It’s been a while since I’ve done a straight up Q&A thread. So anything you want to ask me, feel free. I’ll answer your questions the best I can, although it may take me a little bit to reply.
PAD
ADDED at 7:51: Okay…the five, ten, fifteen question thing? Not happenin’. One per person. Those people who posted enough questions to fill out an interview: Choose the one you most want to know and ask that. My fault; I should have repeated that condition since it’s been a while since I’ve done this.
• 
Are you going to write Star Trek comics for IDW?
EVER? I DUNNO. CERTAINLY NO TIME SOON.
By the way, thanks again for this thread, PAD. It’s been really fun.
Coincidentally, my roommate sent me a link yesterday to a wikipedia entry on sci-fi expletives. Based on what I’d read in this thread, I corrected the entry on “grozit”. 🙂
“What am I missing?” I LIKE everything you have written, but I just bought a set of Soulsearchers and co. and I can not get interested in them. I Can Not Believe That You Wrote Them!!!!
NOT EVERYTHING IS FOR EVERYBODY.
So, which Star Trek novel was it that you slipped a Doctor Who appearance in? I remember you bragging about it at Dragon*Con.
IT WAS ONE OF THE GROUP ENDEAVORS THAT BOB, MIKE, CARMEN AND I DID. I’M NOT SURE OF WHICH ONE IT IS. DOOMSDAY WORLD, I *THINK*, BUT I COULDN’T SWEAR TO IT.
Dear Dad,
Can I borrow the car?
Love,
Gwen
ps. Are you my real father?
YES TO ONE QUESTION, NO TO THE OTHER. YOU GET TO FIGURE OUT WHICH IS WHICH.
How’s it going?
-Rex Hondo-
PRETTY GOOD, ACTUALLY. I’VE BEEN ON A WRITING TEAR OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. DID A BUNCHA COMICS, AND WROTE AN ENTIRE NOVELLA FOR THE “MIRROR UNIVERSE” SERIES THAT POCKET IS DOING. FAMILY IS HEALTHY. I REGRET THAT WORK AND ASSORTED OTHER MATTERS MADE ME HAVE TO CANCEL OUT ON GOING DOWN TO HEROES CON, BUT IT TURNS OUT I WAS REMARKABLY LUCKY. HAD WE DRIVEN DOWN WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO, WE WOULD HAVE HIT THUNDERSTORMS, DOWNPOURS, AND ROADS THAT WERE FLOODED OUT. IDEALLY THAT WON’T HAPPEN NEXT YEAR.
ACTUALLY, ANDY SCHMIDT AND I WERE KICKING AROUND THE NOTION OF DOING A SERIES WITH MOONDRAGON AND PHYLA
That would be awesome. I absolutely adore Moondragon, and I love her even more when you’re writing her.
Andy Schmidt rocks, by the way. He should be editor-in-chief. It just seems like all the best stuff at Marvel has come about because of him.
I WOULDN’T DISAGREE.
“What’s the status of Starpoint Academy?
YOU MEAN THE BOOKS? I HAVEN’T THE SLIGHTEST IDEA.”
No, I meant the CGI animated film announced almost 2 years ago for which you were writing the screenplay, from IDT Entertainment and Clifford Meth?
Corey
OHHHH. WELL, BASICALLY IT PROGRESSED EXACTLY AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD. WHEN I FIRST HOOKED UP WITH IT, I WANTED TO MEET WITH THE DIRECTOR. THEY TOLD ME THERE WASN’T ONE YET; THEY WANTED THE SCRIPT FIRST. AND I THOUGHT, “GREAT. I’M GOING TO WORK ON THIS SCRIPT, AND WHEN IT’S FINALLY DONE, THEY’RE GOING TO HIRE A DIRECTOR WHO’S GOING TO THROW OUT EVERYTHING I DID AND BRING IN SOMEONE HE’S WORKED WITH BEFORE.” WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. LAST I HEARD, HE HAD HIS OWN GUY WHO TURNED IN HIS OWN SCRIPT WHICH THE EXECS HATED. SO I’VE NO IDEA WHERE IT STANDS.
Peter,
I am interested in driving up to Shore Leave (from Richmond), but I could only do it on Sunday. The preliminary schedule shows the Mystery Trekkie Theater is Sunday evening. Are you participating in any other events that day? Would I be able to have you sign a book for me at the MTT? I don’t want to drive up to this thing if I can’t have the opportunity to shake your hand and thank you for all the enjoyment you’ve given me (and maybe take my pic with you).
I WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TIME TO SIGN YOUR BOOK. I’VE NO IDEA WHAT OTHER EVENTS, IF ANY, I’M INVOLVED WITH THAT DAY.
As writers go, you’re in one of the better financial positions I’ve seen. I’m not just talking in terms of income, because I know a number of writers who could have similar incomes and should be in similar financial positions as you (or were when you were their age, etc.) and they don’t pull it together as well, and they didn’t have the hit of four kids to raise, etc.
So my question is: why do you think that is? Is it because of working in different media and forms? The ratio of work you own vs. work-for-hire? Better financial planning? Less expensive habits, like not smoking, etc.? Agents? Hollywood options? Lucky breaks?
And do you have any practical advice for any writers trying to put their financial picture and/or career in order?
BELIEVE ME, MY FINANCIAL POSITION AIN’T THAT GREAT. BUT WHATEVER SUCCESS I HAVE HAD IS ENTIRELY DUE TO MY TRYING TO WORK IN AS MANY DIFFERENT VENUES AS POSSIBLE. TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF EMPLOYED IN AS MANY WRITING ENDEAVORS AS I CAN. PLUS IT HELPS THAT I SOLD MY CONDO IN HAWAII, MY YACHT, AND MY FINANCIAL INTEREST IN THE SEATTLE MARINERS.
Peter,
What was your opinion of Frank Miller’s original Dark Knight and Batman:Year 1?
I LIKED THEM BOTH. LIKED YEAR 1 A BIT MORE THAN DK, ALTHOUGH I KNOW THE FORMER WAS MORE GROUNDBREAKING.
Peter! Hola. First time poster.
This isn’t strictly a question, but I just wanted to say that 11 years ago, back when I was 9 years old, I read your book “Worf’s First Adventure.” That was the first actual, non-little-children’s book I ever read, and it introduced me to literature and love of reading. So I just wanted to say, thank you sir for opening up that world to me. 🙂
YOU’RE WELCOME. OF COURSE NOW WE TEND TO REFER TO THOSE AS THE NEW FRONTIER PREQUELS, SINCE THEY WERE THE FIRST APPEARANCES OF SOLETA, KEBRON, MCHENRY AND TOBIAS.
Thank you for opening up a Q&A thread. My question, sadly, is very late and not particularly interesting. But it’s been bothering me for a while. How do you pronounce ‘Juris’? Hard J? Soft J?
THE SAME WAY YOU’D SAY IT FOR “JURY.”
Thank you for opening up a Q&A thread. My question, sadly, is very late and not particularly interesting. But it’s been bothering me for a while. How do you pronounce ‘Juris’? Hard J? Soft J?
Just as information, the Gargoyles episode mentioned earlier was written by Cary Bates.
Just being anal.
JSM
I just re-read Marvel v DC…and was struck with the realization of just how bad it really was.
What are your thoughts on it, what 10 years?, later?
I FEEL THAT, GIVEN THE PARAMETERS WE HAD TO DEAL WITH, WE DID THE BEST WE COULD.
Some very interesting stuff here – and I like the “Quantum Beast” idea, PAD! (Wow – even real authors write fanfic.)
Thank you for doing this again, PAD. Gave it a couple of days, but still couldn’t think of any other real question – I think that you’ve answered my biggest questions in previous incarnations of this thread, actually – so, I guess my question will be: Do you receive royalties for reprints of your work produced to be included with action figures – for example, Captain Marvel #30, packaged with the Maestro Marvel Legends figure – or does the toy pack-in nature of the comic change things?
YES, I DO RECEIVE ROYALTIES ON THOSE. IT’S ALWAYS A SURPRISE WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT SHOWS UP. ANNOYINGLY, THEY DON’T SEND ME SAMPLES OF THE ACTUAL PRODUCT, THOUGH.
Was there any problems with the recent theology depicted in Fallen Angel? It is pretty harsh things to say in a country as religious as the US. It almost seems as if there is a comparison betwen the actions of Jude in the comic and those of Jesus.
DIDN’T HEAR A SINGLE COMPLAINT. I MEAN, SOME FANS SAID THEY DISAGREED WITH THE STATEMENTS, BUT NO ONE GOT REALLY WORKED UP ABOUT IT. I’M NOT SURE WHETHER TO BE RELIEVED OR DISAPPOINTED. BUT IN TERMS OF COMPARISONS TO JUDE AND JESUS…NONE WERE INTENDED.
Thanks for doing this.
I like your Trek ideas about going into the future another century instead of going back. I for one am tired of having stories set before stories I’ve already read.
