The Big Question with RJ Sawyer
Interview with: Li Rapkin

Li talks to author Robert J. Saywer about alternate history, writing, and why it’s great to be Canadian.

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The Big Question with PETER MAYHEW
Interview with: Gareth Von Kallenbach

The subject of our latest Big Question here at the mighty Shotgun is no other than Chewbacca himself, Peter Mayhew! As you know, Mr. Mayhew has quite the high profile, both due to his convention appearances and well, height. Our contributing movie reviewer Gareth Von Kallenbach caught up with Mr. Mayhew recently.

The never-more-appropriately-named Big Q & A

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The Big Quesiton with Dr. Catherine Asaro
Interview with: Li Rapkin

In which Li has coffee with the lovely and talented Dr. Catherine Asaro — physicist, dancer, mother, and award-winning science fiction author.

THE BIG Q&A

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The Big Question with Myatt Murphy
Interview with: Troy Brownfield

On Wednesday the 7th, the first issue of Two Over Ten landed on the newsstands. The writer of this new comic is a young guy who has made quite the name for himself in journalism in the past eight years. Murphy has been writing over fifty features a year for publications such as Cosmopolitan, Details, Esquire, GQ, Maxim, Men’s Health and Penthouse. Combined with international issues, Murphy’s work reaches more than 40 million readers annually. Frankly, you wouldn’t believe some of the things this guy has gotten to do in the name of reporting.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Myatt Murphy!

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. What are your earliest memories of having a love for comics?

A1. Back in 1974, long before the words ‘comic’ and ‘collectible’ ever became used in the same sentence, store owners still used to rip the covers off of whatever comics they didn’t sell and mail them back to their distributors for full credit (shudder when you fathom how many X-Men #94’s were senselessly slaughtered to recoup that whopping quarter buy-back!).

My Dad used to work as a soda vendor delivering cases of 7-up and stuff to supermarkets and other Mom and Pops (convenience stores) so he would grab every coverless comic he could find and bring them home to me. If it was Marvel, DC or (yes, I’ll admit it…choke!) Archie, I read it from 1974-1979. I’d like to say I read them cover to cover, but that would require them having covers in the first place. I couldn’t tell you what the outside looked like to this day, but the first comic I ever read was an old Flash where he battled The Top and finished the issue telling his wife Iris about it over a good pipeful of Prince Albert or whatever the Hell he was smoking back then. Since the glory days of free books, I’ve eventually found all the comics I read as a kid (old Flash and Green Lantern being my two all-time favorites) but not without serious effort, since I don’t know what the comic ever looked like. To this day, I’ll look at a comic I don’t recognize, wonder if I ever read it, open it up and have an instant flashback (followed by an immediate escort out of the comic store for opening up every 70’s book I find.)

Q2. How did you get into your magazine writing gig?

A2. I took a job answering letters in 1993 for Men’s Health (a magazine that wasn’t nearly as popular then as it is today.) Back then, my days were spend answering phones where readers would tell me they wanted to know if we ever ran any articles on genital warts or 10 ways to lose 50 pounds. I would find it, xerox it, mail it and then pray for God to find me a better job, like freelance boil lancing or something equally exotic. To keep from hating my life, I used to put art up from comic books I liked, so all the editors knew I was a comic fan. I would get asked all the important questions like “What was that thing that Kirk used to shoot people with?” and “Didn’t Batman have some kind of man servant?” when editors needed to add some pop culture to their stories or prove to others that I was a geek.

One day, an editor was doing a freelance piece on comic collecting, saw my wall of tribute to Dave Sim, Neal Adams and the like, and asked to interview me. I accepted and four months later, there I was, on the stands, telling thousands of Boy’s Life readers a Mylar Snug wasn’t an illegal wrestling hold and that Valiant was a wise investment (If you took my advice back then, please don’t hate me. I’m still sitting on 10 copies of Bloodshot #1 myself, alright?!?)

I dug seeing my name in print, started asking to do some writing at the magazine and then eventually ended up writing about a third of it every month under three different pen names (All three of my personas were oddly enough all underpaid. Note to all writers: If you see the words ‘Work for hire’, run like John Goodman thinks you’re free food.) That led to writing for all the major men’s and women’s magazines from GQ, Details, Maxim, Penthouse, Cosmo, Glamour, Sports Illustrated, etc. It’s good money (plus, working at home lets me type in the nude. My old editor at the Christian Monitor never really understood that side of me…)

Q3. Reading over your bio, you’ve had some amazing experiences. Brief us on running with the DEA and wrestling reptiles, among others.

A3. Yes, the jury’s still out on whether I’m really brave or very, very, very, very stupid (The smart money’s on the latter.) The alligator wrestling was just perfect timing. I was on Marco Island in Florida doing a travel story when I heard about this 80+ year old guy who used to be a gator wrestler. The locals told me he could still do it (even though he was now legally blind and lucky when he could make it through the day without pissing on his shoes) I went to interview this modern-day Matt Murdock at his gator petting zoo, watched him hop on some 300-lb. living handbag and jump off. When I challenged him if the thing was even breathing, let alone alive (since it barely moved when he was on him) he dared me to do it. Not to be shown up by some guy that couldn’t beat Bob Hope in a foot race, I did it. All four limbs accounted for, but I did drop about a gallon of sweat all over that things back. I came back, told an editor at Maxim about the experience and he had me write an article teaching others how to do it (You know, in case you ever get the urge…)

I’ve done other fun stuff like being thrown in a simulated concentration camp, cave diving, learning sex tips from Amsterdam prostitutes and even spending time with a high-speed narcotics unit in Dayton, OH with David Morrell (author of First Blood, you know, Rambo) and Marcus Wynne (author of No Other Option). It was fun, if you’re into wearing flak jackets, shooting really, really big guns. I was just grateful at the end of the day if I still had a pulse and didn’t have scabies from whatever crack dealer brushed past me on the way to the paddy wagon.

Q4. You’ve interviewed the Tennis Goddess, herself, Ms. Anna. Is she really that hot in person?

A4. Mmmmm…yes. Shorter, but no less sexually intimidating. And, I’m proud to say that after being flown down to spend the entire day with her and even telling her how to stand for the photo shoot, the woman still wouldn’t recognize me on the street. Sigh…but can you really stay mad at someone like Anna? I mean really!

Q5. Give us the inside on “Two Over Ten”.

A5. Well, the basic premise is simple: In Two Over Ten, everyone has a soul, but in this story, it’s called a ‘given’. Each given has its very own title. You may be the Sullen while your father is really the Break, etc. It’s the name the Gods know us by…but it also decides what powers we truly possess. It’s not as cool as it sounds. Your gift may be as lame as to be able to move only oyster crackers with your mind…or you could have a talent for recreating atmospheres on different planets and making them breathable. Either way, it really doesn’t matter, because you’ll never get a chance to use them. Casey o’Beirne is the seventeen-year old girl chosen by the Gods to make sure we never know about the abilities within ourselves. In her sleep, she secretly teleports into the rooms of babies throughout the world and essentially “clips the wings” of their givens by stealing a piece of them and retaining it within herself. The story starts when she arrives at the house of Brenden Wynne, an alcoholic whose wife has recently left him and the father of an 18-month old child named Joshua. When Casey appears to turn off Joshua’s given, she wakes up to find herself standing over the crib of the one ‘given’ that cannot be surpressed by her powers. The child is known as the Release. Touching the child causes hundreds of these ‘pieces’ to return to their rightful adult owners. And that’s when all Hell breaks loose.

One of the ‘pieces’ finds its way back to Miquel Zamudio, a small time thug who is instantly aware of his ability, which is to steal physical parts (muscle, brain matter, etc.) He builds himself into the perfect human being and quickly uses his newfound powers to soar up the ranks of the Mexican Mafia. The five issue mini-series deals with Casey’s struggle to reabsorb his given (and others like him) before their threat grows too large for her to handle, as well as decide the fate of the Release child. In her quest, he enlists the help of Brenden, who is unaware that as he helps her, he is helping the woman whose duty it is to kill his own child.

Once you understand the premise, it’s easy to tie the theory into anything and everything, even things that have explanation. It’s a timeless cosmic food chain that has gone on since the beginning of time…but it’s a cycle that sometimes breaks down once in a while. The incident that sets things in motion with Casey and the Release baby is one that, as a reader, you assume has been going on since the dawn of time, only with different individuals (since these powers, or givens, are passed on in a reincarnation way when we die). Could the elusive Chalk Giants been drawn by a child who only had the ability to simply move pieces of Earth? Could the disappearance of the Incas be linked to one native who lost control of their power for one brief moment in time? Could even certain religions have been born from just one individual who had his given returned and was believed to be a God, before having it silenced once again? That’s up to the reader to decide.

