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Kurt Busiek is a widely respected writer in the comics community. He is
known for a range of talents including effectively using continuity in
his stories, doing unique takes on established characters and expanding
what type of stories that can be done within the superhero genre. We
touch on all three of these strengths with his recent work on Superman,
Aquaman, Conan, Astro City and more.
Jamie:
Superman: Secret Identity was different in that it was a new
character and not in continuity Superman. Do you think anything further
will happen with that version of Superman?
Kurt Busiek:
I hope not. His story's pretty much done, and I think it works as is.
I don't think we need a sequel.
I do have plans for other stories that would work as companion pieces to
SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY, but they're different stories, different
characters.
Jamie:
It's been said that Superman books are to have creative teams on for
a short period of time. How long is your run with Superman going to last?
Kurt Busiek:
I've been told there are no plans for creative teams to have short
stints -- as such, it's an open-ended run.
Jamie:
You've mentioned before that you adapt your writing somewhat for the
artists. With Conan, some of the writing was adaptation of Howard's
Novels and you had a variety of artists doing it. How do you balance
that? Do you simply adapt and hope the artist can do it or are you more
careful in what specific parts of the story you adapt to mesh with the
artists?
Kurt Busiek:
It's not a matter of "simply adapting," but of playing the story to the
artist's strengths. Even if I'm adapting a scene Howard wrote, I can
keep Cary Nord's strengths in mind, and essentially "direct" the story
in a way that takes advantage of that -- give him room to do nice
establishing shots, emotional close-ups, that sort of thing. Any scene
can be played a zillion ways, so you pick the way that'll coincide with
what the artist can knock out of the park.
Cary's particularly good at Howard stuff, though, so it's not as if I
had to struggle to play it to his strengths.
Jamie:
Some of your Conan work was for mature readers. Do you think Conan
works best when you don't have all ages restraints on the book?
Kurt Busiek:
Sure. I think you can do it for all ages, but the original stories are
chock-a-block with violence, nudity and a rough, brutal worldview. It
helps when you don't have to tone that down any.
Jamie:
Some folks think that because movies and video games have ratings on
them, then so should comic books. Do you agree or disagree?
Kurt Busiek:
Disagree completely. I think we should look to our sister industries in
print publishing, books and magazines (and after all, most comics are
either books or magazines). For centuries now, they've shown how to
connect a variety of material with appropriate audiences without having
ratings imposed on them, or censor boards telling them what to do.
If they can sell everything from HUSTLER to PAT THE BUNNY without a
ratings system, we can do it too.
Jamie:
Some say kids are naturally drawn to comics and there are some
ignorant parents out there that think all comics are for kids. How
should publishers let retailers and readers know which comic is for
which age group?
Kurt Busiek:
I don't think we should let ignorant parents run the industry. I think
the bookstores are full of terrific examples of how to package and
present books and magazines so that they appeal to the intended
audience, rather than making them all look the same and then trying to
warn away the wrong audiences. Just go to a bookstore and look around
-- look at the kind of design, illustration, typography and more that
goes into packaging Lloyd Alexander's THE BLACK CAULDRON so that it
looks like what it is -- a young-readers fantasy novel -- while the
latest John Sandford thriller looks completely different. Books use
trade dress, families of imprints, genre labels and more, and have no
trouble making the books reach out to the right audiences. They don't
need warning labels, and we don't either.
There are comics that already follow this kind of approach -- no one
with any brains would look at an issue of SIN CITY and expect it to be
kid-safe, and even if they did, the retailer's presumably got brains
too. I try to make sure ASTRO CITY (which would pass the Code just
fine) is designed to look like a book for an older reader, not because
it's not safe for younger readers, but because the older readers are
probably going to enjoy it more, so I want to attract them.
Book publishers let readers and retailers know both by package design and
presentation, and by catalog descriptions that tell retailers a lot. We
can do that too, if only we put in the effort, rather than making the
covers look like virtually the same sensibility on everything.
Jamie:
It's interesting you jumped from Conan, a sword and sorcery book to
Aquaman, which gets turned into a sword and sorcery book based on your
pitch. What is it about sword and sorcery that you like?
Kurt Busiek:
I like heroic fantasy. The exotic lands, the action, the scope of big,
sprawling adventure. It's fun to write, and it's visual and emotional
and involving. I think it fits Aquaman well, so why not?
Jamie:
And what is it with giving superhero swords these days? We see the
Hulk with one and now Aquaman. What do you think a sword adds to a
character?
Kurt Busiek:
It gives him a sharp thing he can stick people with!
