Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources » Fred Van Lente Day

Fred Van Lente Chat Transcript!

Brian Cronin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:29:02 +0000

Let's celebrate Fred Van Lente Days Past now, with a transcript of the ultra-cool online chat Fred had with readers this past Fred Van Lente Day (otherwise known as this past Saturday). One bit from the chat that I wanted to spotlight first before you begin reading - Fred and artist Dennis Calero will be signing copies of X-Men Noir at Jim Hanley's on 33rd Street in Manhattan, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6-8pm. That's tomorrow, people!

Okay, enjoy the chat!

Brian Cronin: Welcome to the Fred Van Lente Chat!!
taimur: Hooray
Fred Van Lente: Yes, welcome!
irthling: Happy FVL to one and all
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Brian Cronin: How awesome was it that three of your books came out this week?
Fred Van Lente: It was pretty awesome.
Fred Van Lente: EXCEPT Dennis Calero and I were supposed to do a "X Men Noir" signing at Jim Hanley's Universe...
Fred Van Lente: ...and Hanley's got shorted on their order!
Brian Cronin: ouch!
Brian Cronin: so no signing?
Fred Van Lente: So Dennis and I will have to go sign X Men Noir next Wednesday.
Fred Van Lente: When, of course, I have NO new books out.

Brian Cronin: oh, ha
Brian Cronin: that's rough
Fred Van Lente: C'est la vie.
Fred Van Lente: But anyway, that will be Jim Hanley's on 33rd Street in Manhattan, Wed., Dec. 10, 6-8pm, for those who are interested.
Fred Van Lente: Calero and I will be in our full noir finery.
Brian Cronin: Excellent
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Brian Cronin: That must have been neat to be involved in a project with a mysterious ad!
Fred Van Lente: You mean the Noir titles, Brian?
Brian Cronin: Yeah
Brian Cronin: Always good to do a comic with actual promotion
Fred Van Lente: Yeah, it was neat, not only the House ads, but how Joe Q would flash the art at the convention panels.

Fred Van Lente: Dennis was very amused at how many people compared him to the likes of Frank Miller and Jae Lee. (And flattered.)
Brian Cronin: They were very cool looking
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seeso Fred, I love your work! I've been a fan since the MODOK mini, and I think you are the bee's knees.
Fred Van Lente: Thanks, Seeso!
seeso I'm also a fan of your Herc partner, Greg Pak. I saw the movie "Robot Stories" before he was a Marvel writer (some of my friends were in it), and was ecstatic when he got Marvel gigs.
Fred Van Lente: I have to Netflix "Robot Stories." I feel like a crappy writing partner for not having done it sooner.

Fred Van Lente: (And yes, it is available on Netflix, you Pak fans.)
seeso Robot Stories is excellent. Some top-notch sci-fi writing.
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taimur: So, with the FCBD Wolverine title officially released, safe to assume Alpha Flight will be in it.
Fred Van Lente: You KNOW there will be Alpha Flight on FCBD.
Fred Van Lente: The story takes place before "Incredible Hulk #181".
Fred Van Lente: In fact, it's about how James MacDonald Hudson arranges for Wolvie to get the anti-Wendigo mission in the first place.
Fred Van Lente: But is that the only Flight reference?
Fred Van Lente: Canucks and fellow travelers will have to wait 'til May to find out...
taimur: Of course
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seeso What would be your dream title to write?
preston: Hey Fred, love your work! I was just wondering if you could reveal just how many titles you'll be releasing next year...
Fred Van Lente: Thanks. Let's see here.
Fred Van Lente: Incredible Hercules.
Fred Van Lente: Fred Secret Project #1
Fred Van Lente: Fred Secret Project #2
seeso: Ooh secret project!
preston: nice
Fred Van Lente: #1 and #2 are both minis.
preston: Aww man
preston: I was hoping you'd get another ongoing
Fred Van Lente: Fred Secret Projects #3 and #4 have not been green-lit, but we have high hopes.
Fred Van Lente: Those are both on-goings.
preston: *crosses fingers*
seeso: I don't mind minis, but you need another ongoing.
Brian Cronin: Are they part of the Marvel Universe or set apart like X-Men: Noir?
Fred Van Lente: One is not set in the Marvel Universe.
Fred Van Lente: But is a title Mr. Bendis has written.
Brian Cronin: Fancy
Brian Cronin: It should be Torso II - the Return!
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Fred Van Lente: The other three are set in the Marvel Universe.
preston: hmmm
Fred Van Lente: But one of them features brand-new characters.
Fred Van Lente: I am also co-writing right now a manga with Dean R. Koontz based on his "Odd Thomas" character. That's been a lot of fun.
seeso: I'm super excited to read characters that are created by you, Fred.
timbre68: A Bendis book outside of the Marvel Universe?
preston: Powers?
Fred Van Lente: Timbre, alas, I have been told I can't say outright, so I am being coy.
Fred Van Lente: The Marvel Department of Marketing and Thought Control would cause this chip in the base of my skull to explode if I revealed too much.
seeso: lol
Fred Van Lente: And what fun is that if you can't see the gooey bits fly across the room?
preston: don't want that happening
timbre68: I'm an old guy, I love your books, very old school - however they are the books I recommend to my kid's friends. Great stuff!
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timbre68: Big fan, are you dipping your toes into the Ultimate Universe?
Fred Van Lente: Timbre, not yet.
Fred Van Lente: But it's something I wouldn't mind doing.
Brian Cronin: You need to write for Heroes before you write an Ultimate title, I'm afraid
Zombo: I agree, you should totally write for Heroes.
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seeso: How long have you been reading comics? What did you do prior to writing comics?
Fred Van Lente: My mother claims (though I have no memory of it) I taught myself how to read through comics since she was sick of reading them to me over and over again.
Fred Van Lente: I was about four.
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Crystal Skillman joined the chat
Fred Van Lente: My curious wife, Crystal Skillman, everyone! Say hi.
seeso: Well, hello, Mrs. Hercules!
Zombo: Hi!
Crystal Skillman: Hi there!
Brian Cronin: Howdy!
taimur: Hi!
preston: Say hi
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Zombo: Mr. Van Lente, what's your opinion on cursing in comics?
Fred Van Lente: I'm not against if the story calls for it.
Fred Van Lente: I've only recently started using the "!@#$!" in dialogue myself.
Zombo: I guess that's a solid standpoint.
Brian Cronin: I was disappointed that Power Pack Day One had no profanity
Fred Van Lente: Brian, it's layered subliminally into the artwork.
Fred Van Lente: Although, to finish the profanity thread...
Fred Van Lente: ...fuck it!
Zombo: Personally, I think it's kind of lame, sometimes, when writers just use it to make a more seem more 'gritty' or 'hardcore'.
Fred Van Lente: Ha, ha, no I'm just kidding.
seeso: LOL
seeso: HAHAHAHA
timbre68: Hear Hear!
Fred Van Lente: I would prefer to use actual profanity than the symbols.
Brian Cronin: I'd imagine
Fred Van Lente: In "Noir" they wouldn't let us use bad words, so we literally blacked them out. I thought Nate Piekos, our wonderful letterer, did a really nice job with that effect.
timbre68: I let my kids read your profanity!
seeso: I bet that's coming soon. I'd say in the next 5 years.
Fred Van Lente: They let us keep all the sex in, though!
Brian Cronin: I like the blacked out approach
seeso: Yay for sex
Brian Cronin: Even though it got Frank Miller into trouble
Fred Van Lente: I think what got "All-Star Bats" into trouble was they used gray variants while Piekos wisely used solid blacks.
Fred Van Lente: Don't quote me on that, though.
Fred Van Lente: I find myself trying to work more and more sex into my comics as I get older.
Brian Cronin: There's probably a Power Pack joke there, too, but who wants to go there?
Zombo: It definitely sells.
preston: That's all right, no one minds
Fred Van Lente: I think I'm hitting the age where it's more interesting to me than violence.
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seeso: Hercules has sure been getting some lately!
seeso: Amadeus Cho needs to get busy.
Zombo: But Amadeus was DENIED by that Amazon.
seeso: I hope snakey schoolgirl chick isn't dead!
Fred Van Lente: We will see about Delphyne.
Fred Van Lente: I have been in love with her since I saw Clayton's kick-ass design, so I certainly hope she pulls through somehow.
seeso: Ha ha, coy again...
Brian Cronin: I've been mightily impressed with Henry's work as of late
Brian Cronin: Always good to see artists grow as artists
Fred Van Lente: Clayton has been kicking ass, and he's already committed to another arc in 2009.
preston: nice, Clayton belongs on Herc!
preston: his facial expressions are the bomb
seeso: Clayton is amazing. Love his stuff.
Brian Cronin: The cover with Hercules breaking through the wall - tremendous job. His Marvel Adventures: Avengers covers have been striking, as well.

