Who's Who In The CBU Update 2008

Who are... Park and Barb?

Barbara Lien-Cooper writes the comic GUN STREET GIRL at Panel 2 Panel, was an original founder of Sequential Tart, is the managing editrix of the 2004 Eisner award-winning print magazine COMIC BOOK ARTIST, and was named by Mark Millar (The Authority, Ultimates, Wanted) as one of the three most promising new talents in the next wave of comics writing.

Park Cooper started writing about comics at the now-defunct DC FANZINE website.

Jesse McCann Interview Part 1

By Park Cooper

A small amount of self-promotion before the main column:

If you haven’t heard, Half Dead, the comic we’ve co-created with artist Jimmy Bott, has been picked up by the Dabel Brothers as a graphic novel. We are incredibly grateful for the belief that DB Pro has already shown in the book. We also owe a very deep debt to Jimmy for putting every effort possible into this comic. While we were still stunned by Speakeasy’s demise, Jimmy jumped into action and submitted HD to several great companies. It was a very difficult time period for all of us and we weren’t sure who to go with. In the end, DB Pro just seemed the best fit. We don’t want to take a lot of credit for the whole DB thing, as Jimmy was definitely the guiding force behind finding a home for Half Dead. It would not be too much to say that without Jimmy’s efforts, there would be no Half Dead. His dedication has been almost superhuman and his talent is always impressive. We’re beyond thankful to Jimmy and to DB Pro and to everyone involved for their faith in Half Dead as a project. We’ll be talking more about the other artists involved and their great pin-ups in future columns, but for now, here are a few links:

The HD press release on Newsarama:
The HD webpage: http://www.halfdeadcomic.com/
DB Pro’s URL: http://www.dabelbrothers.com/
The HD Forum: http://dabelbrothers.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=9&sid=a28a4728e3dff648b21327c79bc964e1
The Amazon.com page: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977933318/sr=8-2/qid=1144067628/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-1994169-1393553?%5Fencoding=UTF8

And, last but not least, here is an incredibly kind blog entry at Forbidden Planet: http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/?p=751

Half Dead is due out October, 2006.


Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s the real column (thanks for letting us tell you what’s been going on with Half Dead).

--Barb













Jesse Leon McCann is a New York Times bestselling children's author and comic book writer, working with Bongo, DC, Scholastic, and other publishers. http://hometown.aol.com/jleon2001/myhomepage/ He's currently working on writing Krypto for DC. This is the first installment of a two-part interview.



PC: So what's up with you these days... what are you currently working on?

JL: Well, first and foremost, a six-issue KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG mini-series for DC. I do all the writing, and the artists art Min Ku on pencils and Dave Tanguay on colors. These guys are excellent!

PC: This one can be off the record, but... how do you manage to find work? Your list of things you've worked on is so extensive…

JL: I meet people and ask them for jobs! Then, if I'm lucky, they pass my name on to other editors. Actually, the genres of work aren't so extreme since Chaos! died. Now, it's mostly kids' stuff. Except for the Simpsons.

PC: Do you miss working on non-kids' stuff?

JL: Yes, although I like children's stuff a lot. But, I would like to do more adult-themed comics again someday.

PC: Ah, yes, the death of Chaos. A theme that I'm starting to talk about in my column is how people are starting to really overstress indie companies failing... looking at CrossGen and Speakeasy as signs that indie comics are doomed or something, and I really disapprove of that. It's a case-by-case basis.

JL: True. After all, Fantagraphics is still around.

PC: So how's the business atmosphere at DC these days?

JL: Great! I was lucky enough to go to the latest RRP meeting in Montreal. DC, Wildstorm, DC Direct, Vertigo all had excellent presentations, and listened carefully to retailer feedback. (I should mention, my wife owns Comics Unlimited, an old and respected comic shop near Disneyland in California.) I think highly of the DC crew, especially Paul Levitz, Bob Wayne and my editor Joan Hilty.

PC: What's the retailer perspective these days?

JL: Retailers are, by and large, happy with both DC and Marvel these days. They are mainly dissatisfied with companies like Speakeasy who don't listen to their advice. When Speakeasy went under, I don't think there was a retailer who was surprised. Most of these guys have been around a long time, and they know trends and they recognize poor business models.

