He's recently returned to Marvel though, and I went right after him with
insipid fanboy questions!! Let the torture begin...
Bourgeois:
Let's start off with a cliched question. Favorite and least favorite
stories you've ever written, and why?
Nicieza:
Uhm... too few of the former, too many of the latter...
Favorites: PSI-FORCE #16 (because it was the first issue of my monthly run).
NIGHT THRASHER #7 (because I did the layouts for the storytelling and the
story had something to say). NOMAD #8 (because it also had something to say
and it got me on Entertainment Tonight!). ADVENTURES of CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
and #2 (because Kevin Maguire and I had put our heart and soul into it and
the first 2 issues reflect that. After that, it was a sausage mix into the
schedule-grinder). TROUBLEMAKERS #1 and #2 (just cause they were what I wanted
them to be, start to finish). NEW WARRIORS (too many issues to mention), because
I think much of the work I did on that title with Mark Bagley and Darick Robertson
stands the test of time as exciting, entertaining and even thought-provoking superhero adventure.
Least Favorite? I don't give out #'s because any comic might be someone
else's favorite. Many of the issues of X-MEN I was involved in. Some real
stinker Annuals, too. The entire run of the monthly CABLE series I started.
X-FORCE #43 because it was my last issue against my choice (and my better judgment).
Bourgeois:
What is your opinion of the proposed relaunch of New Warriors, and what
would you do if you were doing the relaunch?
Nicieza:
I think that I'd rather see Marvel try and do something with those great
characters rather than sitting on them. I'm not doing the relaunch, so what
I would or wouldn't do is a moot point. In this marketplace and with those
core fans of the title, I think Jay Faerber and the artist have enough of a
challenge without me sticking my fingers into the mix.
Bourgeois:
Taking a brief jump into the past, which I know you dislike, you've always
had a great handle on the character of Mister Sinister. What were some of
the plans that you never got around to doing with him, and can we expect him
to cause some trouble over in the new Gambit series?
Nicieza:
As you mention, I prefer not to talk about what might have been, especially
as it pertains to the X-MEN. I can say, in regards to Sinister, that many
of the plans I had for him in the core X-books might be used in one form or
another in upcoming issues of GAMBIT. It will (or won't)be done with respect
to the preferences of the core X-titles, since Sinister is a core-villain, not
a Gambit-specific one.
Bourgeois:
Speaking of Gambit, you're cramming a lot into each issue. How far ahead do
you have the series mapped out, and has there been much interference from
editorial?
Nicieza:
Am I cramming TOO much into it? Some say yes, others seem to like that. I
will state that it "opens up a bit" after issue #4. I did throw a LOT into
it at first because I wanted to give all readers - X fans and non-X fans
alike - a taste of the character's rich, far-reaching scope. I wanted to
use the first arc of issues (#1-5) to show that the character can do a lot
of things, have stories in lots of different "genres" and the cast would be
a rich, complex one. As far as editorial interference? So far, no more so
or less so than one normally gets working on company-owned characters. Even
when I disagree with my editor, I respect the difficulty of their job,
because I've done it myself.
Bourgeois:
How come Gambit warranted his own series, when to my recollection, his
limited series LOST marvel money?
Nicieza:
Uhm... I have no clue to your latter point. I'd be surprised if it was
accurate. I also don't know what the publishing plan was regarding launching
his solo series at this time. I'm not being paid to be the Editor in Chief
or the Publisher. I've done those jobs already, thank you very much.
I'll just be more than happy to write the monthly adventures of a character
I find very, very intriguing.
Bourgeois:
The X-Cutioner was an interesting choice for a villain. What lead to you
deciding to use him, and how long is he gonna be causing trouble for the
Cajun?
Nicieza:
Originally, I was going to create a new character that embodied all the
OPPOSITE traits of Remy - in essence, a rigid, borderline obsessive man of
Law & Order. I think it was Mark who suggested that my traits for an
Anti-Gambit sounded a lot like X-CUTIONER! He had an interesting backstory
courtesy of the work done by Scott Lobdell and John Ostrander, plus a great
visual that Steve liked, so we decided to use him.
