Hey folks, Ambush Bug here from AICN Comics. Recently, I was lucky enough to toss some questions at one of today’s top comic book writers, Dan Slott. Mr. Slott just wrapped up his @$$hole-approved THE THING series and currently writes SHE-HULK for Marvel. The @$$holes came up with almost 100 questions, I lobbed them his way, and coincidentally, Mr. Slott responded with almost 100 answers.
Ambush Bug: Let's start out with Dan Slott: The Early Years. Can you tell us the secret origin of Dan Slott? What made you want to get into comics?
Dan Slott: When I was about 6 or 7 my cousin showed me his comic collection and gave me FF #48, #49, and #50 to read—the original Galactus Trilogy. He might as well have given me a vial of crack. That’s what got me started.
Bug: What were the formative influences on your writing style?
Slott: For comics? I’d have to say the Lee/Ditko & Lee/Romita Spideys. Those were the ones I kept reading and re-reading. And a big reason why the Spidey/Torch mini was the first big project I pitched after SHE-HULK.
Bug: I heard you gave guided tours through the Marvel offices in your early days. Can you give us an anecdote? Some dark secret? A dirty limerick?
Slott: I really shouldn’t… Okay, here’s a quickie. At the end of the tour, I’d introduce the group to Spider-Man and they’d get to shake his hand and ask him questions. Well, one time, a kid pointed to the bulge in Spidey’s tights and asked, “What’s thaaaaat?” And, without missing a beat, Spider-Man told him, “That’s where I keep my spare web-shooter.” Oh dear…
Bug: Ha! Good one.
You got your start working on animation-based properties like BATMAN ADVENTURES and SCOOBY DOO. What are the pleasures and pains of working on kid-centric books like those?
Slott: The pleasure: working on characters you know and have deep affection for. The pain: the pigeon-hole.
Bug: Ever have any resentment at being considered a "rising star" creator when you've actually been working your way up the industry's ranks since the early 90s?
Slott: Nah. Chuck Jones, creator of the Road Runner, had a saying-- that every artist has a thousand bad drawings in them, and its good to get them out as soon as possible. Same holds true for writers and scripts. If you haven’t seen my old stuff, that’s great! Seriously, who here hasn’t looked at something they’ve done years ago and said, “Oh! I could do that so much better now!”
Bug: It's always fun to work up a profile of someone based on their tastes in entertainment. Bounce a few favorite recent comics at us, superhero or otherwise.
Slott: Recently? Just read all three SCOTT PILGRIMS. Awesome stuff! The WALKING DEAD HC. Man, that was GOOD! And, as always, I’m really digging Brubaker on DAREDEVIL and CAPTAIN AMERICA!
Bug: What about favorite movies?
Slott: Favorite recent stuff includes: THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and AKEELAH AND THE BEE.
Bug: TV shows?
Slott: Just started watching the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA on DVD. Whoa! I am SO hooked now! I’m still really into LOST. After that? I’d have say THE DAILY SHOW, THE VENTURE BROTHERS, MY NAME IS EARL, and GREY’S ANATOMY. I’m a TV whore.
Bug: How about music? What kind of tunes do you listen to?
Slott: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS. Love ‘em. Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of MTX (the Mr. T Experience) and this great geek band called OOKLA THE MOK. If you’re a comic book fan you owe it to yourself to listen to these OOKLA songs: “Super Powers”, “Theme from Super Skrull”,
“Arthur Curry”, and “Stop Talking About Comic Books Or I’ll Kill You.” Honest.
Here’s a link to their site where you can hear all of “Super Powers” for free. (I’ve been pimping this so hard that these guys really should give me a commission…)
Bug: Do you find these other forms of media influencing your comic book work?
Slott: Yes.
Bug: I heard tell you adjust your writing style for whatever book you're on to accommodate the characters. I think there's a notable contrast between that approach and what you might call an "auteur" approach where writers bend characters to suite their approach. Comments on the different styles?
Slott: Um… Nah. Whatever works for ya. Whatever makes for fun and/or interesting comics.
