POST-OMD - STEVE WACKER ON BRAND NEW DAY

[MattBrady]

By now, you think you’ve probably seen all of the reactions to One More Day that are out there: euphoria, bliss, happiness, hopefulness, renewal, optimism, cautious optimism, neutrality, dislike, anger, hatred, rage enabled by anonymity, keyboard frothing, apoplexy and coma, from imbibing in too much rageohol.

How about: “champing at the bit”?

While the discussion to date has largely focused on Joe Quesada and J. Michael Straczynksi’s four part OMD story, there’s a whole group of creators anxious to get their stories out there (and more than likely, anxious to see all the flames die down a little). The creators are led by their Editor, Steve Wacker.

He came back twice last month to tease about the upcoming “Brand New Day” era of Amazing Spider-Man, and, with the first issue (written by Dan Slott, with pencils by Steve McNiven) of the new era due out next week, Steve stopped by again for another two-parter, this time to handle some questions in light of the end of “One More Day.”

As always, Steve likes to start with his own opening…we’ll let him handle it from here…

I’ll tell ya what Newsarammers, you can vent about Spider-man all ya want, but you sure as heck can’t say your anger isn’t pandered to like an Iowa voter! I think there have now been more interviews about Spider-Man this week than there were issues in last the year!

Well, here’s another. I look forward to pleasing no one and hearing how I’m secretly scared of you! Feel free to take your anger out on Carlin and whoever he drags along with him this week.

Love ya!

Let’s go!

Newsarama: So Steve, probably the first question should follow along the classic lines of what did you know and when did you know it? That is, when you came to Marvel and got the Spider-Man Editor's position, it was with the notion that you'd be getting the title post-One More Day and its resultant changes?

Steve Wacker: First of all, Joe has declared that I’ve always worked for Marvel. Any memories of me working somewhere else have been erased to get me back to my classic status quo where, frankly, I worked better and had more soap opera in my life. Don’t worry, though, all your old copies of “Amazing FantaSteve” haven’t been erased from continuity, they just happened differently than you remember. And my wife? Actually happier post-OMSteve.

Ahem…

When I came over here, I knew I was hired to edit Spider-Man under Brevoort’s auspices and that’s pretty much it.

To be honest (and I don’t even know if I’ve ever actually told Joe Q this), I had heard rumors about this Spidey idea for a year or two beforehand as just industry gossip thrown around at cons. Like a lot of people, I thought it sounded crazy, but my opinion was that it was best for the character in the long run.

I was at Marvel for all of five minutes when Brevoort hit me with the “Shipping-Three-Times-A-Month” idea. That combined with the new foundation for Peter made this feel like once in a career moment. Like or not, this is a moment that will be remembered and it’s a thrill to be part of it.

NRAMA: Gut-level honest here - what was your reaction when you were officially told about the changes that Marvel had planned for Spider-Man and his world as a result of One More Day? Was it something you were able to get behind from the start, or did it take some time to grow into?

SW: I was pretty much focused on the post-OMD world from the first moment we started talking. I didn’t even think about the weight of the bomb that the Joes were planning to drop. From having several long conversations with Brevoort, I began to understand the measure of what we were doing and why we had to be careful.

I tend to like just ripping the band aid off of stuff like this and get going with telling new stories, letting the chips fall, so I probably wouldn’t have given a lot of thought as to what previous stories Brand New Day would upend, but wiser heads prevailed and after talking to Tom, Joe and even [Dan] Slott we all worked to take this concept and break as little glass as possible.

NRAMA: In your view, what do the changes from OMD do for the character and his world?

SW: Ha! Any chance this answer will please anyone?!?! I’m envisioning the next 167 posts and the thrill of finding out why I should be fired!

NRAMA: Fair enough…

SW: I’ll say this…when this many people are arguing about a particular story…it’s a good thing. And a refreshing change from debating sales figures, exclusive contracts, and the merits of late comics.

The changes brought on by OMD are challenging everyone that even gets near its orbit (just like it’s done in the Marvel offices over the last year). It’s a big deal this thing, and if it brings attention to Spider-Man and his world…I think that’s good. You should have an opinion and you should make it heard.

NRAMA: There's no question that, among fans, OMD is the most controversial Spider-Man story in decades, dwarfing even the unmasking in Civil War. It's also undeniable that a large portion of the reaction to the erasing of the Peter/MJ marriage is negative - has that in any way affected how you see Brand New Day, or, in essence, made BND a "tougher sell?"

SW: I’ve been on message boards since the early ‘90s and all of us here know deep in our hearts that nothing said here represents a “large portion” of the readership. A “large portion” of internet posters perhaps, but a large portion of internet posters would argue with me if I said I was right handed.

“Right handed?!?! How do we get Wacker fired!” (smile face, eye roll, spit take, hold nose, spasm).