I’ll be curious to see how readers react to the difference between the dialogue and the narrative. One of my favorite stories is Harlan Ellison’s Star Trek episode where after letting Joan Collins become road pizza, they make it back to the future and Kirk’s closing line is simply “Let’s get the Hell out of here.” He could have fired off some well-rehearsed speech that would make readers grab their chins and ponder the intricacies of life but no, he chose something that felt out of place. It was real and human and believable and that’s why it’s a legend.

I don’t have the balls (or the stupidity) to draw parallels with Two Over Ten, but I wrote the ordinary characters as ordinary as possible, saving the poetic license for the narrator of the piece and the characters whose abilities would allow them to be intelligent enough to sound prolific.

Q6. Do you have more comic projects coming up?

A6. Sure do. The next series after Two Over Ten starting in April 2002 will be Fade From Blue. It’s the story of four half-sisters who come together after a series of accidents take the lives of their mothers. The story starts several years after these events, when one of the sisters learns that the one they believe is responsible is still alive. But don’t let the dark undertone fool you. There’s a lot of humor mixed in with the compassion and I think it’s a story that will be appreciated by both male and female readers alike. For a sneak peek, people can check out www.secondtosomestudios.com after November 20, 2001. As for Two Over Ten, the mini-series has a finite ending so readers won’t be disappointed, but the way it ends does lend itself to the possibility of continuing with the characters that remain. If we get a good enough response, I’d love to start the series from either where it ends or jump the storyline to the past or future, where other occurrences with the Release child could create an entirely new storyline all-together. It’s very much like the Crow in the sense that it could easily continue but with an entirely different cast of characters. What direction that takes however, I may leave entirely up to the readers.

Q7. Okay, your ultimate magazine cover story. What would it be?

A7. Back in the mid-90’s, I had been contacted by the USA Network to interview some obscure actress that was starring in some TV series. I thought the show would be a flop and passed to write on something far more significant to the average reader (I think it was an article about how to or something equally important.)

Years later, I’m visiting a friend in Miami who was in love with this show and got me hooked. The show was La Femme Nikita and I (like any guy with vision, a working imagination and an ounce of testosterone) became obsessed with Peta Wilson. Two months later, I’m rummaging through some useless stuff and I come across the old press kit I had been sent years back from USA. Yes, the woman they wanted me to interview was Peta Wilson. Yes, I processed to soak the press release with my own tears of regret and yes, I still have the 8 by 10 glossy that came with the kit hanging up in my bedroom.

So if you asked me what article I’d like to write, it would have to be…Exclusive interview with Peta Wilson: Why I fell in love with the short, socially-dyslexic writer who blew me off when I was nobody! Hell, I can dream, can’t I?

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We’d like to thank Myatt for taking the time with us here at the Big Question. Obviously, check out “Two Over Ten” and www.secondtosomestudios.com. Also, keep an eye out for his work in mainstream magazines. You’ve gotta respect a guy who writes about the DEA for Penthouse.

The Big Question with STEVEN T. SEAGLE
Interview by: Russ Ray

Our guest this time in The Big Question was nominated three times for the Eisner Award for his work on Vertigo’s Sandman Mystery Theater. He’s also written for House of Secrets (which he revisited earlier this year with the Facade miniseries), as well as Alpha Flight and X-Men for Marvel Comics. Currently, he’s the co-creator (along with artist Kelley Jones) of a book YOU should be reading, The Crusades.

Our guest for this Big Question: Steven T. Seagle!

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. One of the major hooks in The Crusades is that it’s grounded in historical facts and legends. How much research was required to lay the groundwork of the story and how much research do you continually perform as you write the book?

A1. I actually had the entire concept for THE CRUSADES in mind before I started researching anything about chivalry and the historical Crusades. Once I got the proposal in I spent about a month and a half reading some general histories of The Crusades and some books about specific knights and battles. As for continuing research, I do have to find things out about each crusade, and of course, every time our lead vixen VENUS drifts off into her mind-wandering daydreams I have to find out what it is she already knows through her fact-checking career–anything from how wine is made to who had the first toilet on earth to what an “anal pear” is (see issue 10 if you want the answer to that one!).

Q2. Of all the colorful characters in the book, I think Anton’s acquaintances at the coffee shop might be the most clever. Are they simply Marx’s comic foils or will they play greater roles from time to time?

A2. The gang at “Slice of Heaven” (the dessert shop where shock jock ANTON MARX goes to write his daily newspaper column) are designed to remind the readers, and ANTON himself that he is not his radio persona. They bring him back down to earth. From the feminist agenda of LYSSA, the erotic novelist, to the press starved mirror that is BRADEN & BLAIR, hopefully the world’s only twin gay brother sex performance artists, to guerilla filmmaker BRACKETT, they all serve to cast parts of ANTON back on himself. They’re very background in The Second Crusade, but look for them to play major parts (if not be cleaved into major parts) in The Third.

Q3. The fight scenes are insanely brutal and bloody, and when I discuss the book with people, the must-see scene that always comes to mind is the guy getting his face smashed with a mace in Urban Decree. Being a co-creator and the artist of the book, how much input does Kelley Jones have with some of those art-heavy battle sequences?

A3. That was pretty insanely brutal, although I hear much more about the “lance up the rump and out the mouth” from issue 3. People are shocked by what’s going down in this book, and that’s good. All these “shocking” new wave super-hero comics are not all that shocking because they are missing that violence HURTS. Kelley doesn’t miss that at all. And in a book that’s predominantly about violent justice, hurt is critical. Oh, and Kelley is a sick bastard on top of that, too.

Q4. The Crusades is a book that hasn’t really gotten the attention that it deserves, especially in comparison to other acclaimed Vertigo series like Sandman, Transmetropolitan, and 100 Bullets. What has been the response you’ve received from fans and other comics pros on the book?

A4. The reponse is great, and no the book hasn’t received the response it deserves for Kelley’s innovations alone if nothing else, SO GET TO IT! START GIVING IT THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES, DAMMIT! Seriously, this is a book that is paced completely unlike the current vogue. Nearly everyone who’s written to me got that after the first arc ended. These are slightly longer stories. And you need to read a full CRUSADE arc to get that, but if you do, you’ll be rewarded with character build and story arc. It’s not an issue-by issue thing. But I think that’s a far richer read at the end of the day.

Q5. The last I heard, the House of Secrets movie had stalled, but there was still interest in a Sandman Mystery Theatre screenplay. Can you comment on the status of those and any other film projects you’re working on?

A5. I have no idea about any SMT screenplay. I’m here if someone wants me for one, though, as I know those characters better than anyone on earth this side of Guy Davis! I’m currently writing several spec scripts. One is a Hitchcockian thriller co-written with Emmy winner Joe Fallon, one is a political thriller co-written with Duncan Rouleau, one is an action adventure co-written with Joe Kelly, and the final is a sci-fi action film written solely by me!

Q6. Primal Force was a great book not only because it brought back some characters that had been in the background of the DC Universe at the time like Red Tornado and Dr. Mist, but also because they weren’t a white bread team that always got along and were all good friends. You also touched on some of those themes in Alpha Flight as well. What were your favorite aspects of those books?

A6. My favorite aspect of PRIMAL FORCE is that it seems to have more fans now then it ver had when it was going! I really enjoyed both books. Groups are always composits of individuals, and individuals have differences, even ones that like each other. If people can’t get along with their dormmate or their significant other, I can’t imagine how super-heroes with weird powers and big egos and tight costumes could. I liked how thoroughly untrained PRIMAL was. And I was really pissed that Marvel cancelled ALPHA FLIGHT as it was building momentum. All the current talk about making the X-books unlike each other had already occurred in ALPHA back then.

Q7. Do you have any interest in going back to the DC Universe, or are you set on staying with the mature style of Vertigo?

A7. I wrote a GREEN LANTERN one shot John K. Snyder is painting, a BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE that Daniel Torres is illustrating, and I’m half way through a 128 page SUPERMAN hardcover that Teddy Kristiansen is painting and Karen Berger is editing, so I guess I do have some interest. I have to say, aside from Eddie Berganza, no one has really ever approached me to do any major DCU work, so I don’t know if I have any other interest because I haven’t been made to think about it.

Q8. You and Joe Kelly got to write the two core X-Men books a couple of years ago. Your stories were very enjoyable. Why did your run on the books end so abruptly, and what might you have done if you had been on the books longer?

