Back Issue #2 by TwoMorrows Publishing

THE ULTIMATE COMICS EXPERIENCE! TOTALLY!

y 22000044 FFeebbrruuaarry

O PRO2P R

matt wa gner and diana sc hutz

ST E T A GRE RIES LD STOVER TO NE

PLUS: MIKE W. BARR’s view of the DC Implosion in OFF MY CHEST!

TOTALLY ’80s: HUGHES! WAGNER! DAVIS! RUDE! STEVENS!

N$5o..925

ost Space Gh loids! u c r e H . vs

ROUGH STU FF

Pencil art by ADAM HUGHE S

OND Y E B PES CA

’ jones Bruce s & d l r o Alien w tales d twiste

ing t a r s b Cele t Comics, es B e s, ’80 h 0 T 7 ’ he of t Today! &

A plea from the publisher of this fine digital periodical: TwoMorrows, we’re on the Honor System with our Digital Editions. We don’t add Digital Rights Management features to them to stop piracy; they’re clunky and cumbersome, and make readers jump through hoops to view content they’ve paid for. And studies show such features don’t do much to stop piracy anyway. So we don’t include DRM in our downloads.

However, this is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, which is NOT INTENDED FOR FREE DOWNLOADING ANYWHERE. If you paid the modest fee we charge to download it at our website, you have our sincere thanks. Your support allows us to keep producing magazines like this one. If instead you downloaded it for free from some other website or torrent, please know that it was absolutely 100% DONE WITHOUT OUR CONSENT. Our website is the only source to legitimately download any TwoMorrows publications. If you found this at another site, it was an ILLEGAL POSTING OF OUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, and your download is illegal as well. If that’s the case, here’s what I hope you’ll do: GO AHEAD AND READ THIS DIGITAL ISSUE, AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK. If you enjoy it enough to keep it, please DO THE RIGHT THING and go to our site and purchase a legal download of this issue, or purchase the print edition at our website (which entitles you to the Digital Edition for free) or at your local comic book shop. Otherwise, please delete it from your computer, since it hasn’t been paid for. And please DON’T KEEP DOWNLOADING OUR MATERIAL ILLEGALLY, for free. If you enjoy our publications enough to download them, support our company by paying for the material we produce. We’re not some giant corporation with deep pockets, and can absorb these losses. We’re a small company—literally a “mom and pop” shop—with dozens of hard working freelance creators, slaving away day and night and on weekends, to make a pretty minimal amount of income for all this hard work. All of our editors and authors, and comic shop owners, rely on income from this publication to continue producing more like it. Every sale we lose to an illegal download hurts, and jeopardizes our future. Please don’t rob us of the small amount of compensation we receive. Doing so helps ensure there won’t be any future products like this to download. And please don’t post this copyrighted material anywhere, or share it with anyone else. Remember: TwoMorrows publications should only be downloaded at

www.twomorrows.com TM

TwoMorrows.Celebrating The Art & History Of Comics. (& LEGO! ) TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 • E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • www.twomorrows.com

It’s our totally tubular, The Ultimate Comics Experience!

Volume 1, Number 2 February 2004 Celebrating the Best Comics of the '70s, '80s, and Today! EDITOR Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Robert Clark PROOFREADERS Eric Nolen-Weathington Joshua Snyder SCANNING AND IMAGE MANIPULATION Rich Fowlks COVER ARTISTS Adam Hughes Rick Magyar COVER COLORIST Tom Ziuko CONTRIBUTORS Bill Alger Mike W. Barr Dario Carrasco Michael Eury Bo Hampton Wally Harrington Mike Hoffman Adam Hughes Dan Johnson Bruce Jones Val Mayerik Steve Rude Bob Schreck Diana Schutz Allison Sohn Ken Steacy Dave Stevens Matt Wagner Bill Wray TRANSCRIBER Brian K. Morris SPECIAL THANKS Lee Dawson Adam Philips Bob Greenberger Rose Rummel-Eury Patricia Lange Consultants Grand Comic Book Database

(almost)

totally ’80s issue! EDITORIAL ......................................................................................................................................................................2 Remembering the decade of big hair, techno-pop, breakdancing, and comics’ new wave COMICO THE COMIC COMPANY HISTORY AND CHECKLIST ...........................................3 Learn about the home of many of the 1980s’ most groundbreaking comics and creators PRO2PRO: MIKE W. BARR AND ADAM HUGHES ..........................................................................7 The writer and artist of The Maze Agency recall their collaboration with their series editor, Michael Eury PRO2PRO: MATT WAGNER AND DIANA SCHUTZ ....................................................................28 Creator Matt Wagner and editor Diana Schutz reveal the roots of Grendel THE GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD: SPACE GHOST VS. THE HERCULOIDS ..................................................................................................44 Find out what would have happened in the Space Ghost sequel ROUGH STUFF: ADAM HUGHES SPOTLIGHT ................................................................................48 From the late 1980s to today, pencil artwork by awesome Adam Hughes BEYOND CAPES: TWISTED TALES AND ALIEN WORLDS .....................................................60 Dan Johnson examines Bruce Jones’ gruesome series, with interviews and rare art galore OFF MY CHEST: GUEST EDITORIAL BY MIKE W. BARR.........................................................72 An insider’s perspective of the infamous DC Implosion and Cancelled Comics Cavalcade BACK IN PRINT: STAR WARS: A LONG TIME AGO ....................................................................84 A review of Dark Horse’s collected editions of the 1970s’ Marvel Star Wars comics, plus peeks at two new projects from DC Comics: Detective No. 27 and DC: The New Frontier BACK TALK ...................................................................................................................................................................87 Reactions to our first issue

BACK ISSUE™ is published bimonthly by TwoMorrows Publishing, 1812 Park Drive, Raleigh, NC 27605. Michael Eury, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. BACK ISSUE Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor, 5060A Foothills Dr., Lake Oswego, OR 97034. Email: euryman@msn.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $30 Standard US, $48 First Class US, $60 Canada, $66 Surface International, $90 Airmail International. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. The Maze Agency TM & © 2004 Michael W. Barr. Ellery Queen TM 2004 Manfred Lee and Frederic Dannay. Death Hawk TM & © 2004 Mark Ellis and Adam Hughes. Grendel and Kevin Matchstick (Mage) TM & © 2004 Matt Wagner. Space Ghost, Herculoids, Jonny Quest, and related characters TM & © 2004 Cartoon Network. Alien Worlds and Twisted Tales TM & © 2004 Bruce Jones. Justice League, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Creeper, Deadman, the Ray, Team Titans, and all other related characters TM & © 2004 DC Comics. X-Men, She-Hulk, and Wolverine TM & © 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc. Star Trek © 2004 Paramount Pictures. Star Wars and all related characters TM & © 2004 Lucasfilm Ltd. Gumby TM & © 2004 Art Clokey. Robotech TM & © 2004 Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc./Tatsunoko Prod. Co., Ltd. Elementals and Fathom TM & © 2004 Comico. All editorial matter © 2004 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing. BACK ISSUE is a TM of TwoMorrows Publishing. Printed in Canada. FIRST PRINTING.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

Time after time passed, and I still hadn’t found what I was looking for. And then I met Rose. Every little thing she did was magic, and I knew (ooh, ooh) she’d make-a my dreams come true. I was walking on sunshine! We’re in this love together, we pledged. After a white wedding we settled into our love shack, and with Rose’s wind beneath my wings, I found my muse. I sold articles to Amazing Heroes magazine and scripts

DUDE!

to Marvel Comics. I was “in” the comics biz!

(And my grody-to-the-max, gag-me-with-a-spoon ’80s puns end here. But not my story.)

In January 1988, I was hired by editor in chief

Diana Schutz to be an editor at Comico (pronounced “Ko-meek-oh”) the Comic Company. If you’ve been reading comics since the ’80s, you probably haven’t This issue, we celebrate that decade most rad, the totally awesome ’80s!

thought of Comico in a while. If you’re newer to the field, you’re likely unaware of Comico. But you’ve certainly heard of some of the talented folk whose

The ’80s were a different world, and they hit me with a Wham! It was time to cut footloose, so I told my family “goodbye to you” and moved out of our

work was published there: Adam and Andy Kubert, Dave Stevens, Doug Wildey, Gene Colan, Arthur Adams, Mark Wheatley, Bill Willingham, Steve Purcell,

! t n e l l e c ex house (in the middle of our street). “Let’s hear it for

the boy!” Dad cheered. Hiding her tears (for fears),

Mom asked, “If you need help, who ya gonna call?”

I winked at her through my Ray-Bans while I sputtered off in my Chevette. Dad advised, “Son, don’t

wear your sunglasses at night!” “Papa, don’t preach,” Mom chided. I was overjoyed by their power of love. My journey had begun. It was time to follow my

sweet dreams, and nothing was gonna break my stride. When you’re young, everybody wants to rule the world (everybody also wants to have fun tonight), so, hungry like the wolf, I set my sights on two goals: to work hard for the money in comics and to find a love that’s true. I moved into my own apartment and practiced writing while working a variety of jobs to pay the bills.

Bob Burden, Mike Leeke, the Pander Bros., Tim Sale, Steven T. Seagle, Jill Thompson, Len Wein, Mark Evanier, Bob Schreck, and Joe Staton. Ooh, la la! Oh,

yeah, let’s not forget Adam Hughes, Mike W. Barr,

Alan Davis, Matt Wagner, and Steve Rude, all featured

in this issue.

Comico was only one of several influential inde-

pendent publishers of the 1980s. Pacific Comics was another of those trailblazers, and this issue’s “Beyond Capes” examines the two series Bruce (The Incredible Hulk) Jones spearheaded there, Twisted Tales and Alien Worlds. Of course, the ’80s were also the era of First and Eclipse Comics—and it was the decade of landmark Marvel and DC series like the Claremont/Byrne X-Men, Watchmen, and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and Daredevil—but we’ve got to save some

But before long I was blinded, and not by science. I was tempted by an angel in the centerfold, a true

content for future issues, don’t we? And just to prove we’re not totally stuck in the

fer ! e r u sh

material girl—yeah, I knew it was risky business, but one thing leads to another—and I became addicted to love, quite an obsession. Dr. Huxtable warned that I

was too shy for this maneater, and he was right: Soon

I was so lonely, the king of pain. “Relax,” Doc told me. But I couldn’t. I knew that love stinks, so on a cruel

’80s, Mike Barr offers an insider’s perspective on the

infamous DC Implosion of the late 1970s in an “Off My Chest” guest editorial.

Think you can find a magazine more excellent

than Back Issue? As if!

summer evening I shrieked to the heavens, “Do you really want to hurt me?!!” My neighbor yelled back,

Michael Eury, the editor formerly known as “Mickey”

“I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it!”

Oh, Mickey, you’re so fine. . . (Sorry. It’s a hard

(That super freak scared me. Bad.)

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

habit to break.)

f o f o y r y o r t o s t i His eH he Th T

O C I M O C

Michael Eu

y anny pa m p o m C o c C i m c i o Com thhee C t Comico the Comic Company was the little publisher that could. For a while, at least. In 1982, a trio of pals from art school—Gerry Giovinco, Bill Cucinotta, and Phil LaSorda—launched their own publishing company to nurture their creative itches. Their early black-and-white efforts (Slaughterman, Skrog, and Az) were primitive, but another art student they invited along on their venture, Matt Wagner, stood out among the pack. His character Grendel debuted in 1982’s Comico Primer #2, and today is still going strong at Dark Horse Comics. Administration/marketing mogul Bob Schreck jumped on board in late 1984, with editor in chief Diana Schutz following in early 1985. Cucinotta stepped aside and Giovinco took a less active role. Dennis LaSorda became co-publisher, his brother Phil ascending to executive officer. Meanwhile, Schreck and Schutz infused unbridled creativity and editorial professionalism into the company, and cultivated new talent like Tim Sale, Bill Willingham, Jill Thompson, and many others who have since gone on to wide acclaim. In 1987, Rick Taylor was hired as art director, exquisitely polishing the design of Comico’s comics. I became an editor there in January 1988, and assistant

No Day in the (Jurassic) Park

editor Shelly Roeberg (now Bond) joined the company

Things look bad for Gumby and Pokey

later that year.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

During the mid- to late 1980s, Comico took on commercial projects—the popular anime series Robotech and two super-hero titles, Elementals and Justice Machine—and released some of the most literate, dynamic, and just darn cool comics in the marketplace: Jonny Quest, Grendel, Mage, The Maze Agency, Gumby’s Summer (and Winter) Fun, The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine, and Rio, to name just a few. Top talent (Doug Wildey, Dave Stevens, Steve Rude, Mark Evanier, Gene Colan, and others) joined Comico’s groundbreaking newcomers, and the

company earned industry kudos. Abetted at different stages by Bob Pinaha, Maggie Brenner, Tim Ogline, Jeff Lang, Chuck Ragan, and a few others, Comico transformed from a low-budget, vanity-press outfit into a reputable, progressive publishing house. Emphasis on the house. Marvel and DC are headquartered in Manhattan highrises, and most other publishers rent space from office complexes. Comico, however, called a big, ghastly, three-story house its home (Dennis LaSorda operated his physical-therapy business from the first floor, with Comico commanding the rest of the building). The stairs creaked, the paint was chipped, the wallpaper was peeling, the toilets sputtered, the basement smelled, and the third-floor “offices”— kids’ bedrooms in the house’s previous life—were oppressively hot (one of them was mine, and during the sizzling summer of ’88, I wore bathing trunks to work each day and sweated off five pounds!). Keep this in mind while reading Diana Schutz’s references to “that horrible house” in this issue’s Wagner/Schutz “Pro2Pro” interview. Its structural and decorating deficiencies aside, the Comico office was a wonderland of imagination, with Rick Taylor’s buoyant Pee-wee Herman impressions filling the hallways. It was a fun place to work. There were setbacks along the way, of course. Remember Max Headroom, the computer-generated ’80s TV sensation and Coca-Cola spokesman? Max was almost a Comico comic. Reveals Bob Schreck: “Having rather cost-effectively negotiated the license to produce a Max Headroom comic book in 3-D (boy, was my good friend at Marvel Comics, Carol Kalish, jealous!), and having secured an approved script

Diana Schutz and Bob Schreck

(perfectly edgy and in keeping with the original British TV show) by Mike Baron, and then delivering the approved gorgeous pencil art from

Matt Wagner illustrated

the Pander Bros., [all] before the character hit it big in the U.S., suddenly

this announcement of Di

the U.S. licensor let Coke have their say and everything that was approved,

and Bob’s October 1989

suddenly was not. The book was dead. No refund, thank you! The

wedding. Courtesy of

corporation squashed the computer-generated corporate-buster himself

Diana Schutz. 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

in one of the most annoying and ironic twists I’ve ever witnessed. Would you like a Comico Max Headroom wall poster?” Similarly, Comico’s efforts to produce a comic book based on Cap’n Crunch, the seafaring icon who has sold a popular breakfast cereal for decades, went soggy. My most extraordinary Comico experience took place not in “that horrible house,” but in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In January 1989, I was one of two comicbook industry representatives (the other being First Comics’ publisher Rick Obadiah) who appeared as guests on Straight Talk, a talk show aired internationally on the cable channel CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network, now part of the Hallmark Channel). Obadiah and I bore the burden of defending the comic-book industry (and freedom of speech) against a full-scale attack on the content of “mature readers” comics. I explained that solicitation descriptions and cover labels informed retailers and consumers of content not intended for children. The moderator and audience © 2004 Comico.

turned a deaf ear to the notion of comics being anything but a kid’s medium, and I was verbally attacked for a variety of subjects including the language in an innocuous ad line reading, “He’s Gumby, dammit!” I thought at the time that nothing could be more difficult than that inci-

Anime Comes to America

dent. Little did

The popular Japanese

I know what would happen a month later.

cartoon series Robotech

In February 1989, many of Comico’s books were placed on hiatus due to financial difficulties (the story of how this affected the creators of The Maze Agency follows in

only outlets was the key to increased sales. This move failed, as Comico’s esoteric titles did not command mass-market attention. The ill-fated newsstand venture and subsequent poor financial management resulted in Comico owing over $700,000 to its printer, the extent of that debt being concealed from the editorial staff. DC Comics assumed the

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

After Comico . . . . . . series like Grendel, Mage, The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine, The Maze Agency, and Robotech found homes at other publishers. This early Matt Wagner page, incidentally, is from the original Grendel miniseries. Grendel © 2004 Matt Wagner.

distribution of Comico’s titles in 1989, to little avail. The staff, one by one, departed the company for other jobs, although Rick and Shelly stayed the longest, valiantly working to hold the publishing line together. Comico finally went under in the early 1990s (it was briefly revived in the mid-1990s by a financier who, sadly, tarnished some of the luster of this once-mighty organization). The creative accomplishments of Comico fortunately outweigh its infamous

COMICO THE

COMIC COMPANY

demise. “While we were all making it up as we went along,” Schreck recalls, “in retrospect, we had a great time in those Comico days and I’m very proud of what we all accomplished there.”

The following list includes titles published during the company’s original incarnation only. The Amazon #1-3 (1989)

Ginger Fox #1-4 (1988)

Ribit! #1-4 (1989)

Az #1-2 (1983)

Grendel vol. 1 #1-3 (1983-1984)

Rio #1 (1987)

Black Book (1987)

Grendel vol. 2 #1-40 (1986-1990)

[graphic novel]

Bloodscent #1 (1988)

Grendel: Devil by the Deed (1986)

Comico Christmas Special #1 (1988)

[collected edition]

Grendel: Devil’s Vagary (1987)

The Comico Collection (1987) [slipcased set, with exclusive Grendel: Devil’s Vagary

Robotech: Masters #1-23 (1985-1988)

Gumby’s Summer Fun Special #1 (1987)

Robotech: The New Generation #1-25 (1985-1988)

Comico Primer #1-6 (1982-1984)

Gumby’s Winter Fun Special #1 (1988)

Robotech in 3-D #1 (1987)

[1st app. Grendel in #2, 1st app. the Maxx in #5]

Jezebel Jade #1-3 (1988)

Robotech Special #1 (1988)

Elementals vol. 1 #1-29 (1984-1988)

[Jonny Quest spinoff]

Robotech the Graphic Novel #1 (1986)

Elementals vol. 2 #1-25 (1989-1993)

Jonny Quest #1-31 (1986-1988)

Elementals: The Natural Order (1988) [collected edition]

Jonny Quest Classics #1-3 (1987)

The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine #1-2 (1988-1989)

Elementals Special #1-2 (1986, 1989)

Justice Machine vol. 2 #1-29 (1987-1989)

E-Man vol. 3 #1 (1989)

Justice Machine Annual #1 (1989)

E-Man vol. 4 #1-3 (1990)

Justice Machine Featuring the Elementals #1-4 (1986)

Collection]

Empire Lanes vol. 2 #1 (1989)

•

[formerly Macross]

and a newsletter]

plus nine random Comico titles, a poster,

[black, white, and red exclusive; see Comico

Robotech: The Macross Saga #2-36 (1985-1989)

Jonny Quest Special #1-2 (1988)

Sam and Max, Freelance Police Special #1 (1989) Silverback #1-3 (1989-1990) [Grendel spinoff]

Skrog #1 (1983) Slaughterman #1-2 (1983)

[Keyline Books imprint]

Macross #1 (1984)

Evangeline vol. 1 #1-2 (1984)

[becomes Robotech: The Macross Saga]

Fathom #1-3 (1987)

Star Blazers vol. 1 #1-4 (1987)

[Elementals spinoff]

Mage: The Hero Discovered #1-15 (1984-1986)

Fish Police vol. 2 #5-17 (1988-1989)

The Maze Agency #1-7 (1988-1989)

Trollords vol. 2 #1-4 (1988-1989)

Fish Police: Hairballs (1987)

Morningstar Special #1 (1989)

The Trouble with Girls vol. 2 #1-4 (1989)

[collected edition]

[Elementals spinoff]

The World of Ginger Fox (1986)

Fish Police Special #1 (1987)

Next Man #1-5 (1985)

[graphic novel]

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Space Ghost #1 (1987)

Star Blazers vol. 2 #1-5 (1989)

Barr and Hughes revisit:

el Eury

I was fresh off the comics-geek boat when I started editing at Comico in 1988 and had been

by Micha ribed An interview 19, 2003, and transc st gu Au on conducted . Morris. by Brian K

a fan of Mike W. Barr’s DC work, so being assigned his new title, The Maze Agency, was quite a thrill. It also became a valuable learning experience. Mike’s professionalism (the man couldn’t miss a deadline if he tried) and ultra-polished scripts taught me a great deal about editing and writing. It was my pleasure working with Mike on Maze, and I’m happy that this interview has allowed us to rekindle our friendship. Another joy of The Maze Agency was the “discovery” of Adam Hughes. Adam had a few pinups and black-and-white short stories under his belt in ’88, but showed such promise, everyone at Comico knew he was headed for greatness. The first time I met him in person, at a 1988 Comico portfolio review at Rich Rankin’s comics shop, Adam had already been hired to draw Maze, but politely stood in the portfolio line to meet his editor.

interview

He was nervous and sweating profusely (something I won’t let him forget), but I found his courtesy refreshing—and when I recently saw him at the 2003 San Diego Comic-Con, he’d gotten that sweating thing under control! The Maze Agency was a special series for all three of us. During our chat, Mike, Adam, and I navigated a virtual maze of memories and, like good

The A-Maze-ing Adam Hughes

detectives, reconstructed the history of this wonderful

A rare Adam Hughes/Rick Magyar Maze Agency

project. —Michael Eury

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

MICHAEL EURY: Let’s start with a flashback: 1988, Mike W. Barr, popular author of Camelot 3000, Batman and the Outsiders, and Detective Comics. MIKE W. BARR: Well, I wasn’t the author. Because an “author” is someone like Frank Miller, who does the whole package, writing and art—I’m a writer. ME: You got it. “Writer.” Adam Hughes, you were a promising young artist at that time. This was your first regular series. ADAM HUGHES: Yep, I was wearing long pants and ready to shave. ME: (laughs) And yours truly, Michael Eury, a newly hired editor at a relatively small, but cutting-edge, comic-book publisher in the “metropolis” of Norristown, Pennsylvania. So, do we feel ancient yet? MWB: Yes, I have for some time. (laughs) It’s got nothing to do with this conversation, I assure you. ME: Mike, in case anyone reading this interview is unfamiliar with The Maze Agency, why don’t you define the series? MWB: Back in 1985, ’86, I’d wanted to do a creatorowned detective series. By “detective series,” I mean in the sense that it would have actual mysteries, actual whodunits, which would be solvable by the reader if the reader was sharp enough to pay attention to the clues.

Super-Sleuth Team-Up

Based, of course, on my love of the classic detective stories of Ellery Queen. Later, of course, I would pay homage to

Barr’s Ellery Queen

Queen by using Ellery Queen in Maze Agency #9.

homage, from

ME: And even though you were writing some super-hero

The Maze Agency #9.

whodunits to that degree.

Ellery Queen is a TM of Manfred Lee and Frederic Dannay.

MWB: Well, I did to some extent, about as much as I wanted to. But I felt that if you write Batman, you’re honor bound simply by the fact it’s Batman to have a certain amount of physical action in there. And I have no problem with that and I don’t regard that as any part of compromise, or a weakening of the material, if you’re

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Beginnings:

Ellery Queen’s M ystery Magazine , May, 1973 (prose Detective Comi ) cs #444

Milestones:

doing Batman. But I had the urge to do a series that might not necessarily have physical action in every issue, that would always concentrate, primarily, on the puzzle and the relationship of the characters. So I made some

(Elongated Man script)

Batman and the Outsiders / Came lot 3000 / Detective Comi cs / Batman: So n of the Demon Batman: Full Ci / rcle / The Maze Agency / Star Trek: Gemi ni (prose novel)

Work in Prog ress:

Sorcerer of Fortu ne (on

line fantasy strip)

a new Star Trek

notes and I contacted the best artist I was working with

(as yet unname d)

novel

Cyberspace:

at the time, which was Alan Davis, with whom I was working on Detective Comics. Alan was very interested

www.moderntal es.com (Sorcerer of Fortu ne, with Dario Carra sco)

in the idea and did some model sheets and drew the first story, which I used to sell the series, and which later

Caricature by Dario Carrasco .

appeared in an issue of the Innovation [a now-defunct comics publisher] run of the book. That was about 1986 to early ’87. ME: Barr and Davis, reunited. MWB: I had it lettered by Todd Klein, who also designed the logo and pasted up the cover, and pasted up the balloons in the story as well. And I had some ashcans printed up and sent those out to publishers, mostly

Beginnings:

smaller independent publishers, who I thought would

Eagle #6 (pinup)

Milestones:

get what I was trying to do. ME: Were publishers other than Comico interested in

Justice League America / Legion naires / Ghost / Gen 13: Ordinary Heroes / Tomb Ra ider covers / Star Trek: Debt of Honor / The M aze Agency / Wonder Woman covers

the series?

Work in Prog ress:

Rose & Thorn co vers

Cyberspace

www.gaijinstu : dios.com

Caricature by Adam Hughes.

The Right Choice Letterer Todd Klein’s three The Maze Agency logo samples. The Maze Agency is a ™ of Michael W. Barr.

D C

v s . .

M a r v e l

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

MWB: Yes. Well, they seemed to be interested. I had mentioned it to some editors before the story was actually in print. I mentioned it to Archie Goodwin, who was editing the [Marvel imprint] Epic Comics at the time, and Archie seemed very interested because he liked the work that Alan and I had done together. ME: Oh, Archie Goodwin should have been interested in mysteries since he was a character in a series of mystery novels. MWB: That’s right, he is, yes. [The narrator of the Nero Wolfe mystery novels by Rex Stout is named Archie Goodwin.] Archie said, when he sold his first story to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, he had to send a copy of his birth certificate. (laughs) They didn’t believe that was his real name and not a pseudonym. ME: But the series eventually landed at Comico, but not with Alan Davis or with Archie Goodwin. What happened to Alan and to the other publishers you sent The Maze Agency to? MWB: Well, when Archie saw Maze, he immediately passed on it. This was his right, of course, but it was very confusing to me as every time I had seen Archie for weeks before, he had told me how much he wanted to see the ashcan, and how I shouldn’t talk to any other publishers without talking to him. I told him there may not be any physical action in the strip whatsoever, but he said that was fine. So I don’t know what happened. Maybe it was just as well, as the Epic Comics, with some exceptions, were kinda the ancestors of Image Comics—lots of pretty pictures, but not much to stick to your brain. As to Alan’s involvement, as soon as Epic passed, so did Alan. Alan has always been very security-minded—

True Detective Comics

which I understood completely—and he didn’t want to

Alan Davis illustrated this rarely seen

take a chance on any of the independents.

1 0

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

As it turned out, Comico was the only publisher who made us a serious offer. I realized, later, that I had read most of the independents wrong. I had thought Maze

ME: Who was your

would appeal to the publishers who didn’t like super-

primary contact at

heroes, but what I didn’t realize was that the publishers

Comico before I came

and readers who don’t like super-heroes don’t like any

along? Did you just send

series characters, except for reprints of newspaper strips

samples over the transom,

by guys who are long dead. They’re largely more inter-

or did you actually go

ested in the “real world” stuff—you know, “my job sucks,

meet with somebody?

my life sucks, come look at the boils on my ass.”

AH: I went to a convention

So Comico was the place to go, which was okay

in Philadelphia with my

with me. My lawyer and I worked out a swell deal and

samples. But I was more

we were all looking forward to it.

interested in finishing off

ME: Adam, before you came on board The Maze

my collection of Love and

Girl, Gun, and Goo

Agency, did you have any interest in mysteries as a

Rockets and Nexus. My

This is about as rare a Hughes piece

reader, or as a viewer?

girlfriend grabbed my

as you can find: a promo for Adam’s

AH: No.

photocopies and took

1988 one-shot, Death Hawk.

them to Diana Schutz.

Courtesy of Adam Hughes.