PC: What was that unheeded advice, in a nutshell?

JL: Don't put out too many books at once. Also, don't be late.

PC: Let's back up a little. How did you start working in comics?

JL: In 1990, I was laid off from my job working for Alan Bernard, sound mixer for STAR TREK, THE NEXT GENERATION. The TV/Film business had had a rough couple of years, what with the writer's strike and all, and Alan's sound reinforcement company took a big hit, which means I took a big hit. I was looking for a new job, and Diamond Comics LA was hiring. At first I lugged boxes in the warehouse, but because of my age and experience, I was soon advanced to Product Manager. That's how I started in comics, but I soon found myself working for Cult Press as the Editorial Director in my spare time. Robert Graff, who later worked with me on Simpsons Comics was the Publisher of Cult Press. He was also a comic retailer, and a Diamond customer. He came into my office one day and asked me to work with him at Cult Press. He had been writing for Now Comics when they went under. Robert had seen my little funnies I did for the Diamond newsletter and thought I had talent. I've been writing and drawing on and off since high school.

PC: Ah, NOW. I got their Green Hornet back in the day. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to edit comics? Right now the only print comic besides those of Wicker Man Studios that I've edited is ATHENA VOLTAIRE: FLIGHT OF THE FALCON, which fortunately has just gotten picked back up by another company.

JL: I think many editors are chosen for their writing abilities, so I would recommend writing as much as possible, and try to get published. Then, if you live in New York, you can apply at DC or Marvel. I'm not sure who else is hiring editors-- to me, it seems like an inhouse job, not something freelanced often in comics. Maybe you have to live in Oregon to work for Dark Horse, I dunno.

PC: Does being an editor at one of the big companies mean you can still write your own stuff (presuming you can make the time?)

JL: Yes, my editor Joan Hilty at DC still writes and draws her own self-published stuff.

PC: That's right... Of course, she's hardly a newbie, but yes, that's an excellent indicator.

JL: Yep.

PC: What's the worst part about being a comics editor?

JL: You know, thinking back to those years (it's been 14 years, now) I'd have to say that it's learning to come up with something better before editing something out of someone's work. Luckily, most of the people we published at Cult Press were top notch. They didn't need much editing. And I wrote a lot of the stories myself, and Robert, too.

PC: Yes, I can see that. If something needs changing, but the story is already the length it should be, something else has to be done, too...

JL: Right. And you're talking about someone's baby. An editor learns to come up with something better before even telling the writer.

PC: New topic... do you go to cons often? Will you be attending, say, San Diego this year?

JL: My wife Nancy and I will be at San Diego this year-- we co-sponsor the Eisner Awards. This will be my 19th, and Nancy's 26th, I think. Also, my son Jesse Blake, a budding strip cartoonist and comic shop employee will be there, as well as my daughter, BART SIMPSONS COMICS writer, Amanda McCann.

PC: What are your thoughts about the new digital category of the Eisners?

JL: I approve, both as a fan and a former Eisner judge. I wish they wouldn't have cut the Humor category, however.

PC: Why did they, anyway?

JL: I think they said something about it being redundant.

PC: Huh.

JL: Don't wanna give Kyle Baker too many awards! :)

PC: Were you very big on comics in your youth?

JL: Oh, yeah! I was a Marvel Zombie. Then a man who worked at the drug store where I bought comics embarrassed my mom, saying, "Why do you let your boy read this trash?! Buy him POPULAR SCIENCE instead!" When we got home, mom threw away all my comics and forbade me to read them. So I didn't, until 1986. When I ordered WATCHMEN from my sci-fi book club and it rocked my world.

PC: Gah... Sounds like a traumatic experience.

JL: Traumatic? Hell, yes!! She wouldn't let me play with GI Joe dolls, either.

PC: How did you meet your wife?

JL: Nancy was my customer when I became a Customer Service Rep at Diamond. We became good friends, and believe me, I never thought we'd get married, since she was already married. But, her marriage fell apart and I was there to swoop her up!




Next time: Lots of stuff about Krypto as the interview concludes.