| Whatever Knows Fear... The Chris Munn Interview! |
[Mar. 7th, 2007|06:48 pm] |
I forget exactly where or when I first met Chris Munn. Odds are it was in one of those massive Chats that we used to have on occasion with 10-20 odd folk carrying on an equal number of odd conversations. Like seeing a movie, not really the best choice for a first date. Of course I ran across his writing all over the community, and of course was impressed. He definitely had a leaning to Horror, spinning a great, if not chilling tale, which is not as easy as it might sound. Definitely someone I wanted to work with, and of course I got my chance…
Chris and I worked together on Avengers VS the JLA a couple years back now, what became a monster crossover between M2K and JLU 2001. Scheduling and coordinating aside, I learned just how sharp the man is, and got to experience his creative process and abilities first hand. I was not disappointed. And you won’t be either. If you haven’t read any of Chris’ work recently, go do so and soon. You’ll like it and learn just why we all call him… The Munn Thing!
To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
Well, I’m a 27 year old college grad working in a behavioral health hospital, which guarantees that my job is at least always interesting. Same old, same old I suspect.
What Sites are you currently writing for?
Oh, jaysis, let’s see here: Strange Tales, Marvel 2000, Avengers 2000, Marvel Omega, and DC Omega.
On top of all the writing I’m doing, I’m the executive EiC for Strange Tales. I’ve also taken over “editorial advisor” roles for M2K’s Avengers books and DC Omega’s Wildstorm imprint. Obviously, I am insane.
What Titles are you working on?
Everyone’s going to think I’m a madman when they see this list, ha!
Strange Tales: Werewolf by Night, Defenders (co-written with Mike Rasbury), Foolkiller, and the upcoming Son of Satan title.
Marvel 2000: Avengers Immortal and Thunderbolts.
Marvel Omega: Ghost Rider (co-written with Tom Deja), X-Men, and an upcoming arc on Iron Man.
DC Omega: Wildcats (co-written with Dino Pollard)
Avengers 2000: Ghost Rider for the Ignition imprint
You recently restarted Strange Tales. Tell us a bit about that...
As anyone who knows me can attest, Strange Tales is my baby. I’ve also been a huge fan of Marvel’s horror characters from the 1970s, and that site is my love letter to that era. As most know, the site fell onto hard times about a year ago – brought on by failing servers and a general malaise that had fallen on the writing staff (myself included).
And then came the site’s messiah, Mike Rasbury, who convinced me through many talks to resurrect the site and keep it going. And through his efforts, the site is now flourishing like never before. We’ve got some absolutely killer new titles in the roster (along with most of the old favorites), and we celebrated the site’s return to life with a special event this past October called Black Mass. The event was a great success for the site, and every writer involved just knocked things out of the park with each new story that came to me. I’m so proud of that site, and things just keep getting better about it!
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.?
No, I haven’t stepped outside our community for many years. Why should I? I’m happy right here with all of the great company I get to keep!
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
Blame the X-Files for starting my Fanfiction habit. Back in 1998, I started up an X-Files Fanfic site based around the idea of a “virtual season” of episodic stories. The site ran for a little over two years, and was pretty successful…though not due to MY OWN stories, which were terrible, lol.
I didn’t get into comic book Fanfic until around the time of the first X-Men movie. I’d been away from comics for a good number of years, and that film rekindled my love for the medium. When I was experiencing my comic rebirth, I stumbled (completely by accident) upon the dearly departed Mutant Underground: Revolution Fanfic site. It was there that I got my start in the community, and I still consider a few of the writers I met there as personal friends (cats like Ian Astheimer and Ryan Krupienski).
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
Well, there are two things that I’d like to see changed, but really don’t see happening. First, I’d love to see a stop put to all of the mindless bickering and arguing that creeps around and in the various groups…arguments that, 9 times out of 10, spring out of cases of inflated egos. I mean, I’ve had a few knock-down, drag-out fights with people in the past, but all they do is serve to hinder relationships in what should be a supportive, collaborative venture between ALL of us.
Secondly, I’d like to see more writers branch out with projects that you wouldn’t see in mainstream comics. Sure, every site is bound to have its X-Men and Avengers staples, but what really excites ME is stuff like Super-Villain War at Avengers 2000 or the upcoming Conspiracy at Marvel Omega. Yowzers!
What’s your favorite color?
As stereotypical as it sounds, I’ll go with good ol’ black. Because it’s EVIL!
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
I enjoy the classics – anything by H.G. Wells, especially my favorite book The Time Machine; Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein; Lord of the Flies – more so than anything written in the past several decades. I am quite a bit fan of both Neil Gaiman and Chuck Palahniuk, though, both of whom are incredible idea men.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
My favorite comic storylines come from a lot of different genres: Preacher by Ennis & Dillon; Avengers Forever by Busiek & Pacheco; Ghost Rider by Stern, DeMatteis, & Budiansky; X-Men by Claremont & Smith. As for fan-fiction, that can be narrowed down to one: Ghost Rider 1957 by Mike McGee, which originally went up at MV1 a hundred years ago but is now being re-posted in serial format at Strange Tales.
What’s your favorite movie?
I actually have a “holy trinity” of favorite movies: Se7en, Memento, and Fight Club. I call them the “Mind Fuck 3”.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get inspired by almost anything in a given day, believe it or not. There have been times when just seeing a man walk down the street is enough to get ideas rolling. Inspiration for ideas is the easy part for me – it’s actually writing the darn stuff that’s the tricky part!
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to share?
I have an LJ that can be found at…
http://www.livejournal.com/users/ixnaybynight/
I also run a Ghost Rider comic review site called Vengeance Unbound, that can be found at…
http://ghostrider.omegacen.com
That site’s my baby, even more so than Strange Tales, I think.
What book are you reading now?
Ha ha, don’t laugh at me for this…I’m reading the novelization of the Ghost Rider movie, written by some guy who’s name I can’t remember.
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
That would be Generation X from the dearly departed Mutant Underground: Revolution site, where I met some of the guys that kind of “grew up” with me in the community – Ian Astheimer and Ryan Krupienski. After that I branched out to Marvel X – where I wrote a horrible book called Midnight Son and first met Mike Franzoni – and Marvel Dark Lore – where I wrote Darkhold and encountered Josh Reynolds for the first time.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
I live in Kentucky, one of several armpits of America.
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
I love Meriades Rai’s Super-Villain War at Avengers 2000! It’s such a neat little concept, and I’m a big fan of all the underused and obscure villains he’s pulled out of the woodwork. Plus, he’s a helluva writer, which doesn’t hurt things either.
If you feel like it, write a closing note - anything you'd like to say or share. Plug your own upcoming events!
Curt, you’re the bee’s knees for doing these interviews, and I’m sorry it took so long for me to get the thing done for you! Now everyone do something productive and go read some Strange Tales stuff!
Thanks Chris. A GREAT Interview and well worth the wait! Keep up the fantastic work. |
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| Goin' Back to Ohio - The Kim Johnson Interview! |
[Jan. 19th, 2007|06:03 pm] |
I first met Kim Johnson through one of her Halloween Specials at Omniverse. I was one of the lucky ones to answer the call for writers and my story got chosen. Well, I think they all did, but I was lucky because I got to know Kim. We corresponded for a time, and eventually I talked Kim into becoming the Assistant Editor at JLU: 2001, which was one of the best decisions I ever made. Kim is not only a truly dazzling person with a sparkling wit and personality, she knows her business and is not afraid to Edit or Critique.
Last year when I was going through hard times she stepped right up (with Jae Lizhini) and kept JLU going, and for that, and many other things I am grateful. Kim is a good person and friend. Take a moment and get to know her…
To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
My immediate family consists of my husband of 14 years, one hyperactive dog, and five attention demanding cats. To quell any fears that I’m in the early stages of being the crazy lady with a house full of cats who talks to herself - for years, we only had two cats and then picked up the third cat one winter as a stray. She was in the snow, crying at our door. Earlier this spring, we got the last two when my dad died.
What Sites are you currently writing for? We all know of your great work as EIC of Omniverse, so tell us about what's happening there as well.
Thank you but great work or not, I couldn’t get any writers interested in writing for it. I’ve passed Omniverse back Gregory Hernandez with intention of closing it down. I believe he intends to finish some of his titles and then is planning a major event for Omniverse’s end.
I have a preference for writing… not obscure characters really but underused characters. I’ve started writing Hellcat for Doug Bookey at his great site Altered Visions. Patsy is a lighthearted woman who sees the absurdity of her reality – vampires, mad world conquerors, and giant robots from space. After being married to the Son of Satan and coming back from Hell, nothing surprises her.
The next title I’m writing is at JLU: 2001 – Owl Woman. She was the Native American woman in the Global Guardians. I decided to take a more mystic path with the character that was never explored by DC.
You know I’m looking forward to that. Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.?
Matt Pierce asked me to join a superhero role-play board. Unfortunately, the administrators had real-life conflicts and the board had to close before I had a chance to play. I really enjoyed the role playing that some of us did with Meri’s extremely creative Cougar Ridge and wanted something like that again. Someone else from the defunct role-play board and I decided to start our own RP board. We’re currently creating the world and fine-tuning the character creation system.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby?
For me, it’s just a hobby. I’d like to improve my writing, each story being better than the previous one but unfortunately, the amount of feedback I’ve received can be counted on one hand. I think I was improving with my Clockwork Chronicle stories before Meri’s site was closed. That was a harsh blow. Perhaps I can someday find a place for those stories and continue them. Definitely contact Mike RAZbury…
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
It was Omniverse. The site came up doing a search and I read one of Gregory Hernandez’s stories and was hooked. We talked and I ended up taking over Omniverse. Actually ‘how’ I was roped into it is a mystery; it could be that Gregory worked some mojo on me. So, without having written a single fanfic story, I became the editor of the site. In retrospect, I think that was a mistake.
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
Yes. But I think the vast majority of people are too entrenched in the way things are and resist any change. When there have been people who tried to change things, their enthusiasm burns out quickly when they realize that people would rather bitch and moan than help.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
Video games. I play a lot of video games. I’m particularly drawn to the games that have an in-depth story and not merely level after level of killing hordes enemies. My favorite games (Elder Scrolls, Thief, Neverwinter Nights) are capable of using and creating mods, the video game equivalent of fanfic.
In a more artistic vein, drawing is close to my heart. I hope to be good at it someday.
What’s your favorite color?
Green
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
I prefer listening to stories rather than reading; I can do other things such as cooking dinner or fall asleep while enjoying the story at the same time. I mostly look for: Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Terry Pratchett, Rex Stout, and P.G. Wodehouse.
How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
I like the dark humor and occult flavor of Steve Nile’s Cal MacDonald and Mike Mignola’s B.P.R.D. series and the richness of Kurt Busiek’s Astro City.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
I’ve tried to write with background noise playing but I find it too distracting. I also have to turn off my Instant Messenger; the interruptions keep me from getting into the flow on the story.
What book are you reading now?
I’m listening to Rex Stout’s League of Frightened Men.
What’s your favorite reading genre?
I think it depends on the writer. I love Stephen King’s horror but I can’t say that I would like another writer’s work just because it might be horror too, that said, I generally like horror and detective/mystery stories.
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
About a year and a half
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
It was Constantine at Omniverse.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
I’ve lived in Ohio for the last 6 years. Before that, I spent most of my life in Oklahoma. Of the two, I prefer Ohio.
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character?
No, not particularly. One of the best things about being an editor is that I could do any title or project I want. More often, it comes down to the time and motivation to simply do it. I think the third element is encouragement, hearing from other people that your words aren’t merely disappearing into the void.
Give us a closing. Now's the time for final words and pimping! Go for it!
With the imminent closing of Omniverse, I hope to start two new series very soon: Hellcat on Doug Bookey’s Altered Visions and Owl Woman at Curt’s great site JLU: 2001.
Thanks, Kim, for everything! You’re the best! |
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| 'With a Name Like Smuckers...' The Megan CURTIS Interview! |
[Jan. 4th, 2007|08:10 pm] |
Hopefully you’re either old enough to remember the commercials, or you’ve seen the SNL reruns to get the joke there…
I first met Megan Curtis in one of the wild Chats that popped up one night, probably thanks to James Hickson. Imagine 15-20 people all typing at once, talking at once, the conversations flying. Megan came on and said something like ‘Curtis… Great name!’ I had read a couple of her stories by then, and of course they were fantastic, but being an old time RPG player, the novelty was that Megan was female. A woman in ‘Man’s World’ so to speak. We’ve interacted a few times since, though unfortunately never had the chance to work together. Maybe at Strange Tales. Let me tell you though, Wonder Woman ain’t got nothin’ on Megan Curtis!
Read on…
To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that.
Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
Right now I work for a company that books flights and hotels and car rentals through Bank of America card redemption programs. People call in and I find them flights. I hate it though so I'm hoping that won't be my job for much longer as I look for a new one.
Family is me and my brother and sister-in-law. We are actually roommates, which sounds bizarre but works rather well. Our apartment is huge so we don't step on each other's toes. I'm actually dating a terrific guy right now, also a comic fan, and that is what is going on with me!
What Sites are you currently writing for? What Titles are you working on?
Mean question! I would say that I am currently writing Witches at Strange Tales. I have some books that are work in progress's but they are still in the thinking stage of development and I'm hoping I will one day find the time and inclination to bring them into the light of day.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.? How are you keeping busy, writing wise?
I'm essentially trying to finish a book I've been working on forever. My writing goal is to actually break into the romance novel market. Seems silly, but there are actually some quite good novels out there they just happen to have romance as the main theme. Since most of my stories seem to have that overlying feeling about them, at least in my opinion, I decided to embrace it. I love romance novels so I might as well write what I know.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby?
I would really like to write professionally. There are some great writers in our community that could be the next "big" name in writing. I don't want that kind of notoriety. I don't want to write the next Da Vinci Code. I want to write my books and have people enjoy them and be excited for the next one, but I don't need to be known by hundreds of people. I just want to write well in my little niche and be successful in that.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
Comics is what led me to Fanfic. I wrote a script for an X-Men movie but then I found a lot of Generation X Fanfiction online and I fell into that. That was my first Fanfiction on my personal Generation X Fansite. I got into serial Fanfiction after that and enjoyed it so much I decided to stay.
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
I wrote a Domino series at Marvel X, finished that and faded away. Then I received an e-mail from Tony Thornley inviting me to write something for his Website. I wrote Shield at a perfect time because the site was getting reviewed by Sophism and getting a lot of attention. Then Mr. Derrick Ferguson wrote a terrific review and really complemented me about SHIELD. I started going to the Heroes Chatroom back when there was a specific day and time. I mean here I was a girl in this world of guys, so I was something unique, a tourist attraction. I started finding certain authors that I liked to talk to and liked to read their stories. Chris Munn invited me to write Witches at Strange Tales and Mike McGee invited me to do something at Frontier. I don't seek out titles it's just if something sounds interesting. Chris Munn also had me write an X-Men series with him for a little bit. Really those guys, Munn and McGee brought me fully into Fanfiction and kept me in it by late night AIM chats over story ideas and constantly pitching ideas and thoughts at me to keep me thinking. Plus I was just trying to bring my writing up to par with the amazing stories they were spinning.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
I scrapbook and make cards, like greeting cards. I also play video games. In my limited spare time I sleep or hang out with friends. Nothing special, just run of the mill type of stuff.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for? Anything that you haven't done, that you want to do?
Wow, I think I'd like Frontier to come back, but every thing I want to write I am or I have been. Really I wish I had more time and motivation, that's the only thing I wish for!
What’s your favorite color?
Easy one, blue.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
I mentioned romance novels but I also love historical fiction, I'm stuck on Phillipa Gregory and fantasy for which I read Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
I'm a sucker for any storyline that involved Gambit and Rogue. X-Men 45 is one of my favorite comics for the simple tragedy of their relationship. The drama that just won't end!!
What’s your favorite movie?
I had to think about this for a long time but... Pride and Prejudice.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Life in general. I just get little story ideas and I try to weave them into whatever story I'm writing or thinking about at the time.
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to share? Give us the Links if so...
I have a Live Journal…
http://mcurtis.livejournal.com
…and of course I'm on Myspace.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
I listen to instrumental music or CD's that I've listened to a few hundred times so it's just in the background as noise.
What book are you reading now?
I'm not reading anything actually. I read the 300 today, but that's been it.
What’s your favorite reading genre?
Fantasy. It's amazing the worlds that people create in their minds and put into words.
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
Since I was little. I wrote this story, my own version of the Gemini Twins myth and my teacher ripped it apart. Broke my heart because she graded it on grammar, and if there's one thing I suck at it's grammar. But I kept writing little stories. I have notebooks full of stuff from when I was in junior high and high school and other stories.
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
Echo's Generation X Page!! My own little fan Website. *sigh* It rocked.
Any upcoming events in your life you’d like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
Um… moving in? But that's not for the next few months so if you read my LJ you'll learn more about that.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
I live in Boise, Idaho. Our Boise State Broncos are in the Fiesta Bowl!!! College football for those confused.
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character? Any title you would like to see done 'YOUR' way?
I've really faded out of the Fanfic and current comic scene. I would love to do a Fables Fanfiction series. I would like to take on something like Wonder Woman or Supergirl but I don't think I'd ever be able to what with time and knowledge. I really like to research my characters and with those two there is such a history behind them.
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
Defenders at Strange Tales! Raar!!
When I first came into the Community, you were one of the BIG names out there, along w/ the likes of Mike McGee, Derrick Ferguson, Will Short, Russ Anderson, etc... A lot of us still whisper your name with much love and respect - really! You left a BIG mark in Fanfic. And seriously, any words of wisdom you care to impart to the up and coming writers of our community?
Form friends in the community. I don't think I'm a big name, I think it's more the fact that I'm a woman in this community. I was younger or the same age as most of the guys, hell I'm only 25 and I think I'm an elder in this community now. But it's because of the older guys that I stuck around so long and really tried to be a better writer. Look for these mentors and be a mentor yourself. My old Fanfiction is horrible! It was rough but I got enough encouragement that I improved my writing. Show that same kind of support to someone new who stubles in. And really, don't worry about how many titles you are writing, just write a few, but write them well!!!
So give us a closing. Any Links, best wishes and Shout-outs should now be given as well as a final 'Yo' to all us fans...