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taimur: Any chance of seeing ARMOR again in the future? Marvel Zombies 3 rocks!!!!!!!!!!
preston: so I'm guessing one of your secret projects is a MAX book?
preston: Speaking of Herc, are you and Dan Slott (and Greg Pak) trading notes for Hercules, because it seems like he and Amadeus are gonna play quite a role in Mighty Avengers
Fred Van Lente: Dan and I were actually just trading notes yesterday via Gmail chat (a useful little tool).
Fred Van Lente: And he let me pick his brain about She-Hulk for "Hulk Family", so it's mutual.
preston: cool, if anyone else can do Herc and Amadeus justice it'd be Slott
Fred Van Lente: Yeah, Dan seems really excited to write Amadeus and Greg and I are excited to see what he comes up with.
preston: Yeah, in an interview he described Amadeus as the new Rick Jones, lots of fun to be had there
seeso: You and Dan seem to have similar feels to your writing styles.
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Zombo: I thought this chat would be bursting with Van Lentians, but it's actually rather civil.
Fred Van Lente: Just as long as we don't all contract Van Letitis.
Fred Van Lente: "It burns when I pee!"
Zombo: We all already have it.
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seeso: Are you satisfied with the numbers Herc is doing? I'd really like to see that book do well. It's at the top of my stack every week it comes out.
taimur: What issues are you and Pak writing up to? Last time I heard it was in the 130's
Fred Van Lente: Well, we've been budgeted out through #140.
seeso: It needs more push from Marvel, and seems like that's starting.
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seeso: What can we look forward to seeing in Herc next year?
Fred Van Lente: In 2009 for Herc, we get the origin of the big guy in the March issue, #126.
preston: double-sized!
Fred Van Lente: #126 is indeed x2 sized...
Fred Van Lente: That issue features the RETURN of KIRBY, now that "Secret Invasion" has ended.
Fred Van Lente: ...and it's basically the "Season Premiere" of Season Two of the INCREDIBLE HERCULES.
Fred Van Lente: Hera allies herself with, um...
Fred Van Lente: ...I guess you could call it this "Cabal," see...
seeso: Awesome!
seeso: The push has begun.
preston: whoa, Dark Reign
seeso: OOOO
Brian Cronin: Very cool.
Fred Van Lente: And there is one thing "Incredible Hercules" fans have been asking for since the series was announced.
Fred Van Lente: And they will get it in spades, at last, in the summer of 2009.
Brian Cronin: Profanity?
Fred Van Lente: Fuck no!
seeso: lol
seeso: Tease us a little bit?
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Fred Van Lente: You know that Peter, Paul and Mary song?
seeso: Dragon?
seeso: Puff?
Crystal Skillman: LOL!
Fred Van Lente: "If I Had a Hammer"
Brian Cronin: Blowin' in the Wind! (Any chance for a Dylan reference)
timbre68: THOR!
seeso: THOR
seeso: HOLY SHIT
seeso: OMG
taimur: I say thee....YAY!
seeso: sweeeeeeeet
preston: nice!!!
Brian Cronin: "Blowin' in the Wind" can apply to Thor, too!
Fred Van Lente: Yes, Brian, we will soon introduce Herc's new arch nemesis, Mr. Tambourine Man.
Zombo: Mr. Van Lente, do you play Rock Band or Guitar Hero?
seeso: can't wait!
seeso: Henry's Thor will rock.
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Fred Van Lente: In speaking of arch-nemeses...
Fred Van Lente: ...we meet Amadeus Cho's.
seeso: Ooh, nice. Wonder who it is?
taimur: the 6th smartest person perhaps?
Fred Van Lente: Is there a connection between said nemesis and the death of Amadeus' parents?!!?
Fred Van Lente: Is there a connection between said death and...
Fred Van Lente: Wait, wait, I've said too much.
Fred Van Lente: I can feel the chip in the base of my neck vibrating.
taimur: Carmilla Black
Fred Van Lente: I am afraid we will be going into "Scanners" territory if I say any more.
seeso: but... gooey bits....
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Fred Van Lente: Any other Herc questions?
seeso: Are you satisfied with the numbers?
Fred Van Lente: I am.
Fred Van Lente: The thing that I like about Herc is, when you think about it, he is a character who has NEVER had an on-going series before (at Marvel).
seeso: That's true.
Fred Van Lente: How many titles is Marvel publishing that is the inaugural run of a series?
seeso: I never liked him before you guys started your series.
Fred Van Lente: That is to say, that isn't a revival of another series?
Fred Van Lente: I honestly can't think of another one.
preston: What I love is when a writer or two comes along and does a run that makes me love a character
timbre68: I don't think the title is going anywhere, great critical success...
Fred Van Lente: Thanks.
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Zombo: I always loved the scene where he tried to hold off the Masters of Evil all by himself at Avengers Mansion.
Zombo: That is one of my all-time favorite scenes.
Fred Van Lente: Yeah, I love me some Roger Stern Avengers.
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taimur: So Mikaboshi.......we gotta assume he'll be back.
Fred Van Lente: Mikaboshi is out there.
Fred Van Lente: Be afraid. Be very afraid...
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preston: Oh, is there going to be a Renegade reunion?
Fred Van Lente: At the moment, "Love & War" with Namora is about as close as you're gonna get.
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seeso: I think you are the guy they should have tapped for Avengers: Initiative. You'd rock on that book.
Fred Van Lente: Thanks, Seeso! Although Christos and I have been talking, and he seems interested in using another creation of mine someone mentioned earlier...
Fred Van Lente: ...and if she joined the book, that would rock.
Brian Cronin: Carmilla needs to get a Dark Reign tie-in
Brian Cronin: Because I was going to do a Top Five Attempts to Tie Carmilla to Popular Titles, and I was short one.
seeso: Ooh, she?
seeso: awesome
Fred Van Lente: Well, Brian, it's something Christos mentioned in passing, and I haven't followed up with him in a while, so I don't want to put words in his mouth.
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timbre68: I seem to remember Herc having a drinking problem, any hints towards this?
Fred Van Lente: Timbre, he can drink as much as he wants without hurting his liver!
Fred Van Lente: How is that a drinking "PROBLEM?!??!"
timbre68: lucky!
Fred Van Lente: The problem is there is just so much booze, and so little time...
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seeso: Fred, are you looking to get into movies or TV?
Zombo: Mr. Van Lente, are you ever going to do any What If? titles?
seeso: Fred, who would you cast as Hercules in a movie?
timbre68: Do you have any dream characters? Ones you'd kill to write?
Fred Van Lente: Yeah, someone asked this earlier.
Fred Van Lente: I really enjoyed doing "Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four," and I think it'd be cool to do the 616 version of Ben, Sue, Reed and Johnny.
Fred Van Lente: Something with Machine Man would rock too.
seeso: Oh, man that would be amazing.
Fred Van Lente: As you can tell, I'm an unabashed Kirby partisan.
seeso: Machine Man needs his own team. A team of robots, would rock.
timbre68: that would be great! A FVL FF
preston: I mentioned once in a forum: Machine Man, Agent of ARMOR
preston: that would rock
Fred Van Lente: Oh, and editor Bill Rosemann knows I'm open for any ETERNALS stuff the Knaufs don't want to do.
taimur: Marvel Zombies.....4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fred Van Lente: Right, that was another question from before:
Fred Van Lente: Yes, ARMOR will return.
preston: nice
seeso: Zombies is totally rocking right now.
Fred Van Lente: Definitely.
Fred Van Lente: I think Howard the Duck, Agent of ARMOR would rule too...
timbre68: You'd be a nice match for Howard the Duck...Gerber was amazing!
preston: He'd be perfect
seeso: Can't wait to see how it ends. You write a great Aaron Stack, but I wanted Jocasta to kick more butt!
Fred Van Lente: Yeah, I love Jocasta.
Brian Cronin: It's a renaissance time for Jocasta nowadays
seeso: Will she kick butt in the conclusion?
Fred Van Lente: There is more Jocasta butt-kicking, yes.
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Crystal Skillman left the chat 4 seconds ago
Fred Van Lente: Geez, thanks a lot honey!
Fred Van Lente: Heh.
seeso: lol
preston: ha
timbre68: Your wife dogged you!
Fred Van Lente: I'm used to it by now. I live with her.
seeso: I think his wife knows all the answers to these questions.
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taimur: Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy clones being harvested by the Jackal in Marvel Zombies 3. Brilliant! What was the genesis of that crazy idea?
Fred Van Lente: That's a good question.
Fred Van Lente: Like a lot of things, ideas just pop into my brain.
Fred Van Lente: Since I was a kid, the storytelling mechanism inside my brain hasn't turned off.
Fred Van Lente: It's always churning new ideas, overturning old ones, combining two disparate concepts into one much better one (or crappy one), etc.
Fred Van Lente: I actually don't remember where the Jackal thing came from.
Fred Van Lente: I have to admit, the science-loving part of me never quite got the zombie apocalypse thing.
preston: it's just an excuse for gore
Fred Van Lente: Their entire purpose is to eat everything, so if they devoured the whole planet, they'd wipe out the whole food supply.
Fred Van Lente: Wouldn't they then be screwed?
seeso: Zombies don't have logic.
Brian Cronin: I guess that's why most people write zombies as morons
seeso: They just must... eat... brains...
Fred Van Lente: I think that's where the Jackal thing came from:
Fred Van Lente: Whoever could provide them with an unlimited food supply would be King.
Fred Van Lente: Or Kingpin, as the case may be.
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Zombo: Are there any Zombie babies?
Fred Van Lente: The baby thing was done in the "Dawn of the Dead" remake, so I've avoided it.
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Fred Van Lente: Another thing about zombie worlds:
Fred Van Lente: Why ARE there so many zombies running around?
Fred Van Lente: Don't they devour human flesh? Whole? Insatiably?
preston: That's what i never figured out
Fred Van Lente: IF a zombie found somebody, wouldn't he just gobble him or her right down?
Fred Van Lente: Why is there enough left over to stand up and become a zombie?
seeso: Ha ha ha, good point.
timbre68: Well you did get the ones who escape with just a bite or two
timbre68: These are questions for Kirkman and Romero!
Fred Van Lente: At least in Marvel Zombies, there's KIND of an explanation...
Fred Van Lente: ...in that only super-powered corpses are left because they can defend themselves from each other.
preston: that part sorta makes sense
Fred Van Lente: I mean, it's not like you and I are drowning in half-eaten hamburgers.
Fred Van Lente: And we don't even have "THE HUNGER".
Fred Van Lente: Anyway, these are questions I did not have to confront until I became the "Marvel Zombies" writer.
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seeso: So, where are you from, Fred?
seeso: How did you get into writing?
Fred Van Lente: I'm from Cleveland, Ohio.
seeso: Aha. My condolences.
larry Lot of good comic people from Cleveland. Bendis, Vaughan, Sumerak... not to mention Seigel & Schuster and Harvey Pekar. Is it something in the water?
Fred Van Lente: I got into comics in college, when I was in the "Comics Club" at Syracuse University.
Fred Van Lente: There I met Steve Ellis, of Zuda's "High Moon" fame ... and Ryan Dunlavey, who'd later do "Action Philosophers" and "Comic Book Comics" with me.
Fred Van Lente: Steve and I did an independent crime comic called "The Silencers."
Fred Van Lente: That got me noticed by Marvel.
seeso: Right on, thanks!
Brian Cronin: Silencers was a fun book.
seeso: Where can I pick up a copy of "The Silencers?"
Brian Cronin: http://www.fredvanlente.com/silencers.htm
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Zombo: So, what did Brian threaten you with to get you to do this?
Brian Cronin: He knows
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seeso: What are your favorite comics right now?
Fred Van Lente: Right now, I'm enjoying the collected "Local" by Wood & Kelly....
Fred Van Lente: ...and "Berlin" Book 2 by Lutes...
seeso: I don't know any of these books.
Fred Van Lente: ...and Marvel Horror Essentials Vol. 1... which I have to read for one of the aforementioned projects above.... Hmmmmm...
Brian Cronin: Local, seeso, is about a young woman who travels to different locations
Brian Cronin: so each issue is a look at a different "local" scene
Brian Cronin: Berlin, meanwhile, is a stunning look at life in Berlin between the two World Wars
seeso: Oho. Filed into my brain.
timbre68: Local was amazing...
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Nitz the Bloody: hello, Mr. Van Lente, it's an honor to meet you (even by disembodied chat ). Quite enjoying Incredible Herc
Fred Van Lente: Thanks, Nitz!
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seeso: Fred, do you have a twitter account?
Fred Van Lente: You know, I've avoided all MySpace-Facebook-Twitter-etc. social networking sites like the plague.
seeso: Aha, noted.
Fred Van Lente: My friends convinced me to set up a MySpace account, but then I never used it...
seeso: Quesada has been twittering like a fiend lately.
timbre68: FACEBOOK is terrifying
Fred Van Lente: ...and I disconnected it when it wouldn't stop sending me links to porn and/or escort services.
seeso: lol
Fred Van Lente: I suppose I should get more involved and use it for self-promotion...
preston: MySpace does that??
Fred Van Lente: ...but I just find keeping up with it kinda draining, to be honest.
seeso: I see.
preston: Nah Fred, you don't need self-promotion, it's already in your writing
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seeso: So any aspirations to write a play?
Fred Van Lente: My wife, who just left us, is a playwright and we have talked about working on something together.
seeso: Whoa, sweet!
Fred Van Lente: But I'm not sure I'd want to tread on her turf on my own.
seeso: I'm an actor in Chicago, which is why I'm asking.
seeso: Gotcha.
Fred Van Lente: My wife has a play in Chicago right now!
seeso: No shit?
Fred Van Lente: Yup.
seeso: What is it?
seeso: I'll go see it.
Fred Van Lente: I'm yelling at her to tell me the name...
Fred Van Lente: It's at the "Side Project". Heard of it?
Fred Van Lente: "Cut to the Quick" is the festival/show.
seeso: Yes, I've seen some shows there!
seeso: Small theater, but good work.
seeso: Got it, it's called, "Agony in the Garden." I'll go see it.
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Brian Cronin: Dan Felty asked: Is the complete Action Philosophers I heard tell of going to be ready by Christmas? How about by Feb. 13th? My dad called the issue of AP I showed him the greatest thing in the history of things and I would love to get him a nice compilation as a gift!
Fred Van Lente: The AP collection will be ready for Christmas _2009_.
Fred Van Lente: We're 99% certain it's only going to be in softcover.
Fred Van Lente: I crunched the numbers for the hardcover, and it just didn't seem economically feasible.
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Brian Cronin: Speaking of Action Philosophers, let us take a moment to note how amazing the artwork by Ryan Dunlavey was on that project, and how he is killing it on Comic Book Comics now, as well!
Fred Van Lente: Yes, Ryan is great.
Fred Van Lente: And he is trying his best to crank out CBC #3 before the end of the year...
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Zombo: One quick question: who shot first: Han or Greedo?
Fred Van Lente: Han.
Zombo: Awesome.
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Brian Cronin: And Alexander asked: Fred, have you ever thought of writing a 2nd Ares mini? He seems to need a bit more fleshing out and with WWH and Secret Invasion. Not enough time has been spent with him.
timbre68: Did you write the first Ares mini?
Fred Van Lente: Well, Ares is primarily Brian Bendis' property.
Fred Van Lente: What I loved about Ares from reading about the myths...
Fred Van Lente: ...is that he's the Rodney Dangerfield of gods -- Nobody ever gives him any respect.
Fred Van Lente: He was largely despised as representing the bloodlust aspect of war.
Fred Van Lente: Athena was the strategist goddess of war.
preston: He's such a great character and yet no one seems to realize that he's fully fleshed out
Fred Van Lente: That's what we tried to get across in "Incredible Hercules".
preston: I think the definitive Bendis scene of him was in Secret Invasion where he told everyone to get the fuck out of the Savage Land and no one listened
preston: also there's this great humor about him even though he's somewhat of a straight man
preston: "Williams, now is not the time for you to be you"
Fred Van Lente: And I think Mike Oeming (who wrote that first "Ares," Timbre) did well in his original series.
timbre68: Yeah, I liked the Oeming series much more than his characterization in the Mighty Avengers...
Fred Van Lente: And Ares will be returning in the pages of iHerc sooner rather than later...
Fred Van Lente: ...'cause like he's kind of on a new hero team now, and everything...
Brian Cronin: Good to hear
preston: there is that
taimur: Poor Ares, He's already lost his daughter, Hippolyta
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YouKnowForKids: I just wanted to wish Mr. Van Lente and all a happy Fred Van Lente day, and thank Brian for introducing me to the joys of this holiday.
Fred Van Lente: And a great FVLD to you, YKFK!

