Hey! I’m “Respected!” I had no idea!

In the June/July issue of the “Buffy the Vampire Magazine,” the news section talks up the “Spike” comic book, stating that the one-shot is being produced by “respected writer Peter David.”

And here I thought I was the Rodney Dangerfield of comics.

PAD

34 comments on “Hey! I’m “Respected!” I had no idea!

  1. Ha! You WISH you were the Rodney Dangerfield of comics, so you can keep up the illusion that you’re some sort of underdog. But I’m afraid the sad fact is that everyone knows you’re one of the best writers in the business, even if you won’t admit it.

  2. Funny. With all the pop culture and other references in your work, I always thought of you as the of Dennis Miller of comics, Peter. 🙂

  3. I think that depends on what side of the bed the Editors-in-chief wake up on.

  4. Since you’re not a respected, does that mean editors can’t rewrite the endings of your books & screw up everything you did previously?

    Would be nice, wouldn’t it?

  5. Wasn’t Rodney Dangerfield the Rodney Dangerfield of comics?

    Oh, THOSE comics…

  6. Of course we respect you.

    You can turn your back on us with comfort.

    That sound of sharpening knives is just your imagination.

  7. Well lets hope your respected title keeps momentum. I’m recently getting my life in order: career, house etc. I’ve always thought once I get me some “dough, ray, me” I’ll buy all the the PAD novels out there. Have a library, be a consumer, read in my spare time, but most importantly read your original work. All that good stuff. Sadly, I can’t find any of your original novels.
    I have “What savage beast” and I was lucky enough to find “First Knight”. But little else.
    While you have a world of respect in my eyes, I hope that “respected writer” title puts you in more book stores. (I asked to get more of your stuff in and apprently its coming!)
    Good luck

  8. Don’t worry PAD, I’m sure there’ll be some scumbag who’ll crawl out of his hole to villify you for something sooner or later.

    Meanwhile, I’ll continue to enjoy your writing.

  9. Hrm… Maybe I shouldn’t have sung your praises to all those people at the bookstore? or the comic store? or the library? 😉

    ::hides the David/Ellison 2008 bumper stickers::

  10. I thought comic books were the Rodney Dangerfield of media. I heard comic books’ dad took them to a dog show, and they won.

  11. It’s like you said elsewhere. People like and respect you just fine… as long as you’re writing one of the big characters.

  12. PAD,
    I hope your Rodney Dangerfield comment was tongue-in-cheek, because if you really feel you’re NOT respected at this point, I don’t know what could convince you otherwise.
    Consider:
    1.) Your run on the Hulk is generally considered to be the best the character has been written, by both critica and fans alike

    2.) Your “Death of Jean DeWolff” story in “Peter Parker” is generally considered one of the best ever, and made Wizard’s Top Ten Spider-Man Stories Hardcover

    3.) More than half of the “Best Of Star Trek” compilation includes your stories

    4.) Your run on “Aquaman” generated a lot of buzz, was well-received and lasted quite a while. The new series with his retro look will be quite lucky to match yours, and the series has no buzz and low sales.

    5.) In a tight market, you got to write “Young Justice” for over 50 issues. Ask Scott Lobdell, whose “Alpha Flight” series was recently canceled after 12 issues, if he would like your level of respect.

    6.) At the height of the sales boom 10-15 years ago, you were given an arc on “Wolverine” – which many seemed to like – and the reins of an “X” title and got to play with a lot of underutilized characters. You reportedly got tired of the crossovers. But that was simply good business at the time. It’s not like you were singled out.

    7.) Who did Marvel turn to to sort out the whole Heroes Reborn mess with “Heroes Return”? That would be you.

