Ask Kurt Busiek

[Wall-Crawler]

I am currently re-reading your Avengers run and literally just finished Avengers #23, one of my all-time favorite issues, I've always liked the Vision a lot, but that issue single handedly made him and Wonder Man some of my favorite Avengers.

[Marvell2100]

I am currently re-reading your Avengers run and literally just finished Avengers #23, one of my all-time favorite issues, I've always liked the Vision a lot, but that issue single handedly made him and Wonder Man some of my favorite Avengers.

Totally agree. I love his take on the whole Wondy/Wanda/Viz triangle. And he gave Vision a lot more personality than he's seen in a long time before then.

Couple of questions Mr Busiek:

Are there certain character types you're drawn to when writing?

How far out do you plot your stories?

Thanks.

[Kurt Busiek]

I am currently re-reading your Avengers run and literally just finished Avengers #23, one of my all-time favorite issues, I've always liked the Vision a lot, but that issue single handedly made him and Wonder Man some of my favorite Avengers.

Thanks!

kdb

[Kurt Busiek]

Couple of questions Mr Busiek:

Are there certain character types you're drawn to when writing?

I like writing a variety of characters -- as should probably be clear by the number of team books I've done and the amount of character variation and interaction in them. So, clearly, I have fun writing a self-centered amoral scale like Moonstone and I have fun writing a principled guy like Captain America, but that's not the same thing as being drawn to specific character types, I guess.

Over the years, I've been drawn to writing flawed characters who know it, screwups trying to find redemption for past mistakes, as well as young characters figuring out who they're going to be.

But I've also noticed that I really enjoy writing, as narrative voices, characters who are experienced and knowledgable about what they do, and who can kind of naturally make commentary about things that are exotic to you and me, but which are perfectly;y normal and ordinary to them. Go figure.

How far out do you plot your stories?

It varies a lot, depending on the schedule and on happenstance. I usually have large, complex plot structures planned, but the details of them I may be making up as I go, as I aim my way toward various signposts along the way to exploring that larger structure.

I really should make more detailed plot outlines farther in advance, but I'm generally juggling enough stuff that it's hard to find time to do that.

kdb

[Marvell2100]

I like writing a variety of characters -- as should probably be clear by the number of team books I've done and the amount of character variation and interaction in them. So, clearly, I have fun writing a self-centered amoral scale like Moonstone and I have fun writing a principled guy like Captain America, but that's not the same thing as being drawn to specific character types, I guess.

Over the years, I've been drawn to writing flawed characters who know it, screwups trying to find redemption for past mistakes, as well as young characters figuring out who they're going to be.

But I've also noticed that I really enjoy writing, as narrative voices, characters who are experienced and knowledgable about what they do, and who can kind of naturally make commentary about things that are exotic to you and me, but which are perfectly;y normal and ordinary to them. Go figure.



It varies a lot, depending on the schedule and on happenstance. I usually have large, complex plot structures planned, but the details of them I may be making up as I go, as I aim my way toward various signposts along the way to exploring that larger structure.

I really should make more detailed plot outlines farther in advance, but I'm generally juggling enough stuff that it's hard to find time to do that.

kdb

Okay, that would have been my next question, do you stick very close to the plot that you've laid out and how often does the story end up differently than you originally planned.

Thank you.

[krazijoe]

Mr. Busiek,
I love the Thunderbolts and love the idea of Villains winning, as Avengers: Under Siege is one of my favorite arcs of all time. That being said, did you envision the Thunderbolts being unmasked after only 10 issues? I understand that they could not stay masked forever but to me, that is what made the team work and once the secret was out, to me, it changed a lot of the dynamic. Was 10 issues the plan all along? Do you wish you could have kept them under wraps a little longer? And thank you for creating them, they were a breath of fresh air when Comics really needed it...

[Kurt Busiek]

Mr. Busiek,
I love the Thunderbolts and love the idea of Villains winning, as Avengers: Under Siege is one of my favorite arcs of all time. That being said, did you envision the Thunderbolts being unmasked after only 10 issues? I understand that they could not stay masked forever but to me, that is what made the team work and once the secret was out, to me, it changed a lot of the dynamic. Was 10 issues the plan all along? Do you wish you could have kept them under wraps a little longer? And thank you for creating them, they were a breath of fresh air when Comics really needed it...

Glad you liked it.

If the Avengers hadn't come back from Heroes Reborn when they did, we might have strung it out a little longer, but not all that much -- we didn't want to wait until people got tired of it, we wanted to surprise them, keep them on their toes.