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Fred Van Lente: Unfortunately, I'm leaving "Wolverine: First Class" with #12, which was a tough decision...
Fred Van Lente: ...but the "Free Comic Book Day" issue will be kind of a swan song, so that's nice.
Brian Cronin: Those books are almost impossible to stay on long term, Fred.
Brian Cronin: I mean from a creative standpoint
timbre68: Wow! Sorry to hear about Wolvie 1st Class - who's to follow?
Fred Van Lente: Yes, Brian, you're totally right, it can be very draining.
Fred Van Lente: On the average on-going comic, a 6 issue arc is basically one story. (At least the way I think of it.)
Fred Van Lente: While on the all-ages done-in-oners, you have 6 issues, you have to come up with 6 different stories.
Brian Cronin: Those types of books are best done with a writer doing a few issues here and there
Brian Cronin: Because burnout is just a guarantee after enough issues
timbre68: Well it's nice to see a creator who can do a single story in one issue. Shows great imagination and talent. KUDOS!
preston: yeah, done-in-ones are this lost art that very few writers can master
Hunter: I hope we get a big hardcover of your Wolverine First Class issues.
Fred Van Lente: I had heard talk of Borders doing a special edition WFC hardcover for the movie... Not sure if that's still on...
seeso: Interesting...
preston: cool
Hunter: I would buy it on a sec.
Brian Cronin: It'd be nice if Borders was still around for the Wolverine movie
Fred Van Lente: Yeah, right? That's why I'm not sure about the status of the WFC collection...
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Brian Cronin: Hey, Machine Man - you were a big fan pre-Nextwave as well, right? What did you like about him as a character?
Fred Van Lente: I really did like Nextwave, yeah!
Fred Van Lente: When we decided to put him in MZ3, I went out and got all the Kirby issues, which I think are really underappreciated.
Fred Van Lente: I think next to "Eternals," that was Kirby's best 1970's Marvel work.
timbre68: I liked when the Hulk tore him apart...
seeso: I really liked your explanation of why Machine Man took this new attitude towards life.
seeso: Ellis didn't really explain that in NextWave.
preston: it's been great so far though
Fred Van Lente: It's interesting how much what Ellis was doing, while obviously he took it to extremes...
Fred Van Lente: ...but a lot of it -- MM calling humans "Fleshies," the whole insurance job... That all comes right out of the Kirby/Ditko issues.
YouKnowForKids: Kirby introduced Machine Man in a 2001 tie-in, right? Does that make the monolith in Marvel continuity, I wonder? And will we find that it was actually Mr. Sinister who brought it to the moon?
seeso: No shit? Didn't know that.
Brian Cronin: yeah, he was a bit of a wiseass even back then
seeso: So it was there already.
Fred Van Lente: It would be great if Marvel did a 2001/MM Omnibus to go with Devil Dinosaur and Eternals...
Fred Van Lente: ...since those 2001 issues are impossible to find, and believe me, I've tried...
YouKnowForKids: It would go along well with the current Machine Man and Kirby love, though.
timbre68: They may not have the rights to 2001
Fred Van Lente: Right, exactly, I think the 2001 rights are the issue.
Brian Cronin: they do not have the rights.
Brian Cronin: but they've worked out stuff in the past with other licensed projects
Brian Cronin: so it is feasible
Brian Cronin: like doing one single printing of essential Godzilla
Fred Van Lente: Maybe we can start a letter-writing campaign to Fox (or whoever owns them)...
Fred Van Lente: What studio did 2001?
Brian Cronin: 2001 was a joint project, so I have no idea who owns the rights
timbre68: Write to Asimov or the Kubrick estate...
Hunter: Would it be that expensive to get the rights for a reprint? It's not like there is a lot of 2001 merchandising out there...
Fred Van Lente: I imagine the problem is that unlike "Star Wars" which has a bulk of back material you can make $$$ out of...
Fred Van Lente: ...2001 may not be profitable enough to the Insane Rabid Kirby Fan Specialty Market (of which I am a proud member) to warrant the license fee.
Brian Cronin: I bet they'd be willing to do it, it's just a question if the price is worth it to marvel
Brian Cronin: Hah, or what Fred just said
Hunter: Well, there is a bunch of Master of Kung-Fu to reprint and Marvel doesn't get the right either...
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ex: Marvel Zombies 3 and Incredible Hercules are amazing!
ex: Thank you!
Fred Van Lente: Thanks, Ex!
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seeso: Any word on when you can announce your secret projects?
Fred Van Lente: One secret project you'll know about next month.
seeso: Sweet, thanks.
Fred Van Lente: That is a lock for April, so I imagine you'll be hearing about sooner rather than later.
Fred Van Lente: Oh, and then there's Secret Project #5, which is coming out next month and is very different than all the others.
seeso: A Marvel project?
Fred Van Lente: Yes, Marvel is #5.
seeso: Cool.
preston: wait, so it's been announced?
Fred Van Lente: Oh, and #2 reunites me with my SUPER VILLAIN TEAM UP compadre, Francis Portela, and that is 100% awesome.
seeso: Right on. I'll be picking that one up. MODOK's Eleven was so underappreciated.
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Brian Cronin: Hey, do the Gurihiru folks speak English?
Fred Van Lente: Brian, they do not. They have a great translator, Aki.
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timbre68: Is secret project #5 a team book -- hope your head doesn't explode
Fred Van Lente: #5 -- Sort of.
timbre68: The Legion of Monsters -- Werewolf by Night, Frankenstein, Santana,
Fred Van Lente: You may be on to something there...
Fred Van Lente: ...crap! Chip tickling! Never mind. "I KNOW NOTHINK!!"
timbre68: hehehehe
seeso: Awesome. Some horror teases...
ex: The end of Marvel Zombies 3 is going to lead to some new horror titles, right? Right!?
Fred Van Lente: Mmmmmmmaybe.
timbre68: MORBIUS!!!
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seeso: I also thought your Living Laser portrayal was really well done and tragic.
seeso: I really felt sorry for the poor guy...
Fred Van Lente: Little known fact:
Fred Van Lente: Living Laser is Ryan Dunlavey's all-time favorite comic book character.
seeso: Ha ha, good to know.
Fred Van Lente: That's why I put him in there.
Fred Van Lente: Because then I knew Ryan would buy it.
Brian Cronin: yeah, your Laser portrayal - was that inspired at all by Kaminski's run on Iron Man?
Fred Van Lente: No, believe it or not I hadn't read a single Iron Man comic for any significant period of time before I got the "Marvel Adventures Iron Man" gig.
timbre68: The Living Laser, really. That's an obscure favorite character
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YouKnowForKids: Well, my procrastinatory drop-in to FVLD chat needs to end - time to resume grading student papers. Thanks for spending the time with us, Fred!
YouKnowForKids: I look forward to reading more of your stuff.
Fred Van Lente: Flunk 'em all, YKFK!
YouKnowForKids: Nah, they're good kids.
Fred Van Lente: Oh, in that case pass 'em all.
YouKnowForKids: Can do, and I'll tell them that you said to. Thanks!
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ex: It seems like Hercules is joining the Mighty Avengers -- does this make it tougher to write him now?
Fred Van Lente: Not really, Ex, Dan Slott and Greg and I are coordinating stuff pretty well.
ex: You need to collaborate and make sure things aren't wrong in the MA title, if he stays
timbre68: Is continuity really a headache?
Fred Van Lente: Yes.
Fred Van Lente: BUT...
Fred Van Lente: ...I do think ignoring it is "breaking the rules." I know I -- and most writers I know, really -- make a very conscious effort not to violate it.
Fred Van Lente: But there's so goddamn much of it, never violating it is a pracitcal impossibility.
Fred Van Lente: And, you know, so much of it is so terribly stupid.
nas: so does it bother you when fans point it out when/IF you DO violate continuity?
seeso: I don't care that much about continuity. I just want good stories.
preston: X-men noir must be a fresh breath of air
timbre68: too true. as long as the story is good and the characters are in character
Brian Cronin: I liked Wolverine First Class for a bit.
Brian Cronin: But then I realized that the costume did not fit into continuity, and I was PISSED
Fred Van Lente: Ha ha ha! Nice one, Brian.
Fred Van Lente: The horrors of FVLD last year.
Fred Van Lente: It doesn't really bother me anymore, now that I'm more established.
Fred Van Lente: When you're more of an unknown quantity, you tend to be more sensitive to that kind of stuff.
ex: Any plans for a Incredible Herc and Hulk team-up or meet-up or something any time soon?
Fred Van Lente: Ex: Not beyond the "Hulk vs. Hercules" one-shot, no, not at the moment.
Fred Van Lente: Wait -- What am I saying?
Fred Van Lente: Read INCREDIBLE HERCULES #126!
preston: Well, Hercules and Hulk are gonna be in Mighty Avengers
ex: Yes!
seeso: Ooh, cool!
preston: so minus the VS.
preston: You could make Herc's new costume the Borat swimsuit and I'd still read it.
Fred Van Lente: Dude, his Kirby costume practically IS the Borat swimsuit...
preston: rofl
Brian Cronin: You should bring back the mid-90s look
Brian Cronin: No beard, mullet, big metal shoulder pads and a t-shirt
seeso: Ugh, the mid 90's look was teh suck
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seeso: Are you going to Chicago Comicon next year?
timbre68: Do you know of your convention schedule for next year?
Fred Van Lente: I think we'll be at Stumptown (in Portalnd? Or Seattle?), maybe Toronto, maybe San Diego, definitely New York Comic Con & MoCCA Art Fest.
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ex: Why wasn't Hera invited to the Cabal!?
Fred Van Lente: Read INCREDIBLE HERCULES #127!
ex: YES!
seeso: Hera may be aligning herself with the Cabal.
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Gokitalo: Of the creative sound effects you've come up with for Incredible Herc, which has been your favorite so far?
seeso: I like the "grgpk" one.
seeso: lol
Fred Van Lente: Confession time!
Fred Van Lente: Those awesome sound effects?
Fred Van Lente: 99% are the work of our assistant editor, Nate Cosby.
Fred Van Lente: He puts them while he's ballooning the art for the letterers.
seeso: Whoa, didn't know that.
timbre68: Nate Cosby---talented editor!
seeso: Awesome.
Gokitalo: Nate Cosby is a brilliant man
Fred Van Lente: So, I can't take any credit.
Fred Van Lente: So when Hercules punches Kly'bn across the room at the climax of "Sacred Invasion"...
preston: Btw, what's up with Tom Halloway in X-Men Noir? Did you just want to replace the Angel who apparently committed suicide by "doing his impression of a birdie" or are you going to play up some Golden Age ties there?
Brian Cronin: Who is your favorite non-Klein letterer of all time?
Fred Van Lente: ...the SFX is "NA-COSBOOM!"
Fred Van Lente: That was me.
Gokitalo: Ha!
seeso: "NA-COSBOOM!" Ha ha!
Fred Van Lente: Mr. Cosby, the X-Noir Editor, was the one who suggested we used the Angel.
Fred Van Lente: And I'm glad he did! The character has been terrific
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seeso: You seem to be able to write a lot of different genres. Is there any one style that you think suits you best? What's your "wheel house?"
Fred Van Lente: I like a lot of different genres.
Fred Van Lente: It keeps me from getting too stale.
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ex: Are you going to be writing any of the other Noir titles?
ex: If not, who is? Or are the writers tied to the future projects secret?
Fred Van Lente: Ex, no, I don't think I am.
Fred Van Lente: The complexity and research that went into "X Men Noir" meant I didn't have much left over for converting other franchises.
Fred Van Lente: Wouldn't mind doing an X-sequel, though...
Brian Cronin: Power Pack Noir
Fred Van Lente: Power Pack Noir = They all work in a Dickensain match factory.
Fred Van Lente: Or they're "newsies."
seeso: lol
taimur: Christian Bale's finest
b>Brian Cronin: He peaked then
seeso: Oh yeah, Bale was in that!
seeso: LOL
Fred Van Lente: Wasn't Kenneth Branagh in it too? Or am I thinking of something else?
seeso: No Branagh in Newsies
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timbre68: Who would win Thor or the Hulk?
Fred Van Lente: I think Thor and Hulk would verily rip the very Earth asunder before such a contest 'tween champions was decided.
timbre68: Good Answer!
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seeso: Who do you think should play Captain America?
Fred Van Lente: My mom.
seeso: LOL
preston: Beyonce
Fred Van Lente: "Fred's Mom IS.... CAPTAIN AMERICA!"
timbre68: You must have an awesome mom...did she buy you comics!
Fred Van Lente: She did, and read them to me too!
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Brian Cronin: Why do people give Power Pack such crap? It's a great comic!
Fred Van Lente: Brian, that's a question I've asked myself many a time.
Brian Cronin: "Comics Should Be Like When I was a Kid!" But if you do a comic for kids, it gets shit on!
Brian Cronin: So when we get Power Pack in the regular Marvel Universe, we have struggling actress Julie or Alex steals the other kids' powers
Fred Van Lente: Marvel is feverishly trying to figure out how to use the Power Pack in 616, believe you me...
.Hunter: Power Pack is cool.
seeso: I want to see the other Power Pack kids in 616
Fred Van Lente: I think there is some insecurity out there that if superheroes aren't relentlessly "mature" all the time...
Fred Van Lente: ...there's a fear that the perception of the medium will continue to be thought of as "for kids"...
Fred Van Lente: ...as opposed to, you know, there can be comics for kids, for superhero fans, for non-fiction readers, etc. ...
seeso: Word.
Fred Van Lente: I guess you could have a cookbook as a comic, too, but I don't know quite how that would work.
preston: that'd be excellent
preston: the visual medium is perfect for instructions!
preston: captions full of easy to steps!
Hunter: In Japan and France there are comics for everyone.
nas: "Cooking for Comic Fans, by Fred's Mom...who is Captain America"?
preston: *head explodes*
Fred Van Lente: "KICK HITLER'S ASS WITH THESE RECIPES by Fred's (Captain America) Mom"
Brian Cronin: Google Chrome Instructions
Gokitalo: That's secret project #5 right there
Fred Van Lente: Nice try, Gokitalo: No, it isn't.
Fred Van Lente: One of them is an all-ages project, though.
seeso: I'd love to see Power Pack get back together in 616.
seeso: How old is Alex now? 20?
Hunter: You just know that SOMEONE will want to kill, rape or maim them.
Fred Van Lente: "Show me on the doll where the villain touched you."
Brian Cronin: I don't mind them being in regular continuity, but when they do, they keep trying to do "serious" stories
Brian Cronin: or making them all in their 20s
Hunter: It's bad enough they grew up...
preston: They should play up a younger Fantastic Four angle
preston: I mean the family aspect shouldn't be an obstacle but a strength
Fred Van Lente: Power Pack is rough because the continuity is all F-ed up.
Fred Van Lente: I don't entirely understand how Franklin Richards is still a little kid and Alex Power now shaves.
Brian Cronin: Exactly
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timbre68: An all ages Thor would be cool, especially with your knowledge of mythology
Fred Van Lente: You will be pleased by a coming announcement, then, although I'm not involved...
timbre68: Sweet!
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Greg: Fred, would you say working on the periphery of the Marvel universe has afforded you more freedom than if you were writing one of Marvel's 'big name titles' and if so would you be interested in working on one of the aforementioned "big name titles" or are you happier working on the more 'second tier' titles with more freedom?
Fred Van Lente: Yes, it has afforded me more freedom, which I do appreciate.
Fred Van Lente: As I said before, "Fantastic Four" would be a lot of fun.
Fred Van Lente: Come to think of it, "Avengers," which is the comic I collected as a kid.
preston: You'd be great on it, it'd be very Waid-like
Fred Van Lente: But if I can do an "Alpha Flight" revival, I'd throw either of those over in a second!
preston: Excuse my comparing you to other writers btw
Fred Van Lente: 'S cool.
nas: Who're your favorite Alpha Flight members, Fred?
timbre68: Alpha Flight! Old School Alpha Flight with Byrne on pencils
preston: Hopefully AF is one of the aforementioned secret projects pending approval
preston: don't have to say anything though, wouldn't want that chip to explode
Fred Van Lente: No. I wish.
preston: ahh, me too
Fred Van Lente: Northstar is probably my all time favorite.
Fred Van Lente: Followed by Puck.
Fred Van Lente: Snowbird, obviously.
Fred Van Lente: Talisman.
Hunter: Geez, if Power Pack continuity is bad, Alpha Flight is a disaster.
preston: We'll say it was Mephisto and clones
taimur: Did you cry after New Avengers #16?
ex: Which one was New Avengers 16?
preston: the Alpha Flight massacre
ex: Ah
Fred Van Lente: I cried after Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola, and never got over it.
Fred Van Lente: No offense to either of those fine creators.
Fred Van Lente: Of course, I had literally JUST subscribed and then, the second issue, Byrne left.
Fred Van Lente: ARGH!
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J-Dub: Hi, Fred. I picked up the Hulk family issue that came out this week, and I noticed that you did two stories in there. Were those written just for that special or were they inventory stories?
J-Dub: btw, I loved both stories.
Fred Van Lente: J-Dub, they were written both for that 1-shot.
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Brian Cronin: Speaking of Mephisto, since everyone's favorite topic if One More Day, if it were up to you - would Spidey be married or single?
timbre68: I'm loving the current Spider-man
seeso: Me too.
preston: me too
Fred Van Lente: Single. I'm good buddies with Jim Salicrup, with whom I serve on the board of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art here in New York...
Fred Van Lente: ...and he's very proud of how well that annual sold.
Fred Van Lente: But as a kid I stopped reading Spidey when that happened -- I wasn't mad or anything, I just lost interest in him, felt like I couldn't relate.
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Amp: Wow, I can't believe this is still going on
Amp: I lost track of time because I'm on a different continent, and I thought this would be over by now
Fred Van Lente: Amp, a Fred Van Lente Day party don't stop.
Brian Cronin: Come on, Amp, this is Fred Van Lente here! He won't let you down!
Amp: haha
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seeso: Whoa you're on the MoCCA board? Awesome. Who else is on it?
seeso: Ellen S. Abramowitz, Chairman David J. Ennis 2, Vice Chairman Lawrence Klein, Chairman Emeritus Ken Fisher Mark J. Lerner Keith Mayerson Roger Reed Jim Salicrup Jeff Trexler Fred Van Lente
_____________________________________

timbre68: What Annual - Salicrup?
Brian Cronin: The Annual where Spider-Man got married, timbre, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21
Fred Van Lente: Jim edited the Wedding Annual. I forget the number.
Hunter: I'm loving the current Spider-Man too. For the first time in a decade or so!
Fred Van Lente: Oh, and I'm doing an issue of ASM in March. I'm stoked!
Brian Cronin: oh very cool
ex: YES!
Fred Van Lente: A MODOK's 11 member returns to menace the Wall Crawler... Oooooooh....
nas: Fred on Spidey - YES!
ex: Enticing!
preston: What??
timbre68: Ah FVL on Spider-man fantastic...that Martin guys does the best Spidey!
seeso: HOLY SHIT
preston: FVL on ASM!!
seeso: Dude, so awesome.
preston: Awesome!
Amp: Fred, are you happy with the current status of Spidey?
Fred Van Lente: Steve Wacker is awesome to work with.
seeso: Who's your artist?
preston: the SPOT??
seeso: It's gotta be Spot.
preston: I loved him in the old cartoons
Hunter: Rocket Racer?
seeso: So you can't tell us the artist yet, I presume?
seeso: I hope it's Martin.
nas: The Spot! Do it, Fred! DO IT
preston: is this just a one-off or are they gonna tap you for more ASM in the future?
timbre68: FVL on Spidey! I smell an Eisner! Single issue story?
Fred Van Lente: Yes.
Hunter: Van Lente on Spidey, great news!
Gokitalo: "The 34-year-old fanboy who collected Spider-Man"
Fred Van Lente: I don't think I can reveal the artist, no.
Brian Cronin: Wow, Steve Ditko is returning to draw an issue of spider-man written by Fred!
Brian Cronin: You heard it here, first!
seeso: lol
Amp: tell everyone!
Fred Van Lente: You know, I got one of Ditko's self-published collections of essays recently...
Fred Van Lente: ...and the first essay is a total denunciation of the "Marvel Zombies" franchise.
Fred Van Lente: So, even though I'd love to work with Ditko, I don't think I'd past muster with him.
seeso: LOL, he must love you then.
J-Dub: Wow, so the essays are all recent?
nas: Wait, before I go: give me the name of that Ditko book - please
Fred Van Lente: Here, my bookshelf is behind me...
Fred Van Lente: It's 2007's "The Avenging Mind".

