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------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/bGIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ******* Interview with: Michael Eury, Editor of BACK ISSUE! Interviewed by Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher - Jazma Universe Online! http://www.jazmaonline.com/ Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Maybe where you were born, something about your family background, schools you attended, etc. I was born and raised in Concord, North Carolina, a small community near Charlotte. I majored in -- of all things -- Music Education (at East Carolina University, alma matter of Scream's Kevin Williamson and the cute and perky Sandra Bullock), and had a brief stint teaching public-school band. I worked in cable- access broadcasting for a while, in front of and behind the camera, and even performed singing telegrams for a year and a half! I had aspirations to become a comedy performer/writer, and in 1984 I auditioned (by video) for Saturday Night Live (and, obviously, didn't make it). Then I gravitated toward comics and journalism. Question: What was the first comic book you ever read? I don't remember a specific comic, but comic books were always around my house. My parents used them to encourage my reading. I do recall Detective Comics #350, featuring the lame Bat-villain the Monarch of Menace, as being my first Batman comic, igniting my passion for Batman and for super-heroes. As a small child, I absolutely adored the Batman TV show with Adam West. Question: What were your favorite comic books growing up? Batman, The Brave and the Bold, Detective, World's Finest, and Justice League (notice a pattern?). The Spider-Man and Fantastic Four TV cartoons of the late 1960s introduced me to Marvel. Question: For readers unfamiliar with your new publication BACK ISSUE, can you tell us what we might find in your magazine? BACK ISSUE is a bimonthly magazine that celebrates comics of the 1970s and 1980s through a variety of recurring departments. Each issue sports a theme -- DC vs. Marvel, Totally '80s, Comics in Hollywood, Super Teams, etc. -- which provides a clear editorial focus. We have "Pro2Pro" interviews, dialogues between writers and/or artists; "The Greatest Stories Never Told," examinations of series that were planned but never happened; "Rough Stuff," pencil art spotlights; "Off My Chest," guest editorials by pros (so far we've had Carmine Infantino, Mike W. Barr, Mark Evanier, John Romita, Roy Thomas, Denny O'Neil, Tony Isabella, and Mike Gold); "Bring on the Bad Guys" villain histories; and "Beyond Capes" looks at non-super-hero titles; among other features. We interview creators as much as possible -- BACK ISSUE's articles feature their reflections on their work. Plus lots of cool art, familiar and unpublished!! Question: How did you get the editor gig for BACK ISSUE? John Morrow, TwoMorrows' head honcho, published my book Captain Action: The Original Super-Hero Action Figure in 2002, then my biography of Dick Giordano (Dick Giordano: Changing Comics, One Day at a Time) in 2003. John and I liked working together, and when he wanted a new comics magazine to replace (but not duplicate) Comic Book Artist, which went to another publisher, he offered me the gig. It sounded like fun, so here I am! Question: How did BACK ISSUE get started? I couldn't believe the great comic book information in this superb magazine! (See genesis above). Question: Who are some of the contributors to your magazine? I have a legion of super-writers -- some from the fan-press, others, actual comics professionals and entertainment writers. Having been a comic-book editor (for Comico, then DC, then Dark Horse), I've met a lot of artists and writers, many of whom have contributed. But to name names: So far we've had covers by George Perez, Adam Hughes, Brian Bolland, John Byrne, Alex Ross (his Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman portrait for BACK ISSUE #5 was an eye-popper), Gene Colan, and Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Interview subjects include Marv Wolfman, Keith Giffen, Kevin Maguire, Chris Claremont, Bernie Wrightson, Len Wein, Dave Stevens, Bruce Jones, Jim Aparo, Steve Bissette, Rick Veitch, and Jerry Ordway, to name just a few. Question: What are some of the future goals for BACK ISSUE? To continue to improve our content with each issue, and to create a "warm and happy" home for fans of comics of the 1970s and 1980s. Our upcoming themes are: #8 (Feb. 2005) Black Super-Heroes of the 1970s/1908s (Kyle Baker/Storm cover); #9 (Apr. 2005) Cosmic Issue (Nexus, Cosmic Odyssey, Thanos, GrimJack, Marvel's Star Wars, etc., with a new Nexus cover by Steve Rude); #10 (June 2005) Pulp Fiction (reality-based heroes like Batman, Doc Savage, and the Shadow, with a new Ra's al Ghul cover by Neal Adams); #11 (Aug. 2005) Gods and Warriors (Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Marvel's Conan, etc.); and #12 (Oct. 2005) Extreme Makeovers (character revamps). Question: Do you have a website and if you do, what is the URL address? Readers can discover BACK ISSUE at TwoMorrows' BI site: http://www.twomorrows.com/backissue/index.html . Question: How can somebody contact you? My email address is euryman@msn.com. (No attachments, please.) Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? Ginger, Mary Ann, and definitely not Gilligan. Oh. Sorry. How about my wife, my laptop, and exercise equipment. Question: Your thoughts on the comic industry? Being the editor of a nostalgic comics mag, I'm currently too rooted in comics of the past to offer credible commentary on the industry today. Question: Your 3 favorite fictional heroes and why? Batman, because he was the first super-hero to pique my imagination; Robin, because as a kid I found him empowering to children; and Superman, because ... he's Superman! Question: Your 3 real life heroes and why? My dad, who died in March 2004, because he gave his all to provide for his family; Christopher Reeve, who died in October 2004, because he rose above adversity to become an advocate for those in need; and Jimmy Carter, whose tireless dedication to helping others is awe-inspiring. Question: What cons are you going to? Emerald City Con in Seattle in Feb. 2005 and the San Diego Comic- Con in July 2005. Question: Were you involved with other comic book projects before BACK ISSUE and if you were, what were they? I was a writer for Amazing Heroes magazine in the mid- to late 1980s. From 1988-89 I was an editor at Comico the Comic Company (Elementals, Sam and Max, The MAZE Agency, etc.). From 1989-1992 I was a DC Comics editor (Legion of Super-Heroes, Who's Who, Hawk and Dove, Eclipso, the writer of the "Inside DC" house column, etc.) From 1993-1995 I edited at Dark Horse (The Mask Strikes Back, Ghost, Barb Wire, Batman vs. Predator II, etc.). Along the way, I've written comics like She-Hulk (big embarrassment!), Adventures of the Mask, and Looney Tunes. I'm like a "serial killer" in comics, stepping in and out of the business, moving from state to state (actually, from job to job), and leaving a trail of funnybooks behind. In addition to editing BACK ISSUE, I write nonfiction books. I'm a contributor to just-released The Superhero Book from Visible Ink Press of VideoHound fame (http://www.superherobook.com/). For TwoMorrows I'm writing The Justice League Companion, covering the Silver Age JLA, for a July 2005 release -- it features a new cover by Bruce Timm! I have several other books in development, and occasionally develop and write entertainment/promotional material for Nike. Oh... I also write the "Then and Now" histories for the boxes of Bowen Designs' Marvel mini-busts. I'm keeping busy. Question: What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites? I used to be a disciple of all things Flintstones, plus super- hero cartoons and movies. I rarely watch TV today, although I find reruns of The Andy Griffith Show soothing. I see movies of all genres, and have a passion for romantic comedies. These days, I spend more time listening to Air America than watching anything on screen. Question: What books do you read? Mostly non-fiction, especially political material by progressive thinkers. Fiction-wise, I like Dennis Lehane's crime thrillers and the political humor novels of Christopher Buckley. Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? Fitness -- I'm at the gym six, sometimes seven, days a week. I enjoy spending time with my wife, Rose, and friends. Question: What comic books do you read now? Plastic Man, Superman/Batman, Identity Crisis, and Fantastic Four. Question: That ends the interview, any last words of wisdom? BACK ISSUE is a "welcome wagon" to comics readers old and new. For long-time comics fans, including those who feel disenfranchised, BACK ISSUE celebrates what they loved about comics and alerts them to some new or reprinted material that might be of interest to them. For newer or younger readers, BACK ISSUE is a fun and informative history lesson. Interview with: Sean Taylor, Creator of Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe #1! Interviewed by Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher - Jazma Universe Online! http://www.jazmaonline.com/ Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Maybe where you were born, something about your family background, schools you attended, etc. I was born so deep in the South that I still bleed red clay. How's that? Actually, I was born, grew up in, and have lived in Georgia all my life. If you've heard stories about people growing up in towns with only a single traffic light, I can do you one better. The town in which I grew up, Summertown, had only a single caution light and didn't even get its own listing in the phonebook. I'm proud to say that I are a product of Georgia's public education system. (*winks*) My family and I made the move to Atlanta back in the mid '80s, and I've been there ever since. Question: What was the first comic book you ever read? It would have to be one of my Uncle Roderick's books, probably a ratty copy of the old western Ghost Rider book. One of the first books I bought for myself, or had my mom buy for me at the grocery store, was a copy of Legion of Super-Heroes, with a cover image of Shrinking Violet and baby Kal-El on Krypton. After that, I got hooked on the old horror and sci-fi anthologies. Question: What were your favorite comic books growing up? Anything from Legion of Super-Heroes and horror comics to Sabrina, Archie, and Classics Illustrated. I loved the format of comics. It didn't really matter to me too much which characters were in them, though I was a huge LSH fan. Question: Please brief us about your new creation Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe #1. Fishnet Angel is the story of a man trapped in the body of an ancient goddess. In order to safe the life of his fiance, Mark Williams had to take her place and become the living embodiment of the war goddess of a long dead civilization. Only now it has cost him everything he knew