    8.) Now we come to the 3 titles your fans point to when they feel you have “not been shown proper respect”:
    A.) SUPERGIRL – We got to enjoy you writing this character for 80 issues! EIGHTY ISSUES! Almost seven years! This is impressive. Especially in this market. Especially with a book that was not in the Top 100 before your last story arc. Especially with a female character. The same year DC axed “Supergirl”, “Spider-Girl became the first Marvel title starring a female character to pass 60 issues – ever! Besides “Wonder Woman”, I can’t think of a single DC title starring a female character that had a run of 80 issues before this year. Can you? “Birds of Prey” has since passed the mark, and odds are “Batgirl” and perhaps “Catwoman” will, but there are no guarantees. It is very tough to achieve. You should be proud.
    B.)CAPTAIN MARVEL – You got to do this character for 60 issues. Yes, you obviously had more planned for it. But, heavens to Betsy, five years is a long time. Especially for a book on which the sales were far from great. I think it survived on your name, good reviews from fans abd critics alike – including Wizard – and, um, respect for you.
    C.) FALLEN ANGEL – Right after “Supergirl”, DC respected you enough to publish this unique project. Fans and reviewers praised it. Despite sales that placed it out of the Top 100 from issue #12 on (at least), you were able to wrap up your story. It lasted 20 issues at DC. Rogue, Mystique and Emma Frost are arguably more marketable characters. Yet “Rogue” is ending with issue #12. “Emma Frost” ended with #18. “Mystique” lasted a bit longer, at issue #24. It is simply a tough market.

    9.) Someone is theoretically respecting you enough to give “Fallen Angel” another shot.

    10.) Joe Q respected you enough to have you do a miniseries with “Madrox”, who is not exactly Wolverine on the mutant totem pole. Fans respected you enough to make it a surprising success.

    11.) Joe Q also respected you enough to give you another shot with “The Incredible Hulk”, saying you “deserved” another arc. It has rightfully earned buzz and sales.

    12.) As if one high-profile character wasn’t enough, you now have two to chronicle! “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” will reunite you with a character you write extremely well. You will rightfully be mentioned in the same breath as and be able to bounce ideas off of J.Michael Straczynski, Brian Michael Bendis and (for now) Reggie Hudlin.

    13.) You have an Abomination limited series coming out

    14.) IDW respected you enough to ask you to do the “Spike” story.

    PAD, you are highly respected by critics and fans and your peers. You deserve it. You have earned it.

  13. What he said.

    I’ve been a fan since the end of Hulk and Aquaman and the beginning of Supergirl and Young Justice. Missed out on Captain Marvel until the U-Decide debacle. But when Fallen Angel began, I realized that I’d be stupid not to read everything.

    I figure you’re less respected than you deserve, but more respected than you think. That sound about right?

  14. Jerome Maida posted:
    “The same year DC axed “Supergirl”, “Spider-Girl became the first Marvel title starring a female character to pass 60 issues – ever! Besides “Wonder Woman”, I can’t think of a single DC title starring a female character that had a run of 80 issues before this year. Can you? “Birds of Prey” has since passed the mark, and odds are “Batgirl” and perhaps “Catwoman” will, but there are no guarantees.”

    Actually, “Millie the Model” was a Marvel title starring a female character to pass 60 issues (even taking into account that “Marvel” didn’t appear on the cover until issue #114, the “Marvel Comics Group”-labeled series ran until #207, a 94-issue run; however, the series was always a Marvel book).
    As for DC females, there’s always “Catwoman”. The 1993 Jo Duffy/Jim Balent series ran for 94 official issues, plus a #0 AND a #1,000,000. Even before that, there was always the first Wonder Woman series which ended with the “Crisis”-connected #329. (Catwoman, therefore, has a very good shot to be the 2nd DC female character to go beyond an issue #80.) There was also the 137-issue “Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane” series which ran from the 1950s thru the early 1970s.
    There may be a few others, but the above are the ones who immediately came to mind.

  15. And to add one more to Jerome Maida’s impressive list, wasn’t New Frontier the first series of Star Trek novels to feature its own original ship and crew? That’s quite an honorable investment for the publisher to have made and the response has been fantastic.

  16. Now that we’ve been baited into hero worship and ego-stroking… 😉

    Just kidding…

    I just have to say, it’s not often I can say exactly where it was a particular author hooked me in for good. With you, PAD, it was the TNG novel, Strike Zone. More specifically, it was, “Extremely stupid weapon. Do not use.”

    -Rex Hondo-

  17. If you weren’t as respected as you were, Peter, it wouldn’t be so dámņ hard to locate back issues of your Captain Marvel run and your recent Hulk series!

