NYCC '08: SWIERCZYNSKI TALKS NEW EXCLUSIVE, PUNISHER MAX

[MattBrady]

by Steve Ekstrom

If you’re keeping score at home, add Duane Swierczynski to the list of exclusive Marvel creators. The writer will not only be taking over The Immortal Iron Fist from the team of Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker and writing the Cable ongoing series; but he will also be one of three new writers, including Gregg Hurwitz (The Crime Writer) and Victor Gischler (Shotgun Opera) taking over the Punisher MAX title after fan-favorite writer Garth Ennis ends his lengthy tenure with the character in July.

Newsarama sat down with Swierczynski to about his upcoming role in the Punisher MAX writing team; as well as, some of his thoughts on his experiences as a writer in the comic book industry to date; and what readers can expect from this potent new writing team.

Newsarama: So, Duane, it's official--you're an exclusive Marvel Comics talent. You’re kind of living the “fanboy dream” at this point. What’s going through your head right now?

Duane Swierczynski: That I will never, ever have to justify my Wednesday comic runs to my wife again. “But it’s for work, honey!”

NRAMA: Let's not forget you're going to be writing the Iron Fist and Cable full time now—how will your involvement with the Punisher MAX series work with Gregg Hurwitz and Victor Gischler connected to the book as well?

DS: We’re each doing our own story arcs, so there isn’t a need to coordinate things. It’s more like three guys sitting around a roaring campfire, each of ‘em with a healthy amount of bourbon in their bellies, trying outdo each other with tall tales. “Yeah, Hurwitz, that was a good and bloody ‘un. But what I heard happened to Frank Castle… well, partner, it’s gonna to make your frank and beans shrivel up…”

NRAMA: Are you familiar with Gregg and Victor's work as crime fiction writers?

DS: Oh yeah—both are fantastic. Gregg’s The Crime Writer was one of my favorite books of 2007, and I’ve been a fan of Gischler’s stuff since the early days, back when he was writing a hardboiled column for the legendary crime webzine, Plots With Guns. You can’t go wrong with any of Gischler’s stuff, but my favorite is Pistol Poets.

NRAMA: You've already stated that the Punisher was one of your childhood favorites—you’re going to be a little more free to do what you want with a MAX Punisher book. What can readers expect from a Duane Swierczynski Punisher story with a lot less boundaries?

DS: It’s funny—I’m not thinking so much about the violence or profanity I’ll be able to use (though there is plenty), so much as the broader canvas I’ll have to work with. I’m approaching this the same way I approach my novels: here’s a character, here’s a tremendously effed-up situation … let’s drop him in, and see how he handles it. The only difference is that in a novel, you have to spend some time familiarizing the reader with your character. Most Punisher readers know what Frank Castle’s about, so he can hit the ground running.

NRAMA: Can you tell readers anything about your upcoming work on the character?

DS: My arc is called “Six Hours to Kill,” and it uses one of my favorite noir thriller devices: the ticking clock. The germ of the idea came from a piece I read about wounded soldiers and how the first 60 minutes—the so-called “Golden Hour”—are essential when treating grievous injuries. Axel Alonso and I batted this around a bit, and suddenly, it started taking shape in a really exciting way. I couldn’t start scripting fast enough.

NRAMA: When you've talked about the Punisher in the past—you’ve indicated that he isn't amoral—he's actually quite the opposite. Would you care to elaborate on your interpretation of Frank Castle's psyche as a vigilante who skirts well past the normal ethical boundaries of your standard heroic character?

DS: Well, you’ve said it right there—it’s a matter of what you consider “normal ethical boundaries.” Clearly, Frank and much of civilized society don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on this. But Frank’s seeing the world through very different eyes—eyes that have seen his family butchered, eyes that looked to a legal system which failed to remedy these senseless acts of violence.

I really don’t believe in characters being good or evil. It’s all about your worldview.

NRAMA: Your first comic script was Punisher: Force of Nature—has your scripting process changed as you've become more comfortable with the format?

