Joey Q Interview

[drice6900]

On Newsarama:

 

Quesada Interview

 

According to Joe, Marvel Age is the most important comic news of the year!

 

And here is a sample for all you Marvel Haters:

 

NRAMA: Since by now, I’m sure several readers will already be frothing over something you’ve said, it seems as good a time as any to bring this up. From my vantage point (as chief of Newsarama), and I know this is something that bugs you as well as you’ve mentioned it previously, Marvel can do no right. The joke goes along the lines of Marvel could run a press release announcing they you've cured cancer, and still, people would [!@#%^&^], because you didn't do it earlier, you didn't cure Alzheimer's, etc, etc. Why is Marvel the company comic fans love to hate?

 

JQ: I honestly wish I had the answer. Bill J use to say that we could announce free milk and cookies with every Marvel comic and someone would complain that we were trying to kill them because they were lactose intolerant. It is however a fascinating exercise to watch. Even as I say this I can hear the Newsarama regulars spinning my words out of control. It's the fun thing to do I guess, it certainly is funny to watch. It's like when I watch online fans go after creators who have somehow done wrong by their favorite character. They come to the defense of their beloved two dimensional, fictitious characters as though they were real people, with feelings and family, yet treat the people who create, write and draw these characters as though they were fictitious and two dimensional without any regard for their feelings and family.

 

I also feel that part of it is just the inherent cruelty that comes with human nature. They would never say this to us personally because that would involve confrontation and having to deal with the problem in a head on fashion and for the people who do this sort of stuff; the strength comes in the anonymity. But hey, that's cool, they help spread the gospel the way I see it.

[mitol]

Joe Q. makes a very good spin-doctor.

[Silver Surfer]

" have achieved a level of quality and greatness that we have never achieved before" Is he out of his mind.

[rob_react]

" have achieved a level of quality and greatness that we have never achieved before" Is he out of his mind.

 

I totally agree with his sentiment. The full quote makes it seem less Marvel-centric.

 

"The honest truth is that I feel that comics have achieved a level of quality and greatness that we have never achieved before and I'm proud to be a small part of this time."

 

In my mind that's true. Sure... Marvel has made frightening editorial blunders with ASM and Avengers, but they're still doing some great comics. Beyond Marvel, the DC/Vertigo/Wildstorm/(Humanoids) conglomerate is, as usual, putting out a ton of great stuff every month and Dark Horse, Image and the Indies of the world are all putting out great books themselves.

[Silver Surfer]

" have achieved a level of quality and greatness that we have never achieved before" Is he out of his mind.

 

I totally agree with his sentiment. The full quote makes it seem less Marvel-centric.

 

"The honest truth is that I feel that comics have achieved a level of quality and greatness that we have never achieved before and I'm proud to be a small part of this time."

 

In my mind that's true. Sure... Marvel has made frightening editorial blunders with ASM and Avengers, but they're still doing some great comics. Beyond Marvel, the DC/Vertigo/Wildstorm/(Humanoids) conglomerate is, as usual, putting out a ton of great stuff every month and Dark Horse, Image and the Indies of the world are all putting out great books themselves.

 

Maybe if he is only talking about his tenure?

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

This is the one I like:

 

"We created Ultimate Fantastic Four because we knew the movie was imminent."

 

Ah I see. So the original FF, one of the quintessential comic book creations of the last forty-plus years, was a little too tired to serve as the template for a major feature film, but the ULTIMATE version, now *there's* fertile ground for a film? Please.

[Silver Surfer]

This is the one I like:

 

"We created Ultimate Fantastic Four because we knew the movie was imminent."

 

Ah I see. So the original FF, one of the quintessential comic book creations of the last forty-plus years, was a little too tired to serve as the template for a major feature film, but the ULTIMATE version, now *there's* fertile ground for a film? Please.

 

Yeah I don't even know how to respond to that one. Did Joe even read comics as a kid?

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

That whole Marvel Age thing is so deeply flawed, I barely know where to begin. The basic premise is that the original comics are evidently now way too dated for modern kids to like? I read them all twenty to thirty years after they were written, and I didn't find them the least bit inaccessible or 'unhip.' But of course, kids today...

 

I guarantee you if you gave a child a stack of old Lee/Ditko Spideys, they'd be thrilled. This re-scripting and re-drawing project is so cynical and soulless, it makes me ill.

 

Arnold

[Silver Surfer]

Couldn't agree with you more. After recently buying up hundreds of moderns from 1990 to present to catch up on some gaps in Thor, Avengers, FF, etc I was very disappointed. I haven't even read all of them yet because they were mostly just horrible. I find myself going back to re-read and buying high grade copies of the brilliant work that came out between '77-'83 (not forgetting the SA stuff that I can read forever) because I think in another 10 years people will look back at that period in awe. No surprise that ever since Stan has moved on the company has struggled to not only keep top talent but come up with some exciting ideas, characters, etc. I do hope that the recent hype generated by the Thor and the Avengers arc will kick off a wave of quality series but I'm not going to hold my breath.

 

I have recently given a pile of my old readers to my buddy's 7-year old and he is over the moon flipping through these. However, I think that's after his Dad is done reading them first.

[Ron_Nasty]

They are still the House of No Ideas!