Keith Giffen has been entertaining us comic
readers since the 1970s. He is known for having
good runs on Defenders, The Legion of Superheroes,
Justice League and more. Not too long ago he made a
big commercial comeback with Formerly Known as
Justice League over at DC. He is about to take his
brand of humor and apply it to a relaunched
Defenders title for Marvel. In this interview we
ask him a bit about his ability to both write and
draw, his work on Manga books, his creator owned
series and of course, Defenders.
Jamie:
You started out as a penciler. How did you
learn to draw well enough to get work?
Keith Giffen:
Self taught. Totally self taught and it
shows. I was, pretty much, checking books out of
the local library and filling reams of sketchbook
paper.
Jamie:
Why did you move into writing?
Keith Giffen:
I kind of backed into it. Started doing plots
on the JLI books by actually doodling the story
onto typewriter paper. Wasn't til Trencher that I
felt confident enough to tackle dialog. I was a
late bloomer.
Jamie:
Which comes easier to you drawing or writing
and why?
Keith Giffen:
The writing. Definitely. It's a helluva lot
easier to write, "charge of the Light Brigade"
than it is to draw it.
Jamie:
How did you get the Legion gig way back when?
Keith Giffen:
Paul Levitz is a very forgiving man. That,
and my love of the concept. It was offered to me
once I proved I could handle it by way of a few
back-up stories.
Jamie:
What did you like best about drawing/writing
the Legion, and what did you dislike most?
Keith Giffen:
I don't know how to answer that. Some books
just exert a siren's song. Legion was my siren.
Still is. Dislike? I guess the whole 5 years
later situation could have gone down less tense.
Jamie:
Can you finish the limerick for the long
suffering Legion fans: There once was a Durlan
from Venus. Who kept shape shifting his...
Keith Giffen:
Don't be ridiculous. Durlans don't have
penises.
Jamie:
How do you like Mark Waid and Barry Kitson's
new take on the Legion?
Keith Giffen:
I love it. I'm a big fan of the book. I can
finally read it and not feel I'm always one step
ahead of the story. Buy this book!
Jamie:
What did you think of the animated version of
Lobo from the Justice League cartoon series?
Keith Giffen:
Jamie:
I understand you did the translation/adaption
of the popular TokyoPop series Battle Royale. When
did you learn Japanese?
Keith Giffen:
No, no, no... I get a very basic English
translation that I then have to massage to suit
Western tastes. Battle Royale is a labor of love.
I campaigned for it. And, Otaku be damned, my
job is to make the series as palatable to Western
tastes as I can while staying true to the spirit
of the original piece.
Jamie:
Are you going to do more translations? I
imagine there would be plenty of work out there
for that skill set right about now.
Keith Giffen:
There's Battle Vixens. And the homegrown I
Luv Halloween book. Other than that... Not much.
Jamie:
What Manga series are you particularly fond of?
Keith Giffen:
Battle Royale, Akira, Love Hina, Domu, Baron
Gong Battles, City Hunter...
Jamie:
What is your take on DC radically editing the
very adult Tenjho Tenge series?
Keith Giffen:
Why even bring it over? The book was pretty
obviously what it was. I'm dead set against the
censoring of any imported works. That said,
there's more to the story than the readers know...
DC is not the ogre here.
Jamie:
Your sense of humor is legendary...how did you
develop it? And when did you have the idea to
apply it to superheroes?
Keith Giffen:
My mom's a smart ass. As for applying humor
to superheroes... I'm far from the first. Jack
Cole anyone? I don't remember the humor thing
being a deliberate add on (except for Ambush Bug,
that was planned). The whole JLI thing happened
pretty organically.
Jamie:
I understand you and J. M. Dematteis are doing
a book called Hero Squared comedy superhero book.
Is this in the same style as your Justice League
work?
Keith Giffen:
Yup. But since we own it we can really let
ourselves go.
Jamie:
Who are the main characters and what are their
powers?
Keith Giffen:
Milo and Captain Valor. Milo's a, no powers,
slacker and we figured we'd just make up Valor's
powers as we go along.
Jamie:
Can you tell us a bit about the plot/setting?
Keith Giffen:
Turn of the century France. Y'see, this guy
steals a loaf of bread and this obsessed cop
relentlessly pursues... No. Wait. That's Les
Miserables. Did I spell that right?
Jamie:
Will Ty Templeton be taking over any of your
books to finish off Kevin Maguire's run? ;)
Keith Giffen:
Yeah... Like Ty needs us dragging his career
through the mud again...
Jamie:
Why are you jumping ship to do The Defenders at
Marvel?
Keith Giffen:
Because they're there. Jumping ship? Is that
how people see it? Cool!
Jamie:
Which Defenders are you going to use?
Keith Giffen:
Dr. Strange, Submariner, Hulk and the Silver
Surfer.
Jamie:
If you could write any comic in the comic
universe, which one would you like to do? And why?
Keith Giffen:
Captain America is my one great, unfulfilled
comic book ambition. Why? It's Captain America,
man! Mike McKone said we could take a crack at
landing Cap once he's got two years of FF under
his belt but I think that was just the drugs
talking.
Jamie:
Do you have anymore DC work coming up?
Keith Giffen:
Yup. But it's all hush hush for now.
Jamie:
Any plans for an Ambush Bug comeback?
Keith Giffen:
Jamie:
Are you interested in writing and drawing a
more serious style book?
Keith Giffen:
You mean like Common Foe? Actually, I'd love
to do more horror. I'm talking hard core, grind
house, in your face horror. I could really get
into that.