DS: I’m feeling a little more free to experiment now. There’s a page in “Six Hours to Kill” that I’m particularly proud of, because it’s something that would be awfully hard to pull off in a novel, but makes perfect sense for comics. That’s the core, nerdy thrill of this whole thing—the luxury of playing around with different ways to tell a story.

NRAMA: Will you continue writing novels as you write monthly comics for Marvel?

DS: Definitely. I spend my days playing with Marvel’s toys in their sandbox, and at night, I do my own thing with my homemade toys. For some reason, though, the heads fall off my own toys with alarming regularity.

Next up, novel-wise, is Severance Package, which is about a boss who calls his employees into an “emergency meeting” one Saturday morning, traps them, then tries to kill them one by one. (If you’ve ever had to report the office on a Saturday, you probably know what this feels like.) It’s out in late May from St. Martin’s Press. Oh… and it has an awesome cover by Tomm Coker, and eight full color illos by Dennis (X-Factor) Calero. Pick it up for the art; stick around for the story.

NRAMA: Could you potentially bring an Icon book to the table as well? Do you have any ambitions to create your own creator-owned title for Marvel's exclusive line?

DS: Love to—but I also have a lot on my plate right now, so I’m not going to be beating Axel over the head with ideas anytime soon. I want to give Cable and Iron Fist (and the Punisher arc) my full attention.

NRAMA: What comics do you read regularly? Are there any artists in particular that you'd like to work with? Has an artist been officially announced for your work on Punisher MAX?

DS: I’m drawn to the dark stuff the most, so it’s probably no surprise that I’m a big fan of books like Criminal, Scalped, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Batman, DMZ, Moon Knight and Daredevil, all of which hang out in those gritty neighborhoods of crime, noir and horror. And surprise, surprise, I tend to gravitate to the work of artists who hang in those same back alleys.

The artist for “Six Hours to Kill” is Michel Lacombe, who kicked much ass with our Punisher: Force of Nature one-shot a few months ago. I was thrilled when he signed on to do this arc. We actually email quite a lot, trading ideas back and forth, and Michel making fun of me for drinking Labatt’s Blue.

NRAMA: Are there any other big Marvel properties that you'd like to take a shot at?

DS: It’s no secret that I would surrender a kidney to write a Spider-Man story at some point. Just saying, Wacker—it ever looks like you’re going to lose one, you’ve got my e-mail.

NRAMA: Any chance of you doing a project with that guy that your daughter, Sarah, refers to as “Rock Guy”?

DS: No one’s dangled the prospect of a Ben Grimm story in front of me yet, but I’d do it in a heartbeat. A dad can seem cool to his daughter only so many times in life.

Return to the NY Comic Con mini-site

[comic-man346]

This might work

[SimonDark22]

You know, i think you might be right. I've heard mixed reviews about this guys work, but he really sounds like he loves the character. I'm still skeptical of course, but i'm gonna give these three new writers a shot for sure. I love the Punisher too much not to.

[Agent Wax]

I for one and very weary of this book continuing after Ennis leaves.
That "Force of Nature" one shot was terrible, and art especially. Punisher max has Frank looking like a hulking, scarred up monster, and that book had him in his old costume, and slimmer than effing Iron Fist.
I'll give it a try, but most likely I'm going to call my Punisher MAX run finished at #60.

[Lord Stark]

Originally Posted by SimonDark22

You know, i think you might be right. I've heard mixed reviews about this guys work, but he really sounds like he loves the character. I'm still skeptical of course, but i'm gonna give these three new writers a shot for sure. I love the Punisher too much not to.

Well, Lone Wolf and Cable has been kinda bland so far, so we'll se how it picks up. Immortal Iron Fist, and considering the guy's background, it might just work.
Punisher, and considering how awesome his 'Force of Nature' was... hell yeah!

[Tony Snark]

Goodbye Punisher MAX.

[Clem]

I think they should've ended this Punisher volume when Ennis leaves. Relaunch and give a guy a fair crack rather than living in a shadow.