INSIDE THE ALL-AGES: CHRIS ELIOPOULOS

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Franklin Richards, everyone's favorite pint-sized member of the "Fantastic 4 1/2," has gotten into all kinds of trouble in Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, an Eisner and Harvey Award nominated series from Marvel.

In his first non-continuity appearance in 2005’s Power Pack limited series, he shrunk himself with his father, the Fantastic Four’s Mr. Fantastic’s micro-pod and ended up in an adventure in his father’s nose. Next in issue #2, he played with his father’s matter expander, followed by a hilarious act of converting his classmates into fruits and vegetables with his dad’s anti-mutagenic compounds in the third issue before accidentally creating a tornado in his room with his father’s weather generator in issue #4.

Ah, what’s a kid to do if your playroom is filled with your genius scientist of a father’s incredible gadgets which to him, are just “toys”?

That’s Franklin Richards for you, guys.

For a feel of what it’s like to be a kid again, in this case, the first son on Marvel’s first family of super-heroes, we sat down with big brat himself, Chris Eliopoulos, for a chat.

NRAMA: How did the idea for Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius come about in the first place?

CE: A few years back, the former President of Marvel asked me to pitch him on some potential books I could write and draw. The first one I pitched was Franklin. I had a pair of toddlers at the time and saw the responsibilities of looking after these kids and what trouble they got into when I looked away for a minute. Naturally, I looked at Franklin’s situation and saw the potential to parody my own life within the Marvel universe. And, of course, he wanted no part of it. It wasn’t until a year later that I was able to interest Marvel in the idea.

NRAMA: What drew you to comics in the first place? You're well known for your Desperate Times creation...

CE: I really fell into the business. I always wanted to be a cartoonist, but never thought about comic books. I was taking a night course in college with Gene Colan, who took us on a field trip to Marvel. I was looking for an internship at the time and Marvel seemed the most appealing. Later, while working with Erik Larsen, he let me do my own thing.

NRAMA: What're some of your favorite comic books when you were a young reader yourself?

CE: I like the more cartoony books. The Harvey titles. I didn’t read super hero books. Richie Rich, Casper [the Friendly Ghost] and Wendy [the Good Little Witch] were the ones that I enjoyed as a kid.

NRAMA: In 2004, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist and comic book writer Michael Chabon gave a keynote address at the Eisner Awards ceremony in which he stated that "children have not abandoned comic books - comic books have abandoned children." Do you agree with what he said?

CE: Yes and no. Comic books have become a niche market. The people who read comics these days want certain things. I think that they are not looking for all-ages books, but more adult stories aimed at their interests. Marvel and DC are putting out books to reach new markets, but you can’t reach the kids if they aren’t coming into the stores. Unfortunately book stores have also not picked up on the new all-ages books or don’t know what to make of them or what to do with them. Are they shelved under children’s books or graphic novels? I’ve brought copies of Franklin to my children’s school and their classes love them and the kids ask for new issues all the time, but that’s just one school. But, as I look at my kids playing a video game, I think children have abandoned comic books for games and cartoons and we have done a poor job of reaching out and showing them what we have to offer.

NRAMA: Looking at the bigger picture then and not just your children’s schoolmates, how is a project like Franklin Richards fulfilling your mission to reach out to the masses?

CE: I didn’t realize I had a mission.

NRAMA: Well, without Franklin, you wouldn’t be doing what you’re doing now for Marvel, right? Your kids wouldn’t be able to share Franklin with their friends (and teachers). Isn’t that a shared mission for all parties involved then?

CE: The Franklin project is just our try at giving parents like me and their kids a book that they both can read and enjoy. I recently got the Pixar shorts and Ratatouille DVDs and it refreshed my thinking that I want to make comic books like Pixar makes movies, that is fun, exciting and touching comics that both parent and child will enjoy.

NRAMA: How do you compare today’s all ages comics, specifically the House of Ideas’ Marvel Adventures comic book series and stuff like Franklin Richards, Power Pack and others, to the Harvey Comics and kids-friendly comics from the old days?

