Welcome to the special Christmas 44th edition of Leave Your Spandex @t the Door!
Like last year, I got together with some of comics’ greatest talents and most promising new creators to do a holiday-themed Roundtable! Returning from last year-line-up for more cheerful punishment are Dave Crosland, Mike Carey and Jose Garibaldi, and they are joined this year by Chris Giarusso, Lee Ferguson, Peter David, Neil Kleid, Todd Nauck, Steven Weissman and Chris Moeller!
INTRODUCTIONS:
Dave Crosland followed up on his hit ‘Puffed‘ and ‘Stay Puffed‘ projects last year with the ultimate X-mas hit HEAVEN, LLC and the BAD IDEAS mini-series about a Comic Kid and a Hot Chick, fighting Pussy Voodoo. No, really! His website is filled with Santa porn.
It seems like just last week (it was actually 2 weeks ago) that I was talking with Chris Giarusso about his newly released G-MAN one-shot and I featured some preview pages from Neil Kleid‘s premiere graphic novel, NINETY CANDLES. Both books make excellent X-Mas presents, spread the love!
I have no idea how to properly introduce Peter David, his work on Fallen Angel, Captain Marvel, and Madrox simply blow me away. And in january, he’s set to return to the book that made him famous: the Hulk!
Lee Ferguson got his big break 2 years ago, doing the art for Marvel’s unsung gem, X-MEN ICONS: CHAMBER and has now moved to publish his own personal project, FREAK, through Image Comics! www.leeferguson.com
Whenever I try to talk about Mike Carey, I usually end up sounding like a silly fan-boy, but that’s just how much I adore the man! Just last year, his comics workload included MY FAITH IN FRANKIE, LUCIFER, HELLBLAZER, and ULTIMATE ELEKTRA, while he’s also getting ready to launch SPELLBINDERS through Marvel Comics in February.
Chris Moeller had created some of the most stunning covers for Mike’s LUCIFER run, and is now hard at work preparing the new fully-painted JLA: COLD STEEL graphic novel. You can drool at his art at www.cmoeller.com
Steven Weissman is the offbeat creators of such fun comics like YIKES!, DON’T CALL ME STUPID and this yea’s much-recommended THE KID FIREMAN one-shot from Fantagraphics. you can get weekly comics doses from Steve through this space!
Todd Nauck made a big splash this year with his creator-owned title WILDGUARD, featuring a reality show with aspiring super-heroes, and introducing fan input in selecting the final roster of the book. And wait till you see what he can do with some LEGOs.
Jose Garibaldi moved on from the italian Pirelli family of Maria’s Wedding to Jingle Belle, Santa’s saucy daughter, and is also soon returning to his personal property, Teen Heaven.
This year, I’m asking the same 3 questions as last year, and 4 new ones, to spice things up! But let’s hear from the people themselves:
1. The Fourth Wall breaks, just in time for Christmas, and long enough for you to give a special Christmas present to one of your characters. Who’s the lucky sod and what is he/she going away with?
DAVE CROSLAND: Oh my goodness! I’d soooo give Paris Hilton a gun with one bullet and a note that says, “Do the world a favor.” Wait… those Hilton daughters are comic book characters, right?
CHRIS GIARUSSO: I’d like to give my character G-Man some popularity so I could keep doing comics about him
NEIL KLEID: As my only “known” character is Kevin Hall, and he’s Jewish, I’ll take him out to the movies on Christmas Eve. Maybe we’ll go see “The Hebrew Hammer.”
PETER DAVID: Fallen Angel . I’d try to give her another several years of publication. Then again, that’s what I’m already trying to do, so we’ll see if it works.
STEVEN WEISSMAN: It’s for Li’l Bloody: millions of adoring fans
TODD NAUCK: I’d have to arrange a meeting with Dr. Phil for Snapback (from WildGuard) and his girlfriend, Shonda. There are some issues there that are going to need to be addressed. The gift of emotional health is a really good thing.
2. Christmas-themed stories are a long tradition in comics that seems to have faded in recent years. What is your all-time favourite holiday-spirited comics story and/or movie?
DAVE CROSLAND: I think my favorite Christmas comic this year would have to be “God Rest Ye Extraordinary Gentlemen”, that short story in the back of the LXG 2 trade paperback. That part where Mr. Hyde learned the meaning of Christmas from Ross Perot… so touching! And my favorite Christmas movie is a tie between Resident Evil and The Fifth Element. With their combined allowances of Milla Jovovich boobies and the famed examination table bush-shot, those films make every day like Christmas!
CHRIS GIARUSSO: A Charlie Brown Christmas.
NEIL KLEID: I dig on the STARMAN issue where Jack Knight helps find a homeless Santa’s locket. The toast Ted Knight makes to the O’Dare’s is great.
