NYCC '07/D2: MARVEL MAGIC GETS SPOTLIGHT IN MYSTIC ARCANA

[MattBrady]

by Zack Smith

In the last year, nearly every aspect of the Marvel Universe has been revamped, from space (Annihilation) to the New Universe (newuniversal). Now, just announced at Joe Quesada’s Cup ‘O Joe panel at NYCC, Marvel’s mystical characters get the spotlight this June in a new four-issue event masterminded by noted Tarot artist David Sexton. Newsarama caught up with Sexton to learn more about this event, and about the nature of the Tarot.

Newsarama: Tell us about these one-shots. Is there an overall title for this event?

David Sexton: The series is called Mystic Arcana because the characters all have "mystic and arcane" pedigrees, but also because the Minor Arcana of the Tarot will serve as a unifying "element" to the stories. And we are all working hard to, through this series establish the status quo and ground rules for Magic in the Marvel Universe, much like Annihilation did for cosmic stories? My first Marvel book is a kind of Arcana preview. It’s the newest installment of The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and it will be focused exclusively on magic-using or magic-based Marvel characters.

NRAMA: Is there an overarching storyline for this event? Do these books tie together story-wise, or just thematically?

DS: The four books will connect to the four suits of the Tarot's Minor Arcana, which in turn correspond the four classic Elements; Air, Earth, Water and Fire. The heavy-hitter heroes that headline the books are:

Starting in Ancient Egypt, a Golden Age for Marvel magic with the original Magik (Illyana Rasputin) in >b>Mystic Arcana Book I: Air, written by Louise Simonson, with art by Steve Scott. Then on to the Age of Wizards that was Camelot, as we take a peek behind the Round Table with The Black Knight in Mystic Arcana Book II: Earth (written by Roy Thomas).

A fascinating chapter in the Scarlet Witch's past as a Gypsy girl emerges in Mystic Arcana Book III: Water, written by Jeff Parker, with art by Juan Santacruz. And New Witch on the Block, Sister Grimm a.k.a. Nico Munro, struggles with the passions that threaten to burn her out and her friends up in Mystic Arcana Book IV: Fire, written by C.B. Cebulski.


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NRAMA: Why does it involve these specific characters? How do you see each of them?

DS: We wanted characters that resonated with the Tarot and elemental themes in the stories. Can you imagine a more perfect fit for the Suit of Swords then Illyana Rasputin and her Soulsword? Swords also represent logic and the mind. And I always saw Illyana as this very simple logical Russian girl who was put into insane surreal circumstances. When the world went all mad and magic, she would not be broken. She turned magic into a SWORD! A symbol completely lacking in creativity or style, but cold and plenty clear.

Then we have the Black Knight, who in one incarnation or another has guarded the "Round Table" for centuries. That kind of dependable selfless soldier is definitely part of the Earth /Pentacles/Discs Suit.

Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, is now, more than ever, this elemental force of emotion. She was perfect for Cups/Water/Emotions.

And last but not least hot headed sorceress Sister Grimm with her Staff of One was a great fit for Fire/Wands.

NRAMA: Have you communicated with other writers, such as Brian Bendis and Brian K. Vaughan, about how to handle these characters?

DS: Me? Not so much. They are being spoken to, but I am not dealing directly with the Big Toys. I kind of wrote up basic plot points for the main stories, so there would be flow, but four different really talented writers are writing the four chapters. And CB Cebulski, who is writing the fourth issue (Sister Grimm/Fire) has been negotiating all that delicate territory. I also think Team Arcana has been smart about how and when the stories are happening, so that has probably made CB's job a little easier.

NRAMA: What will the backup stories illustrated by Eric Nguyen entail?

DS: Ah... The back-up. Well, we are drawing readers in with major superhero star-power A-players like Magik and Wanda in the main story...and hopefully everyone will be star-satiated enough to check out a character that is perhaps a little on the obscure side. His name is Ian McNee. He was this teenage magic prodigy created by Roger Stern and Charles Vess (good pedigree) who appeared in one issue of Marvel Fanfare (issue #7), where little Ian challenged Dr. Strange for the title of Sorcerer Supreme...oh yeah, at Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.

Mr. McNee suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Dr. Strange, but I always thought, how cool, what hubris! Ian is older now, well into his 20's. Ancient. And he has a vision that starts him on a quest to retrieve four mystic items that are also connected to the Elements and Tarot and Marvel. Together the items are known as the Cornerstones of Creation.

NRAMA: Will there be long-term consequences due to these stories, and if so, could you drop some hints as to what these consequences will be?

DS: Definitely there will be long term consequences. The series will set up or uncover some ancient animosities. "The Forces", both dark and light, had grown complacent, even disinterested in playing a game that inevitably ended in a tie. Now something has changed. Energy and Magic are being redefined. Nothing is certain the way it used to be. Ground can be gained ... and lost! So characters are considering options and choosing sides, doing whatever is necessary or going wherever is needed to secure their place in the new mystical hierarchy.