CE: I think they are totally different beasts. I think the Franklin stuff and the Harvey stuff are similar in style and length of story, but the Marvel Adventures try to reach the young kids who want that superhero fix. Both do and did try to reach a wide audience and I think that’s always a good thing.

NRAMA: So, what should a new reader know before getting the latest or the next Franklin Richards one-shot?

CE: Nothing.

NRAMA: Because every issue is supposed to be new reader-friendly?

CE: That has been the point of Franklin.

As someone who came into comic books not knowing that Jean Grey was married to Cyclops and died and came back and that Wolverine is a mutant who is extremely old and lost his memory and that in order to understand this month’s comic and enjoy it, I need to know that this bad guy appeared in a 1973 comic, I was lost.

I think the key to getting new readers is to give them a book that they don’t need an encyclopedia to read. Within the first panel, you should pretty much know all you need to read the book.

NRAMA: So, we shouldn’t expect to see his sister, Valeria, in Franklin Richards then?

CE: Probably not, but you never [know]. “On a special episode of Franklin…” I do want to keep this new-reader friendly, but there may come a time to change it up. But again, try to explain to the new reader how Valeria was born and raised and watch those eyes glaze over.

NRAMA: Still, Franklin's robot pal, H.E.R.B.I.E., has been making constant appearances in the Franklin Richards stories and fans likened the relationship between the robot and the son of Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman to another famous creation, Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. Anything that you'd like to say in regards to this comparison? Praises that you'd like to shower upon Bill and his timeless creations?

CE: Yeah, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the comparison—sometimes in not a very nice way. I created the characters based on an old [John] Byrne era FF issue. There was this backup in which Reed creates a robot nanny for Franklin and I just used that set up. I thought of H.E.R.B.I.E as a robotic Mary Poppins who finally meets her match. In hindsight, I can see the similarities, but hopefully we’re doing something different. I think Franklin really means well, but his enthusiasm and curiosity gets the better of him and with his parents always off saving the world, no one acts as a guardian to him except a befuddled robot.

As for praise for Watterson, I can’t give enough. My comic strip loves started with Peanuts andPogo, then Garfield, then Bloom County and finally Calvin and Hobbes. In no way will my work ever stand up to Watterson’s great work, I just hope people enjoy it for the fun I hope it is.

NRAMA: Chris Giarrusso's Mini Marvels are mini-sized characters of various Marvel super-heroes and villains. Has the thought of doing a crossover between Franklin Richards and Mini Marvels ever come to you? Why, or why don't you think such a project would appeal to readers of all ages?

CE: It could be fun to do a crossover, but again, I hope to keep Franklin new-reader friendly. When you start getting into crossovers and continuity, you’re gonna turn people away. I keep trying to see if Chris and I can do something else together, if nothing more than confusing people even further about who is who.

NRAMA: Sumerak's informed us that there're more Franklin Richards one-shots planned for 2008, including a second digest collecting all four of the 2007 one-shots. Can you give us a peek into things to come?

CE: Are you kidding? I make this stuff up as we go along. We will be doing four more one-shots this [coming] year and I’m hoping we can expand out on storylines. Not just Franklin getting into trouble, figuring a way out and learning nothing, I hope to do more adventure stuff not set into motion by Franklin’s curiosity.

NRAMA: Finally, what else are you working on? What could we look forward to from you in the new year?

CE: I wrote and drew the lead story for Spider-Man Family #6. We got Frog Thor back and this will be an all-ages read as well. Look for it in December. I’m also slated to write four issues of Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four [next] year and finally, I’m working on my own web comic strip. I did a test run of it earlier this year and I’m gearing up the real deal soon. It’s called Misery Loves Sherman at www.miserylovessherman.com and I’m really looking forward to this since what I’ve always longed to do, and have gotten sidetracked lately, is a daily strip. Hopefully people will check it out—surprise, it’s all-ages friendly as well. Man, I’m in a rut.