I think I already pimped everyone but really, check out Strange Tales for some good quality Fanfiction. It's not your run of the mill but with the terrific writers and with our awesome leader Chris Munn at the helm, it's going to be entertaining. I mean hell, there's you, Mike Rasburry, Mike McGee, Meriades Rai, Josh Reynolds, Derrick Ferguson, Tom Moses, Ian Astheimer, Dino Pollard, and Michael Franzoni (If your name is Mike, you should be writing at this site.)
Keep up the GREAT work Megan!
Thanks Curt, you rock!
-Megan
And thank you Megan! Fantastic interview! |
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| Interview With a Vampire! Mike Rasbury - AKA: RAZ |
[Dec. 27th, 2006|07:13 pm] |
I met Mike Rasbury when I was still getting my feet wet as EIC of JLU: 2001. He came to the Site with a Prop - A REAL Prop mind - to write Young Justice, and did so for a few issues with great success. Shit happened however, and one by one dominoes tumbled. Mike has since moved on to bigger things, but I'm glad Raz and I remain friends. He's helped me Web Wise a time or three, and hopefully, in some way, I've reciprocated to some extent. Anyway, read on, and find out why Mike is what he is as he tells all, or most of it anyway...
To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
Name’s Mike Rasbury and I’m a would-be dictator. Would-be because my satellite death-ray got lost in the mail. In the meantime I play graphic and web designer, tutor and teacher in the same field. I live with two dogs and my dad. I’m miserable if I’m not cold or wet. Weather, people…
What Sites are you currently writing for? I know you had a BIG hand in Munn's Strange Tales. DO give us the lowdown on that.
As far as Fanfic is concerned the only site I’m actively working for is Strange Tales…and that’s being generous. As for that site, I wouldn’t say I had a big hand in anything there.
Before I got intimately involved there, the entire framework was already laid by one of the most talented staffs around. It was some time after the Digitally Mystic crash and the crash of Munn’s own server when Fanfic sites were re-shuffling that I even got “involved”.
It pained me to see Strange Tales absent as other sites found life again (my admiration for ST was immense), so I took it upon myself to do a site redesign that I pitched to Munn as a way to relight the fires if you will. I had figured that was the end of my involvement. Because I always admired ST so much I never thought myself talented enough to write there, however, through the combined effort of Megan Curtis and Chris Munn I came on as scribe of Doctor Strange.
I suppose that helped some Strange Tales some because word of the book spread pretty quick for our community (no doubt because of Munn’s own love for the book). I guess if you throw sensory abuse at a reader, they respond well. Masochists.
Now I’ve fallen into another role, I like to call it “The Bouncer at ST’s Door,” meaning that I actively scout writers—especially our younger ones (in terms of time in community)—and pass the names along to Munn. I also like to “workshop” with writers to help develop ideas to bring to ST. Also, if you’ve had a proposal accepted or rejected chances are I’ve at least said something about it to Munn.
So, yeah, I’ve certainly contributed but I’m not so certain how much that led to ST being rejuvenated and healthy. The phrase “most exciting site in fanfic right now” has been tossed around recently and I think all of that is owed first of all to Munn and how the site is approached. ST writers are allowed a certain freedom that just can’t be matched. That level of freedom can allow writers to get awfully personal, or experimental and that’s where the fun comes in. Plus, while our writers stable is small, it makes up for it in talent. My contribution only comes in because I didn’t want the site to disappear.
What Titles are you working on?
Doctor Strange, Defenders (with Chris Munn) and Howling Commandos, all at Strange Tales. And that’s where I’m at right now. I’m not sure I’m capable doing anything more right now. My interests have shifted some toward more original fiction. I’m currently on the third chapter of a caper/adventure entitled Johann Margrave: One Night at the Opera, which will be released soon.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.?
Man, did you see that killer segue? Woo! Most of my meager time writing is spent on a site I’m helping develop with the most capable hands I’ve ever worked along side. It’s probably my worst kept secret, but it’s going to be an original fiction site akin to Frontier Publishing, if you will.
It will include beloved projects from around the ‘net including book(s) from Meriades Rai’s soon to expire website as well as new original creations from a most talented roster, names of which we’re all familiar. So, be on the look out for that.
I think it’s an extremely exciting time to be working on “Tree Root” (some of us are skeptical about referring to the site by its real name). We hope to open (re-open) another avenue to writers that has kinda gone away as of late. It’ll be coming to a Serial Prizes server near you soon. Which reminds me to thank Jason Kenney whom without we’d be stillborn.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby? I know for awhile your main drive was in the technical end of webwork. Are you still doing that?
Hobby mostly. It’s fun for me and that’s why I do it, but also, I’m a wildly imaginative person in that I can’t turn it off. Writing keeps me sane.
Writing professionally hasn’t been on my radar since I was a child. I don’t think of myself as skilled enough, or nearly as skilled as I can be to seek publication for my prose work. However, I do fall into a strange hole of being published, but for something entirely different. That being some really, really bad poetry that found it’s way into some small publications that paid chump change.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
I think like ant child writer, we wrote about (or crafted stories with toys) about all the things we enjoyed. What got me to this point more specifically, however, was the tried and true path of online role play featuring X-Men characters (that’s right X-Men. I was Exodus, ‘natch).
After that well dried up three of us RP’ers (then known only as “Xan”, “Meta” and “Smash”—plays on our email addresses) got together to write Fanfic in a shared universe. Somehow we built a staff around us and the now long-deceased NeoMarvel was born. After a few years (which I’d like to note I produced something like forty issues in) and several Editor-in-Chief changes (myself included) NeoMarvel ran its course. Thanks to some good word and even more well-deserved criticism from Derrick Ferguson, I ventured out to Marvel Dark Design where I pitched Deadpool. That was my coming out party as a writer to the “Heroes” crowd.
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
Above, I explained how I got into our community, but that’s not how I found it. While still RP’ing, Meta and I had discussed doing Fanfic. We searched the web and both found Marvel-X (Moreel’s days). After consuming it all, we were rather enamored. We even templated NeoMarvel after it (with an Ultimate spin).
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
Oh, man…do we have all day? In no way is any community perfect (especially with this level of assumed anonymity) but I think we could make some key changes. For the sake of brevity, I’ll only high light a few:
In-fighting: In no way do I claim immunity from this, in fact I’ve been one of the worst candidates but this community can be a bit insular, a bit vain and a bit mean (see, ME), can hold a grudge and dwell too much on the routine shit-talking that happens. We need to just shut up and write.
Inversely, I think the community (speaking in blankets) could benefit from some thicker skin. I don’t know if I want to call it “professionalism” but writers need to make sure to keep some indifference about their work. If you’ve chosen to publish your work, or share your ideas, you need to expect (and be willing to accept) a negative opinion of them. Don’t take it personal.
Tutoring/Mentoring/Writer’s Workshop: I know that I wouldn’t be the fraction of the writer, or will become the writer I can be without the likes of Derrick Ferguson, Ian Astheimer, Matt Pierce and Chris Munn pushing me along the way. They’ve always been willing to inspire me, or push me through a block and that’s something I take A LOT of time out of my day to do for other writers.
However, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot else. There’s no dedicated mailing list as a writers workshop where writers can work on prompts, or get critiques, or bounce ideas. There’s HEROES and WORDS, but those get swallowed up by releases. This is a trend we are working hard to rectify at “Tree Root.” Because an open dialog between creative folks is the best and quickest way to grow and expand your own talents.
Experimentation: I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a real big comic book fan. I know, I know, the term is “fanfiction” and is built on a love of characters and all that, but when I read just ANOTHER traditional fanboy story where Iron Man throws down with Mandarin or Reed Richards saves the world from a evil pocket dimension, or Batman whines about his parents, I am bored out of my freaking skull.
Sure, there are writers out there who really take creative license, but not a whole crop of them, which I find unfortunate because I don’t really see the point in writing these characters if you won’t take them somewhere fresh. Then again, I’m not really the target audience for fanfiction and I don’t expect anyone to hear my cries.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
Writing is my spare time, scary as that thought is. Another benefit, I suppose, is that my profession is my hobby, and so I’m constantly designing something. Other spare moments are spent playing video games (I’m a junkie) and illustrating.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
Cloak and Dagger and Magik are at the top of the list. I’ve always wanted to write Aquaman too, especially with the Sub Diego plotline (which, interestingly, was pitched to me and I turned it down). Along those lines Namor would be a blast to go back to. Part of me wants to try and get Moon Knight right this time, too. I think Dino’s got something with DCO’s Vertigo imprint, too.
As for sites, I’d like to write at the ones I’ve constantly crapped out on, most notably Altered Visions. Honestly, though, if I were to come back to Fanfic in more than a one-off here and there and my Strange Tales commitments it would have to be a site that brought something “unique” to the foray. A Steampunk M, where our Marvel heroes are re-imagined for a steampunk Victorian England, an “Enigmarvel” where only second string characters could be the focal points or a “Ultimate Alliance” where squads of four written by several scribes scatter across the Marvel globe to battle a common foe and would be conqueror. For you DC cats, the same could be applied for each, I’m just more familiar with Marvel.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
I read a whole hell of a lot…I mean, as a writer I’d be a fool to think reading wasn’t important (even more so than actually writing). To that, I feel it necessary to read all styles; classic lit, history, nonfic, mystery, children’s books, anything. When I don’t travel by foot, I’m on a bus and that gives me about 35 minutes to read both ways, plus, I’m always 30 minutes early to anything, so I have even more time to read. Unless it’s a book I’m not thrilled with (but will finish anyway) I can plow through a book in a week. I also will read books several times over if I enjoyed them and eill certainly re-read books/magazines if they relate to something I’m writing.
As for my favorite book, it’s not a huge surprise…Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass. I read those once a year.
How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
Moon Knight, despite its bumps (Dixon, Kavanaugh). I really like Fables, too and Usagi Yojimbo. I’m a constant reader of Aquaman for whatever reason also. I will admit that the superhero fanfare has lost its luster on me and so I tend to steer clear of Marvel/DC and opt for the smaller, independent houses. Some of my favorite writers are JM DeMatteis, Doug Moench and Osama Tezuka. The artists include Tommy Lee Edwards, Niko Henrichon, Josh Middleton and, heh, Osama Tezuka.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
Comics: A fill in arc of Marc Spector by JM DeMatteis entitled “Scarlet Redemption.” It was wildly entertaining, eerie, personal and focused on two favorite characters. One of the bright spots in that series.
Fanfic: The one that sticks out right now is Greg Hernandez’s Shade mini at Omniverse; bizarre, creative, and a writer expressing some true emotion. It was simply genius…and criminally overlooked.
What’s your favorite movie?
I’m a big movie buff, I’ll watch anything. I even watch movies every night. The films I tend to clump together as my favorites display my wide array of tastes. Those favorites are: Ichi the Killer, Edward Scissorhands and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Gotta admit though, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is now right up there. How can you go wrong with Kilmer and Downey, Jr. (two of my favorites). That’s a whole lot of smarmy going round.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I have the fortunate gift of being insanely imaginative. I’m not saying that I’ve alone in that, but my mind seriously works over drive and it helps me to be inspired everywhere. Plus, I see the world differently than everybody.
One day as I sat waiting for the bus, I was captivated by a crow picking through cracks in the sideways for whatever nasty meal it could find. I instantly thought what if there was a guy, hunchback and armless? He could only pick up things with is teeth. Well, that would quite the intriguing visual. A perverse, and shit mottled grin popped into my minds eye as the character took life before me, dutifully snacking on trash can scraps, and finding solace with his birdly-bretheren as the human world dejected him.
As highlighted previously, movies, books and songs are all inspirational to me as well. The most vivid example of that was while listening to Blondie I thought, what if a character could assimilate into their body as skin, arms, weapons, whatever anything that they ate? Again, it’s a rather entertaining visual, and as a victim of “style over substance” that’s what keeps me interested. And for those of you wondering if I’d really name the character “Man From Mars” the answer is yes. Eating cars would be a must.
One thing that is not just being gifted with an imagination, is that I take time out from life to observe anything and everything so that I can call on it later. I’ll stop to take notes on how paint peels under years of tough wind, for instance or I’ll sit in a park in the pouring rain and remark out it bounces off roves, or beads down a certain fabric, or collects in a puddle. Maybe I’ll go to a park or coffee shop and just watch people talk, or drink, whatever.
However, I don’t want to just see phenomena, I want to taste it, smell it, touch it. It isn’t until I do that I feel I can truly write the physical manner in the lucid style that I hope to achieve.
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to share? Now's the time to drop us some Links...
I have two sparsely updated Livejournals.
http://morlocks.livejournal.com (“personal stuff”)
http://razurrection.livejournal.com (a catalog of writing and writing related thoughts)
Also, for you poor souls who aren’t aware of http://projectrooftop.com really should be. Fashion design for superheroes.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
I’m probably one of the few writers that thrives on organized chaos when he writes. Not only do I tolerate TVs, DVDs and music when I write, I prefer it. For me, I’m more productive when I can set a “mood” for whatever I’m writing. That means selecting DVDs to play that are in some way related to my topic (and for me, this can be in the most inconceivable relation ever) AND I’ll also have music on that works as a soundtrack for what I’m writing.
Due to the fact that I’m a frustrated director, and that’s how I approach writing (even going so far as to write from “camera angles”) all these additions help frame in and flesh out the scenes to completion.
The one thing I CANNOT have on while I write is video games…man does that kill me.
What book are you reading now?
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor; it’s a retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland but it really lacks imagination which, you know, is kind of important given the subject. The next two books in my queue I’ve read before but not it a good while…The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler and Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Manuel Puig.
What’s your favorite reading genre?
Without question children’s literature; fables, fairy tales and nursery rhymes. That’s probably not the most normal thing for a 21 year-old to admit but I’m mesmerized by the escapism and sublime reverie. The genre shapes me completely as a writer. While I don’t write the genre, I try to plug in that sense of bizarreness and absurdity into otherwise traditional plots. I’m also captivated by a sense of “romantic melancholy” that permeates those stories. For that reason my own character tend to be tragically flawed or “maimed.”
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
Here’s my only short answer: Forever.
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
Moon Knight, NeoMarvel. I’ve never been able to write my favorite comic book character correctly and this was a vivid illustration of that. I tried to take all the things I didn’t like about the character, own them and fix them. It didn’t work. Plus, I tied the story too much to real events in history—as a crutch—and it came out dry as the Sahara.
Any upcoming events in your life you’d like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
I’ve given up on the thought of graduating. I’ll be a student forever, I like learning far too much. My personal life (beyond being extremely dull) is exactly that, personal. So, there’s not much else to add (not that any of the above apply anyway).
To reiterate, though, watch Serial Prizes for a new original fiction site in the near future.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
I hail from Seattle, Washington in the great Pacific Northwest of the United States. It does rain a healthy amount—although not everyday (even if it did today)—and I LOVE that. Rain is, strangely, my wonder drug. It lifts me up, helps express myself. In fact, the city and I are soul mates, kindred spirits. Strange, huh?
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
No single title is really my favorite. I’d say on the whole I like the bulk of Strange Tales equally. Tom Moses is showing folks how Moon Knight, can and should be done. Curt Fernlund’s Dracula Lives! Is simply spellbinding. Chris Munn continues to show that he’s one of the best writers we have, and among the best “freakout” writers I’ve come across in his multitude of books. The rest of the crew, Mike Franzoni, Megan Curtis are there and consistently solid. Dino Pollard has come on, and will certainly hit his stride with Blade. Oh, and don’t forget we just acquired one of my favorite books…Brother Voodoo by Meriades Rai which just drips with cool. All the contributors for Black Mass were top drawer and just knocked it out of the park (big thanks to them!).
However, I think perhaps one of the most prolific writers there, and among my favorites is Josh Reynolds. He’s gonna take Morbius on, and trust me kids, it’s gonna be good. Plus, his Man-Thing (insert joke here) is pure gold and criminally ignored by and large. It has been in both its iterations, a strong and creepy book with one of the strongest voices in Fanfiction, and possibly fiction. Period. Go love you some Man-Thing, okay?
You've been a driving force in our little community, whether you care to admit it or not - Outspoken and controversial. Looking back, is there anything you might have done differently?
Driving force? I don’t really think so. I don’t know how anybody with my lack of production can drive much of anything (except for maybe Miss Daisy). Controversial I’ll take though, it’s a sexy term. The short of it is, no, I wouldn’t take anything back. Is there anything in my history to really to take back?
Heaven forbid I be controversial for simply speaking my mind and giving EVERYONE the simple truth (as I see it) when asked for anything. I only wish more people were brutally honest, I think we all could improve if that were the case.
The only real times I’ve gotten into some trouble, especially as of late is when I’ve gone “above and beyond” and extended myself as a mentor for other writers. And there’s nothing in that to be ashamed of. Just when you get me (a strongly opinionated character) with fiercely prideful people, something is going to break. I’m aware of that and something I’ve been dealing with all my life. It happens and it’s no skin off my back, or however the damn saying goes.
I try just to be faithful to myself and honest (to a fault) with everyone else. Damn the consequences.
Now's the time for closure. Give us a final bit of wisdom. Pimp your projects and say 'Hi' to whoever. Don't forget the links...
“if you drink much from a bottle marked `poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.”
-- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures from Wonderland.
The greatest quote ever.
In closing, I’d like to thank Curt for this exercise in vanity and thank anyone who was unfortunate enough to slog through it at all, greatly appreciated. I’d thank other individuals, but they know who they are. Also, again, for the 40 millionth time…watch http://grapefruit.serialprizes.com
Thanks Raz. A truly unique step through the corridors.
Next time: One more for 2006. A very special interview with someone with a truly GREAT name!
Be here! |
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| Simply Marvelous: 2000 - the Cory Wiegel Interview! |
[Dec. 8th, 2006|06:52 pm] |
I first heard of Cory Wiegel from Chris Munn when he and I were doing the Avengers/JLA Cross-over that ran between JLU: 2001 (Where I edit), and Marvel: 2000, which Cory just took over the reins of EIC back then from, coincidentally, Chris. There was a bit of friction then, between Cory and I, mainly due to miscommunication and my overreaction. Thankfully the hatchet was buried long ago, because I have since learned that Cory is a good guy and doing a helluva job on probably the hardest Site to control this side of the late MV-1. There have been a couple opportunities to work with Cory since, though they did not pan out in the end. Hopefully, one day, but for now read what makes the man behind Marvel: 2000 tick!
