others.

This is my own interpretation of the shows cast, not yours. I fully expect people to disagree with some of these choices, and thats fine. We all see talent in our own ways. But I think most everyone will agree with how I've laid things out here for right now, certainly as far as who's a big star and who's lucky to get a spot on VH-1's "I Really Love the 90's!"

Some of the entries have been broken up with '+', '-', or '?' That's to show where I think they're on the way up, down, or questionable. And aside from a couple brief comments, I'm leaving out the deceased cast members. I just don't want to speak ill of the dead. But you know who's legit, and who is not.

John Belushi (October 11, 1975–1979)
Gilda Radner (October 11, 1975–1980)
Charles Rocket (1980–1981)
Footnote for Mr. Rocket: the first SNL cast member to swear on live TV. Also the first cast member to be fired for swearing on live TV.
Danitra Vance (1985–1986)
Phil Hartman (1986–1994)
My own personal #1 ever SNL cast member. Phil could and did do it all, and it's a shame that he passed in the manner he did.
Chris Farley (1990–1995)

A Class:
These are the legit stars only. I don't think I need to really break it down more than that, do I?

A Bill Murray (1976–1980)
OSCAR NOMINATED Bill Murray. Yes, he had a couple dead spots in his earlier career, but you cannot deny that he is the head of the class when it comes to SNL alumni.
A Eddie Murphy (1980–1984)
Ahh, Eddie. The first big star to break out of SNL after the original cast. The first SNL star to have to reinvent himself too.
A Mike Myers (1988–1995)
On a personal note, I really want him to return to the more bizarre, absurd type of film like "So I Married an Axe Murderer" as opposed to "Austin Powers 4: More Dumb Catchphrases."
A Chris Rock (1990–1993)
How can such a funny guy make so many weak movies? But still: he's Chris Rock. He's fucking funny, and between his stand up and his HBO show he's doing just fine.
A- Rob Schneider (1990–1994)
He gets the minus because...well hey. He can headline a movie...that will be universally panned by the critics, and general public. His films will always gross a decent of money...because lots of people smoke pot nowadays. Certainly for the purpose of these rankings he does count as A-list talent, but come on now. It's Rob frigging Schneider.
A Adam Sandler (1990–1995)
He will put asses in the theater seats. That said, I don't know a single person in the world who actually saw "Spanglish."
A? Will Ferrell (1995–2002)
Time will tell. He's doing very well right now (and deservedly so) but who knows what the future may hold? Could be a "Lost in Translation" role for him, could be "Doctor Detroit". I'm not quite 100% sure that he's going to keep doing as well as he has. But then again he's the millionaire actor and I'm just a schmuck on a website.

B Class:
Honored alumni who excelled in their particular casts, yet somehow never made it to that next step. No shame in this, but they will forever be known for what they did on SNL, not for what came after, or before. Also a couple of respected alums who don't quite fit in the other categories, or (through author bias) just deserve to be held up a little higher.

B Dan Aykroyd (1975–1979)
Once, a huge star. Now: He was in that Britney Spears movie. He had a terrible sitcom or two. I won't take this too far, but man...his star has faded.
B Jane Curtin (1975–1980)
Some TV work in the 80's and 90's ("3rd Rock From the Sun" was a decent show, I think) tho I haven't seen her do anything since in quite some time.
B Dennis Miller (1985–1991)
It bothers me that he went so right wing.
B Jan Hooks (1986–1991)
A truly solid performer on the show. I don't know that she had 'it,' which is why I figure she never made the jump to stardom beyond SNL. I reserve the right to authorial bias to put her up here.
B? Dana Carvey (1986–1993)
Ol' Dana here could have (and some say should have) been the next Big Thing to come out of SNL, but the poor guy got sidetracked by a botched heart surgery in 1997 which slowed him up huge, and the guy never got his momentum back. I hope he does in time.
B- Kevin Nealon (1986–1995)
Hes been quiet for awhile (I remember he hosted this late night 'are UFOs real?' catbox of a show for awhile) but is now on that Weeds show that everybody seems to like, and doing well. His tenure on the show alone shots him up to the B list, not unlike our friend... B+/- Tim Meadows (1990–2000) He did a decade on SNL. He did get his "The Ladies Man" movie done, but I saw it and the fact that it did not lead him to new heights in Hollywood...well, yeah. The SNL spinoff machine does not always lead to big fat "Blues Brothers" money. See "Roxbury, a Night at the." I wish him well, but if he never made it farther than a guest spot in a Sandler movie I can hardly say I'd be surprised.
B Ana Gasteyer (1996–2002)
Left the show to be a mom. Good for her. Funny lady.

