JMS ON SPIDER-HAM

**MattBrady** · 10-31-2006, 02:43 PM

by Chris Arrant

A simple basement lab, wherein resides a scientist who had invented the world's first atomic powered hairdryer. Billed as a revolution to the hair care industry, it instead led to that scientist irradiating herself and biting a nearby spider. Did we mention the scientist was a talking pig? Not like Babe, but more like a humanoid pig.

What happened to the scientist? Who knows. But that spider that was bitten finds himself transformed into part-spider, part-pig. Disoriented and confused, he only later realizes his situation… his destiny…his responsibility.

"This is astounding! Am I a spider with the limitations of a pig? Or a pig with the proportionate strength and agility of a spider? I've become something greater than either spider or pig... I've become a Spider-Ham!"- Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham #15 (May 1987)

Created in 1983 by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong, Spider-ham (aka Peter Porker) first appeared in the one-shot humor comic book Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-ham #1. The series was followed by an ongoing series simply titled Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, which lasted for 17 issues. He later appeared in issues of Marvel Tales, What The--?!. He re-emerged in modern times as a DVD in the Spider-Man Family #1, and later as a final variant cover version of Amazing Spider-Man #528.

Started as a lark during one of Marvel's writers summit, the idea of a Straczynski-penned Spider-ham yarn turned into the real deal as was revealed in the October 13th edition of New Joe Fridays here at Newsarama.com. The 32 page one-shot, hitting shelves in January 2007, features artists such as Mike Wieringo, John Severin, Skottie Young, Ariel Olivetti and Jim Mahfood illustrating the adventures of Spider-ham as well as other pork-related friends such as Wolver-ham, Iron Ham, Deviled Ham, Fantastic Ham, Green Ham, Ant-Ham, Ultimate Captain Ham, Hambit, Hamneto and more. Did we mention Wolver-Ham?

Newsarama caught up with J. Michael Straczynski to talk about the book, and to verify this wasn't Joe Quesada pulling our leg.

Newsarama: The origins for this project sound pretty interesting. Joe Quesada mentioned that it began as a joke at one of the Marvel summits and, in Joe's words, "next thing you know, out of the blue we receive this wonderful JMS Spider-Ham one shot". Can you tell us how the clouds parted for this project to happen, and how it all came together for you?

J. Michael Straczynski: We were talking at one of the Marvel summits about big events and crossovers, and out of nowhere I just got hit with the idea of using Spider-Ham as the ultimate cross-over/alternate universe/crisis story. We'd do five issues, one issue per big name writer, each about a different iteration/alternate universe version of Spider-Ham Joe Quesada even saw the ad in his head: BENDIS. MILLAR. ENNIS. LOEB. STRACZYNSKI. HAM.

The writers all loved the idea. Dan Buckley paled noticeably and said we'd come back to it. A year later, I brought it up again. Everybody loved it. Dan turned a whiter shade of pale and said we'd come back to it. So I figured, screw it, I'll just write the damned thing and send it in, and if nobody else wants in, so be it. So I did...and everybody loved it and we're doing it as a one shot, with maybe more to come.

NRAMA:As if people weren't already sold on the title alone, can you tell us what's inside the book?

JMS: It's meant to be full-tilt bozo, poking fun at the whole crisis/event/stunt approach to stories, and at conic trends as a whole. So it starts out with Peter Porker, aka Spider-Ham, being really, really pissed off at the fact that somebody stole all the thought balloons in the Marvel universe and replaced them with captions. (Marvel made this move some time ago.) He wants his freaking thought balloons back. So he goes on a quest to find them which not only takes him through the entire Marvel universe, it turns him into various aspects of the Marvel universe.

So he becomes not just Spider-Ham, but also Iron Ham, Wolverham, a member of the Fantastic Ham, Strange Ham, X-Ham, Undead Ham...we go to The Ham (a play on The Nam, tip of the hat to Ennis for that one), Captain Hamerica...on and on and (not to put too fine a point on it) on. It's just meant to be fall-down funny.

NRAMA: How'd you first get introduced to the character and the whole anthromorphic Marvel universe?

JMS: I just remember reading him as a kid and thinking it was really, really funny.

NRAMA: Those What The--?! issues were something. With Spider-ham being featured in a couple comics, did you do a lot of research or did you just take the general idea and set-up and fly off on your own?

