The most wild and zany writer on the block has come to Collector Times. Joe
Kelly (after some whip cracking) gave us this wonderful interview about
Deadpool, the X-men fiasco, and other neeto stuff. Read on!
Coville:
How do you keep coming up with the gags for Deadpool?
Kelly:
I have vast library of demented childhood experiences to draw from, and a
closet full of lines I SHOULD have said when some jerk put me down in High
School, both of which serve me well on Deadpool. Also, I watched way too much
TV as both a child and an adult, so I STEAL STEAL STEAL from my favorite
shows!
I'm not a well boy.
Coville:
Are you reminded of the CCA by your editor when writing Deadpool? Does the
CCA force you to cut or tone down some things?
Kelly:
Absolutely, Matt does a very good job of reminding me that there is a code to
be followed, and when I've pushed a border unnecessarily. However, we're not
slaves to the code, either. If we have a really good reason to push the
limits, he lets he go for it. As a general rule, we don't need to break the
code. There's plenty of latitude within it, if you're clever and a little
naughty.
Coville:
After reading the Deadpool/Death annual, I wonder if you had a crush on
Death when you were young?
Kelly:
Nope. I've always been fascinated by the Death visual- The hood, the bones,
scary! However, I've never had a crush on death, nor do I support Death as a
recreational activity in any of her many forms.
Coville:
Will Thanos be angry at Deadpool for his relationship with Death?
Kelly:
I hope so! makes for a cool story, no?
Coville:
How long before Deadpool breaks away from the "saviour" storyline and
starts interacting with the rest of the Marvel Universe?
Kelly:
JANUARY! The DEAD RECKONING story arc ends in December, and then Deadpool has
a lot of issues to face in the rest of the MU.
Coville:
When will we see T-Ray and Typhoid Mary again?
Kelly:
We'll definitely see T-Ray in 1999. As to Typhoid, I'm not so sure... Maybe
next year too, but probably not in the same capacity.
Coville:
What's the current status of Deadpool? Heard any news, good or bad?
Kelly:
As of this writing, Deadpool's sales are actually UP, and we are NOT being
canceled! Yay! I have no idea how long this reprieve is going to last, but
we'll make the most of it.
Coville:
What do you think about John Byrnes retconing the Concentration Camp out of
Magneto past?
Kelly:
I honestly don't have an opinion on that.
Coville:
Rumor is you and Seagle quit the X-books because of the editors. Is this
true?
Kelly:
It was a variety of reasons. To put it concisely, The editors had a certain
vision about the X-Men and the way they should be written. We had a different
vision. As a result, the final product fell somewhere in the middle, and
therefore short for both sides. We left because we didn't want to do half-baked work.
Coville:
What exactly did the editors do to you and Seagle that drove you off?
Kelly:
Like I said, it wasn't so much a matter of what they did to us, It was more a
matter of us not clicking as a group. This, coupled with the fact that
everyone at Marvel is concerned about losing their job right now, causes
people to make bad choices. This got frustrating, so we all agreed it was
time for a break. I DO NOT HATE ANYONE IN THE X-OFFICE! Just wanted to make
that clear.
Coville:
What was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak?
Kelly:
Steve and I were told that we weren't going to be involved in the long term
planning and outlining of the next story arc, but were still expected to write
the issues based on someone elses template. If that had always been the case,
if we were "dayplayers" on the X-Men from the beginning, this wouldn't be such
a big deal. However, in light of the events leading up to it, it was obvious
this was a last ditch attempt to try and "fix"" something that was way too
broken, so we left. That being said, I'd also like to clear up another
internet rumor- I DO NOT HATE ALAN DAVIS!!! People have been paraphrasing
things that Steve and I said in Australia, and putting it in direct quotes. I
have nothing against Alan, and wish him all the best on the X-Men.
Coville:
Is the problem the same all across Marvel or is just with the X-books?
Kelly:
The X-Men is Marvel's number one franchise, so naturally there is more
scrutiny on those books than some of the others.
Coville:
Which X-characters did you enjoy writing the most?
Kelly:
Marrow, Maggott, Doc, Phoenix, Storm, Wolverine, and Beast.
Coville:
Do you prefer to write team books or individual titles?
Kelly:
Team books is hard!!! I'd like to try another team book, but not as big as
the X-men. Maybe three characters, or four.
Coville:
If you had the chance to write for DC, what characters or titles would you
choose?
Kelly:
Hmmm... That's a toughie. I'm partial to Green Lantern, maybe Batman, The
Phantom Stranger, Martian Manhunter, and the Spectre.
Coville:
Writing wise, who are your influences?
Kelly:
Kafka, a bunch of screenwriters including Richard LaGravenese, Terry Gilliam,
Robin Williams, Frank Miller, Surrealistic playwriting.
Coville:
How exactly do you write your comics? How much detail do you give the
penciler?
Kelly:
I tend to put in a lot of description, but with the intent that it can all be
thrown out so long as a) The storytelling comes across, and b) the artist
comes up with a cooler way to show something. My scripts are almost full
script style, but only because I'm trained as a screenwriter, and that's more
comfortable to me.
Coville:
Outside of writing comics, what do you do with your time?
Kelly:
Take care of my new house, my new wife, and plan for my soon to be new baby.
I do a lot of work around the home, play videogames, read comics, ride my
mountain bike. Sometimes, I pretend to be a cop and shake down druggies for
needles, which I then make into sculptures of the Eiffel tower.
Coville:
What kind of music do you listen to? Who are your favorite bands/singers?
Kelly:
I listen to everything. At the moment, I'm into lounge music, but I listen to
Nirvana, Sublime, the Doors, Jazz, Punk, PJ, Billie Holiday... Everything!
Coville:
What advice can you give to writers trying to get work at Marvel Comics?
Kelly:
BE PERSISTENT, BUT NOT ANNOYING. Right now, the entire industry is shrinking.
It's going to be very difficult for new writers to get in the front door at
Marvel. So what folks should do is a) Attack smaller companies and try to
build a name for themselves, b) Send in Springboards and 1 page story ideas to
editors with a SASE for feedback, but without expectations, and c) try to
self-publish, so that they can send in a finished product to be read over a
script. Write every day, and try to get a job that will support you while you
try to hammer your way into Marvel. That way, if the industry collapses, you
can give me a job!
