If it comes to Broadway, do go see Steven Moffat's The Unfriend. Just got out from seeing it for the second time, now in the West End. You may find it glorious. He also has quite the back catalogue to dig into, nothing is more pure than his earliest, Press Gang. One particular plot twist was nicked by Alan Moore.
All I know is the public statements. Can’t say there appears to be any personal animosity but he seemed to be bothered by rumors out of wherever you are at the moment, BC these days. I assumed it was personal, but you know what they say about assuming. Happy the two of you are cool.
Speaking of strong first issues: As a young reader, I think the first time I got in on the "ground floor" of a new series was THE CAT #1 in 1972. It really grabbed me at the time, and I think it still holds up pretty well today. I like how it's structured, starting with the heroine already in the middle of her fist mission, interspersed with flashbacks that reveal her origin. Conceptually, it owes a lot to Spider-Man -- the science experiment, the death of a beloved parent/mentor figure being the spur to action, the hero using wisecracks to hide their insecurity, etc. Something I probably didn't notice or appreciate at the time was that writer Linda Fite incorporated a strong feminist subtext, which I think was a lot more effective than the lip service that "Women's Lib" tended to get in other books of that era. And of course, with Marie Severin and Wally Wood handling the art, the issue looked fantastic.
Anyway, I loved it as a kid, and I was crushed when the book got cancelled a few issues later. I know that aspects of the character live on in the form of Tigra and Hellcat, but it's just not the same. If Marvel ever publishes a "The Cat - The Lost Years" mini-series, I'll be first in line with my wallet...
I like your take on The Cat! Two other things I find interesting about this short-lived book…
1: For all intents and purposes, Dr. Tumolo replicated Erskine's Super Soldier process.
2: I always found it interesting just how similar the design for the Cat was to the original design for Wolverine two years later. Honestly, if you put them side-by-side, you would swear they were 2-halves of a crime-fighting duo.
Question - Why do old 70s/80s/even 90s mags have so many asterisked notes to previous issues (this question was inspired by reading some of 90s spectacular spider man which was particularly note heavy!). As far as I know, most stories weren't reprinted that much or collected in trades so frequently as now.... So how would a reference to a years old Spidey ish or something mean anything to the reader ? Or was it just for the collector lore junkies ??
Right, back to reading Spidey island !!! Happy week all xx
Point: That Steranko history was mind blowing when I read it. Back then, it was the first slab of comics history that wasn't hagiography or corporate propaganda.*
Question: I presume that your précis, To, that resulted in MacKay's Avengers run, sought another huge through line in the run? Which reminds me: Approximately how big is North's FF run going to be? I'd enjoying it a lot.
(*LOL: after writing that sentence, my mind started wandering, triggered by that line re corporate propaganda. Don't want to elaborate on that but I started wondering about Stan Lee's FF proposal which is enfogged by mystery. So let me throw out this and ask whether it flies: The FF was created for one of the anthology books, for which Goodman's OK was not needed. However, at some point, it was decided to put it in its own book for which Goodman's approval was very much needed so that two page synopsis. And as for any conflicts between the synopsis and the first issue, I'll put all the blame on Lee's memory.)
Hey Tom. Have really enjoyed Savage Avengers, shame that’s ending. Do you feel it doesn’t work so well now that Conan’s not a part of it any more, or just that you’ve come to the end of the idea?
Personably I thought Skull the Slayer would have been a good draft as a potential replacement on the team.
Great idea! Skull would be perfect - or any other Marvel era barbarian...lots of cool history to mine. I liked this team of time lost outcasts as well.
Last newsletter you mentioned working with Geoff Johns on Avengers - any anecdotes or plans that never were to share?
Johns introduced a brand new Zodiac that was never followed up on - what was their story?
Reminds me of the late 90s brand new Zodiac Mark Waid introduced in Cap that we also never saw again..poor Zodiac lol. My fav version was the Kurt Busiek Zodiac that never was outlined in his Heroes Reborn Avengers pitch..sounded fun.