I think you'll see with Issue #5 that we're really digging into his
character and making him a tragically flawed man. It also allows us to
continually evolve him into a perfect foe for Remy. After issue #5, he
probably won't be back until Year 2, and when he does come back, his
situation and relationship to Remy is going to be verrrrry
interesting.
Bourgeois:
OK, last Gambit question, promise... Are there any plans to extrapolate
upon Gambit's "charm power" that seemed to be touched upon in Gambit's early
appearances?
Nicieza:
I personally don't think he has "charm power." My interpretation is that
it's merely a by-product of his regular mutant powers, same as Xavier's
stated past difficulties "reading" or "locking on to" Remy's mind. Some
aspects of my reasoning will be shown in the GAMBIT 99 ANNUAL this July,
when we deal with Green Smoky Lady inside Remy since his return to the X-Men.
Bourgeois:
I've seen you post a lot to Usenet, even replied to you a few times. What's
your opinion of the newsgroups?
Nicieza:
I find them a source of continual entertainment. Much like The Jerry
Springer Show or Talk Soup.
Bourgeois:
What comics that you don't currently have a hand in, do you read?
Nicieza:
THUNDERBOLTS, AVENGERS, BLACK PANTHER, NIGHTWING are my must-reads, but I
read a lot of the superhero stuff from Marvel and DC to keep up with the
character's status quo in case I write something with them.
Bourgeois:
Favorite creators? Influences?
Nicieza:
I don't have favorite creators per se, because we're all capable of great,
good, mediocre or bad work on a regular basis, depending on a wide variety
of circumstances. Page for page, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Frank Miller and
Alan Moore are two creators who most consistently tend to make me think
while I read their work.
Bourgeois:
What are some novelists you enjoy reading?
Nicieza:
I go through waves. I've just gone through a Caleb Carr wave and I'm
entering a James Ellroy mode. If a friend of mine has written something,
like a Peter David or Michael Jan Friedman Star Trek book, I'll read that.
I also sprinkle in some non-fiction/history books in there, too, just to
give myself some ability to rationalize that I really am an adult.
Bourgeois:
Now for a toughie. We've all heard about Marvel's ongoing financial
troubles, and canceling promising series. So, how long do you think Marvel
can remain solvent with its current business decisions before they're bought
out or go belly up?
Nicieza:
Canceling comic books is a by-product of that title not selling enough to
justify its continued publication. Borderline titles that are close to break
even can be floated for an indeterminate period of time, but not titles that
fall and stay below a necessary budgetary consideration. I'm sure that Marvel
floats plenty of financially borderline titles such as DEADPOOL due almost
solely to creative reasons. The titles that get canceled usually "deserved"
to from the pure standpoint of dollars and cents (if not sense). As much as
some readers want to bitch and moan, it is a BUSINESS and that means it has
to produce a profit. No one had more "promising" series in their company
stable than I did at Acclaim. At the end of the day, quality is subjective
but quantity does not lie. Marvel's solvency, IMO, has less to do with its
publishing program and a lot more to do with its licensing program.
Besides, your question is about a month too late, in light of all the
exciting creative and financial opportunities the liberation of the
Spider-Man movie rights represents for the company.
Bourgeois:
Speaking of cancellations, why was Quantum and Woody canceled?
Nicieza:
The book didn't sell enough to cover the cost of producing it. Simple and
ugly as that. A shame, too, since in my opinion it was consistently the
best superhero comic this industry has seen in the last 5 years!
Bourgeois:
I think we've grilled you enough, so we'll close it off with a real easy
question. D'you like croutons?
Nicieza:
Funny you should ask that. I HATE croutons. What are they all about? Dried,
hardened bread bits in your lettuce? Why not just crumble a roofing shingle
into your salad while you're at it! Always flick the little dried roaches
off my salad when they're in there. Grumble...