A8. I just wish Joe Kelly and I could have done the X-Books under Joe Quesada’s watch. All we ever wanted was to be turned loose and trusted to tell great stories. And we HAD great stories, we had a year plan that was painfully interesting. But unfortunately, we were constantly redirected by our editors to tell stories that we knew would be second rate. We fought against them and we lost. Our runs ended because we were tired of being jerked around and not delt with honestly so we quit on the same day.

Q9. Just before Alpha Flight got cancelled that there was a major campaign among fans to save it. Given the recent editorial changes at Marvel recently and the obvious fan support for your work on that title, would you revisit it if Marvel asked you?

A9. I don’t know, I haven’t been asked, and I don’t spend a lot of time speculating. If something is put before me I consider it and make a decision. I enjoyed the characters, I think the book had a unique feel. I think it is unfortunate it got cancelled while still making money.

Q10. I recently got an email (I swear) from Col. Ahmed T. Mustafa from Nigeria saying that he needed help moving 200 million dollars out of a foreign account and all I have to do to claim 20% of the money is send him my bank account information. Do you think it’s a scam?

A10. Col Mustafa rules. Literally.

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We’d like to thank Mr. Seagle for taking the time to be our guest here in the Big Question and shooting straight about certain topics. You heard what the man said: go tell people about The Crusades, and if you’ve missed it, it’s easy to get with the program with only six issues out. This book is too good for you not to be reading it.

The Big Question with TERI BYRNE
Interview by: Russ Ray

Teri Byrne is one of the busiest women in media today and one of the few to work in many different forms of entertainment. A former fitness and bodybuilding competitor, she was hired as one of the original five WCW Nitro Girls (nicknamed “Fyre”). Before wrestling, Teri worked in mortgage banking. She also appeared in the WCW-inspired film “Ready to Rumble” with David Arquette, Scott Caan, and Oliver Platt. Since leaving WCW, Teri has worked with numerous independent pro wrestling organizations and managed the likes of WWF/UFC superstar Dan “The Beast” Severn, as well as the legendary Jimmy Valiant. Teri has an official website at: www.teribyrne.com.

Teri and the other four Nitro Girls recently formed the group Diversity5 and have cut and released a two song CD. The first Diversity5 CD single is available at their website at www.diversity5.com. The CD includes 2 songs: “I Promise” (a pop ballad) and “Shake Me Up” (a dance track). Diversity5 recently completed their third song–the more edgy, rock-driven “Black Magic.”

Earlier this year, Teri formally signed with Gypsy Press Comics to portray the lead character (a “bad ass” female bounty hunter) for the comic book Stiletto. Issue #1 of Stiletto formally debuted at the Wizard World 2001 Convention in Chicago on August 17. You can also see an exclusive preview of her new comic at www.gypsypresscomics.com. I got to speak with Teri at Wizard World this past weekend about the comic book, about her budding music career, and about WCW.

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. What’s Stiletto about?

A1. Stiletto is about a bounty hunter who kicks butt, yet dresses sexy and acts very feminine. There’s a lot of physical action with hand-to-hand fighting and martial arts.

Q2. How did the project start? Did Gypsy Press approach you first or were you looking to get into comics?

A2. Gypsy Press contacted me first about the idea they had for the comic book, but it became a collaboration after that. Matt Hughes and Deacon Black did the artwork, and the writing is done by Gypsy Press. A collaboration of people come up with the stories. I like to call it VIP set in Gotham City.

Q3. What level of creative input do you have?

A3. The concepts and ideas that go into this are from brainstorming sessions we have, so everybody gets a chance. But, the artwork is great, and we never have anything to say about it except how good it is.

Courtesy of GypsyPressComics.com
Q4. Today you have a preview version of Stiletto for sale. When will the book be in comic shops for sale?

A4. We’ll be at the Dragon Con at the end of the month, and we’ll be selling issue #1 there, and by then it will be available everywhere.

Q5. How’s Diversity 5 coming along?

A5. Well, we just finished recording our third single. In fact, the girls were up until 5 this morning in Atlanta working on demos. We’re working with Sony right now to get a record deal.

Q6. Do you hear from or run into any of the old WCW people anymore?

A6. I still see a lot of people at the gym and around town. I see Disco a lot and Raven a lot when he’s not on the road with the WWF.

Q7. You’ve got a lot of art on your web site sent in by fans. Does it sometimes scare you what guys are thinking when they’re drawing half-naked pictures of you?

A7. No, actually I think it’s pretty cool. We’ve got a lot of the art for sale on my web site. We also take submissions at fanclub@teribyrne.com.

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We’d like to thank Ms. Byrne for taking the time out of her busy convention schedule this past weekend to be our guest here in the Big Question! Keep an eye out for Teri’s new comic Stiletto coming out soon, as well as Gypsy Press Comics’ other title Pharaoh. Also, check out the Diversity5 web site at the link above for information on ordering their CD. We’d also like to thank *RADIO EDIT* of the Teri Byrne Fan Club for arranging the interview. As always, if you have a suggestion for a Big Question guest, or if you’re a pro yourself and would like to drop by, contact Troy Brownfield at psikotyk@aol.com.

The Big Question with Stephen Sadowski
Interview with: Troy Brownfield

Rounding out our trifecta of the JSA creative team, this penciler has done fine work for things like Bob Burden’s Mystery Men and The Big Book of the Weird West. He began his association with the Justice Society by working on the Starman 80-page giant and the Smash Comics issue of the JSA “Fifth Week” event of a couple years back. Currently, of course, he’s the artist on DCs outstanding JSA (which has the best last pages in the business).

Everyone, please welcome a guy that’s done more for “money shots” than Dirk Diggler . . . Stephen Sadowski!

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. A lot of pencilers these days go for a splashy style that mimics other styles or genres (like anime). Your style strikes me as very realistic and disciplined. How did you come by your particular look and approach?

A1. Well, I’m a BIG believer in having one’s OWN style. There are a lot of popular artists out there who seem to have piggybacked their success on another artists style. I’m always amazed at this.There are a LOT of artists out there who have inspired me greatly, but I was given the advice to create my OWN style early on, so THAT’S what I’ve TRIED to do. I’m not sure if it’s worked yet, but I feel like I’m on my way.I just try to do the best job I can , and to make it as REAL as I can. There are certain limitations..or rather..certain tricks that I have to compensate to get the finished look..I’m basically pretty happy with where I’m headed..BUT I’M NOT THERE YET!!

Q2. As the artist of JSA, you get a unique set of characters to interpret. Some are 60 years old, and some are brand-new incarnations. How do you strike a balance between the classic and modern looks and make it all fit into one cohesive whole?

A2. I approach ALL of the characters the same way..To give them that realistic approach..It’s difficult when you consider SOME of these guys are supposed to be ..what, 80 years old? BUT..I do think it’s possible to make them vital and realistic.As far as the “balance” thing goes..I try sometimes to NOT make them blend so much..I LOVE the charm of seeing JAY GARRICK and JAKEEM THUNDER in the same panel..It really works…It’s what the book is ALL about actually.

Q3. Different teams of pencilers and inkers often have their own way of communicating or determining the best look for a project. What’s the process like between you and Mike Bair?

A3. Well..THAT’S a tricky question..I have heard of some GREAT Artist/Inker relationships. It’s something I have wanted from the beginning. Unfortunately..Michael Bair and I have never “gelled” as a “team”.There have been NUMEROUS conflicts ..usually on my end, not being happy with the results. I believe Mike has always seen himself as “the second penciller” on the book and made MANY changes to the drawings that I was VERY unhappy with. I understand that he and Rags Morales have a GREAT artistic relationship and that will make for a dynamic art team on HAWKMAN, the monthly series. I hope that with Christian Alamy on board as inker for the foreseeable future..JSA will be a stronger title artistically as well.

Q4. You did the Smash Comics special for the JSA 5th week event a couple of years back. I understand that you really did have a particular interest in drawing the Golden Age Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite. What about those two characters appeals to you particulary?

A4. I don’t know..They just seem to work well as a team..There’s SOMETHING about how they look together that really looks good. I think too, that they were a couple of the few that never had Silver Age counterparts. They always seemed more..honorable..sounds weird..MAYBE IT’S JUST THE CAPES!!!

Q5. In terms of individual JSA issues, what is your level of plot input?

A5. I really have very little input with the plots. Geoff and David come up with all the STORY stuff. That’s not to say I don’t throw in my two bits, when it comes to MY turn at the bat. Usually Geoff and I will go over the script and I’ll throw any ideas at him. Sometimes he’ll agree, sometimes not. I think he likes my input.There have been times when I take a certain license on a script, just from a visual standpoint. Sometimes slight changes need to be made just to help the artistic “flow”.Other than that, I let them do THEIR thing..it’s what THEY know BEST!!

