Continuing where we left off a week ago, here are some responses to some other questions that came up from our recent Editorial Simulation game:
>Overall, I think the inclusion of an EIC was great addition to the game. (Although, obviously, I'm a bit biased.) One additional question I have, Tom -- since you had kept up with our blog, I'm curious how my interactions with Phil, Pat and Mike compared with that of real EICs and their editors. I gather that the range of how an EIC operates is pretty broad, but I'd be interested in getting your thoughts on whether I was too heavy-handed or too removed? Although we all agreed at the outset that I would essentially approve the editors' decisions, is that normal for Joe Quesada, for example, to say, "Sure, Tom, go ahead and see if you can get McDuffie on the FF"? Would that follow for the entire creative team, or just the writers and artists?
Posted by SKleefeld on 2007-05-30 21:13:09>
Each EIC tends to run things a little bit differently, as each person has their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own interests. But your interaction with the troops was very much in keeping with how the actual EIC would function. And it depends upon the situation--Joe Q, for example, might make contact with a writer who would be perfect for FF, or who might really want to do it, and then he and I would work out the specifics between us. It's completely within the EIC's discression to assign creators to a given title if he so chooses, though most EICs don't work so unilaterally above thier editors. And generally, the EIC wouldn't be too concerned with the coloring or the lettering, unless he saw something that he didn't like.
>Just curious, had you already made up your mind that they couldn't meet the goals without resorting to crossovers and alternate covers? 'Cause if not, I'd love to take a crack next time at trying to meet sales expectations just based on creative teams, storylines, and promotion. Certainly much more of a challenge, but it'd be fun trying even if it didn't succeed, as long as there is a way under the ground rules that it could.
Posted by CylverSaber on 2007-05-31 09:40:10>
No, I hadn't made my mind up about anything. In terms of the sales figures, I wouldn't do any prep work ahead of time--I'd analyze the numbers and come up with final sales numbers when it came time to write up that day's entry.
>Which got me thinking. Is it the cheapness of constantly pumping out novelty covers that keep you guys from doing it these days? Or is it the actual cost of the constantly changing complex covers that stops you? Because I would, personally, like to see the occasional glow in the dark or novelty cover.
Posted by PseudoSherlock on 2007-05-31 10:13:28>
It's neither the cost nor the cheapness that keeps us from doing it so much as the fear. While you and many others like you enjoyed those die-cut, embossed, holographic-foiled covers, for a decent portion of the marketplace (especially within the retail community) they're equated with the speculation boom and the destruction of the marketplace. So there's a certain resistance to getting back onto that particular bike again.
>I think everyone did a great job here, but there was something i thought was odd that Tom never mentioned, several times the editors and EIC made comments about paying for various things themselves and going as far as to offer to loan a creator money and pay for various fees. That seems a pretty slippery slope, are you going to offer loans to every creator? How does all this spending on things affect how the Editors manage to pay rent or buy food?
Posted by Rain on 2007-05-31 16:30:01>
The reality is that this is an instance of personal choice. It's not unheard of for an EIC to pay for things like parties out of their own pocket--Joe Q pays for an X-Mas shindig every year, and for stuff like the yearly X-Mas song he records, and assorted Marvel editorial shirts. And going back a few years, Tom DeFalco and Mark Gruenwald used to split the cost of the assorted Marvel events that they would host. But that's completely at the discression of the EIC. The problem comes when people come to expect it.
>Here's my question...how much influence does an editor have over who the actual creative team will be vs. EIC and Operations, and also how do the editors handle the feelings of a writer or an artist who is clearly on the downslope?
Posted by bigdaddyhub2 on 2007-06-04 12:11:25>
It works more-or-less as depicted in this simulation, at least over here at Marvel, so the editor has a great deal of influence over who works on what book (subject to availability, of course, and affordability, not to mention the aesthetic sense of the EIC). And in terms of a creator who's on the downslope, this is one of the tougher parts of teh job. But the reality is: you can't save everybody. And as an editor, your first loyalty needs to be to the book, rather than to the individual creators. I don't know that there is a perfect way to deal with this situation, but it's a reality that virtually every creator is likely to face at some point.
