the most famous person
I would say either the Pope or president Bush

Posted by jack.frost on 2007-02-07 09:03:06
in the *world*, Pope or Bush would be a good answer. Both are all all over the media, and every move they make is reported. Maybe Osama if you wanna go the infamous direction.

Posted by Zensenzei on 2007-02-07 09:19:21
I'm still standing (1)
there's 99 % chances that I will boycott the "Omega Flight " issues, even if I liked the art
of Scott Kolins on "Beyond "), as a fan of the prime Alpha Flight.
John Byrne may have been critized, he goes to fast on Alpha Flight,( to give, since the first issues ,the maturity -and the occasion for us to get connected- to his universe,intersting characters and stories but who deserved one or two episodes more, so it became events and no psychology, the feeling created during the X-Men wasn't there, Alpha Flight didn't have the time to become Alpha Flight, maybe he had been censured,so we can feel what we could call the urge, and seeing the death of Guardian-the first one,know what I mean- the future looked very dark ), and everybody agree that he's not an author,
that he needs a writer but yeah, he transcends in a way some things :the X-Men won't be what they are without him,same things for Iron Fist and The Champions, and the one who liked comic-books because of these tittles could tell better than me.
I just think that he tried registers that were not always their own (works like "I want to scream but I have no mouth" and I liked very much some things in "Next Men", and definetely not what he did onto " Doom Patrol " )but you know that his characters can become suddently very adults very fast.The run onto Namor was a semi-failure because of too-much deja-vus ( Ka-Zar, Invaders and nazis and the return of Iron Fist ;but he was the only one to make Namor use the Gryffo) ,and it helps him to find definetely his own inking, what let me think that he could be now the perfect artist for such new titles like "Ghost Rider ", "Doctor Strange " or - why not "New Excalibur "or "The Eternals ".

Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-02-07 09:31:00
I'm still standing (2)
and about what tales tells about, I 'd like to use the argument of dying Uncle Ben in "Spiderman "-first opus- as know by trying not to become junktrash....


Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-02-07 09:44:26
I'm still standing (3)
talking about inking , we don't see Keith Giffen enough....

Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-02-07 09:45:20
I'm still standing (4)
....the most important person in the world is FetSur, because we're going to get married...

Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-02-07 09:46:28
I think the point JB is missing (or at least not articulating very well) is that those events shouldn't happen when they don't occur in an organic way. It made sense, for example, for readers to follow Reed and Sue's courtship, their marriage, and the birth of Franklin over the course of 7 or 8 years because each "event" flowed naturally from the previous one and was given time to develop. Johnny's marrying a Skrull who turned out to be pregnant with an alien monster egg wasn't rolled out quite so organically, and probably falls under JB's "don't do it" criteria. But those events he lists are problematic not from the standpoint of creating "moments in time" so much as they're simply not good storytelling, when put in place in an artificial manner.

As for most famous person alive -- from the standpoint of worldwide recognizability -- I would lean towards either Queen Elizabeth or Paul McCartney. Both have made contributions that are recognized worldwide, and they both have the longevity to be seen by multiple generations. Longevity also works in their favor for allowing plenty of time to disseminate their likenesses to remote areas of the world.

Posted by SKleefeld on 2007-02-07 10:17:02
I'm with you Tom, maybe even more so because I think that no character should be the same at the end of an issue as they were at the beginning. The issue should have affected them in some(even minor way) and that should build up over time to lead to deep changes, much like how none of us are the same at the end of a day as we are at the beginning.

As for most famous, it's got to be Bush.

Posted by MattDiCarlo on 2007-02-07 11:15:19
"Resurrections of characters whose deaths were
central to the lead character's origin."

