Marvel Comics
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“Nobody Gets Into Comics to Get Rich”: Joe Quesada on Movies, Marvel, and the Future of Comics
Former Marvel head honcho & inveterate Batman illustrator Joe Quesada is neck deep in another dream career: movie director. In addition to talking about his short film FLY, he talks to us about times he wishes he hadn’t talked to the press, and questions why so many in the comics industry always seem obsessed with the comics industry ending.
“The Closer They Come To Being Finished The More Compromised They Become”: An Interview with Duncan Fegredo
In this sprawling conversation, artist Duncan Fegredo describes his early work in British comics, the beginnings of his American career at Vertigo with Peter Milligan, and what it was like to take over the reins of Hellboy.
“We All Are Frustrated Artists”: An Interview With David F. Walker
It’s time to catch up with Eisner-winning comics writer David F. Walker, whose work encompasses new DC superheroes, classic Marvel team-ups, Shaft, successful crowdfunding campaigns, and a fascination with auteurs.
“But You Get Up Again. And Then You Get Up Again. And Again.”: The Liam Sharp Interview
In this extensive interview, cartoonist, creator and innovator Liam Sharp discusses his sprawling career drawing superheroes, creating businesses, writing novels, supporting a family, embracing the struggle, representing his hometown, and much, much more. Yes, more than that.
“Are You Glad You Did It?”: An Interview with Douglas Wolk
Now that he’s on the other side of reading every single Marvel comic ever published, Douglas Wolk is catching up with Laura Hudson on whether that was (or was not) a good idea, what sort of lessons that etched into his subculture, and laying down some dogma for future cultural archaeologists to grapple with.
How Ernest Hemingway Provided Inspiration for the Darkest Spider-Man Story: ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’
J.M. DeMatteis talks about the real life inspiration behind the influential and shocking conclusion of Kraven’s Last Hunt: the violent death of Ernest Hemingway.
“It Is Rare For Them Not To All Run Together In My Mind, Assuming I Recall Them At All”: The Stuart Immonen Comics Journal Interview
An expansive conversation with Stuart Immonen, whose artistic output reflects his interests: diverse, dynamic and curious. Here, he talks with Alex Dueben about his self-published work (labeled “too serious” by the biter class) and what the “Marvel method” looks like these days. Reminder: he’s not retired!
True Belief in Stan Lee
The latest Stan Lee book is bad, that’s no surprise. But how bad is it? Helen Chazan is here to make the case that it might be the worst one yet.
“Providence Was Really Exhausting. Finishing It Felt Like Finishing College”: An Interview With Jacen Burrows
The artist behind Crossed, Punisher: Soviet and Providence speaks with Alex about how he ended up responsible for some of the most diabolically unsettling images of the last decade, and what it’s like to go from Alan Moore to Garth Ennis.
Excerpt: “Hemingway in Comics”
A series of TCJ articles on Ernest Hemingway’s comic book appearances became a book deal, and that book deal has resulted in a book, which now appears back here, as an excerpt: it’s the circle of (promotional) life.
Trapped in Hell with the New Mutants
Before they appeared in cinema to the acclaim of none and an audience in love with risk, The New Mutants appeared in a series of relatively well loved Marvel Comics in the 1980s: but you already knew that, didn’t you? Or maybe, you just thought you did…
Back in USSR – Garth Ennis’ Soviet Tales
Tom Shapira is pitting two recent war comics from Garth Ennis (Punisher: Soviet and Sara) to see which one is the best. So it’s a war between war comics? You got it!
1970 Joe Sinnott Interview
In this 1970 interview, a 15 year old Gary Groth and co. talk to Marvel Comics inker Joe Sinnott about the Comics Code, the ACBA, Kirby, and more.
Joe Sinnott: 1926-2020
The legendary inker, who helped define the look of many of Marvel’s most influential comics, has passed away.
Rationality and Relevance: Dennis O’Neil
This interview was conducted in 1978 and 1980 and released in full form in The Comic Journal #66 (September 1981). Among the many topics they cover, young Gary Groth and Mike Catron ask Denny O’Neil about the potential for the art form – specifically, beyond the mass audience and the superhero genre – and talk about a promising new writer O’Neil is editing, Frank Miller.
Denny O’Neil: 1939 – 2020
The influential writer and beloved editor passed away, leaving a super-hero industry forever changed behind him.
A Denny O’Neil and Matt Fraction Conversation
This conversation from The Comics Journal #300 (November 2009) is a snapshot of a moment just before smartphones became ubiquitous and before the MCU/Batman/superhero movies would glut cinemas. Matt Fraction and Denny O’Neil compare and contrast their experiences writing for characters such as Iron Man and Batman, share tips on craft and more.
“The Formula Is Your Friend”: An Interview With Kelly Thompson
Kelly Thompson talks about her prolific string of well-received Archie & Marvel titles, her love of humor, character voice and collaboration, and the path her freelance career has taken.
A Holy Grail in the Library of Congress: Visiting Steve Ditko’s Amazing Fantasy #15 Original Artwork
Robert K. Elder takes a look at the look he took at Ditko’s original pages from Amazing Fantasy #15, which now sits in the Library Of Congress.
Irene Vartanoff’s 1980 Marvel Warehouse Inventory List
This is a facsimile edition of Irene Vartanoff’s inventory list, as it was reprinted in The Comics Journal #105 (February 1986).
It Is Time To Boycott Marvel
RJ Casey has had it up to here, and has decided it’s time to pull out of this whole arrangement. Will you join him?
The Empty Mirror
After 18 months, it’s time for the final episode of Tegan O’Neil’s column, Ice Cream For Bedwetters–and we’re talking Spider-Verse, the Clone Saga and the motivation behind it all.
Hello, Culture Lovers! Stan the Man Raps with Marvel Maniacs at James Madison University
In March of 1978, Stan Lee sat on a panel at James Madison University’s Fine Arts Festival.
Face Front, True Believers: The Comics Industry Sounds Off on Stan Lee
In 1995, TCJ collected anecdotes from various comics creators, excerpted here.