AXEL ALONSO: EDITING THE HAMTASTIC TALES OF SPIDER-HAM

[MattBrady]

by Chris Arrant

Under the guise of a mild-mannered pig, young Peter Porker holds down the tedium of normal life and the secret that he is a superhero, the hero known as Spider-Ham. Always amazing and usually Spectacular, he inhabits a universe like our own with one small difference. Where we see human, they see ham. Pork, that is. Pigs.

Yesterday, we talked with J. Michael Straczynski who has penned a one-shot tale of Spider-ham in January 2007 releae Ultimate Civil War Spider-Ham Crisis (Featuring Wolver-Ham), and today we talk with the editor, Axel Alonso. One of the chief editors in the Marvel Universe, Alonso's brought together a plethora of great artists to illustrate JMS' words. Those names are: Mike Wieringo, Nick Dragotta, John Severin, Skottie Young, Jim Mahfood, Ariel Olivetti, Laurence Campbell, Chris Giarusso and Sean Phillips.

We talked to Alonso from Marvel's office in New York to find out more.

Newsarama: Spider-Ham's been on people's minds of recent, thanks in no small part to a recent variant cover by Mike Wieringo for Amazing Spider-man #528. How did this develop into the one-shot that's coming out in January?

Axel Alonso: At an editorial summit about two years ago, we were pondering a theme for our next Big Event. JMS said “what about ham?” -- and we loved it. A few weeks later, we realized this was, in fact, an extremely bad concept for a Big Event, but I forgot to tell JMS. So we’re stuck with it.

NRAMA: Looking at the artists involved with the book, it's a real treat. Wieringo and Mahfood's a no-brainer, but bringing in talents like John Severin and Sean Phillips is a real unexpected treat. How did the artist assignments come together for this book?

AA: I cast according to my gut and my budget.

NRAMA: In casting out a net for artists to draw this script, what did your gut tell you to look for given the tenor of the script, i.e. the funny?

AA: First off, I needed to know that the artist could draw a realistic pig. Not everyone can – Steve Dillon, for one. Great guy. Master storyteller. I love him, but he couldn’t draw a pig to save his life. After that, I came up with a list of artists and spoke with each about their preferences. Some were a lock for particular sequences. John Severin – who honed his chops on Combat comics (Sgt. Fury & The Howling Commandos) and comedy (Cracked) was the logical choice for The ‘Ham. Ditto for Ariel Olivetti for Green Ham.

NRAMA: Is this one long story, or a series of shorts?

AA: A self-contained one-shot that will change the way you look at yourself and the world around you.

NRAMA: Crack the internet in half? Not to try to pin you down for specifics, but do think this will outsell Civil War ten-times over or one hundred times over?

AA: We’ve got a hanger somewhere in Malaysia filled with copies of this book so it had better sell.

NRAMA: Well from the title alone, it promises some crossover with Ultimate universe, and crossovers from Civil Wars to a Crisis or two. That's bound to pull in lots of orders, right?

AA: Geez. Just because we call something Ultimate Civil War Spider-Ham Crisis(Featuring Wolver-Ham) does that automatically mean it’s got anything do with Civil War, the Ultimate line, or Crisis!?

NRAMA: Don't forget Wolver-ham, bub. Lo-ham. No, not Lohan. That's another joke entirely.

Anyway… In your opinion, whose side of Civil War is Spider-Ham on?

AA: Whatever side of the plate the eggs go.

NRAMA:….
When we talked with JMS, he mentioned a variety of pig-heroes from Iron Ham, Wolver-ham, Strange Ham, Captain Hamerica, and many more. Which character has stood out to you the most?
AA: I tend to go with grim and gritty so I’d have to go with Deviled Ham. Then again, Ant-Ham is the shiz-nit.

NRAMA: Are there any plans for other books of Marvel's anthromorphic parody characters, such as Goose Rider or Nick Furry agent of S.H.E.E.P.?

AA:I hope so. We did send over that picture…

NRAMA: Ghost Rider vs. Goose Rider, courtesy of Mark Texeira and Richard Isanove. Are there any plans to reprint some of the original Spider-ham books at some point?

AA: That’s a question for David Gabriel, who is a HUUUUUUUUUUUGE fan of Spider-Ham – just ask him.

NRAMA: Paging Mr. Gabriel, Mr. Gabriel…

David Gabriel: Due to popular demand from retailers and fans alike, we're planning an overized Omnibus of all Spider-Ham's (and friends) appearances. We've decided to call this the Hamnibus. Look for it April 1, 2007. Look hard.

NRAMA: Isn't that April Fool's day?

DG: Look really, really hard.

NRAMA: What about if people don't want to wait? What if they have a hankering for ham now?

DG Issues of Spider-Man Family will from time to time feature Spider-Ham.

[James Seals]

Damn you, Marvel. Have to add more titles to the pull list.

(sigh)

Ah, well. I'm a Peter Porker fan from way back, reading my dad's old comics in the closet when I was a kid. Looking forward to this.

-James

[SeanMurphy]

Originally Posted by James Seals

Ah, well. I'm a Peter Porker fan from way back, reading my dad's old comics in the closet when I was a kid. Looking forward to this.

-James

When the phrase "reading my dad's old comics... when I was a kid" doesn't refer to anything with Stan Lee or pre-crisis DC but rather books put out in the 1980s, well, that just isn't right.

[Spartan]

Is it just me, or does ol' M. Brady have a really, really, bad sense of humor? Stick to the script!