I agree to a certain extent. The permanent return of Thomas and Martha Wayne would pretty much destroy Bruce's motivation. The same thing can be said about the Graysons.
The return of (the real) Uncle Ben would throw Peter for a loop, but he has never been about avenging Ben's death, his motivation was responsibility. Responsibility that won't go away unless he loses his powers (again). I'd place Alex DeWitt in the same category. Her return would startle Ion and strain his relationship with Donna, but he would still work as a character.
The return of Professor Erskine, however, could add a really interesting angle to Captain America. With more super-soldiers around (I won't count Protocide and Isaiah Bradley for the sake of this argument), Steve Rogers' role would change drastically. Especially in this Civil War world.
And the return of Alex Wilder, whose death was essential to the origin of the Runaways? That would rock, actually.

"Deaths of characters because "there are no more
stories to tell.""

I completely agree. There are always stories left to tell. I won't rule out deaths that happen out of other reasons (Gwen Stacy, Dark Phoenix, Colossus and yeah, Black Goliath), but "there are no more stories left to tell" only leads to unbelievable resurrections.

"Revelations of previously unknown siblings (99.99%
of the time)"
That completely depends on the way the story is told.
"Luke... I am your father." Beautiful.
But "They are both blue, so therefore Mystique must be Nightcrawler's mother" was weak.

"Revelations of "hidden agendas" in origin stories."
See above. It depends on the story.
Angels and Demons are behind the murder of Frank Castle's family? Ugh.
Matt Murdock being responsible for Typhoid Mary? That was actually pretty clever.

"In general, retcons that turn central characters into
different people than we thought they were."
And once again, this can be told in a good way (Magneto becoming headmaster at the Xavier institute) or a bad way (Iron Man is working for Kang - and has worked for him from the beginning).

Marriages.
I don't have a problem with that, if the characters in question have a long-standing relationship. I could see Charles Xavier marrying Lilandra. No problem. But marrying a notorious single (like Jimmy Olsen) would never work in the long run.

Births.
See: Marriages.

Divorces.
Depends on the couple. Ma and Pa Kent? Never. Scott and Jean (next time she's resurrected)? Why not?

Basically, any stories that create distinct "moments
in time".
Disagree.




Oh, and the most famous people in today's world? The ones that are recognized in most parts of the world?
George W. Bush jr, Pope Benedict XVI, Vladimir Putin, Bill Gates, Kim Yong Il, Queen Elizabeth II, the Dalai Lama, Ronald McDonald, Michael Jackson and Superman (not Brandon Routh or Chris Reeve, I'm talking about the fictional character).

If I had to size that list down to only one? Worldwide? Probably the Dalai Lama.

Posted by Michael Heide on 2007-02-07 11:59:09
Most famous person
Madonna, Muhammad Ali, George W. Bush

Posted by skagandboneman on 2007-02-07 12:39:34
Famous
I'm voting for J.K. Rowling, Bill Gates or Paul McCartney as the most famous person.

Posted by scottking on 2007-02-07 12:52:40
famous
I'd bet Micheal Jackson is pretty high on the most famous person in the world list.

I feel Bush is up there too.

The Pope might be known too much as an entity rather then a person.

Posted by kevhines on 2007-02-07 14:00:28
most famous?
i'm gonna go with Will Smith. old people know him, young people know him, everyone else in between knows him, and he's an international star. second? probably Madonna, although i'm not sure if kids know who she is. i would say 50 Cent is pretty close too, as he is HUGE internationally (unlike many other performers). i would choose these people over Bush because i'm sure there are lots of places in the world where entertainment reaches people easier than politics.

Posted by nickmarino on 2007-02-07 14:12:46
Most famous?
I would say the most famous person in the world is probably Tom Cruise. Still probably the most recogniseable star from Hollywood, followed closely by Michael Jackson.

Posted by ultimatesrock on 2007-02-07 17:34:48
Most famous?
That's a loaded question. Most recognisable now would have to be George Bush.

But fame's a different kettle of fish.