C Class:
Emerging movie stars/Steady workers: these folks did well on SNL -or were at least in a lot of skits and thusly became recognizeable names in the showbiz. Might not like some of 'em, but we have to acknowledge their success. Or at least their success in keeping regular jobs. Some of them have failed, and spectacularly. Crap sitcoms, terrible feature films, they run the gamut of dubious career choices. This one is a bit of a mixed bag, I admit.

C Chevy Chase (1975–1976)
You do not deserve the good will we gave Aykroyd up above. I saw Snow Day. And I remember the talk show.
C- Joe Piscopo (1980–1984)
You're LUCKY you made it this high. "Dead Heat"... "Wise Guys"... You're LUCKY. But you cannot deny that Joe Piscopo is still a recognizeable name.
C Rich Hall (1984–1985)
He's the 'Sniglet' guy. Listed here simply because he's the reason why I know the name of the plastic tip on the end of a shelace. (Aglets.)
C Jon Lovitz (1985–1990)
Listed with LOVE, Jon. I loved the Critic. But you never should have tried to follow poor Phil Hartman on "NewsRadio". But hey, you had to work. Respect. But there is no excuse for "Mom and Dad Save the World."
C David Spade (1990–1996)
A couple failed sitcoms, a couple weak movies, and one Comedy Central show that may or may not still be on the air. Dude, you WISH you were Rob Schneider. And that my friend...is pathetic.
C Norm MacDonald (1993–1998)
A pair of lukewarm films, and a tanked sitcom. But you're getting another chance thanks to Comedy Central. So you're right here.
C Molly Shannon (1994–2001)
Just starting out in the world of movies. Best of luck to you. You make a great 'best friend to female lead.' But the "Superstar" movie really revealed your limitations, no?
C Colin Quinn (1995–2000)
I think you're funny. I liked your Update. I am alone in this.
C- Chris Kattan (1995–2003)
Corky fucking Romano. You're a poor man's Andy Dick, and Andy Dick is not fucking funny.
C+ David Koechner (1995–1996)
Dude was in "Anchorman". AND "Snakes on a Plane". His star doth rise!
C? Tracy Morgan (1996–2003)
You had your failed sitcom, and you've had a couple unfunny cameos in some random movies. But you get to star in the new Tina Fey produced show on NBC, so your star is on the rise...unless the show tanks, and then you try the sitcom thing again. Only this time on FOX. And sitcoms do so well on FOX, don't they? Don't they?
C? Jimmy Fallon
I fucking hate this grinning muppet, but even I have to acknowledge that the ladies, they seem to love him. Only a couple movies out the gate (one tanked, the Red Sox one did okay I believe) and one Coke commercial makes it tough to accurately gauge where he's going to go. But oh, I do hope it's towards the bottom.
C Horatio Sanz (1998—2006)
I just learned that he left the show. Whenever some fool in Hollywood goes for a retarded remake of "Cheers," look for Sanz to play a Hispanic Norm for one painful season.
C? Rachel Dratch (1999–2006)
I wish her nothing but the best. Dude! She's frigging funny.
C? Tina Fey (2000—2006)
I salute you for taking the leap out of your comfort zone and trying for a sitcom. I have no faith in your sitcom. Fare thee well!

* Class:
Star Class! These folks became stars independent of their time on SNL, to the point that when its brought up that they used to be on the cast, it's a pleasant surprise. Also included here are the folks who had careers before they joined the cast, and their time on the show did more for the show as a whole than it did for their individual careers.