As for dealing with controversy, I’ve tried to just watch everyone jumping around like crazy around the office and enjoy the show. I got new books to get out the door and all I can really control is making them as good as I can (in spite of Joe’s desire to make bad comics on purpose).

NRAMA: Speaking of your online reading - we know you read the Newsarama boards...and you’ve even admitted that you might do that more than you should...but from your chair, how much weight/credence do you put on posts along the lines of "I'm done with Spider-Man" or similar statements that the poster won't be reading BND due to their dislike of OMD?

SW: I suppose I take them at their anonymous word. Everyone in this building and every creator involved knew this was a risky move and that we might lose some readers, so it’s not like this was unexpected. Bottom line is folks here felt we had a strong enough destination and that it was worth taking the risk. I’m thrilled to work at a place that’s willing to take a risk like that and stick to it. It shows a lot of faith in the creators and the character.

I’ll tell ya this too, we sure made this a heckuva lot easier for DC if they ever decide to unmarry Lois and Superman. (oops… I should have marked that a Green Lantern #27 “spoiler”? Sorry, Geoff.)

NRAMA: Let's talk about the foundation that the ending of OMD left you and your crew to work from - as we've discussed, both with you and your BND writers, you've been working on Amazing Spider-Man for quite a while now - given the status quo shift in OMD, what were you using as a reference in regards to what's changed? Is there, say, a definitive, exhaustive list locked in your bottom desk drawer that prospective pitches were matched against?

SW: We’ve got a lot of the big pieces nailed down, but the others we’re taking as they come.

Early on, there was a big debate on exactly who would still remember Peter’s secret life. We stared at this question for a long time, but someone (I believe it was me, but if I’m wrong Bob Gale I’m sure will write an open letter to a competing website correcting me) made the point that we can’t have Mephisto casting a spell that requires him to have read 500 issues of Spider-Man deciding what happened and what didn’t. It made more sense in the long run for a blanket piece of mysticism that made everyone in the world forget his ID from this point forward.

NRAMA: Joe has said that, virtually up until the last minute, there were changes in OMD - did those changes affect stories in BND?

SW: Well originally the opening pages of OMD featured the two Joes kissing, so that had to change.

Truth is, none of this really affected Brand New Day. We were too far along by the time the end of OMD was being drawn.

I wasn’t involved in the backstage workings of OMD, but I know Joe Q. was trying to protect our work and may have had to take a bullet or two to make sure nothing got screwed up.

Fine with me, though. Gives him something to do beyond talking about the friggin’ Beatles and the Mets chances in ’08 for the hundredth time today. (Why is it that both EICs at the two major comic book companies are Mets fans? No wonder internet fans are angry at both of them. Is this what Hell is?)

NRAMA: Secret ID aside - just as a thumbnail guide, what did Peter and MJ lose as a result of OMD? Just the "marriage" (and thus not the relationship and the love), or something more? Just hit us with the basics of the terms of the deal, and we promise we'll move on to BND...

SW: We hit on your question a little bit in #546 next week. You’ll come to find out that MJ and Peter had a long relationship. They were almost married, but it didn’t go down (we’ll get to that story at some point, but not right away). They continued their relationship until very recently.

If you want more, you’ll have to buy the issue or come here about 30 seconds after it goes on sale.

NRAMA: So - short form, what's Peter Parker's status quo in Brand New Day? Ballparking - how old is he, where's he employed, and what's his outlook on life?

SW: Mid-20s. Freelance photographer, former teacher, former grad student, and all the other stuff you’ve seen him do. He’s between apartments, staying with Aunt May right now, but even May knows that that’s not as charming as it once was. She loves her nephew, but come on!

Simply put: Pete’s a good and determined guy who will make bad decisions and drive people absolutely bat-$#!t crazy.

You know how Jonah barks out “PARKER!!!”? My take on the character is that Pete will drive anyone in his life to that exact moment. Everyone he knows will eventually yell his name in complete and utter frustration.

Man, do I relate.

NRAMA: As the yeller or the yellee?

SW: Next question.

NRAMA: So Mary Jane is fully “the ex?”

SW: Right. Sorry to say, Mary Jane is an ex-girlfriend now. Pete lost her for as-yet-undisclosed reasons. That really all we know as BND begins.

NRAMA: Just for final confirmation here - the Spider-Man FCBD issue by Dan and Phil Jimenez – that was the first post-OMD story, right? With that finally revealed, can readers take the tone in that issue to be indicative of what a BND Amazing Spider-Man will be like?

SW: (For anyone readers overloading on acronyms, FCBD is Brady’s hip way of saying FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. He’s soooooo inside.)

The style of that book fits into Brand New Day, but that book really needed to have an all-ages tone and won’t match the regular book much. Let me be clear, this is not a return to any sort of sweetness and light. Going back to Steve and Stan, I’ve always seen Amazing Spider-Man as a book filled with drama and tension. There’s a palpable darkness at the core of Pete’s beginnings as a super-hero and I think it affects him everyday. It’s what drives him to put on that costume and do something to try and make a difference.