Posted by keense on 2007-02-07 17:42:38
The most Famous Person....
President George W. Bush

Posted by IHeartMaryJane on 2007-02-07 20:45:02
nice one
Tom,
Great entry. You will probably be banned from Byrne's blog from now on (if you aren't already).
Most famous is without a doubt GWB. Think about all the people in the world who truly hate him. No one is the kind of worldwide lightning rod that Bush is. Think about it. Hugo Chavez talks about Bush every single day. Kim Jong Il talks about Bush every single day. Ratzinger talks about Bush every single day. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks about Bush every single day, and Ronald McDonald does too...

I agree that stories should change the status quo. But one of the frustrations of the comics genre is that there is no end to the stories and so eventually most readers simply walk away because there is no good way to get satisfying closure like you can in books, movies or TV (except soaps). It is simply a limitation of the genre. Guys like you editors must constantly walk the line between allowing characters to change enough to keep a long-time reader hooked and yet making sure that character stays true enough to the Historical Character so that new readers will be oriented by exposure to the character.

Posted by bigdaddyhub2 on 2007-02-07 22:35:14
famous person
beckham?

For what it's worth, britney spears is still the most searched for person online


Posted by pete on 2007-02-08 08:58:43
most famous person today
tho not a true Colts fan, with the millions of people that watch the Superbowl, I'd say Peyton Manning is currently high on that list, with the Pope, Michael Jackson, G.W. Bush II, that psycho female Astronaut, Lisa Nowak, Paris Hilton, etc.
Also, I love how Mar-Vell was re-introduced in The Return, by plucking him from the past in N-Space and bringing him into the future. He hasn't returned from the dead, he's time displaced. Very original. Good job, Wacker and company!

Posted by kevin316 on 2007-02-08 09:01:31
Vote for Most Famous
Jet Li.

Posted by Beta Ray Benny on 2007-02-08 09:43:18
Story Elements
There should be no boundaries. Nothing should be off-limits. As long as it is meticulously thought through and well-crafted. As long as it ultimately contributes to the definition of the characters.

Drag the characters through hell. But in the end the story must reveal why the characters are heroes, villains, or people we should care about.

Posted by Beta Ray Benny on 2007-02-08 09:56:23
most famous person
I read that at one time, muhammad ali was the most famous man in the world. Well, he's still alive and maybe should be considered. Since boxing isn't popular anymore though, I doubt anyone here can name any current champs. I think the most famous, and by famous I mean recognizable by their face, not most well liked, people are:

david beckham- you know how much merchandise he sells in asia? people in america sort of know about him and he plays in europe. I don't know how well known he is in Africa though.

Aishwarya Rai- she is a former miss universe and widely considered the most beautiful woman in the world, an international film star just about everywhere and is becomingmore well known in the US also.

Bush- I have the feeling that many people wouldn't recognize his face even if they know his name and policies. For example, newspapers don't print pictures of Bush all the time even if half the stories are about things he's done. I'd imagine they sell more newspapers with aishwarya on the front page.

clinton- since being president, he's been on a constant tour of asia, the pacific and africa to do relief stuff (and, some people think, campaigning for UN secretary general). If you think he's not the front runner for sec. of state or ambassador to the un under a democrat, you're crazy. Anyways I feel like in 5 years he will still be more well known than bush.

osama bin laden-his face is probably more recognized than bush's, funny since there are few recent pix of him and he hides out in rural pakistan on a dialysis machine instead of having press conferences.

tom cruise-is he the biggest hollywood star? if not him then maybe julia roberts or denzel.

ronaldhino or michael jordan- aren't these the other most well known athletes?

Posted by phopho on 2007-02-08 11:02:09
as for byrne
I think that even if fans don't want their characters to change, they do want the illusion of change. Big momentous events are exciting at the time even if you regret them later, just like real life. I don't like spider-man married but I like that his life changes.

I do feel like killing characters off is lazy though. it doesn't really add any impact anymore cause it's so overdone. Maybe for kids it's a different story since they haven't seen all of their heros die at least twice but then again kids probably have no idea who black giant-man is either so it has even less impact.