as Mark - his fiance, his family, his life. Ultimately it's a story about sacrificing for the greater good. Mark wants his old body and life back more than anything, but the world is better off if he remains a superhero. While there have been several books that deal with a transgendered character, most of them tend to be done for titilation or as a gag, and that's what I'm trying to avoid (for the most part) with Fishnet Angel. Those books tend to become one-joke plots. With Mark, there's more at stake than just the fact that he can look at his own naked boobs any time he wants. He's learning that being heroic requires personal sacrifice. Question: How did you come up with the concept of Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe #1? The character of Fishnet Angel began in prose short story form over at iHero Entertainment's online magazine, Cyber Age Adventures. But for this particular story, I wanted to play with an idea I got while listening to the Alicia Keys CD. The track "Jane Doe" got me to thinking: "What would it be like for Mark to loose his memories of ever being a man and what could cause such a thing to happen? And there I was with the kernal of a story. A man in a woman's body suddenly loses his memory and wakes up to discover he's a superhero in fishnets. What then? Well, to make it interesting, I had the goddess' ex-lover return from the underworld for revenge. Question: Who are some of the main characters of Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe #1? Well, there's Fishnet Angel, of course, all three parts of her. That's Mark Williams - the man she used to be, Marsha Williams - the name she goes by in her civilian identity now, and the goddess Ashtanyaka - who is responsible for the whole mess. After that, you've got Tanayat. He's the goddess' former human lover who found the strength to take over hell and return to the earth for revenge with his army of giant beetle creatures. Two new characters who'll be appearing in Jane Doe will be the doctors who are treating the amnesiac heroine, doctors Hammond and Wade. And finally, Mark's fiance, Andi, and her new boyfriend, Greg, will also be appearing. Question: When can we find this comic book on the shelves? Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe #1 will hit stores in January, along with Children of the Grave #1 from Shooting Star Comics. Question: Do you have a website and if you do, what is the URL address? Sure, the address is www.shootingstarcomics.com. Go there. Now. Question: How can somebody contact you? Just email me at editor@shootingstarcomics.com. Or you can use any of the contact info you find at the Shooting Star Comics website. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? My wife, Lisa, an MP3 player with serious memory, and a lifetime supply of bottled water. Question: Your thoughts on the comic industry? As much as it pains me to admit it, we're a tiny fish in a small pond. The properties we create don't always remain so, but I fear the heyday of comics is over. Paper costs and the collectible mindset almost did us in not long ago, and maybe it's just me, but it seems like even now we tend to latch onto everything from the six-issue story arcs to graphic novel collections as the new savior of the comics industry. But we keep trying to throw all of our eggs in the next pretty basket that comes down the line. I think the only thing that is going to keep us viable, and maybe even growing, is variety, not just variety in subject matter, but also variety in formats and lengths. In other words, we don't need to sacrifice monthlies for graphic novel collections, sacrifice stand-alone stories for big arcs, or sacrifice mainstream superheroes for indy fringe. I think that the variety is the thing that will keep comics fresh, and the more we publish both old and new, fresh and traditional, avant garde and crusty ol' reliable, the more we will see the industry stabilize. That way we still keep the old fans and hopefully can pick up new ones. Question: Your 3 favorite fictional heroes and why? I'm big fan of the idea of Superman, even if I don't read the books regularly. He's the best of all of us. Then what red- blooded boy can not love the exploits of Robin Hood, as he twists the laws of the land into a new morality. After that, it would probably be Doctor Who as he propels whilly nilly through time and space. There was a time I would have given almost anything to be one of the Doctor's companions. Question: Your 3 real life heroes and why? My Dad hits the top spot, because of the way he loves my Mom. That's means a lot to a guy like me who saw Mom go through several rocky marriages to guys who didn't deserve to hold her hand. Then Martin Luther, for having the guts to take on the church machine and still remain a believer in the faith. After him, I'd have to say just about anyone who regularly fights for literacy. Question: What cons are you going to? You can pretty much mark your calendars that I'll be attending San Deigo Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, Dragon*Con, and the Atlanta Comic Con. But I'm also looking into several other cons this year too. For the most up-to-date con info, though, we keep a list at www.shootingstarcomics.com. Question: What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites? I really like Adult Swim, but I'm kind of the market for it, so that's probably not a surprise. Other than those, I'm a big fan of Static Shock and JLA. And my whole family sits down to watch Teen Titans, My Life as a