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

Inside the Adventures: Jeff Parker

[khuxford]

What I wanna know is whether it is foolish for me to still hope for some new Desperate Times?

Edit: Guess I should have looked through the article and waited to see if someone else responded first, eh?

I've picked up a few of these books in the past and found them (and the backups in other titles) enjoyable. Maybe I need to pick up more of 'em, since giving my dollars to the man's project increases the likelihood that he can afford to try Desperate Times again.

[phunengames]

I want a collection of Chris Giarrusso's Mini Marvels.

[ultraaman]

This issue was OK. I thought it was interesting how the 3 stories stood on their own yet there was the slightest bit of continuity that flowed through them. I didn't BWAHAHA like I did with the Franklin mini-series a few years back, but it was amusing - especially the time-loop one.

[Rasdock]

All this time, I thought the Mini Marvels *were* Chris Eliopoulos's! Don't know why. Those are those little things that are sometimes at the back of Marvel books, with Hulk tearing up couches and stuff, right?

Is it just me, or does Eliopoulos seem either angry or annoyed throughout this interview?

[hlbimage]

"Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius" was the only Marvel book that I had a really great time of reading lately. Who knew that a letterer can write and draw.

[whoisparker]

Originally Posted by phunengames

I want a collection of Chris Giarrusso's Mini Marvels.

I'll second that!

Marvel released a one-shot about 5 years ago collecting all of the Mini Marvels at that time, but it's long overdue for another collection.

I'd buy it for sure.

[CitC]

Is it just me, or does Eliopoulos seem either angry or annoyed throughout this interview?

IMO I think it's just you. Nice to see this included with the Marvel Adventures interviews.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by phunengames

I want a collection of Chris Giarrusso's Mini Marvels.

Me too. Come on, there's more than enough for a digest...

[Blackbeard]

Chris is a brilliant artist, letterer... heck, the guy can do everything! The MacPherson Clan will buy any and every book he works on.

Keep it coming, Chris!

[CitC]

I had my grade 1 / 2 class write Franklin stories a couple of years ago. We sent them to Chris - he was great about it. It was a nice experience for the kids.

[POWRSURG]

Originally Posted by phunengames

I want a collection of Chris Giarrusso's Mini Marvels.

We could get it as a 48-page ombinus featuring every Mini Marvel work since its debut back in 1999.

Seriously, I would love for this to happen. Mini Marvels have been the absolute best extra that Marvel puts into their comics. I honestly wish with the recent page count increase by Marvel that they'd be pushing it more.

[bluedevil2002]

We could get it as a 48-page ombinus featuring every Mini Marvel work since its debut back in 1999

Technically, that's what the first one shot was (around 2001 or 2002). A new story, then all of the older strips reprinted. Then we got a second one-shot in 2003 or 2004, I think.

But it's long overdue for a new one, and preferably putting all of it into a trade.

[beta-ray]

I would LOVE to see a more expanded comic with Franklin, Mini Marvels, and reprints (but if you could get them new I would cheer) of Weissman's All Winner's Squad!

Make it happen!

[80Pork]

My son loves the Franklin comics. He had gotten the first one-shot when it came out, but when we visited the graphic novel store, MacGuffin, in Newport News, VA (which unfortunately is closed now), I told my son he could get anything he wanted (within reason, of course). He was having a hard time deciding between a collection of Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four and one of the Scholastic Bone graphic novels. When he saw the digest of "Franklin Richards: Lab Brat", he quickly decided on that one! He loves it and has read it several times. He has seen the other one-shots solicited, but he really wants to get a new digest to put on his shelf with his other one!

[Predabot1]

Franklin Richards is always some good quality simple fun. I haven't taken the time to check out the Fall Football Fiasco -special, but after reading this I think I will.

[Predabot1]

Franklin Richards is always some good quality simple fun. I haven't taken the time to check out the Fall Football Fiasco -special, but after reading this I think I will.

[Lex]

I love the Franklin books! I'm giving the digest to my little cousins for Christmas this year. And since it sounds like a second digest is coming out in 2008, I now know what to give them next year.