ME: So this was uncharted territory for you. Adapting to this material must have been a challenge. AH: Well, for all the little giblets reading this interview who don’t remember the 1980s, there was a big boom going on. Anybody with two thousand dollars could publish a black-and-white comic book, so any slob with a pencil could get a job. (laughs) So I, fortunately, was able to elbow my way in, in that respect. And the fact that Comico was just across the river—I was from New Jersey at the time—it was pretty easy to get your work noticed back in those days. But at the time I was like all great American teenagers. I was quite brain dead and all I cared about was super-heroes, and I wasn’t aware that there was a larger literary universe to explore in comics. I had no idea there had once been western comics, or romance comics, or horror comics. All I wanted to do was draw people in their underwear.

Diana gave my girlfriend

her card and said, “Have Adam call us.” And I sort of backed my way into it. ME: Mike, having worked for a very large company like DC, what kind of transition did you go through when you signed an agreement with a smaller company like Comico? MWB: Well, the cons were that a company like Comico didn’t necessarily have all the perks that a company like DC did. By which I mean reimbursement for phone calls, things like that. ME: Well, I also remember another thing. When I first met you, I think it was San Diego, 1988. MWB: Yes, it was, face to face. ME: Exactly. I took you out to lunch. You were used to being wined and dined at nice restaurants in New York where people would ask you if you’d like to see the

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

1 1

1 2

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

wine list or the dessert list. But I took you to Wendy’s, where you were asked instead, “Do you want fries with that?” (laughs) MWB: Yep. ME: We definitely ran on a much lower budget. MWB: Right, right. But because we were dealing with The Maze Agency, a meal at Wendy’s meant more to me than a lot of the bigger, so-called better meals I’ve had discussing work-for-hire projects, where I was always a replaceable peg, albeit a highly paid one, a fact which I was never allowed to forget. ME: Well, you were able to chart the course of the series.

Pre-Launch Promotion

MWB: And that was the most important thing. I was in

Editor Michael Eury and artist Adam Hughes promote

charge. My recollection in dealing, as you say, with a

The Maze Agency #1 at the 1988 Chicago Comic Con.

smaller company was that the actual page rate was pretty much comparable. I don’t know if Comico was matching my DC rate, but it was very close to. There was not that

and was sort of a blank slate that somebody could write

much disparity that I was not going to do the series

large upon. (laughs)

because of it.

ME: So you learned a lot from Maze.

ME: Adam, let’s discuss your level of confidence in your abilities at that point. Being a newcomer, how did you feel once you got into the nuts and bolts of drawing pages? AH: You mentioned confidence, and there was none of that at that point. As far as I was concerned, there was just ignorance. (laughs) I mean, I didn’t know any better, so I kind of just went through the process. [With mysteries,] you’re required to have a more deft hand than if you’re doing standard super-hero histrionics. Mike helped shepherd me through some of this. The storytelling is very, very, very important in a mystery story because you don’t want to lay too much emphasis on a red herring, and you don’t want to accidentally give away the conclusion too early. And Mike was, and is, the expert there. I was the new guy who didn’t know what to emphasize. I didn’t know how much I was supposed to draw attention to the bloody fingerprint on the door-

AH: It certainly helped me. For all of us swabbies coming out of the black-and-white comics, to work on a color comic was like the Holy Grail, and this was big for me because it was my first color work. But at the time, I was, like, “Aw, man. I want to do super-heroes.” I did samples for The Maze Agency and Justice Machine [Mike Gustovich’s super-team book, published at the time by Comico], and thought, “Oh, boy, super-heroes! Give me tights, give me underwear, give me capes.” But looking back on it, I’m really, really glad I got The Maze Agency instead because it forced me to draw something I normally wouldn’t have drawn, and that’s sort of one of those things where I’m, like, “I don’t want to do this at camp, Mom.” ME: I also remember the first couple of issues when you were going through growing pains, Adam. There were a lot of erasures on the page.

knob, and so I really had to have my hand held early on,

AH: Oh, yeahhh.

and to be told, “Okay, you need to watch this and to do

ME: (laughs) I even joked that I could hold a page up

that.” This was all very good for me in the long run,

to the light and see my hand through the page, you had

because I went into this with no preconceived notions

been erasing so much.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

1 3

1 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

AH: (laughs) I did that a lot. ME: Mike, your scripts were the most detail-specific that I’ve ever encountered. A lot of people comment on how Alan Moore’s scripting, for example, contains a wealth of information, and that may be true, but some of that is stream of consciousness. Yours were extremely

MWB: Well, I’m not putting down the Marvel style here,

concise scripts, important when laying out the specifics

by any means, but it’s not like a Marvel-style plot where

of a mystery.

you can say, “Now there’s an exciting two-page fight

MWB: Yes. Every Maze story has been written full-script, which I think is the only way to do straight detective stories in comics. ME: Were there some scripts that were more challenging to you? MWB: Well, there were some stories that were more difficult than others to write and describe the setup and the clues, and there were certainly some that were not. Some of the Maze stories, frankly, are not fair-play whodunits to the reader, in that the story is possibly too complex for the reader to solve. The two guys who created Ellery Queen—Manfred B. Lee and Frederic Dannay— were giving an interview once and Dannay said very confidently, “Ellery Queen is always fair to the reader.” And Lee amended that to, “Ellery Queen is always fair to the reader if the reader is a genius.” So it may be the fact that I think The Maze Agency is probably in that same category in that all of the stories are not of equal complexity. But I had always wanted to do the book full script because I thought that’s the level of control, for lack of a better word—or detail, let’s put it that way—that would be needed. The artist would

scene and we’ll pick up with the character work after this is over.” There was action in [Maze Agency] sometimes, which did not necessarily have to be as detailed as the handling and placement of clues, but I still thought that it was to Adam’s best that the book be written full-script. ME: Adam, did you ever lament the fact that there wasn’t much physical action in the series? AH: Yeah, but that’s just because I wanted, at one point, Gabe to, like, pick up a garbage truck and throw it at Lex Luthor. (laughs) It took me a little while to understand. It’s very difficult to force somebody to have broader horizons. They have to discover them for themselves. [As a result,] to this day, I enjoy character stuff more than action. On the rare occasions someone’s handed me a typewriter and let me write a story, they always yell at me, “Hey, you have to put them in their costumes and turn their powers on at some point.” I’m too busy writing. (laughs) So, with the character stuff, I found I enjoyed that more than the moment when Professor Plum pulled out the wrench, Gabe would shriek, and Jennifer would go into action. (laughs) I really enjoyed the character interplay more.

need all of that detail to decide how best to lay out

ME: Well, you definitely got that from the scripts.

the panels.

AH: Oh, definitely. It’s been a while since I’ve read these

ME: It also helped me, as an editor. It was not the easiest

scripts, but my recollection is that Mike didn’t favor, say,

book to edit, and please don’t misconstrue that. I had to

the minutiae of the mystery to the detriment of the

work hard, and I’m glad that I did. It definitely honed

character stuff. Every aspect got the same level of atten-

my skills.

tion and care. Jennifer and Gabe were as well defined to me as any aspect of the mystery. So I wasn’t missing anything when it came to punches, or kung fu, or gunplay. I had a lot of meat to work with.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

1 5

Get Me Young Hughes! Adam Hughes’ sample page for The Maze Agency, drawn without a script. Courtesy of Mike W. Barr.

MWB: One of the things we should mention is that before Adam was selected as the penciler for the series, there was another artist named Hannibal King. ME: Why didn’t he work out? MWB: For some reason, he did an excellent set of sample pages, but the actual pages he drew in the first issue were just too stylized. To my mind, the proportions of the characters, and the anatomy, were not as good as in the sample pages. So I remember having a long discussion with Diana and I basically said, “Well, look, Diana. We can’t use this.” And Diana said they could be fixed with the proper inker, but that for a new series you shouldn’t have to have the pencils “fixed,” bless her heart. So we paid Hannibal off and then started looking for another artist. That delayed the launch of the series for several months, but that was okay with everyone, we wanted to do it right. And one day, Diana called and said, “Look, I found this guy and I’m going to send you some work of his to see what you think.” And it turned out to be Adam. ME: How was inker Rick Magyar chosen? MWB: Rick and I have been friends for thirty years now, since about 1973. So I had shown Rick either the ashcan, or possibly the pencils to Adam’s first issue and he said, “I want to be involved in this.” ME: Adam, what was your first reaction when you saw your pencils inked by Rick Magyar? AH: A little surprised. It was my first time, I think, being inked by a professional inker with some serious trigger time. Rick had a very different inking style than what I was shooting for with my stuff. It took me a little while to divorce myself from the notion that the inker’s just going to finish it the way I want it to look and that he’s not going to bring something to the table. And once I sort of got to that point, then it got really good because

1 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

then I started to feel safer about Rick’s inking technique, like dry brush techniques, and other things that he would do to get textures. So it took a little while to get used to it. You know, when you’re just starting out, you think that every page is going to be your last. And if any of them is not what you think it’s going to be, then it’s going to be the death knell of your career. So it took a little while for me to realize that when a penciler and an inker work together, they’re creating a third beast; sometimes they create a good beast, and sometimes they create something awful. ME: Mike, your very first professional sale involved a guy/girl detective team, Gardner and Karen. Were they a template for the Maze Agency characters, Jennifer Maze and Gabriel Webb? MWB: In a way. Male and female teams are something I’ve always had an interest in. I’m currently writing a weekly comic strip for the Internet site, moderntales.com. It’s called Sorcerer of Fortune, which is sword and sorcery— we have a male and female team, the wizard Rex Icarus, and the swordswoman Thorn. And the concept of a malefemale team is something I have always liked. And also, fortunately, it has also been reflected in the mystery series as well, not only in print with The Thin Man and Mr. and Mrs. North, but also in film versions like McMillan and Wife, and that type of thing.

A Comic to Die For

I had published two stories about a male-female

The cover to the extremely rare

detective team but, rather than reviving them for what

Maze Agency 1988 San Diego

became Maze, I decided to use them as the template.

Comic-Con promo comic.

The original couple, whose names were Karen Ashwin

and Gardner Frost—after Gardner Fox, natch—was a female private eye and her boyfriend, who also worked for her agency. I decided to reuse the female private eye for Maze, but to make Gabe a true-crime

A Flair for Females (bottom left)

writer and amateur sleuth, which I felt I could get

Adam Hughes’ early sketches

more mileage out of.

of Jennifer Mays, courtesy of Steven Ng.

ME: The setting of your first mystery story had a comics connection other than the homage to Gardner Fox, did it not?

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

1 7

Killer Collectible Read along with this

MWB: Well, it was to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

mini-mystery from the

And the reason I sold the story, I’m sure, was that it was

Maze San Diego giveaway.

set at a comic-book convention. This was the tag that the

Can you solve the murder?

editor, Frederic Dannay, one of the aforementioned

creators of Ellery Queen, was intrigued by, because they had never used that setting before. There had been a detective story earlier in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine that was on old comic books. And at that time, an issue of Fly-Man, from Archie Comics, had a story set at a comicbook convention. But there had never been a story in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine that took place at a comic-book convention. ME: And with the special Maze giveaway comic we produced for the San Diego Con of 1988, we revisited that concept. MWB: Yes. ME: Adam, it’s time to bring up the “B” word: “babes.” The Maze Agency’s Jennifer Maze and Lt. Bliss gave readers a glimpse of your ability to draw women, which is something you’ve become very famous for over the years. Had you been drawing women a lot prior to that, or was this where you started to think, “Hey, this is fun”? AH: I think I started drawing women after the third chest hair came in. (laughs) Yeah, I’d been doing it for a little while. You know, you draw what you like. Bernie Wrightson draws monsters. (laughs) And you just draw what interests you. I’m kind of glad that Mike gave me a couple of saucy chicks to fill the hours with when I wasn’t drawing police tape and chalk. ME: So it was probably better that you were drawing The Maze Agency and not Murder, She Wrote: The Comic. (laughs) AH: Yeah. MWB: I would feel for any 19-year-old kid who starts off his career having to draw Angela Lansbury. (laughs) ME: In reexamining these comics, one impressive thing about Maze is that Mike’s scripts fleshed out unique

1 8

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

and wholly different characters. Adam, you fully brought those people to life, and there are no two people in any of these stories that look alike. Many comics artists use stock body types: the fat guy, the tall guy, and the muscular guy. But each of your characters is very original. AH: You said that like it’s a compliment. I can’t draw the same characters the same way twice. (laughs) MWB: Well, when Diana Schutz sent me the sample page, which Adam did totally on his own without working from a script of mine, one of the things I liked about it was that the characters had a sort of a sense of humor about them; I don’t mean they were caricatures, that there was self-mockery involved, but rather that Adam drew them as just, at first, kind of laughing and talking. This showed me that this was a guy who could have some fun with the characters because there would be a fair amount of humor in the book. I remember when the pencils to the first issue came in. There’s a panel, somewhere halfway through the issue, where Jennifer and Gabe are having some kind of a discussion with Lt. Bliss, the police contact. And Lt. Bliss, of course, is all upset and angry about all these amateurs messing up her case. And the panel direction called for Jennifer to be saying something to Lt. Bliss and looking innocent. And I just had no idea how he was

San Diego Bound (and Stabbed and Shot)

going to do that. I just said she looked innocent, and

Another Maze Agency Comic-Con promo,

there you go. Well, the pages came in, Adam had drawn

with Hughes’ rough in the inset.

Jennifer kind of with her head tilted slightly forward,

which is what you do when you look innocent. And I realized, okay, I think we’re on to something here.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

1 9

2 0

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

ME: Adam, your Maze Agency covers revealed your strong sense of design. AH: I wanted to be more of a pinup artist. Because of drawing so slow, I didn’t think I’d ever make it as a sequential guy. So any of the covers where I got to do something more pinup oriented than story oriented, I had more fun on. There’s one cover with Jennifer standing with a smoking gun in front of the C.I.A. symbol. ME: That’s a great one. MWB: Oh, yeah. AH: I enjoyed doing that one. And any time where I got to do the character in all her glamorous glory. I really, really enjoyed it. ME: While it’s obvious that you enjoyed the pinups, your storytelling is very solid. Today, you’re mostly known as a cover or pinup artist. But you and I also worked together on Ghost, at Dark Horse, where I got another opportunity to see what a good storyteller you are. MWB: Oh, yeah. I think Adam’s storytelling is actually an underrated aspect of his work. ME: I agree. Adam, why don’t we see more of your sequential art? AH: It’s hard. (laughs) Storytelling is a lot of work, and to be a good storyteller is a lot of work because you have to pay attention to it. I think anybody with enough time under their belt can hack out a story. I think anybody can

“Storytelling is a lot of work”—

tell a safe story, or tell a story safely. You know, six panels,

—says Adam Hughes, but he does it very well.

one head shot per page, that kind of thing. But to do it

From The Maze Agency #1. Script by Barr,

with any sort of style or creativity requires you to be on

pencils by Hughes, and inks by Magyar.

the ball all day long, and it’s hard work. Whatever niche

I occupy in comics right now, it’s the goldfish filling the bowl that it’s in. I can’t do good storytelling and do it in a timely fashion, which is why nobody offers me stories any more. Any artist who does put out regular comics with interior stuff is a better man than me, Gunga Din.

cover—the outside back cover—as sort of an ad for

MWB: One interesting thing about the covers is that

next issue. And I remember suggesting to Adam that

early on, Adam had said to me that he wanted to do

he ink those, and that way, he could sort of tone up

his own inking someday. Since we had no ads on the

his inking muscles each month as well, and Adam

back covers, I suggested that we used the back

thought that was a pretty good idea.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

2 1

AH: That was great. That was actually one of the things that really helped me out. It was right around the time Dave Stevens looked at my samples and said, “You’ve got to start inking with a brush, kid.” (laughs) So I had an opportunity to take the folksy wisdom of a master and implement it by inking someplace. You know, one of the most important things for a comic-book artist is seeing your stuff in print. You have to know how your stuff is going to reproduce. Usually, a penciler and inker don’t jell until they’ve seen their stuff in print. You can look at photocopies, you can compare the work, but it’s when it’s on the stands that the penciler can go, “Ah, this is what I need to be doing.” Or the inker can look at it and go, “I see what kind of lines I need to put down on this guy to make it come through.” ME: By observation. AH: Yeah, which didn’t really help us on The Maze Agency because, if I remember correctly, of Diana’s infamous “we must have nine issues in the drawer” sort of thing. Was that in place at the time? Did we have, like, a million issues done before the first one came out? MWB: We had a lot of them. AH: I seem to remember I was working on issue seven or eight before the first issue came out, which meant

Hughes Inking Hughes Adam Hughes practiced inking his own pencils on the back (next-issue promo) covers to Comico’s Maze Agency, like this one, from issue #1.

that Mike was even further ahead. MWB: Yeah. AH: But, yeah, especially since I’ve got my own nice little job as a cover artist right now, the opportunity to ink something was very, very, very good and I appreciate it. Thank you! MWB: You’re welcome.

ME: I assume you both recall what I will call “Comico’s Black Friday” [see this issue’s Comico History for more details], the day I gave you both a call to tell you that the book was being put “on hiatus.” AH: (voice drops) Yeah. MWB: Did I talk to you that day? Because I thought Diana called.

2 2

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

ME: You’re right. I called Adam, and Diana called you, Mike. And then you and I spoke shortly thereafter. MWB: Yeah, I think that’s how it worked. ME: And yours wasn’t the only book tabled by Comico that day. I can’t imagine how you felt. We were hoping that the company would turn around soon, but I kind of knew, in the back of my mind, that might be it for Comico. That was a tough one. MWB: Yeah, it was. Was that before the first issue had even been published? ME: I don’t think so. No, we had a few out. AH: We had a few issues on the stands, Mike. MWB: We did? Okay. Because I was working on, I think, issue eleven when I got the call from you. ME: And I also remember, Adam, we were initially trying to keep it quiet, of course, so everybody could hear it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. But, well, you know how the rumor mill is in the comics industry, and it didn’t really take you long to get another assignment, did it? AH: An hour and a half. ME: (laughs) AH: This was before the Internet. I remember that you said, “Give it a day or two. We don’t want people finding out their books are on hiatus until they hear it from Comico.” And I was, like, (sadly) “Okay.” So I hung up the phone with you, looked at my studio, and went, “Okay, well . . . whew! What do I work on now?” And I just kind of, like, played with a paddleball for a little while, and got a call from DC, saying, “Hey, I heard that The Maze Agency is on hiatus.” MWB: Well, it wasn’t that big a job of networking because if you remember, Comico had already, by that time, gone into some kind of an alliance with DC. ME: A distribution deal.

Hughes Takes a Dip in Super-Hero Waters

MWB: Yeah. Don’t you remember, someone from the

Adam Hughes took a month off from The Maze Agency

fan press called me up and asked me how I felt about

to pencil Comico’s Elementals #12. He penciled and inked

DC distributing Comico, and I got fifteen minutes of

the wraparound cover, and Bill Anderson inked the interior

fame by saying, “I feel like the Prisoner. I spend all this

pages. Script by Bill Willingham.

time escaping the Village and I open my eyes and here

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

2 3

AH: Wow! MWB: I’m sorry? AH: No, I was just wowing. I didn’t know that. Wow. MWB: I just found my notes, and what actually happened was this: “Black Friday” was actually Monday, February 27, 1989. At about 12:15 P.M., I got the call from Diana, telling me of Comico’s financial difficulties, and saying many artists were being told to stop work on all titles, as the titles were being put “on hiatus.” Maze’s “hiatus” began after the publication of #7, which was to go on sale in June. Diana said I could leave the book with Comico for possible resumption of publishing after a minimum six-month interval—and contract renegotiation—or I could contact other publishers. I opted for the latter, but was later told by Phil LaSorda, one of Comico’s founders, that Comico had not cancelled Maze, and they

Hopping to DC Hughes was quickly recruited to one of DC’s top books when The Maze Agency

were still considering publishing it. Comico was also holding onto the unpublished artwork, still owed me $1430, and owed the rest of the creative team, too.

went on hiatus.

artwork was released and I was “allowed” to take Maze to Innovation. The Comico brass got harder and harder I am, back in the Village.” (laughs) The whole distribution deal has always been a sore point to me because not long after I got the call from

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

$1430, let alone whether everyone else was paid. I was just glad to get out. Natch, this ate up the good will

Diana, I spoke to David Campiti of Innovation. I mean,

between me and Comico, though I remained friends

this was like minutes later. And David said, “I love the

with Diana, who had nothing to do with Comico’s

book, would love to do it here.” And I said, “Well, that

legal maneuvering.

sounds pretty good, depending. Let me talk to Adam.”

During all this I talked to DC about possibly taking

So I called Adam, and you said, “DC told me, ‘Look, The

on The Maze Agency before I took it to Innovation, you

Maze Agency is dead. Come over here instead.’” So when

know, trying to convince DC to use their power for good

I say “a sore subject,” I didn’t mean with Adam, but

(laughs), and DC really had no interest in doing Maze,

with DC.

despite the fact that the first issue had done pretty well

DC sort of swooped down and said, “Look, your

2 4

to find, so I’m still not sure whether I was ever paid the

and the series had been nominated for the Eisner and

future’s over here because that other thing was dead,”

Harvey Awards. DC’s attitude was, “We’ve got the

even though it wasn’t. Obviously, DC saw the distribu-

artist, we don’t need the book.”

tion deal as a chance for them to do away with more

ME: That’s interesting, too, because one thing I will say

competition and raid some nests.

to DC’s credit is that they’ve often taken chances with

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

genres and types of material. Even your own Camelot 3000 is a good case in point. MWB: That wasn’t taking so big a chance, when you’ve got Brian Bolland drawing guys and babes in armor killing aliens, and rocket ships; although I will concede that for that day, it was somewhat different than the kind of thing that they had been doing. And they rejected Camelot 3000 twice before they finally bought it. ME: What about crime comics today? There has been an explosion of them, and many are fueled by forensics. There are a lot of crime-detection programs on TV. What would it take to bring The Maze Agency characters and premise into the 2000s? MWB: Well, I don’t think it would take anything at all, actually. Despite the fact that the characters were in the ’80s, and that this is appearing in the “Totally ’80s” issue of Back Issue, I don’t think that the series is at all dated, or in any way stuck in the ’80s. I could easily return to the characters and the setup tomorrow. They weren’t tied to a certain era, either the relationship or the type of stories that they were involved in. ME: Agreed. MWB: But Maze is very different from TV shows like C.S.I. or Crossing Jordan. To quote Laurence Olivier from Sleuth, “that’s detective fact, not detective fiction.” There’s no poetry, no imagination in those series. And in great detective fiction, whether from Queen, Doyle, Poe, or anyone else, there’s both poetry and imagination. I recall The Maze Agency, both at Comico, and even later when it went to Innovation, as some of the most fun that I’ve had in comics in that I was the creator, and could call the shots; [there was] no staff editor more worried about office politics than doing a good book. And I was, to some extent later on, the de facto editor

of the book. I was fortunate to work for editors and/or publishers that were willing to take a chance on some-

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

2 5

2 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

thing that was a little bit different. The two people who

are fans of that book who, to this day, still come up to me

were probably most responsible for the success of The

and speak highly of it.

Maze Agency—not the success, but the fact that it lasted

MWB: I remember the first time Adam and I spoke. Adam

as long as it did—are probably you, Mike, and David

called me “Mister Barr.” (laughs) I didn’t tell him not

Campiti, the publisher of Innovation.

to because I kind of liked it. (laughs)

ME: Oh, how nice. Thank you.

AH: I think that was the same conversation where Mike

MWB: And one of the things that also needs to

told me, “Hey, kid. Sex sells.”

be said here is that The Maze Agency, of course,

ME: Well, you obviously took that to heart, didn’t you?

was more or less contemporary with the title Ms.

(laughs) Mike, now that you have a Star Trek novel under

Tree by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty. And

your belt, have you considered a prose novel with Jen

so, to some extent, although we were sort of

and Gabe?

mining a different vein than Ms. Tree was, there

MWB: I’ve thought about that, actually. Years ago, I

were some certain similarities between the titles.

wrote a novel on speculation about the characters, which

But we were certainly working two different

was actually their first meeting. But I was not able to sell

sides of the same street.

it. Nowadays, I have the Star Trek novel, [and] I’m work-

ME: Your mindset with The Maze Agency was

ing on some more-or-less fantasy-oriented projects. And

puzzle-oriented, with crime and clue detection,

that’s because there’s nothing really going on with the

whereas Ms. Tree emerged from the Mickey Spillane,

mystery novel [genre] right now that I’m intrigued with.

hardboiled, punch-’em-in-the-mouth-and-take-’em-

The move is very far away from the crackle of intellectual

down type of mystery.

stimulation, and even I am not that egotistical to think

MWB: Yeah, but there is some overlap there, and I was

I can change that tide all by myself.

always able to read Ms. Tree with a great deal of pleasure,

So while it certainly would be fun to do The Maze

and I think Al Collins was also able to read The Maze

Agency in prose someday, I’ve also made some overtures

Agency with a great deal of pleasure. So we always had

about bringing it back as a comic book, but that’s not

a good time with each other’s work.

working out right now.

ME: Adam, anything you want to share?

ME: Hopefully, it will find a home.

AH: I think you and I were in similar situations. We were

MWB: Thank you. And it should also be mentioned that

both very much freshmen in our respective professions.

there was a three-issue run of The Maze Agency from

ME: True.

Caliber a few years ago. But that came to a halt, more or

AH: Mike Barr was the guy who had worn out a lot of

less, when Caliber did. They were penciled by an artist

shoe leather going around the block a couple of times.

named Gene Gonzales, who is very talented.

(laughs) He sort of knew what the deal was. But for me,

ME: Thanks to both of you for the time today. Anything

it was certainly an educational period. When you’re sort

you want to say in closing?

of working your way up towards your career, you’re

MWB: Well, to me, The Maze Agency is not, by any

hoping that you make the right decisions. And I’m really

means, totally in the past because I still think about

glad that The Maze Agency turned out to be one of those

the characters and maybe what they’re doing at this

right decisions. Several people come up to me at con-

moment. Yeah, I don’t know if I’ll ever have a chance

ventions and go, “Hey, could you sign this for me? By

to revive it, but it’s kind of nice to think that they’re

the way, I still like your Maze stuff the best.” (laughs)

still out there somewhere in some parallel world.

And I want to poke them in the eye with a pencil. (laughs)

They’re still out there, solving the crimes and making

If you’re young, you don’t like your earlier work. But there

the romance.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

The Hughes Touch Adam Hughes stretched his legs with drawing beautiful women in The Maze Agency. This rarity was produced in 1989 as a promotion for Los Angeles’ Golden Apple comics shop. © 2004 Michael W. Barr.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

• 2 7

Wagner and Schutz:

Creator Relations ichael Eury

ed by M and transcrib An interview 15, 2003, September on . d is te rr o uc .M cond by Brian K

interview 2 8

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Diana Schutz opened my eyes. When she hired me in January 1988 to edit at Comico the Comic Company, my myopic view of comics was limited to the mainstream, mostly super-heroes and humor. Through Diana I quickly got a crash course in how some extremely talented artists were (and still are!) reinventing the medium and exploring its full artistic and storytelling potential. One of those artists was Matt Wagner, whose Grendel was in its sophomore year at the time. Being a good little

Beginnings:

arance) st Grendel appe

#2 (fir Comico Primer

Milestones:

el / Batman: / Batman/Grend Grendel / Mage r / Trinity / te ea n Mystery Th Faces / Sandma vers Green Arrow co

ress: Work in Prog other big-ass project for DC) d (an To be announce

Cyberspace:

ner www.mattwag m comics.co

Catholic boy from small-town North Carolina, I was at first taken aback by Matt’s sharp assessment of Catholicism and religion (in the “God and the Devil” arc), but quickly grew to appreciate his voice and his unique approach to comics. Matt Wagner and Diana Schutz are related by marriage (Di’s sister Barb is Matt’s wife), and have worked together since 1985. They share a personal and creative symbiosis: They often finish each other’s sentences, as you’re about to read, and as a writer-artist/editor team have produced some of the most important works in comics in the past twenty years. —Michael Eury

Beginnings:

Robotech, The M across Saga #3 (first co mic-book editin g credit)

Milestones:

MICHAEL EURY: Matt Wagner, Diana Schutz, thank you for being here. So, we’ve just celebrated Grendel’s twentieth anniversary. MATT WAGNER: Yep, of Grendel.