To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job,
things like that. Whatever you would like to
comfortably share…
Currently, I hold an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Woodland Community College, but after I finish up my transfer requirements I'll be heading over to California State University, Sacramento in order to pursue a Bachelor's Degree. After that it may very well be law school for me. As for the work I do, I've worked at a Quik Stop convenience store for about three years, and before anyone asks I'll say yes, it's exactly like in Clerks. The only difference is that the store is owned and operated by Indians (with the exception of me), so the clash of cultures and social norms definitely adds to the day to day hilarity.
Oh, and since she always complains that I never introduce her to my friends or drop her name in conversation, I've been dating my girlfriend Arielle, whom I love very much, for almost a year and a half now. She's a Photography major who loves bizarre pieces of art, such as fetuses in jars and butt impressions using paint. A few writers in fanfic have wondered what type of woman would love a bizarre guy like me; now they have their answer.
What Sites are you currently writing for? We all know
you're the EIC at M2K (Marvel 2000), so DO tell us how
that's going, and give us an update, ie what's
happening, what's in the future? Bare your soul, in
other words...
I'm only writing for Marvel 2000 at the moment, but I'm hoping to change that soon. In the past, I've written for such sites as Marvel: Revolution, My Marvel, and Marvel Underground, all of which unfortunately went belly-up in a relatively short amount of time. I'm hoping to try my hand at a DC site in the future, preferably on a Robin or Nightwing.
Well, you know you’re welcome at JLU: 2001 (free plug!)
As for what's going down in M2K's part of town, there's actually too much to list! Bowie Sessions, David Golightly, and myself along with a few others are putting together a Holiday Special (which is still accepting submissions) set to release sometime in late December. It won't be for just Christmas related stories, by the by, but for every holiday associated with the winter season. Then launching in January we have a limited anthology title for the site's Alternate Branch entitled, "AMALGAM REVISITED," which will bolster one-shots starring characters from the Amalgam Universe written by Meriades Rai, Tony Thornley, Barry Reese, and numerous others. Also, I feel that the upcoming "KANG/ULTRON WAR" crossover headed up by Chris Munn, Steve Crosby, Jeff Melton, and the other Avengers writers is definitely worth mentioning. We're hoping to see that kick off towards the summer of 2007, but nothing's set in stone at the moment.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our
group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic,
Writing Clubs, etc.?
I'm ashamed to say no. I've always wanted to write my own original fiction, but I've rarely had the time or opportunity to try my hand at it. Fan fiction is my only venture into writing, and the more I think about it the more I realize it's a little embarrassing as a writer to always be playing with others' creations and not my own.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic
books, or some other media?
As a kid, I was into a lot of the Marvel and DC cartoons, specifically the Batman, Spider-Man, and X-Men shows. That led me to reading their respective comic books, which led me into other titles, and then when the proliferation of the Internet hit, I found my way onto a few comic book related message boards. This brings us to...
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you
here initially?
Sometime back in 1999, Dino Pollard was recruiting for a Fanfic site that he was getting ready to launch - Marvel 2000 - on a message board the two of us frequented. We were buds and he knew of my love for Spider-Man, and so the rest is history.
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but
are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
Oh, damn. I know I'm going to sound like a bit of a hypocrite, but… Sometime between age 18 and present, I leaned back and took stock of my life, including the There are people in Fanfic who are in their late twenties, mid thirties, and even early forties.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any
special hobbies or interests you care to share?
As funny as it sounds for those who know me, I've kind of become a workaholic as of late. I wake up, eat breakfast, go to the gym for a couple of hours, do homework, go to class, eat lunch, go to work, come home and do more homework, and go to bed. The few spare hours scattered here and there throughout the day are typically spent drinking with friends, lovin' on the girlfriend, and/or tinkering with Fanfic (writing, editing, webmasterin' it up, and just general chatting). However, I do manage to work in going to the movies and going to the shooting range every week or so, and there's always the occasional reading (comics, Fanfic, and of course actual books).
Is there any certain Title that you would like to
write down the line, or any specific Site that you
might want to write for?
Though I'm not very familiar with the DC universe, I really do want to hop on a DC series and try my hand at writing for a DC site sometime. JLU 2001 and DC Infinity are the big name sites today, and I specifically have my eyes on titles like Nightwing, Robin, Green Lantern, and The Flash, all which I think would be a lot of fun.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits?
Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
To be honest, I haven't sat down and read for my own pleasure since the Da Vinci Code (which was quite a while ago). I get my reading fix through this Twentieth Century Multicultural Literature class I'm taking, and so there's a good variety of books, authors, and genres involved. However, I have taken an interest in Linda Brent ("Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl"), Louise Erdrich ("The Bingo Palace"), Lorraine Hansberry ("A Raisin In The Sun"), and a number of other authors and stories covered in this class.
How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title,
author or artist?
My two favorite currently ongoing titles are "Y: The Last Man" and "100 Bullets," in that order, but - late as always - I'm also checking out the back trades of Preacher, which totally surpasses both titles. When it comes to comic authors, Garth Ennis and Warren Ellis always have my attention, but recently I've become interested in this Mike Carey guy's work, specifically Lucifer and X-Men. And I know I'm going to get lynched the moment I say this, what with the mad hate for the '90s era of comic books, but I've always really liked Joe Madureira's art, as well as Jim Lee's.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline?
How about in Fanfic?
In mainstream comics, I can't get enough of "Preacher." That counts as a story, right? Considering it's completed? I haven't read all of the trades yet, but these first four have been awesome. I really have to thank Logan Polk for pointing this series out to me as it is some of the best stuff in comicdom I've read ever. As for fan fiction, X-Corp by Brad Horton at Marvel 2000 (as I've said elsewhere in this interview) is definitely my favorite title out there. The story's just about up, but it's been an awesome ride so far.
What’s your favorite movie?
I go through phases where I love different movies. Right now, I'm really diggin' The Departed, but in recent months I've also fallen in love all over again with American Beauty and Ghostbusters. Pretty diverse three movies, but that's just how my interests are. I also have a feeling that Casino Royale is going to be my new favorite, but we'll see.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I like to think that a lot of the characterizations and synergy, as well as personal and lifelong themes, that I explore in my writing are influenced by real life in general. The people I meet and know, what I see and experience, the things that happen in my life and happen to me specifically, those largely play a role in how I write and what I write... Well, with the exception of action scenes. Those come largely from action movies!
What are your writing habits? Do you write every day, many hours, once a week, or what? I know running a site takes time. How do you balance your schedule?
Seeing as how things have gotten so busy in my life, I usually try to be a very gradual writer. I'll spend about a week on one issue, with one day plotting it out and every day after that writing about two or three pages a day. Though I'm only technical writing one title right now, I've also tackled plotting, scripting, and general wrap-up duties for a few other titles at M2K, and I have a few things on the side (such as a Spider-Boy story for Amalgam Revisited and an Iceman story for M2K's 2006 Holiday Special).
So, I average about an issue a month, sometimes two, and likewise I work on the site's updates gradually. Read and edit an issue one day, HTML it and post it the next, move on to the next issue on the third day, etc. It's a nice way of making sure I have a little bit of everything going on in my life, but also keeping it all under control.
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to share?
Everyone can find my MySpace at…
www.myspace.com/colove
And my LiveJournal at…
www.evil_snowman.livejournal.com
Aside from those links, I'd also like to take this opportunity to pimp out Marvel 2000's message board, which can be found at…
http://corywiegel.proboards91.com/
Where a lot of great conversation goes in regards to... well, just about anything comic book and Fanfic related.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
I can't stand to have television or DVD's playing while I write as they're such a huge distraction, but I love listening to music while I write, particularly rock. I like a lot of high energy stuff and I jump around a lot from more modern bands, like Disturbed and System Of A Down, to '90s punk rock and grunge like The Offspring and Rage Against The Machine, and down to the '80s Ozzy Osbourne and Guns 'N Roses. I like to keep things fast paced and exciting in my writing, and I a lot of times when I put on slower, mellower, and/or more dramatic songs it can really kill my inspiration and mood to write.
What book are you reading now?
"The Bingo Palace," by Louise Erdrich. It's definitely filled with some very engaging characterization and beautiful narrative all throughout the book.
What’s your favorite reading genre?
Despite the fact that most of my writing combines coming of age, comedy, and action-adventure in some form or another, I actually love noir above and beyond any other literary genre. I've only had the chance to write in the genre a couple of times and I pussied out both times, intimidated by the idea.
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
Since I was 13, about to hit 14, which means that I'm approaching my seven-year anniversary here in January of '07.
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
Amazing Spider-Man at Marvel 2000, and I think the above question mostly explains why it sucked so much. Mostly.
Any upcoming events in your life you’d like to share:
births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
Can't say that there's much going on in my life right now aside from getting ready to transfer to a University from my JC and getting ready to tackle on some more responsibility, hours, and yes, pay, at my current place of work. Oh! But my girlfriend is spending Thanksgiving with my extended family and I, and so gets to meet a lot more than just my parents and sisters. That should definitely be a fun experience.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
I live in a small Northern California city called Woodland, which is about twenty miles from the state's capital of Sacramento. I've moved around a lot as a kid and I always preferred larger, more active cities, but I've really settled down here. Everything's real low key and mellow around here, and that makes it all the more easy to just do my own thing. Plus, everything I could want or need is less than half an hour's drive, which is what it would be like in most large cities anyway, so no problem all around.
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
Though it's about to end very soon, the first thing I'll always read the moment it shows up in my e-mail box is Brad Horton's "X-Corp" series at Marvel 2000. As soon as that series wraps up, I'm certain that Brad's "Cable/Deadpool" will replace it as my absolute-no-comparing favorite. Unfortunately, Brad's largely underexposed as a writer in the Fanfic community today, but he really is one of the best out there!
Give us a few closing words. Now's the time to drop some Links and pimp your site, dude. Go for it!
David Golightly says that I'm his biggest hero for this, so I just thought I'd share it with all of you. Under my bed is a briefcase containing a Beretta 92FS, one hundred bullets, and a manila folder. I don't have any enemies, no one's really fucked up my life or done anything bad to me, so the folder's mostly empty. No, wait, there is some returned homework from my old Criminal Investigations class detailing the various methods of torture. I don't think the bullets are untraceable, either, but it's a pretty cool thought, nonetheless.
That said, I'd like everyone to drop by Marvel 2000 at…
http://m2k.omegacen.com/
if they haven't already and take a look around at some of the awesome, diverse work that's been coming out of the site lately. Also, be sure to swing by the message board and tell everyone what you think of their work. They work hard for themselves and to give everyone countless hours of free entertainment, and so constructive criticism is always welcome and desired. And of course, thanks for interviewing me, Curt!
-------
Cory
It was indeed my pleasure, Cory. |
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| Resurrected Man: The Jae Lizhini Interview! |
[Nov. 27th, 2006|07:10 pm] |
I forget the circumstance exactly, but Jae Lizhini popped up at JLU: 2001 one day with a desire to write. And he did! He took Resurrection Man and made him something. His Green Arrow is acclaimed in our community, and the League of Kingdoms Annuals are all his; plot, ideas and flavor. Too, Jae (along w/ Kim J) stepped up and kept JLU running through my dark time a few months back, and for that I am in his/their debt. About time I give something back. Enjoy…
***
To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
Well I was the second of three children, sisters on both sides of me, born in this little town called South Haverford in Wales. I was a military brat so I did a lot traveling, growing up going from school to school, my Dad left early on and my mom had to work a lot so I was essentially raised by my eldest sister. Umm job... I work for Jewelry Television.
What Sites are you currently writing for?
Fan fiction wise, just JLU200l.
What Titles are you working on?
I'm still writing Green Arrow, and trying my best to finish up League of Kingdoms at the moment for JLU2001. I have stuff on the back burner, I want to get to it some point, but it'd be silly mentioning all of those, in case I flake out and what I said is on the web forever to taunt me.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.? Give us some Links...
I've written a few pieces over at the Cornstalker forums…
http://www.cornstalker.com/forums/
I also take part in a writing community, called Handbag Demons.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby or something to help along other aspects of your career. I know you do fantastic Web comics, and want to get into the Film Industry. Tell us how it all ties together.
What a good question Curt, and the short answer is that it’s just a hobby. As in the method in which Fan fiction is written, I don't see myself wanting to peruse writing in that form. That is if I ever do any professional fiction writing, I'd want it to be something I can create from the ground up. I would not want to write for Marvel or DC.
The sure answer about writing in general is a bit of a strange conundrum for me. See I love the idea of disposable media. I like doing web comics, posting fiction on the web, writing songs and putting them on the web as MP3's, and things such as that. It’s brilliant, I can create things I want to create without a worry. Yet one can not help but wonder what it'd be like to get something published? it'd be a bit of an ego boost I think, to create something that people would both market and pay you for. And what can I say.. of all the things I do from playing piano to illustration, the one skill I have the most faith in is my writing ability, and I've thought about doing a novel at some point with an aim of getting published.
Now to tie it all up, I don't know I mean, sure there are elements of writing when you do a comic, and also in the movie making business, but I don't really consider what I do in fan fiction, to really be that helpful in those forms of writing, beyond the obvious, learning of grammar. as writing a comic script, a screenplay, and a serial fiction (fan fiction or otherwise) are different beasts entirely.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
Well I was doing chat Role play pretty hard core in those days, and it got kind of slow so I started doing these really long stories as posts, for characters I played. It was around this time that someone showed me fanfiction.net, and I thought maybe I should be doing that instead of writing these long posts that just get erased when the server reset.
My first attempt at Fan fiction was a Vampire the Masquerade serial, about a Gangrel Private Detective. Also around the same time I did an original team of New Mutants set in the universe portrayed in the TV show Mutant X, called Mutant Zero.
Cool. I’ve played the Masquerade a time or two in my RPG days. I’d like to read that.
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
Well I actually don't recall how I originally found out about the Sites doing Comic Fan fiction, I know early on in my days at Fanfiction.net I found that MV-2 (?) site, and read through some of it. It was later on as I was looking for more comic fan fiction I stumbled onto the HEROES page. I looked through and read a lot of fiction, some sites like Unstable Molecules really peeked my interest but they were no more, then I stumbled on this little site called JLU2001, and the rest as they say... was history.
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
I honestly do harbor a love for the community. But there are some things, some of which I've been vocal about in the past that I would like to see changed, or improved upon. There's a lot of potential in the community, yet at the same thing, there's so much weighing it down, both as a stepping stone for writers as well as those who do it for fun. However for sake of space I'm just going to address three concerns of mine.
Firstly, and to me the most important is the way people act and treat others. I quit the HEROES yahoo group because of this, but I still see it all the time on Live Journals and it bothers me. I understand the need to be vocal about things you don't like, I've been an activist most of my natural born life, however pointing fingers and bashing people openly and without concern doesn't help anything. If you don't like someone then don't speak to them, if you don't like how someone does something either talk to them privately and explain your situation, or speak of it without pointing fingers. It’s so very destructive when people openly flame people for their thoughts, opinions, and skills in writing. It doesn't help as we've seen so many times before. I know were not all adults, but we can at least pretend to be when were in an open forum.
Secondly, The lack of options in fan fiction. I mean how many ways can you write spider-man or superman. Don't get me wrong, I understand that most people are Marvel and DC fans, as they are the most popular companies in comics. And there are sites out there that do give us a few options, there's the 2099UGR site, Multiverse, image reborn, and original sites that are ran by people in the community. However the options at least to me seem really limited. Its not so much the fault of people wanting to make the sites, as much as there are problems actually getting people to support the sites. Most fiction writers appear to only want to write spandex, and very popular titles. I'd think that there are people out there that do enjoy other titles, as Darkhorse, Tokyopop, IDW, DDP, and so on seem to be getting pretty good numbers all things considering, and it'd be nice to see more of it. Not just as a writer but also as a reader. I mean does anyone want to read six different universes' adaptation of the X-men every month? I know I don't.
Thirdly, education. As a whole there is a lot of complaining about not enough reviewing and critics. Now this is true, but more so I think that there isn't any open forums for writers to ask questions, get critiques, and learn from people who are good at specific things. I am lucky and have a few very good friends like Steve Crosby and Mike Rasbury who will look at my work and tell me what sucks. This helps a lot. Not everyone can deal with this though. So I wonder if there was some sort of voluntary committee set up where people with the skin to do so could take part in. And sure there will be a few sour apples who think that this kind of committee would stroke their ego. in every other community I'm in those type of people are shunned, until they can grow up. And no, I'm not taking back my first point... you don't have to be mean to these people, just simply let them know if they can't act with tact when people critically review their work, then they are not wanted in the community, and that if they can get past their insecurities they are welcome back.
A good point Jae. Anyone up for this?
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
Hi my name is Jae I don't believe we've met [laughter] Just kidding, I actually do a ton of things in my spare time. In music I play guitar, and piano plus I'm classically trained in singing; there's also my mad obsession with my music collection that continues to grow to obscene proportions. As guessed I also enjoy visual arts, though the last couple of years I've stuck mainly to drawing, I also have a love for the finer arts like painting, and sculpting. I've also recently found a returned passion for photography, both modeling and taking photographs myself. We can thank my girlfriend, Carina for that one.
Also I enjoy watching films (been just devouring golden age cinema lately), animation, comics, Clothing, Makeup, Reading, and of course activism.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
Of course there's a few. Characters Lobo (which you know about), Hellboy, Morbius, Zombie and I've always wanted to do a Devil May Cry series. Sites, well I'd love to do something for Strange Tales, at some point in the future.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
This past year I've read more books than I have in the last three years, around fifty books or so. My favorite current writer is probably Clive Barker. Older stuff I love Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, William S Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac probably the best, but there are SO many. My favorite book ever is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Favorite series currently the Vampire Hunter D series by Hideyuki Kikuchi.
How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
Without a doubt its Fables. There are other good stuff going on right now like what’s happening in Daredevil, and Hellblazer. My favorite comic’s writer I'm going to have to go with Ed Brubaker, or Harold Sakuishi. On the artist side of things, old favorites Mike Mignola, Yashiro Nightow and Jae Lee. However I've really been digging Mike Lark, and Leonardo Darco here recently.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
Favorite comic book story... I'm going to have to go with Frank Miller's 300 or the march of the Wooden Soldiers story in Fables.
Fan fiction, that’s a tougher question, probably a toss up between Steve Crosby's Joker's bane in Batman @ JLU, and Steve John's Reaper miniseries at Altered Visions.
What’s your favorite movie?