Posted by phopho on 2007-02-08 11:12:44
cynical
JB's problem is that he's become cynical rather than wiser as he's got older. But there is some merit to his cynicism. When you've seen Pheonix resurrected and killed off for the 123rd time, you do end up screaming "give it a bl**dy rest". But Bucky's recent awesome resurrection proves that resurrection in and of itself is NOT the problem. Resurrection stories are normally bad when writers are more concerned with the gimmick of resurrection than with the story being told. However, Brubaker is a sublime story teller, and he had a great story to tell above and beyond the shock value of resurrection. So JB is wrong to dismiss resurrection and other such themes. He should turn his scorn upon bad story telling instead.

Posted by alister28 on 2007-02-08 18:34:19
Evolve? I hope so...
I think is a topical blog issue - considering the events in Civil War.

In my opinion this should be a major point in Marvel history and if the ramifications are not felt for many years to come we, the readers, will have been cheated (to a degree - I admit the story is entertaining).

Civil War is a bit like an acrimonious divorce between the heroes. You are not going to trust the others who were on the other side ever again and you might even bear a grudge.

Tom - you're in charge of overseeing this, so I hope you and the rest have given it a great deal of thought.

Posted by Simch Harna on 2007-02-11 15:48:50
Madonna
By quite a degree.

Posted by RichJohnston on 2007-02-12 09:04:47
story subjects
While I think characters should change, I also feel it shouldn't happen arc after arc. Perhaps once every couple of years you should see such a change but to do it evry year? maybe I'm wrong, but you still need the average adventure to see the character in action so when a change occurs you will notice it.

Posted by spectrumc01 on 2007-02-14 18:36:35
Re: most famous person
Rich Johnston: "Madonna
By quite a degree."

I'll second that answer

Posted by Gokitalo on 2007-02-15 14:29:28
Trick Question
I say Jesus Christ, becuase its been proven that there was an actual person by that name long ago. And everywhere in the world has some understanding of religion and jesus apparently is in the lead with the polls. Also you can like go to the poorest villiage in the world and they have like those religous poeple there passing on the bible and stuff so I mean it crosses the barriers of rich and poor. You probaly cant afford a tv but you can bet those kids are going to be knocking at the door try to sell you jesus christ.



Posted by terciera on 2007-03-28 10:50:17
Oh by the way
Make no mistake John Byrne has been one of my favorite artists since I was kid, and its not just his storytelling that I like but I do enjoy his personality. Ive read alot of his interview stuff and I find him to be very straght foward. He definitly is the balck sheep of the artists, but I like that becuase with him what you see is what you get. And that kind of boldness really reflecks in his artwork, you can see that boldness in his panel. Now for the negative aspect, Johns not a writer, hes tried to come up with character groups and stories that have never worked out....so.....This is what I think

Resurrections: I agree with john, you cant keep killin of main characters so that you can bring them back later. it really looks bad for marvels credability to tell a proper story.

Revelations: I dont agree with john, we all want that sneek peek, it gives us excitment and mystery.

Marriages: Come on you have to have marrages.

Births: You have to have births

Divorces. There should be divorces yet I dont see a very compelling story for that kind of stuff.

All these aspects are moments that can be added to enhance or take away from the story. Can you tell good story with out them sure you can. But you better be a really good writer to pull it off. By adding these moments in a storyline you can give touch the reader in a differint way. I really enjoyed the Xmen issue when Cyclops got married with Marvel girl I thought that great.


Posted by terciera on 2007-03-29 03:13:52
Evolve or don't
This subject reminds me of the awesome spider-man series where spider-man dies, but comes back by regenerating by a spider cacoon. But the awesome part about it was the fact that he learned about new powers that he apperently had since he was 158. Those powers included peter being able to shoot stingers through his wrists. They also included the spider cacoon regeneration process. Oh, and he also used the stingers to feed off of Morlun (eat him).

Posted by Heroclicker on 2007-07-23 11:04:33