Newsarama: Joe, some quick unfinished business from last week before we close the door on 2006…

You thought we were going to ask if Marvel is planning a weekly series for 2007 (or beyond), but promised we’d ask this week...

So… are you..?

JQ: No, currently we have absolutely no plans to do a weekly comic.

NRAMA: We understand in the past ten days you had another one of your creative/editorial retreats…

First off all, why try to squeeze one of these in right before the holidays? Do you traditionally hold one this time of year, or was it necessary to hold one in order to avoid editorial chaos?

JQ: We usually do one near the end of the year, this one got closer to the holidays as we were just trying to accommodate everyone’s schedule. Remember, we had a Spider-Man creative summit the week before, so it’s been a crazy December.

NRAMA: So as usual, give us a sense of this one. What and when was this summit focused on? What was its specific purpose?

JQ: It was focused on tightening up all of the storylines we have happening next year and beyond. To make sure everything was as much in sink as possible and to add cool touches to storylines and ideas while they’re still at the beginning stages. It’s a great place to give input and to receive it, especially if you’re a creator. Bendis is a perfect example; he came in with an amazing idea that was made even better by ideas thrown around within the group.

These bigger summits tend to be very global in nature, so lots of stuff gets discussed. For a break down on the activities, check out Agent M’s Marvel blogs.

NRAMA: And who was in attendance? Was this just editorial staff, or were creators involved?

JQ: Editorial, Marvel.com, Marketing and Sales, and a handful of creators. Straczynski, Bendis, Loeb, Slott, and Greg Pak were in attendance and we were also joined by the Dabel Bros.

NRAMA: Are these retreats purely creative? Meaning do you, your editors and creators get to leave the daily grind and concern of production costs and budgets, and the ever-present deadlines behind and just talk character and story for a few days, or are these meetings pragmatic too?

JQ: It is 98% creative, very little of the pragmatic stuff gets discussed here as time is of the essence. The pragmatic stuff gets discussed afterwards, just amongst the staff.

NRAMA: And how about marketing? What sort of role – if any – do they play? Do they get to weigh and tell editorial what they may need from a marketing standpoint in the future? And/or do they get to respond to the ideas being bandied about give their input as to what the commercial possibilities of the ideas are, or is it too early in the process for that?

JQ: Marketing weighs in on a few things, mostly revolving about the spreading out of stories and events. They point out overcrowded months that could be problematic and suggest alterations to the schedule. The other place they contribute is with packaging suggestions. In other words, we may have a storyline, involving a character with a monthly title that feels like it should be a separate mini series. They may have recommendations as to whether the story should be a separate mini series or just part of the regular run on the character.

NRAMA: Finally, what can you tell us about what developed as a result of this latest summit? Any info or hints you can share?

JQ: Some great stuff involving Captain America was a real surprise as was added surprises to an upcoming Avengers storyline. We also worked out some interesting new avenues for the Ultimate Universe.

NRAMA: Okay, we’re going to take a break and let readers have their shot at you this week…

JQ: Hawkicantmis, there are no plans currently for a SFM trade, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen, it’s just not on the docket for right now.

RQ: “m@rvelzombie” - Recently, here on Newsarama, Frank Cho mentioned that he was writing and drawing a Black Cat mini-series when he was offered the job on Mighty Avengers. Is this mini-series going to be one of the great Marvel Knights projects you mentioned recently?

JQ: I don’t want to say too much about this, m@rvelzombie, as it’s obviously going to be way off. Frank is knee deep in his Mighty Avengers stuff, so looking at the schedule objectively, a Frank Cho Black Cat series is something that we wouldn’t see until 2008 at the earliest.

RQ: “KryptonSite” - Can we get some more hints on the new Marvel Comics Presents?

JQ: Hey, KryptonSite, how about we go to MCW’s editor Andy Schmidt and see if he’s feeling loosed lipped.

Andy Schmidt: Marc (Wolverine, Blade) Guggenheim is designing a 12-part Marvel mystery story that’ll feature every awesome character of the Marvel Universe. And it all starts with one man’s death. A man, you’ve never heard of.

Each issue will contain two additional stories. Issue #1 will feature the stunning work of Stuart (Ultimate X-Men, Nextwave) Immonen on a Hellcat story and a Spider-Man story by Stuart (Wolverine, Firestorm) Moore and Clayton (Uncanny X-Men) Henry.

In short, it will rock your socks off, KryptonSite.

RQ: “darrik” - Now that [Tony] Bedard's runs on Exiles and MA: Avengers are almost over, will we see him working on any other Marvel books, and if so, which ones?

JQ: As far as I know, darrik, currently Tony is not working on any projects with us.