Grendel / Usagi Yojimbo / Amer ican Splendor / some of the Sin City series/trade s and The Art of Sin City / 300 / W ill Eisner’s Last Day in Vietnam proofreading Ce / rebus text piece s for seven year Grendel: Devil Ch s! / ild (writing)

Works in Progress:

ME: That was in ’83, the first published issue.

The Will Eisner Sketchbook / M other, Come Home grap hic novel by Paul Hornschemeier / Neil Gaiman and Mic hael Zulli’s Creature s of the Night

MW: Was it? DIANA SCHUTZ: No, ’82. MW: Yeah, ’82. ME: What has changed with your take on the character in twenty-something years?

Cyberspace:

MW: Oh, nearly everything, nearly everything. When it was initially created, I never pictured it beyond the initial

www.darkhors e.com

incarnation of Hunter Rose. It was a character created in college, so it was kind of a dark reflection of my own early-twenties mindset. And I eventually followed it, and

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

• 2 9

let it follow me into a much wider worldview, and eventually even opened it up to other people’s worldviews. So I’d say nearly everything has changed. Surprisingly enough, though, now that it’s been this long, the latest projects have been going back to Hunter Rose. So it all comes full circle in the end. DS: And yet, despite the change of “world” here, it’s remained something that comes very much from the dark side of you. MW: Oh, yeah. (laughs) DS: And so how is it that [you can still write Grendel] twenty years later, not being the cynical early-twenties college student, but now being a father, husband, homeowner? MW: I still maintain a healthy cynicism about the world.

Grendel: Year One

I think you need to. And to quote my beloved Elvis

An early pinup by Wagner.

Costello, from an interview I read once, they asked him

Courtesy of the artist.

now he was mature, and such. He said, “You’ve always

3 0

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

got to be angry about something, don’t you? Otherwise,

said to me not too long ago that you were finding it

what’s wrong with you?” (laughs)

more and more difficult to tap into—

DS: Are you always angry about something?

MW: To Hunter Rose. Not so much Grendel, but Hunter

MW: Hell, yeah. What do you mean? Sure.

Rose, because Hunter Rose has a certain youthful aspect

DS: So you haven’t mellowed?

that I’m not identifying with as much any more.

MW: Well, I’ve mellowed. I’ve learned how to balance.

DS: Mm.

I mean, for all the Grendel, I have Mage, and that’s always

MW: Going back to Hunter Rose—both the Black,

been my balance. I’m a Libra—surprise, surprise (laughs)

White, and Red and the Red, White, and Black series

—so balance has always been something that I handle

have been fairly fun because he’s such a force of

pretty well. I never sunk far enough into Grendel to

nature. But at the same time, a kind of youthful disdain

become eternally grumpy. I’ve always had fans meet me

that he still exhibits just comes harder for me at this

and say, “Boy, I pictured you’d be like J. O’Barr. You’re

point. I’m more Orion Assante now (laughs). It’s as

so happy. How do you get all this?” (laughs)

Will Eisner said, he started off as the Spirit and eventu-

ME: You are quite jovial.

ally became Dolan. (laughs) DS: All right, and so for

MW: Yeah, I am. But it doesn’t mean I don’t get angry

everyone who continues to ask this question twenty-

too. I’m suspect of people that are happy all the time.

one years later, are you ever going to reprint those

I’m suspect of people who are angry all the time. I tend

early black-and-white Grendels? Please say no!

to sway very easily between the two, often in the same

MW: Yeah, I really see no reason to. It’s an unfinished

hour, or minute. (laughs)

story. I later revamped that story and finished it in

DS: And in part, though, I was asking because you had

Devil by the Deed. I’m too dedicated an artist to just

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

• 3 1

republish my unfinished work just for the sake of a quick buck. Maybe when I’m 60 and there’s a necessity to catalogue all my work in such a manner. But I get this bad rep that I’m ashamed of that stuff and that’s why I don’t republish it, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I know if that was the case, I’d never republish the early Mages, and sure, I’ve done that over and over again. But again, the first Mages came to fruition. That was a complete story. Not so with those early Grendels. So I just don’t feel a need to. Again, maybe later. In the

Argent Character Studies

meantime, let them remain the collector’s items they are.

Matt Wagner sketched these

You know, if you’re such a Grendel completist that you

rarely seen drawings of

must have my early, unfinished work, well, that’s the path

Grendel–foe Argent in 1983.

that you chose for yourself. (laughs) ME: Let’s talk about Comico. Matt, you were one of

the founders. MW: Well, that’s not quite true. I wasn’t really one of the founders. I was around when it was being founded. ME: The difference being. . . ? MW: I was part of the energy. DS: You went to college with those guys. MW: Yeah. I met the guys that ultimately become Comico. Bill Cucinotta, who was part of the initial triumvirate of he, Gerry Giovinco, and Phil LaSorda. I met them by chance on an elevator one day. And Bill had a Creation Conventions T-shirt on. DS: Oh, really? MW: Yes. (laughs) DS: Oh, God. This whole business is so small and so incestuous. The reference there, by the way, is that Bob Schreck, my ex-husband, who was also at Comico, worked at Creation Conventions for years and years, ultimately going to Marvel and then to Comico, and then to Dark Horse, and now at DC Comics, where he’s editing Matt Wagner (laughs) on Trinity. MW: Holy camoli! (laughs) ME: (sings) It’s a small world after all. MW: So, I met [Bill Cucinotta] on an elevator with another fellow, and started up a conversation since he had this T-shirt on. We had a common interest in comics. They were publishing an in-school magazine

3 2

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

called Duck Works, which was all duck cartoons, he and Gerry Giovinco, who was one of the other founders. Eventually, they had dropped out of school to start publishing and in a year, they offered a chance for me to work with them. And a year later, I dropped out of school as well to go do that. So I was never a partner. In fact, for a while, I was the office boy. (laughs) I did the copies, I carried mail, all that crap. DS: And they were based in Norristown [Pennsylvania, a community near Philadelphia] at that time? Because that was before Bob and I started there. MW: Yes, I think they were based out of Phil’s kitchen at one point. (laughs) His parents’ kitchen, probably. DS: But you were living in Philly. MW: Mm-hmm. I was still in school. I was still at the Philadelphia College of Art. Now, it’s the Philadelphia University of the Arts. It merged with the Performing Arts School years later. ME: In reviewing many of Comico’s books again, Diana, I was reminded that you and Bob Schreck were such a magnet for then-new talent. MW: She and Bob put that company on the map. DS: Well, I would disagree. I think Matt put the company on the map and then we helped expand the boundaries, maybe. ME: That’s fair, but the Who’s Who of creators who either started or had early works there is amazing. MW: And the people that started out on Grendel. ME: True. MW: When I finished the first Grendel series, they asked me to continue it. And it was kind of hard to because I’d just killed the main character! (laughs)

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

• 3 3

But I knew I didn’t want to just repeat myself—I’d just finished Devil by the Deed and Mage at that point, and I was feeling very cautious because I was getting a lot of strokes, and a lot of pats on the back, and a lot of people leading me to believe that I was doing everything exactly right. And that, too, made me suspect, because I think, for an artist, you can’t fall into that trap of feeling you’re doing everything exactly right. You always need to harbor a continual amount of dissatisfaction to drive yourself to different heights. ME: Is Diana a good barometer for you in that regard? MW: I don’t know. (to Diana) Are you? I’m a pretty good barometer myself, lately. DS: I think so. But Matt has never needed an editor in that particular capacity. MW: Creatively, I don’t need a— DS: He needs a schedule master, somebody to crack the whip, make sure the trains keep running on time, that kind of thing—somebody to nag him and fix his

Fabled Renditions In the 1980s, Bill Willingham, currently writing DC’s Robin and Eisner Award-winning Fables, drew this illo of Hunter Rose (background) and this Comico Christmas card, the latter of which

features Mage’s Kevin Matchstick and the Elementals’ Fathom.

spelling! MW: But even that, I don’t need somebody to nag me to work. I work all day. DS: Matt loves to work. And creatively, he’s in control, and pretty much alwayshas been in control, and doesn’t

need someone for that aspect of things. MW: I’ve always had the attitude that my work is my life force—we were joking [before the interview] that being part of an ‘80s issue dates me. I feel as vital now in the industry as I did back then. I’m never going to be one of the Todd McFarlanes of the world, but I’m never going to be an unknown, either. And part of my approach has always been that it needs to be interesting for me first. If it’s not interesting for me, it’s not going to be interesting for my readers. Part of my job is to take them someplace they might not have suspected. The only way I can do that is to take you someplace that I wouldn’t suspect. ME: Diana, let’s reconstruct the Comico timeline. When did you come on board?

Girl Grendel

DS: Sometime in early 1985, shortly after my famous

The first twelve issues of Grendel vol. 2 featured

four days at Marvel. [In 1985, Schutz worked for four

Christine Spahr giving in to her aggression.

days as X-Men editor Ann Nocenti’s assistant, but the

3 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

corporate atmosphere of the company and the New

the perspective of other

York lifestyle were not to her liking.]

young kids that I work with

MW: I met you just as we were getting ready to go on

now. But I was sure a bitch

the Mage Tour.

in those days, there’s no

DS: Bob [Schreck] had already started there, maybe in

question of that.

late ‘84. We moved to Pennsylvania in May of 1985. We

MW: And you’re not now?

used to commute from New York, go down for a day or

DS: I think I’m much less now.

two a week prior ‘til then, and we finally moved there.

MW: Okay.

We would drive down and spend a day or two there

DS: Don’t you?

and sleep overnight in that horrible house. (laughs) [See

MW: I guess. (laughs)

this issue’s Comico history for an explanation of the

DS: That wasn’t very

Comico house.] Then we’d drive back to New York. It

convincing. (laughs)

wasn’t so terrible—of course, Bob did most of the driving!

ME: Matt, in your earlier

MW: It couldn’t have been so bad when you were young

work, before Diana, was

and you were, like, forging your own independent venue?

there an editor?

DS: At that time, Bob and I were thirty, you were that

MW: Uh-uh. Nope. I guess

much younger, and we basically had a small company

Gerry Giovinco ostensibly

that we could help define and help grow. So there were

gave it a shot. The whole

a lot of long hours and hard work, and not very much

set-up in the early days of

Never Pander to Your Audience . . .

accounting, I’m sorry to say. (laughs) Michael, when did

Comico was that we all did

. . . unless you have the Pander Bros.

you start? When did I hire you?

our own books, the four

as illustrators. The original to Grendel

ME: I interviewed with you in December of ‘87 and I

books. Skrog, Az, Slaughterman,

vol. 2 #10, page 9 (1987).

started right after New Year’s, ‘88.

and Grendel. And they were all

DS: You came in wearing a purple jacket (laughs) and a

poorly executed. They were all

yellow tie, if I’m not mistaken.

the thinly disguised Ids of each

ME: That was the ‘80s, wasn’t it? I no longer have

of the creators, and you were

that jacket.

just kind of responsible for your

MW: Would you admit to it if you did?! (laughs)

own gig, you know? There was

DS: Despite the purple jacket and yellow tie, I remember

no editor, there was nobody

Keeping Track of Diana Schutz

the reason that I actually had you in for a job interview

correcting artwork, or anything.

“Completely mellow” Dydie on a

was because you knew that commas and periods go

2003 railway journey.

inside quotation marks. (laughs) That was in your

Photo by Frank Miller.

reference letter. ME: I’ve told you this before, but you scared the crap out of me early on. MW: (mocking) No! (laughs) DS: Oh, you know, I think I scared the crap out of a lot of people. MW: (mocking) No! (laughs) DS: Unlike Matt, I have gone completely mellow, I think. I don’t know, because it’s hard for me to see myself from

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

3 5

DS: This was before I got there, but you got out three

DS: And that’s where I came on board, as of Mage #6.

issues of Grendel. And if I’m not mistaken, none of the

MW: Right then, yeah.

others got out more than one issue of their own. You’re

DS: Which featured the very first Grendel back-up.

the only one who—

MW: I remember you coming to the studio and me

MW: I was the only one who got any response that was,

showing you those pages. And you were like, “Oh, my.

like, “I want to see more of this.” (laughs) I mean, they

This is so interesting.”

were all scared and that’s why when they made the

DS: Well, the first time that I met Matt—let’s tell this

decision to go to color, when they hired Bill Willingham

story because it’s so good and I really like it—the first

to do The Elementals for them—and as we know, gang-

time that I actually met Matt was over the telephone.

printing is cheaper so they needed a second book to print with The Elementals—I was the only one who had any sort of positive response from any readers, so de facto, I won the slot. And that’s how I developed Mage. Grendel had gotten some positive response, but not what I would call overwhelming. So I was content to let it go and let it kind of die on the vine. Thus, I got started on Mage and Mage started to take off, I got a lot of response from people saying, “Hey, I remember that you used to do Grendel. What the hell happened to that? I want to see the end of that story.”

MW: Oh! (laughs) DS: I was before I’d moved East, before I moved to New York to be with Bob. I was living in Berkeley, California, and I was working at Comics & Comix, and I was doing a lot of writing for the fan press, and Kim Thompson had contacted me. Every year, Fantagraphics’ then-magazine, Amazing Heroes, used to feature an annual preview of the year’s upcoming comics. And they would hire fan writers such as myself, Heidi McDonald, and others to interview people about their upcoming projects for the upcoming year. And Heidi had already

DS: So that’s why you resurrected Grendel in the back

gotten in there and snagged the Hernandez Brothers,

of Mage?

and I forget who else. And Kim said, “Well, who do you

MW: Yup. Yup.

want to talk to? Whose work would you like to preview?”

3 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

And I said, “I want to talk to Matt Wagner,” because at that point, I had read the black-and-white Grendels, I’d read Primer, I’d been reading Mage. MW: Was Mage out at that point? DS: Yes, and I was really impressed with its young, budding creator, never dreaming for a minute that I would later become his editor, let alone his sister-in-law! And so I called Matt, explained the situation, and we set up a time and a date for the telephone interview to talk about Matt’s upcoming projects. (Wagner laughs). Come the time and date, I called and I called, and I called, and I called, and he wasn’t there. I thought, “That son of a bitch just blew me off.” (laughs) MW: See, that’s why she wanted to tell the story, because I missed the deadline. (laughs) DS: We finally did connect later. “Oh, well, sorry. I went to see Metropolis, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, with the guys.” Just, you know, no phone call— MW: I did blow you off. (laughs) DS: Yeah, he totally blew me off! (laughs) MW: I had a good reason for forgetting things in those days, if I can be oblique. (clears throat, laughs) DS: You did. And so yeah, that was my first encounter with Matt Wagner. It was over the phone, and I thought, “Oh, my God. What a total space cadet.” (laughs) And then, within a year, I was his editor. MW: Fancy that. ME: Have you taken her to see Metropolis? MW: (laughs) No. I haven’t gotten to see it since. (laughs) In fact, later, we did a much more lengthy interview for The Telegraph Wire, which was a magazine that Comics & Comix published, an in-store magazine that she was the editor of. DS: It was my special “conflict of interest” issue. It’s the very last issue that I did for Comics & Comix, while I was

Lord, Help the Mister, Who Comes Between Me and My Sister

working at Comico. And yes, it featured a Matt Wagner

Diana was surprised by Wagner’s inclusion

cover and a big, long interview.

of the Schutz sisters as characters in Batman/Grendel.

you back then and has kept you working together for so long?

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

3 7

3 8

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

DS: To me, there’s something very fresh and forthright

MW: That’s my inherent arrogance. I was talking with

about the way Matt attacks the page, I would say. I guess

a friend of mine recently. I commented that every artist

just looking at his most recent stuff, the Trinity series for

of every ilk has to have, in fact, a ghost of arrogance to

DC, there is a real exhilaration to the characters that I

do what they do because they have to think that what

haven’t seen in a long time. I mean generally, it seems

they’re putting on the page deserves to be there. I try

to me—

and stick to what has gone before, but I also feel like

MW: Those are old characters. (laughs)

the only reason for being there is to bring something

DS: —and what happens is some artists are far too

fresh to the table.

reverent with them. It’s almost like they’re sacred icons,

DS: There is also a certain boldness to your lines that I

when, geez, they’re comic books, you know what I mean?

appreciate. When you see the story that Matt just did

I don’t get that sense of “holy reverence” from you. But

for the AutobioGraphix anthology: “By day, I am a

by the same token, I also don’t get that ultimate cynicism

comic-book artist and by night, I am Comic Book Chef!”

about those characters either.

with the blades crossed in front of him. (laughs)

MW: I have a reverence for them. I just don’t let it

MW: That comes from a certain Samurai ethic. If you’ve

obscure me. I let it inspire me.

ever seen Samurai paintings, the brevity is breathtaking.

DS: Having a love for the characters is something different

You want to get it in one line. You’ll never get it in twenty.

than being so reverential that you’re afraid to change

There are people that look at my art and they’ll say,

anything about the legend that you grew up with.

kind of longingly, “Wow, how long did that take you

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

to do?” And they want you to say, “Four months of my life.” And I feel like, “Four minutes.” That would be really impressive. (laughs) DS: Well, and that’s kind of the essence of cartooning too, you know, to be able to get across the most— MW: In the least. DS: —in the least. MW: Stick through to the pure essence. ME: That’s also true with writing. At least today, you really have to economize the words. MW: Yeah, yeah. Especially, I’ve always pictured a lot of my work as a songwriter, actually. I’m a big music fan and all my favorite musicians are your classic songwriters. I mentioned Elvis Costello there. And you’re trying to, in a very limited space and still-structured method, get across very complex ideas with very deep resonance. You’re trying to tell something that people are going to think about after they’re done with the experience. ME: Matt, what is it about Diana’s style—her editorial abilities—that has kept you working with her for so long? MW: Well, at this point, we’ve set such a groove that she knows what I need and she’s never ever gotten in my face. Like I remember years ago, I was hired by Ballantine

“I always loved this opening,”

to write a Grendel novel, and after doing it, it became

admits Schutz of this Comico Jonny Quest story.

completely evident that prose is not my medium. And I

got Di to read it, and I remember she suffered and suffered on how she was going to tell me how bad it sucked. (laughs) And it was just the fact that she suffered over it like that, it just shows you how, again, like I said, she’s never gotten in my face. And I think she has the same sort of light touch with almost everyone. She’s good at stepping back and trying to realize what the creator’s trying to do, not what she wants to see them do. ME: And that is so opposite— MW: Of most editors, tell me, baby! (laughs) DS: Well, here comes my usual rant: I think that’s because too many editors are editors by default. Not because they

A Flashy Cover

want to be. Because what they really want to be is either

One of the many guest artists who illustrated

a writer or an artist, and they can’t make it at that stage

Jonny Quest covers for editor Schutz was Carmine

in their life. For whatever reason, they can’t make it, and

Infantino, of Flash and Batman fame. From JQ #13.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

3 9

door so that it becomes, then, a competition with their creative people. MW: I always found the same was true in art school for most of my art teachers. DS: Really? MW: In fact, the best art teachers I had were those that were not full-time teachers. They were successful artists in their own right who taught a class or two on the side. All the others were bitter, competitive. The two I remember distinctly were a guy I had for Illustration class and a guy I had for Anatomy, and they were both so rigorous,

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

doing their job for them, because that is not my forté. I’m not a writer or an artist. I find the best people to do that job and then let them go, and let them do what they’re so good at doing. And again, whether it’s work-for-hire or creator-owned, you have to give the creators room to breathe. MW: That’s a big thing that a lot of people don’t realize. When I was pitching Trinity, we had a conference call with all the brass at DC and they just kept telling me,

and so encouraging, and so full of life. They didn’t seem

“Make it mythic, make it mythic.” It took everything I

beaten down by the system, like almost all the others did.

had not to go, “Look, I think I’ve got that one in hand,

DS: I think the other thing is that I’ve been very lucky

guys.” (laughs)

for, really, all of my career, to have the opportunity to

ME: Were you left to your own devices with Trinity?

work on creator-owned stuff, which is not to say that I

4 0

do with finding the best people to do the job, not

MW: Left alone? Oh, yeah, yeah. I don’t think I could

haven’t edited work-for-hire comics.

have done it with anybody but Bob Schreck. You know,

ME: For four days?

it’s the first time Bob’s actively edited me. Of course, he’s

DS: (laughs)

been so closely involved with my long-term editor, and

MW: No, more than that.

he’s seen my process, and again, he trusts me that I know

DS: No, definitely more than that. Star Blazers, Robotech,

what I’m doing.

all those licensed things. But working on creator-owned

DS: And he was trained by me! (laughs)

stuff, the mandate has always been to help the creator

MW: Yes, there you go. Diana-once-removed! (laughs)

realize his or her vision to the greatest extent possible.

For all intents and purposes, yeah, I might as well have

As opposed to when you’re an editor working on

been working on Mage or Grendel. There were a few

work-for-hire stuff, you own it, as it were. You are the

little continuity hoops I had to jump through, but I also

representative of the publisher or licensor who owns

asked for some continuity changes to suit my needs,

the material and therefore you get to call the shots.

things I wanted to add to the mythos and I was allowed

If you become accustomed to that kind of sensibility,

to do it, so happy all around.

you tend to get protective, or possessive, about those

DS: Michael, before we move on, let me ask you,

characters or the “property.” And if you have that

because I don’t remember, which books at Comico did

competitive streak in you, you can turn into some kind

you edit? What I do remember when I hired you was

of nutty power freak, and I’ve seen it happen to too

that I unloaded all the sh*t books onto you! (laughs)

many editors. I’ve just never done enough work-for-

ME: (mock surprise) Oh, really?! I know I had to pry

hire to really be influenced by that sort of mentality.

Justice Machine out of your hands. (laughs)

ME: You brought that creative, nurturing philosophy to

DS: So you edited Justice Machine. You must have

one of your work-for-hire books at Comico, Jonny Quest,

edited Elementals.

while maintaining what Hanna-Barbera wanted done

ME: I did Elementals, volume two. Maze Agency, the

with this character.

second Gumby, Sam and Max.

DS: We still couldn’t sell the damn thing. (laughs) I

DS: How come I didn’t dump the Robotech stuff on

guess because my philosophy behind editing has to

to you?

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

ME: I don’t know. I must have been out sick that day when you were thinking about it. (laughs) Robotech was starting to trickle to an end at the time I was there in ‘88 through early ‘89. I edited a couple of stories in the Comico Christmas Special with you. And I worked with Bob on Bloodscent. DS: Oh, right. Because I didn’t want to be Bob’s brother’s editor. (laughs) [Dean Allen Schreck wrote the horror short story Bloodscent, illustrated by Gene Colan.] But Gene Colan did a beautiful job drawing Bloodscent. Didn’t you reproduce that right from the

pencils? ME: Mm-mm. This is the best way to print Colan’s work. Amazing stuff. DS: Did you go straight from Comico to DC? ME: I had a couple of months in between and was freelance-editing Elementals. DS: Right. ME: But at that point, though, the company was really hemorrhaging. DS: Yeah, Bob and I left in April of ‘89 and they filed for bankruptcy in March of ‘90. I had spent the last two

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

4 1

Grendel: Black, White, and Red An ad for the 1987 Comico Collection, which featured Wagner’s first foray into tri-tone comics.

MW: We’ve been in the process, at Dark Horse, of republishing all the old Grendel stuff. It’s funny how contemporary it all seems. (laughs) ME: Particularly with God and the Devil—its conflict with the Catholic Church, the bloated corporation. MW: Yeah, yeah. I read the first paragraph of that recap

with somebody and (laughs) my voice was, like, breaking into a hysterical sense of fearful recognition. Oh, God. We are all doomed. (laughs) ME: So, what’s next with Grendel? MW: We’re moving on to republish the Tim Sale run, Tim being such a marketable hottie right now. DS: And beyond which, it just kind of falls in sync. You know, you were talking earlier about who the people were who came out of those early days at Comico, and Tim,

4 2

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

months kind of training Shelly Roeberg, now Bond,

of course, was one. One of his earliest gigs, in fact, was

how to run the joint, while at the same time, telling

inking Grendel, Comico issues #20 through 22. And then

her that they were going down and there was no way

he pencilled and inked the Comico Grendel issue #23,

in the world that they were going to be able to survive.

which became God and the Devil #0 at Dark Horse. And

They had so successfully kept me and Bob out of the—

then Tim had an entire run of his own.

MW: Everybody.

MW: The Devil’s Reign.

DS: —everybody out of the accounting, out of the

DS: The Devil’s Reign, which comes out in 2004 on the

budgeting and accounting processes.

Dark Horse schedule. And luckily, Tim still has a lot of the

ME: This is almost like the biography of some rock star

original artwork left.

that you see on VH1—there was such promise there,

MW: Because there was no Grendel in costume, which

and then the downfall.

he never fails to remind me of. (laughs)

MW: But it wasn’t anywhere near as sexy as cocaine.

DS: And the other thing is the twentieth anniversary

(laughs)

of Grendel just sort of slipped by, and 2007 marks the

DS: No, it was the owners’ decision to distribute on

twenty-fifth anniversary of Grendel, so we’re planning

the newsstand.

quite a few high-end projects for that year.

MW: That was the across-the-board misconception

MW: That’s better anyway. Any patsy can get twenty.

amongst independent publishers at the time, that

We’re going to stick around ‘til twenty-five. (laughs)

[newsstand distribution] was what was needed for

Only the tough survive ‘til twenty-five. (laughs)

legitimacy. That’s what we needed to make ourselves

DS: I have plans for an art book, an Art of Grendel book,

be one of the big boys and not the little puppies, you

plans to re-release Devil by the Deed in a hardcover for-

know? And in fact, it wasn’t the case at all.

mat, plans to take both Black, White, and Red and Red,

ME: I dare say that had Comico not ventured off on

White, and Black and create a highly limited hardcover,

that tangent and dug itself into a financial hole, the

slipcased two-volume edition—(chuckles) nice, pricey

company would have lasted a lot longer. Much of the

kinds of things.

work holds up today. The company did some cool stuff.

MW: And I’ll cook up something for it too. I don’t know

DS: (laughs) Except for Robotech.

what yet, but—

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

DS: I know it seems like it’s far away, but, man, don’t blink. ME: It’s a testament to your talent and to your creations that you’re able to celebrate a twenty-fifth anniversary when you think of the other comics that premiered alongside you during the early- to mid-’80s. Hardly any of them have withstood the test of time. MW: Yeah, true, true. I am one of the last men standing. (laughs) DS: So, like, dude, what about Mage III? (laughs) MW: I don’t know. I know how it starts. (laughs) I know what song it begins with. (laughs) ME: What’s new in Dydie’s den? What are you excited about? DS: AutobioGraphix, which will be out in November [now available from Dark Horse Comics].

“He’s the strangest, smartest foe Batman has ever faced. . .”

ME: Featuring the work of. . . ? MW: Creators not known for autobiographical comics.

A killer page from the two-issue,

DS: Actually, it’s a straight rip-off of—well, it’s not a

Prestige Format Batman/Grendel series

straight rip-off, but TwoMorrows had a very good idea

produced by Wagner in 1993.

a few years back. They did an anthology called Streetwise.

ME: Wonderful book.

DS: And they got a bunch of primarily mainstream cartoonists to write and draw autobiographical stories,

the pamphlet is dead, the thirty-two page pamphlet.

and it was very cool, and I really enjoyed it. But it was a

That roll-it-up-and-stick-it-in-your-back-pocket-thing?

big, giant thing and I like the idea of something smaller

It’s out-pricing itself. It just doesn’t work any more.

and therefore, a little more intimate, with more of an

Whereas the bookstore market is continuing to blossom

indy focus and a little less adventure-oriented, I guess.

for us, with books like Craig Thompson’s Blankets proving

(to Matt) What?

that going straight to books is really where a growing

MW: I was going to comment, it’s so funny, it’s almost a

market is for us. It’s perennial publication where the

metaphor for the exact same thing as the independent

growth is now, rather than periodical publication.

publishers in the ‘80s, thinking they had to go to news-

MW: So you talk about verification—

stand when in fact, they should have remained smaller

DS: Yes.

and intimate. Think of how many people back then went,

MW: —that’s your verification.