Fred Van Lente: And the MZ essay is the first one - dated 2007, so pretty recent, yeah.
Brian Cronin: Ayn Rand hated zombies
Fred Van Lente: Well, yeah, actually that's exactly it...
Fred Van Lente: The Randian notion of the "hero" is an idealized individual who should provide a model of virtuous reason...
Gokitalo: Maybe Marvel Zombies 4 should have a flamethrower-wielding Ayn Rand as a guest star...
Brian Cronin: that would be a great action philosophers/marvel zombies crossover
Fred Van Lente: ...and the MZ franchise, with its decaying, flesh-munching Spider-Men and such is part of the "Looter" culture to undermine and weaken correct moral values, etc., etc. ...
Fred Van Lente: Part of the reason, in fact, that Peter Parker lost his glasses in the mid-teens of Spider-Man (whenever it was)...
Fred Van Lente: ...was that Ditko was starting to become more and more influenced by Rand's ideas and wanted to idealize Spidey more.
seeso: Wow!
Fred Van Lente: That's all in Blake Bell's great biography, "Strange & Stranger," which Fantagraphics brought out this year.

Brian Cronin: Right, and it drove him NUTS that lee kept having peter be more of an everyman in the dialogue
Fred Van Lente: And he would denounce protestors on his college campus and such.
Fred Van Lente: (Peter Parker, that is, not Ditko.)
Gokitalo: Ha, I remember Neil Gaiman talking about that
preston: oh yeah, I heard about that whole Lee/Ditko characterization dispute
Brian Cronin: What's fascinating to me is how Ditko was okay with Foswell being redeemed
Brian Cronin: How the heck does Foswell getting redeemed tie in with the idea of objectivism?
Fred Van Lente: I have the Omnibus here, I'll have to check that out...
Fred Van Lente: My understanding is that Ditko's ideas became more and more calcified after he left Marvel.
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ex: Will Hercules be affected by the Dark Reign?
Fred Van Lente: "Dark Reign" will fall on Herc, Cho and Athena like a ton of bricks.
ex: Now we're talkin'!
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timbre68: Gotta go...It's my kids birthday party night
Fred Van Lente: Enjoy, Timbre! Happy birthday to them.
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J-Dub: I saw you do that great panel for all ages books in New York last year with the slides, now that you are doing more and more main marvel universe books, do you see yourself leaving the all ages books behind?
Fred Van Lente: J-Dub, unfortunately I have left most of my All-Ages books behind, but we hope to change that in 2009.
J-Dub: Right on, I'm glad to hear you will do more all ages, I've really come to know you as a great all ages writer, even though I first started following your works with the Silencers.
_____________________________________

seeso: All right guys. Gotta go. Thanks for answering so many of my questions, Fred! Good luck to you, and I'll watch your wife's play!
Fred Van Lente: She thanks you, Seeso! As do I...
_____________________________________

Amp: Fred, what all ages book would you like to do that would never be expected, like All-Ages Punisher or something like that?
Gokitalo: Do All-Ages Punisher, Fred!
Fred Van Lente: Honestly, I thought "Wolverine: First Class" was pretty crazy when it was proposed to me.
Fred Van Lente: That's why I insisted Kitty should be there.
Brian Cronin: Good idea, Fred
Fred Van Lente: Otherwise it would be 22 pages of Wolverine NOT stabbing people.
Fred Van Lente: NOT getting shot.
Fred Van Lente: Et cetera...
Brian Cronin: Kitty makes the book
Greg: well, great job on taking a concept you weren't sure about and making a book that is consistently enjoyable and fun with it
Me: I loved it

Brian Cronin: By the way, I love how the first issue had the problems with the costume AND kitty's chest
Fred Van Lente: I actually complained about Kitty's chest.
Fred Van Lente: Fortunately, they reduced it in the published version.
Fred Van Lente: I know breasts are getting bigger with all those hormones they put in milk and all...
Fred Van Lente: But she was supposed to be 13 1/2...
preston: Kitty's always been the token small breasted comic woman for me
_____________________________________

ex: FVL, do you read DC as well?
Fred Van Lente: I read very little superhero stuff, primarily because I eat, breathe and crap this stuff 24/7, and so when it gets to be "Fred Time" I'm rarely like, "Hey, let's read a superhero comic!"
Fred Van Lente: But you know, I loved Ellis's Thunderbolts.
Fred Van Lente: And "Dr. Thirteen" from Azzarello.
Gokitalo: Oh man, Dr. Thirteen
Gokitalo: I've wanted that for ages
preston: Dr. 13 was so underrated
preston: and ended on a cliffhanger, lol!
J-Dub: Dr.13 was terrific
_____________________________________

Me: Hi Fred and thank you so much for Action Philosophers. Could you please consider doing the same thing for scientists in the future?
Amp: Wasn't there a Fraction book about scientists? Five Fists of Science?
Fred Van Lente: You're welcome, Me! And Five Fists of Science was fiction.
Amp: Oh, i haven't gotten around to read it yet
Fred Van Lente: Probably not with the scientists, because Jim Ottavani does a great job with science guys with his GNs he self-publishes through his own company, GT Labs.
Me: I didn't know about Jim Ottaviani and it looks great. Thanks!
Fred Van Lente: Tell Jim I sent you.
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Brian Cronin: what has received more nit-picking? action philosophers or comic book comics?
Fred Van Lente: Neither, actually.
Fred Van Lente: The nit-picking has in general been very respectful.
Fred Van Lente: At NYCC one year I got into a spirited discussion with a Judiasm scholar
Fred Van Lente: who seemed to think I was saying that the Kabbalah was directly responsible for the rise of Hasidism
Fred Van Lente: and I didn't think I had. I hope I'm remembering that correctly.
Fred Van Lente: But it was hilarious because it's not the usual kind of heated Talmudic argument you usually find in the Javitz Center next to Molly Crabapple's Table
Fred Van Lente: where a burlesque dancer had "SLUT" written the back of her black panties.
Fred Van Lente: Philosophy is everywhere!!!
Brian Cronin: hah
Fred Van Lente: Fred = Total Goy
Brian Cronin: How many letters did you guys get from actual professors?
Fred Van Lente: Yes, I get letters from college professors all the time.
Fred Van Lente: What's awesome is I got a letter, and chatted on the phone, with a major from West Point. They use AP in their ethics classes there.
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Amp: What's the weirdest thing that has happened to you in a con?
Fred Van Lente: The weirdest thing at a con...
Fred Van Lente: I was at Wizard World Phlly as a "guest," so I had this signing table in Artist's Alley.
Fred Van Lente: This girl -- well, young woman, 19 or something -- came over to look at Action Philosophers and Comic Book Comics I had spread out there.
Fred Van Lente: I was chatting with her, and, all of a sudden, she realized she had lost her con badge that had been around her neck.
Brian Cronin: Dude, why did you steal her badge? Uncool
Fred Van Lente: She literally burst into tears right in front of me and sat down in front of the table.
ex: WTF
Fred Van Lente: She then picked up her cell phone and called her friend and told her about it, right in front of the table, blocking traffic, people staring at her, the whole thing...
ex: Why did she cry?
Fred Van Lente: It was totally bizarre. I would have asked her if I could help her, but she was on the phone!
Amp: Haha, wow
Fred Van Lente: After about five minutes she left and went to go find the badge.
preston: I bet she was sent by Bendis
Fred Van Lente: (Later I saw she found her and she had found the badge - So I gave her the thumb's up.)
Amp: A happy ending!
Fred Van Lente: This one time, I was at a really crappy little Niagra Falls, NY show with Ryan and this metalhead comes up, looks at our comics, looks at us, and just goes
Fred Van Lente: "I like gore."
Fred Van Lente: And walks away!
J-Dub: haha
Amp: Al Gore?
Fred Van Lente: Ryan and I cracked up and that is now the definitive con story with us to this day, like a decade later.
Gokitalo: Ha!
Fred Van Lente: Body parts gore.
Fred Van Lente: I think Al was still VP at this point...
preston: What an inconvenient truth
Amp: Did he at least say it in the Crypt Keeper's voice?
Fred Van Lente: He said it in Beavis and/or Butthead's voice.
_____________________________________

Brian Cronin: what's the longest time someone (that you did not know personally) has spent at your table without buying anything?
Fred Van Lente: Oh, half the afternoon. Easily.
Fred Van Lente: Most often when the buddies of the guy at the table next to you camp out to hang for the bulk of the day.
_____________________________________

preston: btw are you and Greg building up towards some sort of huge Greek mythological climax in Hercules, what with all the flashbacks we get of his life, or are those just framing sequences?
Fred Van Lente: Yes.
preston: yes to the first hypothetical answer or the second?
Fred Van Lente: 1st
preston: cool beans
Fred Van Lente: But it's happening in the present, not in old-timey times.
Fred Van Lente: That's how it's always referred to in the script: "Old-timey times"
preston: Cool. Drama's always better when it's not retroactive.
_____________________________________

Brian Cronin: Will we ever see more silencers?
Fred Van Lente: Probably not. Steve has his hands full with "High Moon".
J-Dub: Sucks about Silencers... i always remember the first image's issue's editorial page saying it was the 1st and last issue, which sucked.
_____________________________________

Greg: Fred, will we be seeing Herc interacting with gods from other pantheons again any time soon or will he be sticking mostly to the Greek sandbox?
Fred Van Lente: Yes, and especially the one pantheon everyone has said he should interact with.
_____________________________________

Fred Van Lente: My friends, this has been awesome, but we have officially hit the 120 minute mark -- Whoo hoo!
Fred Van Lente: And, no kidding, my hands actually really hurt...
Brian Cronin: quite impressive
Fred Van Lente: Brian, thank you so much for putting this together.
J-Dub: Thanks Fred and Brian!
Fred Van Lente: It has been awesome!
Amp: thanks Fred
preston: good bye everybody, and thanks Fred and Brian!
Fred Van Lente: Thanks for all the great comments, and great questions.
ex: Thanks
Brian Cronin: Okie doke, thanks a lot, Fred, and thanks to everyone for coming! A nice turn out this holiday!

3 Comments

At December 9, 2008, Michael wrote:
I realize it was one line in a two-hour chat, but: I have never understood, and will never understand, people ...
At December 10, 2008, Beacon wrote:
I must have that power too because eight-year old me became a fan of married Spidey in 1990 and I ...
At December 10, 2008, Somebody wrote:
*also started reading Spidey well, WELL after he was married, while still a kid*

Basically, anyone who started reading Spidey IN ...

Hope You Had a Happy Fred Van Lente Day!

Brian Cronin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:55:27 +0000

See you again next year!

The chat transcript of the Van Lente chat will be up some time this week! Look for it!

X-Men Noir #1 Review

Brian Cronin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:01:52 +0000

X-Men Noir, by Fred Van Lente and Dennis Calero, is a pretty slight genre piece, but it's also a pretty entertaining one at that.

The gist of the story is as you might imagine - the X-Men as seen through the view of a typical "noir" story set in the 1940s. It's actually interesting, now that I think about it, how the 30s and 40s have become the go-to decade for noir when the noir that was being written at the time certainly did not intend to be anything but contemporary fiction. That's neither here nor there, it is just something that struck me just now.

In any event, the story at hand here is that a young woman (Jean Grey) shows up dead, and the police are not really interested, since she is a member of the "X-Men."

The chief of detectives (Magnus) is also a bit of a dirty cop, and this flies in the face of his son Peter's views on life, which are slightly more scholarly. His father wants him to join him in the "Brotherhood," but Peter is hesitant.

Meanwhile, in a clever bit of casting, the actual Golden Age Marvel hero the Angel is used in the comic as well, as, well, the Angel, also investigating Jean's death. This takes him to the nightclub owned by Gambit (where Bishop is a bouncer).

Calero's art at times is excellent, especially in creating a mood, but other times his photo realistic work really grates, particularly when it appears like he is just doing a typical Land-job, using faces where he can get them, not where they best serve a scene. But overall, the art is not a major issue.

The biggest problem with the comic is that it never really goes beyond, well, the X-Men set in a Noir story.

And that's a cute enough idea, but it's not much to hang a comic book story on.

So if you're interested in seeing the X-Men adapted into a noir setting, then boy is this the comic for you, as Fred Van Lente does a very nice job fitting them all in there. Look, there's ___! Hey look, there's ____!

But as an actual comic book story, it is certainly not bad - it's pretty entertaining, really, but if it were not for the whole "hey, it's Peter Magnus - and look, he's running away!" then I don't know if this story would really stand out.

6 Comments

At December 7, 2008, K. Ross wrote:
The pulp sential story in the back was awesome though. "Great Darwin's ghost!"
At December 7, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:
Yeah, that was cool. Agreed.
At December 7, 2008, Ian A. wrote:
the story at hand here is that a young mutant (Jean Grey) shows up dead

There are no mutants or powers ...
At December 7, 2008, Omar Karindu wrote:
Given the obscurity of the GA Angel and the even greater obscurity of his origin details, I've spoken to a ...
At December 7, 2008, Eric Phillips wrote:
I don't think it is fair to judge the story on just issue #1. It's the start of a four ...
At December 7, 2008, FunkyGreenJerusalem wrote:
Oooh, no recommended or not recommended....

I donâ€™t think it is fair to judge the story on just issue #1. ...

Top Five Dennis Calero Covers

Brian Cronin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:30:59 +0000

Here are the top five Dennis Calero covers!

Enjoy!

Calero has a real eye for photorealism, - he does not make them too blocky. I dig it. That makes him a great call for licensed work. He did a number of good Sliders covers when he was just breaking into comics, and he continues his strong licensed work today with this recent Star Trek cover.

This is a striking cover for the Unique hardcover that Calero worked on with the great Dean Motter.

This is the first of two Legion covers by Calero on the list - I really like how Supergirl pops on the cover without going overboard.

This Legion cover, though, is a lot more striking - very compelling visuals.

This variant cover for X-Men: Noir (written by Fred Van Lente), though, I think is by far the tops for Calero - what a brilliant use of negative space and silhouette.

Just awesome.

That's the Top Five! Agree? Disagree? Let me know!

