I Thought You'd Never Ask: Mark Waid

Don't call it a come back. It's another installment of "I Thought You'd Never Ask." Another week, another 5 questions with one of my comic creator pals, questions which your average reporter would never think to ask. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll say "thanks for the distraction from work." Check out these archival interviews with Phil Hester, Ron Marz,Rick Loverd, Rob Levin, Joshua Hale Fialkov and Stjepan Sejic.

My victim this week is none other than Mark Waid. If you read comics, you know Mark Waid. He's edited or written virtually every character and series for DC Comics and Marvel Comics. You can check out his ComicBookDB profile to get a full sense of the scope of his work, but I'll just mention a few of my personal favorite things Mark has written - Kingdom Come, Flash, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Empire, Irredeemable, Hunter-Killer, and Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer. 

 

If they gave out honorary doctorates in the comic arts, Mark would have a wall full of diplomas. He splits his time these days between freelance writing for companies like Top Cow and Marvel and sitting in the Editor-in-Chief seat at Boom! Studios. He's an incredibly humble, wickedly smart, and charmingly opinionated guy in person. He can sing. And for a kid came of age reading his Flash issues, it's a personal thrill to call him a friend. It's just plain weird to give him notes as an editor. You can find him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/markwaid and look for Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #5 and Amazing Spider-man #624. You can also find him this weekend at the Emerald City ComiCon signing at the Boom! Studios booth.

 

Filip Sablik: It's no secret that you are a huge Superman fan and that Richard Donner's Superman movie played a big role in inspiring you to pursue comics as a career. Are you a bigger fan of the original cut of Superman 2 or the Donner cut?

Mark Waid: I'm torn. I think that the Donner cut was a better story, but the Lester cut was a better movie. If I have to choose, though, I favor the Donner cut because there's no stupid slapstick happening while the villains are destroying Metropolis

 
FS: You know, I tend to agree. I saw a double feature of Superman I and II (the Donner Cut) in Los Angeles recently and it was a blast. What's the best part of the job? Coming up with the idea, breaking down the story, or writing everything out and getting into the dialogue?

MW: The best part of the job is the moment you figure out some plot beat that two minutes before was a mystery to you. The best part is that sweet moment when you realize how to fix a story problem that you've had for a while that keeps you from moving forward. When I realized the true purpose of the Jett earpieces in Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer #5, for example--something that went totally against the purpose I'd believed they'd existed for in all my outlining and through issue #4--I could lie down for the rest of the day and take a well-deserved nap.

 

FS: Yeah, I really have to hand it to you for pulling everything together in issue 5. It was an ambitious storyline to tell in five issues and in a crossover no less, but you pulled it off with style and grace. You're a music guy if I'm not mistaken. Who's your favorite band or music performer? 

MW: Favorite musical performer is a folk singer named Dar Williams, who is the most brilliant lyricist I've ever heard. Favorite band may--MAY--be Canada's Moxy Fruvous.

 
FS: See, I love finding about new musicians! It's the side benefit of doing these interviews. You're a nice guy. Do nice guys finish last?

MW: I'll get back to you later on that.

 
FS: Well, that sounds like a diplomatic "nice guy" answer... What's the one question you've always wanted an interviewer to ask, but you've never been asked? 

MW: "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?"

FS: Practice, practice, practice! That's all, folks. Please remember to tip your waitress on the way out and stop by both the Boom! Studios and Top Cow booths this weekend at the Emerald City ComiCon!