(growls) “I want my books big. I want ‘em really big!” And

DS: Yeah.

now, it’s like everybody wants to go small now. (laughs)

MW: See, we are books, we are literature. We’re not

DS: Well, first of all—and I’ve been saying this for years—

something you can roll up and stick in your pocket.

The Original’s Still Available TwoMorrows r Publishing’s Eisne Award-winning Streetwise features l autobiographica comics stories by top creators. See the ad elsewhere in this issue.

end T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

4 3

Your Your Two Two Favorite Favorite Cartoon Cartoon ShowsShows-

Space Ghost and The Herculoids– NOT in one Comic Book Together! NOT in one Comic Book Together! by

Michael E

ury

I never thought I’d consider World’s Finest drawn by Steve Rude to be bad news. But when “the Dude” (one of my favorite artists) told me, back in late 1988, that he had committed to pencil a DC Comics miniseries starring Superman and Batman (two of my favorite heroes), the news was sobering. At the time, as an editor at Comico the Comic Company, I was tapped by editor in chief Diana Schutz to shepherd the sequel to Comico’s successful 1987 Space Space Ghost © 2004 Cartoon Network.

Ghost one-shot. The Space Ghost comic, in case you missed it (if you did, hit the back-issue bins or eBay now!), wonderfully recreated the atmosphere of CBS-TV’s Space Ghost—not the diluted TV version that appeared on NBC’s Space-Stars in 1981, or the easily agitated talk-show host played for laughs on the Cartoon Network’s Space Ghost Coast to Coast, but the Alex Toth-designed super-hero whose Saturdaymorning cartoon ran from 1966 through 1968. While mildly seasoned with humor (usually through the comic-relief character Blip the monkey), the original Space Ghost program was replete with action. Forget the loonies on Coast to Coast—Space Ghost’s redoubtable rogues’ gallery took tremendous steps to try to destroy their nemesis. The Comico comic’s splash page so flawlessly mimicked the animated series’ title frame it brought to mind the eerie Space Ghost TV theme, and painter Ken Steacy’s palette gave each panel the look of an animation cel. Being an ardent fan of Hanna-Barbera cartoons (DNA tests have proven that I am a direct descendent of Joe Rockhead, a Water Buffalo lodge buddy of Fred Flintstone’s), the prospect of editing Space Ghost II was incredibly exciting. Steve Rude’s love of Space Ghost far exceeds mine. Anyone who has the pleasure of knowing him is aware that the Dude, as a little dude in 1966, was captivated by the Space Ghost TV show. “Space Ghost was serious drama for me,” Steve remembers. “He was strong and powerful. I loved the executioner’s style mask. The posing of

4 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

his body was cool. I’ve always responded to things like that, much in the same way that Jack Kirby’s characters always had cool poses to them.” Another aspect of the show that impressed the Dude was its soundtrack: “The music was driving and powerful. If the music wasn’t like that, it would have been like sprinkling water over a blazing fire. I often think about just how important music—and all those

other things, down to instinctively perfect timing—is to a show. Some shows just seem to have all those things lined up in a perfect way.” Drawing Space Ghost was the realization of a dream for fan-favorite Rude, and the comic’s success was largely the result of his artwork. The concept of a Space Ghost sequel hinged upon the Dude’s participation, and Steve was happy to do it. For the second installment, Rude assumed a larger role in the writing process. Regarding Mark Evanier, who scripted the first Space Ghost, Steve contends, “I don’t think Mark quite ‘got’ the show the way I did. On the first book, I had sent Mark videotapes of Space Ghost, and my impression is that after he watched them, he simply reacted to the surface things and just set about his professional duty in writing a script. Mark is older than I am and was probably moving onto other things when Space Ghost came on in ‘66. Mark has turned out some stunning work in the books we’ve done together, but I think deep down, he’s much more comfortable doing books that are more humor than serious drama.” Animation writer/designer Darrell McNeil kept no secret from Rude his desire to be involved with Space Ghost II. “Darrell was always making such a pest of him-

A “Strong and Powerful” Pose

self back then,” Rude jokes, “he kind of weaseled his way into the development

A 1994 convention sketch by the Dude.

of the second issue.” Rude and McNeil brainstormed some ideas, and Rude typed

Courtesy of the artist.

a four-page, single-spaced first draft of the plot, titled “The Trial,” dated Sunday,

January 31, 1988. An accompanying fifth page provided the Dude’s recommendations to his writing partner on how to best capture the voices of Space Ghost and his foe, Black Widow Herculoids © 2004 Cartoon Network.

(in reading some of the dialogue, I imagined voice actor Gary Owens reciting the lines, a testament to their accuracy). After plot discussions and a February 21, 1988 list of revisions, McNeil helped expand Rude’s story into a double-spaced, 12 1/2-page detailed outline. “The Trial” resumes immediately after the conclusion of “The Sinister Spectre” (Comico’s first Space Ghost story), with Space Ghost, teen twins Jan and Jace, and Blip returning home to Ghost Planet in the star-spanning Phantom Cruiser. The insidious Sandman is lurking in

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

• 4 5

the shadows, and disables the group with his patented sleep mist. Sandman’s Sandmen kidnap Space Ghost, leaving his young allies behind. Space Ghost awakens and finds himself on the planet Anarch, bound before a bizarre jury consisting of three of his most incorrigible nemeses: Zorgat (ruler of the Rock Robots), the Schemer, and Moltar (of the Molten Men). With the venomous Black Widow as judge, the sinister Sandman as prosecuting attorney, and a mysterious overseer called the Lawgiver orchestrating the affair, Space Ghost is charged with “crimes against evil.” His felonies—vanquishing the juror-villains in reenactments of scenes from the actual Space Ghost TV episodes in which they appeared—are replayed before the jury, and Space Ghost is, not surprisingly, found guilty. He is sentenced to “re-fight” these battles again, being “guaranteed” his freedom should he succeed. Meanwhile, Jace, Jan, and Blip regain consciousness and take to the spaceways in the Phantom Cruiser, locking onto Space Ghost’s coordinates and tracking him to Anarch. The story progresses at a brisk pace, with Space Ghost teleported to remote worlds for rematches, first with a trio of Rock Robots, then with the mountainous automaton Titanor. Despite the odds being unfairly stacked against him, Space Ghost proves victorious, to the surprise of his foes. Jan and Jace arrive on Anarch but are apprehend-

One Big Battling Family

ed, with Blip undetected thanks to a cloak of invisibility.

Rude illustrated this Herculoids cover for DC Comics’ Cartoon

For Space Ghost’s final battle, the hero and his young friends are sent

Network Presents #17. In the

to the homeworld of the Herculoids—patriarch Zandor, his wife Tara, their son Dorno, the gelatinous shapeshifters Gleep and Gloop, the rock-gorilla

inset, note that the Dude’s art was flopped for the comics cover.

Igoo, the flying space-dragon Zok, and the armored dinosaur Tundro. Since Space Ghost and the Herculoids are allies (from previous animated

cartoons), the enigmatic Lawgiver emits “illusion rays” that cause the Herculoids to see, instead of our heroes, three of their most bitter adversaries: they believe Space Ghost to be Prokar, lord of the Beaked People; Jan to be Queen Skorra; and Jace to be the Bubblemen’s leader, Brotak. The story explodes into a spectacular battle (use your imagination to picture what the Dude could have done with this conflict), with Space Ghost and crew at a disadvantage, puzzled over their friends’ attack and thusly holding back their might. Space Ghost ultimately surmises that the Herculoids are operating under a case of mistaken identity and uses his power bands to create a force field to block the Lawgiver’s mind-altering rays. The heroes make amends, just in time for Blip, on Anarch, to materialize and teleport all the heroes to the jury room! Space Ghost, Jan and Jace, and the Herculoids overpower the villains, and the Lawgiver is revealed to be One-Eye, the mousey assistant to Space Ghost-foe the Lurker. Space Ghost gives the Herculoids a tow home, and the story concludes with the hero belting out his eternal cry, “SP-A-A-A-C-E GH-O-O-O-OST!”

4 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

these days before Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Hanna-Barbera cared little about the property and posed no interference with the story. The plot was approved, and while I edited away on my other books, I anxiously awaited the day the Dude would begin Space Ghost II. And then I got the call. Steve was polite and diplomatic, and noted that after the smaller-scale labors of love Space Ghost and First Comics’ Nexus, he felt it was necessary to take on a commercial project like World’s Finest. I couldn’t argue with his logic. Comico obtained from Hanna-Barbera a Space Ghost contract extension, and everyone assumed that sometime in 1989, whenever Rude’s Superman/Batman miniseries was completed, he’d return to Ghost Planet, rarin’ to go. Then, in February 1989, Comico began its freefall to implosion and dissolution (see this issue’s lead article and the Mike W. Barr/Adam Hughes “Pro2Pro” interview for details). The publisher went belly up, the Dude moved

Buzzing Your Way

on to other projects, and in a few short years, the ghostly hero had been reinvented as the snappy Coast to

The Dude’s new creation

Coast host. Fast forward to the fall of 2003. As I was brainstorming projects for this column and realized that most

(with co-writer/inker

readers would not even be aware that a Space Ghost sequel was planned, my next thought was, Why didn’t the

Gary Martin), The Moth,

Dude take the project to DC, or to another publisher? So I asked him. His reply: “I have never felt comfortable

is debuting in March from Dark Horse Comics.

‘lobbying’ for projects. People in the business know my rep for taking my work seriously, and if they’re on the same page with me creatively, then it’s usually just something that falls into place. My life back then was Nexus, and anything else that came around was a nice bonus. But doing the first Space Ghost special was clearly something I had to do.” In case you’re wondering if Rude regards Space Ghost II as an unfinished symphony, the artist comments, “Not really. The madness seemed to leave me once I did the first Space Ghost book. Besides, Nexus was my version of Space Ghost. In the mid-1990s, when Hanna-Barbera got a full-time staff of licensing people, they contacted me about doing some new books. But instead, I merely recommended a new up-and-coming artist [to draw Space Ghost], which he did, and was very happy about. That was also the time I was doing my own version of Space Ghost-type animation, which was the Nexus animated promo.” Rude’s Nexus cartoon trailer premiered to a cheering, standing-room-only crowd at the 2003 San Diego Comic-Con. At this writing, however, Nexus has not yet made it onto television. To keep abreast of its progress, and of the Dude’s latest and forthcoming projects (including The Moth, above right, coming from Dark Horse Comics), visit his site at www.steverude.com. But as for the unrealized Space Ghost II, that, alas, remains a greatest story never told.

The Galaxy’s Ghostly Guardian NEXT ISSUE: Plastic Man has twice been unsuccessfully developed as a live-action movie. For the scoop, be here next issue.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

• 4 7

feature

with Rick Magyar’s inks.

4 8

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Hughes’ cover rough and the finished product,

be more of a pinup artist,” Adam Hughe s told Mike W e Agency, and . Barr, me, their edito r, in this issue At this early st ’s le ad “P age of his care ro2Pro” interv iew. er, Adam show ed he could de liver the good s.

writer of The Maz

“I wanted to

M A Z E A G E N C Y #1 • 1 9 8 8

Michael Eury es, to Adam Hugh ks n a th l ia ec n) (sp ally Harringto W d n a , rr a B . Mike W

t i m e l i n e s

t i m e l i n e s Note Adam’s changes between the first cover rough

the back cover to Maze Agency #2.

and the final penciled version. Version C was used as

M A Z E A G E N C Y #4 • 1 9 8 9

er” theme Jack the Ripp of n ur et “r e sex ations on th suspense and ted three vari us just enough pl Adam submit h— pt de of . eated a sense e most impact Maze. Each cr rsion A had th ve t bu for this issue of — ts en r cont er to the interio to lure the read

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

• 4 9

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #32 • 1 9 8 9

t i m e l i n e s

Adam’s pencils of Flash and Power Girl for the corner

•

graphics of JLA’s companion title, Justice League Europe.

5 0

Hughes’ next assignment was DC’s Justice League America, where he worked from plo tter Keith Giffen’s breakdown s, although Adam frequently added his own touches to Keith’s storytelling.

t i m e l i n e s

JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #44 • 1 9 9 0

Chaos and chuckles in Adam Hughes’

cover pencils for JLA #44.

Nary a supe r-hero can be found on th is JLA page, are concise st but what you orytelling, mul can find tiple camera an gles, expertly realized pencils and a hint of , humor (plus a sexy pinup ga l, too).

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

5 1

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES ANNUAL #1 • 1990

t i m e l i n e s

from Legion of Super-Heroes Archives vol. 4.

Comics.

5 2

Adam’s take on the classic LSH

ngs uppet stri symbolic p e h T r: e v is co nce ’s domina peal on th n sex ap ress Glorith a e th rc so re s o ze mphasi pplies m ownshot e Adam su es. and the d , ye e Legionnair s r’ e read e defeated th d n guide the a y o B over Ultra

t i m e l i n e s

JUSTICE LEAGUE QUARTERLY #1

Rocket Red in another piece of corner art for JLE.

The Elongated Man’s nose for mystery startles

• 1990

And you though t

it was Batman

Now you’re in on

hidden behind the

logo of Justice Le ague Quarterly #1 , didn’t you? borrows a memor able Jack Nichols on line from director Tim Burton’s Batman (1989).

Adam’s little joke, which

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

5 3

appearing in the anthology Dark Horse Presents.

5 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

DARK HORSE PRESENTS #50 • 1 9 9 1

for this expl osive page .

Adam Hughes co-wrote and penciled “Hip-Deep in the Consciousness Stream,”

t i m e l i n e s

Adam amps up

Comics’ most popular good-girl artist shows that he can draw good geckos, too.

t i m e l i n e s A st un ni ng D ebt of Hon or piece pe and inked nciled by Hughes.

STAR TREK: DEBT OF HONOR • 1 9 9 2

Adam Hughes teamed with writer Chris Claremont and inker Karl Story on Star Trek: Debt of Honor, a graphic novel published in 1992, where Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew formed a tentative alliance with Klingons and Romulans.

D C

v s

M a r v e l

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

5 5

5 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

X-MEN ANNUAL #1 • 1 9 9 2

t i m e l i n e s

does matte r.

that Adam penciled for 1992’s X-Men Annual, look no further than the inset. (Wolverine fans, take note: BACK ISSUE #5 celebrates the character’s 30th anniversary!)

She-Hulk pr oves to Wol verine that size

If you’re asking “Where’s Wolverine?” after examining this lively page

t i m e l i n e s

T E A M T I T A N S #1 • 1 9 9 2

Gifted as a pinup and cover illustrator, Adam Hughes is no slouch when it comes to sequential artwork, either. This exceptional page is from the origin of Redwing, in one of five variant editions of DC’s Team Titans, part of a 1992 expansion of the Teen Titans franchise.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

5 7

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

t i m e l i n e s

GHOST #2 • 1 9 9 5 5 8

One of the joys of working as Adam Hughes’ editor on Ghost the “first kid on th (and other series) e block” to see his was being magnificent penc ils. I love this piece in the background ! So m e of the neon chara were obstructed by cover elements cters once the cover wa pencils in their ful s pr int ed, so enjoy Adam l glory. (I may ha ’s ve strayed a bit fro m BACK ISSUE’s 19 70s’/1980s’ focus but this is worth , it, don’t you think ?)

Rose & Thorn miniseries, written by Gail Simone

5 9

• 2003-04

Adam is currently painting the covers to DC’s new

Dan Green. Here’s his cover for issue #3,

and illustrated by Adriana Melo and

available in February.

t i m e l i n e s

ADAM HUGHES TODAY

•

For more great Adam Hughes art and interview, get your copy of Comic Book Artist #21, still

After his lengthy stint as the Wonder Woman cover artist, Adam Hughes continues to draw

available from TwoMorrows! See

the Amazon Princess for convention and commissioned sketches. Adam has shared with BACK ISSUE

the ad elsewhere in this issue.

much of his early pencil art. Want to see another Hughes “Rough Stuff” in a future issue?

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

Dan Johns

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN (AND WOMAN) In the early 1980s, Bruce Jones took a cue from 1950s comics and gave readers an old idea—anthology books—but delivered them with a new jolt of creativity and skill (and graphic violence and sex, too). The results were Twisted Tales and Alien Worlds. The genesis of these books came when Bruce met his wife, April Campbell. Their meeting occurred at a time when Bruce was considering heading to California from the Midwest; both were interested in exploring prospects in film and television. At the same time, Steve and Bill Schanes were starting up Pacific Comics in San

Bruce Jones and

Diego. When Steve Schanes invited Bruce to do some books for the company, Bruce

April Campbell

saw this as a good chance to make the move to the West Coast.

Ken Steacy was nice

Twisted Tales #1, cover dated November 1982, hit the stands with a cover (and

enough to send this

interior story) by none other than Richard Corben. Getting an artist of Corben’s

photo of his favorite

caliber was a major coup and it helped establish Bruce’s books in terms of quality.

author/editor tag-team,

“Corben, [Bernie] Wrightson, and [Russ] Heath all helped make me a name at

Bruce and April, taken at

Warren [Publishing], and I wanted them on my books both to pay them back for

the 1983 San Diego

helping me early in my career and because they were all wonderful artists and

Comic-Con, around the

good friends,” Bruce tells BACK ISSUE. “It was very hard to get this premium talent,

time Twisted Tales and

because everybody wanted them and they were always booked months in advance.

Alien Worlds were on

I think I only got them because of our friendship, not because they really needed

the stands.

the work. It was an extremely fortuitous time, the likes of which I doubt we’ll ever see again. The only thing I can compare it to would be the Warren days, perhaps. So much great talent crowded into too few years. But it was gold while it lasted.” Jones followed up his horror title with the science-fiction series Alien Worlds. The first story was by Al Williamson, a lucky move on the part of Bruce given Williamson’s stature and the name he had made for himself at EC Comics. Bruce is the first to agree that Williamson is a master of his craft: “Al and I go way back,

feature 6 0 •

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Twisted Sister orben’s Delgado in C iss M r te ac ar The ch ) was wisted Tales #1 “Infected” (T ell. r April Campb modeled afte

Bruce Jones’ Cosmics and Gories

and it was a joy to work with him again on Alien Worlds, as I had for the Warren books. Al is in a league of his own when it comes to space opera and otherworldly women.” Twisted Tales #2 kicked off with “Over His Head,” Mike Ploog’s only job

#1 – #10 Twisted Tales Dec.1984) (Nov. 1982 –

for the title. The definitive horror artist at Marvel in the 1970s on books like Werewolf by Night and Ghost Rider was perfectly at home in the pages of Twisted Tales. “Nightwatch,” about soldiers who wait out the night and attacks by giant

#1 – #9 Alien Worlds Jan. 1985) (Dec. 1982 –

rats, was the first story Ken Steacy did for Jones and the only one he did for this book. “I hate horror,” Steacy confides. “I got the script and there was nothing really horrifying except that [the soldiers] get attacked by giant rats. But when the book came out, I saw the other stuff, and there was some pretty yucky stuff

-D #1 Alien Worlds 3 (1984)

in there!”

STEVENS ROCKETS TO ALIEN WORLDS Dave Stevens provided the cover for Alien Worlds #2 and his only interior pencil work with “Aurora.” “‘Aurora’

Who Needs W ords? “I had started

drawing the sequel [to Aurora, first seen in Al ien Worlds #2 ] when Pacific im ploded,” says artist Dave St evens. This splash page is from that unpublished story. Courtes y of the artist. © 2004 Dave

Stevens.

was created for the Japanese company, Sanrio, back in 1977,” Stevens tells BACK ISSUE. “It was to be one of many comics series featured in a magazine format, similar to the French periodical, Metal Hurlant, which was very popular all over the world at that time. They spent a lot of time and money putting the material together, but the magazine ultimately was never published. Oddly enough, the Moebius stylings in ‘Aurora’ were something that they’d specifically asked me to do. Apparently, they really wanted to duplicate the success of the [French] periodical, right down to the artwork itself!” Of all the stories done for either Twisted Tales or Alien Worlds, “Aurora” was the one that might have ended up with a sequel. In fact, Stevens actually

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

6 1

Wonde

rful Wil Even w liamson ith the “The F c redits o ew and mitted the Far there w from ” (from as no m A li e n World istaking s #1), Al Willi amson as the artist. Story © 2004 B ruce Jon Art © 2 es. 004 Al William son.

planned a second story with this space-faring beauty. “I had actually started drawing the sequel in 1984 (entitled “Foragers”) and was working on it for an upcoming issue, when Pacific imploded. So, unfortunately, Aurora never flew again.” Twisted Tales #3 included “Off Key,” a real treat as the “father” of Jonny Quest, Doug Wildey, did the artwork. “Dave Stevens introduced me to Doug and we went up to Agoura, California, to see him,” Bruce recalls. “Doug was doing work for the animation studios, and was interested in doing comics work with Pacific Comics. I thought his stuff was great and wrote him a story. He was a terrific old guy and a legend in the TV animation industry, and is very much missed by his friends. He and his wife were very gracious, very charming people who adored Dave Stevens.”

6 2

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

t at Wha A Look n ave Bee h Might H er roug

cov tevens’ d Dave S ublishe a’s unp r o r u esy A for . Court arance e p p a second artist. of the ns. e Steve 004 Dav Art © 2

Among the stories in Alien Worlds #3 was Ken Steacy’s “Pi in the Sky,” about two old sky dogs who live for the challenge of kicking one another’s tail in the air. Ken confesses that this was his favorite of the stories he did for Bruce. Steacy was one of the first artists who did painted, full-color comics in the early 1980s. His style grew out of his admiration for British artist Frank Bellamy. Says Steacy, “I’m sure I had discussed Bellamy with Bruce, and he said, ‘Well, I’ll write a story for you [that would capture that style of artwork].’ I did this story as my homage to Frank Bellamy. I sent it down to be lettered and when I got my copy, I almost fell over because the lettering was done at the wrong point size. Almost half the artwork was covered up by the lettering. Bruce’s story was great, but the prose should have been half the size it was.” Wrapping up this issue of Alien Worlds was “Dark Passage,” the first assignment that artist Tom Yeates did for this title.

BOLTON COMES CALLING Twisted Tales #4 marked the first cover and lead story (“The Well”) by British artist John Bolton. “John was one of the few guys who actually approached us,” Jones reveals. “I wasn’t that aware of his work before, but when he sent us samples I just went through the roof. John, too, was a very busy man who took time to work for our books simply because he loved the concept and stories so much. We were very lucky to have John. His cover paintings were glorious.”

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

6 3

“The Secret Place” in Twisted Tales #4 stood in stark contrast to many of the stories that appeared in the title up to that time: There was no gore or nudity, but instead a well-crafted story about a boy who doesn’t speak, but who learns friendship from an alien. “The Secret Place” had some fine artwork by Bruce Jones, as well as a solid script. Based on my conversation with Jones, I get the feeling that he undersells himself in the art department, and that is a shame, because his work here was great. Dave Stevens turned in the cover for Alien Worlds #4 and inked Bruce’s pencils on “Princess Pam.” The issue’s next tale, “Girl of My Schemes,” about an agency that books fantasy vacations, was drawn by Bo Hampton. “‘Girl of My Schemes’ was one of my top-five favorite stories [I’ve] worked on,” Hampton tells BACK ISSUE. “[Alien Worlds #4] was a great issue, with Bruce Jones drawing and Dave Stevens inking ‘Princess Pam,’ [and its] beautiful use of photo reference and just flat-out terrific figure drawing! Cool story, too, and Joe Chiodo’s color . . . WOW! And after my story [there was] a reprinting of ‘Savage World’ by my other mentor and former boss, Al Williamson. Double WOW!” Alien Worlds #4 also had “Land of the Fhre,” with artwork originally from Williamson’s epic, “Savage World.” “There were [published stories] of Al’s I very much wanted to use in Alien Worlds,” says Jones. “I wrote another story for it around the existing artwork so older fans would have something new to read. The original art was just lovely.” Twisted Tales #5 showcased “Scritch. . . Scritch. . . Scritch. . . ,” perhaps Bill Wray’s best-remembered piece for this comic. Ever had a night when you just couldn’t sleep because you heard something crawling around inside your house? That is the problem faced by Rick, a character that Wray had Dave Stevens model for.

6 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Say “Cheese”! Rocketeer Do you think “Rats!” Stevens cried creator Dave model y asked him to when Bill Wra character in for the main . . .”? ritch. . . Scritch “Scritch. . . Sc pear with the The photos ap Dave Stevens. permission of Bruce Jones. Story © 2004 Bill Wray. 04 20 © Art

“BANJO LESSONS” SPARKS CONTROVERSY Just by flipping through Twisted Tales, it is plain to see that this title pushed the envelope in the early days of the direct-sales market. Still, Bruce produced the occasional tale that shocked even the most jaded reader. In issue #5, that story was Rand Holmes’ “Banjo Lessons.” “Banjo Lessons” was about the trial of a man who killed three of his best friends for no apparent reason, and the exposure of a dark secret involving racism and cannibalism. “I really thought of it as no more than just another horror story when I wrote it,” Bruce says. “You don’t set out to be controversial or make little classics. In fact, you can’t manufacture stuff like that; it just happens.”

Even the freedom of the direct market couldn’t ensure that Bruce would not have some interference with his books. “I held complete autonomy,” Bruce explains, “but Steve Schanes was distributing the books and had some reservations about the content and possible political ramifications of ‘Banjo Lessons,’ as far as Diamond Distribution was concerned. As it turned out, I think he was right; Diamond and several others hated the story. But just as many people championed it as were disturbed by it. My own feeling was that if it was disturbing you, then it accomplished the whole point of the series—they were horror stories, after all. April wrote the editorial for the story, the only such kind we ever ran, and I’m sorry now that we did. I think it came off as slightly apologetic where no apology was really needed.”

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

6 5

g Up Strummin y Controvers les’ most Twisted Ta ver, ial story e controvers ssons,” “Banjo Le #5. from issue nes. 04 Bruce Jo Story © 20 . nd Holmes Ra 04 20 Art ©

“Home Ties” was a ghost story in Twisted Tales #6 that marked the first comicbook work by artist Mike Hoffman. “‘Home Ties’ was a lot of fun,” Hoffman says, “considering I was a little nervous about being published for the first time! My dad was especially proud of it. He’d gone from burning my comics to being very happy about it all. Like most people then, he didn’t realize drawing comics was a real ‘job.’ All in all, it was a great experience, and even better for being a gentle introduction into the profession, as opposed to the more impersonal dealings with the larger publishers I worked for later on.” Finally, there was “Roomers,” a story that can only be called a masterpiece of modern graphic storytelling, with artwork by the understated Atilio Michelluzi. “I had some reservations about ‘Roomers,’” confesses Jones. “Firstly, it was very prose heavy—you almost don’t need the pictures, and that’s one of the areas pundits always blame the EC comics for; I was afraid we’d be compared to them in that kind of negative light. It was also a very quiet tale requiring a quiet artist, so I knew the action and gore fans would skip right by it. But I was determined that Twisted Tales and Alien Worlds not fall into cliché with stories with only horror and sci-fi trappings and no content. ‘Roomers’ didn’t get a lot of response, so I pretty much wrote it off. Several months after it was printed, Bernie Wrightson called me one night out of the blue and said, ‘Man, [“Roomers”] was a masterpiece.’ It was one of nicest things anyone ever said about the books.”

MASTER STORYTELLER ROY G. KRENKEL A highlight of Alien Worlds #6 was “The Test,” one of the last printed stories with Roy G. Krenkel art. “Roy was another old friend, very ill at the time I wrote that piece, and Al Williamson and I wanted to get a final job or two to him,” Bruce recalls. “[Roy] was too sick to actually draw, but Al had some [of his] original tracing paper sketches—quite a few, actually—that he sent me and that I was able to weave into an underwater story [“The Test”] that Val Mayerik did the framing sequence for. Reproduction had gotten good enough in the early ’80s that Roy’s pencil sketches reproduced with minimal dropouts and the story worked out well, I thought. Good old Roy. Bless his heart.”

6 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

A New Writer Cometh This notice s let the reader s of Twisted Tale lds and Alien Wor m know of Willia al. F. Nolan’s arriv

Krenkel Passes “The Some of the

Test”

last printed

estate.