3 Comments

At December 7, 2008, Matthew E wrote:
I was really impressed by Calero during his stint on the Legion. I'd be happy for him to be the ...
At May 15, 2009, Frank Trujeque wrote:
I love Calero's NOIR series. His new TROJAN WAR cover work started out weak, peaked at TW 3 (his best ...
At August 10, 2009, Mike wrote:
His Star Trek art looks like pictures of the cast with a photoshop filter run across them. In other words; ...

Top Five Variant Takes on the X-Men

Brian Cronin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:27:27 +0000

Here are the top five variant takes on the X-Men! Note I don't mean What If...?s or Alternate Realities, but stuff like X-Men Fairy Tales.

Enjoy!

5. The Manga X-Men

I really was not much of a fan of this manga take on the X-Men, but I can't think of a more deserving fifth place variant!

4. The Noir X-Men

This Fred Van Lente-penned variant on the X-Men is cute - you have to love the notion of the plot being the murder of Jean Grey!

3. The Fairy Tale X-Men

This was a strong mini-series filled with good fairy tale takes on the X-Men, and the artwork was stunning all throughout, particularly the Kyle Baker art for the second issue!

2. The X-Babies

The X-Babies are a cute concept, and they also seem to have legs, as the gag is still being used nowadays, two decades or so after they first popped up!

1. Kitty's Fairy Tale X-Men

One of the most charming issues of Claremont's X-Men run, this one-off issue by Claremont and the late, great Dave Cockrum was so cool that Cockrum even got to do a Nightcrawler mini-series based on the Bamf! character from Kitty's fairy tale!

That's the top five! Agree? Disagree? Let me know!

13 Comments

At December 7, 2008, jazzbo wrote:
Kitty's Fairy Tale X-Men are good and all, but I don't see how anyone could pick anything other than the ...
At December 7, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:
It's not like Dave Cockrum is some slouch! :)
At December 7, 2008, manglr wrote:
I think Kitty's Fairy Tale benefits from the comparative lack of exposure. The X-Babies were cute the first time....and ...
At December 7, 2008, Jace wrote:
I HATE the X-Babies and anything to do with Mojoverse. Always have, always will.

Kitty's Fairy Tale all the way!
At December 7, 2008, Vincent Paul Bartilucci wrote:
Lord, I hate Kitty's fairy tale.

Then again, i hate Kitty.
At December 7, 2008, Jordan D. White wrote:
Technically, all of these ARE alternate reality X-Men groups.
At December 7, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:
"Lord, I hate Kittyâ€™s fairy tale.

Then again, i hate Kitty."

Then I guess you must be glad she's "GONE" from the ...
At December 7, 2008, Nitz the Bloody wrote:
Would love to see a new version of Kitty's Fairy Tale in the context of modern X-Men stories. Telling a ...
At December 7, 2008, Ryan wrote:
Mangaverse?

Come on, with some of today's most talented writers and artists working on the Age of Apocalypse, how can that ...
At December 7, 2008, Ryan wrote:
erm, read the whole post... nevermind.
At December 8, 2008, Scott MacIver wrote:
The post is kind of vague. What if's or alternate realities sort of apply to The X-Babies and Kitty's Fairy ...
At December 8, 2008, Blair wrote:
Did anyone actually win one of those Columbia bikes???
At December 9, 2008, Graeme White wrote:
I second 1602.

Top Five Action Philosophers Covers

Brian Cronin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:04:38 +0000

Let's work in some Ryan Dunlavey love, too! Here are the Top Five Action Philosophers (the cool philosophy history series by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey) covers!

Enjoy!

A very nice take on the concept of the readers voting on which philosophers that they wanted to see featured.

This would be a bit higher had it not been for the cover of #1 sort of taking away from the uniqueness of an "action" cover.

Perhaps a straightforward cover idea, but a very well executed one.

This is the first issue's cover - this is the one that first gave us an idea of what the comic was going to be like!

This one, though, I think was the boldest of the bunch.

Very clever and very striking.

As an extra bonus, here's just a piece Ryan did for Wizard recently that I came across and I thought I'd share. It's a cute look at the people who came back from the dead in 2007 and those people who were killed that same year.

8 Comments

At December 7, 2008, Blackjak wrote:
Anywhere we can see a larger version of the Wizard piece?
At December 7, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:
Ask and ye shall receive...

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/dunlavey.jpg
At December 7, 2008, Sam wrote:
That Wizard piece is outta Alan Moore's 1963. Still a clever idea, though.
At December 7, 2008, Ryan Dunlavey wrote:
Thanks guys! The AP covers are some of my most proudest work, and #2 is Fred's favorite as well.

One small ...
At December 7, 2008, Ian A. wrote:
Wow, a ton of cool characters died in 2007.

Great piece there.
At December 7, 2008, Dan K wrote:
I think I'd have to put issue #8 at no. 1. Great stuff.
At December 8, 2008, Blackjak wrote:
"Ask and ye shall receiveâ€¦"

If only all prayers could be answered so quickly...

Anyone else interested in setting up the First ...
At December 8, 2008, StereotypeA wrote:
As I'm just about to complete my first semester of Philosophy, these covers are pretty much the greatest thing ever.

Marvel Zombies 3 #3 Review

Brian Cronin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:07:24 +0000

This week saw the penultimate issue of the third Marvel Zombies mini-series by Fred Van Lente and Kev Walker, and like the previous two, it's been a blast!

The concept of the series is that Machine Man and Jocasta are sent to the Marvel Zombies universe to get a blood sample from an uninfected human so that they could cure an outbreak of the Zombie virus in the regular Marvel Universe.

However, what they don't know is that the Michael Morbius that they are working for is actually a zombie version of Morbius (which is a good bit in and of itself, as who could tell?) who is planning on using the portal between worlds for nefarious purposes.

Machine Man gets the spotlight this issue as he takes on a load of zombies in a twisted spree of violence.

Van Lente does a really nice job balancing the plot of the comic with sick jokes, completely utilizing the wise-ass nature of Machine Man.

Meanwhile, back on "our" Earth, things are degenerating rapidly as Morbius is discovered.

Kev Walker does a great job reminding readers of Sean Phillips without actually copying Phillips. It's good stuff.

Overall, this is a fun issue with nice artwork.

This has been the best Marvel Zombies storyline since the first one!

Recommended.

2 Comments

At December 6, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:
"Machine Man gets the spotlight this issue as he takes on a load of zombies in a twisted spree of ...
At December 7, 2008, Ian A. wrote:
I will definitely be getting the Marvel Zombies 3 trade.

Can't wait to tear through it all in one sitting.

The Fred Van Lente Chat is Going On NOW!

Brian Cronin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:32:15 +0000

So come here and chat!

3 Comments

At December 6, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:
The chat was a lot of fun! Over two hours long!
At December 6, 2008, timbre68 wrote:
Thanks Brian! That was great.
At December 6, 2008, preston wrote:
thanks again brian for setting it up! happy Fred Van Lente Day!

The Fred Van Lente Chat Room is Live!

Brian Cronin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:16:09 +0000

Click here to go to the chat room (then just enter your name and enter the room and join the chat!)

The chat will officially begin at 3:30 PM Eastern!

Fred Van Lente to do Wolverine Comic for Free Comic Book Day 2009!

Brian Cronin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:00:33 +0000

Yep, Fred Van Lente, along with art team supreme Gurihiru (from Power Pack fame) is going to be doing a new Wolverine one-shot comic book for Free Comic Book Day 2009! The comic, sub-titled "Origin of an X-Man," is presumably designed to coincide with the release of the Wolverine movie, due out the day before Free Comic Book Day! That's quite a vote of confidence by Marvel in Van Lente! Read on as we reveal (for the first time) the cover for the issue by comic book superstar artist Ed McGuinness!!

15 Comments

At December 6, 2008, Michael wrote:
Oh, wow. That's a definite for me. I wouldn't want McGuinness to draw Wolverine on a monthly basis, I don't ...
At December 6, 2008, Cass wrote:
Michael, you mean you're definitely gonna pick up this free comic book?! That's devotion man. :-)
At December 6, 2008, Nitz the Bloody wrote:
More exciting are the dual facts that A.) Van Lente will be telling the story and tying it into the ...
At December 6, 2008, Brain_Fish wrote:
What do you mean "finally" Nitz? The Runaways and X-Men one they gave out two years ago was fantastic and ...
At December 6, 2008, Apodaca wrote:
Yeah, it was pretty shabby. Especially with the Land art. That comic couldn't have been more boring.

That's a pretty good ...
At December 6, 2008, bebopeva88 wrote:
It's a vote of confidence in FVL regarding his all ages story telling ability, not necessarily in his getting a ...
At December 6, 2008, Trey wrote:
Why is Mcg doing all these covers, instead of the Hulk? WTF.
At December 6, 2008, antony wrote:
ed likes to draw way too big for wolverine for my tastes. i love his hulk stuff, but honestly that's ...
At December 7, 2008, Jeremy Dale wrote:
Awesome-- Ed McGuinness' artwork is always fun to see.
At December 8, 2008, Cully Hamner wrote:
It should also be pointed out that this great piece was inked by my studiomate, Karl Story...
At December 8, 2008, Destructo Co. » Blog Archive » Free Comic Book Day - Wolverine One-Shot wrote:
[...] May seems a long way off but the above image is from the cover of the Wolverine One-Shot to ...
At December 8, 2008, Bombardem wrote:
Wolverine has some of the best artists in the biz working on his assorted books right now. Deodato, McNiven, etc.
At December 8, 2008, Redmond wrote:
It's awful they chose Greg Land last year. Chosing a cover artist who traces over Joe Mad, whom traces over ...
At December 9, 2008, DanDEE wrote:
Hey-- for all those interested--

Free Comic Book Day just announced the Gold Sponsor comic books. Head over to freecomicbookday.com ...
At June 6, 2009, Wolverine News: Let the Dark Reign Begin… | Wolverine Files wrote:
[...] on Wolverine: First Class #10 from Marvel.com… - Mike Carey on Original Sin from IGN… - Ed McGuinness draws ...

Hulk Family #1 Review

Brian Cronin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:00:57 +0000

Fred Van Lente wrote two of the four stories in this week's Hulk Family #1!

Let's take a look!

The first story was a slight, but fun story set during the days when the Hulk was known as Joe Fixit and was working as a bouncer in Las Vegas. Peter David's run sure was a lot of fun, wasn't it?

In any event, in this story, She-Hulk is at a law school reunion in Vegas when she runs into Joe Fixit, and wants to know if he is, in fact, her cousin (who everyone thought was dead at this point in time). They are interrupted by two mutant nutjobs going by the names Discordia and Tantrum, who were sent to Vegas by the gods of chaos (well, that's what they believe - really, they're just a few bananas short of a bunch).

The story is not long (16 pages, I believe), and it's mostly just fight scenes, but it's enjoyable enough. Van Lente has a good read on She-Hulk.

Scott Clark (haven't seen his credit in awhile!) does a serviceable job on the art, but a lot of the times his characters come off looking waaay too stiff. I recall his work used to have a lot more fluidity - at least when he was doing Alpha Flight at Marvel. I will admit that some of his early Wildstorm stuff also had stiffness problems. I guess inker Greg Adams could possibly be at fault, but Adams has never struck me as being an overpowering inker, so I think it's likely on Clark's end. There are some strong individual panels (one shot of Hulk's face as he's pounding on the bad guy if dynamite), but I think Clark just needs to loosen his pencils up a bit.

The second story is also rather short (only 7 pages), but I think Van Lente actually got across a lot more character work in those seven pages than he did in the 16 pages of the first story. Here, he is working again with his creation, Scorpion, who is investigating whether Bruce Banner is actually her father, which was rumored in some earlier issues of Hulk. To figure this out, though, she goes rogue to free Banner from SHIELD custody.

This leads to some action scenes, as Scorpion goes up against a convoy, but it's handled nicely (artist Diedrich O'Clark does a solid job). The ending has a great twist that brings an impressive touch of humanity to the story. It packed a good punch.

The other two stories are a teaser by Greg Pak for the next issue of Skaar, Son of Hulk, and a cute short story by Paul Tobin featuring ANOTHER kid of Hulk (that is the theme for this one-shot - all characters related to the Hulk, or, in Scorpion's case, MAYBE related to the Hulk) that was introduced in a one-shot awhile back written by Jeff Parker~~none other than Fred Van Lente~~. In that comic, Thundra used the Hulk's genes to create a daughter of Hulk and Thundra. The daughter is now the leader of the Femizons in an alternate future. Tobin seems to have fun cutting loose with the lack of real standards to base the story on - it's an alternate future and they're Femizons - no real guiding light there - so whatever he wants to do, he can do!

The book is topped off with a reprint of She-Hulk's first issue, which also happens to be her origin (it is naturally referenced in the first story by Van Lente).

All in all, I probably wouldn't recommend this book, as it is pretty slight on content for a five dollar book, but it's not a bad read. Van Lente has the best story in the book, though (Scorpion - and that's including the reprint of The Savage She-Hulk #1!)!

4 Comments

At December 6, 2008, Jordan D. White wrote:
Actually, Jeff Parker wrote the "Hulk: Raging Thunder" one-shot that debuted the Daughter of Hulk.
At December 6, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:
D'oh! You're right, Jordan!
At December 6, 2008, Ryan wrote:
I really, really have enjoyed the character of the new Scorpion. Did you read her appearance in the Spider-Man Family ...
At December 6, 2008, ResIpsa wrote:
My shop sold out of this book (which surprised me AND them). Can anyone spoil for me what Scorpion ...

Alex Cox Interviews Fred Van Lente

Brian Cronin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 11:00:09 +0000

Alex put up this interview back in August. It's a great read! - BC

(cross posted at rocketshipstore.com)

Fred Van Lente has been a good customer and pal since the first day we opened the doors of the store. We've been on the sidelines to watch him finish writing his self-published ACTION PHILOSOPHERS, become one of the cornerstone creators of the all-ages MARVEL ADVENTURES line (including the hugely popular new POWER PACK series), and witness the rise of the INCREDIBLE HERCULES under his pen. HERCULES has been a sales juggernaut, and is one of the few books to come out of the WORLD WAR HULK event that has continued to gain momentum with fans. Last year's MODOK'S 11 was one of the year's best mainstream superhero comics, and currently, with a stove-top full of Marvel books on every burner, Fred has recently opened the self-publishing oven again with COMIC BOOK COMICS, a history of the comic book industry as drawn by his frequent collaborator, Ryan Dunlavey.

I always enjoy talking with Fred; he's jovial and funny, smart and insightful, and happy to talk about craft, and the process of writing for a wide range of projects.

ALEX: We've spoken in the past about writers using themes throughout their work, and having more to say than just the details of a plot. If you had to pick one overall thematic point that pops up when you write, what would it be?

FRED VAN LENTE: I'm interested in people the most, like most writers, and what informs their decisions. I strongly believe that the most interesting dramatic struggle is the one you have with yourself: The battle between what you want to do versus what you should do; when you should act versus when it would be better to do nothing at all.