Seriously, I don't know why they gave the Hulk a sword; you'd have to
ask them that. But I'm not viewing the new Aquaman as a straight
superhero. He's a fantasy adventure character in a lawless and exotic
world. And in that situation, swords not only look cool, but they're
useful.
Jamie:
It's been made pretty obvious that the Dweller is the original
Aquaman. Why did you give enough information to let readers figure this out?
Kurt Busiek:
Because it's intended to be a mystery to the characters, not to the
readers. Just as we showed the readers the secret of the Thunderbolts
in #1, and let them see the plan play out to an unsuspecting world, I
think it works here, too. The reader knows something the characters
don't, and can anticipate how it might affect them as we roll on. It
gives us a certain measure of suspense -- when will the situation blow
up? -- rather than mystery.
And we've got other mysteries, besides...
Jamie:
I just got back from seeing X-men 3 and saw an ad for the next
Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The physical similarities between Davy
Jones and the Dweller are quite striking. I'm assuming great minds think
alike?
Kurt Busiek:
I was talking to a guy who works with Johnny Depp a little while ago,
and I told him about the Dweller. Our design sketches hit the 'net
about two weeks before their first previews hit the theaters, and of
course our comic came out before the movie. So we couldn't have stolen
it from them, and due to their lead time, they can't have swiped it from
us. It's just the right time for squid-beards, I guess.
Jamie:
How did you discover the King Shark character and what was it about
him that made you think he'd be a good character to bring back?
Kurt Busiek:
Well, I didn't need to discover him -- I was around when Karl Kesel and
Tom Grummett created him in the first place, and I've liked him ever
since. But to be honest, I wouldn't have thought to use him. It was
Dan Didio who suggested using him as a cast member, back before I
suggested making AQUAMAN a fantasy book. Then, when I had the fantasy
idea, I realized King Shark would fit into that really well, so I kept
him -- but he wouldn't have occurred to me if Dan hadn't suggested him
in the first place.
Jamie:
Aquaman fans want to know if The Fisherman & Aquagirl will show
anytime soon?
Kurt Busiek:
The Fisherman, yes. Though we'll be discovering things about him that
I'll bet readers have never suspected. He'll be a very cool villain, I
think.
Lorena will turn up in time, but not right away. She's crucial to the
story of what happened to Orin, though.
Jamie:
And what about the country Cerdia, will it be used in a future story?
Kurt Busiek:
Yes. I've got a story involving Cerdia already planned.
Jamie:
What was the inspiration for the Windward Home?
Kurt Busiek:
It was just an image that occurred to me, and I liked it so much I
figured out how to use it. I have no idea what made me think of it, but
it's worked out nicely so far.
Jamie:
You have a Marvels: Eye Of The Camera coming out sometime. I'm
assuming this is a sequel to Marvels?
Kurt Busiek:
Jamie:
Do you know who is doing the art for it and when it might be coming out?
Kurt Busiek:
Jay Anacleto's doing a gorgeous job on the artwork, but it's a slow
process, so the book won't be scheduled until it's almost done.
Jamie:
Is Alex Ross involved in any way?
Kurt Busiek:
Jamie:
Kurt Busiek:
Alex said right from the start, back when the first one came out, that
he didn't want to do a sequel. Not that he didn't want there to be a
sequel -- he encouraged me to do one, if only so someone else wouldn't
wind up doing it -- but he didn't want to do it.
When this project started up, we assumed he would be way too busy, but
offered him the chance to be involved somehow anyway, and he passed.
But Jay's doing an absolutely gorgeous job, so I don't think anyone
needs to worry about the book not looking good.
Jamie:
How has your health been?
Kurt Busiek:
It won't be back to normal, not fully, for years yet, but at least we're
going in the right direction.
Jamie:
How did it feel to get another Astro City story out after the long
drought?
Kurt Busiek:
Feels damn good -- although now, we gotta get the next one done. And
then the next, and the next...
Jamie:
The last Astro City trade, Local Heroes, was mainly filled with one
or two issue stories. The majority of it was about normal people with
some connection to the heroes. Was is easier to do these types of
stories while battling your health problems?
Kurt Busiek:
No. It was impossible to do them when I was at my worst, and I couldn't
even start doing them again until my health started picking up. Even
then, it's been a slow process, but it's getting easier as I improve,
and rebuild my energy.
Jamie:
Do you see an end for Astro City or can it go on forever?
Kurt Busiek:
I think it'll end eventually, but not anytime soon...
Regards,
Jamie Coville
http://www.TheGraphicNovels.com
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