Just one? Oh I don't know. Tron is up there, as is Dark Crystal, and my first real film love Universal's 1933 adaptation of Dracula. And I can't mention movies without mentioning the works of guys like Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, and David Lynch.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get inspired by a lot of things: friends, an interesting day, random people, strange events, a falling apart building, words whispered to me in a darkened theater, the way things make me feel, the sensations of a touch, a new part of a city, seeing something truly extraordinary for the first time, the way a piece of art touches me. And of course these emotions are usually cross referenced with an idea that really makes me think or excited, sometimes these ideas are found in a book, or a movie, or sometimes just somehow populate naturally. There's a lot of ideas I get, and I have no idea how it got there, I just get this intermingling of pictures, and emotion that just seem to scream out at me from the void that is my brain.
What are your writing habits? Do you write every day, many hours, once a week, or what?
I try to write a few times a week, but lately my “sittings” have been quite scattered, I really write when I can and feel comfortable doing so.
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to share? Again, give us Links...
My Live journal is under the name Phactorri. My webcomic is at
http://www.decypher.comicgen.com
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing? Who's your favorite band/artist?
I can't write with music, it’s impossible. If music is on, I'm concentrating on the music, more than I am the writing. Sometimes the TV will be on but it'll be something random that I have just forgotten about.
Favorite Band/artist... Well I'll do another short list, Wolfsheim is an amazing German Synthpop band who I've been desperately in love with for a number of years. Giuseppe Verdi was an amazing composer and I'll always have a soft spot for him especially the Opera Rigoletto. Hot Water Music, has this corrupted beauty which I've never been able to fully comprehend. Sarah Brightman gives me weak knees. Marc Almond (of the Soft Cell Fame) also makes me want to love everything. Social Distortion somehow put music to my youth. And I can't really leave out Funker Vogt, one of the greatest EBM acts in the history of Mankind.
What book are you reading now?
The Crisis of Desire by Robin Hardy (with David Groff).
What’s your favorite reading genre?
I don't have one. I tend to move around the spectrum. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of biographies, and 19th century Literature, however.
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
I’ve been writing since I was allowed to do so, which was when I was seven years old or so. Fan fiction, three years now I think.
Any upcoming events in your life you’d like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
Let’s see, me and my girlfriend's anniversary is coming up New Years Eve, I have two friends expecting sometime in January. And November 25th is the birthday of one of my dearest friends.
Happy birthday to them. Sorry this got posted after.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
Currently I'm living in Knoxville, Tennessee in the United States.
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character?
I suppose there's always a little of that somewhere deep in one’s mind. As mentioned earlier I'd love to do a Devil May Cry series. In comic Fan fiction, there's a few characters that I have an inkling to tackle, but the pull has never really amounted to the time I don't have. I would love to work on an updated version of Adam Strange. There's the pull to bring Timothy Hunter into adulthood, as well as the revamping of Bushido from Teen Titans into a more Vertigo like realm.
As to massive crossovers I don't really think in those terms. My mind is usually set telling stories about fractured people, and when there's a ton of characters it makes it hard to really fully identity with the individuals. When I wrote the arc in the Titans, the one thing that really bothered me was the fact I didn't really get enough character development going, especially for the “Atom's Teen Titan's” group, many of which who died. More often than not the things that drive me in stories are the characters. And if there are too many characters than either people get overwhelmed by each character, or the characters get lost in the plot. I know my limitations, and I don't want to write Fan Fiction's Grapes of Wrath.
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
As mentioned earlier I haven't been getting out to read things as I should, but from those few titles I do read, I'm really enjoying Bertham Gibbs' JSA at JLU2001, Your Fantastic Four at Omega, Mike Rasbury's Dr Strange at Strange Tales, as well as the old favorite Steve Crosby's Batman at JLU.
Give us a closing. Now's the time to hype and shout out to all your peeps. Pimp yourself...
Making me get in before the buzzer. Okay lets see. First off I'd like to thank you for everything Curt. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I'd still be doing this Fan fiction thing, along with all the great people at JLU2001 who really make everything fun. Chris Munn and Mike Rasbury as well deserve a round of applause, I really find them second to none in keeping me in some what of a Fan Fiction circle when I really seclude myself from the community like I have the last little bit.
I want to thank all the people who read my stories, the buzz I tend to get with Green Arrow, from people have always been a heavy drive for me to continue doing it. And it does mean a lot even if I don't always show it, every time people mention it being great, or when I see people replicating the styles I use in writing. It’s amazing to me the way people respond to my writing, I can't believe it sometimes.
Also I want to mention how great it is that Bowie Sessions is out there doing Fan Fiction, now. He's a friend of mine from ages ago when I first started doing a lot of the intraweb stuff, and seeing him out there amongst the pastime is quite nice.
And in closing thanks for asking me to do this interview Curt. It was a bit of a shock actually, being how I do one ongoing series at the moment. And to those reading this, thank you for lending us some of your time.
Not a shock at all, Jae. You’ve been more instrumental than you realize I think, in the Fanfic Community. Thanks for participating, and everything else!
Curt |
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| 'What are the Owls, really?' The Meriades Rai Interview |
[Nov. 13th, 2006|08:54 pm] |
I first came across Meriades Rai through a link either of Derrick's or Dino's LJ. Said link said in a round about way to definitely check out this 'new' guy that seemed to have something to say and a rather unique way of saying it. I checked out 'The Owls Are Not What They Seem...' (which I thought was a Blade Runner reference)and Derrick or Dino (whichever) was right.
Meriades Rai is a helluva writer and has a damn lot to say. As you are about to learn, he's all over the place in Fanfic, with an impressive number of stories to brag about, and an even more impressive bit of content. I haven't had a chance to work with Meri on anything yet, but I hope that will change. We've been playing e-mail/LJ tag for awhile now. Hopefully we can kick it up a notch. For now though - Enjoy!
To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
H’okay. I’m Meri, I’m 32 (33 on January 5th), and I’ve been married to the lovely Emma for 7 years. I have one daughter, Francesca Rose, who is 18 months old. She’s wonderful beyond words, but in the interests of sanity we’re stopping at one. I’ve worked in bookselling since I was 18, at times at management level, but I’m currently taking some time off to care for Frankie (Emma is also a bookshop manager and she was on a far better salary so I had to be the one to take the plunge as main carer). It’s interesting, but I get less time for writing than when I was at work and I’ll be happy to get back to the real world next year some time, if only so I have some money to start buying comics again…
I have a motley collection of siblings, nieces and nephews, and my parents are great. I’m lucky in that I come from a very stable background. I’m abysmal at staying in contact though; I keep myself to myself. Miserable old git that I am.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
I live in a arsehole town called Northampton, located mid-way between London and Birmingham, England’s two biggest cities. Northampton is actually about as close as you can get to the middle of the country, geographically, which is a shame because I love the ocean. Then again, England’s pretty small compared to the US – we’re only talking 100 miles or so away from the coast in any given direction.
I lived in and around London for 8 years, working in the West End – Piccadilly, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street. It’s an expensive city, but great when you’re young and single. Not so much when you hit family and mortgage stage. I’m more of a country lad and will probably never go back to living in a city, but I’m glad of the experience. Unlike Northampton, people in London aren’t in-bred fuckwits.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
Spare time? Yeah, right.
Aside from writing and reading I love football and support Wolverhampton Wanderers, a team who were the best in the world back in the 50s but who haven’t really achieved anything in 20 years or more. They currently play in England’s second tier, below the level where the famous clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal compete. I enjoyed the World Cup, even though England were crap, because I was also rooting for Italy, the eventual winners.
There’s comics, of course, but I haven’t had the money or space to collect seriously for a number of years now. I was a huge collector back in the 80s, twenty-plus titles a month for 10 years.
I’m also a bit of a Rain Man. I love numbers and number puzzles. Give me any kind of Su Doku or bastard derivative and I’ll crack it.
I used to play a lot of computer games – we’re talking original PlayStation era, not PS2 – but I’m looking forward to Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Final Fantasy XII.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media? What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
Definitely comic books. I went online for the first time in 2002 and started hanging around various comic message boards, and in March 2004 saw a post on one advertising for new writers for a site called Alternate Marvel. It all looked very nice, but the choice of characters to write for was severely limited. I submitted a handful of issues of a Silver Sable series and was accepted. Joel McCrory thought it was boring, but he came around eventually, possibly when he realised I was just as abusive and foul-mouthed as he was.
How long have you been writing stories - Fanfic or otherwise?
I started writing stories when I was about 7 or 8. I was always creating superheroes and villains and built my own universe that I was still tinkering with 10 years later. I also wrote a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, including a series called The Space Demons, inspired by Star Wars and Doctor Who, about a band of renegade space pirates on the run from the intergalactic militia. I loved those characters, especially one called Harry, who was a raving Cockney lunatic in a trench-coat, very similar to John Constantine actually although it would be a good decade before I read any Hellblazer. I eventually killed them all off and felt really sad about it afterwards.
I’ve written six novel-length stories, all between the ages of 14 and 27, all of which were good in some ways but arse-clenchingly awful in others. I need to get disciplined and try again; I think I could do better this time.
I’ve been writing fanfic for 2 ½ years and have been fairly prolific in that time. In a year-and-a-half at AltMarvel I wrote Silver Sable (7 issues), Brother Voodoo (15), Amazing Spider-Man (15), Spectacular Spider-Man (9), Topaz (12), AltMarvel Fanfare (3), Slyde (3) and a fill-in issue of Uncanny X-Men. I’ve also written Dansen Macabre (6) at Avengers 2000, Batman (8) and Doctor Who (4) at DC Omega, and Ghost Rider (6) and Ultimate Avengers (6) at Marvel Omega. That’s 95 issues in 30 months, which (if you couldn’t already tell) I’m extremely proud of. As someone who used to procrastinate terribly when it came to writing, fanfic has really helped get me moving.
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
I was lucky enough to receive a couple of good reviews from Derrick Ferguson and Des Davies, for Brother Voodoo and Silver Sable respectively, and that led me to the Heroes Yahoo group. My first experiences there were pretty awful, though. One week in and I decided to respond to a message posted by Mick Edwards in which he had made some derogatory remark about AltMarvel and one of the writers there, Kenn Beck, with whom Mick had issues. I was promptly scolded for airing dirty linen on the board. Then, being under the impression that Heroes was similar to AltMarvel’s Yahoo group, where banter was the order of the day, I made a few light-hearted posts and was promptly told off again. I thought, “Fuck you, then,” and didn’t really participate for a few months after, other than to post release information. Looking back, I can see that the regulars were just annoyed (understandably) that posts about writers’ work were being buried beneath frivolous crap. Fair enough. It’s just a shame no one at the time thought to themselves, “Hey, wait a minute, this guy’s new, we’re an intimidating crowd, and he doesn’t know how we work here,” and had taken a moment to explain. But, whatever. I didn’t run away for good, although I spend far more time on LiveJournal than Yahoo these days. And I always try to be nice to new writers when they join the community.
'The Owls Are Not What They Seem...' is a definite stop on the LJ trail. Tell us about that title, and your experiences with the LJ interactivity. Any other Internet activity you would like to share?
The title’s a quote from Twin Peaks, an early-90s tv show (for those miscreants who don’t know) that has governed far too much of my life to be healthy. I’m a Twin Peaks nut. I bore people to tears about it, but I don’t care. I love it. I quote it. I breathe it.
My LJ was originally supposed to be just for my comments on writing, comics and fanfic, but sometimes I post personal stuff there. I don’t bother with much else on the Net in terms of interactive stuff, although this time last year I attempted to run a RPG-type game on LJ called Cougar Ridge. Set in a small, strange US town where there had been a murder (the Twin Peaks influence again), I invited fellow LJ users to create characters and participate anonymously by posting replies in the voice of their character to the main LJ I was writing. Most of those who played seemed to really enjoy it, although lack of participation saw it tail off after a month or so. Unfortunately, only a tiny fraction of those who I thought might be interested in such a project – ie, writers – decided to play in the first place, which was extremely dispiriting. Still, at least I tried. And, if I could somehow rouse interest in another similar game I’d definitely try again.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.? And DO tell us about Revenance and Castavel. Now's the time to drop a LINK...
Unfortunately the sites you mention have reached a hiatus. I set up meriades.co.uk back last February with three imprints: Revenance, a shared universe for superhero and adventure series, Legends of Castavel, a shared world for sword and sorcery fantasy, and Diabolique, for erotica and romance. I thought there was an opening for an original fiction project, but there was little interest initially, with a lack of time on the part of prospective writers being a key flaw. Diabolique died quickly because it was met with awkward silence and I lost my nerve, but a handful of writers – Kenn Beck, Kim J, David Wheatley, Mark Walsh and Brent Lambert – all produced some good work for the other two imprints.
Unfortunately, during the summer my enthusiasm waned when I had zero time for writing and editing (the huge amount of time I ended up investing in this surprised me). It may have been different if more writers and readers had been interested but the site just wasn’t on the radar. It sounds defeatist – well, it is defeatist – but I gave up; when you have such little time for writing you need to feel it’s worth it and I was struggling with that by the end.
What Sites are you currently writing for? What Titles are you working on?
My current haul:
Supervillain War is a 16-issue series for Avengers 2000, telling the story of forty classic and underused villains kicking the crap out of one another on a faraway battlefield world at the behest of The Grandmaster. The series is 95 per cent finished, I’m just going through each issue with a final edit, making sure there are no snags or loose ends.
Ultimate Avengers is being published at Marvel Omega, although it was originally released on my own site under the name Avengers Regeneration this summer just gone. The first arc is six issues (the last to go up at MO was # 3, I believe) and I’m currently working on the second. This is my re-imagining of The Avengers, very different from The Ultimates.
Ghost Rider has one issue left to be written and released at Marvel Omega. This is the story of FBI agent Rebecca Lockwood, the latest innocent to fall under the curse of Zarathos.
Doctor Who has just started at DC Omega-Vertigo and will be ongoing, featuring adventures of the 10th Doctor (David Tennant from the tv series) and a new assistant, Audrey.
The Brother Voodoo series that was originally at AltMarvel is being heavily re-edited two years on and will be re-released at Strange Tales. It’s Hellblazer meets Walter Moseley, with a heavy noir feel.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
I love comics and comic characters. Honestly, I’d write anyone and everyone if I had the time (Marvel, at least. I have very little knowledge of DC characters, apart from Batman, so I tend to steer clear of them). Every six months or so I post a whole list of ‘proposed projects’ on my LJ, some of which I get around to but most of which I don’t. I’ll most likely be writing something else for Avengers 2000 after Supervillain War, and maybe something for their Other World or Marvel X imprint, most likely a Victorian-era ‘Elseworlds’ Spider-Woman series. I’d also like to do more for Strange Tales, original fiction rather than fanfic. There’s a Catwoman series I’d like to do, which would have a home at DC Omega (thanks, Dino).
At some point, years from now, I like to think I’ll have written Hellblazer, some form of X-Men (my one issue at AltMarvel was a lot of fun), Femmes Fatales (a Marvel version of Birds of Prey / Charlie’s Angels with Silver Sable, Black Widow, Elektra and Mockingbird), Doctor Strange, and Captain Carrot And His Amazing Zoo Crew (honestly, I would). Maybe Ultimate Spider-Man, just so I can re-imagine all those classic villains…
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character?
I’m lucky in that I’m already working on my two dream projects, Supervillain War and Ultimate Avengers, and that I’ve previously written my two favourite characters, Spider-Man and Batman. Although Ultimate Avengers has had a stuttering start I’d really love it to be my magnum opus, my equivalent of Pendragons, maybe even reaching the magic 100 issues mark in a few years time. We’ll see.
Dream assignments otherwise would be in original fiction. Despite Revenance failing I still believe there’s an original superhero universe project out there waiting to happen, with up to a dozen writers all chronicling the old-school adventures of their own heroes and villains just as Marvel and DC did when they started out. I’d kill to be a part of that. Mike McGee was also once pondering the notion of a group of writers working on an original series split into ‘episodes’ like a virtual season of a television show. I’d also kill to be involved in that kind of project. Hell, I guess I’m happy to kill to get what I want…
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
The sheer number of different sites is mind-boggling, especially as so many writers write for more then one of them. One day I’d like to see some merging going on, to consolidate the talent, but it’ll never happen.
I’d also like to see a greater influx of new writers on a regular basis and less titles with a release schedule of one issue every six months or more, which can look a bit tatty.
I’d like to see a greater diversity of titles, especially solo female series. There’s Black Widow, Silver Sable, Elektra, Mystique, Spider-Woman (Jessica or Julia), Catwoman, Black Canary and The Huntress all waiting for a major new series somewhere, off the top of my head. More villain-centric series would also be good, and more with a crime or espionage bent.
What’s your favorite color?
I’m an ex-Goth (ex because all my hair fell out and because I had to remove all my jewellery so the child couldn’t yank it out and eat it). So, black. I also like blue and green and the whole turquoise spectrum in-between.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
I have oodles of favourite books. In fantasy I would choose the original Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, anything by the late David Gemmell, especially the Jon Shannow trilogy, Robert Rankin and Neil Gaiman. In crime I like Robert Crais, Caleb Carr, Fred Vargas and Michael Connelly. In horror I read Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Poppy Z. Brite and James Herbert. In modern fiction and non-fiction I like Nick Hornby, Mark Haddon, Matthew Reilly and Bill Bryson. In kids fiction I like S. F. Said, Justin Richards and the old Three Investigators books. Then there’s Charlotte and Emily Bronte and Arthur Conan Doyle in classics…
My favourite book ever is High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.
What book are you reading now?
I’m just about to start Mark Haddon’s A Spot Of Bother, a tragi-comedy about a man who believes he is dying and his dealings with his dysfunctional family .
How about in comics - do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
Again, oodles. My favourite writers over the years have been J. M. DeMatteis, Tom DeFalco, Roger Stern, Gerry Conway, Peter David, Mark Gruenwald, Mike Carey and Neil Gaiman. Favourite artists are Tim Sale, Jackson Guice, Adam Hughes, Gil Kane, John Romita Jr, Dave McKean, John Byrne, Sandy Plunkett and John Bolton. Probably others I’ve completely forgotten.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline?
Favourite comic ever is a tie between three very different books: Preacher, by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon; Secret Wars, by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck; and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition by everyone. Others I’d loved are Kraven’s Last Hunt by J. M. DeMatteis and Zeck, DeMatteis, Keith Giffen and Adam Hughes on Justice League International, Hulk by Peter David and Dale Keown, Spider-Man: Blue, Batman: Dark Victory and Batman: The Last Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz’s run on Amazing Spider-Man, John Byrne’s West Coast Avengers, Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists, Lucifer by Mike Carey and various artists, Avengers by Roger Stern and John Buscema, PSI Force by Steve Perry and Mark Texeira… and, again, lots I’m forgetting.