Q6. What’s one Golden Age or Infinity Inc. character that you haven’t done yet that you’d like to bring in?

A6. Hmmmm..It seems we’re slowly doing them all…Ummm..Well, to start I was never a BIG INFINITY INC. fan in the day.. so the characters are ALMOST as new to me as they are to some of the new readers of today..so..I don’t have a BURNING INFINITY INC. jones to exorcise!! Perhaps Northwind..just because he looks so silly to me..I’d kinda like to see if I could make him “cool” looking, y’know? As far as GOLDEN AGERS? Ummm.. Bulletman would be fun…Firebrand maybe…Johnny Quick always had a GREAT costume..I think there’s still a TONNE of life left to those characters.

Q7. JSA routinely has the best last pages in comics. When you set to work on each last page, is it your personal goal to make each reader jump out of his or her seat?

A7. Heh..I’ve heard that before..Well..It’s my JOB to have EVERY PAGE make the reader jump out of their seats, but Yeah..Geoff and David have a knack for those last pages, don’t they? Well..It’s kind of the “money shot” isn’t it? It’s what makes the reader WANT to come back next month. Sort of like the old movie serials..If you leave them WANTING MORE..well,You’ve done your job. I LOVE the last pages, too.They are almost ALWAYS the fist page I do every month..just because they ARE so much fun.

Q8. Assuming that DC Direct does any figures based on the “newer incarnation” characters, like Sand, Mr. Terrific, or Atom-Smasher, will you get design input?

A8. I dunno..I would hope so..There has been some talk of the next wave of JSA figures to start on the new guys..but I haven’t heard anything official yet.

Q9. Basic comics question: who gets more chicks, the writer or the artist? [Editor's Note:Yes, I know. Mr. Sadowski said to ask him a question that no one else ever had. I think that qualifies.]

A9. Well..In our case the writers..DEFINITELY the writers..:)

Q10. Name the single best thing about being in comics.

A10. Well..This is a hard one..the SINGLE best thing??..NEVER HAVING TO GROW UP!! ( I can just hear the Psych students..”Peter Pan syndrome!!”);Getting to draw comics for a living. PERIOD. It’s what I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do. There are other factors like meeting and working with other freaks like me, but really just the ability to be creative and get my comics fix…it’s what makes it ALL worthwhile.

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We’d like to thank Mr. Sadowski and the rest of the JSA creative team for stopping by the Big Question! Hang your head in abject shame if you don’t read this book.

As always, if you have any suggestions for future Big Qs, contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com

The Big Question with David Goyer
Interview with: Troy Brownfield

Where do start with this man? He’s a producer (Mission to Mars, Freaky Links). He’s a director (the upcoming ZigZag, starring Wesley Snipes). He’s a screenwriter that has covered action (Death Warrant), horror (Puppet Masters, Demonic Toys), super-heroes (Blade, The Crow:City of Angels, Nick Fury, the upcoming Ghost Rider), and co-wrote what Roger Ebert called the Best Film of 1998, Dark City.
On top of all that, he’s made a huge impact in comics. He collaborated with James Robinson on the brilliant Starman, and he currently co-writes the always entertaining JSA with Geoff Johns.

Answering his questions from the set of Blade II: Bloodlust, please welcome David Goyer!

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. How did you get into the film business?

A1. I went to USC film school and was fortunate enough to get an agent while I was still in school. I wrote an action script which my agent sold when I was 22. It eventually became the Jean-Claude Van Damme film, Death Warrant.

Q2. In what way does your film background benefit you as a comics scripter?

A2. Film helped a great deal — writing for a comic is essentially like writing a screenplay and including storyboard instructions at the same time. Very analogous.

Q3. “Dark City” is easily one of my favorite films of the last ten years (in fact, a couple of my friends and I probably say, “No mooore Mr. Quick” about twice a week. God help us, we’re fanboys.) Anyway, please tell us about the genesis of your involvement with “Dark City”.

A3. Alex Proyas had an original idea. He called me and asked if I would work on it — help him flesh it into a real story. I was busy at the time and he first took a pass with Lem Dobbs. Then he came back to me a year later and I came on board. Stayed on until the end of the film and had a fabulous time. Turns out we had had some very similar nightmares when we were children.

Q4. How exactly did you become the “Marvel Movie” guy?

A4. The Marvel thing happened after I wrote the script for Blade. Avi Arad and Stan Lee contacted me. I became friends with them and they kept on bringing me on to projects. And although I’ve been offered many DC-related films, it’s simply been pure luck that I never jumped on board to any. I could’ve done Steel (thank god I passed on that one), Hellblazer, Death, etc. Just luck, really, that the others have been Marvel. That and my relationship with Avi.

Q5. At what point did you get involved with Starman?

A5. I was friends with James and gave him many suggestions — so many that he was using he eventually invited me on board. I had suggested that James use the Mother Box and interactive hologram of Jack’s father on the spaceship, suggested they go to Krypton and meet Jor-El. Etc, etc.

Q6. You currently co-write JSA with Geoff Johns. What kind of collaborative process do you observe?

A6. Geoff and I work very closely together. We plot out the issues, page by page, then we divide up the pages based on what we think each other’s strengths are. When we’re done with a first draft, we swap scripts and give each other notes so that we can smoothe the two halves together into a unified whole.

Q7. What one thing do you hope fans get out of your JSA stories?

A7. I just want fans to look forward to reading the JSA every month. It’s a straight-ahead, unabashed, old-fashioned super-hero team book. Like when I was reading the Byrne or Perez Avengers.

Q8. It’s well-known that the Blade II and Ghost Rider projects are moving along. What can we as fans expect from this pair of films?

A8. Blade II is coming along excellently. The film is beautiful and should easily exceed the first movie in terms of scope, style, and substance. I’m having a blast here in Prague. We’re about half-finished and I think fans are going to soil their undies. Swear to god. Ghost Rider is moving into pre-production. We have a script and are scouting locations, doing visual effects tests. We’re in the midst of negotiating a deal with a certain star and if things go well, there should be an announcement in the next few weeks. We’ll probably have a September start on that movie. Blade II will probably come out next March.

Q9. Since Marvel made their multi-charcter deal with Artisan, do you have involvement in developing any of those characters? (he asked, trying desperately to avoid the obvious “Scarlet Witch Project” joke).

A9. I have no involvement with any of the Artisan/Marvel projects. Yet. We’ve talked about Black Panther. We’ll see.

Q10. Some of your comic fans might not know that you directed “Zigzag”; are you planning to do any more directing in the near future?

A10. I just finished directing ZigZag and am currently in post-production on that film. It’s a small drama — just something to get my feet wet. I just closed a deal with Mirimax to write and direct my next film. I should be ready with an official announcement in another week or so as to what that film will be.

Q11. There’s a lot of talk about the comics industry losing readers to various other forms of entertainment. As someone who works in different entertainment fields, how should the comics industry reach out to new readers?

A11. The comics industry needs to explore alternate ways of promoting their books. Right now, promotion is largely relegated to house ads — which is essentially preaching to the converted. They need to do more cross-marketing. Too myopic. Also, they need to acknowledge that their fan base has changed in terms of demographics.

Q12. One more: my friend and film reviewer for our site Neil Wright asked if you could give him Jennifer Connelly’s phone number. Help a brother out?

A12. Sorry, no number for Jennifer. Believe me, if I had it, do you think I’d share it?

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We’d like to thank Mr. Goyer for stopping by the Big Question!

As always, if you have any suggestions for future Big Qs, contact Troy at psikotyk@aol.com

The Big Question with Geoff Johns
Interview with: Troy Brownfield

Our guest for this particular Big Question has leaped to the forefront of comics in the past couple of years. Drawing notice for writing the extremely appealing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., he also took a crack at another young hero by co-writing the Beast Boy mini-series. Currently, he co-writes the increasingly popular JSA with David Goyer, and is busy making The Flash his own with innovative ideas and stories that crackle with creative energy. Soon, he’ll be helping DC launch a brand-new Hawkman that spins out of the current JSA book.
He’s also been hard at work in Hollywood, working on projects like Mel Gibson’s Conspiracy Theory, the just-released Superman DVD, and a potential new TV series.

Everyone, let’s welcome Geoff Johns!

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. You faced the unenviable task of having to follow Mark Waid’s nine-year run on The Flash, yet you’ve really made the book your own in a few short months. Has the weight of expectation changed your approach at all, and what are some of the goals that you have in order to personally distinguish the series?