"But I think Stilt-Man’s day was done after Frank Miller had him clobbered by his perennial hapless thug, Turk, who proceeded to swipe his costume and shtick, at least for one story. After you’ve been punked by Turk, it’s hard to claw back your self-respect, you know?"
Cooking my beloved Stilt-Man by roasting another fave in Turk...that one hurts. Respect the blue-collar grinders of the supervillain world, Tom! Can't a guy steal someone else's invention so he can vacuum the jewels of rich people at random rooftop parties in peace?!
What does 'eat his own feet' mean? Google was no help and even offered links to cannabilism. Yay, Google.
I also adored Capaldi and may even have the same similarities. Clara became one of my favorite companions after Jenna Coleman was paired with Capaldi, number one in New Who and only behind Tegan overall. I doubt many other actors in the show that could have llanded that cld opening with Clara telling the Cybermen she was the Doctor as magnificently as she did!
"Now, I know you feel differently about this—but, respectfully, you feel that way as a reader and a fan from the outside, who doesn’t really have to be concerned with the welfare of the company or the many people who work for it."
That's true, but as you pointed out, at least some of those who disagree with you were in the trenches. I wouldn't characterize my own view as an endorsement of nepotism/cronyism (which I recognize happened frequently in the past and was an overall negative) nor even as some sort of universal employment scheme. But I think if I were in such a position, I would likely take into account what someone's past contributions were-- for example, if they'd written a lot of great stuff before but had been in a bit of a slump in recent years, I'd tend to think they might still have something in them that could be brought out under the right circumstances. Or if they were an artist who had drawn classic tales for decades but wasn't quite the hot new thing anymore, I'd think about coming up with a project that would showcase their skills and draw attention. So yes, technically, that's not putting the interests of the publisher first and foremost, which would certainly not make it a wise perspective to articulate if one were in a position like that (I have no such plans ;) ).... but I don't see it as tossing the publisher's interests away, either. It's simply having different priorities, and I suspect there are many occasions where somebody was motivated in that way and it ended up working out (ie; good comic, good sales). We're just unlikely to hear about it because as mentioned, it would be unwise for any editor to announce that. That said, I understand your perspective.
In terms of perfect first issue/first year structures, I always thought one of the best structures for launching a book was seen with Warren Ellis's Transmetropolitan. The structure for the first year is 3-1-1-1-1-1-1-3; i.e. a three-parter to start, six one-shots, and then a three-parter to end the first year. The first three-parter introduces you to the main character and the issues he will deal with, along with the environment he'll be in. And it made for an attractive package that could be printed up as a light trade quickly to attract new readers. After that, the next six issues were one-offs that introduced other characters in the story; you could pick up an issue without having a deep understanding of what happened before.
After that first year, the book shifted to a six-month story structure, but by then it had shifted from the Helix imprint to Vertigo, and the Vertigo machinery was far better at supporting that type of story structure. And it didn't hurt that Warren and Darick were absolutely fantastic.
The original Night Court episodes are on FreeVee, and the ads aren't too disruptive. And they still hold up, in a last-days-of-vaudeville sort of way.
I finished reading Fantastic Four #100-200, and I walked away with an increased appreciation of George Perez, if such a thing is possible. And to me, issue 164 is a bit of a marker, not only because it's Perez's first issue, but because it's the first time since the birth of Franklin that any writer really tries to include Sue in the action as a full member of the team. Up until them, for a lot of the run, they're either hiding Sue away with Agatha Harkness, or she's thinking of divorcing Reed because he's a standoffish introvert. In issue 164, Sue actually owns her role from the start, answering Reed directly when he questions her actions in a collision with Ben, and shows off her expanded power set to the team. From then on out, she's as fleshed out a character as she ever had been up until then.
I'm also a big Peter Capaldi fan- I think he's my favorite Doctor. It might be because we're both gray-haired and handsome.