I'm loving this tongue-in-cheek coverage though, I can't wait to check this one-shot out.

[comixcollctr]

Would love to see Michael Golden draw Spider-Ham again The cover to no.1 was great!

[cookiejar]

Originally Posted by James Seals

Damn you, Marvel. Have to add more titles to the pull list.

(sigh)

Ah, well. I'm a Peter Porker fan from way back, reading my dad's old comics in the closet when I was a kid. Looking forward to this.

-James

Ok...now i feel old....

Now lemme get this straight... were you in the closet reading them? or was your dad keeping those comics there?

Just asking, cuz those werent the kind of books my dad had in the closet... more like "Peter Pork Her"

Ba dum bump...

[AlexLothos]

These Spider-Ham interviews crack me up.

I'm curious to read the next Joe Friday concerning April 1st and looking really, really hard for the "Hamnibus."

[ResIpsa]

Come on, people...I want an ESSENTIAL SPIDER-HAM, and I want it now.

[DAV!S]

Originally Posted by Spartan

Is it just me, or does ol' M. Brady have a really, really, bad sense of humor? Stick to the script!

The first three words are by Chris Arrant...

This looks great. How can you possible not be excited by a book filled with superhero pigs?

[Jeremy Holstein]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

David Gabriel: Due to popular demand from retailers and fans alike, we're planning an overized Omnibus of all Spider-Ham's (and friends) appearances. We've decided to call this the Hamnibus. Look for it April 1, 2007. Look hard.

A Spider-Ham Omnibus! April 1st can't come quickly enough! That's the same day my No-Prize arrives!

-J

[comixcollctr]

When are they going to bring back Rocket Raccoon?



great early Mignola work.

[Tom Daylight]

Originally Posted by cookiejar

Ok...now i feel old....

Now lemme get this straight... were you in the closet reading them? or was your dad keeping those comics there?

Just asking, cuz those werent the kind of books my dad had in the closet... more like "Peter Pork Her"

Ba dum bump...

maybe he's talking about the metaphorical closet. y'know, "i was reading spider-ham comics when i was keeping my sexuality a secret"

[JLAJRC]

I want to see a animal Marvel Zombies mini just to see pigs munch on humans. It's about time they got some revenge on us.

[Phries]

Marvel Ham Zombies w/ Ninjas and Pirates would be a trendy fest. Good sight gags though as pigs would cook each other, apple in mouth, and eat normal human sandwhiches. Eating a pig just isn't scare though.

[s*p rules]

Originally Posted by James Seals

Damn you, Marvel. Have to add more titles to the pull list.

Pulled pork??? Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

[Bullet_Train]

That actually made me laugh out loud...'pulled pork' is there no end to the jokes we can make?

[EvilErnie13]

I can't believe this is real... I am sooooooo happy. Love the Goose Rider print by Tex!

[RedRonin]

Hamnibus? It must be done. If only based on the name alone.

[Arion]

Originally Posted by comixcollctr

Would love to see Michael Golden draw Spider-Ham again The cover to no.1 was great!

Yeah, that was a funny cover.

[Wellness]

I can't get the idea of a Goose Rider vs. Ghost Rider one shot or mini by Garth Ennis out of my mind now.

[beta-ray]

Originally Posted by s*p rules

Pulled pork??? Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

Better than ham-fisted.


Anyways I would have been very happy to get that comic on April 1st... That's my birthday.


More animal funnybooks Marvel! Please? You can make it the weekly event in April.

[EvilErnie13]

Originally Posted by Wellness

I can't get the idea of a Goose Rider vs. Ghost Rider one shot or mini by Garth Ennis out of my mind now.

I'd buy it!

[industri]

My only complaint is the "pig-i-fication" of all the heroes. I mean, everyone knows Wolverine was a (brilliantly chosen) cockroach (Wolveroach) back in the day ("Look, Micronewts") - why did it all have to be pigs?

Stupid ret-con is even affecting my ham...

[Jason Michael]

Alonso's brought together a plethora of great artists to illustrate JMS' words. Those names are: Mike Wieringo, Nick Dragotta, John Severin, Skottie Young, Jim Mahfood, Ariel Olivetti, Laurence Campbell, Chris Giarusso and Sean Phillips.

The solicitation for this book claimed Mike Allred was one of the artisits. Is this still the case, or has he been dropped from the roster?

Here's the solicitation I read:
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Penciled by MIKE WIERINGO, MIKE ALLRED, JOHN SEVERIN, NICK DRAGOTTA, ARIEL OLIVETTI and JIM MAHFOOD
Cover by MIKE WIERINGO

You asked for it, you got it! Quite possibly the most important comic ever! A life-changing event that will change the way you look at yourself and the world around you! Spinning out of the page of CIVIL WAR -- and every other top-selling comic crossover event you can think of – it’s ULTIMATE CIVIL WAR SPIDER-HAM FRISIS (FEATURING WOLVER-HAM)!!! He’s little, he’s pink, he knows how to bring home the bacon. He’s Spider-Ham – and he’s about to embark a kaleidoscopic, time-spanning, universe-shifting journey that will prove just how big a pig he really is. Guest-starring: Iron Ham, Deviled Ham, Fantastic Ham, Green Ham, Ant-Ham, Ultimate Captain Ham, Hambit, Hamneto, and everyone’s favorite Sorcerer Supreme -- whathisface? You know, the guy with the blue tights and red cape…Mustache…Man-servant named Wong? -- anyway, you know who I’m talking about. He’s in it, too. And Wolver-Ham – did I mention him? • 32 pg, FC


Jason