J. Michael Straczynski: At Home In The Marvel Universe

By Tim O'Shea

J. Michael Straczynski (or JMS as he is often referred to amongst his fans) is a name that draws attention in different circles. For years, thanks to success on his television series, Babylon 5, he established quite a high profile. While still quite active as a television creator, in recent years, this screenwriter/producer/creator has branched out even further with Joe's Comics (through Top Cow/Image) which features such acclaimed series as Rising Stars and Midnight Nation. But fortunately for Marvel, in 2001 Straczynski took over writing responsibilities for Amazing Spider-Man and (as he details in the following interview) his impact in terms of popularity and sales was felt immediately. In this SBC interview, JMS discusses his approach toward Peter Parker and company, as well as providing some insight into his much anticipated latest collaboration with artist Gary Frank, Supreme Power, an ongoing Marvel/MAX series.


Tim O'Shea: Many writers have explored the human foibles of Peter Parker, but you've attempted to explore his spider side. How much research has that entailed (into the science of spiders, etc.)? What motivated you to pursue this unique approach?

J. Michael Straczynski: A pretty fair amount of research went into this, in terms of how spiders operate, the mythology of spiders, spiders in literature, the natural enemies of spiders, that sort of thing. My self-imposed mandate coming into the book was to find out who Peter Parker was, and that meant poking around on both levels, the spider and the man, and the points where the two intersect (as well as the points where they don't). Who is this guy, really?

One of the seminal movies I saw as a kid was -- don't laugh -- the original The Fly, with Richard Hedison and Vincent Price. There you had a guy who had been mixed -- in this case genetically -- with a fly, something we consider fairly innocuous (if more than a bit annoying). The result was horrific, frightening, especially to a ten year old kid. The Jeff Goldblum remake took that horror to an even greater level.

So if a man/fly synthesis could be that frightening, what could be more disturbing than a man/spider synthesis...a spider being something all right-thinking people fear, a hunter, fast and lethal and conscienceless, with a huge, dark mythology lurking just behind the web? That question propelled me into the questions that I asked in the beginning in the book, and which will be coming back around again fairly soon.

TO: You're known for creating great dramas (in both in TV and comics), but where I appreciate your work almost as much is your humor. Would Spider-Man be half as fun to write for you without the humor outlet? Do you have to fight the urge to break down the fourth wall too much (the Doctor Doom cameo was just the right touch for example)?

JMS: I love humor. I love writing funny. It's something for which I'm not terribly well known, despite working on some very funny projects -- including The Real Ghostbusters, which is still something of a fan favorite -- but which I enjoy tremendously. Getting an audience to cry is the easiest thing in the world...make 'em laugh, now that's hard. So I enjoy the challenge of it. I can't imagine writing Spidey without that, because his humor is so intrinsic to his character, and to his methodology in combat.

I try not to use it to break down the fourth wall too much. I may bump it a few times here and there, as in the Doctor Doom thing, but I always try to stay within reason and logic. If the events of that story happened, then he *would* have to go through security to get to a new terminal, and you can be he'd have to go through a metal detector. Heck, I saw all of the current Democratic candidates en route to a speech having to go through the process, you can bet that the semi-terrorist emperor of Latveria would have to do the same.

TO: Also, humor in comics is only as good as the artist (no matter how strong/funny the writer may be), how effective is Romita Jr. in making the humor that much more funny thanks to his art?

JMS: John likes to say that he hates the humor part of it, because it's all character humor and he doesn't know how to draw that. Which is, of course, nonsense. He brings that humor out wonderfully in the faces of the characters, their smiles, the real emotion you see in their eyes. He always manages to nail both the character stuff and the action stuff so well, it's a delight when the pages come in.

TO: Finally in terms of humor, I'm curious was there any particular past writer of Spider-Man who used the defusing humor in their stories and that influence your approach somewhat?

JMS: I'm not trying to draw from anyone in particular, although certainly there's a sensibility to the humor that owes a great deal to the origins of the character as handled by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and others. I like to think his sense of humor is right in line with what was done in the earliest years of his presence on the scene. But that could just as easily be delusion on my part.

TO: As much as you've garnered attention for your development of Peter (and his relationship with May), the core of the book's success (in terms of characters) has been the supporting cast. Do you think this is something you've learned to do effectively from your work for television (juggling ensemble casts)?

JMS: I appreciate the compliment, but I don't think it's entirely correct, at least not yet. I've brought May and MJ back to the forefront, and I've touched on JJJ, but in point of fact I haven't yet re-integrated the full, or even a partial, recurring cast. I'm working my way up to that slowly; I want to be really sure I have Peter right first before I start re-opening those flood gates.

As for May, she's just a hoot to write. The fun part has been watching her go from someone very few people spoke well of, to a character that many Spidey readers now consider one of their favorite characters. The challenge was worth doing if only for that.

TO: As a creator of many different universes yourself, how limiting is it to operate under the guidelines of someone else's universe? For example, would you like to use characters like Flash Thompson, but cannot because of his role in another Spidey book?