* Gilbert Gottfried (1980–1981)
Debate this one all you want. I think the guy's funny. ...in small doses. AFLAC!
* Christine Ebersole (1981–1982)
I never heard of her either, but apparently she's won a Tony award, and has done very well on Broadway. Point to you, Miss Ebersole. Way to put your terrible, terrible season behind you.
* Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1982–1985)
Where a guy like Jon Lovitz will always be remembeed as 'the guy who used to be hilarious on SNL,' Julia Louis-Dreyfus will always be remembered as Elaine. But she did start on SNL!
*- Jim Belushi (1983–1985)
Apparently old people like that show of his on ABC. Me, I liked him in "The Principal." But I have terrible taste.
* Harry Shearer (1979–1980) & (1984–1985)
* Billy Crystal (1984–1985)
* Christopher Guest (1984–1985)
* Martin Short (1984–1985)
The last four names are four of the funniest people ever. SNL was lucky to have had them all in the same place for the year that they did. I long for a Best of 84-85 collection.
* Joan Cusack (1985–1986)
Always dependable.
* Robert Downey Jr. (1985–1986)
* Anthony Michael Hall (1985–1986)
I always found it to be pretty odd that they hired these two guys for the show in the midst of their Brat Packery.
* Randy Quaid (1985–1986)
You know who's awesome? Randy fucking Quaid, that's who's awesome.
* Michael McKean (1993–1995)
Was he Lenny Or Squiggy?
* Chris Elliott (1994–1995)
* Janeane Garofalo (1994–1995)
There will never be a Best Of for this cast. Both of them were totally wasted. Well, that might be revisionist history talking here. I remember these two from SNL, and I remember them not being funny.
* Mark McKinney (1994–1997)
I freely admit to a massive amount of authorial bias towards this cast member. But then again as much as I love/d SNL, I love the "Kids in the Hall" ten times more.

F Class:
Failed stars: those who left and went nowhere. Or those who just weren't asked to come back. It happens. You get your chance to be on the big stage, and sometimes it never pans out.

F Garrett Morris (1975–1980)
F Laraine Newman (1975–1980)
I was reluctant to put any of the original cast members on this part of the list, just out of respect for them being the originals. But we must be honest.
F Denny Dillon (1980–1981)
If I remember correctly she specialized in playing annoying characters. Post-SNL she was on that HBO sitcom "Dream On" playing the annoying secretary. A lateral move!
F Gail Matthius (1980–1981)
F Ann Risley (1980–1981)
No idea who these people are.
F Tony Rosato (1980–1982)
After SNL he was the voice of Luigi on the "Nintendo Power Hour". More interesting than his career is that Luigi's last name was 'Mario.' Which makes Mario, 'Mario Mario.' Very clever, Nintendo.
F Robin Duke (1980–1984)
I remember one of her recurring skits was playing part of a whiny married couple with Joe Piscopo, called 'The Whiners.' Yes, it was just as good as it sounds.
F Tim Kazurinsky (1980–1984)
Sweetchuck from the Police Academy movies. The years are misleading, I think he spent more time as a writer than as an actual featured performer.
F Mary Gross (1981–1985)
She was on the show.
F Brad Hall (1982–1984)
Fun fact: He married Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Notice something about the above group? Tha majority of them didn't make it past 1981. And I've seen some of those reruns on Comedy Central from back in the day, and these episodes were in fact godawful. Some of these folks managed to make it through another season or so, but on the whole they are the forgotten castmembers. I don't even think they get invites back to the show anniversaries.