Bug: It seems that there is a trend with current writers to write comics similar to the ones they read when they were around 12 or 13 years old when they first started to discover the world of four color heroes. Alex Ross' take on the JLA often plants himself firmly in the SUPER FRIENDS era, for example. I've heard that MARVEL TWO IN ONE and MARVEL TEAM UP were some of your favorite comics as a kid. Do you find this influencing the way you write comics? Do you see this sort of return to your first experience with comics to be a hindrance or an aide to your writing?
Slott: One of the things I really liked about the TEAM-UP and TWO-IN-ONE books was that you always got fun glimpses of different characters and corners of the Marvel U—and you usually got a story that wrapped in an issue or two. That’s a major influence in my approach. And I really don’t see a downside to that.
Bug: What do you do in terms of research? Do you dig up back issues or do you just remember reading them as a kid the first time?
Slott: My apartment is overflowing with comics. I constantly dig up back issues and read and re-read ‘em before going to work on a story that involves either those characters OR some important point of continuity.
Bug: Are you a MARVEL ESSENTIALS fiend like our reviewer Buzz Maverik?
Slott: Yes.
Bug: Why does it seem you can read and remember those old books while other writers can't?
Slott: Um… It’s probably because they have lives.
Bug: Let's talk writing density. Your comics are pretty packed with "stuff happening." Do you prefer to read those kinds of comics, or are you also open to books veering into what's come to be called decompression?
Slott: Well… I try to write a comic that I’d want to read. So, yeah. That said, while I’m against “decompression”, I am NOT against a well-paced six-issue arc. If each issue of your six-issue arc is a full issue of entertainment on its own? Then I’m all for it, even if five out of those six issues end with the words, “to be continued…”
Bug: It appears that Marvel is kind of bipolar these days, upbeat and fun with the likes of Dan Slott, Brian K. Vaughan, Zeb Wells, Robert Kirkman, and I'd even lump Daniel Way into that category because he's focusing on action rather than realism. These writers seem to revel in
the fictional, fantastical world of the Marvel Universe. Then there's Brian Bendis, Mark Millar, JMS, and the rest who have created a much darker, more realistic take on Marvel's characters. Do you see a way to reconcile the two approaches to make a more cohesive Marvel Universe?
Slott: No. And I don’t think you should. One of the greatest strengths of the Marvel U is its diversity. You can have Gerber’s HOWARD THE DUCK over here, and Miller’s DAREDEVIL over there. The same world that has Simonson’s THOR also has Ellis’ PUNISHER. And yet there’s this feeling from a lot of fans that Marvel should have one unified “feel” to it. And, to me, that would be like going to Baskin Robins and expecting them to have 31 different flavors of chocolate. And who’d want that?
Bug: What do you think are the defining characteristics and/or elements of super heroic fantasy?
Slott: For Marvel books? A mix of “wow-factor” and “world outside your window.”
Bug: Seems to me humor in non-spoof superhero books has often been more amusing than laugh-out-loud funny, but that's changed in recent years, with notable contributions from Gail Simone, Brian Bendis, and well, you. How do you approach comedy in a genre better known for serious melodrama?
Slott: Well, it’s also a genre about people in tights with silly code names. You want to mine it for comedy? Your best bet is probably to play it straight.
Bug: One of the hardest things to write is "the funny." How do you consistently bring "the funny" to your books?
Slott: Commit to the material and trust your co-creators.
Bug: Do you have people you bounce "the funny" off of?
Slott: Tons. But mainly my editorial team, my best friend from high school, and, more often than not, Ty Templeton.
Bug: The problem with humor is that it is completely subjective. What's funny to some falls flat with others. Writing a mainstream book like SHE-HULK requires that you speak to as many people as possible. Do you find writing "the funny" for such a mainstream character challenging?
Slott: Honestly? Like I said before, the world of SHE-HULK is so absurd, that if I give myself the license to play it straight, the funny will come all on its own. Sometimes though we do try to take a left turn on the book and avoid the funny altogether—like the Titania origin issue, the time She-Hulk returned to the city she destroyed, or the recent Starfox sexual assault case.
Bug: Do you consider yourself to be a funny guy?