That's why I like superheroes so much -- their powers and identities allow you to take internal battles and make them literal, they let you dramatize those conflicts. Hercules is the strongest guy in the world, but bears the weight of every foolish thing he's ever done -- and in 3,000 years, he's done a lot of them. Amadeus Cho's mega-smarts make him his own worst enemy. Wolverine is at constant war with his own bestial nature. And so on.

How does this modify itself when writing for older audiences versus younger audiences? Fiction versus non-fiction?

The only difference between kids and adults is what their specific pressures are. A kid feels being mocked in the schoolyard as keenly as a soldier getting shot at on the battlefield. One would never compare the severity of those two things, but as life is lived, the bullies coming in the kid's direction is just as important to his as the approaching bullet is to that soldier, even if it shouldn't be.

Likewise, history, to me, is the observation of changes over time. The historian tries to make sense of those changes as best he can, to build a coherent and, he hopes, accurate narrative to show how we got from Point A to Point to B to now-- how those changes informed the decisions of the people of the past, which then informed the next generation, et cetera.

Your collaborators run the gamut from one of your best friends/business partner, to people in other countries that you have very little contact with and have often never met. How do you feel that these relationships affect collaboration? Does the physical and personal distance between artists affect your relationship to the finished work? I'm wondering how different collaborations not only affect the process, but also your personal interest in the final work as "your own".

I think a comic book writer gives up the right to think of the final work as fully "his own" the minute he decides not to learn how to draw. (laughs) The very nature of my job means I have to be a collaborator, a team player. This seems to me to be where a lot of the contempt the funnybook intelligensia has for mainstream comics and mainstream comic creators comes from. The Academy demands "Art" with a capital "A", which requires an "Artist" -- singular. Writer/artists will always be praised over corporate freelancers in certain circles for that reason... It's no mistake that the Establishment didn't embrace films as "art" until the rise of Auteur Theory in France in the 1950s, which is predicated on the truly moronic idea that the director is the only important creator on a movie.

But do you ultimately feel less involved with the final version of a Marvel Adventures book? Do you deliver scripts to the aether, not really knowing how they'll return to you, after being passed through several stages of people that you may or may not know? Or do you continue to be involved after the script is done?

Actually, the process at Marvel I've enjoyed over my career means that I've been involved with every comic I've done with them every step of the way, regardless of my personal relationship with the artists involved, or whether we're working through a translator, or whatever. It's not as much control as on my self-published works like Comic Book Comics, you know, where I'm the letterer, so I can literally rewrite on the comics page right before we go to press... (laughs) And, also, there's more people to answer to in big, corporate comics. But that's okay. I've managed to figure out to do what I want to do within the framework of larger editorial control. I can only think of a couple times where I haven't (well, okay, once), but fortunately they've been minor, few and far between.

Speaking of Marvel, let's talk about the "personality" of their line. Marvel was built on stories that balanced grandeur and epic hyperbole with very intimate moments, and relatively realistic personal dynamics between characters. This was new and exciting in 1962, but now it seems taken for granted. The writers most associated with Marvel books tend to handle this balance easily, and often with great humor (Gerber, Kirby/Lee, Englehart, both Simonsons, etc). Do you consciously play with this dynamic?

Not consciously, but definitely those were the comics I grew up reading, and, frankly, the ones I still turn to read for fun now that I'm an adult and a pro. So I guess there's no helping the influence.

Lots of other people have said this better than me, but I think that to lose a sense of fun and adventurousness in superhero stories is kind of missing the point. It's almost like there's a certain segment of the superhero-reading populace that never got over the embarrassment of getting "caught" reading a comic, that never lost that suspicion they were reading what most in the mainstream saw as a children's genre. So unless their superheroes dress in leather, moan about their problems all their time, curse and kill people right and left, and live in "grounded" worlds (a term I've never understood -- or liked), the outside world won't think superheroes are "adult" enough. It's like little girls putting on mom's makeup and thinking they look more adult, instead of utterly ridiculous.

I'd like to think I'm from the generation that has gotten over these hangups about superheroes. I like superheroes, and I'm not ashamed to say it. We're out and we're proud! (laughs) We love (and, in some cases, create) books like Nextwave, Umbrella Academy, X-Statix, Doctor Thirteen: Architecture and Mortality, and so on, books that embrace and celebrate the inherent insanity of superheroes in a wonderfully un-self-conscious way, that manage to tell amazing stories about how we see reality, and how it affects us... Or, in some cases, just let us have a really great time.

Hell, I love superheroes so much I love grim-and-gritty too. The Ellis and Deodato Thunderbolts was pretty intense and violent, but I'd call it fun as hell at the same time.

It seems like a lot of fans resist the basic truth that many of these characters were created to entertain children. That's not to say that sophisticated stories can't be told using them, but in a very pure sense, a character like Superman or the Flash really shines when an eight year old can relate to them.

Well, I think a lot of fans don't see why their favorite characters can't age along with them. And there's nothing wrong with that. The superhero market couldn't survive without appealing to those "legacy" fans and making sure they have a reason to keep reading about their favorite characters.

But what I find baffling -- and mildly disturbing -- is just the oftentimes hysteric level of hostility I see out there against Marvel and D.C.'s all-ages output from some of the rank-and-file hero fans. The sheer amount of abuse heaped upon Power Pack in particular is just surreal. I saw an online reviewer say on a video clip he wanted to light it on fire and piss on it. It's one thing to not like it, or not think it's any good, but to go as over-the-top as some of these people go is just very bizarre to me. They just seem to hate it on principle, to hate the very fact of its existence.

Perhaps it goes back to what I was saying before -- this misguided evangelical notion that all superhero comics must "uplift" the genre in some vague, pseudo-sophisticated manner, to prove to the great invisible masses of non-readers out there that no, no, no, no, no, really, they're not for kids.

Fortunately, the abuse is well overcome by the kids and parents who come up to me and tell me how much they enjoy the work, or the postcards I get from them, or the one parent who told me he taught his autistic son to read using Power Pack because it was the only thing that engaged his attention. It's one of the more rewarding -- and surprising -- aspects of my career, because I never saw myself as becoming any kind of an all-ages creator.

With that in mind, let me ask you this; it seems that Marvel, moreso than DC, has a stable of characters that are perfect for slightly older adolescents. The problems they deal with are a bit more complicated; they've always seemed more operatic. How do you go about making Iron Man, for example, a character that is fun, without losing the more tragic sides to his character. (I realize those things aren't mutually exclusive, but I'm guessing it's more of a tightrope when writing specifically for children.)

The simplest way I find, is humor. I guess I'm inspired by Pixar's movies, which have an excellent track record of providing fun, adventurous stories for kids that adults can still find engaging, usually through gags that the average kid wouldn't necessarily get.

Do you find it difficult to maintain the balance of writing something that keeps you interested, and feels intelligent, but is still "safe" for a kids' line?

It's not the easiest thing in the world; there are a lot of hoops to jump through, and a lot of restrictions put on the material by the various competing interests, like Wal-Mart, etc. "Can this be packaged with a toy in C.V.S.?" and that kind of thing. "We need to put the next four issues in these covers because we're using them as a marketing push for so-and-so, can you generate stories to match?" And so on. I generally find those kinds of challenges really exciting. They do keep my interest up. But they can also drain you.

I'm actually going to leave -- or at least, take a sizeable hiatus -- from Wolverine: First Class after a year's worth of issues because I got little burnt out. There's a certain level of quality I'm not going to let myself drop below. At least not unless I'm starving or something ... and I'm not starving.

Fred signs for his fans. Free Comic Book Day '07 at ROCKETSHIP.

Let's talk Hercules. Traditionally, he has been portrayed as essentially Thor in a Better Mood.

Or, sometimes, "Thor in a Drunk Mood."

Well put! (Laughs) Hercules has always had fun-loving, hedonistic elements, but in many ways, he's a blank slate. Do you feel like you have left your mark on developing him into more of a distinct character?

Maybe. I'd be more comfortable saying I tried to put as many elements as I could from the original myths back into the Marvel version. Hercules was certainly a blank slate for me, as other than Bob Layton's terrific far-future minis, I didn't really know anything about the Marvel version of the character. So I just went and read all the myths, and really love them. It's been working with them that has been the most rewarding part of the series for me -- that, and getting to know Greg [Pak, Fred's co-author on THE INCREDIBLE HERCULES]. I think the Herc/Amadeus relationship has been way more interesting than either of us had anticipated at the beginning, too.

To continue with HERCULES... Grant Morrison has introduced Aurakles as the prehistoric, proto-superhero, and his importance in the DC Universe seems to be building with Final Crisis. Has the concept of Hercules as Ur-Hero crept your way yet? Do you think that the idea of primal, prehuman, mythical heroes is worth exploring in the Marvel Universe (aside from the Eternals)? Could Hercules be the right springboard for such a story? In short, has Morrison tapped into a concept that both universes could use?

Aaahhh, I think you may be onto something, Alex... But, alas, I cannot reveal too many details without tipping my hand as to the uber-arc of "Incredible Hercules" arc. Readers will be getting a big hint as to what that is at the end of "Incredible Hercules #120", on sale by the time folks read this.

All I can say is this: Perhaps the more interesting question is not 'is Hercules an Ur-Hero?', but 'is he palling around with the Ur-Hero to come?'...

I know that there are certain characters you have a affinity for, and characters you hate. Talk a bit about your favorite characters, why you like them, and what concepts they all share. What is it about certain characters that make them easier or more enjoyable for you to write?

Hercules and Amadeus we've already covered. I enjoy Machine Man, who's the star of [Fred-written, October-debuting] Marvel Zombies 3, because he's a really underappreciated Kirby creation. He's basically a regular guy who happens to be a robot. But that computer brain of his makes him not suffer fools gladly, and so he's an obnoxious wiseass. It's his love for Jocasta that ultimately redeems him.

She's kind of the other side of the coin, the robot who wants to do the right thing, to have humans like her. He's just like Inspector Gadget, except he can transform into railguns and flamethrowers! In the right hands (cough - mine) he could be a mega-hit.

Aaron is also, like a me, a connosieur of the malted arts. However, my spin on that is, again, because he's basically a computer with legs, he isn't a drunk, he's the biggest beer snob ever.

All of my favorite characters seem to be drunks. My wife is getting worried there's a pattern there...

A lot of your favorite characters also happen to be direct creations of Jack Kirby. I know you're a big Kirby fan; could you talk about what it is in his work that clicks with you?

I grew up reading a lot of classic 1960's Marvels in reprint, and as a kid I preferred the Ditko Spider-Man/Dr. Strange stuff more. But when I became an adult, it got a lot easier to get stuff like the New Gods in reprint, and that's when the Kirby bug really got me, in my late twenties. I desperately hunted down as much of his stuff as I could find. I think I finally understood that guys like Grant Morrison were coming from that tradition, guys that still influence my work, that inspired craziness of superheroes that I referred to before. Kirby was just a bottomless idea factory, an endless source of invention, and just the sheer act of watching him pull crazy concept after crazy concept out of his butt was just a dazzling performance to watch in and of itself. Particularly if you've read as many goddamn superhero comics as I have (laughs), there's something exhilarating at how this guy kept reinventing and reinventing the genre, right up to the end of his life.

Even though I am an unabashed Kirby partisan, however, it's hard to not to agree with the main thrust of a lot of the criticism aimed against him, that his ear for dialogue was ... er, unique, to say the least. It certainly seems to be have been formed partly by memories of old Hollywood movies and, in a horribly ironic way, trying to parrot Stan Lee without really quite getting what Lee was all about.

A lot of Lee's Spider-Man and Silver Surfer and Thing monologues come from a very honest, wounded place, as bombastic and perpetually optimistic the huckster "Stan Lee Presents" side of him always is. Kirby, on the other hand, it just seems to me, had very little interest in individual humans. He was interested in HUMANITY as a concept, and abstract ideas like TYRANNY versus FREEDOM, but they found expression almost exclusively in metaphorical ways, like the conflict between Darkseid and Mr. Miracle.

And so I can't blame people when they say they don't get non-Lee or non-Simon Kirby. I honestly believe it's the same thing as people not liking abstract art. I dig Mark Rothko. But a lot of people look at his paintings and say "It's just blocks of color. My 6 year-old could do that. What the fuck?" Even some of Kirby's best stories, like "The Pact", lack a real genuine human connection. The relationships are more conceptual and symbolic, like mythology, which has this real kind of stream of consciousness narrative, not like a a short story or TV show at all.

That's why it excites me to work with obscurer characters like Machine Man and M.O.D.O.K. and Hercules, Kirby characters that are just so brilliant in conception that you don't need to do much to give them that extra humanity to broaden their appeal to a wider audience.

Let's take a half-step over, from M.O.D.O.K. to Sartre (Laughs). Were there any famous thinkers that were left out of ACTION PHILOSOPHERS, and you regret not including them? What criteria did you use to include someone?

They had to be pretty famous. I had a couple philosophy textbooks and surveys on hand and basically just checked people off like a laundry list. There were a couple people we didn't do that could have borne inclusion. Epicurus we didn't do because of the William Messner-Loebs and Sam Kieth books. The one people keep asking about is William James, the 19th century American pragmatist, who I don't really know much about. I really wanted to do the medieval Sufi poet Rumi, just to add a Muslim among the Christian, Buddhist, Taoist and Jewish thinkers we had in there. When we do the Complete Action Philosophers collection (out in time for Christmas 2009!) I think we'll throw those in there as brand-new stories for completion's sake... And, you know, to trick people who already have all the issues to buy the hardback. (laughs evilly)

If you had to pick one philosopher from the series to do a full book about, who would it be?

Hmmm... A complete GN about one philosopher... I don't know. I got my own ideas about The Big Questions from reading all those thinkers, and one day I might inflict my own philosophy on the world, if I can think of a way to do it without sounding like a pretentious windbag. (Too late, har-har...)

Both ACTION PHILOSOPHERS and COMIC BOOK COMICS required huge amounts of research. As we finish up here, tell me about the most surprising things you've found in your research about comics history.

There's a lot! How the underground artists influenced the French creators who founded Metal Hurlant, which, of course, turned around and had such a huge influence on these shores... That Jerry Siegel was inspired by the fights in "Popeye" to make "Superman"... That ABC-TV felt so indebted to the Pop Artists for the Adam West "Batman" TV show that they arranged to have a premiere party of the show for them... COMIC BOOK COMICS is chock full of those kinds of nuggets. It's the most rewarding part of creating the series.

3 Comments

At December 6, 2008, Michael wrote:
I hung out at Rocketship for a bit on FCBD this year; Van Lente was there signing Marvel Adventures and ...
At December 6, 2008, Cass wrote:
Excellent read. Love all his Marvel Adventures stuff.
At December 10, 2008, Linking, but not to development | Programmer's Log wrote:
[...] Alex Cox Interviews Fred Van Lente An interview with the creator of Action Philosophers and Comic Book Comics (how ...