I was curious if you were doing it would you want to do like they’ve done before – Federation Starship Enterprise H, I or whatever letter and the typical crew of 7 regulars (Captain, First Officer, Doctor, etc) or try something new like maybe a Non-Federation ship of smugglers or something else?
I personally wouldn’t mind seeing kind of Dr. Who Trek with a ship that travels time and space. Of course I think whatever is decided would come down to how well the stories are written and performed.
I’D DEFINITELY GO FOR SOMETHING LOW RENT. I MEAN, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE EPISODE OF “ENTERPRISE” THAT FOCUSED ON THE FREIGHTER WAS ONE OF THE BEST OF THE SERIES.
Hey, PAD, are the Jays going to win thier series against Mets this weekend? (please, say yes.)
NO.
When I see “Quantum Beast” I think of Lassie leaping into different animals throughout history. Richard Nixon goes to pet Checkers and ends up rescuing a kid from a well.
1. Will you ever tell the prequel story to HULK: Future Imperfect, where the Hulk actually begins his rise to power and madness? Marvel won’t let me do it and I’d love to see it done by the master:)
Cheers
I’VE NO PLANS TO DO SO, BUT IF MARVEL APPROACHED ME ABOUT IT, I’D PROBABLY STRONGLY CONSIDER IT.
“I just re-read Marvel v DC…and was struck with the realization of just how bad it really was.”
Along those same lines: PAD, I heard that you start off each day by eating a baby. I modestly propose that you justify your actions.
WHAT A SWIFT IDEA…
Any chance you’ll ever write a Firefly or Serenity novel?
There’s very little chance at this point of anyone writing one. Pocket acquired the rights to do three books: the novelization of the film (which I wrote) and two original novels. Pocket then collected about a dozen proposals as possible plots to fill those two slots. One was by me; one was by Jamie Chambers & Margaret Weis; and others were by other cool folks. They were sent to Universal in June 2005 and Universal forwarded them to Joss Whedon.
A year later, they’re still sitting on Joss’s desk, untouched and unread. At this point, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see Serenity novels, and the reason why is because Joss won’t approve them. Which, I hasten to add, is entirely his right: it’s his baby, after all.
Hey PAD, does Marvel still give out no-prizes?
NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
To clarify the Marvel v DC question–that wasn’t to imply I felt PAD’s work was bad, rather the rushed and corny pace and dialogue, especially in the Marz issues made me cringe while re-reading it the other night.
Sample:
(From Behind the Bar)
Lobo: SQUASH YA!
Wolverine: GUT YA!
…
See what I mean?
THE MAJOR PROBLEM WAS TWOFOLD: (1) WE DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH PAGES TO DO JUSTICE TO THE BATTLES, AND (2) WE WERE BOUND BY THE CHOICES THE FANS MADE. YOU COULD DO 22 PAGES OF WOLVERINE AND LOBO JUST BY THEMSELVES AND STILL NOT HAVE A DEFINITIVE WINNER.
OK PAD, you’ve already answered three of my questions, so feel free to skip this one.
The “waiting for the trade” debate. Some people are saying that it’s obvious that good comics are dying because people are “waiting for the trade” and hurting sales.
I’m thinking this can’t be true. Comics don’t get canceled because of numbers, they get canceled because of profitability. If a publisher could sell only one copy a month, but they could get $5 million for that one copy, there’s no way they’d cancel that comic. If they sold 5 million copies a month for 1 cent each, then they’d cancel it instantly.
Trades aren’t an unknown, either. Joe Quesada said that they can predict trade paperback sales based on monthly sales with extreme accuracy. So I can’t see a comic getting cancelled for not meeting an arbitrary monthly sales number if the publisher knows that it will make up for it in the trade.
And they *will* make up for it in the trade if they were ever going to be profitable at all. If the comics industry wasn’t more profitable with trades, they’d stop making trades. So it seems to me that anything that would have failed with trades would have failed even if there were no trade paperbacks.
Care to weigh in on the issue?
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PARADIGM BREAKS DOWN WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT PUBLISHERS JUDGE WHETHER A BOOK SHOULD BE COLLECTED AS A TRADE BASED UPON THE SALES OF THE MONTHLIES. IF A BOOK SELLS LOW NUMBERS, THEY SIMPLY ASSUME THERE’S NO MARKET FOR IT. DO YOU SEE DC DOING COLLECTIONS OF FALLEN ANGEL 7-20? NOPE. WHY? THEY THOUGHT THE SALES ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUES DON’T WARRANT A TRADE COLLECTION. AND NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE NOW SAYING, “WE CAN’T FIND THE PREVIOUS EDITIONS” (BECAUSE RETAILERS SHORT-ORDERED THEM) NOTHING SHAKES THAT VIEW FROM DC’S MIND.