Slott: I believe everyone is funny in their own way. I also strongly believe that everyone is inherently a storyteller. So this is one of the easiest jobs in the world.
Bug: You are quickly becoming the retro/humor/insight guy at Marvel. Are you happy with this role or are you afraid of being typecast as the funny writer at Marvel?
Slott: Right now? That is a concern. Luckily I’ve got a new “secret” project coming up in ’07. It’s got a very hardcore, Post Civil War hook. I really think this will shake people up—especially any fans who think I’m a one trick pony. (And haven’t read my other stuff, like ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL, my old Punisher stories, or whatnot).
Bug: Do you have any plans to do anything at Marvel that returns to the more black humored tone of ARKHAM?
Slott: GLA: MISASSEMBLED was pretty dark, wasn’t it? I mean, when your opening shot is the lead character blowing his brains out… and then you spell out the story’s title with all the goo… Well, c’mon.
Bug: Let's pop around to some of your more notable past projects and since we're on the subject of the ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL miniseries, let's start there. Is it cathartic to terrorize schmucks like the sleazy stock broker who ends up in Arkham in the first issue?
Slott: Very much so.
Bug: The "C.E.O. vs. C.P.A. vs. CO2" flashback is just a really wonderful bit of black humor. What inspires your darker turns?
Slott: I have absolutely no idea.
Bug: You created several new inmates for Arkham during the mini - Humpty Dumpty, Doodlebug, the Shark, etc. Is it like joining some secret, evil club to cook up an Arkham loony? How'd you come up with 'em?
Slott: IMO, all good Bat-villains have a combination of 3 things: high concept, menace, and a slight touch of whimsy. You’re a psychotic killer, but you do it with exploding whoopee cushions and squirting flowers. A criminal genius, but you can only work through a ventriloquist’s dummy. And so on…
Bug: Humpty Dumpty's origin paid homage to the "big prop" adventures from the Dick Sprang era, and even came up with a reason why Gotham's no longer a home to giant typewriters and such. Is there a danger of over-literalizing the distinctions between the different styles of Batman's world?
Slott: Continuity is a big grab bag of fun. If it helps you tell a good story, go for it. If it bogs you down, let it go. I don’t think there should be absolutes about how to write any kind of comic book story.
Bug: LIVING HELL's packed with neat ideas, from Joker musing over killing people with palindromic names to the security guards trying to figure out which celebrities would fit in Arkham (and what their villain names would be). You seem awfully at home writing about psychos…
Slott: Um… Thanks. I think.
Bug: There's a very tight structure to LIVING HELL, unfolding from multiple points of view. Any particular inspiration for writing such a multi-layered story? What are the unique demands of writing such a story?
Slott: Staying consistent. Following the rules that you lay down. Basically, once you make your choice on how you’re going to tell a story: stick with it.
Bug: Some readers were thrown by how literally the book unveiled a "living hell" by story's end. Any comments?
Slott: When Denny O’Neil first created Arkham Asylum, it was as a nod to the H. P. Lovecraft story, “The Thing On The Doorstep”(which featured a location called “Arkham Sanitarium”). So I thought it would be cool if there were some giant Lovecraftian demon, dimension, or plot tied
into Arkham’s roots. The plan was to pull a “Dusk Till Dawn” half way into the book, switch gears, and make it a horror book.
BOY, did that tick a lot of readers off. Me? I’m proud of everything Ryan and I did on the mini. However, if we ever got to do a sequel, I promise: no supernatural stuff—just a straight forward, down n’ dirty prison drama!
Bug: Let's move on to the SPIDER-MAN/HUMAN TORCH miniseries. Great miniseries, yet not a ratings winner. Was this a marketing gaff or does the current audience just not take to big, hooha action in their Spidey comics?
Slott: No clue. All I know is that both Ty and I had a fun time writing and drawing it and I think it shows. And though it didn’t do so well as singles, it’s doing pretty well in its second life as a digest.
Bug: Speaking of the current reading audience, this seems to be an age where the voices of the fans are louder than ever. How important is this to you and how does fan reaction/praise/outrage affect your work?