Top Five Female Superheroes Using Old Male Codenames

Brian Cronin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:19:47 +0000

Okay, that is a terrible title, but I couldn't think of a shorter way of saying what I'm trying to get across. Basically, a common thing is for new female superheroes to show up using the names of older male characters. Sort of how when Hank Pym stopped going by Yellowjacket, Rita DeMara started to use the name (although first as a villain). Here are the top five!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Hawkeye

Kate Bishop is a cool character and all, but darnit, Clint Barton is Hawkeye!!

Dove

Dawn Granger really filled the boots of Don Hall quite nicely. The Hawk and Dove series by the Kesels was really underrated - it was a fun comic based on two strong characters - well, Dawn was strong at least - strong enough that she could hold up Hank's cro-magnon end of the duo.

Dr. Light

Kimiyo Hoshi could be a great character, but let's face it, she's been available for anyone to use now for about a decade, and her only real notable appearance was to show how tough the old Dr. Light is. Hopefully Dwayne McDuffie will rectify that!

5. Starfire

I like Starfire, but I'd love to see her get a bit of character development in a year that does not begin with 198.

4. Scorpion

Created by Fred Van Lente and Leonard Kirk, Carmilla Black is a great addition to the Marvel Universe. As a superhero operative working for SHIELD, Carmilla has the problem of dealing with the fact that her biological mother is the head scientist for the evil organization, A.I.M., and Carmilla was genetically bred to be the perfect assassin (she is immune to all poisons and can deliver poison herself). So how do you deal with the fact that your mom bred you to be a killer while you want to be a hero? It's a great challenge, and seeing Carmilla deal with that strange relationship while continuing to make a name for herself in the superhero community (while also combining that with her duties as a government operative) has been a lot of fun to watch.

3. Manhunter

Marc Andreyko's Kate Spencer is riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a costume made up out of confiscated superhero and supervillain gear. What I love most about Kate is that she is such a normal person, while pursuing a decidedly ABnormal lifestyle - Andreyko had really produced a multi-faceted character who works well in many different environments.

2. Moonstone

Moonstone is a lot like Kate - well, except sorta evil.

Karla Sofen has powers due to the "moonstone," a powerful gem. How did she get that gem? She used her psychological training to convince the dude who had the gem that he did not want it! How awesome is that?

She's been a bad guy, she's been a bad guy pretending to be a good guy, she'd been a good guy, she's been a bad guy who might be a good guy. She's all over the place, but one thing stays consistent - she remains an intriguing and delightful character to follow!

1. Captain Marvel

Come on, people, who else did you expect me to have here?

That's the top five! Agree? Disagree? Let me know!

39 Comments

At December 6, 2008, sandwich.kid wrote:
is it just me or are all those covers strikingly similar?
At December 6, 2008, Biggles wrote:
Brian, we know you love Monica but....
At December 6, 2008, nadir wrote:
i really wish artist would use a bit more creativity in designing these female characters using old male names. so ...
At December 6, 2008, Brian Cronin wrote:
Hehe...touche, folks!

It's corrected now!
At December 6, 2008, Tracer Bullet wrote:
Man, Captain Marvel fell from star to also-ran in a heartbeat, didn't she? I'd hoped she'd become a recurring character ...
At December 6, 2008, John Cage wrote:
Huh. Someone must really like Monica Rambeau.

Have a good day.
John Cage
At December 6, 2008, John Cage wrote:
...And of course the page is corrected between the time I opened the page and the time I got to ...
At December 6, 2008, Matt D wrote:
Crazy high placement for the new Scorpion, but she really is a great character.
At December 6, 2008, Rob wrote:
Hey - can you post what the former-male Starfire looked like? I never knew that Starfire was a knock-off, ...
At December 6, 2008, Tom Fitzpatrick wrote:
Definitely nothing wrong with the female Hawkeye. No offense to Barton, but he's not even sexy. ;-)
At December 6, 2008, Michael wrote:
There's a male Starfire?

And it's sadly all-too-obvious why Starfire (or most of the '80s Titans) hasn't received any character development ...
At December 6, 2008, Vincent Paul Bartilucci wrote:
The russian hero known as Red Star was originally called Starfire when he met the Teen Titans in the 60's. ...
At December 6, 2008, Blackjak wrote:
I thought K'ory was doing alright in Countdown to Adventure...
Sure she's not playing a big part in Rann/Thanagar Holy War ...
At December 6, 2008, Blackjak wrote:
I'm the only one who bought Countdown to Adventure... Aren't I?
At December 6, 2008, Bernard the Poet wrote:
Brian, it's a bit of a cheat having Starfire on your list. The original Starfire had only appeared in one ...
At December 6, 2008, Lawrence wrote:
Have they explained why the female Dr.Light keeps calling herself Dr. Light? Does she really want to be named after ...
At December 6, 2008, Andrew Collins wrote:
What, no love for the Renee Montoya Question??

Technically, couldn't you also count any of the female Green Lanterns as ...
At December 6, 2008, Aaron Strange wrote:
Who's had one of the most complex arcs in DC over the last decade? Good Question. Due to Rucka's work ...
At December 6, 2008, Paul Krogen wrote:
What about Speedy?
and Quasar?
Good point on the Question!
And I bet DnA's Starhawk stays a woman as well...
At December 6, 2008, Blackjak wrote:
Don't forget Rucka's "Five Books of Blood" and "Final Crisis: Reveleations" developing the Montoya Question even further...
At December 6, 2008, Paul Krogen wrote:
Ew.
and "Ms. Sinister". I don't know if she qualifies for a "best", but she's got the name!
At December 6, 2008, Marcus Brute wrote:
Anyone think that Phyla-Vell is a glaring omission? Not only only is she a great character, but she also used ...
At December 6, 2008, DanLarkin wrote:
No love for Inza Nelson as Dr. Fate? Or Morrison's Shining Knight? Boo.
At December 6, 2008, Blackjak wrote:
ooo! Shining Knight! Justine! Forgot that one, she was/is great!
At December 6, 2008, Rhod wrote:
I was sure White Tiger would be on here.
At December 6, 2008, Kelson wrote:
"Iâ€™m the only one who bought Countdown to Adventureâ€¦ Arenâ€™t I?"

I bought it too. But...well...I still haven't read past ...
At December 6, 2008, Michael Jones wrote:
I'd have tossed in a bid for the all-new Star-Spangled Kid, until she changed it to Stargirl and freed the ...
At December 6, 2008, T. wrote:
Brian, itâ€™s a bit of a cheat having Starfire on your list. The original Starfire had only appeared in one ...
At December 6, 2008, b_rad wrote:
After the orginal Crisis DC went crazy for this concept. There was not only a new, female Dr Light, but ...
At December 6, 2008, T. wrote:
although itâ€™s very hard to come up with a worse codename than Ms Marvel.

Yet somehow Kurt Busiek managed to accomplish ...
At December 6, 2008, Dave Lane wrote:
Actually, before Kory of the Titans, there was another female Starfire from DC; she was a sword and sorcery adventurer ...
At December 6, 2008, Dave Lane wrote:
And during Jerry Ordway's Shazam series, didn't Mary Marvel call herself Capt. Marvel?
At December 7, 2008, Bernard the Poet wrote:
"Given that Wolfman created both Starfires and was the writer on that one issue where the original Starfire appeared, I ...
At December 7, 2008, CATR'S Chris wrote:
Come on! Captain Marvel? The girl shouldn't have made it into the list at all!
At December 8, 2008, DanCJ wrote:
I had no idea there was a female Captain Marvel - then again, Billy Batson is the only Captain Marvel ...
At December 8, 2008, Graeme White wrote:
I think in regards to Starfire, Wolfman just liked the name and though it was available as noone had used ...
At December 8, 2008, Jeff Ryan wrote:
Hey, someone else brought up Quasar!

And I also second the Montoya Question. Who will hopefully get some more play when ...
At December 9, 2008, Graeme White wrote:
Charlton heroes, and I don't think that'll happen. The people who go and see the Watchmen movie that don't ...
At September 14, 2009, Mary Warner wrote:
When I was looking through the list all I could think of was Captain Marvel. I was so scared ...

Have a Holly, Jolly Fred Van Lente Day!

Brian Cronin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 09:36:45 +0000

Can you believe it's already that most wonderful time of the year?

The timing could hardly be any better this year for Fred Van Lente Day, as Thursday saw the release of THREE new Marvel Comics written by Fred!! WOW! What are the odds?!?

So expect reviews of those three books throughout the day.

In addition, for Fred Van Lente Day, I'll be having FIVE special TOP FIVEs sprinkled throughout the day, as well.

I'm going to reprint Alex Cox's recent in-depth (and quite good) interview with Fred. That'll be at 6 AM.

What would Fred Van Lente Day be without some Van Lente Day news? Well, we'll have a little scoop announced at noon.

Finally, the spotlight of this year's festivities - at 3:30 PM, Fred Van Lente himself - the man, the myth, the legend will be stopping by for a live online chat with the fans!

(All times are Eastern)

Awesome, right?

Oh, as an extra bonus - I finally broke down and added a "Fred Van Lente Day" category, so you can check it out to re-experience the joys of Fred Van Lente Days past!

I'm dreaming of a white Fred Van Lente Day
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.

2 Comments

At December 6, 2008, Michael wrote:
You know, Brian, it's just bizarre as hell for me that you picked my brother's birthday to do this on ...
At December 6, 2008, Craig wrote:
I'm looking forward to the X-Men Noir review. I've heard so many great things, and said even more great things, ...

Celebrate Fred Van Lente Day With a Live Fred Van Lente Chat!

Brian Cronin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:09:13 +0000

For this year's fourth annual celebration of Fred Van Lente Day (December 6th, for those ignorant to this magnificent holiday), we will be sharing the man, the myth, the legend, Fred Van Lente himself with you good folks!

Fred will do a live online chat this Fred Van Lente Day starting at 3:30 pm Eastern time!

(Although I'm sure you already know) Fred is the co-writer of Incredible Hercules, writer of Marvel Zombies 3, Wolverine First Class, Comic Book Comics, Action Philosophers, and a bunch of other comics!

So stop by the blog at 3:25pm to get a link to the chat room!

8 Comments

At December 2, 2008, Matt D wrote:
I heard through the grapevine that there are bigger and better things in store for FVL with his run on ...
At December 2, 2008, Dean wrote:
Ah, Fred Van Lente Day, when Fred Van Lente comes down the chimney, delivering high-quality comics to good children!
...
At December 2, 2008, Gokitalo wrote:
I dare say Fred Van Lente Day deserves its own tag!
At December 2, 2008, Dan Felty wrote:
I don't know if I can make it to this chat; please get across the following question if you can:

Is ...
At December 3, 2008, JackKing wrote:
I can't believe it's that time of year already.
At December 3, 2008, Dunc wrote:
Dan's point seconded. I've got the last trade so I'd love access to either the first two or that complation'd ...
At December 4, 2008, Eric wrote:
4th annual? Man, I'm late to the show. I've been really into his work since he started on Hercules, and ...
At December 4, 2008, Alexander wrote:
Fred,have you ever thought of writing a 2nd Ares mini? He seems to need a bit more fleshing out and ...

Hope you had a fun Fred Van Lente Day!

Brian Cronin — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:50:34 +0000

See you again next year!

The mood is right
The spirit's up
We're here tonight
And that's enough

Simply having a wonderful Van Lente time
Simply having a wonderful Van Lente time

Ghost of Van Lente Future: Comic Book Comics!

Brian Cronin — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:02:52 +0000

The final preview of 2008 comics we have is Fred Van Lente and the great Ryan Dunlavey's follow-up to their classic Action Philosophers series, Comic Book Comics!!

Enjoy!

Click on the pages to enlarge them!

Silver and gold, silver and gold
Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold
How do you measure it's worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth

Silver and gold, silver and gold
Mean so much more when I see
Silver and gold decorations
On ev'ry Van Lente tree

4 Comments

At December 6, 2007, Comics Should Be Good! » 365 Reasons to Love Comics #340 wrote:
[...] It was a great series. The pair is following it up with Comic Book Comics, which Brian previewed earlier ...
At December 6, 2007, MarkAndrew wrote:
Huh. Neat. So what's the deal with Action Presidents, then?
At December 6, 2007, E.D. wrote:
Every comic book should contain the line "Meanwhile, in CLEVELAND . . ."
At December 7, 2007, Apodaca wrote:
The panel lay-outs are kind of confusing me. I'm not sure what order in which I'm supposed to read them.

Ghost of Van Lente Future: Power Pack: Day One!

Brian Cronin — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:45:31 +0000

Here are some preview pages (and a preview cover) of the upcoming Power Pack origin mini-series, by the same creative team of Fantastic Four/Power Pack, Fred Van Lente and Gurihiru, who are joined in each issue with a backup spotlighting a different member of the Power family each issue by the amazing Colleen Coover!!

Enjoy!

Click on the pages to enlarge!

Up on the rooftop with reindeer glee
Out jumps good old Fred Van Lente
Down thru the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones
Van Lente joys

Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn't go!
Ho, ho, ho!
Who wouldn't go!
Up on the rooftop
He, he, he!
Down thru the chimney with
Fred Van Lente

3 Comments

At December 6, 2007, KB wrote:
Those Snarks look fantastic--very classic look.
At December 7, 2007, GameJudge wrote:
That cover is fantastic!
At December 7, 2007, Corey wrote:
Oh man, that's an awesome cover.

Ghost of Fred Van Lente Future: Wolverine First Class!!

Brian Cronin — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:00:42 +0000

Now, the biggest surprise of Fred Van Lente Day - our exclusive announcement of Fred Van Lente's new book for Marvel Comics, debuting in March 2008.

Wolverine First Class!!!

(Click on the Salvador EspÃn cover to enlarge)

Read on to see a discussion between Fred and I about the comic.

1. Please pitch the new series to me. What's the high concept?

This is why God gave us solicitation copy:

Return with us again to the early days of the X-Men for all-new adventures of Wolverine and Kitty Pryde! The next generation of students has arrived at Xavier's School -- Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, and the mysterious Wolverine -- and with them new teaching methods. Professor X pairs up green recruit Kitty Pryde with the been-everywhere, done-everything Logan, and neither of them are all that happy about it. But unless they learn to work together, neither of them will come back from their first mission together alive!

2. These adventures of Wolverine and Kitty are going to be "in Marvel continuity," right?

Yes, the first eight issues are set between X-MEN #139 and #150, so right after Jean Grey's funeral at the end of the Dark Phoenix Saga and right after Kitty Pryde shows up at Xavier's school. Cyclops has struck out on his own after Jean's death, leaving Storm the new leader.

3. How closely did you pay attention to the older issues of Uncanny that these stories are told "in between"? Is this similar to Untold Tales of Spider-Man, or is it a lot freer than that?

I think the average fan would be shocked to learn how much time and energy Marvel puts into getting continuity 100% right. Given the number of books and creators and the history involved perfection is never achieved, but when I started working here I was somewhat stunned at how seriously continuity is taken.

In fact, Marvel has a team of four or so crack X-Perts who pour over each Wolverine First Class script and make sure every iota slides neatly "into" the X-Men era mention above. You should see the memos I get! But it's cool, it actually has enhanced the scripts and certainly hasn't prevented me from telling any stories I want to tell.