After reviewing “The Test,” Val Mayerik was nice enough to send a handwritten note that helped shed some additional light on this story. Val writes, “My contribution to the story entailed the first page and the last four panels. Krenkel had done the remaining art quite some time before the story was printed, but it wasn’t considered a completely worked-out story and needed additional art to give it a beginning and an ending, hence my so-called framing art.” Mayerik’s work was also produced from his pencils. Twisted Tales #7’s “Shut-In,” about an invalid unable to communicate with the rest of the world, but who has some wicked thoughts on his mind, was illustrated by the great European artist Liberatore. “‘Shut-In’ was a tale I originally penned for one of the Warren books,” Jones reveals, “but [editor] Weezie Jones passed. It was the only story of mine she ever rejected, I believe, thinking it might be a bit too strong for the times. I always liked the story and kept it on file. Later, I was the guest of honor at a banquet ceremony in Barcelona, Spain, to receive a ‘best writer’ award. I met Liberatore there and really liked his work, hoping some day I could do a job with him. After I started Twisted Tales, I remembered Liberatore and thought he’d be perfect for the unpublished ‘Shut-In’ script. He did an incredible job, but things prurient were a bit looser in Europe than in the U.S. at the time and we, regretfully, had to be discreet with some of his angles, which included pubic hair. We ‘fixed’ them with paste-overs. It was a very disturbing tale and went on to become a short film in Italy, I believe.”

MORE WORK THAN BRUCE COULD HANDLE Alien Worlds #7 saw the first story from a writer other than Bruce Jones in the pages of his books. The story was “The Small World of Lewis Stillman” by William F. Nolan [author of Logan’s Run and other science-fiction novels], with artwork by Richard Corben. “I read a lot of Bill Nolan and Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison as a kid and had always admired their styles,” Bruce notes. “When the workload on Twisted Tales and Alien Worlds finally became too much, I realized

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

6 7

I was going to have to give up some of the tight control and assign [stories to] other writers, but I was picky as hell and only wanted the best. I think I got to know Bill through Harlan. We drove up to his house in Agoura, and took pictures of him for the first of what was going to be a continual guest spot for him, Ray Bradbury, and others. But I got involved in Hollywood and the books came to an end before that could happen.” The lead story for Twisted Tales #8 was “Way Down There Below in the Dark. . . ,” a story about child abuse illustrated by Thom Enriquez, an animator who came to this book through Bill Wray. Enriquez employed a style of art here that was a cross between Gahan Wilson and Tim Burton. When I first read this story, I didn’t know what to make of his style. Turns out I wasn’t alone. “When I turned the assignment in, I was very excited [about the story] because I approached it in a different way,” Thom reveals. “I wanted to make it look more cartoony. When Bruce saw it, it was pretty crushing. He went all the way through the story, put it down and said, ‘I think I have to absorb this.’” Eventually Jones came around to the offbeat style of this story. Bruce even called Thom the next day and confessed that the artwork wasn’t what he wanted, but it was starting to grow on him. Twisted Tales #8’s “The Party,” another Nolan story with artwork by Mike Hoffman, concerned a man who receives from his wife a party invitation after an argument with her and after a near miss on the highway. “It was a huge charge working from [Nolan’s] story,” artist Mike Hoffman divulges when questioned about the tale. “Bruce told me later that Nolan had been more pleased with my treatment of that story than any of the others that had gone to other artists.” Anyone else remember the 3-D comics of the mid-1980s? Alien Worlds was no different in giving in to the craze and the result was an enjoyable 3-D special in 1984. The only downside is that this book is hard to come by these days. The Alien Worlds 3-D Special was the last of Bruce Jones’ books to be published under the Pacific Comics banner. “The Schanes Brothers ran into financial trouble right in the middle of our run on the books,” Bruce explains to BACK ISSUE, “and one of the ways I tried to make sure every contributor got paid for their work was by continuing the books under the Eclipse colophon.”

A SHORT-LIVED STAY AT ECLIPSE COMICS The first Eclipse Comics issue, Alien Worlds #8, offered fans of the Mars Attacks cards a nostalgic charge with

6 8

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Party Crasher

“Collector’s Item.” Ken Steacy delivered some

Unexpecte d Surprise

wonderful painted cards that framed the story of a

ork Some terrific artw an helped from Mike Hoffm Nolan’s make William F. ccess “The Party” a su . in Twisted Tales #8 t. tis Courtesy of the ar

boy hoping to complete the Venus Invades series. His

thrill at getting the coveted first card, “The Invasion Begins,” doesn’t last too long as he realizes life is about to imitate art in a scary way. Nothing was scarier than the challenges Ken faced in bringing this story in. “[Back then] we didn’t have the wonders of digital technology and [there wasn’t] the budget for shooting the cards separately then inserting them [into the story],” Steacy discloses. “I had to come up with a clever way of making it work. I photographed the cards, had prints made (and I got the size right), and glued them onto the blue lines and the pages were shot from that. It looks okay, but it’s kind of a low-tech, low-budget way of doing things.” The last story in Alien Worlds #8, “Stoney End,” with artwork by Rand Holmes, was the first written by Jan Strnad for Bruce. “Jan was an old friend from the Midwest,” Jones says. “I met him in the ’70s through Rich Corben, who had done some work with Jan on fanzine projects. He was just part of the whole gang of West Coast writers and artists I used to hang out with.”

Jones wrote only one story in Twisted Tales #9, “Warped Panels,” drawn by Thom Enriquez. The other stories in issue #9 were written by Strnad, Charles Wagner, and Dennis Etchison. “I got calls from a lot of horror writers who dug the book,” recalls Jones. “Someone, I think Bernie Wrightson, told me Stephen King was a big fan of Twisted, but by then the ax was falling.” The final issue of Alien Worlds, issue #9, had Bo Hampton doing artwork for the lead story, David Carren’s “10 Devils,” and for Bruce’s “The Maiden and the Dragon.” “‘The Maiden and the Dragon’ was originally slated for an anthology titled Pathways to Fantasy,” Bo explains. “When that book was canned, Bruce used it for Alien Worlds. I colored that story on watercolor paper that had the black-and-white art printed on it, comic-book sized. As far as I know, that was the only time that technique was used in comics.” Twisted Tales #10 featured “Tear in Your Beer,” with interior work by Bernie Wrightson. The book also had an interesting little experiment with two one-page stories (both by Bill Wray) that used the same opening scenario: A burglar is caught

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

6 9

Where Are They NOW?

gon” and the Dra n e id a M e “Th nded

te originally in ts to a story u yo la y el liv f the artist. Hampton’s Courtesy o . sy ta n Fa to on. for Pathways 04 Bo Hampt

Thom Enriquez is

employed at Dreamworks

Art © 20

Studios and is working on an autobiographical comic called Colby.

in the act of robbing a wealthy home during a

Bo Hampton’s

costume party. In “One for the Money. . .,” the crook kills a guest, strips him

wonderful art is showcased

of his bear costume, and walks out of the house and into the woods, where he is

on his website,

shot by two hunters. In “. . .Two for the Show!,” the burglar is killed in the strug-

www.bohampton.com.

gle with the guest, and the guest walks off with the jewels in his bear suit but has a “grizzly” encounter with a real bear. Carren’s “If She Dies,” illustrated by Atilio Michelluzi, told the story of a man whose daughter is brain dead, but who gets her back because of an antique bed

and the spirit of a deceased child. “David Carren was a movie-writer friend of ours at the time,” Bruce reveals. “Even though Twisted Tales was approaching the end of its run, I was terribly overworked, and when David expressed interest in doing a story I was more than happy to have him aboard.” “If She Dies” was later turned into an episode for CBS’s revival of The Twilight Zone. Rick Geary’s “Poison in the

Mike Hoffman runs

Pantry” brought the series to a conclusion.

Hoffman International, producing his own line

END NOTES

of comics, trade books,

With issue #10, Twisted Tales, like Alien Worlds, was no

prints, and cards. Visit

Terrifying Text

more. The worst thing about the passing of those books

www.mikehoffmanart.com.

This collectio n of

was that they came and went so quickly without gaining

the recognition, or respect, they deserved.

Val Mayerik is drawing

a ten-page story written

Bill Wray recalls his search for work after the books ended:

by Mike Baron for an

“I went into Marvel. Al Milgrom was really kind to me,

upcoming Dark Horse

[and] he took me around to all the different editors. One

anthology. His website is

thing I remember in particular was one really cocky Spider-Man

www.valmayerik.com.

editor [commenting], ‘So, you’re one of those Bruce Jones guys?’ And he laughed me out of his office. I was mortified.

7 0

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

I just couldn’t believe it. When you do a style that’s not like the Marvel house style, they just don’t imagine you working for them. I kind of thought that Twisted Tales stuff was good stuff and there would be an ounce of respect for it.” Bruce Jones, while a heck of a writer, first and foremost, was also a great editor who put his all into these titles. “The hardest part of doing the anthology books,” he discloses, “was that I wanted to be eclectic and yet have the books have a familiar feel about them at the same time, like greeting an old friend that you know you’re going to be comfortable with, but also know you’re going to learn new things from. With four stories per issue, we felt we had some room to stretch stylewise, even if we didn’t please everyone, as long as every story was a winner in its own way. It was one hell of a lot of work, I can tell you. Ask anyone who’s done anthology. It’s a grind. But a rewarding grind.” Speaking as one of the readers who had the thrill of poring through these books, they were a reward for us as well. I want to thank Marvel editor Axel Alonso for trying to line me up with a great guest that got away. Finally, special thanks go out to Bruce Jones. I owe him for

Ken Steacy works with

the on-demand publishing company UDO Printing (www.udo.shawbiz.ca), illustrates English languagelearning comics for Japanese travelers, and is writing and drawing a kid’s series called Timelock for the Provincial Museum of Alberta.

Dave Stevens’ fans can

his patience of a saint to keep answering every question I sent him. I mainly owe

check out the authorized

him though for all the wonderful books that made my childhood so much fun.

website devoted to him at www.davestevens.com.

Bill Wray draws the

“Monroe” strip for MAD and Dark Horse’s Hellboy Jr. feature. He also has a website,

An Unpublished Twisted Tales Cover

com.

Bruce Jones is

currently writing the best run of The Incredible Hulk in many moons over at Marvel Comics. T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

7 1

You Can’t Spell “Implosion” Without “I”: A Bottom-Rung Bottom-Rung View View of of One One of of A DC Comics’ Comics’ Darkest Darkest Hours Hours DC Editor’s note: Mike W. Barr is best known in the world of comics as the author of such landmark series as Detective Comics, Camelot 3000, Batman and the Outsiders, and the subject of one of this issue’s “Pro2Pro” interviews, The Maze Agency. But

It was in late June of 1978 when DC Comics editor

did you know that Barr started his comic-book

Jack C. Harris entered my office and closed the door. Jack thrust out his

career in the late 1970s

right hand and I automatically rose and shook it, without knowing the occasion.

as the DC Comics proof-

“Congratulations,” Jack said, “we get to stay.”

reader? He has an inter-

I had met Jack when I had begun work at DC in September of the previous year,

esting perspective on the

and though we weren’t close friends, we shared several enthusiasms such as DC

infamous DC Implosion

Silver Age comics. I had even done a little writing for him. Though I saw a lot of

that he’d like to get off

Jack every day—his office was right next to mine as DC proofreader and general

his chest . . .

man-of-all-work—for him to close the door before he spoke was both unique and a trifle ominous; now I knew why.

guest editorial by mike w. barr

I had known—as had the entire office—that Something Was Up. Rumors had

7 2

•

B A C K

I S S U E

drifted down that the higher-ups of Warner Communications, Inc., DC’s parent firm, were unhappy with DC’s performance and were determined to take further action. Like their initial action wasn’t severe enough: DC’s plan to increase the price of many of their monthly titles to 50¢ (from 35¢) with an increase of story pages to 25— the much-ballyhooed “DC Explosion”—had had the rug pulled out from under it by corporate heads at Warner Communications after only three months. An excellent report in The Comic Reader #159, August 1978, said that the Warner execs had wanted to sell more comics (and who

treme “The most ex n shutting dow story had DC comics f all original publication o the “big keeping only immediately, an, perman, Batm Su f o es tl ti three” reprint man alive as o W er d n o and W sence newsstand pre a ep ke to ks boo alive.” dising interest n a ch er m d n a rr – Mike W. Ba

didn’t?) by methods involving an overhaul of the distribution system. The Warner execs felt DC’s comics stood a better chance of going head-to-head with their competitors (read: Marvel) if DC’s books more closely approached the price point and physical package offered by Marvel. DC’s production immediately dropped from 32 books a month to 23, a drop of almost 40%. However, some titles, released in the experimental “Dollar Comics” format, did well, so that format was kept for some existing books. Of course, much of the cancelled material saw print in DC’s in-house publication, Cancelled Comics

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Cavalcade, more about which in the companion article. (What methods, if any, were taken to “overhaul. . . the distribution system” remain unknown to me, and seem a proper subject for an article by an informed person. The DC titles affected by the Implosion were returned to 17 pages of editorial content, yet at a price increase of 40¢, from 35¢, a high hurdle for even improved distribution to take.) So Warner execs—none of whom had to worry about their incomes being reduced—had already slashed DC’s output from 32 books a month to 23, yet it was rumored further action would be taken, though what form that action would take, no one yet knew. The most extreme story had DC shutting down publication of all original comics immediately, keeping only the “big three” titles of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman alive as reprint books to keep a newsstand presence and merchandising interest alive. None of us quite bought that, but the degree of our worry could be measured by the fact that none of us categorically ruled it out, either. When the Implosion fell, I and other DC staffers were given a list of freelancers whose assignments had just been cancelled with orders to tell them to stop work

DC Heroes Get the Boot Sadly, many editors, writers, and artists did, too.

immediately. Even I knew that was nothing more than a signal to a freelancer to pull an all-nighter to finish the assignment before delivery. Amazing how many

freelancers I contacted had finished the jobs they were working on just before I told them to quit. But. . . “We get to stay”? I hadn’t known things were that bad. Few people had. The mood at the office in the days immediately preceding what

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

7 3

had become known as the “DC Implosion” (though never loudly, and never within hearing of any DC executives) toward the work of comics was casual, to say the least. Virtually all the freelancers —and most of the staffers— claimed that comics were a way station in their careers, a temporary stop on the way to better things. I was naively delighted to be in comics, even at the low orbit I had attained, having forsaken a job in which I utilized my Bachelor of Arts degree to scrub floors at an Ohio Sears and Roebuck. I vividly recall conversations with Len Wein and Marvin Wolfman (the latter of whom was in those days freelancing at Marvel, but was up at DC a lot), who asked me pointblank why was I glad to be in comics. “We are in a dying business,” intoned Len. “Don’t you know that?” asked Marvin. If we are in a dying business, I thought, one of the reasons is because the books are so damn bad. “Okay,” I said, “why are you still here?”

“If we are in ess, I thought, a dying busin se sons is becau one of the rea .” so damn bad the books are rr – Mike W. Ba

“Oh, we’re not going to be in comics much longer,” Len replied. “No, we’re going to move to Hollywood and write The Love Boat,” said Marvin. Most (though by no means all) other comics pros would voice similar career goals at the drop of a cowl—at least, until June of 1978.

7 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Even though I still had a job, others weren’t so fortunate. Editors Al Milgrom and Larry Hama were summarily dismissed, in keeping with the longstanding business policy of “last hired, first fired.” Other personnel were “let go” as well, including some production workers. Since these layoffs happened in late June and early July, with the cancellations announced on June 22, 1978, office wags dubbed these actions the “Summer Solstice Massacre,” though the tag “DC Implosion” proved more enduring. I thought for awhile that my job was on the line too, but I soon realized that my meager wages ($100 a week at first, then skyrocketing to $125) would barely make a dent in DC’s fortunes one way or the other, and I was too “valuable” as a pair of all-purpose hands to be laid off. A couple of office temps, Gaff (not to be mistaken for longtime DC contributor Carl Gafford) and Carlos

Fox Trapped!

had been hired to do the gofer work such as deliveries and retrieving the lunches

Gerry Conway’s

of publisher Jenette Kahn, but it was apparently decided I could shoulder those

The Vixen was another

burdens as well as my regular tasks of doing copying for the editors, and proof-

victim of the DC

reading each and every page of comics DC published—after all, their output was

Implosion. Pencils

about to drop from 32 to 23 titles a month, so it was assumed I’d have the time. For

from DC’s Cancelled

$125 a week, I was a bargain! I was grateful for the continued employment,

Comic Calvacade.

but I wasn’t fooling myself.

Nor was I complaining. . . at least, not out loud. I had pulled up stakes and moved to New York the previous September and had no prospects whatsoever should the DC job fall through. My long-range desire was to become a full-time freelance comics writer, but with DC canceling approximately 40% of its output, a lot of far better-established pros would be knocking on the doors of Marvel, Western, and Warren far more loudly than I could. Not long after there was a meeting of the entire DC staff to officially explain the new world to us. Nowadays a hall would have to be hired for such an assemblage, with DC’s staff numbering in the hundreds, but a quarter of a century ago when DC’s staff barely numbered over thirty it was possible, within the course of a regular workday, to say hello to everyone on staff. And that task had just become even easier. We were informed, at this meeting, that virtually all staff freelancing would come to a halt, save for those who had their output secured contractually. DC would need all its pages, we were told, for the freelancers who had contracts, and

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

7 5

work guaranteed to them. This was particularly bad news personally; I had just begun writing “The Ray” backup in Black Lightning, having taken over the feature from Roger McKenzie, who was now freelancing full-time, mostly for Marvel. (Oddly, I had followed Roger as the staff proofreader, as well.) The exercise of writing and the income would both be sorely missed. But DC had a lot of freelancers under contract, the most prolific of whom was Gerry Conway. Gerry had had at least two monthly titles, Firestorm and Steel, the Indestructible Man [insert your own joke here], cancelled in the Implosion, and a few more on the drawing board that would never see the light of day like The Vixen; DC would need to make sure he had all the work he was contracted for. The issue of keeping all the balls in the air, of making sure all contracted freelancers had enough work, was addressed in a meeting of the entire editorial department. We gathered in the largest office—Joe Orlando’s—as Paul Levitz, now DC’s president and publisher, in those days credited as editorial coordinator, handed out a list of DC titles still being published and tallying up the available editorial pages, then produced a list of contracted freelancers and the number of pages they were guaranteed. The rest of the meeting was a matter of seeing which pegs fit which holes. Creativity by the pound. Some of the choices were no-brainers. For example Cary Bates, who had scripted The Flash and Action Comics for some time, would continue those titles on a monthly basis. Other, more prolific scripters, like the aforementioned Gerry Conway, were a somewhat different story. It was realized that it might be a difficult task to guarantee Gerry all the pages of script he (and his wife, under his name, for his page rate) had been producing for DC in DC’s super-hero titles. “Well,” said Paul Levitz, “I can

omics, “Detective C erldest, yet less one of DC’s o , was cancelled selling titles, tman Family, while The Ba tact.” ic, was left in a Dollar Com rr – Mike W. Ba

pick up Gerry’s slack with the mystery titles [House of Mystery, Weird War Tales].” “My God,” groaned someone, “Gerry Conway, our top scripter, is going to be writing mystery stories?” “Why not?” replied Paul. “It might be a nice change for him.” Artists were similarly poured through the same strainer. Jim Aparo, for example, would simply continue on The Brave and the Bold, which was his regular assignment anyway, and which had just been made a monthly. Curt Swan would continue to provide yeoman service on Superman and Action. But others were a tougher fit. José Luis Garcia-Lopez, for example, was barely prolific enough to do more than a monthly title, yet not only was he under contract but DC rightly loved his work. He had been slated to pencil the “Superman/Batman” strip in World’s Finest, yet his contract called for a few pages more. My only contribution to this game of editorial

7 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Poltergeist Pedestrian Jim Aparo moonlighted from The Brave and the Bold to illustrate Deadman’s solo appearance in Showcase #105. (This story, with revisions, ultimately saw print in Adventure Comics #464.) © 2004 DC Comics.

Scrabble was to suggest that José also pencil the “Deadman” strip in Adventure, a good matching of artist with subject matter which also topped off his contractual obligation. But despite the seeming coolness with which these decisions are related on the printed page, we were dealing with people’s incomes, and many of those people were loyal employees of years’ duration, and sometimes friends. It was extremely difficult to me to juggle my colleagues’ lives and incomes in this way; others found it easier. After all, they hadn’t been fired, and had been in no danger of same.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

7 7

7 8

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Similarly, morale around the office couldn’t help but be affected by the demands of the Implosion. Part of this had to do with those dismissed. Al Milgrom, for example, was easily the most informal and fun of all the DC editors. His door was always open to shoot the breeze for a few minutes to take the edge off a hectic day (barring fire, flood or deadline, of course) and, as an excellent artist, he was always available for an

“If the DC Implosion had no other positive benefits, it at least made the remaining DC staffers and freelancers much more attentive to their tasks.” – Mike W. Barr

emergency art correction too complicated to be trusted to the Production department. It was Al who, once we had heard that our 1977 Christmas gift from DC would be red baseball jackets, led much of Editorial in a march down the hall to then-Publisher Jenette Kahn’s office, leading the chant of “Blue, blue, blue, blue!” our preferred color. And the jackets we received for the holidays were as blue as Superman’s tunic. The DC offices, whose mood was casual without being relaxed, became even more rigid, more “businesslike.” A long-standing custom, the monthly bagel

Not-so-solid Steel!

“birthday party,” was done away with. Hi jinks like the stunt where Al Milgrom led

Gerry Conway’s Steel, The

chanting outside Jenette’s door evaporated, and you got the impression that some

Indestructible Man was another

people liked it that way, not realizing that a disciplined, dignified, austere comic-

victim of the DC Implosion

book office is a contradiction in terms.

meltdown. Pencils from DC’s Cancelled Comic Calvacade.

Even DC traditions of decades’ standing threatened to be altered by the Implosion. Detective Comics, one of DC’s oldest, yet lesser-selling titles, was cancelled, while

The Batman Family, a Dollar Comic, was left intact. It was decreed this would not stand, and Detective was revived as a Dollar Comic, “featuring The Batman Family.” Kudos to those who kept alive the title from whose initials DC Comics took its name, largely Paul Levitz, [then the] new editor of the Batman titles. News of the DC Implosion was greeted with crocodile tears or indifference by most of the rest of the comic-book business. Warren and Western’s [readers] had little overlap with DC’s audience, and even less with DC’s freelancer pool. The majority of editors and personnel of Marvel felt for the DC employees who had suddenly been let go, but the public face of Marvel’s response—and the remarks of some Marvel staffers, always in hearing of their superiors—to DC’s dilemma was basically “more [market share] for us.” The summary cancellation of a number of DC’s titles was positioned by Marvel as a judgment of the quality of those titles, and of DC in general, which was an unfair verdict. Those DC titles that had “exploded” hadn’t been on sale long enough to generate sales figures. Some at Marvel even took glee in the fact that Marvel now had a much deeper and wider talent pool to dip into, apparently never stopping to wonder if the bell would toll for them, too, if Marvel’s owners might

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

7 9

wake up one morning and decide that Warner Communications had had the right idea. It would take another couple of decades or so for that to happen. If the DC Implosion had no other positive benefits, it at least made the remaining DC staffers and freelancers much more attentive to their tasks. Though writers may still have been planning to move to Hollywood to write sitcoms or movies, such talk was never heard anymore. Indeed, some freelancers began making more appearances at the DC offices, sniffing around, glad-handing editors and trolling for whatever extra work there might be, for example from a writer who had missed a deadline. No honor among thieves.

publisher Jenette Kahn,

despite the alleged fact that sales of the remaining DC titles were more or less steady

actor Christopher Reeve,

(such information, once a more-or-less open secret, was now closely guarded),

and the late Sol Harrison,

Still, human beings can’t exist without hope, and the hope for DC Comics

B A C K

I S S U E

•

then DC’s president, search for a contest

came from the same direction as had the edict that created the Implosion—West,

winner to appear in

the land called Hollywood. (Many things about the comic-book business have

a cameo in Superman:

changed in a quarter of a century, but that, unfortunately, isn’t one of them.) Since

The Movie. This photo,

long before I came on staff news and rumors of the motion picture Superman: The

circa 1977/1978,

Movie were floating around the DC halls, not necessarily in a good way. Some DC

is from All New

staffers who claimed to have seen copies of the screenplay, attributed to Mario Puzo,

Collectors Edition

said it contained such antics as a scene in which Superman, searching for Lex Luthor,

#C-62.

swoops down upon a bald man, but finds his quarry to be a grinning Telly [TV’s

•

Former DC Comics

Those of us who were spared from the Implosion didn’t have to be reminded that,

the Warner Communications ax could fall again, without warning.

8 0

The Great Superman Movie Contest

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Kojak] Savalas (this was the late ’70s, remember) who exclaims: “Superman, who loves ya, baby!” The film had been announced, begun production and delayed due to lack of funds so many times that it had become something of a film-industry joke. But no one at DC was laughing. Though few of us were privy to the deal DC had struck with Ilya Salkind, producer of the picture—and those who knew the details weren’t talking—it began to be generally assumed by the staff that the fate of DC Comics was conjoined with the fate of the movie. We, even more than fandom or the world at large, lapped up every fact or factoid about the film, giving to each and every tidbit of news, no matter how inconsequential, a weight far beyond its possible consequence. (I wouldn’t be surprised if the same mood was felt at Marvel in summer of 2002. I feel your pain, guys.) We gathered in Jenette’s office for a viewing of the theatrical trailer, expressing delight at the resemblance

From Man of Steel to Cinematic Superstar

newcomer Christopher Reeve bore to the Man of Steel, keeping our conversation light, and our fingers crossed. This mood continued throughout the fall. Production of the remaining DC

José Luis Garcia-Lopez sketched

titles continued apace, with very few freelancers missing deadlines. The debut of

this behind-the-scenes look at the

Superman: The Movie crawled closer and closer, and our hopes with it. DC generated

making of Superman: The Movie.

a lot of books that tied into the film, and all of us gathered for a gander every

time a new set of stills was secured. (But none of those books was an actual adaptation of the film. I was told that DC’s contract with the Salkinds had forbidden a comic-book version as Mario Puzo, former men’s magazine scribe and Mafia popularist, didn’t want his immortal prose in a—ugh— comic book. Nonetheless, 17 pages of script, one issue’s worth, adapting the early scenes of the film, were commissioned from Gerry Conway, just in case. I don’t know if they were ever penciled.) At last a showing of the film was scheduled for the DC staff on December 11, 1978, a few days before the film was to premiere in theaters across America. Actually, the showing was for more than the DC staff; virtually every employee of 75 Rockefeller Plaza seemed to be in the audience. DC Comics had so attached

You’ll Believe a Man Can Cry—

itself to the Man of Steel’s cape that it was easy to forget all of Warner Communications had a huge stake in the film’s fate.

—when he’s squeezed into The day of the Superman

screening remains one of my

skin-tight briefs for fourteenhour shoots. Costumer Yvonne

favorites of all the days I have

Blake’s 1976 sketch of the

been associated with DC Comics. Even though none of

Superman suit (above), and movie Man of Steel Christopher

us knew what to expect regard-

Reeve wearing the real deal.

occasion, many DC freelancers, past and present, had been invited from all over the tri-state area.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

8 1

I recall making my way through the crowded halls of DC—and it was pleasant to see them crowded again—attaching faces to comics freelancers who had before been only names. (Al Plastino, for example, longtime contributor to the Superman titles during the editorial reign of the in/famous Mort Weisinger, showed us what he had been up to recently—a series of sample drawings and strips of Charles Schulz’ Peanuts characters that were indistinguishable from those drawn by Ol’ Sparky. When asked why he had produced these, Plastino replied he had been hired by the syndicate that distributed Peanuts. He didn’t say why, but I got the definite impression that he was commissioned to do so in case Schulz got an itch for too much of the stuff that can’t buy happiness.) For the first time in months, laughter filled the halls of DC Comics, and there was a sense of community, of history, about our beleaguered industry; we could do with more of that today. Then we all emigrated from the DC offices to the Loews Astor Plaza theater, in Times Square, to see The Movie. An immense venue, the Astor Plaza theater was, in those days and now, the desired New York area showcase of nearly every bigbudget movie in the industry. We settled into seats nervously, yet with a sense of anticipation. I recall that I was sitting next to longtime DC artist Joe Staton, with perhaps Paul Levitz on my other side. The lights began to dim and the theater, filled entirely with Warner employees and their friends, rather than carrying the anticipatory hum of an audience out for a good time, was very, very quiet. Everyone in the theater had some idea of what was riding on the film’s success, none more so than we of DC. “Well,” I said, to no one in particular, “in two hours, we’ll know.” And we did.