F Gary Kroeger (1982–1985)
I remember you only because you hosted this one late night stand-up show back in the day, that was ironically on opposite SNL. Also, you were on Night Court once.
F Pamela Stephenson (1984–1985)
She was a British lady, and I think the only cast member to ever hail from the UK.
F Terry Sweeney (1985–1986)
Did a hell of a Nancy Reagan impression?
F Nora Dunn (1985–1990)
Stood out when she was on the show for refusing to do the show when Andrew Dice Clay was hosting. ...played the mom in the (underrated) cable movie "The Hebrew Hammer." Not much else to add here.
F Victoria Jackson (1986–1992)
Celebrity Fit Club people! The dictionary definition of 'show for has-beens!' And hell, I hated her on SNL when she was on the cast...
F Julia Sweeney (1990–1994)
I heard she had a Broadway show based on her battle with cancer, so I felt bad about putting her down here. But then I remembered "It's Pat! The Movie" and my hatred was reborn.
F Siobhan Fallon (1991–1992)
No idea.
F Melanie Hutsell (1991–1994)
Marsha Marsha Marsha! Marsha Marsha Marsha! Marsha Marsha Marsha!
F Ellen Cleghorne (1991–1995)
I remember she had one of the very first (failed) sitcoms on the (failed) WB network.
F Jay Mohr (1993–1995)
Had a FOX sitcom. A couple movie roles. Wrote a book about SNL that I never read. Largely forgotten.
F Laura Kightlinger (1994–1995)
I wanted to give her a bit of a pass because she was in the original Tenacious D episodes. But lets face it: Laura Kight-what?
F Nancy Walls (1995–1996)
Was on the Daily Show for a bit, and has had a couple cameos on the NBC version of the Office.
F Jim Breuer (1995–1998)
His best role ever was in Half Baked, which says a lot.
F Cheri Oteri (1995–2000)
I never liked her. It pleases me to know that she is reduced to hosting clip shows on the E! network.
F Jeff Richards (2001–2004)
Your only memorable character was 'Drunk Girl,' and in that role you made every other comedian that ever did drag in the entire history of comedy look 3 times funnier. Repetition does not make it funny.

...and none of this is etched in stone. If you'd asked me about Bill Murray back when he was costarring with an elephant, I don't think I'd have been so charitable. Any one of these folks is one hit or one miss away from rising up in the standings. Look at Eddie Murphy, he wasn't doing a good damn thing for years, until he reinvented himself as the funny family comedian.

No, this listing is nothing carved in stone. But it is a pretty good indicator of where people stand in their post SNL careers. I think it's pretty safe to say that folks like Robin Duke and Tony Rosato's careers are pretty much what they are: over. But prove me wrong Hollywood!

Discuss this article in our forum.

Posted by YourMomsBasement at 08:00 AM

September 15, 2006

Christos Gage Interview

by the YMB Staff

Union Jack

Why Union Jack? And why now?

Union Jack is a character a lot of people love. I've honestly been amazed by how many fans he has, whether it's from the Invaders run in the '70's, the Roger Stern/John Byrne storyline in the '80's, or people who just discovered him in the current Captain America arc by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. As for “why now,” UJ's appearance in that book gave us the perfect opportunity to put him back in the spotlight; it was Ed Brubaker who suggested it, in fact. Add to the mix that our penciler Mike Perkins (who draws alternate arcs on Cap) is both British and a huge UJ fan; that the current UJ's first appearance in Captain America #253-254 is one of my all-time favorite stories; and that editor Andy Schmidt was very fond of him from his time editing The Invaders, and it seemed like a natural.

Many fans were happy to see a return to the classic Union Jack costume - was that difficult to do given his recent appearances in other titles?

Not at all. We had to settle on a costume pretty early, since he'd be appearing in Captain America four months before UJ #1 hit the stands. Once we all started talking, it became apparent that everyone from Ed and Steve to me and Mike to Andy and Tom Brevoort wanted the classic costume back. It was unanimous.

Aside from his recent appearances in Captain America, did you draw on any past stories for your series? The Raab/Cassady mini? The Stern/Byrne run on Cap in the 80s?

There aren't any direct tie-ins; we really wanted the story to be accessible to new readers. However, UJ's history plays a key part in the subtext of what's going on. Andy told me from the start that he wanted a story that could only be about Union Jack; not a generic superhero tale in which you could plug, say, Captain Britain into UJ's place without anything changing. So I went back and looked at his history, especially the Stern/Byrne issues that introduced the current UJ, and realized that what makes Joey Chapman distinct from his predecessors is his working class background. The entire character arc for the miniseries grew out of that.