And it means all our First Class tales are official parts of X-Men lore, in "616" continuity, as they say, which is really exciting.

4. Who came up with the idea for the project? Was it your pitch?

From Marvel I got the title and the mandate that it was to be set during the Claremont/Byrne era. The idea to pair Wolvie with Kitty was mine. I wanted a hook to get female readers interested in the series and furthermore I thought it was a proven concept that hadn't been done in a while-- not since the Kitty Pryde and Wolverine mini in the '80s, I don't think.

5. What can you tell us about the artist on the project?

Salvador EspÃn is our wonderful cover artist and Andrea Devito of Dan Slott's Thing fame is handling interiors. I was absolutely blown away by Andrea's work on Priest's Captain America and the Falcon series and I couldn't be more thrilled to be working with him for the first time.

6. Is this the first time you've written either Kitty Pryde or Wolverine in a comic?

It is, actually, and I'm really enjoying it. It's fun to deal with Wolverine this early in his career -- at least his publishing career, before he became such a Marvel mainstay. He's still a "bad boy," on the fringes of society, even on the fringes of the X-Men, uncomfortable being a team player -- and now he's stuck with a 13 year old girl partner, which makes for some pretty awesome scenes.

Dare I make a comparison to The Professional...?

7. How would you describe the tone of the book - is it lighter than standard X-Men fare?

The stories are very character-driven, about the growing relationship between Kitty and Logan, and that can be light or dark, depending on the circumstances. Tagging along with Wolverine can expose a 13 year old girl to a lot more than her maturity level should be able handle but by the same token Kitty's presence prevents Wolverine from being grim-and-gritty 24/7.

The analogy I used in my pitch was that Kitty is to Logan what Robin is to Batman -- a humanizing factor.

8. How much will the other X-Men characters have a role in the new series?

Very minimal. Almost none. The "high concept" of the book is that Professor X is sending Wolverine off on solo missions and making him take Kitty along for the ride, so she can learn how to be a hero from his wealth of experience. She's like his intern. Which of course both Logan and Kitty think is completely insane.

But Professor Xavier is crazy like a fox. He has an ulterior motive for sticking them together...and therein lies our first story.

Oh, and Kitty's growing feelings for Colossus play a pretty important sub-plot role too.

9. Are you going to be sticking to the X-Men brand of characters, or will you be using the Marvel Universe as a whole?

I actually am trying to avoid, avoid, avoid the usual X-gang so I can stick Logan and Kitty in interesting and different situations with characters you wouldn't think of associating them with.

Nevertheless, we will see Mariko Yashida, Siryn, Dazzler, Alpha Flight (all stalwarts from this X-Era), and Sabretooth, because I think Sabretooth has a clause in his contract that mandates he must appear early on in any Wolverine title.

10. Can you tell us what villains they'll be facing? How many of them will be new villains?

I mentioned Sabretooth. The High Evolutionary and his New Men pop up -- and where they roam, can the fearsome Man-Beast be far behind?

Does anyone miss the Soviet Super-Soldiers? I know I do. Worst part of the Berlin Wall coming down, you ask me.

In addition, there will be new villains -- at least two I can think of off the top of my head, including one introduced in our first issue.

But for more info, as my Herc homie Greg Pak likes to say, "All will be revealed in the fullness of time."

11. Will the title be told in arcs, or is it more of a "series of done-in-ones"?

Both.

12. How far ahead have you planned the series?

I've already plotted out to #8.

That should about do it. Feel free to add any other info you want about the project!

#1 ships in March '08! Woo-woo!

78 Comments

At December 6, 2007, Mongoose wrote:
Ew. That cover disturbs me. Isn't Kitty like 13 in that continuity? She's rather more...um..."grown up" looking than the Kitty ...
At December 6, 2007, Matt D wrote:
A Kitty and Wolvie book? Quasi set in continuity? In the X-Men: First Class style?

I demand the arch enemy ...
At December 6, 2007, Vincent Paul Bartilucci wrote:
Uncanny - no pun intended. It's almost like they reached into my mind and pulled out the very last ...
At December 6, 2007, Greg Burgas wrote:
I hate to break it to Mr. van Lente on his day, and as much as I love her, but ...
At December 6, 2007, Brian Cronin wrote:
Siryn debuted a couple of months after Uncanny X-Men #139, but in her first appearance, she had already been active ...
At December 6, 2007, Kitty's Dad wrote:
That is not a thirteen-year-old Kitty on the cover. The breast is wrong, very wrong.
At December 6, 2007, Somebody wrote:
One thing....

> In fact, Marvel has a team of four or so crack X-Perts who pour over each Wolverine First ...
At December 6, 2007, Brian Cronin wrote:
Wolverine changes his costume mid-way through Uncanny X-men #139, right?

So so long as his costume is the brown-and-tan for the ...
At December 6, 2007, David wrote:
Oh Lord yes. We've needed Classic Logan back for so long. Thank you thank you thank you.

I agree ...
At December 6, 2007, BizarroBeachHead wrote:
This looks more akin to the book I wanted Wolverine: Origins to be. With Fred Van Lente writing it, ...
At December 6, 2007, Rohan Williams wrote:
Wow! This looks awesome! Count me in.
At December 6, 2007, Ben wrote:
I think it's creepier that you guys are checking out a 13 year old's boobs so closely!
At December 6, 2007, Diagnull wrote:
Hmmm.

I would almost be interested in this if it was Kitty Pryde and...anyone else really. I like Kitty Pryde ...
At December 6, 2007, Josh Fenderman wrote:
haha. great catch on that costume. yeah marvel doesn't let a thing slip. he wore brown from the beginning of ...
At December 6, 2007, Andrew Collins wrote:
Wow, I didn't think this was possible- a Wolverine comic I am looking forward to. I always enjoyed his father/big ...
At December 6, 2007, Fred Van Lente wrote:
About Wolvie's costume:

My bad, I contradicted myself in the interview. I said both that the series takes place between ...
At December 6, 2007, Brian Cronin wrote:
he wore brown from the beginning of #139. He debuts his brown costume in #139, yes, but that does not ...
At December 6, 2007, dan wrote:
Hate it. Hate the idea, hate filling in gaps that don't need filled in (or aren't there).

A Wolvie-Nightcrawler book ...
At December 6, 2007, dan wrote:
And where'd Kitty get that rack??? Is this the storyline where she gets a massive boob-job and ends with ...
At December 6, 2007, MarkAndrew wrote:
Yeah, that is a good point about Kitty Pryde's breasts.

(Do you ever say something so nerdy you make yourself depressed?) ...
At December 6, 2007, Rohan Williams wrote:
I guess Kitty's breasts are 'off-model', so to speak, but I think the more interesting thing to take out of ...
At December 6, 2007, Anonymous wrote:
how much could you sell those for?
At December 6, 2007, Apodaca wrote:
I think itâ€™s creepier that you guys are checking out a 13 year oldâ€™s boobs so closely!

You really don't have ...
At December 6, 2007, Conor E wrote:
I'm surprised by the negativity, this sounds vastly more interesting than Wolverine and Wolverine Origins.
At December 6, 2007, Rich wrote:
Why does anybody ever draw Wolverine's claws longer than his forearm?

Fred, I hope you're not planning to sleep much in ...
At December 6, 2007, BizarroBeachHead wrote:
Why does anybody ever draw Wolverineâ€™s claws longer than his forearm?Dang yo, that's like my biggest pet peeve.
At December 6, 2007, Somebody wrote:
The implication in #139 is that he's had the new costume for a short while at that point - long ...
At December 6, 2007, Somebody wrote:
I included a panel in that, but it's been stripped out, so here's the link: http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s160/antmanvillains/WBnT139.jpg
At December 6, 2007, Brian Cronin wrote:
I gotcha, Somebody.

You're right, except Fred has already explained he mistakenly said "139" when he meant "138."

As you know, ...
At December 6, 2007, Jet wrote:
ALPHA FLIGHT!
At December 6, 2007, David wrote:
Oh, you can put Wolverine in neon pink and green and if he's classic heroic Wolvie I'll buy it, Fred. ...
At December 7, 2007, me wrote:
Wouldn't this be better if it was out of continuity like the all star series so we don't have to ...
At December 7, 2007, Brian Cronin wrote:
Sadly, me, being "in continuity" is a huge marketing draw.

Most fans want to know that the story "counts." I know ...
At December 7, 2007, bispatial wrote:
Yeah but regardless of these stories being in continuity, they won't and can't really have any impact as any long-term ...
At December 7, 2007, Brian Cronin wrote:
Why do we need another book showcasing Wolverine with Kitty when we can get that in Astonishing X-Men?

Hehe...come back to ...
At December 7, 2007, Pete wrote:
So what happens after #8?

Assuming we get to that point.
At December 7, 2007, Matthew wrote:
Too many nay sayers out there!

This book has the makings to be great!! I've been hoping for a Marvel Adventures: ...
At December 7, 2007, JimmyF wrote:
Wasn't Xavier's whole point to Wolverine joining the X-Men rather than stay with Alpha Flight was that he could come ...
At December 7, 2007, Matt Linton wrote:
Looks like it'll be fun. Van Lente's Marvel Adventures stuff is great, and a straight-up superhero comic starring Wolverine ...
At December 7, 2007, Teebore wrote:
I've always loved the Kitty/Wolverine mentor/student relationship.

Sign me up!
At December 7, 2007, Bug wrote:
Do we really need another Wolverine book? I mean we've got 2 solo series, New Avengers, most of the current ...
At December 7, 2007, neling wrote:
I have no interest in this book. It was awful the first time around. I read it when ...
At December 7, 2007, neling wrote:
Oh yes! I forgot to mention. I am a female reader.
At December 7, 2007, creaky wrote:
Not gonna say this can't be good, but like neling, I had really been hoping for this kind of focus ...
At December 7, 2007, BizarroBeachHead wrote:
Do we really need another Wolverine book? I mean weâ€™ve got 2 solo series, New Avengers, most of the current ...
At December 7, 2007, joshschr wrote:
[quote]Iâ€™m surprised by the negativity, this sounds vastly more interesting than Wolverine and Wolverine Origins [\quote]

But it sounds less interesting ...
At December 7, 2007, joshschr wrote:
And I think the problem with Wolverine's claws being longer than his forearms is just because of the perspective in ...
At December 7, 2007, Eric Oliphant wrote:
I can't believe everyone believe's this comic is real. It's just a what if fan picture. right? Seriously.
At December 7, 2007, suedenim wrote:
What a glorious Van Lente Day! I'm amazed to be eagerly anticipating a Wolverine title, but I am!
At December 7, 2007, neling wrote:
I don't understand why Mr. Van Lente thinks this will draw in female readers. This kind of story has ...
At December 7, 2007, neling wrote:
Eric Oliphant!

You think this is just a joke? I hope to goodness you are correct!
At December 7, 2007, Feral Female wrote:
If that`s the idea that Marvel comes up with to attract female readers,than they are very far off base.As an ...
At December 7, 2007, Lynxara wrote:
I've got to say, yeah, I can't imagine even many little girls wanting to read a comic book about Wolverine's ...
At December 7, 2007, apokolips.info » Blog Archive » Otra serie mÃ¡s para Lobezno (sigh) wrote:
[...] VÃa | ComicBookResources [...]
At December 7, 2007, Corey wrote:
Fred: "I was absolutely blown away by Andreaâ€™s work on Priestâ€™s Captain America and the Falcon series and I couldnâ€™t ...
At December 7, 2007, Andrew Collins wrote:
Man, who knew the female readers wanted some X-Men yaoi pr0n? :P

As for attracting female readers, I don't know about ...
At December 7, 2007, paul wrote:
I have to agree w/Bug's comment.... as much as I do enjoy the two current Wolverine books we don't need ...
At December 7, 2007, David wrote:
I'm tempted to wish the book were NOT in continuity, or rather were in Marvel Adventures continuity, or such, but ...
At December 7, 2007, David wrote:
"I have to agree w/Bugâ€™s commentâ€¦. as much as I do enjoy the two current Wolverine books we donâ€™t need ...
At December 7, 2007, Novaya Havoc wrote:
This sounds fun, and I like how Van Lente is focusing on some of the more peripheral elements of the ...
At December 7, 2007, Vincent Paul Bartilucci wrote:
"I have no interest in this book. It was awful the first time around. I read it when I was ...
At December 7, 2007, Syrinx wrote:
Female reader ahoy!

I will give this book a shot, but I can't say I have high hopes of 13-year-old Kitty ...
At December 8, 2007, Razor Claw Nelson wrote:
The title makes me really want to hate and avoid it, but after reading the whole thing here, it sounds ...
At December 8, 2007, Anna wrote:
Oh whatever next? Wolverine meets the Easter Bunny? Wolverine and Witchblade? oh wait..they did the last one.
At December 8, 2007, neling wrote:
Wolverine and Nightcrawler?

Oh well...what does Marvel care about readers who have been loyally reading this stuff for twenty years or ...
At December 8, 2007, neling wrote:
I'll just re-read Dave Cockrum's Nightcrawler mini-series and save that $2.99.
At December 8, 2007, Apodaca wrote:
Oh wellâ€¦what does Marvel care about readers who have been loyally reading this stuff for twenty years or more?

I think ...
At December 8, 2007, Rohan Williams wrote:
Is there really a big call out there for a Wolverine and Nightcrawler series? What's that about? I mean, they're ...
At December 8, 2007, Lynxara wrote:
I think it's just that female X-Men fans tend to really, really love Nightcrawler, and not a whole lot has ...
At December 8, 2007, Rohan Williams wrote:
Oh, cool. Is there a particular reason they want a Wolverine/Nightcrawler series, or is it just that some female readers ...
At December 8, 2007, km wrote:
I think itâ€™s just that female X-Men fans tend to really, really love Nightcrawler, and not a whole lot has ...
At December 8, 2007, creaky wrote:
I'm a Nightcrawler fan, but I'm not wishing for a Wolverine/Nightcrawler mini/arc for the sake of further development for Nightcrawler ...
At December 10, 2007, Ann Nichols wrote:
1. Perhaps it will turn out that Kitty stuck "falsies" in her bra to attract Piotr.

2. I was ...
At December 12, 2007, Zona Negativa » Desde nuestra tierra (3) wrote:
[...] * El murciano Salva Espín es uno del os más recientes fichajes españoles de Marvel, que se encargará de ...
At December 18, 2007, [PANINI] Wolverine - Página 40 - psicofxp.com wrote:
[...] En Marzo del año que viene se estrenará una nueva serie de Lobezno, Wolverine First Class. Al igual que ...
At March 28, 2008, Kitty wrote:
I just picked up XMFC number 9 today.

And the cover got changed.
Kitty looks better, less of a chest.

Personaly...I say **** ...
At May 9, 2009, Patrick wrote:
i prefer the newer generation Wolverine, so this is good news to me
At June 6, 2009, Wolverine Files Review: Wolverine: First Class #1 | Wolverine Files wrote:
[...] Wolverine: First Class Preview (ComicBookResources on Dec 06) Together Again: Van Lente on Wolverine First Class (Newsarama on Dec ...

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