JMS: To be honest, it really hasn't been much of an obstacle or a problem. When I first came onto the book, Paul Jenkins and I exchanged a series of emails and basically agreed that we'd do what we wanted in our books and not worry too much about what we could or couldn't do. If I created something he liked, he'd use it, and vice-versa. Nobody has ever really said to me, "you can't do that." I always check with Axel if I'm going to use an established character, to make sure he's alive and to determine what his current status is, but other than that, I've had a totally free hand.

TO: On a related note, how satisfying was it to be able to script the reunion of Peter and Mary Jane (and be able to use MJ more frequently in your cast)?

JMS: It was very satisfying, for a number of reasons. Kevin Smith had come on board Marvel saying he wanted to handle it, and I initially deferred, even though I'd been working toward that reunion for some time. When people asked me what the deal was, why the delay in the reunion, I explained that Kevin had dibs. Then one day, I saw an interview with Kevin on-line where he said the following, quoted verbatim:

"I could be wrong, and maybe folks are just lying all over the place to Poor, Misinformed me, but I was told JMS had no real concrete plans for Peter and Mary Jane. He cleared the decks of all the supporting characters on his Amazing run to concentrate on that first storyline with the guy who wants to eat Spider-Man - whose name escapes me at the moment. I realize his intention was to slowly work the supporting cast back into the book, but I was always led to believe that Mary Jane wasn't his primary concern. If she is, then Good Lord, he's welcome to her.

"JMS, if you're out there reading, and you want to handle the Mary Jane/Peter 'We're married, but not really' hot potato, brother: do it with my blessing. Because the shit-storm that's gonna rise out of that cluster-**** is gonna be big. Like when the word "Kike" showed up in the pages of Wolverine-uproar big. Like "The Clone Saga"-uproar big."

Well, I *was* out there reading, and when I saw this, I emailed Marvel to check this out and to say, in essence, "so okay, that being the case, lemme do it." They did. And the thing of it is, the shit-storm Kevin predicted never materialized. It was fun and moving for all concerned. You just have to take care and do things right, that's all, and I tried my best to do that.

TO: I find myself wanting to see more scenes with Lt. Lamont. Given DC's success with Gotham Central, any chance Marvel could get you interested to write a cop miniseries with that character?

JMS: Dunno, I haven't really considered it.

TO: As for Ezekiel, in addition to his major role in the plots on some level does he fill the surrogate father role (much like Joe Robertson has in certain parts of Spidey's history)?

JMS: That's certainly the part he would like to play, yes. But there's stuff Ezekiel is keeping in his back pocket that may threaten that relationship in a big way.

TO: With Supreme Power set to begin in August, I was wondering what made you decide to write it for the MAX line. What freedoms does that more mature content venue afford you?

JMS: It's not a specific freedom as much as not worrying about restrictions. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it really isn't. It's the difference between saying "I wonder if I can do X, or I know I can't do Y," and saying "I don't have to worry about that anymore." I'm not setting out to do something specifically scandalous, it just puts me in the position of not having to worry about whatever I do end up writing. It's to take the handcuffs off, not send the flare up.

Some parts of Supreme Power are bound to be controversial, but not in the standard sorts of ways. It's a very subversive book in its way, and it doesn't tell a conventional story in a conventional way. There isn't a three-issue arc structure, there isn't a bad guy we're trying to defeat, a mystery we're trying to solve...it's really a very strong character piece, and it's either gonna do gangbusters or it's gonna go up in the biggest explosion since Tunguska.

TO: Am I correct in assuming one does not have to have read the original Gruenwald series to enjoy this new series?

JMS: Correct.

TO: I was struck by some of the advance word from Marvel on this series: "...A hard edged, mature and deeply personal saga that pushes the limits of the comics form into new, uncharted territory." Would you care to elaborate upon that? I'm particularly intrigued by the "deeply personal saga" element of the story.

JMS: I really wanted to get into the head of Mark Milton (a name we discover was come up with by a focus group) in a way and at a level you often can't do in comics because you don't have the time...you have to get into the plot, the crisis, the action oriented arc. The first four issues are all oriented toward Mark (and certain others around him) coming into adulthood, about how he grows up and what the government teaches him and how he feels about things. As a result, you get into his head in an unparalleled way. After you read those four issues, you're totally into who and what he is, and where he's coming from.

And there's a certain sadness about him, a sense of dislocation, of being lost, that is very emotionally moving. He's trying to be what everybody wants him to be, with the result that there's very little of *him* in himself...at least at this point.

TO: What creative storytelling advantages/assets does Gary Frank bring to Supreme Power?

JMS: For as much of a character-driven story as this is, I don't think there's anyone who could handle this particular story better than Gary. His expressions, the depth of emotion he can convey in his faces, is truly extraordinary. He's also got some great story instincts, and we've had some good cross-pollination via email on how to portray some of the characters.

When Marvel first approached me about doing Supreme, and I was able to get a sense of what I wanted to do, I knew there was no one else who would be right for this one. He was the first and only name I put forward. Now that we're about 3-4 issues ahead in art, I can't imagine anyone else doing this book.