Slott: Hey, I’m only human. You praise me, I feel great. You give me constructive criticism, I’ll listen and try to make the next thing better. Get rude, hostile, or mean-spirited, and I’ll tune you out. With e-mails, snail mails, blogs, and message boards—this is a GREAT time to be a fan AND have your voice heard. Some fans really know how to use these tools to let creators know what they’re liking/disliking and why—and do it with class. These are the guys that have my ear.
Bug: SPIDEY/TORCH took us through five very distinct eras for the pair, from the 70s up through modern times, and each era featured the costumes, hairstyles, and continuity nods to fit it. Were there any additions to the mythos you didn't like having to incorporate? How do you feel about Spidey's marriage, Avengers membership, and other life-changing events?
Slott: We totally blew past the 90’s. And I would’ve loved to play with that era. But there were only so many pages to play with. I’d’ve loved to do some stuff with Venom, Bag-Head Spidey, the Invisible Woman in that horrible peek-a-boo costume, Lyja (Johnny’s Skrull-Wife), and the
Scarlet Spider. Okay, you’ve sold me. Let’s do another one! ;)
Bug: You've admitted it. You're a fanboy. You really seem to care about the characters of the Marvel Universe. How do you feel when a writer comes along and writes one of these heroes you grew up with out of character or just doesn't seem to "get" the character you've read so
many stories about?
Slott: It pisses me off to no end. Especially if it’s something that they could’ve gotten right if they just bothered to take 5 damn minutes and read a freaking Marvel Universe entry. Some of the little things really aren’t that hard. Eh. Whatcha gonna do? I’m actually learning to let a lot of that go and just focus on telling the best stories that I can over in my corner of the Marvel U.
Bug: Now that you're a big time Marvel writer, you have the entire Marvel sandbox to play with. Are you tempted to go back and correct or "re-imagine" characters that you feel have been given the shaft or misrepresented throughout the years?
Slott: A little. But like I said before, you have to ask yourself first and foremost: Will it help tell a good story?
Bug: In your comics, you seem to have a huge respect for what has come before. Your Marvel Universe work shows that you are, in fact, a Marvel Zombie and proud of it. Does this knowledge of the histories of these characters and these comics get in the way or aid in your job as a writer?
Slott: You can’t just write something for continuity’s sake. Proper use of continuity and backstory are story telling tools—but they’re the means, not the end.
Bug: You're a damn good team player when it comes to continuity, but it seems like Marvel could stand to reciprocate a bit more. Take for instance "The Big House," a brilliant idea for housing superhuman prisoners in a prison shrunk down by Pym Particles. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's shown in any other Marvel titles - what up with dat?
Slott: Kirkman’s mentioned it in some of his stuff. The guys working on the Handbooks treat it as canon. And we’ll be getting back to it in SHE-HULK. But that’s the nature of the biz. How many times have we seen Thor Girl outside the pages of THOR? Or Ezekiel outside of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN? And so on and so on…
Bug: Any favorite continuity nods from the SPIDER-MAN/HUMAN TORCH miniseries? Like Franklin reading Parker's WEBS book or the Red Ghost sporting his chest-baring costume?
Slott: I LOVED writing the scenes in #2 where everybody was just hangin’ at the Coffee Bean. What a trip! And I got a lump in my throat whenever I was scripting Captain Stacy. This is going to sound strange, but as a young fan, HIS death affected me more than Gwen’s. He was another
father figure in Peter’s life, and it was kind of like losing Uncle Ben all over again.
Bug: So, alright, you're not afraid to turn on the schmaltz and get readers misty in books like SPIDEY/TORCH. Was it "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" who instilled that in you?
Slott: “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man” was an amazing read. But honestly, go back and read the Lee/Ditko issues. They’re just dripping in schmaltz.
Bug: You proved in SPIDER-MAN/ HUMAN TORCH that you can write a humorous and entertaining Spidey, yet Spider-Man is anything but lighthearted these days in his books. Would you ever want to write AMAZING SPIDER-MAN?