But what I am really hoping the series can do is to start rebuilding or redefining the structure of Marvel Magic, because I feel I think some important details have been lost or forgotten over the years.

During their remarkable run on Strange Tales, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko established a very eloquent and equitable set of rules that applied to Strange, Mordo, even Dormammu. Marvel Magic used simplified components of Ritual Magick - such as Incantation and Ceremony - to draw power from Stan's freshly imagined extra-dimensional pseudo-deities like Agamotto, Valtorr, and Cyttorak. Some of Stan's incantations were truly poetic and his ornate alliterative images were always provocative! The Flames of the Faltine.. the Moons of Munipoor...the Winds of Watoomb! Wow!

NRAMA: How did you become involved with these books?

DS: I pitched a different Magic-related story idea to the very bright and talented Senior VP, David Gabriel. I think he liked the idea because he put me in touch with Editor Extraordinaire Mark Paniccia, who also thought my pitch had potential, but wanted to figure out a way to test me and see if I was worthy. So he and David had the idea for a four-issue mini-series focusing on magic. I thought the four elements/ four Minor Arcana Suits might be a cool way to unify the series.

NRAMA: Tell us a little about your background. What projects have you worked on before this?

DS: I have worked on a real range of projects; kind of cool…kind of crazy...

I have a couple of comic credits to my name and they were big projects for me because I worked with my idol on both of them -- the P. Craig Russell inked a controversial short story I wrote and drew for the Taboo anthology, “Satan & the Saviour,” and we teamed up again on the Classic Greek God love story, “The Myth of Hycinthus.”

My other comic related experience also involves Craig. I was the model for "Moonglum" in Craig's adaptation of Elric: Stormbringer and the murderous Angel, Saraquel, in Craig's version of Neil Gaiman’s Murder Mysteries. Though I haven't written for comics lately, I have been working with larger than life characters. I have written book and lyrics for three musicals. The most successful so far, It’s a Fabulous Life!, a festive take on the holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, has been produced all across the country. I've written one "straight" (non-musical) play, The Nature of the Beach, which has been optioned for a film.

Speaking of films... I'm in a documentary called Be Real, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is now airing regularly on LOGO. (check logonline.com for listings.) And finally I have two published Tarot card decks: The Winged Spirit Tarot, which is from USGames and focuses on the Divine Message/Messanger archetypes. Angels, Nikes, Valkeries, etc.

Click here: Amazon.com: Winged Spirit Tarot: Books: David Sexton and my more whimsical deck, THE TAROT OF OZ from Llewellyn Worldwide, Inc. Click here: Amazon.com: Tarot Of Oz: Books: David Sexton.

I also created several Tarot based images for Anne Rice based on characters from her books. She sold them at her shop and online as t-shirts, posters, coffee cups... My background in Tarot is kind of what sparked the one-shots/mini-series magic-based event that I am working on right now. I am coming back into comics with a perspective I've gained through studying "Comparative Mythology" and Mythic Archetypes.

NRAMA: What's a bare-bones explanation of the Tarot, for our readers who might know much about it?

DS: Tarot cards are symbols of important kinds of people (like an Empress or a Magician) and important ideas (like "Everything changes" and "It's always darkest before the dawn.") The person who wants to learn something draws a predetermined number of random cards from the Tarot Deck. Then the Tarot card reader puts the people and ideas (on the cards) into special patterns called folds. The way the cards end up fitting into the pattern or fold tells a story to the card reader about the person who drew the cards.

NRAMA: You've worked as a Tarot artist for a long time, often interpreting fictional characters as figures in the tarot. How do you feel that the Tarot connects with comic book characters, and the characters in this event in particular?

DS: Comic Book characters, Tarot Card figures, Gods and Goddesses from Ancient Egypt all register as very closely related to me. They are archetypal characters: 50 percent human, 50 percent symbol, completely unique, but so familiar.

NRAMA: I understand that you co-owned a gym. What's that like?

DS: It was nice. South Beach Ironworks Gym, a cynosure for the demimonde to be certain, but I loved it. I worked at the Gym for 5 years, co-owned it for 3 and then was sole owner for another 5. Last year, in November, after 13 years, I sold it, so that I could focus on my writing. Best decision I ever made.

NRAMA: Do you plan to do more comics work after this event? What characters would you most like to work on?

DS: I think it is entirely possible that the series idea I originally pitched, will make an excellent extension of the Arcana series. Hopefully readers will respond to it. I am also working on a very cool Spider-Man Fairy Tales miniseries with CB Cebulski. It’s sort of a deconstructed/reconstructed fractured fairytales take on Spidey. We are having a lot of fun. I love to tell stories.

New York Comic Con 2007 coverage brought to you by Comicraft's ELEPHANTMEN #7, on sale right now from Image Comics!

[Stalzer2002]

All of that mystic mumbo jumbo that Sexton talked about made my spin...but damn...