JMS: I just went with the idea of it, since it didn't really touch his own continuity much.

NRAMA: Yeah, I could see where continuity mavens could take a back seat on this one.

The series also provides a comedic counterpoint to the seriousness portrayed in the Marvel Universe with Civil War and the recent The Other storyarc…

JMS: Correct. I think that every so often, you have to be willing to look at your own work and just treat it in a silly fashion so you don't take yourself too seriously. So I make fun of my own stuff as much as anybody else's, since I'm well qualified to know where my own faults are.

NRAMA: I noticed the other characters in the book are all Pig derived, which is different from the original comics with it being different animals (my favorite? Goose Rider). What took you to doing it all with pigs?

JMS: You got a problem with pigs, pal?

NRAMA: Ah, err.. no sir, not at all.

Looking at the line-up in the solicits, it's something: Iron Ham, Deviled Ham, Fantastic Ham, Green Ham, Ant-Ham, Ultimate Captain Ham, Hambit, and Hamnet and Wolver-Ham.

JMS: The fun just never stops. And the drawing style varies from one character to another, so the artists can play at creating the style of the original book, with a pig in the title role.

NRAMA: This is billed as the most important comic ever, mixing Ultimate with Civil War and even a crisis or two. Whose side is Spider-Ham on?

JMS: He's on nobody's side. He's a rogue ham.

NRAMA: With great pork come great responsibility.

JMS: ….

NRAMA: I'll leave the jokes to you.

This one-shot promises to be the most unabashed humor comic seen in the House of Ideas in years, rivaling the beleaguered What? Huh?! comic that came out years ago. As a writer, how is venturing into this kind of writing a break from your more serious writing?

JMS: Actually, I've written comedy before, though not for comics...on such shows as The Real Ghostbusters, some funny episodes of Babylon 5, and most recently writing a 20 episode comedy/drama radio series for the Canadian Broadcasting Company, The Adventures of Apocalypse Al, which should be airing sometime later this fall. So it's something I just do for the fun of it...and I hope some of that fun will translate to the readers.

So sign me --

-- J. Michael Hamzynski

EvilErnie13 · 10-31-2006, 02:52 PM

Today's comic book news gets better and better! I'm all for a zombie Spider-Ham! Give us more animal related stories Marvel!
2 side notes:
1) I miss Goose Rider
2) Mahfood's Iron-Spidey looks great!

CrankyViking · 10-31-2006, 02:54 PM

So, will the live-action film star Kevin Bacon?

michaelman9 · 10-31-2006, 02:54 PM

Why not... the world can always use more humor.

rwe1138 · 10-31-2006, 02:56 PM

Jim Mahfood = sales! And Marvel, how about an Essential What The--?!?

RoiVampire · 10-31-2006, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrankyViking

So, will the live-action film star Kevin Bacon?

ba dump bump

JoeGKushner · 10-31-2006, 03:06 PM

No thought ballons?

Man, I didn't even notice that.

Crazy!

KyleCowstar · 10-31-2006, 03:06 PM

I want Goose Rider!!!!!

Ye Olde Iowa · 10-31-2006, 03:18 PM

Zombies and pigs and CB Cebulski.

Could this news day get any weirder?

That being said, those images of Marvel Pigs are funny and I like them. I have no idea who this Spider-Ham fellow is, but this could be a really cool one-shot. I'm in.

Kolimar · 10-31-2006, 03:24 PM

Good news.

Bird Flu Man · 10-31-2006, 03:24 PM

Quote:

J. Michael Straczynski: We were talking at one of the Marvel summits about big events and crossovers, and out of nowhere I just got hit with the idea of using Spider-Ham as the ultimate cross-over/alternate universe/crisis story. We'd do five issues, one issue per big name writer, each about a different iteration/alternate universe version of Spider-Ham Joe Quesada even saw the ad in his head: BENDIS. MILLAR. ENNIS. LOEB. STRACZYNSKI. HAM.

I always wanted to know what differentiates the "big name writers" from the "small name writers."

Kolimar · 10-31-2006, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: I noticed the other characters in the book are all Pig derived, which is different from the original comics with it being different animals (my favorite? Goose Rider). What took you to doing it all with pigs?

JMS: You got a problem with pigs, pal?