OK, since this is about asking you questions...if you had permission to bring Doctor Who into the Marvel Universe, which incarnation of the Doctor would you choose? (And for fun, let's say you couldn't use the most recent, even though that would probably be the most marketable.)
Hi Tom, first time questioner. Around the time the Crossgen books came out was the same time I was at peak monthly reading, and there were so many great titles in the bunch. Ruse, Meridian, Sojourn, Mystic and Abadazad were personal favorites. Several of these series received brief reboots, and the line recently had a reprint collection. How does editorial look at these books, as far as whether to bring them back for another go? It seems like these series in particular would do well in the book market, and book fairs etc, since they’re a different aesthetic than many Marvel books. Meridian in particular is begging for a reboot and a Disney channel series. We’ve seen Marvel taking on more properties like Alien and Predator. How does editorial go about deciding which of your parent company’s IP to tackle? On a side note, I promise you’ll have at least one monthly reader for any of the above. Thank you for your time.
It looks like you have quite a haul of questions this week already so instead of adding to the pile, I'll instead share a music recommendation based on your stated fondness for Lake Street Dive: The Mynabirds. In addition to the top songs whatever music recommendation service you use, I'd be sure to sample "What We Gained in the Fire," "Wildfire," and maybe even "Golden Age."
(I know music recommendations are hit & miss because taste is so subjective, but when a song DOES hit, it can be like a li'l skittle of joy.)
Thanks for another great newsletter! I especially enjoyed reading about the development of the Thunderbolts, makes me want to go back and reread those first few issues. One of my personal favorite number one issues, though I don’t know if the series is as fondly remembered, is America #1 by Gabby Rivera and Joe Quinones. Thanks again for everything!
If it comes to Broadway, do go see Steven Moffat's The Unfriend. Just got out from seeing it for the second time, now in the West End. You may find it glorious. He also has quite the back catalogue to dig into, nothing is more pure than his earliest, Press Gang. One particular plot twist was nicked by Alan Moore.
You and Brevoort are buds now? That would be a scoop worthy of Bleeding Cool!
Tom and I have been cordial since the days of rec.arts.comics.misc.
All I know is the public statements. Can’t say there appears to be any personal animosity but he seemed to be bothered by rumors out of wherever you are at the moment, BC these days. I assumed it was personal, but you know what they say about assuming. Happy the two of you are cool.
Oh I am sure I am quite the bother.
Speaking of strong first issues: As a young reader, I think the first time I got in on the "ground floor" of a new series was THE CAT #1 in 1972. It really grabbed me at the time, and I think it still holds up pretty well today. I like how it's structured, starting with the heroine already in the middle of her fist mission, interspersed with flashbacks that reveal her origin. Conceptually, it owes a lot to Spider-Man -- the science experiment, the death of a beloved parent/mentor figure being the spur to action, the hero using wisecracks to hide their insecurity, etc. Something I probably didn't notice or appreciate at the time was that writer Linda Fite incorporated a strong feminist subtext, which I think was a lot more effective than the lip service that "Women's Lib" tended to get in other books of that era. And of course, with Marie Severin and Wally Wood handling the art, the issue looked fantastic.
Anyway, I loved it as a kid, and I was crushed when the book got cancelled a few issues later. I know that aspects of the character live on in the form of Tigra and Hellcat, but it's just not the same. If Marvel ever publishes a "The Cat - The Lost Years" mini-series, I'll be first in line with my wallet...
I like your take on The Cat! Two other things I find interesting about this short-lived book…
1: For all intents and purposes, Dr. Tumolo replicated Erskine's Super Soldier process.
2: I always found it interesting just how similar the design for the Cat was to the original design for Wolverine two years later. Honestly, if you put them side-by-side, you would swear they were 2-halves of a crime-fighting duo.
I never thought about it before, but yes, Cat and Wolvie do have a similar look, right down to the color scheme.
Another stellar installment !!