A1. My goals are simple: to revitalize the Rogues Gallery and to re-establish Keystone City are at the top of my list. But really, Scott and I are just trying to make good, fun comics with cool action, intrigue and an edge. It’s of course, daunting to follow Mark Waid, but we’ve done it and I think we’ve done it well.

Q2. Tell us a little bit about the often-mentioned “Iron Heights” project.

A2. Iron Heights is a the never-seen prison outside of Keystone City. Only one costumed villain has ever escaped (you’ll have to read Iron Heights to find out who) and so Flash has not had to deal with the institution much. The one-shot basically adds an entirely new element to the Flash mythology. As I was talking about Rogues earlier, we need someplace to put them. Someplace different than Arkham or the other DCU prisons. This is what we set out to do with IRON HEIGHTS. We’ll also be introducing several new faces to the Rogues Gallery.

Q3. Give us some background on your work in Hollywood, please.

A3. I began working as Richard Donner’s assistant on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon IV, then I started doing more producing. Helped put together the Superman Special Edition DVD and the upcoming Goonies Special Edition. I’m currently working on producing and writing a possible tv show which I can’t talk about yet - as it’s not officially set up, much thanks to the Hollywood Strike.

Q4. I was a big booster of your Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. series. I found it to be very realistic in terms of your approach to teenagers. Is there a possibility that it might yet get a chance to blossom in another format or media?

A4. I’d love to, but who knows. I think it would’ve made a great cartoon.

Q5. Following up a bit on Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. continuity, how did the notion of Courtney being married to Al (Atom-Smasher) in the future evolve?

A5. It’s just a possible future. Just a fun idea to throw around.

Q6. I have to ask: do you have any plans for Rick Tyler or the other currently-in-limbo Infinity Inc. cast members, like Northwind?

A6. No plans.

Q7. A bit of a conceptual question: name one Golden Age character that you’d NEVER use, and why.

A7. There’s actually probably more than one. The thing is, you can’t keep re-hashing old characters just because they’re old. You have to mix in the new or you’re not adding anything to the mythology. I would have to say I don’t dislike any in particular.

Q8. Do you have any plans to delve into the history of the JSA, such as in a JSA Year One type of format?

A8. Nope. Just forge ahead into the future. Someone else can do past stories - oh, but we will have some Times Past JSA tales in Hawkman on occasion.

Q9. The characters that you deal with have a huge legacy; what would you like your legacy of working with them to be?

A9. Just to keep them growing as characters.

Q10. Looking to the future as opposed to the past for a moment, I’ve heard that you plan to depart the series around issue #50. If you can say, is that the plan, and where do you plan to go?

A10. David Goyer plans to leave around 50. I’m not going anywhere for the time being. I’m working on the three books I’d choose: The Flash, JSA and Hawkman.

Q11. Last one: what’s the craziest storyline request that a fan has ever made of you?

A11. Craziest? Lots of them. But some might just work.

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ShotgunReviews.com would like to thank Geoff Johns for a being a guest in the Big Question. Grab onto his work in his three monthlies (counting the upcoming Hawkman), and catch up on JSA with the “Justice Be Done” trade paperback.

The Big Question with Jack McDevitt
Interview with: Li Rapkin

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. Aspiring writers hear a lot about self-discipline, dedication, and professionalism when the pros talk about writing. An English or journalism degree is a great start, but new writers have a lot to learn that academia doesn’t cover. What are some of the things you’ve learned in the field, as opposed to the classroom?

A1. The kind of knowledge we’re talking about is hard to put into words. If you could, people could acquire their skills in an academic setting. But trying to become a writer by taking classes in creative writing is like trying to learn to drive by reading the driver’s manual. There’s literally everything to learn, and most of it simply cannot be taught.

The aspiring writer has to know how to stage dramatic moments, has to acquire a sense for the flow of language, and for the flow of dialogue. He has to learn how to get critical information to the reader without slowing the narrative down, or bringing it to a dead stop. He has to learn how to create human beings and get them down on a page. He has to be able to construct a plot that makes sense, how to motivate his characters, how to create characters that people will root for.

There’s a lot more, but none of this is very easy to put into a lesson plan. The best approach is probably to read as widely as one can –history, science, the great novels, probably some Greek drama– to write, and to watch the life around us. Watch how people react to problems and how they celebrate success. Listen to the way they speak. Get into their minds. Empathy is one of the basic tools anyone needs who plans to write fiction.

Q2. Have you ever considered writing for a visual medium-TV, film, or theater? Why or why not?

A2. No. I enjoy working with prose fiction and just have no ambition to go elsewhere. I like what I’m doing. Anything else would take time.

Q3. NASA, which is a civilian agency, has run into funding problems with its programs, resulting in the “faster, better, cheaper” paradigm and use of 20-year-old space shuttle technology. The Soviet Union funded its space program as part of the military, and while it had its problems, its status as a military agency had quite an effect on funding. What’s your take on civilian and/or private vs. military funding for space science, exploration, and development?

A3. I assume by military funding you mean that the government underwrites the expenses. Considering the costs involved, and with no serious prospect for offsetting profits, it seems to me that a national effort is the only way to go at present.

Q4. You’ve mentioned in some other interviews that as a kid, you enjoyed Flash Gordon serials. Were you or are you also interested in comics?

A4. I learned to read from Superman and Sheena back in 1940. Before I got to school. I’ve always believed that a lot of kids in my generation did the same. The comic readers were always way ahead of the vocabulary lists. At present I still have a fondness for the old comics. I enjoy reading an occasional JSA update, but it’s mostly nostalgia.

Q5. In the Foreword to the Meisha Merlin edition of Hello Out There, you wrote, “Who today would believe that a major power might seriously consider launching a pre-emptive strike over a question of weapons development, a scenario that was front and center in the original Hercules Text? Somehow it seemed not entirely implausible in 1985.” Now, President Bush wants to “update” the 1972 treaty that prevents the U.S. from developing a “Star Wars” missile defense system, despite the fact that even our allies are opposed to the prospect. Are we back where you started?

A5: I sincerely hope not, although in some ways the world in 1972 was less dangerous. The Atlantic carried a cover story some years ago titled “Why We Will Soon Miss the Cold War.” Its thesis was that, with the Soviets, we always knew who the bad guys were, who we had to negotiate with, and what the risks were. It made for stability.

I’m no fan of Soviet premiers, but they do deserve some credit. A long line of them combined with U.S. presidents to keep out of a hot war, and we owe our lives to their joint restraint.

Joint restraint is a lot harder to come by when you increase the number of participants (”players,” as the term seems to be), and everybody holds his cards under the table. The risks that armageddon may happen are, I think, considerably reduced from the 1970’s, but the possibility of isolated use of mass weaponry has increased. So it’s not a return to 1972, but we seem instead to be on a bus to a place with its own unique hazards. Not as potentially devastating, but more difficult to control.

Q6. You’ve written about archaeology in several of your novels-what about the subject captures your attention? Have you ever visited a dig?

A6: I’m fascinated by aliens. They are romantic, mysterious, edgy, utterly unpredictable. They are the reason we are so hooked on starflight. If we were somehow to establish that there are no aliens, that we are alone in the universe, most of us would immediately lose all interest in going to Vega.

But the problem with the alien is that as soon as you bring it on stage, it becomes a guy in a rubber suit. This is true whether we’re talking about movies or books. And at that point all sense of mystery and romance is lost. Some writers try to get around the problem by creating exotic logic systems, but then the creature simply becomes a guy in a rubber suit who is also incomprehensible to the reader.

My own solution is to keep the little green men offstage. That can be done by leaving them at a distance (as in The Hercules Text, where they’re a million light years away), or by arranging to have them either dead or missing. That’s where the archeology comes in. A ruin once inhabited by aliens is to me far more interesting than a full-blown civilization with alien patrols and alien taxis.

I’ve never been on a real dig, although I once participated in a mock dig on Mars (with real archeologists) during a meeting of the Asimov Seminar some years ago.

Q7. In the beginning of Infinity Beach, scientists are preparing to turn several stars into supernovae as part of a plan to search for intelligent life. One of the main objections from the opposition is that humanity will attract the wrong sort of attention. What’s your opinion of projects such as Voyager and SETI, which could attract the wrong sort of attention in real life?

A7: The universe would obviously be a safer place if we were the only ones in it. But I think the possibility of intelligent aliens being both hostile and (relatively) nearby is extremely unlikely. The level of reason required to achieve interstellar travel should be sufficient to preclude any possibility of attack, especially when one tries to imagine a motive for such an assault. Why would they bother? Surely we have nothing they can’t manufacture themselves. Even the notion of humans serving as food (think “To Serve Man”) for creatures with a different kind of digestive tract is far-fetched.