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
The best fanfic titles I’ve read are Supervillain Team-Up at Avengers 2000 by Steve Seinberg, Werewolf By Night by Mike McGee and Thunderbolts at Marvel 2000 by Chris Munn, which I’m currently enjoying. Strange Tales is probably the site with the highest quality of writing overall. I’m looking forward to reading Michael Franzoni’s The Fence sometime soon (I like the villains, as if that wasn’t obvious) as well as Jeff Melton’s 60s Avengers, Mike Rasbury’s Doctor Strange and Steve Crosby’s Captain America.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Reading, one hundred per cent. Be it books, comics, magazines, newspapers… stories are out there, everywhere. Also, most stories are inspired by characters and the best way to build characters is to read about them. Everything I’ve learned about writing – everything – has come from reading.
What are your writing habits? Do you write every day, many hours, once a week, or what?
When I don’t write I get frustrated and depressed and I’m hell to live with. I try and write for an hour a day, every day. Or at least every other day. I can write about 750 – 1000 words an hour, so a 7,500 word week is a great week for me.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
I always used to need complete and utter silence, but since Frankie came along and hijacked my life I’ve had to learn to block things out. It’s not ideal, but I’m getting there. Give me complete silence and I can write like a demon. The worst thing is trying to write when someone else – usually my wife – is in the room, especially if she has the temerity to talk to me! I find it impossible to concentrate then. But, hey, she’s more interesting than fanfic anyway…
Rumor is you're undertaking a new endeavour, something like the 'HEROES BOARD' of old. If the time is right, give us some hype on that project...
I’d really like to try and put together a monthly online newsletter type project that collects together the disparate releases and reviews sent to the Yahoo group board, plus a few articles from writers and editors thrown in for good measure. I have no idea if it will work but it’ll be nice if it does, especially when attempting to attract new readers and writers from outside the community.
A Question from Mick:
If you had your way exactly how would the clone saga have ended? Would there have even been one?
I never liked the idea that Peter Parker from Amazing Spider-Man # 150 onwards was a clone – that was just stupid – but I was completely in favour of Peter being replaced by Ben Reilly. When I wrote Spider-Man at AltMarvel I hated the fact that Peter was still risking his life all the time when he had a wife and kid at home. That, to me, went against the whole idea of responsibility established in Amazing Fantasy # 15 way back when. Mary Jane? Fine. She chooses to be with a guy who could be killed any second, that’s her lookout. But Peter has consciously made the decision to be a father and his first responsibility is therefore to his child, regardless of what has come before. When I finished my series I put Ben back in the suit, and Marvel should have had the guts to do the same.
Norman Osborn coming back? Second worst story ever. Worst was Sins Past. After almost 30 years of reading Spider-Man, I quit soon after that load of bullshit. For me, Spider-Man from the mid-70s to the late-80s was the real deal, nothing has ever come close to those heights.
And now's the time for closing. Any last words or Shout Outs, any Hot Links to share or whatever, now's the time.
Um… read Ultimate Avengers, if you aren’t already? That, Supervillain War and Brother Voodoo, they’re my babies. And, please, someone get that original superhero universe going (and invite me along)!
Thanks for opportunity, Curt.
Thank You Meri. That was most excellent!
Curt |
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| OMNIVESATILITY: The Gregory Hernandez Interview! |
[Oct. 28th, 2006|08:14 pm] |
Omniversatility…
It’s something when we have to invent words to describe our peers because they are just so damn good. Luckily we are all writers, so we can get away with it. I first learned of Gregory Hernandez through the gushing praise of my truly dazzling Assistant Editor over at JLU: 2001 – Kim Johnson. Kim is the EIC of Omniverse, a GREAT site that hosts Fanfic, in case you didn’t know, and just last year I got the opportunity to join in on her annual Halloween Special. Well, one of the other contributing writers was Greg – a mainstay at Omni – and at Kim’s suggestion, I just had to read his stuff. Needless to say, I was impressed.
Greg is an outstanding talent who, whether by choice or circumstance, does not get his chance to shine in the limelight. His stories are out there, don’t get me wrong, but for some reason he seems to fall through the cracks and that’s a shame as he truly deserves some praise for his fantastic work.
If you haven’t heard of him, now’s your chance to get acquainted with Greg. And when you’ve finished the Interview, DO go check out his work. You will not be disappointed…
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Curt: To start, tell us a bit about yourself, Greg; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
Greg: I'm a Puerto Rican New Yorker transplanted from Brooklyn to South Jersey by way of Chicago, California and North Carolina. Ex-Army man and former wannabe rock star, I've been writing Fanfic online in one form or another since about 2000.
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C: What Sites are you currently writing for, and what Titles are you working on?
G: I've done most of my work for Omniverse. I'm currently finishing up some of my work there. There's my Generations miniseries, which is my version of the John Byrne DC miniseries. Each chapter is set in a different decade. It lays the groundwork of a sorts for the original Omniverse's sister site, Omniverse Shadows. Whereas the original Omniverse (now known as Omniverse Dawn) was beholden to established continuity as of the event that merged all the comic universes into one, Omniverse Shadows, was to be a blank page. The hope was that this would attract new writers. As usual, not so much. So I decided to lay an outline of a proposed history for Omniverse Shadows. In addition to indicating that Shadow comes after Dawn, the name was also a nod to Chris Munn's great Marvel Dark Design site of yore. In addition to Generations, Kim and I have collaborated on an outline for the currently running Generations spin-off set in the 30's and 40's, the Invaders. I'm done with my end of the writing for it though.
I also have a "Shade the Changing Man" series that I write for Omniverse.
Occasionally, I toy with the idea of doing a Fantastic Four massive 80 Page Giant or an Annual that would tie up all the loose ends with the various surviving members of the FF, both those still in the Positive Zone (Reed and Sue) and Ben, who is back on the "original" (i.e., Omniverse) Earth. Ben will be forming a new FF. In fact I'm toying with the idea of there having sprung up various FF off shoots, just like the Avengers at one point had West Coast and Great Lakes branches. I don't like the idea of them being called FF though, that would dilute a great name.
After I've wrapped up those series, I'll be doing stuff with some of my favorite friendly warped people, (Peter) Chris Munn and Raz (matazz). "Creatures On The Loose" by yours truly. More to come.
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C: Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.?
G: Not presently, but I have done so in the past. See below.
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C: Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby?
G: I've had some short stories published. Once I get the damned things done, I'd like to shop my novels around and see what happens. Good chance with Sagabooks.
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C: How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
G: I always like to tell people that I backed into Fanfiction. I'm a big fan of Michael Moorcock. One of the concepts in his fiction is something called the multiverse. I think I googled the term and thereafter came my first exposure to the similarly named Omniverse Fan site.
Actually, now that I remember, it was a little different than that. It starts with Moorcock and his online fan community. There's a fellow who used to host an online fiction weirdness forum called Narcotic Transmissions. Did a lot of good short freaky writing there. That led me to explore the online Fanfic community, and THEN I found Omniverse and I was hooked.
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C: How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
G: Probably one of the Omni editors led me here, as this was where the Omniverse updates were posted when they were twice a month on the 15th and the 30th (those golden days of yore).
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C: We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
G: One of the things I've been thinking a lot about is how to make the presentation of Fanfic more graphically pleasing. I mean there are things that can only be done in online Fanfic in both style and content. We can do things with characters that would affect them in ways DC and Marvel would never do. Have them age, retire, die, whatever.
We can also have them crossover with whomever we desire with no licensing problems whatever. Continuity can be altered or discarded at will. But the way that we've been presenting the Fanfic in a format that is kinda drab to look at. I would like to see more Flash animation, Web Comics, that sort of thing. I'm sure we all know or are artists. Well, let's see more of this. A few years ago, one of the Rob Liefeld fan groups I belonged to put together some issues of a fan comic devoted to the characters as Alan Moore reconceived them in Awesome Comics. I'd like to see the online version of something like that.
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C: What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
G: I play drums and am a vocalist; I also draw. I used to pursue a career in rock n roll professionally. I fronted a couple of rock bands in New York City until I became a born again Christian, about ten years ago.
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C: Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
G: I would love to write Moon Knight, but I think Chris Munn is writing him on every site imaginable, and jumps on the title whenever a new site pops up...Damn you, Munn-Thing!!!
:)
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C: Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
G: Michael Moorcock is probably my favorite author. With this one guy you have a variety of styles and any number of series to choose from. He is like a library unto himself, from fiction to nonfiction. His Jerry Cornelius is my favorite fictional character.
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C: How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
G: I've recently been dragged, kicking and screaming, back into reading comics. There seems to have been a lot of strong work out in recent years so that's not a bad thing. Let's see, I'm collecting Civil War and Front Line at Marvel. Also Moon Knight, Eternals and Heroes For Hire. As for DC, I've finally broken down and started collecting all of the Bruce Timm animated series. Justice League Unlimited is amazing. In terms of DC books, I like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and am looking forward to Black Dossier and the hardcover collections of Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga (due next year I believe). That coupled with Marvel's Eternals HC will make one sweet Kirby collection (or at least a decent start). I know there's a Kamandi HC Masterworks series. If they have an OMAC one, then for all intents and purposes you'd have the best of Kirby's DC work in one place.
Man that was one long-winded answer. Sorry, just had my coffee.
C: Not at all Greg. You’re a man after my own heart.
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C: What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
G: There have been a couple of Adam Warlock miniseries that I've really liked. Also Daniel Sauve did a Thor one-shot that I thought was very clever both in execution and design. As for real-world comics, I like some obscure ones (no surprise there), Jim Califiore (an Aquaman artist of a few years ago) did a black and white 5 issue mini called God's Hammer which was loopy, but fun. Artwork reminded me a bit of Moebius. I also liked Blood: A Tale, the original Books of Magic and Kid Eternity (the mini). Watchmen, of course, and a lot of Frank Miller's tales, like both Dark Knights (yes, both of 'em, for different reasons) and Sin City.
But my favorite comics probably were the ones that Alan Moore did when he teamed up with Rob Liefeld to produce the short-lived Awesome Universe. That in fact might be one of the other big reasons why I became involved with Fanfic.
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C: What’s your favorite movie?
G: This is one that has gone thru changes. For a long time I would have named this William Hurt movie called "Altered States" as my favorite (for personal reasons). Then it was "Citizen Caine". A few years ago I would have said that I had a tie for first place between two romantic comedies, "As Good As It Gets" and "Groundhog Day". Which I would name as my overall favorite would depend on what day you asked.
Last year I was blown away by two films, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Closer", which, along with "Hitch", were comforts to me when a relationship I was in suddenly and explosively ended. Yeesh.
These days? Maybe "Withnail and I", an absurd British comedy by the writer of "The Killing Fields". And as always there are four outrageous New York Jews who trollop around in the back of my head reminding me that although there may not be ONE favorite of their movies, together these guys have been my favorites for decades. That's right, Harpo, Chico, Groucho and sometimes Zeppo, the fabulous Marx Brothers.
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C: Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to
share?
G: Nope. Sorry, I'm boring in that regard.
I did do some writing last year for the two Yahoo Groups (42_Days_of_Writing and the former conservative_RU2 (now called something else)). The former helped me to break out or at least become aware of some bad writing habits I was getting used to; the latter was just a great place to vent about politics. After a while though it just took up too much of my time so I went back after this sabbatical and came back to writing Fanfic, refreshed. If you Google around or join the groups you can check out the archives and see a whole different side to my writing.
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C: Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
G: Sometimes I listen to music or have the TV in the background; when I'm really into it, though, I prefer quiet.
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C: What book are you reading now?
G: Word Virus: A William S. Burroughs Reader. Also, Rob Liefeld's Supreme series, from the beginning.
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C: What’s your favorite reading genre?
G: That's a difficult one to answer.
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C: How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
G: Man, TOO long.
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C: What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
G: Omniverse's Fantastic Four, Volume One. When I discovered Omniverse I wrote an email to the editor telling him how much I dug what he had put together and commenting on a couple of stories. I volunteered to help in any way I could, thinking mostly about helping to code, but then I was offered the FF backup feature. I also started writing the Spider-Man team-up title from a general outline by Kris Morris. And well, basically, I've been here ever since. I've written stuff outside of Omniverse, my favorites being Silver Surfer for Munn-Thing's defunct-but-still-fondly-remembered Marvel: Dark Design site, and the Brent Lambert Presents challenge
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C: Any upcoming events in your life you’d like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
G: One day soon I'm hoping to become a grown up.
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C: Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town,
state, time zone, continent, etc.
G: South Jersey
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C: What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
G: I would say Dreamers Syndrome by Mark Bousquet but I realize it's been on hiatus for a while now. Probably Constantine by Kim Johnson (Omniverse).
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C: Give us a closing: Anything you want to say, any shout outs or helloes.
G: Thanks be to God, my Mom, apple pie, the American way of living, all Boricuas everywhere, and for the members of the Academy for voting for me...oops, wrong speech. Seriously, thanks for everyone who reads this stuff generally, and for those who have read my stories and taken the time to drop me a line offering words of encouragement -- hey, it means a lot and I really appreciate it. Sometimes I feel like a hermit in the cave throwing out messages in bottles that I don't even know if they've reached the sea, much less another person. The positive feedback pushes that feeling aside, for which I'm grateful. So, thanks.
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C: Any final words...
G: Onomatopoeia. Circumference. Ipseity. Perspicacity. Resoluteness. Peace.
Have a blessed day.
The End.(_*_)
C: Thanks Greg! A great interview and keep up the fine work.
***
If you want to check out Greg’s writing, DO go to Omniverse right now…
http://www.hero-verse.net/omniverse/main_page.htm
And check out their Halloween Special, coming soon…
Curt |
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| Interview #5: The Rock, Steve Crosby |
[Oct. 17th, 2006|11:55 pm] |
Hey all,
A little late this time out, but...
This next interview is a rather special one for me. Several years ago now, when Russ Anderson first directed me to JLU: 2001, I was a little disappointed I have to admit. It was a great site, w/ some stellar stories, but it was all but dead. Russ was doing the HTML and James Hickson was editing and writing Plastic Man, and there was one other guy that I didn’t know doing Batman AND Superman. Well, I had some stories in mind and decided to check out what was happening. I read Batman. Then I read Superman…
Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to be on the same team w/ not only Russ and James, but this guy… Steve Crosby! I like to think that Steve and I hit it off well from Day 1, and have shared a good relationship since I took over the EIC spot from James. One thing that you probably don’t know is that Steve is the main reason I remain, that I keep doing JLU – despite my recent life and all the varied controversies at the site. I used to call Steve ‘the Rock’, because he was the true glue at JLU, and still is. Consistent and professional, and all for free. Besides, it would be a crime on my part not to let him write Batman!
Read now the Interview, and learn why Steve Crosby is one of my favorite writers, a great guy, and… The Rock!
***
Curt: To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share.
Steve: You never know who might read these, so maybe I should be vague. Well, I’m the third of four boys, the only one with a steady job at the moment. Course that’s only because my oldest brother went back to school and the next oldest is abroad trying to protect a forced democracy, but I won’t get into that. And considering how long it took me to get my life moving after high school I won’t criticize my younger brother too much.
At the moment and likely for a long time after I’m working in a prison. Yeah, all those fight scenes I write aren’t entirely made up. A while ago Jason Kenney was saying on his Live Journal about how nobody writes letters anymore. It’s not true, but sadly they all seem to be addressed to convicts.
C: What Titles are you working on? And for what Sites?
S: Saving the best for last, at M2K I’m in the midst of a Captain America run I’m very proud of. The last few issues have been rather street-level psychological-crime-drama heavy, but the latest arc should be brimming with some of that espionage thriller action that Cap should be a part of. Now that I’ve finished a three-part arc on New Warriors, closing out dangling plots, it’s just Captain America right now at M2K. At least until a super-secret high-profile project gets off the ground.
There are a smattering of projects I’m working on at Dino Pollard’s Marvel and DC Omega sites. At Marvel Omega’s Amazing Fantasy title I’ve started an arc on Deathlok that follows up a story Dino did in his New Warriors title. And at DC Omega I’m working at co-writing Justice Society of America and Superman/Batman with Brent Lambert and Dino Pollard, respectively. There are some big ideas for each title that should definitely blow readers away.
A new issue hasn’t been out in a while, but I’d like to think I’m still writing Uncanny X-Men at the MX subset of AV2K. When I get the chance I definitely need to contact Derrick Ferguson about getting that title back on track.
But nobody reading this cares about those projects. What really matters is what I’ve got going on at JLU. Yes, I’m still writing The Batman, and will continue to do so until the keyboard is ripped from my cold, dead hands. The next issue will resolve of the plots I’ve had going and set things up for the next run of stories. In addition to the Batman, I have a plethora of stories in mind for JLU, including more stories about the new Mon-El that has appeared in the wake of Dark Genesis, building his legend and well as exploring the mystery of why past incarnations of Mon-El are remembered. Also, after seeing the new Hawkman I introduced being used in recent issues of JLA, I’ve toyed with the idea of exploring his origin, showing just where and when this new reincarnation of Carter Hall grew up into Hawkman.
C: Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby?
S: The odds of my submitting work to a publisher or self-publishing a novel are slim to none. I have nowhere near the originality or discipline to write anything more than the brief stories you’ve read so far. Maybe someday, but not in the immediate future.
C: How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
S: Comics, more specifically the limited series Avengers Forever by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco. It was while reading that series that I got interested in learning more about Genis-Vell, who was Captain Marvel at the time. A search of the internet led me to MV1 and the terrific Captain Marvel series Ralph Angelo was writing. I then set about devouring everything MV1, sending feedback to a variety of writers and even submitting a few stories of my own.
C: How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
S: One of the MV1 writers I sent feedback to was Will Short, who was writing Doctor Strange at the time. When he started writing X-Men at MV1, I continued to send my opinions of the stories, and when he couldn’t find the time to script the series he invited me to co-write. At around the same time Will Short was also in the midst of putting together a DC based Fanfic group that would come to be known as JLU, which started with only a JLA title and solo titles for each of the Big Seven members. The moment Will Short told me about the venture, I insisted on writing the Batman. I also wanted Superman, but Dino Pollard had beaten me to it, so that run came later.