Question - Why do old 70s/80s/even 90s mags have so many asterisked notes to previous issues (this question was inspired by reading some of 90s spectacular spider man which was particularly note heavy!). As far as I know, most stories weren't reprinted that much or collected in trades so frequently as now.... So how would a reference to a years old Spidey ish or something mean anything to the reader ? Or was it just for the collector lore junkies ??
Right, back to reading Spidey island !!! Happy week all xx
Just a quick point and a question:
Point: That Steranko history was mind blowing when I read it. Back then, it was the first slab of comics history that wasn't hagiography or corporate propaganda.*
Question: I presume that your précis, To, that resulted in MacKay's Avengers run, sought another huge through line in the run? Which reminds me: Approximately how big is North's FF run going to be? I'd enjoying it a lot.
(*LOL: after writing that sentence, my mind started wandering, triggered by that line re corporate propaganda. Don't want to elaborate on that but I started wondering about Stan Lee's FF proposal which is enfogged by mystery. So let me throw out this and ask whether it flies: The FF was created for one of the anthology books, for which Goodman's OK was not needed. However, at some point, it was decided to put it in its own book for which Goodman's approval was very much needed so that two page synopsis. And as for any conflicts between the synopsis and the first issue, I'll put all the blame on Lee's memory.)
Hey Tom. Have really enjoyed Savage Avengers, shame that’s ending. Do you feel it doesn’t work so well now that Conan’s not a part of it any more, or just that you’ve come to the end of the idea?
Personably I thought Skull the Slayer would have been a good draft as a potential replacement on the team.
Great idea! Skull would be perfect - or any other Marvel era barbarian...lots of cool history to mine. I liked this team of time lost outcasts as well.
Really gonna miss Savage Avengers. I hope you use the Black Knight again soon.
Last newsletter you mentioned working with Geoff Johns on Avengers - any anecdotes or plans that never were to share?
Johns introduced a brand new Zodiac that was never followed up on - what was their story?
Reminds me of the late 90s brand new Zodiac Mark Waid introduced in Cap that we also never saw again..poor Zodiac lol. My fav version was the Kurt Busiek Zodiac that never was outlined in his Heroes Reborn Avengers pitch..sounded fun.
"But I think Stilt-Man’s day was done after Frank Miller had him clobbered by his perennial hapless thug, Turk, who proceeded to swipe his costume and shtick, at least for one story. After you’ve been punked by Turk, it’s hard to claw back your self-respect, you know?"
Cooking my beloved Stilt-Man by roasting another fave in Turk...that one hurts. Respect the blue-collar grinders of the supervillain world, Tom! Can't a guy steal someone else's invention so he can vacuum the jewels of rich people at random rooftop parties in peace?!
What does 'eat his own feet' mean? Google was no help and even offered links to cannabilism. Yay, Google.
I also adored Capaldi and may even have the same similarities. Clara became one of my favorite companions after Jenna Coleman was paired with Capaldi, number one in New Who and only behind Tegan overall. I doubt many other actors in the show that could have llanded that cld opening with Clara telling the Cybermen she was the Doctor as magnificently as she did!
"Now, I know you feel differently about this—but, respectfully, you feel that way as a reader and a fan from the outside, who doesn’t really have to be concerned with the welfare of the company or the many people who work for it."
That's true, but as you pointed out, at least some of those who disagree with you were in the trenches. I wouldn't characterize my own view as an endorsement of nepotism/cronyism (which I recognize happened frequently in the past and was an overall negative) nor even as some sort of universal employment scheme. But I think if I were in such a position, I would likely take into account what someone's past contributions were-- for example, if they'd written a lot of great stuff before but had been in a bit of a slump in recent years, I'd tend to think they might still have something in them that could be brought out under the right circumstances. Or if they were an artist who had drawn classic tales for decades but wasn't quite the hot new thing anymore, I'd think about coming up with a project that would showcase their skills and draw attention. So yes, technically, that's not putting the interests of the publisher first and foremost, which would certainly not make it a wise perspective to articulate if one were in a position like that (I have no such plans ;) ).... but I don't see it as tossing the publisher's interests away, either. It's simply having different priorities, and I suspect there are many occasions where somebody was motivated in that way and it ended up working out (ie; good comic, good sales). We're just unlikely to hear about it because as mentioned, it would be unwise for any editor to announce that. That said, I understand your perspective.