Slott: Yes! Dear God, yes! But I’d never want to see someone kicked out of the big chair while they were in the middle of a great run. And JMS is doing one hell of a job on that book. As a spider-fan, I don’t want to lose my monthly fix of that! (I feel that EXACT same way about Houston’s MOON KNIGHT! I am crazy about Moon Knight, would do ANYTHING to write him—but as a Moon Knight fan, I wanna see what Charlie’s going to do next!)
Bug: Do you think that the editorial direction of the character is something that would get in the way of telling lighthearted, fun for all ages Spidey stores?
Slott: I wouldn’t want to write a lighthearted Spidey book. If I was working on a monthly Spider-Man book, I’d want it to be an all-encompassing Spider-Man book—and would include all the darkness, the tragedy, the triumph, and—at times—humorous and lighthearted moments. That’s the challenge of the character, to balance ALL of those aspects month after month.
Bug: How long had that Spider-Mobile story been percolating in your head?
Slott: Actually? It was pretty off-the-cuff. My original Spider-Mobile issue was going to be about Spidey & the Torch having a drag race against the Impossible-Man-morphed-as-a-car. But Brevoort wouldn’t let me do it, because the continuity wouldn’t jibe for where the Impossible Man would
have been when the Spider-Mobile was around. And then the cover came in—which had the Spider-Mobile driving up a wall—which it COULDN’T do (at least not till the Tinkerer gave it that ability MANY issues later). So… I had to quickly come up with a story for how it COULD go
up a wall (briefly). And voila, there you go.
Bug: Thanks for the Hostess Fruit Pies bit. That's all. Just thanks.
Slott: You’re welcome. And that WAS fun, wasn’t it?
Bug: In one of your first works at Marvel you contributed a Speedball story to a NEW WARRIORS ANNUAL. And now Squirrel Girl is a member of the GLA. What's with all of the Ditko haracters? Is he a secret comedy genius or what?
Slott: Ditko is a god! ‘Nuff said!
Bug: There's a funny scene in GLA where an obscure hero called the Living Lightning mistakes the Great Lakes Avengers acronym for Gay/Lesbian Alliance and outs himself. A bit of activism on your part or just a gag?
Slott: It was set up for Flatman outing himself in #4. Over in DEADPOOL, Joe Kelly had set up Flatman as someone who was deep in the closet. To me? That’s not very heroic. Coming out, being true to himself, taking a risk—to me that’s something far more heroic than facing off against
Maelstrom or whatnot. Since Flatman idolizes the Avengers, it was an important beat to have an Avenger come out to him earlier in the series.
Bug: Should superhero writers be looking to diversify? Can real diversity happen when pretty much all of the long-established superheroes were created as straight?
Slott: I don’t mean to sound all PC here, but how is a character created as straight? I really don’t care if we’ve seen a character on panel dating (or even married to) someone of the opposite sex. We live in a culture where societal pressures force people to take on the appearance of conformity—to behave in ways that will make them seem “normal.” How many times have we heard of a loving couple—with kids—where one spouse comes to the realization that they’re gay and always have been? Marvel Comics has ALWAYS been at the forefront of diversity—black heroes, Jewish heroes, interracial couples, and so on. The closer the Marvel Universe is to the “world outside your window” the better. And, imo, that should include alternate lifestyles.
Bug: Your stories of late have been particularly upbeat and every interview I've read from you is full of unbridled enthusiasm about your job, your upcoming projects, and the industry. How do you maintain this level of enthusiasm when it seems like so many other comic pros are jaded or come across as loathing the industry and characters that they work on?
Slott: Dude, I’m working in comics. COMICS. I mean, damn, it’s not like I’m lifting heavy boxes for a living. I wake up and I get to script sound effects for Pete’s sake. PAGE 1/Panel Two The Mooncopter explodes. SFX: FTOOM! See? Someone just paid me for typing “Ftoom!” How is that not cool?
Bug: And FTOOM! Just like that, we’re ending this half of the interview. Come back tomorrow for part two where Mr. Slott gabs about SHE-HULK, mentions his THING, and rants about whether or not the Hulk is a killer. See ya then.
Slott: The pleasure: working on characters you know and have deep affection for. The pain: the pigeon-hole.