WHEN PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THE DC “FALLEN ANGEL #1” BY SAYING, “I LOVED THIS BOOK AND FULLY INTEND TO COLLECT IT WHEN IT COMES OUT IN TRADE VOLUMES,” I KNEW THE SERIES WAS SUNK AT THAT POINT.
Okay, I apologize being Greedy McGreederson asking Q #3 now.. but its pure fanboy speculation and its the last one. Promise.
Here’s the deal: Star Wars TV series. You’re in charge of it. 100 episodes. 5 seasons. Set in between Ep. III and Ep. IV. What is it about, and what is the overriding arc?
(for the pointless record, my idea = Jedi’s on the Run who help establish the Rebellion, and they all die at the end at the hand of Darth Vader.)
k, that’s it. I’m done.
ACTUALLY, I’D PROBABLY FOCUS ON YOUNG HAN SOLO, AND HOW HE GOES FROM BEING A PROMISING OFFICER IN THE EMPIRE (PERHAPS A PROTEGE OF TARKIN) TO A BOUNTY HUNTER (TEAMING UP WITH BOBA FETT) BEFORE HE FINALLY BECOMES A SMUGGLER.
From things you’ve said, it seems that you do your writing at home, rather than leaving to an office. How do you separate time that you work at home from… just being at home?
IF I’M DOWN WORKING IN MY OFFICE, THEN I’M WORKING AT HOME. IF I’M UPSTAIRS, THEN I’M NOT. THE NICE THING IS THAT I CAN FOCUS PRETTY WELL, SO IF CAROLINE WANTS TO COME DOWNSTAIRS AND WATCH TV WHILE I’M WRITING, THAT’S DO-ABLE.
Hi, PAD! First-time blogger, long-time reader. I’ve always like how you infused humor in your stories, which leads me my question. As a fan (of probably one) of the Chris Carter TV show Millenium (at least the first two years), it annoyed me that critics kept harping that the show should have a sense of humor like its sister show, The X-Files. Do you think some works are best played straight, minus even the dryest of deadpan humor, and that not everything has to have a sense of humor about itself?
I DON’T THINK EVERYTHING NEEDS TO HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR ABOUT ITSELF. IF HUMOR FLOWS ORGANICALLY OUT OF WHAT’S THERE, THEN I THINK IT HAS A PLACE. GENERALLY SPEAKING, I THINK IT HELPS TO HAVE HUMOR SET UP SERIOUS MOMENTS AND VICE VERSA, BUT NEITHER SHOULD BE FORCED.
You’ve previously mentioned enjoying the Harry Potter series (by J.K. Rowlings) and the Dragonriders of Pern books (by Anne Mccaffrey, and now her son, Todd). If you were given the chance to do any story you like in either of those universes, using any character(s) you want, what woud be the story(ies) you’d write?
Chris
PROBABLY I’D DO A HERMOINE SHORT STORY. THAT’D MAKE ARIEL HAPPY.
Lee Houston: If comic book publishers are always on the look out for new talent, why is it so hard for a fledgling writer to prove him/her self and find work?
Luigi Novi: Because examining an penciler’s pages can be done within minutes, or even seconds, by looking at the finished pages. Assessing a writer’s ability, on the other hand, requires an editor to actually read your stories or proposals, which obviously takes longer. Editors don’t want to take a chance on some new guy who, for all they know, may not be able to sustain a schedule, maintain a professional relationship with an editor, or crank out the stories consistently, so they prefer to see stuff you’ve written that’s already seen print, which tells them explicityly that you can do these things.
If you don’t have or don’t plan to buy Peter’s book, I’ll scan Andy Schmidt’s essay, and email it to you, Lee. Just tell me where to send it. 🙂
Posted by: Alan
So, which Star Trek novel was it that you slipped a Doctor Who appearance in? I remember you bragging about it at Dragon*Con.
I dunno bout Peter, but John M. Ford has a brief guest appearance by the Brigadier and Sar-Major Bennett (is that the right name?) in How Much for Just the Planet, and Barbara Hambly has two different incarnations of the Doctor stealing girls while Apollo and Starbuck & Hoss and Little Joe are arguing over them in Ishmael.