PETER DAVID: Comic book? Probably “Silent Night of the Batman” (I think it was called). The one where Batman patrols Gotham, looking for crime, and instead keeps winding up encountering instances of people helping each other. Movie? The original “Miracle on 34th Street,” no question, followed closely by the George C. Scott version of “Christmas Carol.”
TODD NAUCK: The only holiday themed comic story I can think of right now is the Uncanny X-Men issue where Cannonball fights Gladiator of the Shi’ar Empire. It was a story that took place during Christmas but the focus wasn’t a sappy, emotional hook.
3. if you could give out a comic book or tradebook as an x-mas gift to get a young person interested in comics, what would that be and why?
DAVE CROSLAND: I’d give a young person a copy of “The Patriot Act I and II”. Seriously, those were the best comic adaptations of “1984” and “The Book of Revelations” that I’ve ever read!
CHRIS GIARUSSO: A Dragonball or Dragonball Z collection because they are fun and exciting.
NEIL KLEID: BONE. Come on, if I have to answer why we’re going to be here all day.
LEE FERGUSON: Probably HeroBear and the Kid, or maybe Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things…
PETER DAVID: Depends on the young person. That’s the joys of comics; there’s such a staggering variety of material out there to suit all interests.
STEVEN WEISSMAN: Any volume of Peanuts. It’s the bun on the burger.
TODD NAUCK: I’d say Ultimate Spider-Man. It’s fun, well written, and well drawn. I believe it’s a great starting point for new readers that could easily lead them to other Ultimate titles then other comics as they learn how to navigate a comic company’s universe.
CHRIS MOELLER: That’s easy: anything by Rod Espinosa (especially Courageous Princess or Neotopia… both available in beautiful hardcover editions from Antarctic Press). He’s a tremendously talented writer & artist who doesn’t feel the need to titillate the “adults” in his audience. His characters are human and complex, his worlds are well thought out and enthralling. And he’s a terrific storyteller. I recommend his stuff for anyone who likes adventure fiction, period.
I’d also give a vote to Jeff Smith’s Bone paperbacks. My kids eat ’em
up. They make me read them out loud as bed-time stories, with accents for all the characters (Phoney Bone is from Brooklyn, The Red Dragon is Marlon Brando, Granma Ben is Granny from the Sylvester & Tweety cartoons… etc…)
4. Looking back at the past year in comics, what was your favourite moment from your own comics?
DAVE CROSLAND: I think my favorite moment from my own comics would have to be that 15 page excerpt from Bad Ideas 3, where Comic Kid beats off to that bootleg DVD of Hot Chick and Trish (from Puffed) getting their “Bella Donna Loves Jenna Jameson on!
CHRIS GIARUSSO: Actually getting my comic, G-MAN #1, published through Image comics
MIKE CAREY: Probably the scene in My Faith in Frankie where Kay takes out Dean Baxter with the lucky aggie, and then with a hedge trimmer. I don’t know why, but that one made me smile as I was writing it. Probably because Dean is such an obnoxious git, and because it’s meek, mild-mannered Kay rather than Frankie who gets to give him his come-uppance.
NEIL KLEID: Getting NINETY CANDLES, my first OGN, out on the shelves. It’s my first, but definitely not my last. As far as my favorite moment from the book, it’s when Kevin’s grandson Michael asks him what his favorite creation is…
LEE FERGUSON: Just seeing FREAK hit the shelves. There were some rough edges, but overall I’m pretty proud to see my first creator-owned title on the shelves…
STEVEN WEISSMAN: Making Kid Firechief badges.
TODD NAUCK: Wrapping up my first creator-owned mini-series, WildGuard: Casting Cal and launching the WildGuard Weekly web strips at www.wildguard.com. There’s nothing quite like creating your own world and inviting people to experience it!
JOSE GARIBALDI: I got to kick Strom Thurmond out of Office Max in Stan Wenches’ “Cornflakes!” comic. Bigot’s get served, cuz Mister G. don’t play that!
5. Which stories and titles stand out as your favourite from 2004?
DAVE CROSLAND: Okay, fer reals, “Street Angel” stands alone as the mind-blowing comic of the year. The stories are just so over-the-top with the action and hilarity! It’s out on Slave Labor and I recommend that anyone with eyes and toes picks it up, immediately.
CHRIS GIARUSSO: THE GOON, INVINCIBLE, SAVAGE DRAGON.
MIKE CAREY: The final chapters of Bone would have to be in there – close to the head of the list. Sleeper volume 2. Smax. And the Fantagraphics Peanuts reprints.
NEIL KLEID: Slave Labor’s STREET ANGEL, AdHouse Books’ PROJECT:TELSTAR and Diggle and Jock’s LOSERS.