Teenage Robot and Fairly Oddparents together. As far as movies, I'm a huge John Cusack fan, so I can watch Gross Point Blank and Hifidelity over and over and over again. And I'm thrilled that I'm finally now able to say that I'm successfully getting my wife hooked on the films of Akira Kurosawa. Maybe one day she'll come around to anime too. For TV, I'm a big fan of BBC America and the Sci-Fi Channel, but I'm also starting to really get into those best of moments shows and the documentaries where they debunk urban legends. And Smallville and Alias, of course. I have to mention those or else turn in my geek membership card, right? Question: What books do you read? Anything you can put in front of me, but I usually read a few at a time. My current list includes Lamb by Christopher Moore, the first cycle of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson, the Hagakure, True Notebooks by Mark Salzman, and Swan Song by Frank Fradella. Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? When I have time I'll either piddle around on my guitar and bass, or I'll actually get productive and write some new songs and record them using my 24-track mixer on my computer. As time permits, I also love to read and tweak my various webpages. If you're coersive enough to get me out of the house, I'll either drive to Starbucks or go play volleyball. Question: What comic books do you read now? I actually just did a huge purge in my monthly comics pull list. I used to read just about everything that DC put out, along with a few sideline Marvel books like Spider-Girl and Supreme Power. But I just couldn't afford that trip to the store anymore, and when I cut this time, I found that the books that stuck around were moreso the indy books like Charm School, Strangers in Paradise, Scooter Girl, Blue Monday, and Hopeless Savages. I guess I'm just really getting into indy stuff lately and the mainstream stuff that has an indy vibe, like Y the Last Man and Fables. Question: If Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe #1 became a Hollywood movie, who would play the character parts and why? Now this one's easy, because I always write Fishnet Angel with Drew Barrymore in mind. Andi is Christina Ricci. Oh, and pre- Fishnet Angel Mark would be John Cusack if I had my first choice. But I'd settle for Jerry O'Connell too, if I had to. Question: That ends the interview, any last words of wisdom? Yeah, buy Shooting Star Comics. You'll be glad you did. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [6] My Life With Comic Books Paul Howley pmca@together.net A brief introduction: My name is Paul Howley, owner of the Eisner Award winning pop culture collector's store known as "That's Entertainment" in Worcester, Massachusetts. Some people have called me the "luckiest man in the comic book business." My store has been around for over twenty-four years and it's been a long and interesting combination of events and people that has brought my store to its current place. It is not my intent to boast or brag about my store or my life. I just want to tell you my story. In many instances, my wife remembers things a little differently, but this is the truth as I remember it. [See more about the store online at http://www.thatse.com ] The current cast of characters: Paul Howley: age 40 Mal Howley: my wife Adam Howley: my son, age 16 Cassy Howley: my daughter, age 11 Chris: Our store and company manager MY LIFE WITH COMIC BOOKS: THE HISTORY OF A COMIC SHOP-Part 101 Chris, the manager of my Worcester store and overall company manager now that I was "retired" from active involvement, knew that he needed to keep the gross sales increasing each year at both of our stores. Through a mutual friend he arranged to have the first Boston Patriots football quarterback, Babe Parillo, come to our store as a guest. This was a modest success and it inspired Chris to try more sports celebrities. In the meantime, I had learned that Boston Celtics' great, Dennis Johnson, had a son who attended the same high school as my son, Adam. I asked Dennis if he'd be interested in spending a day at my Worcester store and he said he'd possibly consider it if we'd be willing to donate his usual fee to a charity of his choice. I explained to him that it was our current "policy" to offer free autographs to our customers so his usual fee had to be reasonable enough so that I could financially justify it. I relayed this information to Chris and let him "run with it." After several phone calls to Dennis Johnson, it was decided that he'd be our guest on Saturday June 15, 1996. I was disappointed because I had already booked a family vacation cruise for this same date and it would be the first big event at the store that I would be unable to attend, but it was the only convenient date for Dennis Johnson and I had confidence that Chris and the rest of our staff could handle this without me. Our staff wanted this to be a big event and worked together to make it so. A connection was made with the local sports-talk radio station and they agreed to do a "live-remote" from our store during Dennis Johnson's appearance. Someone in our organization got the idea to contact the mayor's office to inform them of this exciting event for the fans of the area and since we were allowing everyone to get Dennis's autograph at no cost, the city government decided to assist us to make this event even bigger. The mayor agreed to send a representative to our store on the day of the appearance to make an official proclamation declaring June 15th Dennis