8 2

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

special feature

CCC? No! A Retro-Review of the Industry’s Most Famous Comic You’ve Never Read by

M i k e W. B

arr

As the only actual contributor to Cancelled Comic Cavalcade (CCC) to ever write about it (I dialogued an eight-page “Ray” story, slated for Black Lightning #12, from a plot by Roger McKenzie, most famous as Frank Miller’s first collaborator on Daredevil), and maybe the only guy who has ever read each and every page of it (as the DC staff proofreader), you may think I have some special insight, some pearl of wisdom that will put it all in perspective for you. Don’t kid yourself. The basic fact is that CCC is the worst comic book that has had the best press of any comic book, ever. Published solely to obtain copyright for hundreds of pages of comic books cancelled in the “DC Implosion,” CCC has for years had the daring reputation of a book that has been “censored,” and, with the human curiosity for what is deemed the forbidden, has therefore become an object of much curiosity and undue veneration. The Overstreet Price Guide for 2002 reports that “a #2 set sold in 2001 for $800.” What remains unreported are the remarks of the purchaser after he read his acquisition, though they could probably be represented by the venerable cartoonists’ icons of winged dollar bills flying out a window and punctuation signs standing in for NC-17 words. The majority of the stories collected in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade were generated in the days when DC Comics’ editorial standards were arguably the lowest of the firm’s existence. The only company-wide editorial philosophy held by DC in those days was known as “the warm body theory”—if a body was warm, it could work for DC. Though

Mike W. Barr’s 2003 novel,

a few gems exist among that rocky soil—among them a still-unpublished Creeper story

Star Trek: Gemini, is

by the character’s creator, Steve Ditko; Ditko’s typically unique take on a costumed

currently available at all

hero, the Odd Man, which was published with editorial “improvements” in Detective

major bookstore chains.

Comics #487; and a few covers—everything else collected in CCC that was worth reading

has been published in the intervening years, not that that’s a lot of pages. And the stuff that hasn’t been, almost certainly doesn’t deserve to be. (And I’m speaking as a contributor.) The material probably never should have been bought in the first place. You can take that from maybe the only guy who has read each and every page of Cancelled Comic Cavalcade, and certainly the only guy who has ever been paid to read them. Believe me, if you read them, you’d rather have those hours of your life back, too. Editor’s Note: The comments in this “Off My Chest” guest editorial do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BACK ISSUE magazine or of TwoMorrows Publishing.

end T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

8 3

Michael Eu

A Long Time ago... STAR WARS Dark Horse Comics, 2002 Vol. 1 • “Doomworld” • 376 pages, color • $29.95 Vol. 2 • “Dark Encounters” • 368 pages, color • $29.95 Vol. 3 • “Resurrection of Evil” • 344 pages, color • $29.95

After a franchise of films, hundreds of action figures, video games galore, and a library of paperback books and comics—plus trading cards, Pepsi cans, apparel, and plastic light sabers—it’s hard to think of George Lucas’ Star Wars as anything but an empire. During the summer of 1977, however, many of us were standing in long lines for what was, at the time, one of the first summer blockbuster movies (the blockbuster originated with director Steven Spielberg’s Jaws in 1975). This was a time—admittedly a long time ago—when “May the Force be with you” was not etched into the vernacular, and when stars Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill were the screen’s latest hotties. And this was a time when the expansion of the Star Wars universe was only beginning. One of the first places that development occurred was Marvel Comics’ Star Wars #1, a monthly comic book cover dated July 1977 (going on sale, incidentally, before the movie opened), launching a long and successful run that continued through September 1986’s issue #107. Dark Horse Comics revived the license with its best-selling miniseries Star Wars: Dark Empire #1-6 (1991-1992), and continues to publish new Star Wars comics today. Dark Horse has chronologically reprinted roughly half of the Marvel run in a trio of meaty trade paperbacks. Vol. 1, “Doomworld,” collects Star Wars #1 through #20; vol. 2, “Dark Encounters,” collects Star Wars #21 through #38 and Star Wars Annual #1; and vol. 3, “Resurrection of Evil,” collects Star Wars #39 through #53; and they do so beautifully. The Marvel stories’ colors have been painstakingly recreated, and with glossy paper stock and contemporary printing techniques

8 4

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

Ltd.

gracing these trade paperbacks, the hues sparkle much more than they did on their original, duller newsprint. The first six issues of Marvel’s title adapt the film to comics, a brisk interpretation by writer Roy Thomas and illustrator Howard Chaykin. The fun really starts with Star Wars #7, when Thomas and Chaykin boldly go where no—sorry, wrong sci-fi series. Thomas and Chaykin usher readers “Beyond the Movie! Beyond the Galaxy!” (or so the hyperbolic cover blurb proclaims) in issue #7’s “New Planets, New Perils!” Picking up at the conclusion of Star Wars, Han Solo and Chewbacca—the most audacious protagonists from the film—say goodbye to Luke, Leia, and the droids and zip back into the cosmos in the Millennium Falcon. On a journey spanning several issues, they encounter a cadre of colorful characters and cretins, including (in issue #8) a human-sized, green-furred rabbit named Jaxxon (“Jax for short,” he tells Solo). Don’t make the mistake of regarding Jax as the forerunner to the cutesy klutz Jar Jar Binks: On the second page of his first appearance, Jax gut-kicks a space freak who calls him a “rodent”—this is no funny bunny. And the new characters keep coming, at a dizzying pace, with Luke, Leia, Artoo, and Threepio sharing or rotating the spotlight in future issues. These reprinted Marvel tales maintain their original verve: They’re imaginative and often electrifying, although it must be noted that they are not part of official Star Wars continuity (“brand management” was looser back in those days). The stories also showcase the work of many lauded comics pros: Archie Goodwin succeeds Thomas as Star Wars scribe (and editor) with issue #11, maintaining that post throughout most of the three collections, with fill-in tales penned by Chris Claremont, Mike W. Barr, and others. Much of the art is, well, a marvel: Chaykin handles full art chores on Star Wars #1—a stunning job, pure 1970s’ Chaykin— although his subsequent work (#2 through #10) appears rushed at times, and revolving-door inkers make it seem a bit schizophrenic. Penciler Carmine Infantino, no stranger to science fiction, signs on with Star Wars #11 and, like Goodwin, stays in view for most of volumes 1 and 2, brilliantly inked either by Bob Wiacek or Terry Austin. Vol. 2 concludes with a well-remembered Luke-andLeia tale penciled by the astonishing—and too seldom seen—Michael Golden. Vol. 3 starts with Marvel’s adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back, lavishly rendered by Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon. It is a feast for the eyes, and if you’re still unconvinced about this third trade in the series, several of its later tales feature art by Walter Simonson.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

8 5

Marvel’s Star Wars comics were immensely enjoyable. Most of comics’ previous efforts to adapt cinema succeeded only at boring the reader or at sacrificing trees for naught, but Star Wars consis-

Batman: Detective No. 27

to George Lucas’ creations) and well-paced space opera. The Marvel covers are reprinted as well, in almost all of their original glory: the noisy blurbs indicative of the House of Ideas are there (“Luke Skywalker Strikes Back!” “At Last! The Battle with Darth Vaderto the Death!!”), but the “Marvel” name has been removed from the cover logos, as well as from the banner above each interior story (the copy originally trumpeting “Stan Lee presents” now reads “LucasFilm presents”). While these alterations may be mildly disconcerting to the purist, Dark Horse’s polished presentations of this 1970s’ material make all three editions must-haves for the Star Wars fan and the Bronze Age Marvel Zombie.

depicting the From its opening scene nt Abraham Lincoln, assassination of Preside and artist Peter author Michael Uslan No. 27 is a riveting Snejbjerg’s Detective ematic staging (not page-turner with cin executive-produced surprising, since Uslan d absorbing historical the Batman movies) an is recruited into a accuracy. Bruce Wayne tives (which includes secret society of detec d uncovers a shocka surprise member) an d the murder of his ing conspiracy behin Teddy Roosevelt, parents. Catwoman, nge, the Crimson Professor Hugo Stra th are among the Avenger, and Babe Ru appearances in this figures making cameo “Elseworlds” fable. highly recommended

DC: The New Frontier

ries, ne 2004 • 6-issue minise DC Comics, January-Ju 64 pages each • $6.95

8 6

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

ider-Man’s Tangled Readers of Marvel’s Sp an: Selina’s Big Score Web and DC’s Catwom rwyn Cooke’s lively are already fans of Da ” art style. In New but edgy “animated Cooke examines the Frontier, writer/artist Universe from the unfolding of the DC r-heroes themselves. viewpoint of the supe emiere at BACK ISSUE Issue #1 had yet to pr the sample art sent #2’s press time, but if ication, this is a series to us by DC is any ind want to look out for. that all BI readers will Losers, the Suicide Issue #1 features the Hal Jordan, with the Squad, and test pilot rs of the Unknown, Flash, the Challenge Martian Manhunter Black Canary, and the . appearing in issue #2

In Print!

. . .although the original publisher’s

NEW

Yes, This Was the First Marvel Issue. . .

New Comics. Classic Appeal.

rdcover DC Comics, 2003 • Ha • $19.95 graphic novel, 96 pages

tently provided believable characterization (a credit

Send your comments to: Email: euryman@msn.com (subject: BACK ISSUE) No attachments, please!

Postal mail: Michael Eury, Editor • BACK ISSUE 5060A Foothills Drive • Lake Oswego, OR 97034

WOW!—the only word needed to describe the inaugural issue. My two favorite comic decades covered comprehensively? Yes, please. I have been looking forward to the release of BACK ISSUE since it was first announced, and I can quite honestly say that you did not disappoint. I have to admit that in the “great war,” it’s “DC for me.” In future issues, I’d love to see articles on the far too short and vastly underrated Barr/Davis run on Detective Comics in that strange interim period post-Crisis/pre-reboot. I’d also like to see, and I’m going to be controversial here, less Jack Kirby. Whilst Mr. Kirby’s contribution to the industry as a whole can be (and has been) debated over and over, I feel that his work has a good enough outlet and other artists that are not as renowned—such as Marshall Rogers and Irv Novick, Paris Cullins and Dave Gibbons, all of whom have made their own contributions to the ’70s/’80s—do not get the recognition that they so rightly deserve. Is it also your intention to have (à la Alter Ego) themed issues? If so, might I be so bold as to suggest a tome dealing with the reboot fever of the ’80s, Watchmen, and the “British invasion” of the early ’80s, all three of which would be very welcome by this purveyor of the old funnybooks. Anyhow, I’ve rambled on for long enough on what was originally just going to be a note of congratulations. Keep up the good work and I look forward to issue #2 with bated breath. – Mark Cookson P.S. A nice touch may well be the inclusion of a “convention sketch” gallery for art that just won’t really fit anywhere (but still based on ’70/’80s stuff) every couple of issues. I know that I love to see people’s sketches, and I, myself, am proud of my own little collection and would love to share them with other folks—just a thought.

This issue of BACK ISSUE is dedicated to the memory of Peter Cannon – Thunderbolt creator Pete “PAM” Morisi, 1928-2003.

That’s a great thought, Mark, and while a gallery of convention sketches isn’t planned as a feature (at least not yet), I’ll publish sketches occasionally, as with Adam Hughes’ Wonder Woman sketches in this issue’s “Rough Stuff” (there are also some Kevin Maguire sketches coming up in next issue’s Justice League-based “Pro2Pro” interview). Any reader who would like to share appropriate sketches for publication in BACK ISSUE should contact me via e-mail at euryman@msn.com. Jack Kirby got the King’s treatment in our first issue, his contributions to both Marvel and DC being too great to ignore. Don’t worry, however: BACK ISSUE will cover those artists you mentioned and many others, too (Marshall Rogers is interviewed in next issue’s “Bring on the Bad Guys” Joker article, and I’ve already communicated with Dave Gibbons about being the focus of a “Rough Stuff”). Like you, I feel that the Barr/Davis Detective run was phenomenal, but oddly overlooked—we’ll certainly get around to spotlighting it here. Yes, each issue of BACK ISSUE will carry a specific theme (“Laughing Matters” in #3, “Comics in Hollywood”

in #4, and “Marvel Milestones” in #5 are next up). Watchmen and the “British invasion” are already under discussion for future features—and I like your “reboot fever” idea! Thanks for writing. – M.E.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

8 7

Congratulations to you for your great addition to the TwoMorrows Publishing Group; it’s a wonderful magazine. I really liked the mixed bag of topics and the extensive coverage of different comic-book genres. It’s always interesting to hear what George Pérez and Marv Wolfman have to say about their projects, past and present. Especially since their dedication to the medium of comic books always shines through. It’s always interesting to read Carmine Infantino’s thoughts on DC during his time at the helm, even though he seems to always make a point of stating Jack Kirby’s low sales on the Fourth World books. The point that Mr. Infantino seems to miss is how many new readers Jack’s work brought to DC. I remember buying every issue of DC’s line that contained Jack Kirby at the time, whether it was a reprint of Simon and Kirby or the Fourth World books. Any and all things Kirby were a special treat, especially since his Golden and Silver Age work at Marvel had been reprinted numerous times. It was wonderful to finally get to see Kirby’s DC output from the early ’40s through the late ’50s. It was interesting to see how other artists in different DC books would handle Jack’s characters, a practice that continues today with Darkseid as one of DC’s most terrifying villains and the antagonist in nearly all of DC’s limited series and prestige publications. Kirby’s influence is felt more today than ever, and to dismiss one of his most prolific periods as “low-selling product” is shortsighted at best. I’m glad to see David Hamilton in your publication as well. I used to correspond with David in the early ’80s, and he was kind enough to print some of my cartoons in Amazing Heroes. Getting published was a thrill. It encouraged me to license “The Honeymooners” with my partner, editor Norm Abramoff, and Triad Publications in the mid-’80s. We published 12 issues and had the time of our lives during its run. I hope your publication inspires others to join this wonderful field as I did nearly two decades ago. I cherish the time I was producing comics; it was a lot of work—and a lot of fun. – Vince Musacchia

Just finished reading the first issue of BACK ISSUE. Kudos on a great new publication! I discovered how great The Jack Kirby Collector is a couple years ago, and I believe BI will stand side-by-side as a mustread periodical for comics fans. I especially loved the look at the Tarzan comics—I always wondered why DC started the Kubert run in the 200s, even though the issues reminded you that these were the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd “DC Issues.” I’d like to see a more in-detail exploration of Joe Kubert’s tenure on that title—some of his best work, you can tell his heart was really in it. The uninked Kirby pages you presented were great as well—enough to tide me over until the next issue of TJKC. I’d like to see “Rough Stuff” from Gil Kane, Jim Starlin, Kubert, Frank Miller, and, of course, more Kirby. I liked every column and story in this issue, and look forward to more excellent articles on the comics of the ’70s and ’80s. My one suggestion for improvement is: Please provide exact dates, wherever possible, for all the artwork you show in features. Often I noticed there is only a 2003 copyright for pieces that were done decades ago—perhaps reading TJKC has spoiled me, but I’d like to see a definite year attached to every piece of art. My suggestions for future articles: 1) Gil Kane! One of the most influential artists every to grace the comics page, he influenced nearly as many artists as Kirby himself, especially his incredible run of over 800 Marvel covers in the early ’70s. And his sword-and-sorcery comics were second to none. How about an article showing a bunch of these covers—pencils, inks, whatever you can find—with commentary from Roy Thomas, Frank Miller, and others who worked with or were powerfully affected by Kane’s work? 2) Monster Comics: Spotlight the monster comics of the ’70s (such as Tomb of Dracula, Monster of Frankenstein, Son of Satan, etc.). 3) Nexus, one of comics’ most enduring and beloved legacies: Steve Rude and Mike Baron keep promising to bring Nexus back to comics eventually. Keep up the good work! I’ll be reading. – Johnny Nine Thanks for the positive feedback, Johnny. I’ll consider your copyright date suggestion. You’ll be happy to learn that a Gil Kane “Rough Stuff” is indeed in the works (wait’ll you see the art that David “Hambone” Hamilton’s lined up for that). BACK ISSUE #6 (Oct. 2004) sports a horror/fantasy theme, and will include coverage on Tomb of Dracula and other Marvel monster comics. And while not officially scheduled, a Baron/Rude “Pro2Pro” on Nexus is certainly a goal of mine. – M.E.

I remember your Honeymooners comics, Vince—they were a lot of fun. And despite my commandeering this issue’s Adam Hughes “Rough Stuff” spotlight, that feature is David Hamilton’s—he’ll be back next ish. – M.E.

8 8

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

I’m really pleased BACK ISSUE has reached Scotland; it’s good to have something to replace Comic Book Artist.

BI (ha!) is a good-looking package, the tone reminding me of Amazing Heroes and the design bringing to mind David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview. What was less pleasing was that dozens of pages were reminiscent of other, more recent stuff—the Pérez/Wolfman piece, while a nice chunky read, was rather “Just read that. And that” for one who bought the TwoMorrows Pérez book last week. You might have held this “Pro2Pro” piece for a few months and printed it as a reminder that the Pérez book was still available when initial sales slowed. And I can’t believe that sharp Andy Mangels passed up the opportunity to ask the Titanic Duo what they were thinking when they came up with a) eeeeeeevil Terry Long and b) the ludicrous-looking Jericho. Oh well. . . . I also found the long section of Jack Kirby “Rough Stuff” redundant, given that TwoMorrows already runs this type of feature regularly in The Jack Kirby Collector. And the aborted Avengers/JLA project you discussed in The “Greatest Stories Never Told” has had lots of coverage of late elsewhere. Perhaps I read too many mags about comics? Still, the “Back in Print” Kirby Jimmy Olsen piece was a nice read, pleasantly opening what should be a useful regular feature. As well as having an old guy like me or you wallow in nostalgia, how about, though, adding a sidebar in which a younger reader checks out the material for the first time? You might start by opening someone’s eyes to the Essential Tomb of Dracula.

“Beyond Capes” is another great idea, how about covering Thriller, ’Mazing Man (push for a collection!), and Bruce Jones’ Ka-Zar (Ditto. I still laugh at the “I’ve been hit by a Buth” line). “Back Talk” was fun, how about having Ernie Colón guest edit? Did you ever read his surprisingly spiky three-page Flash lettercols? And if you want to campaign for the return of regular DC and Marvel lettercols, count me in. “Off My Chest” is a good idea for a feature, though the great Carmine Infantino’s piece here reminded me of the “Mort Weisinger I Am God” in the excellent TwoMorrows’ Legion Companion. I know I’ve moaned a tad, but I’m so enthusiastic about this mag it’s untrue. I wish you all the best with it. All this and the word “Publishorial” in print once more! – Martin Gray

TwoMorrows is lucky to have a loyal supporter like you, Martin. While some of BACK ISSUE #1’s content was familiar to you, not all of BI’s readers follow those other publications. It’s unlikely our future issues will mirror other TwoMorrows’ book subjects, though. ’Mazing Man will be covered in a future “Beyond Capes,” by the way. And your idea about younger commentators reviewing older material is inspired! I’ll try to make that happen. – M.E.

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

8 9

Questions? Comments? Exaltations? Send 'em to euryman@msn.com. Thanks for helping make BACK ISSUE the ultimate comics experience!

Just got the first issue of BACK ISSUE and thought I would write. Loved the cover, the articles, unpublished art and pencil art but, and maybe it’s because I’m accustomed to the look of Alter

Ego and Comic Book Artist, I dislike the look of the book! Too much wasted white space, and the text is too airy. Maybe the text is spaced apart because there’s less content in this issue then there is in a regular issue of the aforementioned magazines. I’m guessing that, unless all the readers write in complaining about the look of the book, I’m probably going to have to grin and bear it in order to read the upcoming issues. As for DC vs. Marvel, DC all the way! –Delmo (The Saint) Walters, Jr.

Being a comics fan, and a fan of TwoMorrows mags, I was excited to hear about the debut of BACK ISSUE. I grew up during the ‘70s and ‘80s, and was quite pleased to hear that the comics period of my youth would be the focus of this new fanzine. After reading over the first issue, I have a few possible article suggestions for you: 1) “Greatest Stories Never Told”: How about an in-depth article or issue detailing what led DC to have the “Explosion” and the state of the industry that led to the “DC Implosion”? Also, is there any way to reprint the complete Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #1 and #2 in their entirety in one or two giant-sized BACK ISSUE volumes??? I’ve always been curious to see them in full. 2) Watchmen was a major series, mixing gritty realism and traditional comic-book super-heroes. However, “Marvel Zombies” have supported the theory that Mark Gruenwald beat DC to the punch [with realistically portrayed super-heroes] in Squadron Supreme. I now suggest that it was DC [who did it first], going back to the JSA and their Silver Age/Bronze Age appearances. The JSA aged (at least slowly, if not naturally), they got married, had families, had more realistic problems (real jobs, family life, etc.), and they got sick or died. A history of the aging of DC’s older/Golden Age/Earth-Two characters and its possible influence on Marvel and later DC work would be a great focus for an article. 3) How about an article exploring the history of DC’s multiple earths, and multiple futures, detailing each, the characters that lived there, and how it all came to be, leading up to Crisis. 4) How about an article focusing on Marvel’s Defenders series?!! It was the best of both worlds to me: It had the cosmic and “big gun” characters of Avengers, and yet it also had non-conformist heroes and stories that had “attitude,” aligning it with the more “hip” and “underground” X-Men. Well, now that I’ve worn out your eyes, I’ll go for now. I hope these suggestions help. Keep up the great work!!!! – Chris Mosca 1) This issue’s “Off My Chest” by Mike W. Barr offers tons of info about the DC Implosion and Cancelled Comics Cavalcade, the latter of which remains DC-copyrighted material beyond TwoMorrows’ publication reach. 2) I’m taking your idea about super-hero aging under advisement (incidentally, in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker matured from a high-schooler to a college student at roughly the same time the gray-templed JSA returned in JLA). 3) Crisis on Infinite Earths will get extensive coverage in 2005, its twentieth anniversary.

Glad you’re happy with the subject matter, Saint. BACK ISSUE’s publication design is intentionally airy and reader-friendly; our goal is to present

4) Don’t worry; we’ll do something with Marvel’s non-team in these pages! Thanks to everyone for writing (sorry we couldn’t run all of your letters).

classic material in a contemporary fashion. Hopefully,

Keep the comments coming—your suggestions will help shape the

the look of the magazine will grow on you. – M.E.

content of future issues. See you in BACK ISSUE #3! Your friendly neighborhood Euryman, Michael Eury

9 0

•

B A C K

I S S U E

•

T o t a l l y

‘ 8 0 s

BOOKS by BACK ISSUE’s editor MICHAEL EURY

KRYPTON COMPANION Unlocks the secrets of Superman’s Silver and Bronze Ages, when kryptonite came in multiple colors and super-pets scampered across the skies! Writer/editor MICHAEL EURY explores the legacy of classic editors MORT WEISINGER and JULIUS SCHWARTZ through all-new interviews with NEAL ADAMS, MURPHY ANDERSON, CARY BATES, NICK CARDY, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, KEITH GIFFEN, ELLIOT S! MAGGIN, JIM MOONEY, DENNIS O’NEIL, BOB OKSNER, MARTIN PASKO, BOB ROZAKIS, JIM SHOOTER, LEN WEIN, MARV WOLFMAN, and other fan favorites! Plus: Super-artist CURT SWAN’s 1987 essay “Drawing Superman,” JERRY SIEGEL’s “lost” imaginary story “The Death of Clark Kent,” MARK WAID’s tribute to Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, and rare and previously unpublished artwork by WAYNE BORING, ALAN DAVIS, ADAM HUGHES, PAUL SMITH, BRUCE TIMM, and other Super-stars. Bonus: A roundtable discussion with modern-day creators examining Superman’s influential past! Cover by DAVE GIBBONS!

JUSTICE LEAGUE COMPANION A comprehensive examination of the Silver Age JLA written by MICHAEL EURY (co-author of THE SUPERHERO BOOK). It traces the JLA’s development, history, imitators, and early fandom through vintage and all-new interviews with the series’ creators, an issue-by-issue index of the JLA’s 1960-1972 adventures, classic and never-before-published artwork, and other fun and fascinating features. Contributors include DENNY O’NEIL, MURPHY ANDERSON, JOE GIELLA, MIKE FRIEDRICH, NEAL ADAMS, ALEX ROSS, CARMINE INFANTINO, NICK CARDY, and many, many others. Plus: An exclusive interview with STAN LEE, who answers the question, “Did the JLA really inspire the creation of Marvel’s Fantastic Four?” With an all-new cover by BRUCE TIMM!

BATCAVE COMPANION The writer/editor of the critically acclaimed KRYPTON COMPANION and the designer of the eye-popping SPIES, VIXENS, AND MASTERS OF KUNG FU: THE ART OF PAUL GULACY team up to explore the Silver and Bronze Ages of Batman comic books in THE BATCAVE COMPANION! Two distinct sections of this book examine the Dark Knight’s progression from his campy “New Look” of the mid-1960s to his “creature of the night” reinvention of the 1970s. Features include issue-by-issue indexes, interviews with CARMINE INFANTINO, JOE GIELLA, DENNIS O’NEIL, and NEAL ADAMS, and guest essays by MIKE W. BARR and WILL MURRAY. Contributors include SHELDON MOLDOFF, LEN WEIN, STEVE ENGLEHART, and TERRY AUSTIN, with a special tribute to the late MARSHALL ROGERS. With its incisive introduction by DENNIS O’NEIL and its iconic cover painting by NEAL ADAMS, THE BATCAVE COMPANION is a musthave for every comics fan! By MICHAEL EURY and MICHAEL KRONENBERG. (240-page trade paperback) $26.95 US • ISBN: 9781893905788 • Diamond Order Code: NOV068368

(224-page trade paperback) $24.95 ISBN: 9781893905481 Diamond Order Code: MAY053052

(240-page trade paperback) $24.95 ISBN: 9781893905610 Diamond Order Code: MAY063443

COMICS GONE APE!

DICK GIORDANO: CHANGING COMICS, ONE DAY AT A TIME

The missing link to primates in comics, spotlighting a barrel of simian superstars like Beppo, BrainiApe, the Gibbon, Gleek, Gorilla Man, Grease Monkey, King Kong, Konga, Mojo Jojo, Sky Ape, and Titano! It’s loaded with rare and classic artwork, cover galleries, and interviews with artists & writers including ARTHUR ADAMS (Monkeyman and O’Brien), FRANK CHO, CARMINE INFANTINO (Detective Chimp, Grodd), JOE KUBERT (Tor, Tarzan), TONY MILLIONAIRE (Sock Monkey), DOUG MOENCH (Planet of the Apes), and BOB OKSNER (Angel and the Ape)! All-new cover by ARTHUR ADAMS, and written by MICHAEL EURY.

MICHAEL EURY’s biography of comics’ most prominent and affable personality! Covers his career as illustrator, inker, and editor, peppered with DICK’S PERSONAL REFLECTIONS on his career milestones! Lavishly illustrated with RARE AND NEVER SEEN comics, merchandising, and advertising art (includes a color section)! Also includes an extensive index of his published work, comments and tributes by NEAL ADAMS, DENNIS O’NEIL, TERRY AUSTIN, PAUL LEVITZ, MARV WOLFMAN, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, JIM APARO and others, plus a Foreword by NEAL ADAMS and Afterword by PAUL LEVITZ!

