MattBrady
07-28-2003, 10:25 AM
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/018.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/018_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" align="right" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 18"></a> <I>by Michael San Giacomo</I>
<I>This is a weekly look at the process of writing a comic for Marvel’s new Epic line, <b>Phantom Jack</b>, which was to be called <b>Nowhere Man</b> until THE MAN made me change the name.
My story and script about Jack Baxter, a newspaper reporter who can turn invisible, was greenlighted by the powers that be at Marvel.</I>
Mike Doran from Marvel, who I knew from working for him at Newsarama, e-mailed me to not get <I>too</I> excited about my participation in an Epic panel discussion at WizardWorld East comicon in Philadelphia at the end of May.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001018_150.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001018_150_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" align="left" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 18, uncolored"></a> He said the purpose of the panel would be for Marvel President Bill Jemas, Marvel EIC Joe Quesada and Assistant Editor in charge of all-things Epic Stephanie Moore to talk to folks about the Epic process.
I took this to mean that the people there did not care so much about my project as their own. They had a lot of questions about the process and this would be their chance to get them answered.
Understandable.
But I get to sit up at the big table, right?
Yes.
And I get to talk and answer questions?
Of course.
Name plate?
Not unless you bring it yourself.
I can live with that.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/001_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" align="right" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 1 "></a> Philly is my ancestral home. My father was a house builder in the suburbs like Norristown, Conshohocken (say it with me, Cons-cho-hocken) and others. He built solid brick homes that sold for thousands in the 1950s and now command $150,000 or more.
I lived, married, divorced, remarried in the Philly ‘burbs and worked for a half-dozen newspapers in the area, small to big. I graduated Temple University’s school of journalism and was asked to return to teach through most of the 1980s before moving to a Chicago suburb. Now you know why Jack Baxter wears a Temple sweatshirt.
I was happy that my first convention press conference would be in Philly.
Plus I got to go to my favorite cheesesteak joint in the world, Lou’s in Norristown.
People asked if Marvel paid the freight. Nope, I went on my own. By writing a con review for Newsarama and for <I>The Plain Dealer</I> newspaper where I am a staff reporter, I almost broke even.
The Philly con was important for several other reasons.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/021.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/021_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" align="left" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 21"></a> I got to meet two very important people in person, Stephanie Moore and Mitch Breitweiser, who would become the <b>Phantom Jack</b> artist.
I had pretty much decided on Mitch, but wanted to meet him first. This would also be my first chance to sit down face-to-face with Stephanie and go over the project with script in hand.
I tracked down Mitch at his table and was struck with how young he was. At 25, he was just half my age. We sat down and talked about <b>Nowhere Man</b>, which would soon be renamed <b>Phantom Jack</b>, and he said how excited he was about it.
I was knocked out by his portfolio, moody art from <b>Noble Causes</b> and a very impressive Black Widow painting caught my eye.
We talked about some technical things like how his living in Hoboken meant he could ferry the art right over to Marvel.
We also talked about letterers, inkers and colorists. I knew a few, he knew a few, we would get samples and see who looked good.
The last detail that needed to be nailed down was Marvel’s final approval of my pick of Mitch as the artist.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001003_150.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001003_150_t.jpg" width="160" height="240" border="0" align="right" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 3"></a> I know the Epic rules say that the project developer picks his own team, but c’mon. Does anyone really think that a team could be picked without Marvel’s approval?
Technically, I suppose it could. I don’t want to speak for Marvel too much, but Marvel has the right to accept or reject any submission. So if a writer turned in a dynamite script and insisted that it be illustrated by his brother-in-law who drew stick figures, Marvel would reject the whole idea.
In order for Epic comics to work they have to be good enough to be self-sustaining. That means they can’t suck or no one will buy them.
I told Mitch I’d get back to him after I met with Stephanie and wrangled a decision out of her.
I met Stephanie at the Marvel booth where I was struck with how young she was. Hey, didn’t I just say that about Mitch?
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001022_150.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001022_150_t.jpg" width="160" height="240" border="0" align="left" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 22"></a> I’m used to dealing with older guys in the business. She was being assaulted by anyone who recognized her and she held to her mantra that she was not accepting scripts or artwork at this time. It would be a few more weeks before Marvel opened the floodgates to all submissions.
