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12-03-2007, 05:48 PM
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#1 |
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INSIDE THE ADVENTURES VI: JEFF PARKER
 by Benjamin Ong Pang KeanHe’s the guy who kicked off the Marvel Adventures: The Avengers and introduced fan favorite character Giant Girl to the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes line-up. Some of his MA stories are favorites among creators, critics and fans alike. "Doom, Where's My Car?", "Goom Got Game", "Ego the Loving Planet" and "A Not-So-Beautiful Mind" anyone? So, is it surprising that Jeff Parker earned the title “The King of All Ages”? July's Giant Size Marvel Adventures The Avengers #1 saw him re-teaming with his Agents of Atlas collaborator and fan favorite artist Leonard Kirk. In it, the Earth's Mightiest Heroes went back in time to the 1950s for a team-up with the Agents of Atlas. It was also the last time his name appeared in a Marvel Adventures comic book. Although Parker is not writing anything for the Marvel Adventures titles right now, he is still very much writing all ages stories and his X-Men: First Class has earned an on-going series status and was relaunched in June. Expanding on our originally-planned series of features highlighting the editor and the team behind the latest and upcoming Marvel Adventures series, we now shift our attention to Jeff Parker and picked his brain on all action and all adventure stories geared for all ages. Newsarama: What're some of your favorite comics when you were growing up? Jeff Parker: I liked the Uncle Scrooge books by Carl Barks, and Dennis the Menace. And then on to the Holy Trinity, Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. NRAMA: What made those comics so engaging for you back then? JP: Maybe the key element was that they all transported me. I could jump into all the main characters' roles and have adventures all over the world. NRAMA: Do you think that comics were just pure fun back in the day, even though the things that certain iconic characters did were more than just campy for today's taste? JP: They were more sincere than serious, and that still appeals to me. It informs the way I write books now. A story may get a bit insane, but the characters are completely themselves and they don't act like they're in a story, which annoys me. NRAMA: In saying that, do you or do you not agree with Michael Chabon when he said that "Children did not abandon comics; comics, in their drive to attain respect and artistic accomplishment, abandoned children"? JP: Oh, I agree. Fans got in charge of the industry and then made the comics they wanted to see, at their current ages. Why would you want to exclude any age group that wants to buy your books? But I'm being a little unfair, we lost a lot of the venues where you could reach kids too. So I'm glad that Marvel is being aggressive about getting back into those places.  NRAMA: Are today's kids more sophisticated then?JP: I don't think they're any more sophisticated, I think if anything they're desensitized from too much media pumped at them. I see lots of kids given older comics all the time, and are completely entertained by them. Kids really like being kids, and it's a mistake to try to appeal to them on an adult level. You're cheating them out of something great. NRAMA: Are you at all surprised that fellow creators (one even told me that he considers you the "king of the all ages universe"), reviewers, librarians, kids and even super-hero fans love your Marvel Adventures stories? JP: I'm surprised at how well a lot of it clicked with people, mainly because I'm always concerned with entertaining myself first. So it really means that we all find the same things entertaining. I think I'm about to be knocked off my throne though, because there's a lot of great stuff coming out of the MA line now - without me! NRAMA: What drew you to this line of comics in the first place? JP: Editors, inviting me! But I immediately enjoyed not being constrained by decades of continuity. You just have the basic concepts that you need for the characters, and no baggage, since it's all about attracting new readers and hopefully bringing back lapsed ones. NRAMA: Who or what inspired you to write fan favorite stories like "Doom, Where's My Car?", "Goom Got Game", "Ego the Loving Planet" and "A Not-So-Beautiful Mind" which featured the Avengers fighting M.O.D.O.C. (Mental Organism Designed Only for Conquest)? JP: Those were all the kinds of stories that when you're brainstorming, you come up with by thinking "Well, I've got to tell these kinds of stories, but what would be really funny is if this happened..." And then Mark Paniccia and Nate Cosby wouldn't stop me, they'd egg me on. I just talked on my blog about writing for visuals, and that was clearly the impetus for everyone becoming MODOCs. I knew that even if I didn't write a word, just seeing Captain America or Wolverine with big ugly heads and tiny bodies was going to rule supreme. Then Cameron Stewart drew the cover for solicitation, and none of us could stop laughing at it. NRAMA: Oh yeah, now that cover