Ask Kurt Busiek

[tliscord]

Maybe not specifically a favorite, but I like the Rutland Vermont stories Marvel and DC used to do -- that had details that crossed over from company to company, back before there were intercompany crossovers.

I wish, someday, Marvel and DC would be able to do a book collection of the bunch of them, in publication order. They were fun.

kdb

Didn't follow much DC stuff. Fascinating that both companies featured Rutland. Did the DC stories feature artists and writers too?

[Kurt Busiek]

Didn't follow much DC stuff. Fascinating that both companies featured Rutland. Did the DC stories feature artists and writers too?

Yes, in fact, that's where most of the crossover happened.

In a Marvel story, you'd see a group of creators head to Rutland for the parade; in a DC issue you'd see that same group of creators in Rutland, and there'd be reference to stuff they were talking about in the Marvel issue, or they'd get in some trouble. Then in another Marvel issue, it'd get resolved. There were multiple years of Rutland stories, but I think there were a couple of years with plot crossovers, unless I'm misremembering and spreading one years' stories over two years.

[tliscord]

Yes, in fact, that's where most of the crossover happened.

In a Marvel story, you'd see a group of creators head to Rutland for the parade; in a DC issue you'd see that same group of creators in Rutland, and there'd be reference to stuff they were talking about in the Marvel issue, or they'd get in some trouble. Then in another Marvel issue, it'd get resolved. There were multiple years of Rutland stories, but I think there were a couple of years with plot crossovers, unless I'm misremembering and spreading one years' stories over two years.

So that begs the question who was from Rutland?

[DrNewGod]

So that begs the question who was from Rutland?

His name was Tom Fagen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutlan...de?wprov=sfla1

[PCN24454]

What character in Marvel Comics would you like to see get taken down a peg the most?

[Kurt Busiek]

What character in Marvel Comics would you like to see get taken down a peg the most?

I just want to see good stories.

Maybe it's because I've been doing this for a long time, but I don't need to see any of the characters "taken down a peg" for the sake of it.

And if it makes for a good story, any of 'em!

kdb

[Zelena]

I just want to see good stories.

Maybe it's because I've been doing this for a long time, but I don't need to see any of the characters "taken down a peg" for the sake of it.

And if it makes for a good story, any of 'em!

kdb

So you could imagine a good story without super-heroes…

[Kurt Busiek]

So you could imagine a good story without super-heroes…

I hope so!

I've written stories without superheroes in them, and I hope they've been good...

kdb

[PCN24454]

I just want to see good stories.

Maybe it's because I've been doing this for a long time, but I don't need to see any of the characters "taken down a peg" for the sake of it.

And if it makes for a good story, any of 'em!

kdb

That's a nice mentality to have.

[tliscord]

His name was Tom Fagen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutlan...de?wprov=sfla1

I was hoping to get a behind the scene story about whatever the DC and Marvel "bullpens'" connection to Rutland was. What was the attraction of Rutland? By the way, ILOVERMONT! Or is say Kurt a native Vermonter. Did Englehart drop acid in a Rutland diner with Milgrom? That sort of thing.

[Zelena]

I hope so!

I've written stories without superheroes in them, and I hope they've been good...

kdb

Ah, I didn’t know. I suppose superheroes comics dominate US market.

[Kurt Busiek]

I was hoping to get a behind the scene story about whatever the DC and Marvel "bullpens'" connection to Rutland was. What was the attraction of Rutland? By the way, ILOVERMONT! Or is say Kurt a native Vermonter. Did Englehart drop acid in a Rutland diner with Milgrom? That sort of thing.

You can read the story behind the stories here:

https://comicsalliance.com/rutland-h...-dc-crossover/

...but really, it was because Rutland did an annual superhero-themed Halloween parade.

kdb

[ARkadelphia]

Maybe not specifically a favorite, but I like the Rutland Vermont stories Marvel and DC used to do -- that had details that crossed over from company to company, back before there were intercompany crossovers.

I wish, someday, Marvel and DC would be able to do a book collection of the bunch of them, in publication order. They were fun.

kdb

This needs to happen ASAP.

[PCN24454]

How do you feel about the portrayal of deities and mythos in the Marvel Universe? Do you prefer Gods to be portrayed as all-powerful forces or more like superheroes/villains (naturally, they can fall anywhere in between as well)?

[Kurt Busiek]

How do you feel about the portrayal of deities and mythos in the Marvel Universe? Do you prefer Gods to be portrayed as all-powerful forces or more like superheroes/villains (naturally, they can fall anywhere in between as well)?

It depends on the deity.

Like other characters, they're all individuals. Some cultures have myths about all-powerful deities, some have myths about less-powerful deities.

I tend to think that any deity should have some kind of feeling to them that feels like more than just a guy who drank a strength serum, that has some myth/wonder to it -- but I think that beyond that, they should be treated as characters, with whatever attributes and personalities match those characters, and not in some one-size-fits-all way.

It always feels odd to me when I see people lumping, say, all "skyfathers" together, as if that's some sort of generic category that all pantheons need to have, and they all have the same powers. It just seems like a lazy way to say "everyone's got to have a Zeus, because we're Euro-centric."

So I'd say gods -- even, say, the god of lost socks -- should feel numinous, in some way, but not all gods should be all-powerful forces. Some of them just get your socks lost.

kdb