Later, Stephanie and I went to a meeting room and talked about the project.
It was great.
We went through the scripts for the first two issues and talked about how scenes could be improved, deleted, merged with other scenes or moved around. I was able to expand beyond the script into the bedrock philosophy of the character.
She gave me her take on it, which was not far from my own.
It’s a shame that comic writers don’t get many chances for up close and personal meetings with editors. A lot can come from sitting across a table from someone as opposed to hurried e-mails and phone conversations.
She also had some notes from another assistant editor, Theresa Focarile, which we discussed.
The main problem they both had was the lack of a defining moment, an Uncle Ben death, that gave the main character his motivation.
Because there had been so much moving around of scenes, that moment was lost. But I already had a replacement in mind, which will be seen in the comic.
We also talked about artists.
I told her I was sold on Mitch even before I met him at Artists’ Alley and saw the scope of his other work.
She agreed. She had met with him earlier and felt the same way about his work.
As far as Marvel was concerned, Mitch would be great on the project.
It was an Oprah moment.
The press conference was a blast.
I didn’t have a name plate, but I did have a folded-up placard that said “Nowhere Man” which Mitch had drawn.
I felt very official sitting next to Quesada listening to all the nice things they said about the project.
My ears pricked up at one point while Jemas was explaining <b>Nowhere Man</b> to the audience and said very quietly, “legal is checking on the name.”
In comics, that’s called foreshadowing.
As expected, most of the questions were about how people can get their work to Epic, but I had a respectable number of questions shot my way.
Heck, getting to talk about my own comic in my very own home town was about as cool as it gets.
And I’m gonna get paid to do this?
<I>Next week: The devil is in the details.</I>
<I>Mike Sangiacomo, a freelance writer for Newsarama and other sources, was invited to share his experiences with pitching to Epic by Newsarama's editor, Matt Brady, in the interest of keeping readers well informed. Brady advises Newsarama readers that he is aware of the inherent conflict of interest presented by journalists working for a publisher they cover. Sangiacomo's regular column Journey Into Comics has and will continue to be found in the Opinion/Editorial section of Newsarama. Brady has not, nor does he plan to pitch to Epic himself. </I>
<I>This is a weekly look at the process of writing a comic for Marvel’s new Epic line, <b>Phantom Jack</b>, which was to be called <b>Nowhere Man</b> until THE MAN made me change the name.
My story and script about Jack Baxter, a newspaper reporter who can turn invisible, was greenlighted by the powers that be at Marvel.</I>
Mike Doran from Marvel, who I knew from working for him at Newsarama, e-mailed me to not get <I>too</I> excited about my participation in an Epic panel discussion at WizardWorld East comicon in Philadelphia at the end of May.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001018_150.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001018_150_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" align="left" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 18, uncolored"></a> He said the purpose of the panel would be for Marvel President Bill Jemas, Marvel EIC Joe Quesada and Assistant Editor in charge of all-things Epic Stephanie Moore to talk to folks about the Epic process.
I took this to mean that the people there did not care so much about my project as their own. They had a lot of questions about the process and this would be their chance to get them answered.
Understandable.
But I get to sit up at the big table, right?
Yes.
And I get to talk and answer questions?
Of course.
Name plate?
Not unless you bring it yourself.
I can live with that.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/001_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" align="right" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 1 "></a> Philly is my ancestral home. My father was a house builder in the suburbs like Norristown, Conshohocken (say it with me, Cons-cho-hocken) and others. He built solid brick homes that sold for thousands in the 1950s and now command $150,000 or more.
I lived, married, divorced, remarried in the Philly ‘burbs and worked for a half-dozen newspapers in the area, small to big. I graduated Temple University’s school of journalism and was asked to return to teach through most of the 1980s before moving to a Chicago suburb. Now you know why Jack Baxter wears a Temple sweatshirt.
I was happy that my first convention press conference would be in Philly.
Plus I got to go to my favorite cheesesteak joint in the world, Lou’s in Norristown.
People asked if Marvel paid the freight. Nope, I went on my own. By writing a con review for Newsarama and for <I>The Plain Dealer</I> newspaper where I am a staff reporter, I almost broke even.
The Philly con was important for several other reasons.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/021.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/021_t.jpg" width="175" height="263" border="0" align="left" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 21"></a> I got to meet two very important people in person, Stephanie Moore and Mitch Breitweiser, who would become the <b>Phantom Jack</b> artist.