I’ve wondered how we’d respond as a society if SETI struck gold. And I suspect while the science and SF communities would get excited, the rest of the population would behave more or less in the same way they would if a new tribe were discovered along the Amazon.

Q8. What have you been reading lately?

A8: Pax Brittanica by Jan Morris; Dreamcatcher by Stephen King; A History of the American People by Paul Johnson; the Benjamin Franklin edition from the Library of America; The Great Design by Robert K. Adair; and Laurie King’s The Moor.

Q9. Deepsix just came out in March…what have you got in store for your readers?

A9: Live From Babylon will be out next year from Ace/Berkley. Priscilla Hutchins, from The Engines of God and Deepsix, gets into more trouble. More archeological trouble, I should add. This time with a very old starship.

Q10. You’ve had quite a variety of “day jobs”–customs inspector, taxi driver, English teacher, to name a few. Which was your favorite, and why?

A10: There were two. I enjoyed being an English teacher (and theater director). My former students still track me down on occasion. I had the good fortune to introduce some of them, when they were actively resisting reading, to Ray Bradbury and The Martian Chronicles.

It was magnificent to watch them come alive when that exploratory ship lands on Mars, near a town that has picket fences and a church steeple. And they open the hatch and hear a distant piano playing “Beautiful Dreamer.”

Doing supervisory and management training for the Customs Service was also rewarding. They have good people, and we used to spend our time talking about how you get employees (or kids) to work hard and produce results. Mostly, of course, it has to do with leading the way.

Q11. The Deep South has a reputation in other parts of the country as somewhat lacking in culture, and especially higher learning. How’s the view from early 21st Century Georgia?

A11: We’re looking at a bright future. The areas of the South with which I’m familiar are actively seeking to upgrade education. And the region that produced Willa Cather, Richard Wright, and William Faulkner, must be doing something right.

Websites:
http://www.sfwa.org/members/McDevitt
http://www.asisem.org/1996/jack.html
http://www.booksnbytes.com/authors/mcdevitt_jack.html

Family: Married to Maureen McDevitt.

Former Day Jobs: Naval officer, Philadelphia taxi driver, customs officer, motivational trainer, English teacher.

Hobbies: Chess, bridge, theater, movies, reading mysteries, lunch.

Professional Organizations: Science Fiction Writers of America

Awards: Arthur C. Clarke Award Finalist, Engines of God
2000, Phoenix Award for body of work
2000, Nebula Award nomination, Infinity Beach
1999, Nebula Award nomination, “Good Intentions”
1998, Darrell Award, Eternity Road
1998, SF/F Editor’s Choice, Moonfall
1998, Nebula Award nomination, Moonfall
1997, Nebula Award nomination, Ancient Shores
1996, Hugo Award nomination, “Time Travelers Never Die”
1996, Nebula Award nomination, “Time Travelers Never Die”
1991, UPC International Prize, “Ships in the Night”
1986, Philip K. Dick Special Award, The Hercules Text

Publishers: Eos
Harper Prism
Tachyon Publications
In Europe, Voyager

Novels

Deepsix, 2001
Infinity Beach, 2000 (UK Title; Slow Lightning)
Moonfall, 1998
Eternity Road, 1997
Ancient Shores, 1996
Standard Candles, 1996 (Anthology)
The Engines of God, 1995
A Talent For War, 1989
The Hercules Text, 1986 (Ace Special No. 7)
Hello Out There (contains a rewritten version of The Hercules Text and A Talent For War)

Novellas & Short Stories

“The Emerson Effect”, 1981
“Cryptic”, 1984
“Ships in the Night”
“Time Travelers Never Die”
“Good Intentions” (Co-written with Stanley Schmidt)

Nonfiction

“Twelve Blunders”

The Big Question with Harry Turtledove
Interview with: Li Rapkin

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. You’ve often described Byzantine history as one of the least marketable fields out there. What about the subject captured your attention so thoroughly as to result in a doctorate?

A1. I was about 15 when I found Lest Darkness Fall in a secondhand bookstore. I didn’t know much about this stuff then, and started trying to find out how much the author was making up and how much was real, and ended up getting hooked. So, basically, my academic career (and much of my writing, and my meeting my wife and having the kids I have–details, details) is L. Sprague de Camp’s fault.

Q2. A vast number of alternate history novels are set in (or based on) World War II, the American Civil War, or prehistoric times. What do you think makes these three eras so appealing as settings for alternate history?

A2. Don’t know about prehistoric times; that covers a lot of ground. But the Civil War is the great chokepoint of U.S. history; we are what we are, for better and for worse, because of what happened and how it happened in those four crowded years. Had it happened differently, in a variety of different ways, we’d be different now. People think the same thing about WW2. It’s certainly true, but WW2 is only the second act of the 20th century. The First World War is even more important, but overshadowed in our memory by the more recent conflict.

Q3. What other historical periods or events do you think hold a lot of potential for alternate history?

A3. World War I, as I noted above. The “fall of the Roman Empire.” A possible industrial revolution in Hellenistic times, and what might have come from it. A Spanish victory in the Armada. A world where Bolshevism didn’t succeed in Russia. A world where nuclear physics didn’t get off the ground, and we’ve already fought a conventional WW3.

Q4. It seems to me that one of the most difficult parts of writing alternate history would be extrapolating the results of a single change, while keeping your story believable, especially considering how many improbable and unbelievable events have occurred in “real” history.

A4. This is certainly true. All history has to do is happen. Fiction has to be plausible, too. If anyone wrote a novel in 1999 setting out the 2000 election in detail, no editor would have bought it because it would have seemed too unlikely.

Q5. What do you consider a promising “breaking point” from real history? For example, what made the dropped dispatch a better jumping-off point for How Few Remain than changing the outcome of a battle?

A5: The point is, if the despatch hadn’t been lost, the battle would have happened somewhere else, and under different conditions, which is the key to the breakpoint. Changes should be made at places that are both interesting and would have important consequences if they happened differently.

Q6. You’re a frequent guest at science fiction conventions, including your turn as Toastmaster at last year’s WorldCon in Chicago. What’s your perception of the fan community?

A6: They’re bright people who like to think, like to read, like to find books that make them think, and like to get together with others of their own kind. I fit into that group fairly well, I believe, though I’m more social caterpillar than social butterfly.

Q7. How does the experience of collaborating with another author compare to writing solo?

A7: A collaboration, somebody said, is a book where both partners do 100% of the work. With luck, you manage to get both writers’ strengths and neither writer’s weaknesses. I’ve done relatively little, but I’ve been pleased with The Two Georges and especially with Household Gods, my recent work with Judith Tarr.

Q8. Your wife is also a professional writer, and one of your daughters won a writing contest at Chicon 2000. Any comments on the ups and downs of writing as a family business?

A8: If you can do it, writing is the best job in the world. You set your own hours, you can wear whatever you want, you get to run full-sensory movies in your head and write down what your characters see and feel and experience, and they pay you for it. What could be better? Whether the kids will be able to make a living at it remains to be seen. They have the talent, I think; they also need the desire and the discipline to make it go. Only time will tell if those are there, too.

Q9. For the past few years, you’ve had several series going, as well as producing stand-alone novels, short stories, and editing. How do you keep up with your publishing schedule?

A9: The short answer is, I’m obsessive-compulsive, probably in the clinical sense. People laugh when I say that, which doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

Q10. How do you think the publishing industry is going to look ten or twenty years from now, given that there are so many relatively new media, such as the Internet and e-books?

A10: As far as I know, nobody is yet making a living from the Internet or e-books. I have no idea what things will look like 10 or 20 years from now. I look forward to finding out.

Q11. Read any good books lately?

A11: Things I’ve read lately include Sabatini’s Scaramouche, le Guin’s The Telling, an oral history of Japanese life during WW2, and the letters of Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century. High on the to-read pile are a book about man-powered flight and another on the history of science in the Hellenistic period. I read all kinds of weird stuff, in other words.

Websites:
http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/turtledove.html
http://www.scifan.com/writers/tt/turtledoveharry.asp

Born: June 14, 1949, in Los Angeles, CA

Education: Ph.D., Byzantine History, UCLA, 1977. Dissertation: The Immediate Successors of Justinian: A Study of the Persian Problem and of Continuity and Change in Internal Secular Affairs in the Later Roman Empire During the Reigns of Justin II and Tiberius II Constantine (A.D. 565-582)

Family: Married to Laura Frankos, who writes mysteries. They have three daughters, Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca. Allison was born right before the 1984 WorldCon in Los Angeles, the first convention Dr. Turtledove attended.