RQ: “KylePeterson” - Recently a third printing of Marvel Zombies was revealed with an all-new cover. This means that there are currently three separate covers available for the hardcover collection of this title. Don't you think that a collection of a mini-series should include all material of said series? I loved Marvel Zombies and was happy to purchase the original hardcover collection, but it stinks that as a fan I won't be able to collect all of Arthur Suydam's zombie paintings.

JQ: KyelPeterson, while it’s not a unique that a compilation might have a new cover that was never seen a series, here’s the best advise I can offer you.

Save your money!!!

What if I told you that there’s going to be a Marvel Zombies Poster Book with every cover including the ones off of Ultimate FF?

Cool?

RQ: “Trist” - With Marvel joining with Dynamite Entertainment for Army of Darkness vs. Marvel Zombies next year, can we take it as an indication that there may be more big company crossovers down the road? I keep hearing rumbles about a possible Avengers vs. Transformers crossover with IDW (which would ROCK!), anything you can say on that?

JQ: Trist, I can say stay tuned.

RQ: “Steelbear” - Sorry if this has been asked before, but what can we look forward to in regards to Halo. The hardcover that came out in 2006 was top notch. Any plans for a sequel in 2007?

”IceGambit” - What's the latest on the Halo ongoing series? Will we see it sometime in 2007?

JQ: Steelbear, IceGambit, you can expect much more Halo in 2007 as that’s when the ongoing will start. You’ll just have to hang on for a little bit longer until we announce the top-notch creative team and any other special things that we may have cooking.

RQ: “motteditor” - Joe, I think we've gotten the basics of all the post-Civil War titles now, except for one thing: Who's the creative staff on New Warriors?

JQ: The writer for New Warriors is Kevin Grevioux, we’ll be announcing the artist shortly.

RQ: “IronWolf” - Joe, I saw some previews for the new Thor and man I like it, but I've NEVER EVER read a Thor book before. What do you recommend I start with to get me into the character and can we get some more peeks at that great ART!?!?!?!?!?!

JQ: Okay, let’s see. I would suggest the following trades.

Thor: Bloodoath Thor: The Eternals Saga Avengers Disassembles: Thor Thor Masterworks and Thor Essentials And if you’re interested in a slightly different take on the Thor myth, one of my all time faves, Thor: Son of Asgard.

RQ: “sixsh0t” - A long time ago I asked about Hawkeye + Bendis and you told me you had to keep that trick up your sleeve. Now that we've seen the 'plans' he had for him, where can we expect Clint to show up next? If you can't say where, can you at least, for the love of god, tell me that he will show up soon on a recurring basis? We waited so long to see him again.

JQ: sixsh0t, actually, you haven’t seen anything yet. What Brian has shown you is merely the tip of the iceberg (or in this case an arrow), Avengers’ fans are going to give Bendis a ticker tape parade next year!

I’m very serious.

RQ: “cuckoo” - What will Patrick Zircher be on now that he is no longer on Iron Man?

JQ: Right now, cuckoo, Patrick will be helping out with Ms. Marvel #12. And if you liked his Shell Head, just wait until you see his Doomsday Man!

RQ: “ted_dahlman” - I can only think of three Marvel characters who are practicing Jews (Thing, Shadowcat, and presumably Sabra), two who are practicing Christians (Nightcrawler and Firebird, both Catholic), along with a few Muslim heroes who have figured into minor roles in several stories, and the thousands of "mutant-hating bigots" who have shown up dressed in clerical garb.

JQ: Hey there, ted_dahlman, Marc Spector, Doc Samson, and Magneto are also a practicing Jews and don’t forget Matt Murdock is a practicing Catholic. I know there’s more, but I just thought I’d mention these four as they seem like important ones to include.

RQ: “ted_dahlman” - What do you think accounts for the dearth of monotheistic heroes? Do you think we'll be seeing the topic of religion explored in the Marvel Universe anytime soon? Or see any characters convert? Have there been any Marvel stories in which organized religion has been portrayed in a positive light?

JQ: I don’t know if dearth is the right word to use, especially when traditionally there was no expression of religious beliefs by comic characters in the past.

Like so many of the characters we create, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual preference, and all of the things that make people who they are only come into play if they’re an important part of what makes up the interesting aspects of a character from a storytelling perspective. For us to sit around a table and say, “hey, we need a dozen new Hispanic characters,” seems forced and not the way we go about our creative business.

The characters that have religion play into their stories are that way because their religion played an important part in who they are as a character and it effects their decisions and their stories, no one more so than Matt Murdock. In direct contrast, one would have to assume that due to Peter Parker’s Irish heritage (Parker/Fitzgerald), he’s most likely of Christian Protestant beliefs, yet while there have been rare instances when he’s reached out to God, it’s not an important makeup of his character.