C: What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
S: Aside from reading and watching everything, playing video games and building computers that only seem to work for about a year, I’m also a fairly avid poker nut.
C: Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
S: Not necessarily for any certain site, except insomuch as a particular site’s continuity allowing me to write a particular story. My idea to rewrite the entire Clone Saga from Spider-Man will probably have to be written with no site affiliation.
Speaking of which, yes, I would love to write an ongoing run of Spider-Man somewhere. And Avengers, without a shadow of a doubt. There are times when I’ve been close to writing either series, and actually wrote issues for runs that were in the works, but for a variety of reasons those projects have always been aborted. Some day though. Some day…
C: What's your favorite color?
S: Black, with bubble-gum pink a close second.
C: We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
S: Sometimes people just need to shut up and write. That’s all Fanfic should be about. Writers exchange ideas, write stories either on their own or in a shared continuity, and just appreciate a good alternative to the sludge we’re expected to pay money for.
C: What's your favorite comic book story, or storyline?
S: Favorite story of all time is "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" by Alan Moore and Curt Swan. Much as I hate to admit it, a good Superman story is all too rare. Favorite storyline of all time is Daredevil: Born Again. Why is it that Daredevil only gets really, really good when his secret identity is in jeopardy?
C: How about in Fanfic?
S: My favorite single Fanfic story was written my Mark Bousquet at MV1, a little anthology story about Captain America, Iron Man and Thor through the eyes of Kang the Conqueror, with a glimpse of each character’s end.
Favorite storyline in Fanfic, hands down, was JLA/Avengers, a crossover event between M2K and JLU and even a third site. I’m not sure who else was involved, but that was some of the best work Chris Munn had ever done.
C: What's your favorite movie?
S: Maltese Falcon. The dialogue just doesn’t get any better than that.
C: What are your writing habits?
S: I try to write at least 1,000 words every day. That’s gotten a little hard right now, but I hope to make up for it soon.
C: Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD's? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
S: I could write in the middle of a rock concert. What I prefer is to play music while I’m writing, anything that may fit the mood of whatever I’m writing at the time, though it’s not necessary.
C: Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits?
S: Mystery and thriller genres, and occasionally Sci-fi/fantasy. After hearing a lot of praise about it, I got into George R. R. Martin’s books, beginning with A Game of Thrones. What struck me first thing was that we’re told the specific ages of most of the characters, something I don’t think has been done very often.
C: Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
S: In Sci-fi, nothing beats Isaac Asimov’s Robot and Foundation stories. In mystery and thriller, I will read anything with the names Raymond Chandler or Robert Ludlum.
C: How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
S: No favorite titles. Anything drawn by John Romita Jr. I will likely read, as he is without a doubt the most consistently good and disciplined artist in the business today and that should be encouraged. Peter David and Keith Giffen blow me away with their versatility. Ed Brubaker is currently the writer I follow around like a lost puppy, as with Steve Epting and Michael Lark he delivers the best Captain America and Daredevil I’ve read in ages, and even has me reading Uncanny X-Men again.
C: How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
S: I’ve been writing since I was around 18 years old. As I’m now 25, that’s been quite a while I’d say. My best hope that I’ve managed to write at least twelve stories each year.
C: Any upcoming events in your life you'd like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
S: Nothing too big, though right now I’m planning to buy my first car. Any suggestions?
C: Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character?
S: After reading the Essential collections of these characters, I would love to do something with Moon Knight or Nova sometime down the line. As far as massive crossovers, M2K has something in the works I would kill to be a part of.
C: What's your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
S: Favorite titles that have been finished remain always Liberators by Jess Nevins and All God’s Children by Mark Bousquet, both based at MV1. The current title I make sure to read whenever a new issue comes out is Thunderbolts by Chris Munn at M2K. It would be considered the Marvel equivalent of Suicide Squad if it weren’t so much better.
C: Where do you get your inspiration?
S: Anything and everything I’m exposed. Sometimes a random phrase that isn’t even said to me will spark a story.
C: Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
S: New York State is home to me, in the Finger Lakes Region. I’m about the same distance away from Ithaca, Rochester, Syracuse and Elmira while still being in the country, so I’m very happy about where I live.
C: Write a closing note- anything you might want to share w/ your peers, words of wisdom, an anecdote, etc. Say 'hi' to anyone. Now's the time...
Steve: We could write all the stories we want, but that wouldn’t make a bit if difference if there wasn’t anybody willing to post them on the internet. So I’d like to say thank you to every man and woman that hosts a Fanfic site and gives these terrific stories a home.
Curt: Thanks Steve, for the GREAT interview and for keeping JLU going for me. Keep up the great work!
***
Next up: Gregory Hernandez! |
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| Carnaj2 Presents: Brent Lambert! |
[Oct. 3rd, 2006|07:05 pm] |
Hey all,
Here is Interview #4. A little late this week, but well worth the wait as I interview Brent Lambert; scribe extraordinaire and all around good guy. Aside from seeing his name almost everywhere in Fanfic, I first had dealings with Brent over at M2K, where he was running his 'Brent Lambert Presents' series. Well, I double-dog dared him to send me his best - or his worst as the case may be - and challenge me he did! It was GREAT fun, and just keeps going. Read now, and learn a little about Brent...
***
Curt: To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
Brent: Well I'm 20 years old. I'll be 21 in about a month here so I'll be clubbing in da ATL lol. My current job is a CSR (Customer Service Rep) for a third party credit card activation company known as Total Systems. I work the third shift there from 10PM to 7AM Monday thru Friday. So I get my weekends off at least lol. Right now I'm attending Columbus State University in Columbus, GA. My degree is Secondary Education and once I graduate I want to become a high school english teacher. The pay may not be great, but damn I love the vacations.
I am the oldest of three kids. I have a younger sister who's 18 so I'm having to show her the ropes of college. My little brother is 16 years of age and he's a complete clone of my father. So I expect him to be heading off to the Army as soon as he hits 18 lol.
My father was in the Army from the day I was born until after I graduated from high school. So I am the true definition of a military brat lol. I have lived in Louisiana, Texas, Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Tennessee, and the country of Panama. And I really don't even want to try and list all the places I've visited. I have been blessed and cursed in that regard though. I've been able to see more places in my short lifetime than alot of people EVER get to see. With that said though don't ever let anyone fool you into thinking being a military brat is easy. You never stay in one place for more than a couple of years and forming any kind of lasting friendship is hard. You would think I would have clammed up but I just kept building myself up only get to get smacked back down to square one when we moved again.
But we've been here in Georgia for almost seven years now so I can happily say I actually have some friends I can really consider to be good friends for the first time in my life. Yea kinda sad it took that long, but hey it comes with the territory.
Though I've lived in Georgia for a while alot of me is really in Louisiana, where I was born. Louisiana is really different from most places in the US. I honestly haven't been there in a lil bit and that's because my heart breaks going down there. The government has really screwed over people down there and it makes me particularly angry cuz it's personal for me. The damn insurance company won't pay to fix my grandma's house even though it was moved off the foundation! Yea, anyway before I rant on that...
Umm what else can I tell ya? Something so obvious I never really think to say it. I'm black (well as black as someone from Louisiana can be). I remember when Russ Anderson found out I was black. I can't remember exactly what he said but I was rolling for a good minute. Well, I'm Catholic, but please oh please don't jump to any conclusions on that lol. Anyway I'm the Director of Youth Ministries for my church so that takes up a whole mess of my time. Gotta plan events, raise money, and the like.
And after all that I'm pretty sure you guys are wondering how the hell I have time to write fanfic cuz now I'm asking myself that lol.
Well, happy early Birthday, Brent. What Sites are you currently writing for?
If I miss out on any please forgive me EiCs lol. Well, first and foremost I write at M2K. It's the site that I hold dear to my heart. I also write at Avengers 2000, Marvel Omega (founding member status there baby!), DC Omega (Steve put away the knife man!), Altered Visions, Grapefruit (ask Raz all about it), and JLU2001 (and yea I know I'm a rotten bastard for having not put out MM in so long).
What Titles are you working on? Tell us a bit about Thor, and your run on the Avengers, and of course Martian Manhunter.
Let's see. Titles I'm working on huh? Well, I guess I'll just list them for convience's sake.
THOR- Avengers 2000
X-MEN- Avengers 2000
EXILES- Pendragons
AVENGERS- Marvel 2000
FALLEN ANGELS- Marvel 2000
STORM- Marvel 2000 (upcoming)
X-CORPS- Marvel Omega
X-FACTOR- Marvel Omega
MAGNETO- Altered Visions
JSA- DC Omega
MARTIAN MANHUNTER- JLU2001
And man....you know I never realized how much I was writing until I actually sat down and put it on paper. Sheesh! Okay anyway moving on...
THOR is actually one title in fanfic I can truly look back on and feel some pride in reading it. Most of my stuff I cringe at and never want to look at again. I still do some cringing on THOR, but I still like alot of what I wrote. Just a lil backstory on THOR. It kinda came at a time when I wanted to branch off from M2K and Derrick Ferguson directed me to the way of Gary D. and vouched for the me the entire time. A tremendous favor on his part because he was putting his ass on the line in the hopes I could do something reasonably cool for Avengers 2000. Needless to say I felt the pressure, but looking back on that first arc I think I did fairly well. I got a couple of reviews outta Will Short for cryin out loud!
Now ironically enough I have Derrick as my EiC beginning this second phase of my THOR run. I knew Derrick had some concerns with my first story and I did take those considerations to heart but making this second phase so to speak a more traditional mythological kinda story. It'll be alot more focused on the myriad gods and goddesses of the universe and not just Earth. I mean look how many different religions that we have had on this planet. Do you really think the Kree, Shi'ar and Skrull didn't have just as many in their formative years? Anyway look for Thor to start taking charge of Asgard and running things a bit differently than his father had.
AVENGERS is actually a kind of a chance at redemption for me. This second run is my way of kinda proving to myself that I've improved from my first run and I'm capable of better. I was surprised at the good response I got from my first arc of the title. Red Skull will be making a return at some point too. But I definately plan on making issue 50 a big party for the title. Not entirely sure how yet, but I'm working on it lol. This will actually be my third 50th issue in fanfic so I've kinda had some practice with doing these kinds of things lol.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER is without a doubt the single most difficult title I've ever written in fanfic, but I knew it would be and that's why I took it on. I've slacked off on it big time and have gotten distracted by other things. I want to get back into though and one of my main goals with that title is to give J'onn a Rogues Gallery all of his own. I've got some neat ideas lined up that should present arguably the JLA's most powerful member with a challenge.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.?
Well, I was writing THE CRUEL ENTOURAGE at Meri's Castavel site. Meri was a tremendously great editor there and in one editing of my first chapter I learned a whole lot from him. He's a great guy. Now that title is moving to Raz's Grapfruit though and I KNOW that's going to be a wholly unique experience. Raz and I may not always be on the exact same page, but I think getting the chance to work with him on a site like this is simply one of those opportunities you can't pass up.
I don't really write at writing clubs or anything like that. I do have original stories I am working on though along with my fanfic. So basically, I'm writing whenever I can squeeze in even the smallest amount of time.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby?
To be perfectly honest....HELL YES I would love to write professionally. Of course I have a major problem and it's that I never think my stuff is good enough. I'm always seeing someone like Raz or Meri and thinking to myself "man if that's your competition you're screwed". My lil bro kinda smacked me upside the head the other day though and was like "you should at least try. if you don't you're going to feel like a jackass for the rest of your life." Which is entirely true so hell I'm going to try and give it a shot for real one of these days.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
When I lived in Panama it was hot all damn year long. It was either humid hot or dry hot, but it was hot lol. During the dry season there were a lot of grass fires so kids kinda had to stay inside. So I surfed the internet. 12 years old now and I happened to stumble across MV1. Man i sucked them stories up like candy. The first day I came across it I was on the computer for about six hours when normally I would have been outside (even though I wasn't suppose to be) shooting b-ball. So yea that kinda locked me into fanfic.
My first website where I actually wrote fanfic wasn't until two years later. It was a site called Marvel: World of Tommorrow set in the year 2020. I wrote a futuristic X-Force. Those days were fun.
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
After Marvel:WoT went belly up I frequented the AOL Marvel Comics messageboards alot. Dino Pollard also happened to post on their alot. We butted heads on topics (still do lol), but we generally got along okay. I saw he had a fanfic website so I hit him up in the hopes of writing something X. Instead though I ended up with Fantastic Four, enjoyed the hell out of myself, and the rest is history.
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
Honestly, I'm generally happy with fanfic at the moment. I would like people adding more to the sandbox in their respective universes rather than killing off characters, but that's just a personal preference. It really isn't even that big of an issue. So yea I'm pretty much happy with fanfic right now.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
Believe it or not I've been dying to do an ELEKTRA solo for years, but just haven't found anyone willing to take it on yet lol. I also would love to someone get another chance to do NIGHTSTALKERS again. Ever since that title abruptly ended I've been having an itch to do something horror related.
What’s your favorite color?
Blue without a doubt.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
Well, I just got done reading the latest STAR WARS novel where Jacen Solo is starting to go all Darth Vader on everyone. I just finished reading BLUE GIRL by Charles deLint and THE ROPEMAKER by Peter Dickinson. Both were Young Adult novels. Fairly easy, but pretty entertaining.
As for my favorite authors I have a list of them, but not too long tho. In no particular order; Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, C.S. Friedman, David Gemmell, Ray Bradbury, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, and Maya Angelou. I'm sure there's more but I'm working off three hours of sleep at the moment.
How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
The smart ass answer would be any writer that takes the time to actually pay attention to continuity! But actually some of my favorite writers are Kurt Busiek, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Peter David, and I'm really this Mike Carey guy on X-Men. Brian K. Vaughn is pretty neat too. As for my favorite artists I really like Chris Bachalo, Salavador Larocca, Carlos Pacheos, Tom Raney, and George Perez.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
Ahh that's a toughie. My favorite comic book story has to be ONSLAUGHT and I'll quickly explain why because looking back on it now it was an okay story at best lol. But the reason I love it is because when I was reading it I was in the fourth grade and nothing could have been cooler back then. And everytime I re-read an issue of that story I get that same nostalgic feeling all over again and I'm back to loving comics like a lil kid.
As for fanfic arcs I can narrow it down to two. Russ' last arc on Fallen Angels and Derrick's Wanda story in Avengers. As for fanfic story that title goes to ALL GOD'S CHILDREN easily.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I know this is the cliche answer, but everywhere lol. I mean I can be ordering some chicken teriyaki and i get an idea. I could be sitting in a boring ass class and spring an idea. I talk a whole lot when I get comfortable, but I'm also an observant person. So I draw from both of those aspects of myself.
What are your writing habits? Do you write every day, many hours, once a week, or what?
Everyday man. Even if it's a paragraph because I'm getting some writing done. And that's what counts to me.
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to share? Now's your chance to plug!
Yes I have an LJ that I'm terrible at updating lol, but my name on LJ is Sinister_Minds8. Why? Because Mr. Sinister is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE comic character! Bow to Sinister. He is life. That's my plug.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
Yea I like to listen to music as I write. I try to keep the music to the mood of what I'm writing. Like when I'm doing a battle scene I frequently listen to the battle music from Episode 3 of Star Wars when Obi-Wan and Anakin get into it. I usually get emotionally drained like that though so I don't do it all the time.
What book are you reading now? What comic?
Looking for a book to read right now, but I'll find one soon. As for comics I'm reading well I got a subscription to Ultimate X-Men so that's kinda what I'm reading the most of at the moment. Robert Kirkman isn't disappointing though so I can't complain. I pick random other titles here and there. Not reading Civil War. Just SO against the characterizations of these guys.
What’s your favorite reading genre?
Science fiction and fantasy are tied on that one.
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
Since about the sixth grade. My English teacher gave me the notation that I was actually good at writing lol. Blame it all on her!
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
X-Force at Marvel: World of Tommorrow. I wrote a 30 something Meltdown, Blink and a 50 something Domino there. I had plans to break Cali away from the States and have the villians take over but that didn't pan out.
Any upcoming events in your life you’d like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
21st Birthday on October 6th. Drunkedness begins on the 7th. So if anyone gets crazy IMs forgive me :)
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
Columbus, Ga. East Coast all day long!
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character?
I have been dying to get involved with or create a site along the lines of Age of Onslaught. That site was just so frickin cool to me and I'd really like to do something akin to it. I was thinking a Doom ruling the world type of thing. Alas, it'll probably never go down.
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic? Any you care to reccomend?
I really enjoy anything Chris Munn writes. So if his name is on it then read it for crying out loud. Or I'll have Ingram unleash his ninja monkeys. Anything by Steve Crosby is also a must read as well.
Give us a few final words of wisdom in closing. Advice, or simply say a 'Hello' to anyone you care to. Say goodnight Gracie...
Last words huh? Well, I think I've done way more than my fair share of talking. If you've made this far in the interview you're a saint and I'll buy you a box of cookie dough.
But I guess a lil more talking couldn't hurt. If I could offer anything I would consider advice it would be this. Don't waste time. I know that sounds a bit corporate America-ish, but when I say that I don't mean kill yourself by planning out every second.
What I mean is never ever be somewhere saying to yourself "I'm wasting my time". Try to make every single moment count cuz you'll never know when it'll be your last. Even if you're spending some of your time just pointing out clouds in the sky it's not a waste as long as you feel like it isn't. That came across a bit weird, but I hope folks got what I was saying.
Anyway much love Curt for letting me talk my ass off!
Anytime, and thanks Brent.
***
Next time out, you all get to meet the man that kept me going at JLU: 2001. When I came onboard, there was James and Russ and the guy I affectionately referred to as the 'Rock'...
STEVE CROSBY purges his sole in the next Interview!
And that's no typo...
Be here!
Curt |
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| Interview #3: the BIG 'Puff Doggy Daddy' Speak Easy |
[Sep. 22nd, 2006|06:18 pm] |
Hello All,
Curt here and back again with another interview for your reading pleasure. This outing, get to know the man, the mystery, the Puff Doggy Daddy hisself - Mark Anderson!
Mark was just a name on the JLU List to me when I first joined up (and Puff at that). He was there before me, and around Fanfic for awhile I came to learn. I first read his Birds & Bees at another site (which he will elaborate on below), and put two and two together and knew that I needed this guy to write at JLU. I asked, and the rest is history.
Read on...