Former Day Jobs: Professor of Byzantine History; Technical Writer for Los Angeles County Office of Education. Dr. Turtledove has been writing full time since 1991.

Professional Organizations: Science Fiction Writers of America (Treasurer 1986-1987)

Awards: 1996, Sidewise Award for Alternate History, Honorable Mention, World War series
1996, Hugo Award, Best Novelette, “Must and Shall”
1996, Nebula Award, Best Novelette, “Must and Shall”
1995, Sidewise Award for Alternate History, Honorable Mention, “Must and Shall”
1995, Sidewise Award for Alternate History, Honorable Mention, The Two Georges
1994, Hugo Award, Best Novella, Down in the Bottomlands
1993, John Esthen Cook Award for Southern Fiction, Guns of the South
1990, HOMer Award for Short Story, “Designated Hitler”

Pen Names: Mark Gordian, Eric Iverson, H. N. Turtletaub

Publishers: Baen Books, P.O. Box 1403, New York, NY 10471
Del Rey Books, 201 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022
Tor Books, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
In Europe, PO BOX 244, 1150 Vienna, Austria

Novels

1999, Household Gods (with Judith Tarr)
1998, Between the Rivers
1998, Justinian (as H. N. Turtletaub)
1997, How Few Remain
1997, Thessalonica
1995, The Two Georges (with Richard Dreyfuss)
1993, The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump
1992, The Guns of the South

Series Works
Gerin the Fox (as Eric Iverson)

Wereblood, 1979
Werenight, 1979
The Prince of the North, 1994
King of the North, 1996
Fox and Empire, 1998
Wisdom of the Fox (Werenight and The Prince of the North), 1999
Tale of the Fox (King of the North and Fox and Empire), 2000

Time of Troubles

The Stolen Throne, 1995
Hammer and Anvil, 1996
The Thousand Cities, 1997
Videssos Besieged, 1998

Tale of Krispos

Krispos Rising, 1991
Krispos of Videssos, 1991
Krispos the Emperor, 1994

Videssos

The Misplaced Legion, 1994
An Emperor for the Legion, 1994
The Legion of Videssos, 1987
The Swords of the Legion, 1987

War World

“Tribute Maidens,” War World I: The Burning Eye, 1988
“The Field of Double Sowing,” War World II: Death’s Head Rebellion, 1990
“Juchi the Accursed,” War World III: Sauron Dominion, 1991
“Hang Together,” Codominium: Revolt on War World, 1992
Bloodfeuds (with S.M. Stirling, Judith Tarr & Susan Shwartz), 1993
Blood Vengeance (with S.M. Stirling, Judith Tarr & Susan Shwartz), 1994
“Those Who Lose,” War World IV: Invasion, 1994

World War

In the Balance, 1994
Tilting the Balance, 1995
Upsetting the Balance, 1996
Striking the Balance, 1996
Colonization: Second Contact, 1999
Colonization: Down to Earth, 2001

Great War

American Front, 1998
Walk In Hell, 1999
Breakthroughs, 2001

Darkness

Into the Darkness, 1999
Darkness Descending, 2000
Through the Darkness, 2001

Fantastic Civil War

Sentry Peak, 2000
2 additional titles in work

Novellas & Short Stories

2000

“The Catcher in the Rhine”, The Chick is in the Mail
“A Different Vein”, Chicon 2000 Guest of Honor Book
“Farmers’ Law”, Crime Through Time III
“The Last Word”, Drakas!
“The Lieutenant”, The Touch

1999

“Drang von Osten”, First to Fight
“Forty, Counting Down”, Asimov’s
“Myth Manners’ Guide to Greek Missology #1″, Chicks ‘n Chained Males
“Twenty-One, Counting Up”, Analog

1998

“La Différence”, Did You Say Chicks?
“Ils Ne Passeront Pas”, Armageddon
“The Phantom Tolbukhin”, Alternate Generals

1997

“Elder Skelter”, George
“The Seventh Chapter”, Fantasy & Science Fiction

1995

“The Bleeding Moon”, Orphans of the Night
“Goddess for a Day”, Chicks in Chainmail
“The Maltese Elephant”, Analog
“Must and Shall”, Asimov’s
“Suffer a Sorceress”, Ancient Enchantresses

1994

“They’d Never–”, Alien Pregnant by Elvis

1993

“Down in the Bottomlands”, Analog
“Vermin”, Fantasy & Science Fiction

1992

“Breakups”, Unnatural Diplomacy
“Deconstruction Gang”, Amazing
“The Decoy Duck”, After the King
“The Green Buffalo”, The Ultimate Dinosaur
“In the Presence of Mine Enemies”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
“In This Season”, Christmas Bestiary
“The Last Reunion”, Amazing
“A Massachusetts Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”, Alternate Kennedys
“Mebodes’ Fly”, Fantasy & Science Fiction
“Ready for the Fatherland”, Alternate Wars
“Secret Names”, Analog
“Two Thieves”, Tales of Riverworld

1991

“Gladly Wolde He Lerne”, Analog
“The Great Unknown, Part I”, Analog
“The Great Unknown, Part II”, Analog
“The Great Unknown, Part III”, Analog
“The Long Drum Roll”, The Fantastic Civil War
“Thirty Pieces”, Phases in Chaos

1990

“Designated Hitler”, Fantasy & Science Fiction
“The Emperor’s Return”, Weird Tales Spring 1990
“The Field of Double Sowing”, War World II: Death’s Head Rebellion 1990
“Half the Battle”, There Will Be War IX: After Armageddon 1990
“Island Of The Gods”, The Diplomacy Guild, 1990
The Pugnacious Peacemaker, Tor SF Double No. 20
“Reincarnation”, Amazing
“The Summer Garden”, Kaleidoscope

1989

“Counting Potsherds”, Amazing
“Curse of the Three Demons”, Arabesques 2
“Departures”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
“Festival Night”, Spells of Wonder
“Islands in the Sea”, Alternatives
“Nasty, Brutish, And…”, Analog
“Nothing in the Night-Time”, Analog
“Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
“Precious Treasure”, Friends of the Horseclans 2
“Ten Times Over”, Amazing
“Trantor Falls”, Foundation’s Friends

1988

“After the Last Elf is Dead”, Weird Tales
“The Banner of Kaviyan”, Arabesques
“Batboy”, Fantasy & Science Fiction
“Clash of Arms”, New Destinies IV
“Freedom”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
“Gentlemen of the Shade”, Ripper!
“The Girl Who Took Lessons”, Playboy
“King of All”, New Destinies VI
“The Last Article”, Fantasy & Science Fiction
“Lure”, Analog
“Not All Wolves”, Werewolves
“Trapping Run”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine

1987

“Crybaby”, Twilight Zone
“Images”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
“The Irvhank Effect”, New Destinies II
“Last Favor”, Analog
“The Report on Bilbeis IV, Part I”, Analog
“The Report on Bilbeis IV, Part II”, Analog
“The Report on Bilbeis IV, Part III”, Analog
“6+”, Analog
“Superwine”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
“The Weather’s Fine”, Playboy

1986

“And So To Bed”, Analog
“Around the Salt Lick”, Analog
“The Barbecue, The Movie, & Other Unfortunately Not So Relevant Material”, Analog
“A Difficult Undertaking”, The Dragon
“The Eyes of Argos”, Amazing
“The Iron Elephant”, Analog
“Second Survey”, Analog
“Strange Eruptions”, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine
“Thicker Than Water”, Fantasy Book
“Though the Heavens Fall”, Analog

1985

“Archetypes”, (as Eric Iverson) Amazing
“Bluff”, (as Eric Iverson) Analog
“The Castle of the Sparrowhawk”, (as Eric Iverson) Fantasy Book
“Hatching Season”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog
“Les Mortes d’Arthur”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog
“Noninterference”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog
“Notes from the General Secretariat”, (as Mark Gordian), Analog
“The R Strain”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog
“The Road Not Taken”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog
“Unholy Trinity”, (as Eric Iverson), Amazing
“Vilest Beast”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog

1984

“Herbig-Haro”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog
“Hindsight”, (as Eric Iverson), Analog

1983

“Blue Fox and Werewolf” (as Eric Iverson) Amazing
“Traditions”, (as Eric Iverson), Amazing

1982

“The Summer’s Garden”, (as Eric Iverson), Fantasy Book

1981

“Death in Vesunna”, (as Eric Iverson, with Elaine O’Byrne), Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine

