| 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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| Comments: |
I really enjoyed Steve Crosby's Batman, Jae Lizhini's Green Arrow and Dino Pollard's Nightwing, so don't make me choose.
Whoa, didn't realize anyone besides you and Crosby read NIGHTWING. Thanks to Bertram for the props.
And props to you for the interview, Curt. Good job.
Thanks, Dino,
But with interview subjects like you all, how could I go wrong?
Great interview. I've been curious to know more about Bertram Gibbs and this interview was not only entertaining but informative as well. Let's see more of these interviews, please.
More on the way Derrick. Soon...
Coincidentally, the aforementioned Dino Pollard!
Wow. Combining writing with being a single parent of a nine-year-old: due respect.
Great interview.
Thanks Meri,
AND... you are on the list. When you least expect it...
Curt
I thoroughly enjoyed this review and what I find great about Bert is he can make you laugh so hard it hurts. I hope he still has some fan fic tales left to tell before he becomes famous. | |
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