sure got people’s attention…  JP: Usually I write out pitches for the stories, but the Ego (as the universe's biggest playah) one was so clear to me that I called Nate Cosby and just told it to him, describing things like seeing the Moon by itself in space while Ego assumed Earth was a single mother with a shortie - and he's cool with that. My favorite bit is Hulk pounding on Ego's surface screaming "Earth just want to be friend!" Sometimes these weird notions won't go away, so I run them by the editors to see if they make sense. NRAMA: What other MA stories by other writers are you enjoying these days? JP: Van Lente cracks me up with the way he writes the FF. And Paul Benjamin really came out swinging (appropriately) with Hulk, with big story ideas every issue. I'm just ecstatic that the MA books have such talent at the controls, and they're going all out with the stories. It's why you always see longtime comics readers pleasantly surprised with the line. Traditionally, lots of creators behave like they're slumming when doing out-of-main-continuity books, like it's "not the real one." But Mark and Nate (and early on, Mackenzie Cadenhead) have created an atmosphere where writers and artists feel like there's no limits. The non-dependence on continuity is it's secret strength. You're not just preaching to the choir, you're going out in front of the masses who may have never even read comics and proving to them that this is entertaining stuff. The editors also bring in top-level artists who can easily fit in on any of the regular MU books. NRAMA: So, do you think that Marvel's Digital Comics Unlimited initiative kicked off on the right track with the extra attention on the Young Reader Series, which includes the MA line? What else do you think could be done in the digital comics realm with these MA comics? JP: Yes. I think most of the books will work well reformatted and put into as many places as Marvel can push them. They're done in one, and they don't try to hook with you with the need to come back and get closure, they try to hook you purely on quality. NRAMA: And speaking of kicking off, you were the one who launched MA The Avengers and essentially with MA FF too when you came on in issue #2 and did a year’s worth of stories in the early days. How do you compare the MA line to the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby comics from the 1960s?  JP: The Lee/Kirby stuff had a kind of fun madness to it that I always want to emulate. Even at their most bizarre, the heroes are usually acting in ways that feel real, and I like that. Later it became de rigeur for hero teams to in-fight, so much in fact that you can't even understand why they're on a team together. I like the teams to be complementary, and to get across the sense that most of the characters actually enjoy being part of the team. They may not always be as supportive as they could be, but they're happy to be there. Of course, the 60's books could use things like real guns, which it took forever for Mark and Nate to beat out of me, because I kept forgetting and writing them in there. NRAMA: How did Giant Girl come about? Some thought she was Cassie Lang from Young Avengers but she turned out to be Janet Van Dyne… JP: Because the suggested line-up I was originally given mentioned only one woman (I think I suggested Storm) and assumed Giant-Man would be in there. I knew the Wasp had gone gigantic before, so I originally suggested her as being able to go tiny or giant. The editors and VPs thought it might be too confusing, so we opted for her as Giant-Girl only. My thinking was, if I only have two women on this team, then I'm going to make one of them really hard to miss. I'd still rather it be three women. Just like if I were magically in the Marvel offices in the 60's I would beg Stan and Jack to make Angel a girl so the X-Men would have had a different dynamic from the beginning. NRAMA: How does writing done-in-one-issue type stories allow you to bring forth your best to showcase Marvel's icons to today's audience? JP: It's forced me to evolve a fast storytelling style so I can pack in a lot. Which helps give the sense that hey, these characters are all about action and excitement. The world of Marvel is a hoppin' one. NRAMA: What's the major difference between the Marvel Adventures' Earth-20051 and the regular Marvel Universe? Other than the fact that Captain America is not dead in the MA pocket universe…  JP: I loved how that story turned out. It's not one of our wackiest ones, but it's my favorite. It made me love Kang! NRAMA: You'd also teamed up the world's greatest super-hero and the world's greatest super-team in the all ages Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four limited series. What was it like to be one of, if not the last creator to ever work with the late Mike Wieringo? JP: Yeah, I was the last, which is still hard to think of because Mike was one of my oldest friends in the industry, I met him just as I was starting out. And I got an email from him with his last page from our What If story, the day he died. It's always going to be one of the high-water marks of my career - and my life - that I got to work with Mike on a book. Sadly, I had imagined we would be doing a lot more after that. Besides being a terrific human being, he really was one of the best cartoonists this medium has ever seen. NRAMA: X-Men: First Class was given an on-going status and relaunched in June. Let's set the record straight once and for all, shall we? While it's targeted at the all ages demographic, this title is not part of the MA line? It's set in the past of the core MU but it's canon? In-continuity? What? JP: It is not part of the MA line, but since it's rated the same, Marvel combines it with MA books in their Two-in-Ones and it can sell in the same venues with the MA books. It still uses established continuity, whereas the MA books stay far away from that. I don't like to declare "whatever we do in this book is X-Men canon," because I think only the test of time can decide that. But I like to build upon the foundations there and see what more we can do with them. Like we had Angel and Scarlet Witch being love interests briefly, and from there Wanda starts to become pals with Marvel Girl, which with the benefit of hindsight, seemed a natural way to go. NRAMA: What was it like to have worked with Kevin Nowlan, Nick Dragotta, Mike Allred, Colleen Coover and Paul Smith on X-Men: First Class Special? JP: It's like some crazy parallel universe where everything I imagine suddenly happens! Most everyone in Periscope Studio geeks out hard over Nowlan, and every time I got one of his pencilled pages in my email, everybody crowded my desk. Paul Smith drawing Dragon Man, and Kitty Pryde! Also that special really shaped the way the book would go, because the Colleen Coover shorts just fit in so well that she now does them frequently. There's one out in this week's issue called "The Marvel Witch." And Nick Dragotta is going to be joining us again for a special guest-artists arc with some other big talents like Craig Rousseau and Karl Kesel. After seeing how inventive his layouts were in the beatnik story in the First Class Special, we thought he'd be perfect for a story where the X-Men meet... Mysterio. This whole guest-star artist block will give Roger Cruz a chance to finally take a vacation, or at least, sleep some. He deserves it, he's been busting his back for a while, just putting all kinds of love into his pages. NRAMA: What've you planned for fans of X-Men: First Class in 2008?  JP: Though we do try to keep things upbeat, as we get into the series the stories do start getting more dramatic and complex. I think we've made clear to readers by now that we're not going have a sad emo-fest, and now it's safe to get more involved and raise the stakes a bit. You'll see some darker stuff emerge in the next few issues, especially by the time the Man-Thing shows up in issue eight. Readers have wondered if we'd ever start hinting at later developments in the characters' histories, and we do. NRAMA: What else are you working on? JP: The final (I believe) series of 1602. That's one thing I'm sure I can talk about now. It's called 1602: The Web Complete. As you might guess, it focuses on Spider-Man, who returns to Europe and finds some horrors waiting. NRAMA: Another 1602 project? Is it all ages? [laughs] JP: It's Middle Ages - haw, I slay me. No, it's quite a bit heavier than what I do for the MA books, which is a release for me, I have to admit. Also it's a chance to write historical fiction more or less, which is very intriguing to me. I have to do a lot more research than usual, but I enjoy it. I'll come back soon to talk about it at length. NRAMA: Do you have more MA type stories that you're itching to tell? JP: Many occur to me, but I'm taking a break from them right now, because I'm in an expansive mood, where I feel like telling longer stories. I should say I'm trying to take a break, because even though my editors said fine, they keep tricking me back in. The other day it was "Hey, you and Paul Tobin had fun writing that What If story, would you guys like to do an MA story with Hulk, Spider-Man and Iron Man for Free Comic Book Day? And of course I start babbling about what could happen and by the next day Paul and I have planned out most of it before I realize that I said I didn't want to do this for a while. NRAMA: Finally, Mr. All Ages, which other character would you like to see getting the Adventures treatment next, and why? How would you write him/her/them? JP: Thor! Thorrrrr!!! And I would write him as close to the way Walt Simonson did in his famous run as possible, because that is The Mighty Thor. To me. Previously: Inside the Adventures I: Mark Paniccia Inside the Adventures II: Marc Sumerak Inside the Adventures III: Fred Van Lente Inside the Adventures IV: Paul Tobin Inside the Adventures V: Paul Benjamin |
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12-03-2007, 06:19 PM
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#2 |
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X-Men First Class is the best Marvel book being published right now. Fun main stories with nice Mini-Marvelish strips at the end. And Cruz has finally found his own style, away from the chameleon he was.