Jeff Parker on the Scarlet Witch?
Louise Simonson on the Magik?
ROY THOMAS on the Black Knight?

Wow.

[skinnyboy23]

SO this is magical project Adrian Alphona is pencilling I assume?

SWEET!

[BKThomson]

It is nice to see Roy and Louise getting some work in an area where they have had some great success in the past. This looks interesting, nice to see they did not go too far overboard with number of issues.

[Lex]

Sounds very interesting. I'll be sure to check it out.

And his decriptions of the Tarot themes are facinating.

[DLTActor130]

Sounds exciting! Can't wait!

[KyleCowstar]

She hasn't gone by Sister Grimm for 24 issues...but okay....

[Smash]

Awesome! I have always been a fan of The Black Knight, maybe this will bring him back into the spotlight!!

[Biffjoanes]

Redefining Marvel magic w/o Doc Strange? Hmm...

[The Guvnor]

Nice interview. This seems like a pretty interesting move by Marvel.

It doesn't really appeal to me but good luck to them. They have some draws in Parker and Cebulski. Those pages are pretty as usual from Djurdjevic.

[motteditor]

Holy smoke, this looks good. Those covers are absolutely beautful.

I imagine I'll get the Illyana (though it seems odd to set her in ancient Egypt), Black Knight and of course Sister Grimm stories. If it's the real Wanda -- instead of the retroactively a psychotic killer Wanda -- I might get that, but it seems doubtful at this point.

[nickmarino]

this would not normally be my thing. i tend to gravitate towards street level heroes and stories that have very potent social metaphors (x-men, y the last man, etc). but this project, the way that it's been thought out and put together, interests me very much. chances are i will pick up at least one of these issues.

[nickmaynard]

Originally Posted by Biffjoanes

Redefining Marvel magic w/o Doc Strange? Hmm...

well maybe he appears in all the issues? like, an element that ties them together.

[RedRonin]

Originally Posted by skinnyboy23

SO this is magical project Adrian Alphona is pencilling I assume?

SWEET!

Most likely CB Cebulski's issue.

Sounds great though, not what I expected.

Covers look amazing as always.

[rwe1138]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

Damn, that's a hot drawing of Nico.

[bomaya]

Sounds excellent. Love those covers.

[tof]

Originally Posted by Stalzer2002

Jeff Parker on the Scarlet Witch?
Louise Simonson on the Magik?
ROY THOMAS on the Black Knight?

Wow.

My exact feeling

[...Dallas...]

Roy Thomas and Lousie Simonson? Please tell me Marvel isn't hiring classic dedicated comic writers of the past! I've gotten so used to the door being rudely slammed in their faces in favor of this new generation of crap hacks that I don't know if I can handle such a good decision.

Now if Marvel could only get Walt Simonson, Frank Miller, John Byrne, Jim Starlin, Roger Stern, David Michelinie (who is kinda back with Iron-Man: The End) and Jim Shooter to work for them again. I know I'm not alone in rather having them at Marvel instead of Bendis, Ellis, Millar, JMS, the Knauffs, and Reggie Hudlin.

[richstanz]

I have a feeling this only the beginning of marvel magic revitilaztion.

David Sexton even said in the article that he had another pitch that editors liked, but they wanted to test the waters with this first.

Plus, there are vague teases in installments of Joe Fridays about Alphona, Mike Carey, Dr. Strange, Robert Scassa's "biblical event." I would love to see it all connected together.

Maybe this is just the prologue.

Even still, the Ian McNee back-up stories sound like a lot of fun.

[AdamYJ]

This looks cool. I'll at least get the Black Knight one. Y'know, maybe they'll even be able to spin off a series for Dane like Annihilation did with Nova (here's hoping).

[bsmith]

Hate to say it, but

Rann-Thanagar War: Annihilation

Day of Vengeance: Marvel magic guys

Identity Crisis: Civil War

this means we should have an Infinite Crisis clone coming soon, maybe Secret Wars 3?

BSmith

[James Seals]

I love that cover to Black Knight. Don't think he's ever looked so cool.

Having said that, I think I'll wait until the inevitable hardcover. With Marvel rolling out with all these "event" quakes, the pocketbook can get a tad stretched.

I waited on The Other, Annihilation (which I'm anxious to read), and Planet Hulk to pick up the hardcovers. Seems to work for me.

But I'll be looking to hear good things on this.

-James

[TCJohnson]

Originally Posted by Biffjoanes

Redefining Marvel magic w/o Doc Strange? Hmm...

Well, we don't know this. We just know that he won't be a major character, but he could be a supporting character.


Did Magic come back?

[deworde]

When I read the title for this, I has a horrible image of a crossover as large as Annihilation. And I'm not prepared to put up with any new wallet busters till April '08

[DonaldKasper]

making magic in marvel books more important? This is just to give Whedon a new playground and try to make him stay longer at Marvel =]