Interviews

One of the best things to happen for comics fandom is the internet. Through the internet, like-minded fans can communicate with each other, or in some cases disagree, where in the real world there may be no one to share such thoughts with. Another innovation of the internet is the podcast. Through this new medium fans can listen to other enthusiasts discuss and review material or even hear from the creators themselves as they are interviewed. Many times that creator's voice is heard by the fans for the very first time! All possible through the miracle of the podcast. One outstanding podcast has separated itself from the pack in quality and credibility, and that is the Word Balloon podcast as conducted by John Siuntres. Some of you wil have listened to the Word Balloon podcast before, but now its time to turn the tables and put John in the hot seat.

Several years ago while filing away Daredevil comics, issue #27 to be specific, I stopped to read it after a long hiatus away from the series. The writing was different from anything else I'd ever seen and I was totally sucked in! Meanwhile there was a series on the shelf called Ultimate Spider-man and I was totally against it. Fought and thrashed about, especially over the Green Goblin. Until the Goblin returned for the second time and the scope of his dementia was revealed during a confrontation with Spider-man. From that point forward, I never failed to read an issue. Somewhere in there I checked out an issue of an Image Comics series called Powers, issue #7 where a graphic novel writer named Warren Ellis makes the mistake of doing a ride-along with two detectives and ends up in the center of a super-powers related hostage situation. Again, the writing was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. There was a common thread uniting these titles that had all of a sudden become must-read series for me. A name common to these series, Brian Michael Bendis.

True Story Swear to God

Jermaine Exum: Hi Tom. You’re best known for a very special comic series called True Story Swear to God. I first discovered it because you’re a member of Jinxworld.com, but for those that are not already familiar with it, how did it begin and how did it change?

Tom Beland: It began as a weekly comic strip in my hometown newspaper back in Napa Valley, California. I was a huge fan of Keith Knight’s K Chronicles, when it was appearing in the Pacific Sun Paper. I met Keith at a convention and he encouraged me to do my own autobiographical strip.

Along with the new look and features at AcmeComics.com, we're going to be presenting exciting new interviews with comics professionals! For the first of the new interviews, we have the honor of speaking with Brian Reed, the writer of Marvel's ongoing Ms. Marvel monthly series and the brand new Captain Marvel mini series!

Mr. Reed also co-wrote the acclaimed Spider-woman Origin mini series and the break out hit New Avengers Illuminati mini series. A true man-of-two-worlds, Brian Reed also has a foot in the world of video games and wrote for Mercenaries 2 and the popular Ultimate Spider-man game.

The internet such a great place and you just never know who you'll bump into online. In my travels through cyberspace, I've stumbled onto another up and coming talent that I think you all would want to know about. Here he is, Tony Fleecs.

Jermaine Exum: Let's get right into it and have you give us a little back-story on you. How old are you? Where are you and what goes on there? And most importantly, as one guy with an unusual last name to another, how is your name pronounced?

One of the best things about the Bendis Board at Jinxworld.com, aside from the whole Ultimate Spider-man #86 thing, is all of the interesting people I've met there. As it turns out, several of the posters have taken their love of the comics medium to the next level and actually make their OWN comics. One guy left such a good impression on me online, and in person, that I decided to carry his comic here at Acme. His name's Brian Defferding. Want to meet him?

by Jermaine Exum with Lincoln Griffin

LeSean Thomas hit the comic scene last year with Dreamwave's mystical kung-fu epic Arkanium, bringing his flair for action and a background in animation to the fledgeling company's new title. Now with Arkanium behind him, LeSean is tackling a possible career making run on Dreamwave's newest book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Based on the new hit animated series, the latest comic to bear the TMNT logo is being written by industry veteran Peter David and looks to put a fantastic new spin on the Turtles legend.

Jim Mahfood a.k.a. Food One is an American comic book creator, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Apart from his creator-owned comic book series Grrl Scouts and his comic strip Stupid Comics (which appears weekly in the Phoenix New Times) he also did work for Marvel Comics on various Spider-Man titles, including Ultimate Marvel Team-Up and Spectacular Spider-Man. His big break came when Oni Press hired him to illustrate two comic books based on Kevin Smith's movie Clerks from scripts by Smith, following his work on Marvel Comics Generation X Underground Special, billed as 'the most subversive comic book ever released by Marvel.' (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)

Former Acme Comics employee Lincoln Griffin interviewed Jim Mahfood in 2001. They spoke about topics such as his influences, how he got into the business, and working with Brian Bendis. Read on for the full interview.