Johnson Day in Worcester. Once the local newspapers heard this they were all willing to help us promote "Dennis Johnson Day." The newspapers included our event in their calendar section and one paper ran a small announcement. We mailed thousands of flyers to the customers on our mailing list and our employees put flyers in everyone's bag at the cash register. They also tried to make sure everyone heard about it verbally. Chris knew that we'd have to try to recoup our expenses by offering the attendees an opportunity to buy some Boston Celtics items or photographs for Dennis to sign. Chris ordered Celtics key chains, bumper stickers, pennants, and basketballs. He also ordered hundreds of 8x10 color and black and white photos from a company that is fully licensed to print them but he wasn't able to convince the company to offer a return privilege on the photos we couldn't sell. These photographs would have to be sold for four dollars each for us to make a modest profit and we were not sure that our customers would be willing to spend that much since they were used to our normally lower prices. Our previous events had much cheaper photographs available because the other celebrities didn't care if the photographs were officially licensed. We worried that our customers would think we were just being greedy so we decided to give a portion of all of the proceeds to "Sports Alive," a local charity that promoted athletics and educational programs in Worcester's schools and neighborhoods. Chris also arranged for "Fleer," a large trading card company, to donate lots of basketball cards for us to give away to everyone who attended this event. Everything seemed to be under control and it was almost all arranged without much involvement by me. My key employees, Chris, Ken and Dave paid close attention to all of the details and they were prepared to handle this guest appearance. I was on a cruise while this event was going on at my store but as soon as the cruise ship docked in St. Thomas I began calling Chris to see how everything was going. I kept getting a busy signal. I continued to dial the phone number, over and over again, for almost two hours! Who could possibly be on the telephone for that long on such an important day?! I finally got through to the store after the event was over and found out that the sports-talk radio station "took over" our only phone line to broadcast the appearance from our store. It was a major detail that none of us had anticipated and I'm sure that it disrupted our business and probably frustrated many people who were trying to contact our store to ask questions about this event. Chris explained that things had gone fairly smoothly. The customers enjoyed it (especially the free autographs) and we sold enough stuff to pay for all of the expenses. Chris was smart enough to have Dennis Johnson autograph a few hundred of the unsold photographs that we would have been stuck with so that sometime in the future we might recoup some additional funds. These signed photos would also be good to have available for the customers who couldn't make it to the store for the actual event. We sold dozens of them over the next few months. Later, when I ran into Dennis Johnson at my son's high school, he told me that my employees had done a nice job and he was pleased with how everything went. He was honored to have the mayor declare that day as "Dennis Johnson Day." Next chapter: A look into my character.not too pleasant. _________________________________________________________________ Thanks for subscribing to the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine (CBEM) --------------------------->Disclaimer<--------------------------- This is an ANNOUNCE only mailing list, only the Editor can send messages to the list. No one else has access to the subscriber list. Replies to these messages will be received by the Editor ONLY, so you must CC: individual contributors if you want them to get your E-Mail. The E-mail to the E-mag MAY be used in future issues at the Editor's discretion UNLESS you specifically request that they not be. It is our policy to withhold names and/or Addresses, by request only, from letters of comment. All contributors are required to use their real name and have a valid Email address for their columns to be published. Send Email comments to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Material for inclusion in the Emag - press releases, solicitations, column submissions, Letters to the Editor, guesses for the trivia contest should be sent to ComicBkNet@aol.com The EDITOR, not the submitter, has final approval and edit rights on ALL material. Printed comic books and advanced copies for review in the Emag should be sent via US Mail or UPS to David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 TO Subscribe send a message FROM the intended address to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@yahoogroups.com TO Unsubscribe send a message FROM the address to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com You may also unsubscribe from the Egroups Web page at the short cut below. Shortcut URL to the Egroup page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag All contents COPYRIGHT 2004 The Comic Book Network. This messages may be reproduced only in its original form, and in its entirety for non-commercial purposes. Contact the original author(s) or the Editor for permission to use individual items. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ |
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