(Lot of other references in that book — much of the main plot is based around characters that certain actors played on ST and on other shows, and other people you might recognise pop up…)
PAD,
With the return of both Jason Todd and Bucky, death has virtually lost all meaning in comics. What, to you, was the most powerful death you read in comics and the one that had the least impact on you?
THE DEATH OF THE PACIFIST SON IN AN ISSUE OF NEW GODS, “THE GLORY BOAT.” LEAST IMPACT? DUNNO. MOST OF THEM HAVE LITTLE IMPACT THESE DAYS.
Peter, it’s funny you started this thread, I had something I wanted to ask anyway…
With the Hulk on Sakaar currently, and his return next year to the Marvel universe seemingly being set-up to be a major event, are you having any editorial input into the storyline, or possibly crossover ideas for FNSM?
After all, Greg Pak himself said he liked the Hulk you left with your TF storyline; a brutish but intelligent Hulk, similar to Joe Fixit, thats why he’s using it for Planet Hulk.
(I guess, in a way, you’ve ALREADY contributed to Planet Hulk, you provided Hulks persona.)
HAVEN’T BEEN CONSULTED ABOUT IT, NO.
If I were to buy one of your currently in print comic collections (trade) and donate it to our town library, which one would you suggest? (Ideally, not Fallen Angel, but something aimed at younger readers – I’m trying to get younger kids into comics.)
WELL, IF YOU CAN FIND ANY OF THE “YOUNG JUSTICE” TRADES, THAT WOULD PROBABLY WORK.
“How do you pronounce ‘Juris’? Hard J? Soft J?”
There’s more than one way to pronounce the letter “J”?
THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. WHO CAN ANSWER THAT ONE? AH, CARL JUNG, I SEE YOU STANDING BEHIND THE LATE MEXICAN PRESIDENT, BENITO JUAREZ, AND RAISING YOUR HAND. DON’T BE SHY, JUST SPEAK RIGHT UP.
Cool, another “Ask PAD” thread. Thanks!!
Over the two major “Star…” universes, what is your preference for Star Trek over Star Wars? (Besides “Skippy, the Jedi Droid”.) What attracts you more to Star Trek than to Star Wars? Do you think you would want to take a significant try at writing something in the Star Wars Universe, at some point in the future?
NO, BECAUSE I JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE DEALING WITH THE APPROVALS PROCESS AT LUCASFILMS. I’VE SPENT YEARS BUILDING UP A SOLID RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FOLKS AT PARAMOUNT; I JUST DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO START OVER.
Have youchecked out the ‘Exiles: World Tour’ story arc yet? It gives the impression of largely turning into a long tribute for your past work and picking up little leftover plot points like Justice appearing in 2099 or Maestro learning how long it takes for him to heal a broken neck. Did Tony Bedard inform you about this beforehand?
I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT IT, NO. WHAT AMUSES ME IS THAT WHEN I DID SOMETHING SIMILAR IN “CAPTAIN MARVEL,” IT WAS DISSED AS SELF-REFERENTIAL, SELF-INDULGENT AND TOO CONTINUITY-HEAVY. SOMEONE ELSE DOES IT AND THAT’S OKAY. WOTTA BUSINESS.
Wayyyyy back in your “Gehenna Stone” run in the first unlimited Wolverine series you made a reveal that the supporting cast knew that Patch was Wolverine all that time…
did you do that just to move the characters and story forward… or were you, in addition, having a laugh at the earlier creators’ expense? Were you intentionally making a dig at the creative choices of Claremont, etc?
IT WASN’T INTENDED AS A DIG AT ALL. IT WAS JUST THAT THE EDITORIAL DIRECTION FOR WOLVERINE WAS MOVING AWAY FROM THE PATCH IDENTITY, CHRIS WASN’T CONTINUING ON THE BOOK AND NO ONE ELSE SEEMED INTERESTED IN PERPETUATING THE IDEA BECAUSE, WELL…IT SEEMED SILLY TO THINK THAT WOLVERINE WAS REALLY FOOLING ANYONE. SO I CAME UP WITH THE SIMPLE EXPLANATION THAT EVERYONE IN THE BOOK KNEW PERFECTLY WELL THAT IT WAS LOGAN THE WHOLE TIME, BUT NO ONE WANTED TO BE THE ONE TO SAY TO THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC WITH THE CLAWS, “WOW, WHAT A STUPID DISGUISE.” WHICH, BY ME, MADE SENSE. WOULD *YOU* WANT TO BE THE ONE WHO SAID IT?