(128-page trade paperback) $14.95 ISBN: 9781893905627 Diamond Order Code: FEB073814

(176-pg. Paperback with COLOR) $19.95 ISBN: 9781893905276 Diamond Order Code: STAR20439

CAPTAIN ACTION: THE ORIGINAL SUPER-HERO ACTION FIGURE (Hardcover 2nd Edition)

CAPTAIN ACTION was introduced in 1966 in the wake of the Batman TV show craze, and later received his own DC comic book with art by WALLY WOOD and GIL KANE. Able to assume the identities of 13 famous super-heroes, his initial career was short-lived, but continuing interest in the hero has led to two different returns to toy-store shelves. Lavishly illustrated with over 200 toy photos, this FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER SECOND EDITION chronicles the history of this quick-changing champion, including photos of virtually EVERY CAPTAIN ACTION PRODUCT ever released, spotlights on his allies ACTION BOY and the SUPER QUEENS and his arch enemy DR. EVIL, an examination of his comic-book appearances, and “Action facts” that even the most diehard Captain Action fan won’t know! The original softcover edition has been sold out for years, but this revised, full-color hardcover second edition includes behind-the-scenes coverage of CAPTAIN ACTION’S TRIUMPHANT 2008 RETURN to comics shelves in his new series from Moonstone Books, and spotlights the new wave of Captain Action collectibles. Written by MICHAEL EURY. (176-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 US • ISBN: 9781605490175 • Diamond Code: APR091003

THE

BATCAVE C O M P A N I O N NOW SHIPPING! Batman. Is he the campy Caped Crusader? Or the grim Gotham Guardian? Both, as The Batcave Companion reveals. On the brink of cancellation in 1963, Batman was rescued by DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz, who, abetted by several talented writers and artists, gave the hero a much-needed “New Look” which soon catapulted Batman to multimedia stardom. In the next decade, when Batman required another fresh start, Schwartz once again led a team of creators that returned the hero to his “creature of the night” roots. Writers Michael Eury (The Krypton Companion, The Justice League Companion) and Michael Kronenberg (Spies, Vixens, and Masters of Kung Fu: The Art of Paul Gulacy) unearth the stories behind the stories of both Batman’s “New Look” and Bronze Age (1970s) comic-book eras through incisive essays, invaluable issue-by-issue indexes, and insightful commentary from many of the visionaries responsible for and inspired by Batman’s 1960s and 1970s adventures: Neal Adams, Michael Allred, Terry Austin, Mike W. Barr, Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich, Mike Grell, Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Adam Hughes, Sheldon Moldoff, Will Murray, Dennis O’Neil, Bob Rozakis, Mark Waid, Len Wein, and Bernie Wrightson. Featuring 240 art- and info-packed pages, The Batcave Companion is a must-have examination of two of the most influential periods in Batman’s 70-year history.

Written by Back Issue’s

MICHAEL EURY & MICHAEL KRONENBERG ISBN 978-1-893905-78-8 $26.95 in the U.S. plus shipping Batman, Robin, and all related characters and indicia are TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

TwoMorrows. Celebrating The Art & History Of Comics. TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 • E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • www.twomorrows.com

TwoMorrows Publishing 2009 Update WINTER/SPRING

Supplement to the 2008 TwoMorrows Preview Catalog

ORDER AT: www.twomorrows.com

SAVE

BATCAVE COMPANION

IT’S FINALLY HERE! The writer/editor of the critically acclaimed KRYPTON COMPANION and the designer of the eye-popping SPIES, VIXENS, AND MASTERS OF KUNG FU: THE ART OF PAUL GULACY team up to explore the Silver and Bronze Ages of Batman comic books in THE BATCAVE COMPANION! Two distinct sections of this book examine the Dark Knight’s progression from his campy “New Look” of the mid-1960s to his “creature of the night” reinvention of the 1970s. Features include issue-byissue indexes, interviews with CARMINE INFANTINO, JOE GIELLA, DENNIS O’NEIL, and NEAL ADAMS, and guest essays by MIKE W. BARR and WILL MURRAY. Contributors include SHELDON MOLDOFF, LEN WEIN, STEVE ENGLEHART, and TERRY AUSTIN, with a special tribute to the late MARSHALL ROGERS. With its incisive introduction by DENNIS O’NEIL and its iconic cover painting by NEAL ADAMS, THE BATCAVE COMPANION is a must-have for every comics fan! By MICHAEL EURY and MICHAEL KRONENBERG.

WHE % N YO ORD U ONL ER INE!

(224-page trade paperback) $26.95 US • ISBN: 9781893905788 • Diamond Order Code: NOV068368 • Ships April 2009

COMIC BOOK PODCAST COMPANION Comic book podcasts have taken the Internet by storm, and now TwoMorrows offers you the chance to go behind the scenes of ten of today's top comic book podcasts via all-new interviews with the casts of AROUND COMICS, WORD BALLOON, QUIET! PANELOLOGISTS AT WORK, COMIC BOOK QUEERS, iFANBOY, THE CRANKCAST, THE COLLECTED COMICS LIBRARY, THE PIPELINE PODCAST, COMIC GEEK SPEAK, and TwoMorrows’ own TUNE-IN PODCAST! Also featured are new interviews about podcasting and comics on the Internet with creators MATT FRACTION, TIM SEELEY, and GENE COLAN. You'll also find a handy guide of what you’ll need to start your own podcast, an index of more than thirty great comic book podcasts, numerous photos of your favorite podcasters, and original art from COLAN, SEELEY, DC's MIKE NORTON, and many more! By ERIC HOUSTON, with a spectacular new cover by MIKE MANLEY. (128-page trade paperback) $15.95 • ISBN: 9781605490182 • Ships May 2009

ALL-STAR COMPANION Volume 4 The epic series of ALL-STAR COMPANIONS goes out with a bang, featuring: Colossal coverage of the Golden Age ALL-STAR COMICS! Sensational secrets of the JUNIOR JUSTICE SOCIETY! An index of the complete solo adventures of all 18 original JSAers in their own features, from 1940 to 1951! The JSA's earliest imitators (Seven Soldiers of Victory, All Winners Squad, Marvel Family, and International Crime Patrol)! INFINITY, INC. on Earth-Two and after! And the 1980s SECRET ORIGINS series! With rare art by ALEX ROSS, TODD McFARLANE, JERRY ORDWAY, CARMINE INFANTINO, JOE KUBERT, ALEX TOTH, GIL KANE, MURPHY ANDERSON, IRWIN HASEN, MORT MESKIN, GENE COLAN, WAYNE BORING, GEORGE TUSKA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, GEORGE FREEMAN, DON NEWTON, JACK BURNLEY, MIKE MACHLAN, HOWARD CHAYKIN, DICK DILLIN, and others. Edited by ROY THOMAS.

CAPTAIN ACTION: THE ORIGINAL SUPERHERO ACTION FIGURE

(240-page trade paperback) $27.95 US • ISBN: 9781605490045 Ships June 2009

(Hardcover 2nd Edition)

CAPTAIN ACTION was introduced in 1966 in the wake of the Batman TV show craze, and later received his own DC comic book with art by WALLY WOOD and GIL KANE. Able to assume the identities of 13 famous super-heroes, his initial career was short-lived, but continuing interest in the hero has led to two different returns to toy-store shelves. Lavishly illustrated with over 200 toy photos, this FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER SECOND EDITION chronicles the history of this quick-changing champion, including photos of virtually EVERY CAPTAIN ACTION PRODUCT ever released, spotlights on his allies ACTION BOY and the SUPER QUEENS and his arch enemy DR. EVIL, an examination of his comic-book appearances, and “Action facts” that even the most diehard Captain Action fan won’t know! The original softcover edition has been sold out for years, but this revised, full-color hardcover second edition includes behind-the-scenes coverage of CAPTAIN ACTION’S TRIUMPHANT 2008 RETURN to comics shelves in his new series from Moonstone Books, and spotlights the new wave of Captain Action collectibles. Written by MICHAEL EURY. (176-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 US • ISBN: 9781605490175 • Ships July 2009

MARVEL COMICS IN THE 1960s: An Issue-By-Issue Field Guide

The comic book industry experienced an unexpected flowering in the early 1960s, compliments of Marvel Comics, and this book presents a step-by-step look at how a company that had the reputation of being one of the least creative in a generally moribund industry, emerged as one of the most dynamic, slightly irreverent and downright original contributions to an era when pop-culture emerged as the dominant force in the artistic life of America. In scores of handy, easy to reference entries, MARVEL COMICS IN THE 1960s takes the reader from the legendary company’s first fumbling beginnings as helmed by savvy editor/writer STAN LEE (aided by such artists as JACK KIRBY and STEVE DITKO), to the full maturity of its wild, colorful, offbeat grandiosity. With the history of Marvel Comics in the 1960s divided into four distinct phases, author PIERRE COMTOIS explains just how Lee, Kirby, Ditko, and others created a line of comic books that, while grounded in the traditional elements of panel-to-panel storytelling, broke through the juvenile mindset of a low brow industry and provided a tapestry of full blown pop culture icons. (224-page trade paperback) $27.95 US • ISBN: 9781605490168 • Ships July 2009

GRAILPAGES:

Original Comic Book Art And The Collectors GRAILPAGES brings to light the burgeoning hobby of collecting the original, hand-drawn art that is used to create comic books! Beginning more as a novelty, the hobby of collecting original comic art has expanded to a point where some of the seminal pages commonly run more than $10,000 each. Author STEVEN ALAN PAYNE lets you meet collectors from around the globe and hear their passion in their own words, as they detail collections ranging from a few key pages, to broad, encompassing collections of literally hundreds of pages of original comic art by such artists as JACK KIRBY, JOHN ROMITA SR., and others! Balancing out the narratives are incisive interviews with industry pros, including writers GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, and ROY THOMAS, and exclusive perspectives from Silver Age artists DICK GIORDANO, BOB McLEOD, ERNIE CHAN, TONY DeZUNIGA, and the unparalleled great, GENE COLAN! Completing the book is a diverse sampling of breathtakingly beautiful original comic art, some lavishly presented in full-page spreads, including pages not seen publicly for decades. Fans of comic art, comic books, and pop culture will find in GRAILPAGES an appreciation for a uniquely American form of art! (128-page trade paperback) $15.95 US • ISBN: 9781605490151 Diamond Order Code: JAN094470 • Ships March 2009

MAGAZINES

DIEDGITIIOTANSL BL AVAILA

BRICKJOURNAL magazine is the ultimate resource for LEGO enthusiasts of all ages, spotlighting the LEGO Community with contributions and how-to articles by top builders worldwide, new product intros, and more. Edited by JOE MENO. ALTER EGO focuses on Golden and Silver Age comics and creators with articles, interviews and unseen art, plus FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), Mr. Monster & more. Edited by ROY THOMAS.

BRICKJOURNAL #3

BRICKJOURNAL #4

BRICKJOURNAL #5

BRICKJOURNAL #6

Event Reports from BRICKWORLD, FIRST LEGO LEAGUE WORLD FESTIVAL and PIECE OF PEACE (Japan), spotlight on our cover model builder BRYCE McGLONE, and interviews with ARTHUR GUGICK and STEVEN CANVIN of LEGO MINDSTORMS to see where LEGO ROBOTICS is going! There’s also STEP-BY-STEP BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS, TECHNIQUES, & more!

Interviews with LEGO BUILDERS including BREANN SLEDGE (BIONICLE BUILDER), Event Reports from BRICKFAIR and BRICKCON, plus reports on new MINDSTORMS PROJECTS, STEP-BY-STEP BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS and TECHNIQUES for all skill levels, NEW SET REVIEWS, and a report on constructing the Chinese Olympic Village in LEGO!

Features event reports from around the world, and the MINDSTORMS 10TH ANNIVERSARY at LEGO HEADQUARTERS! Plus an interview with the head of the LEGO GROUP’S 3D DEPARTMENT, a glimpse at the LEGO Group's past with the DIRECTOR OF LEGO'S IDEA HOUSE, instructions and spotlights on builders, and an idea section for Pirate builders!

Spotlight on CLASSIC SPACE SETS and a look at new ones with LEGO SET DESIGNERS, BRANDON GRIFFITH shows his STAR TREK MODELS, plus take a tour of the DUTCH MOONBASE with MIKE VAN LEEUWEN and MARCO BAAS. There's also coverage of BRICKFEST 2009 and FIRST LEGO LEAGUE'S WORLD FESTIVAL and photos from TOY FAIR NEW YORK!

(80-page COLOR magazine) $8.95 US Diamond Order Code: JUN084415

(80-page COLOR magazine) $8.95 US Diamond Order Code: SEP084428

(80-page COLOR magazine) $8.95 US Diamond Order Code: DEC084408 Ships March 2009

(80-page COLOR magazine) $8.95 US Ships June 2009

THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

BACK ISSUE celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through a variety of recurring (and rotating) departments, plus rare and unpublished art. Edited by MICHAEL EURY. DRAW! is the professional “How-To” magazine on cartooning and animation, featuring in-depth interviews and step-bystep demonstrations from top comics professionals. Edited by MIKE MANLEY. ROUGH STUFF features never-seen pencil pages, sketches, layouts, roughs, and unused inked pages from throughout comics history, plus columns, critiques, and more! Edited by BOB McLEOD. WRITE NOW! features writing tips from pros on both sides of the desk, interviews, sample scripts, reviews, exclusive Nuts & Bolts tutorials, and more! Edited by DANNY FINGEROTH.

ALTER EGO #81

ALTER EGO #82

ALTER EGO #83

ALTER EGO #84

New FRANK BRUNNER Man-Thing cover, a look at the late-’60s horror comic WEB OF HORROR with early work by BRUNNER, WRIGHTSON, WINDSOR-SMITH, SIMONSON, & CHAYKIN, interview with comics & fine artist EVERETT RAYMOND KINTSLER, ROY THOMAS’ 1971 origin synopsis for the FIRST MAN-THING STORY, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

MLJ ISSUE! Golden Age MLJ index illustrated with vintage images of The Shield, Hangman, Mr. Justice, Black Hood, by IRV NOVICK, JACK COLE, CHARLES BIRO, MORT MESKIN, GIL KANE, & others—behind a marvelous MLJ-heroes cover by BOB McLEOD! Plus interviews with IRV NOVICK and JOE EDWARDS, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

SWORD & SORCERY PART 2! Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM, in-depth art-filled look at Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian, DC’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Dagar the Invincible, Ironjaw & Wulf, and Arak, Son of Thunder, plus the never-seen Valda the Iron Maiden by TODD McFARLANE! Plus JOE EDWARDS (Part 2), FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

Unseen JIM APARO cover, STEVE SKEATES discusses his early comics work, art & artifacts by ADKINS, APARO, ARAGONÉS, BOYETTE, DITKO, GIORDANO, KANE, KELLER, MORISI, ORLANDO, SEKOWSKY, STONE, THOMAS, WOOD, and the great WARREN SAVIN! Plus writer CHARLES SINCLAIR on his partnership with Batman co-creator BILL FINGER, FCA, and more!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: AUG084454

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: OCT084483

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: NOV084368

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: JAN094555 Ships March 2009

C o l l e c t o r

The JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR magazine celebrates his life and career through INTERVIEWS WITH KIRBY and his contemporaries, FEATURE ARTICLES, RARE AND UNSEEN KIRBY ART, and more. Edited by JOHN MORROW.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRINT EDITION, AND GET THE DIGITAL EDITION FREE, BEFORE THE PRINT ISSUE HITS STORES!

BACK ISSUE #29

BACK ISSUE #30

BACK ISSUE #31

BACK ISSUE #32

“Mutants” issue! CLAREMONT, BYRNE, SMITH, and ROMITA, JR.’s X-Men work, NOCENTI and ARTHUR ADAMS’ Longshot, McLEOD and SIENKIEWICZ’s New Mutants, the UK’s CAPTAIN BRITAIN series, lost Angel stories, Beast’s tenure with the Avengers, the return of the original X-Men in X-Factor, the revelation of Nightcrawler’s “original” father, a history of DC’s mutant, Captain Comet, and more! Cover by DAVE COCKRUM!

“Saturday Morning Heroes!” Interviews with TV Captain Marvels JACKSON BOSTWICK and JOHN DAVEY, MAGGIN and SAVIUK’s lost Superman/”Captain Thunder” sequel, Space Ghost interviews with GARY OWENS and STEVE RUDE, MARV WOLFMAN guest editorial, Super Friends, unproduced fourth wave Super Powers action figures, Astro Boy, ADAM HUGHES tribute to DAVE STEVENS, and a new cover by ALEX ROSS!

“STEVE GERBER Salute!” In-depth look at his Howard the Duck, Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, Defenders, Metal Men, Mister Miracle, Thundarr the Barbarian, and more! Plus: Creators pay tribute to Steve Gerber, featuring art by and commentary from BRUNNER, BUCKLER, COLAN, GOLDEN, STAN LEE, LEVITZ, MAYERIK, MOONEY, PLOOG, SIMONSON, and others. Cover painting by FRANK BRUNNER!

“Tech, Data, and Hardware!” The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, WEIN, WOLFMAN, and GREENBERGER on DC’s Who’s Who, SAVIUK, STATON, and VAN SCIVER on Drawing Green Lantern, ED HANNIGAN Art Gallery, history of Rom: Spaceknight, story of BILL MANTLO, Dial H for Hero, Richie Rich’s Inventions, and a Spider-Mobile schematic cover by ELIOT BROWN and DUSTY ABELL!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: MAY084246

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: JUL084393

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: SEP084399

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: NOV084369

DRAW! #17

DRAW! #18

ROUGH STUFF #10

ROUGH STUFF #11

ROUGH STUFF #12

Interview with Scott Pilgrim’s creator and artist BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY on how he creates the acclaimed series, plus learn how B.P.R.D.’s GUY DAVIS works on his series. Also, more Comic Art Bootcamp: Learning from The Great Cartoonists by BRET BLEVINS and MIKE MANLEY, reviews, and more!

Features an in-depth interview and demo by R.M. GUERA (the artist of Vertigo’s Scalped), behind-the-scenes in the Batcave with Cartoon Network’s JAMES TUCKER on the new hit show “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” plus product reviews by JAMAR NICHOLAS, and Comic Book Boot Camp’s “Anatomy: Part 2” by BRET BLEVINS and MIKE MANLEY!

Interview with RON GARNEY, with copious examples of sketchwork and comments. Also features on ANDY SMITH, MICHAEL JASON PAZ, and MATT HALEY, showing how their work evolves, excerpts from a new book on ALEX RAYMOND, secrets of teaching comic art by pro inker BOB McLEOD, new cover by GARNEY and McLEOD, newcomer critique, and more!

New cover by GREG HORN, plus interviews with HORN and TOM YEATES on how they produce their stellar work. Also features on GENE HA, JIMMY CHEUNG, and MIKE PERKINS, showing their sketchwork and commentary, tips on collecting sketches and commissions from artists, a “Rough Critique” of a newcomer’s work, and more!

Interview and cover by comic painter CHRIS MOELLER, features on New Zealand comic artist COLIN WILSON, G.I. Joe artist JEREMY DALE, and fan favorite TERRY DODSON, plus "GOOD GIRL ART" (a new article about everyone's favorite collectible art) by ROBERT PLUNKETT, a "Rough Critique" of an aspiring artist's work, and more!

(80-page magazine with COLOR) $6.95 US • Ships Spring 2009

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: AUG084469

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: NOV084404

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Ships April 2009

(80-page magazine with COLOR) $6.95 US • Ships February 2009 Diamond Order Code: DEC084377

ALTER EGO #85

ALTER EGO #86

ALTER EGO #87

ALTER EGO #88

WRITE NOW! #20

Captain Marvel and Superman’s battles explored (in cosmic space, candy stories, and in court, with art by WALLY WOOD, CURT SWAN, and GIL KANE), an in-depth interview with Golden Age great LILY RENÉE, overview of CENTAUR COMICS (home of BILL EVERETT’s Amazing-Man and others), FCA, MR. MONSTER, new RICH BUCKLER cover, and more!

Spotlighting the Frantic Four-Color MAD WANNABES of 1953-55 that copied HARVEY KURTZMAN’S EC smash (see Captain Marble, Mighty Moose, Drag-ula, Prince Scallion, and more) with art by SIMON & KIRBY, KUBERT & MAURER, ANDRU & ESPOSITO, EVERETT, COLAN, and many others, plus Part 1 of a talk with Golden/ Silver Age artist FRANK BOLLE, and more!

The sensational 1954-1963 saga of Great Britain’s MARVELMAN (decades before he metamorphosed into Miracleman), plus an interview with writer/artist/co-creator MICK ANGLO, and rare Marvelman/ Miracleman work by ALAN DAVIS, ALAN MOORE, a new RICK VEITCH cover, plus FRANK BOLLE, Part 2, FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

First-ever in-depth look at National/DC’s founder MAJOR MALCOLM WHEELERNICHOLSON, and early editors WHITNEY ELLSWORTH, VIN SULLIVAN, and MORT WEISINGER, with rare art and artifacts by SIEGEL & SHUSTER, BOB KANE, CREIG FLESSEL, FRED GUARDINEER, GARDNER FOX, SHELDON MOLDOFF, and others, plus FCA, MR. MONSTER, and more!

Focus on THE SPIRIT movie, showing how FRANK MILLER transformed WILL EISNER’s comics into the smash-hit film, with interviews with key players behind the making of the movie, a look at what made Eisner’s comics so special, and more. Plus: an interview with COLLEEN DORAN, writer ALEX GRECIAN on how to get a pitch green lighted, script and art examples, and more!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Ships May 2009

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Ships June 2009

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Ships July 2009

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Ships August 2009

(80-page magazine) $6.95 US FINAL ISSUE! Ships February 2009 Diamond Order Code: DEC084398

BACK ISSUE #33

BACK ISSUE #34

BACK ISSUE #35

KIRBY COLLECTOR #52

KIRBY COLLECTOR #53

“Teen Heroes!” Teen Titans in the 1970s & 1980s, with CARDY, GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, PÉREZ, TUSKA, and WOLFMAN, BARON and GUICE on the Flash, interviews with TV Billy Batson MICHAEL GRAY and writer STEVE SKEATES, NICIEZA and BAGLEY’s New Warriors, Legion of Super-Heroes 1970s art gallery, James Bond Jr., and… the Archies! New Teen Titans cover by GEORGE PÉREZ and colored by GENE HA!

“New World Order!” Adam Warlock examined with JIM STARLIN and ROY THOMAS, the history of Miracleman with ALAN DAVIS & GARRY LEACH, JIM SHOOTER interview, roundtable with Marvel’s post-STAN LEE editors-in-chief on the New Universe, Logan’s Run, Star Hunters, BOB WIACEK on Star Wars and Star-Lord, DICK GIORDANO revisits Crisis on Infinite Earths and “The Post-Crisis DC Universe You Didn’t See,” and a new cover by JIM STARLIN!

“Villains!” MIKE ZECK and J.M. DeMATTEIS discuss “Kraven’s Last Hunt” in a “Pro2Pro” interview, the history of the Hobgoblin is exposed, the Joker’s short-lived series, looks back at Secret Society of Super-Villains and Kobra, a Magneto biography, Luthor and Brainiac’s malevolent makeovers, interview with Secret Society artist MIKE VOSBURG, plus contributions from BYRNE, CONWAY, FRENZ, NOVICK, ROMITA JR., STERN, WOLFMAN, and a cover by MIKE ZECK!

Spotlights Kirby’s most obscure work, like an UNUSED THOR STORY, his BRUCE LEE comic, animation work, stage play, and see original unaltered versions of pages from KAMANDI, DEMON, DESTROYER DUCK, and more, including a feature examining the last page of his final issue of various series BEFORE EDITORIAL TAMPERING (with lots of surprises)! Color Kirby covers inked by DON HECK and PAUL SMITH!

Spotlights THE MAGIC OF STAN & JACK! There’s a new interview with STAN LEE, a walking tour of New York showing where Lee & Kirby lived and worked, a re-evaluation of the “Lost” FF #108 story (including a missing page that just surfaced), “What If Jack Hadn’t Left Marvel In 1970?”, plus MARK EVANIER’s regular column, a Kirby pencil art gallery, a complete Golden Age Kirby story, and more, behind a color Kirby cover inked by GEORGE PÉREZ!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Ships May 2009

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Ships July 2009

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US Diamond Order Code: JAN094556 Ships March 2009

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 US Diamond Order Code: DEC084397 Ships February 2009

(84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 US Ships May 2009

NEW MODERN MASTERS VOLUMES Each book contains RARE AND UNSEEN ARTWORK direct from the artist’s files, a COMPREHENSIVE INTERVIEW, DELUXE SKETCHBOOK SECTIONS, and more!

Volume 19: MIKE PLOOG

Volume 20: KYLE BAKER

Volume 21: CHRIS SPROUSE

Volume 22: MARK BUCKINGHAM

Volume 23: DARWYN COOKE

by Eric Nolen-Weathington & Roger Ash (120-page TPB with COLOR) $14.95 ISBN: 9781605490076 Diamond Order Code: SEP084304 Now shipping

by Eric Nolen-Weathington (120-page TPB with COLOR) $14.95 ISBN: 9781605490083 Diamond Order Code: SEP084305 Ships February 2009

by Eric Nolen-Weathington & Todd DeZago (128-page trade paperback) $14.95 ISBN: 97801605490137 Diamond Order Code: NOV084298 Ships March 2008

by Eric Nolen-Weathington (128-page trade paperback) $14.95 ISBN: 9781605490144 Diamond Order Code: JUL088519 Ships May 2008

by Eric Nolen-Weathington (120-page TPB with COLOR) $15.95 ISBN: 9781605490205 Ships June 2008

AGE OF TV HEROES Examines the history of the live-action television adventures of everyone’s favorite comic book heroes! FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER features the in-depth stories of the actors and behind-thescene players that made the classic super-hero television programs we all grew up with. Included are new and exclusive interviews and commentary from ADAM WEST (Batman), LYNDA CARTER (Wonder Woman), PATRICK WARBURTON (The Tick), NICHOLAS HAMMOND (Spider-Man), WILLIAM KATT (The Greatest American Hero), JACK LARSON (The Adventures of Superman), JOHN WESLEY SHIPP (The Flash), JACKSON BOSTWICK (Shazam!), and many more! Written by JASON HOFIUS and GEORGE KHOURY, with a new cover by superstar painter ALEX ROSS! (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 US • ISBN: 9781605490106 Diamond Order Code: SEP084302 Rescheduled for July 2009

SUBSCRIPTION RATES 2009 SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

Media Mail

EXTRAORDINARY WORKS KIRBY FIVE-OH! OF ALAN MOORE: LIMITED HARDCOVER Indispensable Edition Limited to 500 copies, KIRBY FIVE-OH! The definitive biography of the co-creator of WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA finally returns to print in a NEW EXPANDED AND UPDATED VERSION! Features an extensive series of interviews with MOORE about his entire career, including a new interview covering his work since the sold-out 2003 edition of this book was published. Includes RARE STRIPS, SCRIPTS, ART, and private PHOTOS of the author, plus a series of tribute comic strips by many of Moore’s closest collaborators, a COLOR SECTION featuring a RARE MOORE STORY (remastered, and starring MR. MONSTER), and more! Edited by GEORGE KHOURY, with a cover by DAVE McKEAN! (240-page trade paperback) $29.95 US ISBN: 9781605490090 Diamond Order Code: OCT084400 Limited Hardcover Signed by Alan Moore (100 hardcover copies) $49.95 US Only available from TwoMorrows!

1st Class Canada 1st Class Priority Intl. Intl. US

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR (4 issues)

$50

$60

$84

$136

BACK ISSUE! (6 issues)

$44

$60

$70

$105

$115

DRAW! (4 issues)

$30

$40

$47

$70

$77

ALTER EGO (12 issues) Six-issue subs are half-price!

$88

$120

$140

$210

$230

BRICKJOURNAL (4 issues)

$38

$48

$55

$78

$85

LIMITED HARDCOVER EDITION covers the best of everything from Jack Kirby’s 50-year career in comics, including his 50 BEST STORIES, BEST COVERS, BEST EXAMPLES OF UNUSED KIRBY ART, BEST CHARACTER DESIGNS, and profiles of, and commentary by, 50 PEOPLE INFLUENCED BY KIRBY’S WORK! Plus there’s a 50-PAGE GALLERY of Kirby’s PENCIL ART, a DELUXE COLOR SECTION, a previously unseen Kirby Superman cover inked by DARWYN COOKE, and an introduction by MARK EVANIER! Includes a full-color wrapped hardcover, and an individuallynumbered extra Kirby pencil art plate not included in the softcover edition! It’s ONLY AVAILABLE FROM TWOMORROWS, and is not sold in stores! Edited by JOHN MORROW.