Had I stayed on the book, we'd have kept doing a major status-quo shift every year or so, at least for a little while. Changing the dynamic works, to my mind, as long as you shift to another interesting dynamic.

kdb

[Kubert]

If Marvel / DC wanted to do a crossover, I'd be happy to play

-- I'd be happy to be involved. It'd be nice if they'd start my getting the old ones back in print, though. They could do that without it taking much time, so the stores could have them to sell faster.

kdb

Superb idea!!! Both companies do sell dollar reprints. And these new fans by the many milllions did miss out on these. It can surely pave the way for a future crossover. Meanwhile, love to see past crossovers, grace comic shop shelves again!

[Kubert]

Anything that interests you in the Eternals? Its said that Kirby's imagination was still gazing upwards - to the New Gods - when penning the Eternals. When seeing that personal interest in the Eternals; do you see anything of similar interest, in Kirby's DC 4th World too? And, can you see anything shared between those two, that can contribute to a Marvel DC crossover?

[Kurt Busiek]

Anything that interests you in the Eternals? Its said that Kirby's imagination was still gazing upwards - to the New Gods - when penning the Eternals. When seeing that personal interest in the Eternals; do you see anything of similar interest, in Kirby's DC 4th World too? And, can you see anything shared between those two, that can contribute to a Marvel DC crossover?

I don't think Marvel/DC crossovers are all that likely, so I don't see the point in coming up with rationales for them.

That said, I don't think the Eternals were an attempt to do the Fourth World -- they're pretty clearly inspired by Erich von Daniken's CHARIOTS OF THE GODS, and other such pop-science quackery.

I think it could be fun to write the Eternals -- particularly in that they've been around for centuries, and some of them were living among us, posing as humans, and that's an interesting set-up.

I also really like Karkas and the Reject.

The New Gods are a whole different thing -- I like them, too, but I'm probably more drawn to other Kirby DC creations, like OMAC and Kamandi and the Demon and Kobra. Still, there are different approaches to the New Gods cast I'd be interested in pursuing, some of them contradictory with one another. But there's a lot of power and potential there.

kdb

[Kubert]

Could be fun to write the Eternals -- particularly in that they've been around for centuries, and some of them were living among us, posing as humans, and that's an interesting set-up

What eras interest you - from the deep past - that you'd like to write more about in an Eternals comic? CBR reports the Eternals film will touch upon the Bronze Age (Hemudu or Liangzhu).

Sun Bird (predecessor of Phoenix myths) Hemudu Totem

[Gaastra]

If marvel asked you to bring back the once a month "marvel graphic novel" series again like in the 80s, who would you pick to use for the first graphic novel? A classic hero or a lesser known ome or would you make up a non canon story? Also what did you think of those fun short graphic novels like x-men god loves, man kills, aladdin effect, death of captain marvel, starlord, avengers judgment day, dazzler the movie, hulk and thing the big change, spider-man hookey, and the much talked about spider-man parallel lives?


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[Kurt Busiek]

What eras interest you - from the deep past - that you'd like to write more about in an Eternals comic? CBR reports the Eternals film will touch upon the Bronze Age (Hemudu or Liangzhu).

I'm more interested in, say, 1938, or Shakespeare's time, stuff like that.

They're immortal -- that means you can do stories about them in any era, not just "today" or "ancient days."

kdb

[Kurt Busiek]

If marvel asked you to bring back the once a month "marvel graphic novel" series again like in the 80s, who would you pick to use for the first graphic novel? A classic hero or a lesser known ome or would you make up a non canon story?

No idea. I haven't given it any thought, really.

I mean, the other day I was thinking how it'd be fun to do a story about Paste-Pot Pete and his secret mission for the government, but fun though that would be to think about, I don't think Marvel would want to pay for it.

I don't have a burning urge to write one-off graphic novels about Marvel characters. I do have graphic novels I'd like to do, but they're new stories, so I'd do them somewhere that I wouldn't have to give up the rights.

Also what did you think of those fun short graphic novels like x-men god loves, man kills, aladdin effect, death of captain marvel, starlord, avengers judgment day, dazzler the movie, hulk and thing the big change, spider-man hookey, and the much talked about spider-man parallel lives?

Some of them I liked, some I didn't, some I never read. The X-MEN and the CAPTAIN MARVEL are probably the best of those, I'd say. But I'd just as soon not review books on request, though -- I'll give my opinion on stuff when it's something I choose to, but I'd rather not do it on request. Thanks.

kdb

[Gaastra]

Thanks. They had some some graphic novels back then. (death of groo was fun!) I wasn't requesting you to read the stories however i just asked if you have read any and if you liked them so sorry if i came off wrong. Didn't mean to.

Thanks for answering the question.