Sure there’s levity and humor, but when a Spider-Man story is made up of only those elements, I think it misses something integral.

Side Note: I should mention that the Director’s Cut of that Free Comic Book Day story is on sale later in the month with dialogue added back that we took out at the last minute because Joe Q is a tyrant who tells us all what to do (and because it gave away too many post-Civil War details).

Okay that’s all I can do for now. See ya next week.

[Gservo]

i am taking an "wait and see attitude"

[Bob LeFevre]

Joe Q has been getting a lot of flack but I for one am really interested in reading the stories to come.

[Winteriscoming]

Nothing against the new creative teams but I'll pass.

[KraziJoe]

It's "Chomping at the bit"...Unless I missed something...

[xmen510]

Good to hear from Steve on this issue. Hopefully the stories coming out of OMD will be good ones.

[Doctor_Chronos]

I'm not going to talk about OMD or Spider-Man anymore as my decision has been made, but I do want to applaud Mr. Wacker for coming into the proverbial lion's den. And Scorpion's den, and wolf den, etc. Well done

[caats19]

so peter's now a bum huh

[Troy Brownfield]

Originally Posted by KraziJoe

It's "Chomping at the bit"...Unless I missed something...

Matt is correct.

"If someone is eager or anxious to do something, they are said to be champing at the bit, (not chomping at the bit. nor chomping on the bit).

CHAMPING: Repetitious, strong opening and closing action of the mouth which produces sounds when the teeth hit together. Champing in swine may be a threat signal, but also is performed by boars during courtship and mating. Definition from Hurnik et al., 1995.

- The Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Behavior "

"champ
v. tr. - To bite or chew upon noisily.
v. intr. - To work the jaws and teeth vigorously.
Idiom: - champ at the bit
To show impatience at being held back or delayed.

- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved."

[von Doom, M.D.]

I like the teams they've got set-up, and if it were any other character, I'd be on this in a heartbeat, but after what's happened, I just don't care about Spider-man anymore. No knock to these guys, as it looks like they've got some awesome stuff planned, but even if it was Alan Moore and Alex Ross on the book, I would pass.



I guess this is what happens when take MJ away from him

[Nate28]

Craptastic!

[Simon DelMonte]

For the record, Mr. Wacker, Spidey is a Mets fan, too. Or so Paul Jenkins told us about eight years ago.

Though maybe if Peter is lucky, Mephisto erased his memory of last September and of Bobby Bonilla.

[RoiVampire]

well looks like they didn't jump in the past or anything. glad he was still a teacher and that FNSM didn't get erased totally, i love peter as a teacher

[Chad Anderson]

Originally Posted by KraziJoe

It's "Chomping at the bit"...Unless I missed something...

You did. It's "champing," even though everyone — except Newsarama, apparently — always gets it wrong.

[wither]

I'll check it out..love mcniven's work, i'm going to keep an open mind, since i have not been impressed with spidey stories the last few years anyways.

[Joejito]

so basically peter went from a married man with a JOB to a broke ADULT bum that is mooching off of his elderly aunt. i think divorce would have been the better option.

[Bird Flu Man]

Sounds promising -- but what "Brand New Day" really needs is a bit more magic . . .

Office Magic!

[Omega Flyer]

I'd already decided to pick up the first Arc of BND after the preview pages but if i hadn't you can bet this would have convinced me. Wacker's brilliant!

[Merai]

Heh, I gotta say, an interview with Wacker is ALWAYS entertaining.

My favourite part was the bit about Bob Gale putting up a letter on a competing site though.

[shadowchaser]

still passing

[Ken B.]

Steve, you're trying WAY too hard to be funny. This isn't your audition for Last Comic Standing (get it! it's a pun!)

Best of luck with your stories, but I won't be buying them. And don't leave the Spider-team halfway through their series for another job at Image or something.

[Skyrider]

Still apathetic, sorry Steve. :\

[SifoDyasJr]

The comment about Mephisto making everyone forget his ID is interesting. Does this mean that Mary Jane doesn't remember Peter is Spider-man either? If I remember correctly (unless Mephisto/Joe Q. messed with my head too), Mary Jane knew Peter was Spider-man before they even officially met.

I'm not thrilled with how they got here, but I do like the opportunities for stories BND presents. I'll be one of the five still reading.

[SifoDyasJr]

(sorry... accidentally double-posted. Mephisto will make you forget this ever happened)

[KraziJoe]

Originally Posted by SifoDyasJr

The comment about Mephisto making everyone forget his ID is interesting. Does this mean that Mary Jane doesn't remember Peter is Spider-man either? If I remember correctly (unless Mephisto/Joe Q. messed with my head too), Mary Jane knew Peter was Spider-man before they even officially met.

I'm not thrilled with how they got here, but I do like the opportunities for stories BND presents. I'll be one of the five still reading.

It doesn't matter anymore...It's Magic...