In the case of Matt Murdock, it’s come to define him. It also adds an interesting juxtaposition and wonderful irony between a man who worships a Catholic god yet wears a devil suit to fight crime. There have also been numerous scenes depicting Matt gaining an incredible amount of comfort from his religion. The scenes of him in the confessional stand out most to me as one of many moments when organized religion has been shown in a positive light.

RQ: “EMeadow” - Ok, based on reading your comments in the differences between DC and Marvel that you made in the Q&A on 12/23, here's my question:

Many people say one of the inherent "problems" DC has with their characters, is that they're too "corporate" and you really can't change them because of how it will affect their marketability outside the comic book market. (Hence Joker never dies, status quo is always maintained, etc, etc.)

JQ: Hey, EMeadow, I never said “too corporate”, and I don’t know if that’s truly accurate. I think “too iconic” is more on the money, a victim of their own iconic stature and history is more of what I meant.

RQ: “EMeadow” - How do you feel Marvel is able to buck that trend? By the same notion, you've got the same masters to appease, the movie studios, the stockholders, the higher board members who only see the money and don't know what really goes on... etc…

JQ: Again, that’s not what I’m saying is happening at DC as would have no knowledge of how those things work with them. But, from my experiences at Marvel, there are certain things you can’t do with certain characters because there is an expectation from fans, creative, and business partners. But, because the Marvel characters are flawed from the beginning, we have more leeway with respect to what we can do with them.

The DC characters are so iconic, that they have very little flexibility. I’m not saying that Superman can’t be made more relevant, but, it would take a whole revamping of the concept in order to do it. Not only is that risky, but from a business stand point, I could only imagine how partners would react.

Again, just my opinion, but lets say I’ve licensed Superman from DC for my line of kid’s coloring books and somewhere during the course of my contracted time, after I’ve spent tons of money to produce these kid’s books and I’m about to get the out the door or they’re on the stands, suddenly DC announces that they’re changing Superman, his origin, and all his trappings for a more relevant, edgier one. Suddenly, I’m really concerned because I may have bought good that no longer represent what I’m trying to sell.

The same can be said for Wonder Woman as well. You do realize that Wonder Woman is nothing close to the character she was originally designed as. Whether you agree with that representation of what she originally was or not, what they ended up doing with her over the history of the DCU, to me, is just wholly uninteresting. Yes, there’s the occasionally interesting take on her, but she’s mostly recognizable because of that old TV show. Now, before anyone gets on their soap box to say that they don’t understand why I have to speak about DC, this is a fan question about a comparison, so I’m going to have to speak about them, sorry.

RQ: “EMeadow” - How are you able to keep character development (and in some ways, the ability to radically change it) and not upset the supposed iconic status quo?

JQ: It’s a tricky dance and I wish I could take credit for this, but it’s the toys I inherited. The very construction of Marvel characters is what makes it easier for us. They have flaws, human frailties and the people underneath the costume are more important than the costume. I’ll tell you a little story.

When we were first launching Marvel Knights, I had several conversations with Stan [Lee] about the Marvel heroes and their makeup. Out of the many sage things he said to me, there’s one that really stands out. We were talking about heroes, in and out of costume. The conversation moved over to Matt Murdock. Stan said that before we see Daredevil leap off the precipice of a building to do his magnificent gymnastics, we first need to know who Matt Murdock is. We need to know about his life, his loves, his loss, his handicap, what makes him tick. Once we know that, then when he puts on his red devil suit and jumps off the building, our hearts clutch because we’re personally vested in him. If not, it’s just a red devil suit jumping off a building.

What gives the Marvel characters the advantage is that their human personas are just that much more interesting. And like I said, the Marvel characters are inherently more honest at their core, because it’s the human persona which is the true self and the super powered hero the mask. As much as I love Batman, Bruce isn’t even remotely interesting and just a facade put on by Batman. He goes out and becomes the millionaire playboy about town in order to keep up appearances. Does anyone for a second suspect that Batman really is Bruce Wayne, that he’s that spoiled, self centered, millionaire womanizer? Or is it just an act?

NRAMA: All right Joe, then back to us for a few final thoughts…

JQ: Sure thing.

NRAMA: First of all, your marketing guys gave us this image for this week's Q&A and said it was from a new Namor title with Michael Turner on covers that spins out of Civil War and Front Line.

The background visuals are interesting to say the least... anything to add?

JQ: More on it next week,

NRAMA: Fair enough...

Okay then, give us three New Year’s Resolutions for Joe Quesada (personally) in 2007?