Both he and JRJR have the one quality I feel most essential for the kind of stories that I tell, the ability to convey real emotion in their work. For me, and maybe this is shortsightedness on my part, an action scene is an action scene, it doesn't mean a thing if you don't care about the characters, and what makes them extraordinary artists is that they make you care about the people. My stories, as in Midnight Nation, traffic in emotion, that to me is the only thing worth writing about, so I count myself doubly blessed to have two such massive talents at my side.

TO: While I realize that in essence Supreme Power is about the birth of the first generation of a world's superheroes, I was wondering if any the characters will be an homage to existing superhero cultural icons (much like in some way the original Squadron was at times)?

JMS: The characters are in a line of descent from the original creations in Squadron Supreme, so that thread will be kept intact.

TO: Each project is a source of pleasure for a creator I find (on some level), I was wondering what element of Supreme Power gives the greatest amount of pride or pleasure?

JMS: It's very odd, but there's something strange that happens when I sit down to write Supreme Power. I enjoy writing Spidey enormously, but it's always very hard work to get that one out each month, possibly because I'm aware I'm dealing with a cultural icon and a certain level of performance anxiety sets in.

Nonetheless, setting that aside for the moment, when I write Supreme Power, there's just something that happens, a voice that I don't use in any other aspect of my writing, that puzzles and pleases me no end. I use visuals in ways I don't think to use them in other places, there's a tone of voice that's new for me, there's...I don't want to say a maturity, but a sensibility about the book that just draws me in every time. I sit down already knowing every major beat, every scene, and it just comes pouring out.

I also write it a bit differently from the norm the same way I wrote a bit differently when doing Midnight Nation, because I knew that Gary could pull off whatever emotional stuff I wrote, so I would do more silent panels, more strong emotion, but also more subtle emotion. Whether or not the structure I'm using in Supreme Power works for other readers, I don't know...all I know is that from my side of things, I feel this is the strongest work I've done in the form since Midnight Nation.

TO: How does the give and take nature of story development in comics (working with editors and fellow creators), compare to your development process in television and film? Do you find comics development less frustrating/stressful than your other development work?

JMS: Axel is a joy to work with, and Joe trusts and defers to me a lot. I told him early on, if you feel strongly, then come at me swinging. I won't pull a prima donna, I won't storm out, but I also won't leave the room until either you convince me or I convince you. And that's what he did. And I think that the book is stronger for it.

The difference between this and TV/film is that Joe is an artist and a visual storyteller, and Axel knows story beautifully, and in TV/film you often find yourself getting notes from MBAs and studio suits who don't know story, they only know what's been done before, what their girlfriends saw the other night, and what somebody else is doing. So for me, this has been a terrific departure from the norm.

TO: In general, what attracts you to the Marvel universe (in comparison to DC, for example)?

JMS: I've always liked the grittiness of the Marvel universe, that it happens in a recognizable world, that it's New York, not Metropolis; Chicago, not Gotham. There's not really a Metropolis "vibe" or sensibility that we all can identify on sight. But we all know what a classic New Yorker is, that "up yours" attitude that infuses so much of that image. As an East Coaster myself, that's something I love to play with. In my book, Spidey is a New Yorker, and the people around him reflect that attitude back at him. Place is as much a character for me as the person himself.

What's interesting, and not terribly well known, is that when I was in the midst of negotiating my exclusive deal with Marvel, DC got wind of what was going on and jumped into the fray with a competitive offer. Prior to my taking on Spider-Man, both ASM and Superman were selling about 40-45,000 copies each. We'd been able to bring ASM up to nearly 100,000 copies *BEFORE* the movie hit, taking it back to a top five book, whereas Superman has lost ground, to where it's now about 50 or so on the top 100 list (the latest issue sold about 35,000 copies).

I've always felt that in theory I could do that with Superman what we did with Spidey, because I know *exactly* what to do with that book to make it work and bring it into the top five again. I say "in theory" because that ties directly into why I ultimately chose Marvel over DC (aside from the fact that they'd given me a lot of latitude and there was a high degree of loyalty owed to Joe, Bill Jemas and Axel, who have been nothing other than terrific to work for. DC actually dangled a Superman book in front of me, hoping I'd go for it, and I *so* wanted to do it, you have NO idea, because of the resonance of that character for me...but....

BUT...at the end of the day, I asked a very simple question. Would I ever be able to do as freely at DC with Superman what I've done at Marvel with Spider-Man? Would I have that same degree of creative freedom? Because that, to me, is the single most important thing, more than money, more than the specific title...can I write what I want, what moves me to passion? Because if I can do that, I can make the rest of it work. If I can't...it's over before it starts.

And I've always had that freedom at Marvel. So at the end of the day, I chose to stay with Marvel, with the people who believed in me, who made that creative freedom possible. Scholars and gentlemen, all of them.

I heard that heads rolled at DC after that situation went pear-shaped for them.

Interestingly, while I was on a panel at WonderCon in San Francisco about a month ago, I was on a panel with Jeph Loeb, who said that the day my Marvel contract expires, there's a Superman title waiting for me. But I don't think that's going to be an option for a very long time, because I'm supremely happy where I am right now.

Discuss this interview on the Feature Fiends Forum!