If only the publisher could make it so the story isn't screwed up and out of order like issue #6 was. |
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12-03-2007, 06:23 PM
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#3 |
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Jeff is a great writer, and he also gives aspiring creators great advice. I'll buy anything the guy writes.... all you people who complain about gritty comics and flashy comics need to check out this guy's stuff.
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12-03-2007, 06:23 PM
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#4 |
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When is MA Avengers getting a hardcover like Fantastic Four and Spidey? I really want to read this stuff, but I hate the Digest format (doesn't fit in my longbox).
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12-03-2007, 06:28 PM
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#5 |
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Jeff Parker is one of my favorite new writers.
He first hooked me w/Agents of Atlas (gimmie an ongoing, dammit!), then to Spidey/FF and finally X-Men: First Class.  I definitely plan to read his MA Avengers online off the Marvel website at some point... |
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12-03-2007, 06:47 PM
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#6 |
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fantabulous
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12-03-2007, 06:53 PM
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#7 | |
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Quote:
You really can't come up with a better reason than that? "The paper is better", I can see; "The larger format showcases the art details", I can see; Even "It fits better beside my other oversized hardcovers on the bookshelf" would be better. Why would you even put an oversized hardcover in a long box? |
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12-03-2007, 07:03 PM
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#8 |
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More 1602? Hmm... Well, Jeff's name attached means I'm at least thinking about picking it up.
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12-03-2007, 07:29 PM
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#9 | |
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Quote:
I like the digests because they make inexpensive library purchases that younger readers enjoy. The hardcovers would be a great library format as well, but I can't afford to buy many of those. |
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12-03-2007, 10:41 PM
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#10 | |
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Quote:
I know, this is geeky, but as this is now the main source of new Marvel stuff I am following (along with the Spider-Girl/MC2 universe), I'd love an "alternative" MU for those of us who love the classic versions of the heroes (heroic good guys, non-depressing) to be as large as possible.  I'd buy 'em all... David |
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12-03-2007, 11:21 PM
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#11 |
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Great to hear Jeff's working on some All Ages material.
We need more of that. I remember getting Interman from him at a con. And LOVING it. When will we see more of that??? |
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12-03-2007, 11:59 PM
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#12 |
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I like to post random text.
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12-04-2007, 06:57 AM
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#14 |
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Glad to see X-MEN FIRST CLASS getting more attention!
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12-04-2007, 08:09 AM
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#15 |
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MA: Avengers is my son's favorite of the MA line. It features his favorite characters, interesting and often funny stories, and he is excited to see which Avengers will pop up to guest star. I have been enjoying it just as much.
X-Men: The First Class hit me by surprise. When the limited series started, I bought the first issue for my son. After we read it, I loved it, so I had to go buy another copy for myself!! I've been a fan of it ever since and it is definitely one of my top Marvel books. My son was super excited to see the first X-Men: First Class digest available at his school's book fair a few months ago. Needless to say, he bought it. Keep up the good work on it all, Jeff! |
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12-04-2007, 11:57 AM
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#16 |
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I want more Agents of Atlas. That was one of the best minis (along with Silent War, Dr. Strange: the Oath, and Annihilation) that I've read in a while.
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12-04-2007, 01:29 PM
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#17 |
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I really disliked the first story I remember reading from Parker...
Then I read Agents of Atlas. Now I definitely at least consider anything written by him. Mentioned before, but I enjoy MA. Don't read every issue, but when I do pick up something that seems interesting, it's usually pretty good. |
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