***
Curt: To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job,
things like that. Whatever you would like to
comfortably share…
Mark: I am a divorced, 40-year old, balding neo-redneck from Texas. I am in a long term relationship with a beautiful woman, Cadi, with 3 girls, Emily, Abby, and Sarah...
...Somewhere along the line, my being someone's step dad has started to appeal to me, not sure when, not sure where I lost my mind…think it might have gone with my hair. HA!
But really, they are great and my life is richer for knowing them.
I work for a major brand power tool warranty service center handling counter sales and warranty claims.
What Sites are you currently writing for?
Currently, I am only actively working for JLU, but I do have an approved series for Ultimate Impact in the bank. It's a loose confederation based on a mutual love of those Archie/Red Circle/MLJ/Impact characters. There are a lot of, fanfic, names involved and, hopefully, it will go live and see the light of day at some point…course that’ll mean that I actually have to write my issues for it. HA!
What Titles are you working on? Tell us about Birds
and Bees and Twice Told Tales...
Twice Told Tales is coming to live at JLU. We'll be representing "The Late Great Planet Krypton" that previously appeared at DC Heroes in Action Comics. And I wil be adding a second issue to the origin of Superman told there at some point. It's a ripe situation, since the close of the story has Jonathan and Martha picking up the baby Kal from his rocketship.
Twice Told Tales is a concept that is near and dear to my heart, giving writers the chance to, in an Elseworlds/alternate worlds way, retell their favorite stories from DC history.
For the time being, Birds and the Bees and The Replacements are dead in the water. Whether I'll, someday, return to them or not...the thought engenders a shrug.
At the aforementioned Ultimate Impact, I'm on the slate for Blackjack. I'm thinking of going old school gangster for the title. Sort of the Godfather meets spandex with a little Good Fellas thrown in.
Until Barry moves on, I consider myself to still have a shot at assisting him on Antman at Avengers 2000. He and I first discussed this just as I was falling into my writer’s block and I’ve been struggling to get my head back above the waters ever since.
Since the Dark Genesis crossover issue of JLU's Aquaman back in February or March, I've been stuck in the aforementioned heavy writer's block that just seems to have let me go within the last few months.
I am actively writing Aquaman issues right now. The first is in the can and should be appearing soon and I have two...or three mostly complete, just needing to be edited.
I am, also, putting together a Force of July issue or two of JLU Presents that I'm hoping will pass muster. This features the new Force of July that I introduced in Aquaman. Some new characters join. This could morph into S.W.O.R.D., at some point.
S.W.O.R.D, alternatively S.W.O.R.R.D., is an idea that I have been tossing in the air for about six or eight months now. But...it's not really ready to share.
Aquaman, S.W.O.R.D. of Atlantis...anyone? anyone?
I, also, stretch my fan fic muscles by game-mastering over at the All Star Role Players Group (ASRPG) (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/allstarroleplayers) on Yahoo. It’s an interactive fiction game, PBEM-based game set in World War Two and featuring the characters of the All Star Squadron, JSA, Earth-S as player-characters. And a few months ago, I awakened to find myself as the owner of that group, so…I guess I’m more involved than just Gm-ing.
I wish I had something for Derrick at Avengers 2000. But with feeling like I’m just getting the train rolling again, I need to concentrate on the things I’ve already got on the burners.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this
just for fun- a hobby?
I would love to go pro, but I'm realistic about it.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic
books, or some other media?
Comic books…I’ve been reading and making up my own since about 1974.
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you
here?
Right around the time that I finished “The Late Great Planet Krypton” I got an email from a guy named Curt telling me that he liked the story and telling me about a site that he ran and asking if I’d be interested in writing for him.
He baited me…played to my ego…I never stood a chance.
So…I cast about for a bit. Looked at Martian Manhunter and Aquaman and considered Adam Strange/Mystery in Space…after reading X3’s issues of Aquaman, I realized that I could finish that story and that I had ideas of my own for the King of the Seven Seas. And here we are about a year…year and a half later…something like that.
And here we are with Aquaman #17, my 11th issue on the title, about to see the light of day.
Don’t even try to pull the hook out, Curt. I swallowed it whole, hook, line, and sinker.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any
special hobbies or interests you care to share?
I play in the aforementioned ASRPG.
I read…everything.
Watch television and try to find intelligent, well-written episodes…things that I can sit there and go “wow, that’s good.” Grey’s Anatomy is probably the best-written show on broadcast television right now. CSI, original flavor, can still rise to that level occasionally. And the occasional episode of Smallville can do this for me, as well.
Oh…and pay way, way, way too much attention to my fantasy football teams. I cut back this year…I’m only running two. HA!
Bleeding orange and green…and dying with my Longhorns losing to the Buckeyes last week…and my Packers losing to the Bears. I had a bad football weekend, last week.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to
write down the line, or any specific Site that you
might want to write for?
Superman, Green Lantern…Iron Man, Captain America…Justice League, Avengers…Shazam!…
There are a lot that I would like to write at some point.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits?
Who’s your favorite author or series, or book?
I like a good murder mystery and good science fiction.
Stephen King’s Dark Tower/Gunslinger series
David Brin’s Uplift War series
Norman Spinrad’s Iron Dream
David Weber and Steve White’s Insurrection, Crusade, In Death Ground Fight series based on the Starfire space fleet combat game
I’d probably give Uplift War the edge as a fav. Something about Dolphins and Chimps piloting spaceships alongside humanity fires my circuits.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline?
How about in Fanfic?
That’s a hard one.
In Fanfic, I’d have to go with Gary D’s Incredible Hulk at Av2k, Barry’s first story arc in Av2k’s Antman issues, and your own JLA-Avengers at JLU.
In comics…New Teen Titans Judas Contract, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Stormwatch which I pretty much loved cover to cover every month, the Alan Moore Supreme issues, the DC Comics Presents Annual, I think, where Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are attacked by Mongul in the Fortress of Solitude on Superman’s birthday, the X-Men/Alpha Flight team-up when they went after the Wendigo, Top Ten’s first arc, Noble Causes first arc, the Legion of Super Heroes The Great Darkness Saga,
and the JLA/JSA crossovers…I ate those up like candy in the summer times of my distant youth.
What’s your favorite movie?
As you can tell from the last couple of answers, I’m not good at picking just one. HA!
Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The Longest Yard(the original), Boogie Nights, Blow(I knew way too many of the character types in that movie from my misspent youth), I…Robot, Alien Nation, Superman, The Sword and the Sorcerer(Lee Horsley as a Conan-type…who would have guessed that that accent would work in that kind of movie) …
There are more. I could keep adding to this list as I went…probably for hours.
I know you are a BIG fan of Nascar. Tell us a bit
about that...
Geez, dude…not an easy question to answer.
I think I became hooked as a kid when I saw Cale
Yarborough and one of the Allisons get in a fist fight after they wrecked each other coming out of a turn. Richard Petty won the race. Never really found out who won the fight.
Cars going fast. Wrecks. Strategy. And the “is that guy cheating?” factor. It’s neo-redneck. It’s a cold beer. It’s a good stogie. It’s a good time.
For a couple of years when I was a kid, I was at the dirt track every Saturday night with my uncles.
It’s in my blood.
For a bit, I got to race go-carts…before my sainted grandmother decided that that wasn’t going to happen. I was 5 or 6 and I flipped a two-man cart with my uncle riding with me. I landed on him and bounced out…then the go-cart landed on him. Skinned him up, broke his leg…I bounced up and was ready to
go again. And my grandma said, “Nope. We’re done.”
The easiest way to get hooked on racing is to see a race in person or be watching one on television that comes down to the last lap with first and second place leaning on each other coming out of Turn 4 and drag racing for the stripe and the checkered flag.
I think part of the appeal of the sport (yes, I know, many people don’t consider NASCAR a sport) is that everyone drives almost every day. Most of us don’t play football or baseball every day.
I’ve been a Ken Schrader fan for many, many years.
He is coming to the end of a long journeyman-like career. He’s got a great personality and sense of humor that comes through in his interviews. He loves
his job. In addition to racing in Nextel Cup events, he is racing dirt tracks and such throughout the week. He averages racing between 150 and 200 nights
a year. It’s easy to be a fan of someone who loves their work that much.
But with him being on the verge of retirement, year to year, I started looking for a new driver and that’s when I saw Carl Edwards. He wins a race. He stands up on the windowsill of the welded shut car door and does a backflip from the windowsill to the track surface.
The boy has got stones. I can fly his flag.
HA! Don’t know if that really answers your question or not…shrug.
Where do you get your writing inspiration?
Everywhere.
My first Aquaman issues came from floating in the pool in the backyard, my ears below the waterline, staring up at the sky, piecing the story together.
I also wrote an issue or two while sitting in hospital rooms with Cadi and my Mom at different points over the last few years.
Magazine articles. Comics. Movies. Television. The wind in the trees.
One of my favorite inspirations is digging through old Who’s Who issues or flipping pages in the unofficial Who’s Who online (http://www.dcuguide.com/Who_Home.php) and finding a character that I want to use somehow, someway, someday. I’ve got one of those coming up in Aquaman a few issues down the pike. He’s a real Legion of the Lame guy…I’ve just got to beat Gibbs to using him. HA!
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity
you would like to share?
Both…my LJ is called puff house (http://puffdoggydaddy.livejournal.com).
And my blog is Through the Cigar Smoke… (http://www.throughthecigarsmoke.blogspot.com/)
I have a tendency to let my curmudgeonly instincts show sometimes.
And I’m a Southern Democrat with liberal beliefs and conservative leanings (explaining that to Cadi’s brothers who are staunch Repulbicans was fun…but they’ve come around…well…at least they haven’t tarred and feathered me…yet.) and sometimes my politics will get through my keyboard.
But I love to find funny stuff to share as well.
One of my favorite things right now is running across potentially dirty or just plain weird comic book images and posting them with whatever snippy little comment comes to my head at the time. Comic Book Deviants…a Reason is up to #14 so far. Some of the images leave you scratching your head wondering if the editor even noticed what the artist was doing or if they were all giggling like Beavis and Butthead and high five-ing as the issues go to print.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so,
what and which, or some other background noise, like
the television or DVD’s? Or maybe you prefer silence
when writing?
All kinds of music or television…and sometimes, silence. Shrug.
I can write most anywhere…when the floodgates are open and the block is down. Crossing my fingers, hoping it stays down this time. Seems to come back about once a year…usually in the Spring.
I wrote part of the upcoming Aquaman while watching football on television.
What book are you reading now? Fanfic, Mainstream,
pocketbooks, etc?
52, Teen Titans, Justice League of America, Annihillation, the Marvel A-Z Handbook, Secret Six, Atom
I’m planning on starting the Smoking Lamp reviews up again, so I will be reading more fanfic in the next month or two than I have been.
I got the Starman: Sons and Fathers TPB from the library the other day. I’m reading it now. I also picked up The Seven Soldiers of Victory Archive, the Encyclopedia of American Crime (research material for Blackjack), and The Golden Age of DC Comics – 365 Days (mainly for the pics for the ASRPG).
And two books on Soccer. Abby is playing competitive level soccer this year. And Cadi and I need to learn the rules…pretty embarrassing to be cheering when someone scores a goal…only to find that we were offsides.
You know…the other parents, all, look at you funny. HA!
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or
otherwise?
Five years now…maybe six. I’m an older hand than I appear. I’m just not a big name…though having the nickname “puff” does make me recognizable…I guess. HA!
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
Fanzing.
My first story to appear online was part of one of their challenges, the Vile Vial/Vile Virus, or somesuch. (http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzing34/vvwinds.shtml) A virus had gotten loose that turned good guys bad and bad guys good. An infected Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific, cut open the android Red Tornado to see what made him tick…releasing the Tornado Tyrant, inspired by an issue of Justice League wherein Firestorm learned the Red Tornado’s origin. Matter Master and a villain team reintegrate the Tyrant into Red Tornado’s body.
My favorite image, from that story, was cut by the editor at Fanzing. I had, what I thought, was a great text/story image of the Tornado Tyrant tearing up a trailer park outside Happy Harbor.
A few months later, I did Perceptions (http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzing46/fiction3.shtml), my Uncle Sam story, for Fanzing’s Star Spangled issue.
And a few months after that I did the story (http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzing49/fiction3.shtml) that would eventually morph into the Replacements (http://www.ironrodstudio.com/dch/issue.asp?titleid=REP), based on the idea of what if the adventures of the replacement JLA from the Obsidian Age had stayed together, which ran for 6 issues at DC Heroes.
Where about do you live? Be as specific as you like
or as vague: town, state, time zone, continent, etc.
Outside of Dallas, in the soon-to-be former home of the Dallas Cowboys, Irving, TX
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to
tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a
character?
If I get to thinking along those lines, this interview will run even longer than it already is.
Yes. Many. And let’s leave it at that.
What’s your favorite color?
Green, but it was blue when I was a kid. Don’t know why it changed…it just did.
Give us a closing and any words of wisdom you care to
share. Any 'Shout Outs', now's the time...
Thanks to Curt, Des, and Gary D for getting me further into this stuff than I thought I was going to go. And thanks to everybody who reads, writes, and comments on fanfic.
Shout outs…I’ve just got 2 to 5 people.
Barry and Cari and Baby makes three. Congrats to the parents and welcome to the world, Julian Alexander.
And to my ASRPG boys, Randy and Kris.
Curt, we might have something cooking in an ensemble way to pitch to you in a few weeks. Still at the proto-stages, but the idea seems pretty fly. Course, Randy and I have to see if Kris wants onboard, but the idea is cool.
Thanks Mark...
***
Keep the interviews coming in folks. Next up...
Brent Lambert speaks out!
Be here!
Curt |
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|
| Omega and Alpha: the Dino Pollard Interview |
[Sep. 15th, 2006|08:17 pm] |
Hey all,
Time for the next Interview, and if anyone could hope to follow in the footsteps of Bertram Gibbs (in the last interview), that man is Dino Pollard. I forget how Dino and I first linked up. It was either through Ryan Krupienski's Ultimate Marvel Site, or their Marvel Omega where I submitted my ideas for Fantastic Four. Wherever, I soon learned that Dino was as talented as he is informed and educated on many levels. It's rare that you meet someone so well-rounded, and on top of all that, a helluva cool guy.
Here's the Interview. Number 2 in a series. Collect 'em all!
***
Curt: To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that. Whatever you would like to comfortably share…
Dino: I just turned 23 this past August and in December, I'll graduate from Northeastern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in English and mass media. As far as job goes, I work weekends in an administrative position at a real estate office. I'm also the entertainment editor for my college newspaper and I have my own column in it -- and I'm paid for both of those. In addition, I do some additional editing on the side -- I'm listed under my penname, Percival Constantine, as the editor on FRATER MINE and assistant editor on HAVEN, two independent comic books. I also hope to have my novel, FALLEN, published sometime within the next year.
What sites are you currently writing for? And Editing - you manage the Omega Sites; Marvel and DC. Tell us how those are going...
The Omega sites are going pretty well. Although I'd like to see more titles at DC Omega, I understand these things take time -- I think part of Marvel Omega's success was the crash of DigitallyMystic. With the launch of DC Infinity, plus JLU: 2001, DC Omega has some really stiff competition. But we're coming along. Other than writing for both those sites, I also write for JLU, Altered Visions, and I'll soon be writing for Strange Tales and 2099 Underground Revised.
What Titles are you working on these days?
I probably have the largest workload I've ever had these days. At Marvel Omega, I'm writing HEROES FOR HIRE, NEW WARRIORS, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, ULTIMATE X-MEN, and I co-write AVENGERS with Derrick Ferguson. At DC Omega, I'm currently writing SUPERMAN and FALLEN and will soon be writing ZAURIEL. I also co-write WILDCATS with Chris Munn and will soon co-write OUTSIDERS with Mike Rasbury and SUPERMAN/BATMAN with Steve Crosby. At JLU I write NIGHTWING. At Altered Visions I write WOLVERINE. And soon I'll write BLADE at Strange Tales and THE PUNISHER 2099 limited series at 2099 Underground Revised. I'm also going to bring my SCARLET SPIDER series from the now-defunct MV1 over to Avengers 2000.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.?
Actually yes. Because I apparently don't have enough things to do, I also write a FINAL FANTASY VII fanfic over at IcyBrian's RPG Fanfic Library (http://icybrian.com/fanfiction/viewuser.php?uid=132), which takes place five years after the events of the video game. As I mentioned earlier, I also write for my student newspaper. And I do writing on my own -- I have one novel under my belt with a second novel in progress. I've written several comic scripts, and I'm hoping Brad Horton will be able to get the artwork finished soon so we can shop it around to publishers. I've also written film scripts and I've made one foray into the world of directing, and soon I'll make a second one.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby?
I would love to write professionally. Ever since I was a kid, I've been very passionate about writing. I can think of no better profession for me and I'm going through the effort to get my work published.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
Despite my very active role in comic fanfic, I got my start through video game fanfic. When I was 15, I wrote a horrible, thirty-chapter "opus" which rewrote the storyline of FINAL FANTASY VII. It's posted at the IcyBrian link I put above for those who are interested -- but I'd advise people to avoid it like the plague.
I stumbled upon the HEROES community while on a message board. Someone mentioned the Marvel-X group and included a link to it. I followed the link and I was intrigued right from the start. Through MX, I found MV1, the HEROES community, etc. I wanted to get involved and seeing that Bishop had no role at MX, I proposed a series featuring him. I never got a response, so instead I got together a bunch of my friends from various message board communities and launched Marvel 2000.
Ironically enough, no one at MX ever used Bishop until Ryan asked me to come onboard as the writer of X-MEN. So I brought him back into the group with my first solo story-arc. And then MX evolved into Marvel Omega. It's a bit karmic, I guess.
We assume that you enjoy the writing and Fanfic, but are there things you would like to see done differently or changed in Fanfic?
I'm not sure. I think fanfic is actually at a really good place right now. I'm seeing a lot less infighting and a lot more community feel. Plus, we've got a lot of great stuff coming out. Derrick Ferguson is now the top dog at Avengers 2000 and that should make for a lot of good things to come out of that site. You've got Strange Tales back in a big way. DC Infinity has really come out of the gates running with a lot of the "new crop" of writers. Both Marvel and DC Anthology have returned. And there are other new sites, like the X-M site over at uncannyxmen.net.