    Those are the only times that the words “Sold out” would apply to you, sir!

  18. Recently on FARK.com there was a discussion about the cancellation of Enterprise. PAD, you were the only Star Trek writer mentioned on the thread, and all of them positive.

    Among the comments were praise for New Frontier, and one poster saying the only way he’d watch another Star Trek series is if you’re the head writer.

    If that’s not respect, I don’t know what is.

  19. Joseph W,
    Thanks for the info. I figured “Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane” might have, was not sure about the first “Catwoman” series and had no idea about “Millie The Model”. I am currently writing a story on female characters in comics, so this information was informative, timely and useful. Thanks.

    Michael Brunner,
    I have read similar comments elsewhere and i agree that “New Frontier” with PAD at the helm would be just what the Trek franchise desperately needs, but as long as Berman is there it will never happen.

    Noel,
    Yes, it is an impressive display of “respect” for the publisher to make. I would have mentioned it, but since PAD said he was the “Rodney Dangerfield of comics” and not novels, I didn’t. Last I knew, “New Frontier” novels outsold “Voyager”, “Enterprise” and “Deep Space Nine” novels and were only a bit below Original Seies novels and a bit more below “Next Generation” novels in terms of sales. So, he obviously should be proud of that.

  20. And Johanna D-C over at comicsworthreading.com also had nice things to say about the same issue.

    Gimme the love, baby.

    PAD

  21. I take it back. Johanna commented on Hulk 81. The Viking review was for Hulk 82.

    PAD

  22. Posted by Sarik:
    Now if you can only work your way up to “hotshot superstar writer Peter David”.

    Well the latest hulk and Madrox series is better than most stuff written by the Hostshot superstars. And better than most stuff on the stands currently.

  23. ::hides the David/Ellison 2008 bumper stickers::

    “…and debating Tucker Carlson and Robert Novak on today’s Crossfire will be the Maestro and AM.”

  24. So, we can look forward to Carlson and Novak in an ice cave full of canned goods, and no can opener? 🙂

  25. I think it depends on how quickly AM gets bored of watching Novak feed on Carlson. I mean, where’s the romance?

  26. Ha! You WISH you were the Rodney Dangerfield of comics, so you can keep up the illusion that you’re some sort of underdog. But I’m afraid the sad fact is that everyone knows you’re one of the best writers in the business, even if you won’t admit it.

    Ha!
    If only Marvel and DC would admit it. Flashback: 2 years ago: “What? you want to turn Captain Marvel, the cosmicly powered super hero with the power to alter reality, insane and start mucking about with the very fabric of the Marvel universe? –That’s it young man, you’re cancelled.”
    Flash forward, summer 2005: “Wow, you want to turn the Scarlet Witch, an incredibly powerful mutant super hero with the power to alter reality, insane and start mucking about with the very fabric of the Marvel Universe? Wow! A concept! It’ll be the cross over story of the season.”

    Fhooie on them all. Iv’e offically given up on the slow-paced “New Avengers” and now the Hulk and PAD’s forth coming Spider-man title are the only comics I still buy\collect.

  27. Russfoot,
    Right. Marvel cancelled “Captain Marvel” because of the storyline. It had nothing to do with sales…Not! Silly wussfoot, it’s all about sales.
    It’s also ironic the title you use as an example of “disrespect” toward PAD is one that Marvel published for 60 total issues.
    And the Scarlet Witch story line is so dissimilar to the Captain Marvel one that the comparison is quite ridiculous.
    Yep, Marvel disrespects PAD. That’s why after finishing “Captain Marvel”, he has gotten work writing “The Incredible Hulk”, the upcoming “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man”, “Madrox”, a “What If?” tale, and the Abomination limited series.
    Man, imagine if Marvel and Joe Quesada actually liked him!

  28. Hi. A little behind here, since I was out of town(honeymoon 🙂 ). Just wanted to add my “hey, you are pretty respected”, and also to note, for those who may not have seen the bit in the BtVS magazine (US issue #19), that this very blog is also mentioned in the news brief. I thought it was pretty cool, seeing this site mentioned in print.

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