NRAMA: Ah, err.. no sir, not at all.

Was it so hard to use Goose Rider, Captain Americat, the Fantastic Fur and the rest?

Alexander Knox · 10-31-2006, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bird Flu Man

I always wanted to know what differentiates the "big name writers" from the "small name writers."

Sales?
????

Ye Olde Iowa · 10-31-2006, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bird Flu Man

I always wanted to know what differentiates the "big name writers" from the "small name writers."

Probably the same thing differentiates "Big name actors" from "small name actors."

Big names tend to sell on the premise of their name being attached alone. Think about how Tom Cruise used to be or how film companies pimp anything even remotely related to Quentin Tarantino.

The names that JMS lists like Bendis and Millar tend to drive up numbers on books just by being around. They are names that most comic fans know and so attaching their names to big name projects becomes a big deal.

Of course, you already know this and are just being a cynical and facetious most likely.

Bird Flu Man · 10-31-2006, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ye Olde Iowa

Probably the same thing differentiates "Big name actors" from "small name actors."

Big names tend to sell on the premise of their name being attached alone. Think about how Tom Cruise used to be or how film companies pimp anything even remotely related to Quentin Tarantino.

The names that JMS lists like Bendis and Millar tend to drive up numbers on books just by being around. They are names that most comic fans know and so attaching their names to big name projects becomes a big deal.

Of course, you already know this and are just being a cynical and facetious most likely.

A little.

I think the company determines who is "big name" versus "small name" more than the fans do. The fans have some input, though, 'cause there's been a few writers who the companies have tried to cram down our throats as "hot talent" but who just didn't catch on.

Batman1983 · 10-31-2006, 03:53 PM

BEST

SIG

EVER!!!

PatrickG · 10-31-2006, 03:56 PM

I'd say retailers determine this more directly than the fans or the companies.

Peter David, John Byrne and Chuck Austen have all had books that a number of fans were excited about and companies were trying to pimp but which didn't get retailer support either due to vocally angry fans, past performance or flaws in marketing.

And, yes, content. But sales are determined before anyone even sees the content.

NeoSamurai · 10-31-2006, 04:03 PM

no hulk-bunny?

Bird Flu Man · 10-31-2006, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatrickG

I'd say retailers determine this more directly than the fans or the companies.

Peter David, John Byrne and Chuck Austen have all had books that a number of fans were excited about and companies were trying to pimp but which didn't get retailer support either due to vocally angry fans, past performance or flaws in marketing.

And, yes, content. But sales are determined before anyone even sees the content.

Good point. I may amend my hypothesis to include this.

cookiejar · 10-31-2006, 04:14 PM

finally...

now i can shove my issue of spider ham no. 1 in my friends' faces and laugh...

I will use the money I make off that issue to go to college.

Seriously...I cant get enough SPiderham

Squashua · 10-31-2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolimar

Was it so hard to use Goose Rider, Captain Americat, the Fantastic Fur and the rest?

Actually, those were the originals from the one-shot. I think that they were later replaced with a bunch of other animals in super-drag during the ongoing Spider-Ham series. But again, not pigs.

Michael P · 10-31-2006, 05:09 PM

Would Bendis be allowed to write Spider-Ham anyway?

Mr Wesley · 10-31-2006, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bird Flu Man

I always wanted to know what differentiates the "big name writers" from the "small name writers."

Font size.

chap22 · 10-31-2006, 05:30 PM

*sigh* i hate to come in all negative nelly, but...

if only this was being written by somebody who i thought could write something even remotely funny. at least, intentionally that is.....

CodeGuy · 10-31-2006, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolimar

Was it so hard to use Goose Rider, Captain Americat, the Fantastic Fur and the rest?

Given this:

Quote:

Marvel universe, it turns him into various aspects of the Marvel universe.

So he becomes not just Spider-Ham, but also Iron Ham, Wolverham, a member of the Fantastic Ham, Strange Ham, X-Ham, Undead Ham...

I'd say the answer is yes. I thought the same thing when I read the first preview, but it looks like these aren't supposed to be the characters from Peter Porker's universe, they're Peter Porker turning *into* versions of those characters. So the story is revolving around his travels and all these pig-variations are just a reflection of that.

In other words, using Captain Americat instead of Captain Hamerica would mean telling an entirely different story.