My main problems with the fanfiction community are pretty much the problems that have always existed. First off, I'd like to see more new writers come in. And second, I'd like to see some current writers to be a bit more productive. But these are things that are pretty much the nature of the beast -- particularly the last one.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
Aside from writing, I read a lot. I also watch a lot of movies and I've really gotten into Eastern spirituality, so I'm studying that as well. Other than that, I spend time with friends, smoke hookah, play poker, hit the bars -- the usual.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
I'm at an interesting point in my fanfic "career" because I've written just about every one of my dream titles. There are a few that still strike my interest, though. DEFENDERS is one that keeps popping up in my thoughts. So are HELLBLAZER, DOOM PATROL, and CAPTAIN AMERICA. I also have this unexplainable desire to write FANTASTIC FOUR at some point -- probably because I want to see if there's a way I can make them work for me.
Outside of Fanfic, what are your reading habits? Who’s your favorite author or series, or book? I know you've read a few of the classics. Do they influence you?
My outside reading definitely influences my work. I'm a huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut, I'd say he's probably my favorite writer, bar none. Especially BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. I'm also big on Chuck Palahniuk, who I see as Vonnegut's successor as far as satire goes -- FIGHT CLUB is one of my favorite books of all time. Mark Z. Danielewski's HOUSE OF LEAVES was a brilliant existential trip and then there's the beautiful mindfuck that is William S. Burroughs' NAKED LUNCH. I could actually keep going on and on about this, so I'll just stop now.
How about in comics- do you have a favorite Title, author or artist?
I've actually gotten away from reading comics. I don't think I've been to my local comic shop since the spring. My favorite writers though are Grant Morrison, Joe Casey, and, of course, Alan Moore.
What’s your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
Grant Morrison's entire run on THE INVISIBLES as well as his run on NEW X-MEN. Also of note is Joe Casey's work on WILDCATS (both volumes) and DEATHLOK. Plus Alan Moore's V FOR VENDETTA and WATCHMEN, particularly WATCHMEN because of how much it revolutionized the way comics are written.
As far as fanfic goes... that's a tough one. Chris Munn's "The Day The World Went Away" story-arc in GENERATION X 2.0 at MO and Ryan Krupienski's "Past Tense" story-arc in UNCANNY X-MEN are both up there. But I think one of the best things I've read, either in fanfic or comics, is Meriades Rai's brilliant eight-issue run on BATMAN over at DCO.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere. I get inspiration from books I read, movies I watch. I get it from real world events, my personal experience, my spirituality, etc. Something as small as a conversation I have with a random person can give me an idea. A better question would probably be where don't I get my inspiration.
What are your writing habits? Do you write every day, many hours, once a week, or what?
It usually depends on when the mood strikes me. When I'm at work on the weekends, I do a lot of writing there. I also do a lot at my home computer. I try to write during most days of the week, though.
Do you have a Blog or LJ? Any other Internet activity you would like to share? Share links...
Yeah, I have two blogs. I have one for fanfic exploits (http://pollards-picks.livejournal.com) and one for my personal life (http://dinopollard.livejournal.com).
What book are you reading now?
I'm reading a few, actually. For class I'm reading CORALINE by Neil Gaiman. On my own I'm reading THE SPIRITUAL PATH: BUDDHA, ZEN, TAO, TANTRA by Osho and I've just started GOD BLESS YOU MR. ROSEWATER by Kurt Vonnegut. I also have some other books waiting to be read -- HAUNTED by Chuck Palahniuk, A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS by Dave Eggers and NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro.
What’s your favorite reading genre? Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror...
I'm a big fan of literature and satire, but sci-fi and horror have their appeal as well.
What Title/ Site was your first in Fanfic?
Not counting my FF7 work, that would be X-MEN at Marvel 2000.
Any upcoming events in your life you’d like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
Graduating college in December and can't wait. And hopefully next year, I'll experience a change in scenery and move to the Land of the Rising Sun. As far as birth and marriage go, neither one is on the horizon for me -- but some of my friends are getting married soon, some are already married, and some are expecting kids. Makes me feel like an old man. And, as I mentioned, my novel will hopefully see publication in the very near future.
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character?
Over at MO, we're in the early planning stages of a massive crossover. But I've said too much already...
What’s your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
Chris Munn's X-MEN at MO.
What are your plans for the future - Fanfic or otherwise?
After I graduate college, I plan on substitute teaching in the Chicagoland area for eight or nine months. After that I hope to move to Japan where I'll teach ESL. Also there's the matter of my novel. I'll be sticking around fanfic for awhile, though. Unless, of course, I get a job at one of the big two comic companies.
Feel free to plug here, and write a closing. Add in anything you like.
I'm going to plug an upcoming story-arc, which begins in HEROES FOR HIRE #5. Luke Cage and Danny Rand are hired to oversee the transport of a special chest, but they'll run into problems from some black-garbed, sword-wielding thieves and an obscure Marvel villain will turn up as well. All that, plus Howard the Duck joins the book's cast in a storyline I could only call "Ninjas on a Train!" -- only at Marvel Omega.
And then following the "Phoenix Rising" story-arc running through ULTIMATE X-MEN, volume two of the title will go out with a bang when Fury calls out the Ultimates to take on the X-Men in "Clash of the Titans" -- again, only at MO.
Cool! Thanks Dino, and keep on doing what you do so well...
***
Dino Pollard's work can be found all over Fanfic, and beyond, but do check out his work especially at...
http://marvel.omegacen.com/
http://dc.omegacen.com/
and of course...
http://www.carnaj.com/JLU2001/index.htm
Enjoy! and next up...
THE Puff Doggy Daddy hisself - Mark Anderson: the interview!
Be here!
Curt |
|
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| The Interview Yo Mama Warned You About... BERTRAM GIBBS! |
[Sep. 6th, 2006|07:47 pm] |
Hey all,
I’m starting these interviews off with Bertram Gibbs for a couple reasons. One: because his was the most requested. Seems everyone wants to know Bertram’s little secrets, dirty or otherwise. Hopefully in the words below, he’ll divulge a few.
Second, when I took over JLU: 2001, Bertram was my first acquisition. Granted, Steve Crosby, Russ Anderson and James Hickson came with the package, and just those three would have been fine by me. At the time, James Hickson, my predecessor was in that college flux and seriously did not have the time to maintain the editing chores at JLU. He asked me, and I took it. One thing I inherited from James was the almost 400 page submission by one Bertram Gibbs…
Now you all know, I write BIG, so 400 pages is nothing to me. I read it, and quickly got this maniac under lock and key to JLU as my first new writer. JLI: THE RETURN OF BWAH-HA-HAH! was a success and Bertram quickly became a Fanfic Favorite, who keeps churning out great story after great story.
Author, father, film aficionado, friend…
Meet Bertram Gibbs!
***
Curt: To start, tell us a bit about yourself; family, job, things like that.
Whatever you would like to comfortably share.
Bertram: I think we can exclude that period of my life when canvas jackets and wet sheets were my best friends. I was born in the Bronx, New York to a family
with a theatrical background. My grandmother was a chorus girl in The Blackbirds of 1928 and my grandfather was a jazz drummer. My Ma (which came from our favorite James Cagney film, White Heat), as much as she loved theater, was too stage shy but saw all the great plays on Broadway during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. During the 60s and 70s, we treated ourselves to a
play or musical for our birthdays. That was on top of watching movies, where she would explain acting styles, direction, cinematography, etc. (insert cloying sound of Awwwwwwwwww). My very first movie (versus cartoon)
was Village of the Damned when I was five years old. This explains a lot about me.
I am a single parent of a highly intelligent 9 year old girl, who is a HUGE DC Comics fan. She is already collecting her own comics and action figures,
and watches our DVD collection of Batman: TAS, Superman: TAS, Teen Titans, tapes of the old Plastic Man cartoon show, and the Looney Toons. She is
also a big Smallville fan and has a crush on Tom Welling. She has an equal crush on Tim Curry, because his smile reminds her of the Joker's. At 4, she
surprised me when a friend came over the shack and she pointed out my collection of action figures (about 300) and began giving bios of the heroes and villains ("That's Barbara Gordon. She was Batgirl until the Joker shot her.").
I do collections (yes; I'm THAT bastard) for a publishing firm that produces textbook and journals on science and medicine. Because of my telephone
voice, which has been compared to Vincent Price or Anthony Hopkins (and my somewhat sinister persona), I've been referred to as the Hannibal Lecter of
Credit.
What Titles are you working on? And for what Sites?
Presently showing on the Justice League Universe Fan Fiction site is JSA: Image, and am working on a second story arc as a follow-up.
Do you write for any Sites outside of Fanfic, or our group of Fanfic Sites, i.e. other types of Fanfic, Writing Clubs, etc.?
I have a mystery/sci-fi novella, The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of, on the Cliffhangers Case Files site. I used to write short mysteries for a site called Bloodletters that showcased 'Stuff', 'Momentum' - a sci/fi story about where competition takes us, and 'Bad Dog' - about a guy whose girlfriend dies mysteriously and her dog, a Chihuahua - who channels Pacino's Tony Montana - takes over his life. Which bring us back to the canvas jackets and wet sheets.
Would you like to write professionally, or is this just for fun- a hobby? I know you've recently published online. Tell us about your book, and how we
can read it...
Technically, I have always written professionally; getting published was another subject. Before my daughter was born, I fantasized being the next
Stephen King (or Dean Koonz, who is Stephen King-lite). Now, I would love to make enough money from my stories to put her through college. And get a 110 inch HDTV. And live in Barbados. In a castle. With servants.
Well, you can read my novel, Formally Known As . . . , by turning the pages from right to lef. . . oh, you mean . . . never mind. The story concerns one Al Hendrickson, who does collections for a publishing firm (yeah; I went there). He's been doing the gig for years and feels his life is meant for more. Due to a meeting with a radioactive meteor, he is physically changed and develops powers to create shields and fields that decelerate oncoming projectiles. Everyone feels Al should be a super-hero. Everyone except Al,
who sees his life turning into a comic book. Enter Richard Hardin, the psychotic black ops agent (isn't there always one?), who was a comic book fan as a child (he was a fan of the villains) and sees Al as his nemesis, and will do anything to get him under his control. Al, who is adapting to his newfound powers, must use them to protect the people he cares about and
get his life back on track.
It is not only a super-hero origin, but is the story of two good friends adapting to odd situations. Al, and his buddy, Pat Kelly, are such good friends, they spend most of their time, ribbing and insulting each other,
which helps them deal with the tension. Another aspect is Al's mother, who gets kidnapped by Hardin. Versus the cuddly, lovable mom, patiently waiting for her son to rescue her, she is as viciously sarcastic as her son, and proceeds to do what all mothers do; nag you into a stroke.
How did you get into writing Fanfic? Through comic books, or some other media?
After reading comics for years, going back to grade school, I used to write my versions of particular heroes and villains, focusing more on the character's personal quirks than their powers.
How did you find our Fanfic community? What led you here?
After writing The Return of BWAH-HAH-HA!, I went to DC to try to sell them the story; not to be converted into a comic, but as a novel. I received several emails from Dan Didio and had a long telephone conversation with Mike Carlin. Both said the same thing, but I'll quote Mr. Carlin: "You could be the funniest bastard on the face of the planet, but if the suits don't know you, you're not getting in."
I won't even get into the argumentative correspondence between myself and Giordano.
So, faced with a 359 page, 78,754 word paperweight, I was ready to trash the thing. But before I did, I went online and explored sites that had stories written by the fans. Every spot I found kept referring to the JLU2001: Fan Fiction Project, so that's where I went.
I recall telling you about the story, warning you it was immense in size, but you said to send it along. The rest is history.
What other things do you do in your spare time? Any special hobbies or interests you care to share?
Aside from writing, I am a constant reader (sometimes three books at a time) and watch movies, which are the basis for most of my visuals. I also study criminal psychology, which I've been doing since elementary school. I've always had an interest in the human mind and its functions. As an example of one of the many unanswered questions I've faced, how can two individuals go through equal amounts of emotional trauma and one comes out unscathed and the other a serial killer? What is that one thing that twists that person's psyche? I have a wall of books on the subject. Serial killers, mass murderers, spree killers, telemarketers, etc. Ma has always hoped that no one I knew died (like my ex-wife), because I would be the perfect suspect.
Is there any certain Title that you would like to write down the line, or any specific Site that you might want to write for?
Two of my favorite characters in the DC Universe were Deadman and the Spectre. I always wanted to do a title where they would work together.
I've written scenes in my mind where ol' Moon-Face, who is always dead (pardon the pun) serious, works with the ghostly wiseass, Boston Brand, in essence, giving each other a unexplored perspective.
For Fanfic, I'm sticking with the JLU. We have the best and most original writers, and this is my home. Though I wish someone would dust the place from time to time.
What's your favorite color?
Black, until I find something darker.
What's your favorite comic book story, or storyline? How about in Fanfic?
That's a difficult one. I'm torn between V for Vendetta, The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, Kingdom Come and The Watchmen. Each one touches on the psychological aspect of their characters, versus just jumping into the SLAM, POW, BANG! I'm drawn to stories that are more cerebral. There are too many good Fanfic stories to choose from, so I'll pass on that.
What's your favorite movie?
Dude, when you have over 1,400 films (VHS and DVD), trust me; you don't. The films I own enhances whatever mood I happen to be in, some filling me on an emotional level, some cerebral. There are times I want the sprawling epic of Lawrence of Arabia, or the intensity of The Hitcher. There are moments I delve into classics like Citizen Kane, All About Eve, The Maltese Falcon, Angels with Dirty Faces, or just go for pure enjoyment like The Big Lebowski, or Airplane! I also love films I categorize as Mind-F*cks, where you think you're watching one thing and it turns out something you didn't expect, like Fight Club.
You can argue, fight and kill for sports, politics and religion, but everyone will have 'discussions' over movies.
What are your writing habits? Do you write every day, many hours, once a week, or what?
I have three computers I work from; the one in the office of my shack, the one in my business office, and the laptop in my bedroom. I do a little story noodling (playing with ideas) in the morning before I go to work, at lunchtime at my office, but the majority of my writing is on morning weekends, leaving the afternoons and evenings free to spend with my daughter. The laptop is for my nocturnal ramblings, when I have an idea, but am too lazy to go downstairs to use the main computer.
Do you like to listen to music as you write? If so, what and which, or some other background noise, like the television or DVD's? Or maybe you prefer silence when writing?
It all depends on the story I'm working on. As an example, if there is an action sequence, I put on a driving progressive rock beat just to get the rhythm down, then I work in silence. For me, each form of music activates an emotion. Due to all the films I've watched, when I write a story, I 'see' the images flashing across the screen of my mind. I just add the
background score to the images and transcribe what I see.
We have to end this quick; it's almost time for my meds.
How long have you been writing stories- Fanfic or otherwise?
In order to answer, we have to go back to my early youth, when I was a wee cretin (I am now an oversized cretin). At two years of age, Ma told me she wanted me to read to her. She began to buy comic books every week, feeling that the images would help me understand the words, and assisted me in understanding concepts that were foreign to me. By the age of three, I was
reading on my own. Not long after that, I began to tell her my ideas for Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, et al, and she told me to write them down and read them to her when I was done. That started me on writing fiction. I didn't seriously begin writing Fanfic until around 1989. I have a photo of myself at five years old, sitting at a typewriter, going over something I
wrote with this very serious look on my puss.
Any upcoming events in your life you'd like to share: births, marriage, graduating college, etc.?
Right now, my daughter, Gabrielle, is happily entering the fourth grade. I'm very lucky she loves school and enjoys learning new things. Like Ma, I had her reading by the time she was three, using the same comic book
methods. Otherwise, aside from the usual 9 to 5 dance, not much is going on. On marriage, I would like to remarry one day, but have yet to find that lady who loves movies, prog rock, can deal with a nine (going on
thirty-seven) year old daughter who is as nuts and sarcastic as her father, and a guy who is a kid in dad's clothing that goes into fugue states when he
writes, enjoys romantic evenings, nude Jell-O-shot wrest . . . never mind.
But I welcome all comers to the JLU Dial-a-Date Project to look me up.
Any dream assignments in Fanfic that you would love to tackle like a massive crossover or reinventing a character?
I have a story I wrote several years ago titled A Fool at a Woman's Service, where the Joker falls in love and, in his psychotic way, performs good deeds
to protect his lady love from the evil that is in her life. It was a spin-off of The Killing Joke, and written before Batman: TAS hit the small screen. I may revisit it sometime in the future.
As for reinventing characters, I'd prefer to enhance what's already there, versus begin again.
What's your favorite Title to read currently in Fanfic?
Tough one. I really enjoyed Steve Crosby's Batman, Jae Lizhini's Green Arrow and Dino Pollard's Nightwing, so don't make me choose. To me, the other titles (and their writers) are all five-star, and choosing one over the other wasn't easy.
So on behalf of all the writers at the JLU: You mugs at DC & Marvel better be on your respective toes, 'cause we're comin' atcha!
Write a closing note- anything you might want to share w/ your peers, words of wisdom, an anecdote, etc.
Yeah, I have this rash.
Words of wisdom, eh? Okay, here they are:
Never grow up. Keep seeing the world through the eyes of a child.
Never take yourself or the world too seriously. No matter how tragic or insane things get, there is always a laugh somewhere if you keep your mind open.
Always enjoy and be passionate about what you do. Once the thing that seemed like pleasure becomes that four-letter word W-O-R-K, then it is time to put it aside.
No dream or task or anything you desire is impossible to achieve. To say something is impossible is to say you haven't tried hard enough.
And I have one quote that has served me well for years. It came from Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616):
"In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd."
***
And away we go…
Thank you kind sir…
Bertram’s Fanfic stories can of course be found at:
http://www.carnaj.com/JLU2001/index.htm
And his novel – ‘Formerly Known As…’ – can be purchased at:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Bertram+Gibbs&z=y&cds2Pid=9481
Go…
Read…
Respond!
Curt F
EIC
JLU: 2001 |
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| FANFIC INTERVIEWS |
[Sep. 6th, 2006|07:14 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | NYC | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  blank | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Fat Bottom Girls (Queen) | ] |
Hey all,
Curt here, and I'd like to welcome you all to what I hope will be several at least interviews of our fellows and peers here within the Fanfic Community. Any suggestions you have, or questions you might like me to ask are readily requested.
Too, let me know who you would like to see interviewed. I have several in mind, and a few already done, but your input would help. Reply...
And speaking of reply, here would be a good place for you to heap praise (or criticism) on said interviewees. DO so, but of course, be nice...
Read on... |
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