Comic Book Creator #33 Winter 2024 (magazine review).

This latest issue of ‘Comic Book Creator’ commences with writer/editor Jon B. Cooke examining Stan Lee’s Excelsior Comics – four titles that were abruptly terminated mid-production when Marvel Comics faced bankruptcy in the 1990s. Having distanced myself from comic book reading by that era, much of this content was enlightening for me. Debating whether these titles would have succeeded remains a contentious topic. Those involved, including Roy Thomas and Kurt Busiek, harbored doubts, perhaps due to their less contemporary perspectives.

Nonetheless, it illustrates that capturing the essence of magic in any creative field hinges on numerous factors aligning perfectly at the opportune moment. The issue also boasts an array of one and two-page articles, alongside interviews with various creators. An extensive interview with comic book artist Mike Deodato Jr. inadvertently reveals the dilemmas of having an agent who overbooks you, leading to mere layout work, which seems artistically unfulfilling.

Allocating a generous 90 minutes is advisable for a thorough perusal of the Steve Gerber interview. This piece is a transcription of his second radio interview on WBAI’s ‘Nuff Said’, hosted by Ken Gale and Ed Menja in 1994, a full fourteen years prior to his passing. It traverses familiar territories, with an added focus on the animation industry and its compensation structures. I discovered that animation writers receive only a base rate, devoid of residuals for reruns, a policy that regrettably persists unchanged. Considering the global broadcast of many animated shows, the fairness of this practice is questionable. The interview concludes with a query about transcribing more such dialogues. If they all maintain the depth and seriousness of this one, then my response would be affirmative. The interviewers’ profound knowledge of the subject is unmistakable.

The interview with Mary Skrenes (1947- ), conducted in 2005, evidently required considerable time for editing. Previously, my knowledge of her was confined to her role as Steve Gerber’s co-writer. This interview sheds light on her extensive contributions, notably at DC Comics, where she wrote horror under the pseudonym Virgil North, and at Marvel as Kevin Frost. Her forthright nature among her peers is commendable. A humorous moment ensues when she refers to Harlan Ellison as ‘the irritating one’, having momentarily forgotten his name. Her recollections of her early life in a then sparsely populated Las Vegas are equally enlightening. The significant impact she had on ‘Howard The Duck’ and ‘Omega The Unknown’ is strikingly apparent. This interview, lengthier than Gerber’s, demands ample reading time. Whether or not she fits the image of the shy, retiring type is left to the reader’s discretion.

In contrast, the interview with artist Val Mayerik spans a mere three pages. It reveals the original design for this issue’s cover, featuring a Man-Thing puppet. Both concepts are executed effectively. Howard the Duck, originally a minor character, fortuitously gained prominence.

This issue is replete with insightful content. The interviews with Gerber and Skrenes are particularly noteworthy and should not be overlooked.

GF Willmetts

January 2024

(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 2330-2437. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))

check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_132&products_id=1765