I had pretty much decided on Mitch, but wanted to meet him first. This would also be my first chance to sit down face-to-face with Stephanie and go over the project with script in hand.
I tracked down Mitch at his table and was struck with how young he was. At 25, he was just half my age. We sat down and talked about <b>Nowhere Man</b>, which would soon be renamed <b>Phantom Jack</b>, and he said how excited he was about it.
I was knocked out by his portfolio, moody art from <b>Noble Causes</b> and a very impressive Black Widow painting caught my eye.
We talked about some technical things like how his living in Hoboken meant he could ferry the art right over to Marvel.
We also talked about letterers, inkers and colorists. I knew a few, he knew a few, we would get samples and see who looked good.
The last detail that needed to be nailed down was Marvel’s final approval of my pick of Mitch as the artist.
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001003_150.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001003_150_t.jpg" width="160" height="240" border="0" align="right" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 3"></a> I know the Epic rules say that the project developer picks his own team, but c’mon. Does anyone really think that a team could be picked without Marvel’s approval?
Technically, I suppose it could. I don’t want to speak for Marvel too much, but Marvel has the right to accept or reject any submission. So if a writer turned in a dynamite script and insisted that it be illustrated by his brother-in-law who drew stick figures, Marvel would reject the whole idea.
In order for Epic comics to work they have to be good enough to be self-sustaining. That means they can’t suck or no one will buy them.
I told Mitch I’d get back to him after I met with Stephanie and wrangled a decision out of her.
I met Stephanie at the Marvel booth where I was struck with how young she was. Hey, didn’t I just say that about Mitch?
<a href="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001022_150.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.newsarama.com/sangiacomo/E_PHAN001022_150_t.jpg" width="160" height="240" border="0" align="left" alt="Phantom Jack #1, page 22"></a> I’m used to dealing with older guys in the business. She was being assaulted by anyone who recognized her and she held to her mantra that she was not accepting scripts or artwork at this time. It would be a few more weeks before Marvel opened the floodgates to all submissions.
Later, Stephanie and I went to a meeting room and talked about the project.
It was great.
We went through the scripts for the first two issues and talked about how scenes could be improved, deleted, merged with other scenes or moved around. I was able to expand beyond the script into the bedrock philosophy of the character.
She gave me her take on it, which was not far from my own.
It’s a shame that comic writers don’t get many chances for up close and personal meetings with editors. A lot can come from sitting across a table from someone as opposed to hurried e-mails and phone conversations.
She also had some notes from another assistant editor, Theresa Focarile, which we discussed.
The main problem they both had was the lack of a defining moment, an Uncle Ben death, that gave the main character his motivation.
Because there had been so much moving around of scenes, that moment was lost. But I already had a replacement in mind, which will be seen in the comic.
We also talked about artists.
I told her I was sold on Mitch even before I met him at Artists’ Alley and saw the scope of his other work.
She agreed. She had met with him earlier and felt the same way about his work.
As far as Marvel was concerned, Mitch would be great on the project.
It was an Oprah moment.
The press conference was a blast.
I didn’t have a name plate, but I did have a folded-up placard that said “Nowhere Man” which Mitch had drawn.
I felt very official sitting next to Quesada listening to all the nice things they said about the project.
My ears pricked up at one point while Jemas was explaining <b>Nowhere Man</b> to the audience and said very quietly, “legal is checking on the name.”
In comics, that’s called foreshadowing.
As expected, most of the questions were about how people can get their work to Epic, but I had a respectable number of questions shot my way.
Heck, getting to talk about my own comic in my very own home town was about as cool as it gets.
And I’m gonna get paid to do this?
<I>Next week: The devil is in the details.</I>
<I>Mike Sangiacomo, a freelance writer for Newsarama and other sources, was invited to share his experiences with pitching to Epic by Newsarama's editor, Matt Brady, in the interest of keeping readers well informed. Brady advises Newsarama readers that he is aware of the inherent conflict of interest presented by journalists working for a publisher they cover. Sangiacomo's regular column Journey Into Comics has and will continue to be found in the Opinion/Editorial section of Newsarama. Brady has not, nor does he plan to pitch to Epic himself. </I>