Is Union Jack's tenure in the Knights of Pendragon still in continuity, and if so, what does that mean?

Yes, but we're not referring to it in the miniseries because it doesn't really have a direct effect and would probably just confuse new readers. But if you check Union Jack's bio on Marvel.com (most of which I wrote), you'll see that he still has the Power of the Pendragon. Basically, it increases his natural abilities to or slightly above peak human levels, like the super-soldier serum does for Captain America. It also boosts his endurance and healing, so he can take a beating - and believe me, that's going to come in handy.

Will we see more vampires in this mini?

You'll see a few on pages two through five of issue one; that's it for now. With Marvel releasing a new Blade monthly, we wanted to show a different side of Union Jack than the vampire fighter.

How much research did you have to do for the mini?

A good amount, because I wanted the British setting to feel authentic. All I can say is thank God for the internet! I researched MI5 (Britain's secret service) quite a bit, both on and offline - Ed Brubaker recommended a 1970's English TV series called “The Sandbaggers,” and Mike Perkins suggested the recent “MI5.” It was helpful that Mike's British, because I could run things by him - he vetted all the dialogue and geography for authenticity - and while on vacation in London (he lives in Florida now), he took lots of photos. Virtually every exterior in the comic is true to life!

Are you hoping that this will result in a higher profile for UJ in the Marvel U?

That would be nice - he's a great character. I'd love to see the international side of the Marvel Universe used more.

So how will Civil War: X-Men affect your use of obscure Israeli mutant Sabra? Or will it not?

The Union Jack miniseries takes place before Civil War, and occurs almost entirely over the course of one day, like an episode of 24, so it's really not a problem. Marvel editorial has handled the coordination well; in fact, the Mike Perkins-designed new costume for Sabra is being used by the X-Men: Civil War creative team. I guess it spoils the fact that Sabra survives the UJ miniseries, but I'd imagine that isn't a huge shock to anyone.

What side would UJ fall on in the current Marvel Civil War?

He admires Captain America so much it would be tough not to be on his side, but I think UJ would also understand the pro-reg side's arguments in terms of superhumans needing accountability and training, given the risks their activities pose to innocent civilians. The question is whether he'd trust the government to implement the Act responsibly. Ask again at the end of the miniseries…

Any plans for more work with UJ after the mini wraps up?

Mike and I would love to, whether it's regular minis the way they used to do with Venom or some type of ongoing, like an Invaders book. It'll all depend on sales and reader reaction, so anyone who wants to see it happen should buy early and often and send Marvel lots of letters!

Stormwatch

Again, why Stormwatch?

Jim Lee and the folks at Wildstorm wanted to relaunch the Wildstorm Universe. I had been discussing a pitch with them that would have been self-contained, like The American Way; one day editor Ben Abernathy asked me if I thought it might work as a Stormwatch series. Approaching it that way opened up so many new story possibilities…it fit perfectly! My premise was about using the types of characters who have traditionally been in the background of comics - tech guys, girlfriends, sidekicks and the like - to explore the mean streets of a superhero universe in a book with the feel of Gotham Central meets the Suicide Squad. Given that so many other Wildstorm books take a widescreen, global or even cosmic view of things, this seemed like an ideal way to show the parts of the Wildstorm Universe that we don't get to see in those titles.

Does this incarnation tie into any previous incarnations of the team? How is it different?

Yes, there is a direct relationship to the original Stormwatch comic, from the early Image days to the end of Warren Ellis' tenure. The two familiar characters you'll see returning are Jackson King and Fahrenheit; the other core team members are all new. But they're living in the shadow of the famous Stormwatch Prime, the post-human crisis response team of previous volumes. The difference is that both Prime and our Post-Human Division are operating under a much tighter budget; they no longer have the unlimited resources of years past. P.H.D's job is to find creative, cost-effective ways for normal human authorities to take down post-human threats before they become big enough to demand Stormwatch Prime's attention.

Do you have a favorite Wildstorm storyline? Are you allowed to reach back to the pre-Worldstorm material in what you're writing?