>Can you talk a little bit about the balance of story idea between editor and writer? Obviously this simulation doesn't have writers, so the sim editors have to do a bit more plotting, but do you have some writers who actually like more editorial input into story ideas? Obviously it's a different field, but I can't help of thinking of some of our newspaper reporters who prefer to have stories assigned by an editor rather than generating the ideas themselves.
Posted by motteditor on 2007-06-04 20:10:55>
The editor shouldn't be writing the book, but that isn't to say that he shouldn't have any input on the overall story direction of the book, or specific story ideas that might get used. To kind of point to one example, back when Mark Waid was coming on to write FANTASTIC FOUR, he and I brainstormed back-and-forth about what to do for our first issue, which had to set the tone and establish the landscape. Among many other ideas, one night while riding the train, I came up with a fairly extensive idea for how that issue could play out. I typed it up and sent it over to Mark, but in the end we wound up going in a different direction. But I kept the thing in my files--and, a few years later, when I had a FANTASTIC FOUR SPECIAL on my schedule to do, I fished that write-up out and sent it to Dwayne McDuffie to play with. Dwayne wound up changing the ending completely, and reworking the emphasis entirely. So what wound up seeing print wasn't what I had come up with, but was definitely derived from there. And it was much more Dwayne's story by the time it was finished than it was mine.
More later.
Tom B
Man... It's JUST the stigma of the oppulent 90's that keeps the fancy covers out? That just plain old BITES.
I miss my Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost Rider covers and swirly holographic Fantastic Four story arcs. Blah.
Posted by PseudoSherlock on 2007-06-11 13:16:54
FYI Oh, if you can't see it, Tom, your "Fantastic Four Special" link is bugged. It's just a white box and a dot.
Posted by PseudoSherlock on 2007-06-11 13:17:42
I think its fascinating that your story is the basis for that FF Special. Shouldn't you get some sort of credit beyond editor? Do you ever feel slighted being lised as "just editor" when you do that much of the writing. Since most of the audience just sees you as a spell-checker, wouldn't you like more credit?
Posted by IanZL on 2007-06-11 14:48:00
Ironman question (Pease answer this if you ca This was a message I posted on the Blah Blah Blog you answer but I am not sure if it belonged there. In fact, I'm not entirely sure where to post this question. It is pertaining to the contiuity of Ironman. If you can answer it here that would be good but please respond saying where I should post this question or just answer it if you can and would please. This is the message that I posted:
"I was wondering if you could answer an Ironman question; pertaining to the Crossing event and afterwards. I believe I found a flaw in one of the Marvel Official Handbooks Guides. The one in question is Ironman's profile in the Initiative Handbook issue. Here are the questions:
"'Is this Ironman who is currently in the comics the original Tony Stark that died during the Crossing?'
I know that Marvel officially stated that Teen Tony upon returning to the 616 Marvel universe retained the memories of the original Tony Stark that died from the mainstream Marvel universe. But just retaining the memories does not nessacarily mean that this 'new Ironman' is the original merged with the Teen Tony and Heroes Reborn Ironman. All that it means is that this is a Tony Stark who remembers and has the memories of the original 616 Ironman. So, follow up questions to my original question that need to be answered too are these
'Upon returning to the regular Marvel Universe (616), did Franklin Richards resurrect the 616 Marvel Universe Tony Stark that died and merged him with Teen Tony? Does that mean that this Ironman possesses not only the original Ironman's personality and mind but also his soul too? Is his soul off somewhere enjoying an afterlife or is it back in this Ironman's body?'
I know I am asking semantics but please be as precise as possible answering all these questions. Thank you so much for your time and I wish you well."
Posted by hulk2482 on 2007-06-26 22:07:13
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About this blog: Ramblings and musings from the mind of Tom Brevoort. "It won’t be clean. It won’t be fun. It mostly won’t be coherent."
About the author: Tom Brevoort is Executive Editor for Marvel Comics, and oversees such titles as New Avengers, Civil War, and Fantastic Four.
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