Reprints JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #27-30, with looks at Jack’s 1970s and ‘80s work, plus a two-part focus on how widespread Kirby’s influence is! Features rare interviews with KIRBY himself, plus Watchmen’s ALAN MOORE and DAVE GIBBONS, NEIL GAIMAN, Bone’s JEFF SMITH, MARK HAMILL, and others! See page after page of rare Kirby art, including a NEW SPECIAL SECTION with over 30 PIECES OF KIRBY ART NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED, and more! (288-page trade paperback) $29.95 US ISBN: 9781605490120 Diamond Order Code: DEC084286 Ships February 2009

(168-page Limited Edition Hardcover) (500 hardcover copies) $34.95 US Only available from TwoMorrows!

SHIPPING COSTS: Order online for exact weight-based postage, or ADD $2 PER MAGAZINE OR DVD/$4 PER BOOK IN THE US for Media Mail shipping. OUTSIDE THE US, PLEASE ORDER ONLINE TO CALCULATE YOUR EXACT POSTAGE COSTS & SAVE!

Subscriptions will start with the next available issue, but CURRENT AND OLDER ISSUES MUST BE PURCHASED AT THE BACK ISSUE PRICE (new issues ship in bulk, and we pass the savings on in our subscription rates). In the US, we generally ship back issues and books by MEDIA MAIL.

COLLECTED JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR Volume 7

For the latest news from TwoMorrows Publishing, log on to www.twomorrows.com/tnt To get periodic e-mail updates of what’s new from TwoMorrows Publishing, sign up for our mailing list! http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/twomorrows

TwoMorrows Publishing is a division of TwoMorrows, Inc. TM

TwoMorrows. Celebrating The Art & History Of Comics. (& LEGO! ) TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 • E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • www.twomorrows.com

“HOW-TO” MAGAZINES Spinning off from the pages of BACK ISSUE! magazine comes ROUGH STUFF, celebrating the ART of creating comics! Edited by famed inker BOB McLEOD, each issue spotlights NEVER-BEFORE PUBLISHED penciled pages, preliminary sketches, detailed layouts, and even unused inked versions from artists throughout comics history. Included is commentary on the art, discussing what went right and wrong with it, and background information to put it all into historical perspective. Plus, before-and-after comparisons let you see firsthand how an image changes from initial concept to published version. So don’t miss this amazing magazine, featuring galleries of NEVER-BEFORE SEEN art, from some of your favorite series of all time, and the top pros in the industry!

DIEGDITITIOANL

DIEGDITITIOANL BL AVAILA

BL AVAILA

DIEGDITITIOANL BL AVAILA

ROUGH STUFF #1 Our debut issue features galleries of UNSEEN ART by a who’s who of Modern Masters including: ALAN DAVIS, GEORGE PÉREZ, BRUCE TIMM, KEVIN NOWLAN, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, ARTHUR ADAMS, JOHN BYRNE, and WALTER SIMONSON, plus a KEVIN NOWLAN interview, art critiques, and a new BRUCE TIMM COVER!

BL AVAILA

ROUGH STUFF #2

ROUGH STUFF #3

ROUGH STUFF #4

The follow-up to our smash first issue features more galleries of UNSEEN ART by top industry professionals, including: BRIAN APTHORP, FRANK BRUNNER, PAUL GULACY, JERRY ORDWAY, ALEX TOTH, and MATT WAGNER, plus a PAUL GULACY interview, a look at art of the pros BEFORE they were pros, and a new GULACY “HEX” COVER!

Still more galleries of UNPUBLISHED ART by MIKE ALLRED, JOHN BUSCEMA, YANICK PAQUETTE, JOHN ROMITA JR., P. CRAIG RUSSELL, and LEE WEEKS, plus a JOHN ROMITA JR. interview, looks at the process of creating a cover (with BILL SIENKIEWICZ and JOHN ROMITA JR.), and a new ROMITA JR. COVER, plus a FREE DRAW #13 PREVIEW!

More NEVER-PUBLISHED galleries (with detailed artist commentaries) by MICHAEL KALUTA, ANDREW “Starman” ROBINSON, GENE COLAN, HOWARD CHAYKIN, and STEVE BISSETTE, plus interview and art by JOHN TOTLEBEN, a look at the Wonder Woman Day charity auction (with rare art), art critiques, before-&-after art comparisons, and a FREE WRITE NOW #15 PREVIEW!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: AUG063714

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: NOV064024

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: FEB073911

(116-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: APR063497

ROUGH STUFF #5

DIGITITIOANL

DIEGDITITIOANL

ROUGH STUFF #6

NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED galleries (complete with extensive commentaries by the artists) by PAUL SMITH, GIL KANE, CULLY HAMNER, DALE KEOWN, and ASHLEY WOOD, plus a feature interview and art by STEVE RUDE, an examination of JOHN ALBANO and TONY DeZUNIGA’s work on Jonah Hex, new STEVE RUDE COVER, plus a FREE BACK ISSUE #23 PREVIEW!

Features a new interview and cover by BRIAN STELFREEZE, interview with BUTCH GUICE, extensive art galleries/commentary by IAN CHURCHILL, DAVE COCKRUM, and COLLEEN DORAN, MIKE GAGNON looks at independent comics, with art and comments by ANDREW BARR, BRANDON GRAHAM, and ASAF HANUKA! Includes a FREE ALTER EGO #73 PREVIEW!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: MAY073902

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: AUG074137

ED BLE AVAILA

ROUGH STUFF #7

DIEGDITITIOANL E

BL AVAILA

Features an in-depth interview and cover by TIM TOWNSEND, CRAIG HAMILTON, DAN JURGENS, and HOWARD PORTER offer preliminary art and commentaries, MARIE SEVERIN career retrospective, graphic novels feature with art and comments by DAWN BROWN, TOMER HANUKA, BEN TEMPLESMITH, and LANCE TOOKS, and more! (100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: NOV073966

DIEGDITITIOANL BL AVAILA

ROUGH STUFF #9

DIEGDITITIOANL BLE AVAILA

ROUGH STUFF #8 Features an in-depth interview and cover painting by the extraordinary MIKE MAYHEW, preliminary and unpublished art by ALEX HORLEY, TONY DeZUNIGA, NICK CARDY, and RAFAEL KAYANAN (including commentary by each artist), a look at the great Belgian comic book artists, a “Rough Critique” of MIKE MURDOCK’s work, and more! (100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: FEB084188

Editor and pro inker BOB McLEOD features four interviews this issue: ROB HAYNES (interviewed by fellow professional TIM TOWNSEND), JOE JUSKO, MEL RUBI, and SCOTT WILLIAMS, with a new painted cover by JUSKO, and an article by McLEOD examining "Inkers: Who needs ’em?" along with other features, including a Rough Critique of RUDY VASQUEZ! (100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: MAY084263

4-ISSUE SUBSCRIPTIONS: $26 US Postpaid by Media Mail ($36 First Class, $44 Canada, $60 Surface, $72 Airmail).

DIEGDITITIOANL BL AVAILA

THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!

Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comicsbased media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

Go online for an ULTIMATE BUNDLE, with all the issues at HALF-PRICE! 6-ISSUE SUBS: $44 US Postpaid by Media Mail ($60 First Class, $70 Canada, $105 1st Class Intl., $115 Priority Intl.).

BACK ISSUE #1

BACK ISSUE #2

BACK ISSUE #3

“PRO2PRO” interview between GEORGE PÉREZ & MARV WOLFMAN (with UNSEEN PÉREZ ART), “ROUGH STUFF” featuring JACK KIRBY’s PENCIL ART, “GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD” on the first JLA/AVENGERS, “BEYOND CAPES” on DC and Marvel’s TARZAN (with KUBERT and BUSCEMA ART), “OFF MY CHEST” editorial by INFANTINO, and more! PÉREZ cover!

“PRO2PRO” between ADAM HUGHES and MIKE W. BARR (with UNSEEN HUGHES ART) and MATT WAGNER and DIANA SCHUTZ, “ROUGH STUFF” HUGHES PENCIL ART, STEVE RUDE’s unseen SPACE GHOST/HERCULOIDS team-up, Bruce Jones’ ALIEN WORLDS and TWISTED TALES, “OFF MY CHEST” by MIKE W. BARR on the DC IMPLOSION, and more! HUGHES cover!

“PRO2PRO” between KEITH GIFFEN, J.M. DeMATTEIS and KEVIN MAGUIRE on their JLA WORK, “ROUGH STUFF” PENCIL ART by ARAGONÉS, HERNANDEZ BROS., MIGNOLA, BYRNE, KIRBY, HUGHES, details on two unknown PLASTIC MAN movies, Joker’s history with O’NEIL, ADAMS, ENGLEHART, ROGERS and BOLLAND, editorial by MARK EVANIER, and more! BOLLAND cover!

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: SEP032621

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: NOV032696

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: JAN042880

BACK ISSUE #4

BACK ISSUE #5

BACK ISSUE #6

BACK ISSUE #7

BACK ISSUE #8

“PRO2PRO” between JOHN BYRNE and CHRIS CLAREMONT on their X-MEN WORK and WALT SIMONSON and JOE CASEY on Walter’s THOR, WOLVERINE PENCIL ART by BUSCEMA, LEE, COCKRUM, BYRNE, and GIL KANE, LEN WEIN’S TEEN WOLVERINE, PUNISHER’S 30TH and SECRET WARS’ 20TH ANNIVERSARIES (with UNSEEN ZECK ART), and more! BYRNE cover!

Wonder Woman TV series in-depth, LYNDA CARTER INTERVIEW, WONDER WOMAN TV ART GALLERY, Marvel’s TV Hulk, SpiderMan, Captain America, and Dr. Strange, LOU FERRIGNO INTERVIEW, super-hero cartoons you didn’t see, pencil gallery by JERRY ORDWAY, STAR TREK in comics, and ROMITA SR. editorial on Marvel’s movies! Covers by ALEX ROSS and ADAM HUGHES!

TOMB OF DRACULA revealed with GENE COLAN and MARV WOLFMAN, LEN WEIN & BERNIE WRIGHTSON on Swamp Thing’s roots, STEVE BISSETTE & RICK VEITCH on their Swamp work, pencil art by BRUNNER, PLOOG, BISSETTE, COLAN, WRIGHTSON, and SMITH, editorial by ROY THOMAS, PREZ, GODZILLA comics (with TRIMPE art), CHARLTON horror, & more! COLAN cover!

History of BRAVE AND BOLD, JIM APARO interview, tribute to BOB HANEY, FANTASTIC FOUR ROUNDTABLE with STAN LEE, MARK WAID, and others, EVANIER and MEUGNIOT on DNAgents, pencil art by ROSS, TOTH, COCKRUM, HECK, ROBBINS, NEWTON, and BYRNE, DENNY O’NEIL editorial, a tour of METROPOLIS, IL, and more! SWAN/ANDERSON cover!

DENNY O’NEIL and Justice League Unlimited voice actor PHIL LaMARR discuss GL JOHN STEWART, NEW X-MEN pencil art by NEAL ADAMS, ARTHUR ADAMS, DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI, ALAN DAVIS, JIM LEE, ADAM HUGHES, STORM’s 30-year history, animated TV’s black heroes (with TOTH art), ISABELLA and TREVOR VON EEDEN on BLACK LIGHTNING, and more! KYLE BAKER cover!

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: MAR042973

(108-page magazine with COLOR) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: MAY043051

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: JUL043389

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: SEP043044

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: NOV043081

DIEGDITITIOANL ONLY!

BACK ISSUE #9

BACK ISSUE #10

BACK ISSUE #11

BACK ISSUE #12

BACK ISSUE #13

MIKE BARON and STEVE RUDE on NEXUS past and present, a colossal GIL KANE pencil art gallery, a look at Marvel’s STAR WARS comics, secrets of DC’s unseen CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS SEQUEL, TIM TRUMAN on his GRIMJACK SERIES, MIKE GOLD editorial, THANOS history, TIME WARP revisited, and more! All-new STEVE RUDE COVER!

NEAL ADAMS and DENNY O’NEIL on RA’S AL GHUL’s history (with Adams art), O’Neil and MICHAEL KALUTA on THE SHADOW, MIKE GRELL on JON SABLE FREELANCE, HOWIE CHAYKIN interview, DOC SAVAGE in comics, BATMAN ART GALLERY by PAUL SMITH, SIENKIEWICZ, SIMONSON, BOLLAND, HANNIGAN, MAZZUCCHELLI, and others! New cover by ADAMS!

ROY THOMAS, KURT BUSIEK, and JOE JUSKO on CONAN (with art by JOHN BUSCEMA, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, NEAL ADAMS, JUSKO, and others), SERGIO ARAGONÉS and MARK EVANIER on GROO, DC’s never-published KING ARTHUR, pencil art gallery by KIRBY, PÉREZ, MOEBIUS, GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, BOLLAND, and others, and a new BUSCEMA/JUSKO Conan cover!

‘70s and ‘80s character revamps with DAVE GIBBONS, ROY THOMAS and KURT BUSIEK, TOM DeFALCO and RON FRENZ on Spider-Man’s 1980s “black” costume change, DENNY O’NEIL on Superman’s 1970 revamp, JOHN BYRNE’s aborted SHAZAM! series detailed, pencil art gallery with FRANK MILLER, LEE WEEKS, DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI, CHARLES VESS, and more!

CARDY interview, ENGLEHART and MOENCH on kung-fu comics, “Pro2Pro” with STATON and CUTI on Charlton’s E-Man, pencil art gallery featuring MILLER, KUBERT, GIORDANO, SWAN, GIL KANE, COLAN, COCKRUM, and others, EISNER’s A Contract with God; “The Death of Romance (Comics)” (with art by ROMITA, SR. and TOTH), and more!

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: JAN053136

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: MAR053333

(108-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: MAY053174

(100-page magazine) $5.95 Diamond Order Code: JUL053295

(100-page magazine) SOLD OUT (100-page Digital Edition) $2.95

DIEGDITITIOANL BL AVAILA

BACK ISSUE #14

BACK ISSUE #15

BACK ISSUE #16

BACK ISSUE #17

BACK ISSUE #18

DAVE COCKRUM and MIKE GRELL go “Pro2Pro” on the Legion, pencil art gallery by BUSCEMA, BYRNE, MILLER, STARLIN, McFARLANE, ROMITA JR., SIENKIEWICZ, looks at Hercules Unbound, Hex, Killraven, Kamandi, MARS, Planet of the Apes, art and interviews with GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, KIRBY, WILLIAMSON, and more! New MIKE GRELL/BOB McLEOD cover!

“Weird Heroes” of the 1970s and ‘80s! MIKE PLOOG discusses Ghost Rider, MATT WAGNER revisits The Demon, JOE KUBERT dusts off Ragman, GENE COLAN “Rough Stuff” pencil gallery, GARCÍALÓPEZ recalls Deadman, DC’s unpublished Gorilla Grodd series, PERLIN, CONWAY, and MOENCH on Werewolf by Night, and more! New ARTHUR ADAMS cover!

“Toy Stories!” Behind the Scenes of Marvel’s G.I. JOE™ and TRANSFORMERS with PAUL LEVITZ and GEORGE TUSKA, “Rough Stuff” MIKE ZECK pencil gallery, ARTHUR ADAMS on Gumby, HE-MAN, ROM, MICRONAUTS, SUPER POWERS, SUPER-HERO CARS, art by HAMA, SAL BUSCEMA, GUICE, GOLDEN, KIRBY, TRIMPE, and new ZECK sketch cover!

“Super Girls!” Supergirl retrospective with art by STELFREEZE, HAMNER, SpiderWoman, Flare, Tigra, DC’s unused Double Comics with unseen BARRETTO and INFANTINO art, WOLFMAN and JIMENEZ on Donna Troy, female comics pros, art by SEKOWSKY, OKSNER, PÉREZ, HUGHES, GIORDANO, plus a COLOR GALLERY and COVER by BRUCE TIMM!

“Big, Green Issue!” Tour of NEAL ADAMS’ studio (with interview and art gallery), DAVE GIBBONS “Rough Stuff” pencil art spotlight, interviews with MIKE GRELL (on Green Arrow), PETER DAVID (on Incredible Hulk), a “Pro2Pro” chat between GERRY CONWAY and JOHN ROMITA, SR. (on the Green Goblin), and more. New cover by NEAL ADAMS!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: NOV053296

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: JAN063431

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: MAR063547

(108-page magazine with COLOR) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: MAY063499

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: JUL063569

DIEGDITITIOANL

BL AVAILA

BLE AVAILA

DIEGDITITIOANL BL AVAILA

BACK ISSUE #19

BACK ISSUE #20

BACK ISSUE #21

BACK ISSUE #22

BACK ISSUE #23

“Unsung Heroes!” DON NEWTON spotlight, STEVE GERBER and GENE COLAN on Howard the Duck, MIKE CARLIN and DANNY FINGEROTH on Marvel’s Assistant Editors’ Month, the unrealized Unlimited Powers TV show, TONY ISABELLA’s aborted plans for The Champions, MARK GRUENWALD tribute, art by SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, and more! NEWTON/ RUBINSTEIN cover!

“Secret Identities!” Histories of characters with unusual alter egos: Firestorm, Moon Knight, the Question, and the “real-life” Human Fly! STEVE ENGLEHART and SAL BUSCEMA on Captain America, JERRY ORDWAY interview and cover, Superman roundtable with SIENKIEWICZ, NOWLAN, MOENCH, COWAN, MAGGIN, O’NEIL, MILGROM, CONWAY, ROBBINS, SWAN, plus FREE ALTER EGO #64 PREVIEW!

“The Devil You Say!” issue! A look at Daredevil in the 1980s and 1990s with interviews and art by KLAUS JANSON, JOHN ROMITA JR., and FRANK MILLER, MIKE MIGNOLA Hellboy interview, DAN MISHKIN and GARY COHN on Blue Devil, COLLEEN DORAN’s unpublished X-Men spin-off “Fallen Angels”, Son of Satan, Stig’s Inferno, DC’s Plop!, JACK KIRBY’s Devil Dinosaur, and cover by MIKE ZECK!

“Dynamic Duos!’ “Pro2Pro” interviews with Batman’s ALAN GRANT and NORM BREYFOGLE and the Legion’s PAUL LEVITZ and KEITH GIFFEN, a “Backstage Pass” to Dark Horse Comics, Robin’s history, EASTMAN and LAIRD’s Ninja Turtles, histories of duos Robin and Batgirl, Captain America and the Falcon, and Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, “Zot!” interview with SCOTT McCLOUD, and a new BREYFOGLE cover!

“Comics Go Hollywood!” Spider-Man roundtable with STAN LEE, JOHN ROMITA, SR., JIM SHOOTER, ERIK LARSEN, and others, STAR TREK comics writers’ roundtable Part 1, Gladstone’s Disney comics line, behindthe-scenes at TV’s ISIS and THE FLASH (plus an interview with Flash’s JOHN WESLEY SHIPP), TV tie-in comics, bonus 8-page color ADAM HUGHES ART GALLERY and cover, plus a FREE WRITE NOW #16 PREVIEW!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: SEP063683

(104-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: NOV063993

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: JAN073984

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: MAR073855

(108-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: MAY073880

DIGDITITIOANL E BLE AVAILA

DIGITITIOANL ED BLE AVAILA

DIGDITITIOANL E BLE AVAILA

DIEGDITITIOANL BL AVAILA

BACK ISSUE #24

BACK ISSUE #25

BACK ISSUE #26

BACK ISSUE #27

BACK ISSUE #28

“Magic” issue! MICHAEL GOLDEN interview, GENE COLAN, PAUL SMITH, and FRANK BRUNNER on drawing Dr. Strange, Mystic Art Gallery with CARL POTTS & KEVIN NOWLAN, BILL WILLINGHAM’s Elementals, Zatanna history, Dr. Fate’s revival, a “Greatest Stories Never Told” look at Peter Pan, tribute to the late MARSHALL ROGERS, a new GOLDEN cover, plus a FREE ROUGH STUFF #6 PREVIEW!

“Men of Steel!’ BOB LAYTON and DAVID MICHELINIE on Iron Man, RICH BUCKLER on Deathlok, MIKE GRELL on Warlord, JOHN BYRNE on ROG 2000, Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman, Machine Man, the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes comic strip, DC’s Steel, art by KIRBY, HECK, WINDSOR-SMITH, TUSKA, LAYTON cover, and bonus “Men of Steel” art gallery! Includes a FREE DRAW! #15 PREVIEW!

“Spies and Tough Guys!’ PAUL GULACY and DOUG MOENCH in an art-packed “Pro2Pro” on Master of Kung Fu and their unrealized Shang-Chi/Nick Fury crossover, Suicide Squad spotlight, Ms. Tree, CHUCK DIXON and TIM TRUMAN’s Airboy, James Bond and Mr. T in comic books, Sgt. Rock’s oddball super-hero team-ups, Nathaniel Dusk, JOE KUBERT’s unpublished The Redeemer, and a new GULACY cover!

“Comic Book Royalty!” The ’70s/’80s careers of Aquaman and the Sub-Mariner explored, BARR and BOLLAND discuss CAMELOT 3000, comics pros tell “Why JACK KIRBY Was King,” “Dr. Doom: Monarch or Menace?” DON McGREGOR’s Black Panther; an exclusive ALAN WEISS art gallery; spotlights on ARION, LORD OF ATLANTIS; NIGHT FORCE; and more! New cover by NICK CARDY!

“Heroes Behaving Badly!” Hulk vs. Thing tirades with RON WILSON, HERB TRIMPE, and JIM SHOOTER; CARY BATES and CARMINE INFANTINO on “Trial of the Flash”; JOHN BYRNE’s heroes who cross the line; Teen Titan Terra, Kid Miracleman, Mark Shaw Manhunter, and others who went bad, featuring LAYTON, MICHELINIE, WOLFMAN, and PÉREZ, and more! New cover by DARWYN COOKE!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: JUL073976

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: SEP074091

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: NOV073948

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: JAN084020

(100-page magazine) $6.95 Diamond Order Code: MAR084109

NEW STUFF FROM TWOMORROWS!

ALTER EGO #85

WRITE NOW! #20

ROUGH STUFF #12

DRAW! #17

BRICKJOURNAL #5

Go behind the pages of the hit series of graphic novels starring Scott Pilgrim with his creator and artist, BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY, to see how he creates the acclaimed series! Then, learn how B.P.R.D.’s GUY DAVIS works on the series, plus more Comic Art Bootcamp: Learning from The Great Cartoonists by BRET BLEVINS and MIKE MANLEY, reviews, and more!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US (Digital Edition) $2.95 Diamond Order Code: MAR094514 Now shipping!

(80-page magazine) $6.95 US (Digital Edition) $2.95 Diamond Order Code: DEC084398 FINAL ISSUE! Now shipping!

(100-page magazine) $6.95 US (Digital Edition) $2.95 Diamond Order Code: FEB094564 FINAL ISSUE! Now shipping!

(80-page magazine with COLOR) $6.95 US • (Digital Edition) $2.95 Diamond Order Code: DEC084377 Now shipping!

(80-page COLOR magazine) $8.95 US (Digital Edition) $3.95 Diamond Order Code: DEC084408 Now shipping!

KIRBY COLLECTOR #52

EXTRAORDINARY WORKS OF ALAN MOORE:

BATCAVE COMPANION

Spotlights Kirby’s most obscure work, like an UNUSED THOR STORY, BRUCE LEE comic, animation work, stage play, unaltered versions of pages from KAMANDI, DEMON, & DESTROYER DUCK, a feature examining the last page of his final issue of various series BEFORE EDITORIAL TAMPERING, unseen Kirby covers & more! (84-page tabloid magazine) $9.95 US Diamond Order Code: DEC084397 (Digital Edition) $3.95 • Now shipping!

COLLECTED KIRBY COLLECTOR VOL. 7 Reprints KIRBY COLLECTOR #27-30 plus over 30 pieces of Kirby art never published! (288-page trade paperback) $29.95 ISBN: 9781605490120 Now shipping!

GRAILPAGES

The definitive autobiographical book on ALAN MOORE in a NEW EXPANDED AND UPDATED VERSION! Includes new interviews covering his work since the original 2003 edition of the book. From SWAMP THING, V FOR VENDETTA, WATCHMEN, and LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN and beyond – all are discussed by Alan. Plus, there’s RARE STRIPS, SCRIPTS, ARTWORK, and PHOTOGRAPHS, tribute comic strips by NEIL GAIMAN and other of Moore’s closest collaborators, a COLOR SECTION featuring the RARE MOORE STORY “The Riddle of the Recalcitrant Refuse” (newly remastered, and starring MR. MONSTER), and more! Edited by GEORGE KHOURY, with a cover by DAVE McKEAN!

Explore the Silver and Bronze Ages of Batman comic books in THE BATCAVE COMPANION! Two distinct sections of this book examine the Dark Knight’s progression from his campy “New Look” of the mid-1960s to his “creature of the night” reinvention of the 1970s. Features include issue-by-issue indexes, interviews with CARMINE INFANTINO, JOE GIELLA, DENNIS O’NEIL, and NEAL ADAMS, and guest essays by MIKE W. BARR and WILL MURRAY. Contributors include SHELDON MOLDOFF, LEN WEIN, STEVE ENGLEHART, and TERRY AUSTIN, with a special tribute to the late MARSHALL ROGERS. With its incisive introduction by DENNIS O’NEIL and its iconic cover painting by NEAL ADAMS, THE BATCAVE COMPANION is a must-have for every comics fan! By MICHAEL EURY and MICHAEL KRONENBERG.

(240-page trade paperback) $29.95 US ISBN: 9781605490090 Diamond Order Code: JAN088702 Now shipping!

(224-page trade paperback) $26.95 US ISBN: 9781893905788 Diamond Order Code: NOV068368 Now shipping!

Indispensable Edition

Go to www.twomorrows.com for FULL-COLOR downloadable PDF versions of our magazines for only $2.95! Subscribers to the print edition get the digital edition FREE, weeks before it hits stores!

2009 SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

Media Mail

Original Comic Book Art & The Collectors Examines the hobby of collecting original comic book art, letting you meet collectors from around the globe as they detail collections ranging from a few key pages, to hundreds of pages of original comic art by JACK KIRBY, JOHN ROMITA SR., and others! Features interviews with industry pros, including writers GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, and ROY THOMAS, and exclusive perspectives from Silver Age artists DICK GIORDANO, BOB McLEOD, ERNIE CHAN, TONY DeZUNIGA, and the unparalleled great, GENE COLAN! Completing the book is a diverse sampling of breathtakingly beautiful original comic art, some lavishly presented in full-page spreads, including pages not seen publicly for decades. Written by STEVEN ALAN PAYNE. (128-page trade paperback) $15.95 US ISBN: 9781605490151 Diamond Order Code: JAN094470 Now shipping!

VOLUME 20: KYLE BAKER

(120-page trade paperback with COLOR) $14.95 US • ISBN: 9781605490083 Now shipping!

VOLUME 21: CHRIS SPROUSE

(128-page trade paperback) $14.95 US • ISBN: 97801605490137 Ships May 2009 Each features an extensive, career-spanning interview lavishly illustrated with rare art from the artist’s files, plus huge sketchbook section, including unseen and unused art!

1st Class Canada 1st Class Priority US Intl. Intl.

JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR (4 issues)

$50

$60

$84

$136

BACK ISSUE! (6 issues)

$44

$60

$70

$105

$115

DRAW! (4 issues)

$30

$40

$47

$70

$77

ALTER EGO (12 issues) Six-issue subs are half-price!

$88

$120

$140

$210

$230

BRICKJOURNAL (4 issues)

$38

$48

$55

$78

$85

For the latest news from TwoMorrows Publishing, log on to www.twomorrows.com/tnt