I guess my favorite storyline would be the very first Warren Ellis run, starting in Stormwatch #37 and culminating in “Change Or Die,” which ran through issue #50. It really redefined superhero comics in ways we're still seeing today. I am allowed to reach back to the pre-Worldstorm era, and will be doing so, but in ways that will not require the reader to have a knowledge of Wildstorm history to follow the story. To use the first issue as an example, there are both new and classic villains in it. I treat both the same way: as if they've always been around, but the reader hasn't seen them before. A new reader will be told that The Ferryman is a supernatural entity who feeds on the energy released by death, and that Deathtrap is a post-human mercenary who can materialize weapons in his hands seemingly out of nowhere. A longtime reader will know that Deathtrap's appeared before and the Ferryman hasn't…but in terms of understanding what's going on, it won't matter. All the information you need to follow the story is in it.

How coordinated are the relaunch titles? Is there any kind of theme running through them?

If there's a theme, it's excitement and accessibility. We want both longtime fans and people who've never picked up a Wildstorm book in their lives to be excited about the Worldstorm relaunch and to feel like we're making it easy for them to get in on the ground floor of this new era for the Wildstorm Universe. As far as direct coordination, the various titles do all happen in the same world, but aside from some background stuff like offhand references to the Wildcats' HALO Corporation, you won't be seeing any out-and-out crossovers in the short term (except for Wildcats and the Authority, both of which are written by Grant Morrison). Down the road I'm sure we'll be getting into some of that, but the editors want the books to establish themselves and stand on their own before that happens. No one wants readers to buy all the books because they feel they “have” to. We want them to buy them because they've got great stories and great art…because they WANT to buy them all.

Along those lines, how much freedom did you have to run with the concept, or were you constrained by the other launch titles and what they were doing?

The only constraints had to do with what characters I could use. For instance, I couldn't use any of the former Stormwatch members who are now in the Authority, because they have their own book. Aside from that, there's been a tremendous amount of freedom - I've been amazed at just how much. It seems to be the management style of Jim Lee, Ben Abernathy, Scott Dunbier and the other WS folks to let the creators have a lot of latitude, which I think is why they've attracted top names like Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison and Gail Simone. We're being encouraged to push the envelope creatively, which is something I think every creator gets excited about.

Other Stuff

How do you feel about how an element from your Deadshot miniseries (his relationship with his girlfriend and daughter) has been picked up on by other creators? Do you look for ways to add to the continuity, or do you look to meet the ends of your own ideas first?

I think it's great. I figured they'd be killed off within a few months of the miniseries' end, because it's a fast, easy way to do the “Deadshot on a rampage” thing, but Gail Simone has proven once again why she's such a great writer by using Deadshot's relationships to flesh him out as a character. When I write a story, telling a good tale is the first and only goal, but when others respond to things I've done enough to make it an ongoing part of continuity, it's really flattering and satisfying…especially when the creators are as talented as Gail and the artists she's collaborated with.

Any intentions to return to Deadshot? Or any intentions to do any work for DC proper?

Funny you should ask! I recently wrote a single-issue story for my original Deadshot editor Joey Cavalieri that features Batman against Deadshot. I believe it's going to appear in Legends of the Dark Knight #214, but I could be off by an issue or two. Phil Winslade is illustrating; I loved what he did on The Monolith and, having seen his layouts, I can't wait for the finished product. The story explores the different ways Batman and Deadshot use intimidation to their advantage. After Batman scares a crooked accountant into testifying against a mob boss, the boss hires Deadshot to take him out. Batman thwarts the initial attempt on the opening day of the trial, but the accountant hears Deadshot is after him and clams up - he won't testify. With only a few days left for the prosecutors to put their witness on the stand, Batman must race the clock to find a way to get Deadshot out of the picture somehow. It's a done-in-one tale, and it was an absolute blast revisiting Deadshot, who I love to write.

What are the characters that you would like to work on that you haven't had the chance to?