In terms of perfect first issue/first year structures, I always thought one of the best structures for launching a book was seen with Warren Ellis's Transmetropolitan. The structure for the first year is 3-1-1-1-1-1-1-3; i.e. a three-parter to start, six one-shots, and then a three-parter to end the first year. The first three-parter introduces you to the main character and the issues he will deal with, along with the environment he'll be in. And it made for an attractive package that could be printed up as a light trade quickly to attract new readers. After that, the next six issues were one-offs that introduced other characters in the story; you could pick up an issue without having a deep understanding of what happened before.
After that first year, the book shifted to a six-month story structure, but by then it had shifted from the Helix imprint to Vertigo, and the Vertigo machinery was far better at supporting that type of story structure. And it didn't hurt that Warren and Darick were absolutely fantastic.
The original Night Court episodes are on FreeVee, and the ads aren't too disruptive. And they still hold up, in a last-days-of-vaudeville sort of way.
I finished reading Fantastic Four #100-200, and I walked away with an increased appreciation of George Perez, if such a thing is possible. And to me, issue 164 is a bit of a marker, not only because it's Perez's first issue, but because it's the first time since the birth of Franklin that any writer really tries to include Sue in the action as a full member of the team. Up until them, for a lot of the run, they're either hiding Sue away with Agatha Harkness, or she's thinking of divorcing Reed because he's a standoffish introvert. In issue 164, Sue actually owns her role from the start, answering Reed directly when he questions her actions in a collision with Ben, and shows off her expanded power set to the team. From then on out, she's as fleshed out a character as she ever had been up until then.
I'm also a big Peter Capaldi fan- I think he's my favorite Doctor. It might be because we're both gray-haired and handsome.
OK, since this is about asking you questions...if you had permission to bring Doctor Who into the Marvel Universe, which incarnation of the Doctor would you choose? (And for fun, let's say you couldn't use the most recent, even though that would probably be the most marketable.)
This Thunderbolts background was fascinating and fun to read. Thanks for sharing it!
I LOVED reading Busiek's one-page pitch! It makes me want to re-read the series.
Hi Tom, first time questioner. Around the time the Crossgen books came out was the same time I was at peak monthly reading, and there were so many great titles in the bunch. Ruse, Meridian, Sojourn, Mystic and Abadazad were personal favorites. Several of these series received brief reboots, and the line recently had a reprint collection. How does editorial look at these books, as far as whether to bring them back for another go? It seems like these series in particular would do well in the book market, and book fairs etc, since they’re a different aesthetic than many Marvel books. Meridian in particular is begging for a reboot and a Disney channel series. We’ve seen Marvel taking on more properties like Alien and Predator. How does editorial go about deciding which of your parent company’s IP to tackle? On a side note, I promise you’ll have at least one monthly reader for any of the above. Thank you for your time.
It looks like you have quite a haul of questions this week already so instead of adding to the pile, I'll instead share a music recommendation based on your stated fondness for Lake Street Dive: The Mynabirds. In addition to the top songs whatever music recommendation service you use, I'd be sure to sample "What We Gained in the Fire," "Wildfire," and maybe even "Golden Age."
(I know music recommendations are hit & miss because taste is so subjective, but when a song DOES hit, it can be like a li'l skittle of joy.)
Thanks for another great newsletter! I especially enjoyed reading about the development of the Thunderbolts, makes me want to go back and reread those first few issues. One of my personal favorite number one issues, though I don’t know if the series is as fondly remembered, is America #1 by Gabby Rivera and Joe Quinones. Thanks again for everything!