JQ: My personal resolutions? Okay, I’ll play along. I never bother with resolutions at New Years, it’s always seemed kind of silly to me waiting for January 1st to try to get ones $#!@ together. I’m a mess, so I usually find myself making resolutions all year long [laughs].

I guess the simplest one for me has to be losing weight, I’ve been working really hard at it over the last couple of months, so my goal is to stick with it for the entirety of 2007, let’s see how it goes.

On the creative front, I’d like to do some more writing, but that’s just a matter of finding the time to do it, which is always a lot easier for me to say than to actually make happen.

NRAMA: Three resolutions for Marvel Comics in 2007?

JQ: I’ve got many more than three, but most of them are just a continuation on a theme.

Most important of these is to continued inroads into mainstream markets. We’ve been pushing hard against it and it’s been delivering dividends in the form of new readers and renewed interest.

Continued expansion into other genres which we’ve just begun this year, this is the kind of stuff that brings a smile to my face.

Thirdly, a continuation of bringing Marvel fans the absolute best comics we possibly can. Next years is going to be incredibly interesting in the sense that most everything we do will invariably be compared to Civil War, that’s unavoidable, MCW was a beast the likes of which I’ve never seen. What we have planned currently for 2007 will be a departure from Civil War in tone, but all playing off of events that have obviously occurred in the past. We’ve been working really hard at all of these plans in order to keep as much of the momentum going as possible. As a resolution, I guess that one will be in the hands of the fans as they’ll ultimately decide whether we’ve hit all the right notes.

NRAMA: Give us Joe Quesada’s predictions for 2007. Tell us things you predict for the coming year that will be of interest to comic book fans..?

JQ: I’m predicting more mainstream saturation, with Heroes, Spidey 3, and FF2, it’s going to be a banner year. I think that books like Dark Tower and Halo are going to open some incredible doors for us at Marvel and the comic’s industry.

But I think the most significant thing I think we’ll see, is the marrying of comics and future technologies that I believe will show us one of many paths that our industry will be able to take in the future. I have no empirical knowledge of what may pop up, but my gut tells me it’s coming. When I see stuff like the Ultimate Spider-Man and Dark Tower trailers, I get shivers down my spine.

NRAMA: All right, time for Joe Quesada unfiltered. Here’s your chance to say whatever you like to readers… about 2006 … about 2007... whatever you like. We’ll step aside, and the floor is yours…

JQ: I guess all I can truly say is thanks. I know it’s corny, but it’s the truth. Thanks for all your interest in our books, thanks for the incredible support for Marvel, and from me personally, thanks for all you’ve done over my years in comics. From reading the books to reading this column to your kind words at conventions and personal appearances. My six years as E-i-C and eight total at Marvel have been some of the most creatively rewarding years of my life. It’s something I never expected and never take for granted. When I was a fan looking in, I often wished I could ask questions of the top editors from the big companies but that option wasn’t available to me. Now, as E-i-C and with the help of the ‘net, I have the opportunity to offer that option to anyone who’s interested.

I know for some folks on this site, my style of “hucksterism” may not be their cup of tea, and that’s okay. Sure, I’m going to give my opinion on stuff and that may set people off, but it’s merely my opinion, it doesn’t make it a fact, and last I heard, we’re still allowed to cast our opinions in America. So, while I completely respect when someone says they disagree with me, it’s next to impossible for me to grasp the reason why someone would say, “I disagree with him and he’s an @$$#o!@ for having that opinion.”

But, please never mistake one thing, yes, sometimes I do some silly stuff to promote our projects, when I do, it’s always with tongue place firmly in cheek, and perhaps that doesn’t come across as it should on the ‘net. But, the real reason I do this Q&A, assorted interviews, panels, etc., is because I love this industry and the people in it and within it, especially those that call me an @$$#o!@ because at the end of the day, I know they’re probably more interested in what I have to say than the average person.

By the way, did I mention that we’re killing Peter Parker and marrying MJ and Speedball? [laughs]

Oh yeah, and can we put to rest the term “fanboy” moving forward in 2007. First, it really ghettoizes us within the entertainment world. You don’t hear anyone who love musical theater or the world of film call themselves “stageboys,” or “matinee kids?” It’s just an outdated term and I think we should kill it.

Besides, the term “Fanman,” is infinitely more appropriate. How many people who are reading comics today are actually still boys or anywhere remotely close? Yeah, I know, “Fanman” sounds creepy doesn’t it? That’s exactly the point, to someone on the outside, “Fanboy,” sounds just as creepy if not creepier when utter by or with respect to some thirty-something dude.

By the way, I say all of this with the utmost of respect to Scott Hinze and the radio show [laughs], but it’s got to go.

And as always, more Marvel news and artwork can always be found on Marvel.com.

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