I tend to gravitate towards the quirky and obscure, like Devil Dinosaur or Enemy Ace, but there's always a hankering to take a shot at the icons like Spider-Man (which I've done), Batman (check) and the Avengers. If I had to name one, I would love to write the Suicide Squad at some point…with Deadshot on the team, of course.

How is it moving from screenplays to comics? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

The advantages have to do with already being familiar with telling stories in a visual way; I'd imagine it's a lot harder for a novelist, who is used to describing everything verbally. But you still have to remember that each medium is different. The main disadvantage is remembering that comics don't employ motion; each panel is a moment frozen in time. I still sometimes find myself calling for more actions in a single panel than the artist could possibly draw. Even Superman has to pick up a truck before he can throw it!

Mark Millar recently wrote about how Hollywood will start to draw away the comic talent from comics, leading to a decline in the industry - you seem to refute this. What is your take on things?

I believe Mark is talking specifically about artists, who are less able to juggle both fields the way writers like me, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Marc Guggenheim or even the super-busy likes of Joss Whedon can. It would certainly suck to lose the likes of Bryan Hitch and John Cassaday, though I fault no one for pursuing exciting (and lucrative) opportunities when they're offered. But, having worked in both comics and Hollywood, I can tell you that working in comics is more fun, more creatively satisfying, the people are nicer and saner, and the end product is a lot more likely to be true to your vision. I suspect that anyone who does jump ship will be back.

Union Jack hits stores next week, September 20 and Stormwatch: PHD #1 comes out on November 8.

Discuss this article in our forum.

Posted by YourMomsBasement at 07:00 AM

September 06, 2006

The Tricks of Turning Pro

On Betrayal and Starting over.

by Gary Walters

I was hoping this would be a fun colum. Full of announcements about tv projects, movie scripts, and other things that comic book professionals annouce.

But, unfortunatly, this colum must be what it is. I must recount a tale of betrayal and redemption from within the world of comics. For if there's one thing that I've learned, be it in the automobile parking garage attendant industry or the comic book industry, its this: people are liars and will screw you over!

As many of you undoubtedly know from the online rumour gossip mill, I had to part ways with my original artist for my comic book Tour de Force, Even Steven. Unfortunately, the original artist, Wesley Gellar, proved himself to be a lying jerk. I'm sure he does not want these made public, but, frankily, I don't care anymore and I'd rather my fellow peers know not to employ him as their comic book artist. Unless they want an artist who will cheat on them.

So, here are the emails from our last, final email exchanges. The one that ended in tragedy for me, my dreams, and hopefully Wesley's artistic reputation.

From: Wesley Gellar
Sent: March 20, 2005 11:28 AM
To: Gary Walters
Subject: Even Steven Script
Gary, hadn't heard from you in a while. I'm ready to start the art for your comic as soon as you get me some pages to draw.

From: Wesley Gellar
Sent: April 2, 2005 1:35 PM
To: Gary Walters
Subject: Re: Even Steven Script
Gary, I got your message last night. Um... I guess maybe you'd been knocking a few back last night? SOunds like I missed a party.

Regardless, I'm not sure that it's relevant as to whether or not Galactus could eat the Death Star. I suppose he could. I guess. Not sure why he'd want to.

As to your second question. Well, I couldn't really understand it, as you were mumbling. Something about Ewoks?

So, what's the status of the script?

> Gary, hadn't heard from you in a while. I'm ready to start the art for your comic
> as soon as you get me some pages to draw.

From: Wesley Gellar
Sent: May 9, 2005 9:06 AM
To: Gary Walters
Subject: Re: Re: Even Steven Script
Gary, this writer I met at our comic book store has asked me to draw this one shot comic he wrote. Do you know Josh? He seemed to know you.

I told him I had a commitment with you first and then I could work on his while you finish the script to issue two.

How's the script for issue one coming?

From: Wesley Gellar
Sent: May 17, 2005 2:27 PM
To: Gary Walters
Subject: Sorry, but...
Gary, did you leave a message for me last night? Someone did. But it was kind of garbled.

Listen, Josh offered to pay me for my pages. I haven't heard from you in a while now, so I said yes. But as soon as that's done, I can work on Even Steven. It might even work out real well. If his book (just a one shot) comes out and does well it could build real buzz, you know?