Thats what I’m reading – all the stories are great.
LEE FERGUSON: Waid and Ringo’s FF, Brubaker and Phillips’ Sleeper, Millar and Jones’ Wanted, and The Goon, by Eric Powell.
STEVEN WEISSMAN:
LOVE + ROCKETS (esp. “MAGGIE”)
DEATH STAR by Kaz Strzepek
REGE dolls
all JOHNNY RYAN comics
and from KRAMER’S ERGOT #5:
JORDAN CRANE
MARC BELL
KEVIN HUIZENGA
ELVIS STUDIOS
BRAD JOHNSON
TODD NAUCK: Identity Crisis was a great whodunit with some fun tie-in comics in the DCU. Invincible is one of the best superhero comics out there. It’s so much fun to read and the art is great! Ultimate Fantastic Four has been one of my favorite new titles from Marvel. It’s been an interesting approach to the FF.
CHRIS MOELLER: Artesia from Archaia Press. War Stories, Lucifer, Fables & Gotham Central from DC/Vertigo.
JOSE GARIBALDI: Bad Ideas from Image is a hoot. Also Street Angel is the hottness. Or Else by Kevin H. was good, too.
6. What are you most looking forward to, for 2005?
DAVE CROSLAND: I’m looking forward to April 2005, when Craig Thompson admits that he stole the entire story for “Blankets” from my own memoirs, thus gaining me all the prestige and applause that, rightfully, should have been showered upon me. That includes (but is not limited to) sex with fine-ass foreign models, including (but not limited to) Milla Jovovich.
CHRIS GIARUSSO: More GOON, INVINCIBLE, SAVAGE DRAGON, and hopefully more G-MAN.
MIKE CAREY: Well, more Fantagraphics Peanuts reprints. Bryan Talbot’s Alice in Sunderland. Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers. And Tony Blair having his majority in the house of commons shaved to a wafer, the war-mongering bugger.
NEIL KLEID: Besides BROWNSVILLE, my OGN with Jake Allen from NBM Publishing about the Jewish Mafia?
BIZARRO WORLD from DC Comics, PROJECT SUPERIOR from AdHouse and BATTLE HYMN from Image.
LEE FERGUSON: Writing and drawing another brand-new book, and coaching my son’s basketball team again.
STEVEN WEISSMAN: This is the first I’ve heard about it.
TODD NAUCK: Man, I’m not really sure what’s coming out in 2005! I know my pal, Zeb Wells, is writing the new New Warriors series. So, l’ll check that out. I’m a big fan of Olivier Copiel’s art, so I’ll be picking up his House of M series. And I suppose there will be a new Green Lantern series after Green Lantern: Rebirth. I won’t wanna miss that.
CHRIS MOELLER: Getting my graphic novel JLA: Cold Steel out of the studio, where it’s destroying my life, and into stores.
JOSE GARIBALDI: Finally finishing “Is This The End Of Teen Heaven? ” and getting an upgrade for my implanted microchip. This one’s kinda slow
7. Santa has gone missing, and you need to choose one comics character to replace him in time for Christmas. Who do you choose, and why?
DAVE CROSLAND: Like, doy. I’d chose Stan Lee’s Nutcracker 2099! I mean, he’s already got that connection to Christmas. AND, with his mechanical mandible and heat-seeking pecan pistons, he’d be able to locate Santa and eliminate his kidnappers in no time! Excelsior, True Holiday Believers!
CHRIS GIARUSSO: Batman, because he loves cookies.
MIKE CAREY: Batman. I mean, not only does he have the will, the intellect and the sheer, raw determination to get the job done, but he’s also a millionaire in his secret identity so he’d give really expensive gifts.
NEIL KLEID: Hal Jordan. Just to piss people off. And then we can have a big fight when Santa returns and bring him back in a multi-issue mini series.
Or something. I don’t know. I read THE FLASH.
STEVEN WEISSMAN: Herbie Popnecker , of course. Lollipops for everyone!
TODD NAUCK: Marvel’s Z-grade villain, Man-Ape. He needs the work!
CHRIS MOELLER: I’d choose Snoopy. He’s got the flying doghouse (which as a bonus seems to be able to hold an infinite amount of junk, a big asset when you’re carrying around toys for every kid in the world), he’s got some previous experience doing Christmas work (“Aaaaugh! Even my dog’s gone commercial!”), and he’s got the panache to do the thing with style.
JOSE GARIBALDI: Jingle Belle of course! She already proved she could handle the job last year in “Dash Away All”
Manolis: Thank you everyone for your time and your answers! Merry Christmas to all and I hope you have the best of holidays!
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
As always, I’m waiting for your comments through email or in the new official LYS@D discussion thread.
Manolis Vamvounis
a.k.a. Doc Dooplove
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