1980

“Report of the Special Committee on the Quality of Life”, (as Eric Iverson), Universe 10
“Honeymouth” Pulphouse 9
“Gilgamesh and the Home Boys” Pulphouse 11

Nonfiction

2000, “Catherine Crook de Camp: An Appreciation”, Locus
2000, “Hox in Box”, The Bulletin
2000, “L. Sprague de Camp: An Appreciation”, Locus
1999 Essay on Writing How Few Remain, SFWA Bulletin
1999, with Geoffrey Landis and John Barnes, “Science: Looking Backward, One Must Be as Forward Thinking As When Looking at the Future,” Science Fiction Age
1998, “How I Do What I Do,” SFWA Bulletin
1997, editor, with Stanley Burstein, “Meeting with a King of Axum,” Ancient African Civilizations: Kush and Axum
1996 “Introduction” Lest Darkness Fall & To Bring the Light, L. Sprague de Camp & David Drake
1995, “How the Worldwar Series Came to Be,” Science Fiction News: Crystal Tower Issue 1
1992, with Laura Frankos Turtledove, “Pros and Cons of Being a Writer Couple,” SFWA Bulletin
1992, “Thank You,” Requiem, edited by Yoji Kondo
1987, “Historical Realism, or, Oh my God, Not Another Movement”, OtherRealms
1985 “The Date of Composition of the Historia Syntomos of Patriarch Nikephoros,” Byzantina kai Metabyzantina, 4: Byzantine Studies in Honor of Milton Anastos
1984, with Mary D. Martin, Patricia Cabrera and Joseph F. Payne, The Green Book: A Manual for School Districts on Developing Proposals for Special Funding
1983, editor, The Chronicle of Theophanes
1983, “Justin II’s Observance of Justinian’s Persian Treaty of 562,” Byzantinische Zeitschrift 76:2, pp.292-301
1983, “The True Size of a Post-Justiniac Army,” Byzantine Studies/Études byzantines 10, 216-22

The Big Question with Ron Marz
Interview with: Troy Brownfield
(special thanks to Ian Feller of CrossGen Comics)

If you’re a devout comics fan, you’ve no doubt heard of today’s guest. He came to prominence on Silver Surfer, but he really made his name known by taking over DC’s Green Lantern. Ushering in the age of Kyle Rayner, this writer took a character that Hal Jordan zealots wanted to see fail and made him into an engaging personality who grappled with the questions of power and responsibility. That talent caught the attention of fledgling comics company CrossGen, who tapped the writer for a move down south. As the scribe on Mystic and Scion, our guest continues to explore questions of power and responsibility in two of the most exciting comics to debut last year. He’ll also be helming a new CrossGen title, Sojourn.

Everyone, please welcome Ron Marz!

THE BIG Q&A

Q1. Through your run on Green Lantern, and in your current CrossGen books, you’ve dealt monthly with the theme of “responsibility of power”. Is this a theme that you’re naturally drawn to, and how has several years of touching on the topic affected how you view responsibility personally?

A1. It’s definitely something I’m drawn to, both personally and as a storyteller. Obviously “coming to responsibility” stories have been with us as long as we’ve been telling stories. It’s part of the traditional hero cycle in myth, and of course it’s been utilized in everything from Spider-Man to Star Wars. It’s really an evergreen concept when you’re dealing with mythic stories.

For me personally I think it’s a pretty simple formula: “Do what’s right.” Do what’s right for your family, your friends, the people you work with, the fans who buy your books. I never want there to be a day when I don’t like the guy looking back at me in the mirror, so you do what’s right every day, even when it’s not the easiest thing to do. ESPECIALLY when it’s not the easiest thing to do.

Q2. CrossGen arrived in popular consciousness with a bang. What’s it like to have been in on that from the ground floor?

A2. Pretty damn satisfying, to tell you the truth. I’m very gratified that I was here to contribute to the building of CrossGen, both as a universe and as a company. We started out comparatively small if you stack us up next to Marvel or DC, and we’re certainly doing different material than the superhero fare you get from the Big Two. And yet we’re still here and growing, and frankly getting better all the time. We have new people in house, like Mark Waid and Steve Epting and Greg Land, who are doing terrific work. We have more people on the way.

So there’s a great deal of satisfaction in watching this grow and having helped nurture it. I’m proud of what we accomplished so far, but it’s only the beginning of what we can do.

Q3. Like a lot of fans, I’m curious about the CrossGen quad system and studio approach. Could you give us a view from the inside?

A3. It’s like having a real job, which for a lot of us comic guys is a whole new way of life. You come to work in the morning and you do your job. When you’re done, you go home. You come back the next day and do it again.

I’ll be the first one to say working at CrossGen isn’t for everybody. A large portion of the pros in the industry couldn’t work at CrossGen. It takes a higher level of talent, commitment and maturity than anywhere in the industry, because to do what we’re doing on a monthly schedule, never miss shipping dates and maintain this level of quality is not an easy thing. Working in a studio like this requires a huge amount of dedication.

All that said, I think this is the best place in the industry to work if you’ve got what it takes. The studio environment is pretty relaxed and wonderfully creative — everyone learns from and is inspired by each other. Having all the members of a book’s team under the same roof makes the job that much easier, and cuts out any miscommunication. You’ll see a hell of a lot less mistakes in our books than in anyone else’s. And in terms of “real world” concerns, everyone’s paid a salary, not a page rate. We have vacation and sick days, full benefits. A lot of guys have never had that. Working here, even though we’re a small start-up, feels more stable than working freelance. This is our company. We’re all part-owners thanks to the profit-sharing and equity-sharing plans in place. Where else could you get that?

Q4. “Mystic” has a gradually unfolding kind of feel, whereas “Scion” seems to have a huge, sweeping scope. How do you balance these two very different writing approaches?

A4. A lot of the differences are dictated by character and setting, both of which drive the plot. The kinds of stories we tell in Mystic and Scion respectively are, I think, what works best in those books. I don’t know if it’s as much a balancing act as it is just trying to figure out what the book demands.

Q5. Will you be taking on a third regular title in the future, or is two your limit for the moment?

A: My third monthly title, Sojourn, begins in June with an over-sized Prequel issue, with the monthly series debuting in July. It’s more of a classic, traditional fantasy than CrossGen has done previously, which is something I’ve always wanted to write, and something I think the market is probably ready for as well. It’s a quest story, with a really nasty villain we’re hoping will turn into CrossGen’s Doctor Doom. Greg Land is penciling, with Drew Geraci inking and Caesar Rodriguez coloring. It’s easily the best stuff Greg has ever done. Birds of Prey was great, Nightwing was great, but this stuff blows Greg’s previous work out of the water.

Q6. This is my semi-obligatory question to all writers: what advice do you have to impart on young writers hoping to break into comics?

A: Save the tough one for last, huh? Breaking in as a writer is the toughest route, because unlike an artist, you can’t just show your portfolio to an editor and in five minutes the editor knows whether you’ve got it or not. As a writer, you actually have to get someone to READ what you do.

But there are two bits of advice I traditionally give. One is to read as much as possible, and not just comics. Read novels, read non-fiction, read everything you can get your hands on. You learn an immense amount about writing by reading, by seeing how OTHERS write. And aspiring comics writers should learn to be WRITERS, not just comics writers. First learn the craft of writing and translate that into comics. I hate hearing, “The only thing I ever wanted to do is write comics.” The industry doesn’t need any more writers who want to re-tell the comic stories they read when they were 11. What the industry DOES need is storytellers, people with their own voice and their own stories to tell.

The second piece of advice is more practical. It’s virtually impossible to break in at Marvel or DC. If somebody’s out there working on an Avengers submission, stop wasting your time. An editor has a long list of established, proven professionals he can call to write Avengers or anything else. New writers are much better off going through small press publishers or even self-publishing if they can team up with an artist. It’s not as sexy as writing X-Men or JLA, but it’s real, practical experience. Once you’ve got some of those sorts of projects under your belt, once you’re seen as a published pro, it’s a lot easier to go knocking on the doors of the big publishers.

We’d like to thank Mr. Marz for taking the time to take part in The Big Question! If you’ve missed his early monthly work on either Mystic or Scion, trade paperbacks of the first seven issues will be arriving soon! Don’t forget to check out Sojourn this summer as well. You can learn more about the CrossGen universe at www.crossgen.com. Also, we owe a special thanks to Ian Feller at CrossGen, who arranged this interview for us.

As always, if you have any suggestions for future Big Questions, direct them to Troy at psikotyk@aol.com.