Just let me know what's going on.

Is everything okay? Where are you?

From: Wesley Gellar
Sent: June 12, 2005 10:14 AM
To: Gary Walters
Subject: Gary, call me
I got your message last night. Anyway, you're wrong. Josh is a good guy, he seems to like you, anyway.

Anyway, you mom called me this morning wondering if you were here. You should call her. And Doug at the comic shop said you hadn't been by in a while.

Do you want to do something today? Go grab some lunch? Go get our comics?

From: Wesley Gellar
Sent: June 13, 2005 4:48 PM
To: Gary Walters
Subject: Hope you are well
Did you leave a ten minute message on my machine last night? It sounded like someone humming the Imperial March from Star Wars.

Listen, when you feel like talking, you let me know. I'll be here.

From: Gary Walters
Sent: June 14, 2005 2:51 AM
To: Wesley Gellar
Subject: Re: Re: Sorry, but...
You're new writer sounds like a stupid asshole thief jerk.

> Listen, Josh offered to pay me for my pages. I haven't heard from you in a
> while now, so I said yes. But as soon as that's done, I can work on Even
> Steven. It might even work out real well. If his book (just a one shot) comes
> out and does well it could build real buzz, you know?

So, things didnot end well. I've never been able to handle rejection well. Just ask Debbie Sprunkel, she was super hot. But, I'll be honest... this got me pretty down. Having to start from square zero again with my comic book dream. There is only so much regection that we creative types can handle before we just need to stop and take a break. Shut down and take our anger and sadness and push it down down down until we can function again.

And that's what I decided to do. Stop it all. take a break. Re-asses what I wanted and how to get there. But you can only wallow in self-pity for so long, you know? So, a month after that, I finally got myself out of bed and out of my funk (after finally running out of Stargate SG-1 DVD box sets to watch. There are a lot of them. I also watched Season one of Fat Actress, starring Kristie Alley.).

And so I realized I needed to jump back up the horse find a new artist. Once I had an artist for my book, everything would be perfect again. Just like it was before Josh the Jerk. With renewed vigor I decided to visit the Artists Alley at the Heroes Comiccon Convention while there with the YMB crew. A lot of the artists there are desperate and will work cheap. And that's what I needed: an amazingly phenomenal artist, who doesn't realize their so awesome, that I can pay real cheap to draw my comic. Someone with real low self-esteem.

But, I looked around a bunch and pretty much everyone sucked. There was this one guy there who seemed to draw a lot of magic trees and stuff. He had a good style and I asked him if he was interested but he said "no". His loss. That guy who drew MonkeyMan O'Brian said no, too. I thought since he hadn't really done anything in a while that he might ahve been into it. But he wasn't. Into it, that is. All the good artists already had books or weren't "interested." Even Alex Saviuk, who drew my favorite run on Web of Spider-Man, also said no.

It was seeming that my renewed vigor and dreams did not seem to be enough!

I mean, if you have a great idea, if you have a dream, people should want to read it, right? And publishers should want to publish it, right? Well, apparently not. Some publishers would rather make you jump through hoops than help and espiring comic book writer make it too the big time.

Take Image comics, for example,. Why would a company make hurdles for creative people to have to jump through? Creative people need an open road not roadblocks. Image Comics, in a fit of stupidity, requires five completed pages with their submission guidelines. Which is stupid. If a comic is good, it's good, regardless of how many pages are done.

So, because Image does not accept scripts, but only finished pages, I still need to find a NEW artist, a non-free artist, to draw my book, so, I decided last week that I'm going to need to supplement my writer income with non-writer money. With a job.

So, I persevere on. Safe in the knowledge that I will suceed. That Even Steven will be awesome. And that once Battlestar Galactica is over, I'll have a new season of Stargate SG-1 to look forward too on Sci-Fi Channel. Those are the things that get me through the day.



Read Volume 2, Issue 1 of The Tricks of Turning Pro.



Discuss this article in our forum.

Posted by YourMomsBasement at 09:00 AM