What’cha wanna know?

Posted By: Peter DavidPosted On:

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.

190 comments on “What’cha wanna know?”

  1. >RUNNER UP WOULD BE DOC SAVAGE. IT WOULD SELL FOR CRAP, AS DOC SAVAGE ALWAYS DOES IN COMIC BOOK FORM, BUT IT’D BE FUN TO PLAY WITH THOSE CHARACTERS.

    I’d pay to see that. Doc and the crew written competently? Instead of, as is usually the case, as a bunch of boy scouts on an overnight hike? Yeah, bring it on!

  2. 1. Spider-Man Unmasking himself. Like it or hate it?

    LIKE IT.

    2. You’ve mentioned Janeway and Seven of Nine in your upcoming Next Gen book. Is it safe to assume it will be Borg Related?

    YES.

  3. Hi, Peter.

    What’s the most fun and the most challenging part about writing that readily comes to mind (i.e., you don’t have to do an in-depth calculus as to the EXACT single most fun or challenging part, if several items, that’s okay; it’s not like there are any bets on the line, it’s just a fun question)?

    — Ken from Chicago (trying to avoid the stereotypical nitpicking fan neepery image)

    FIGURING OUT WHAT THE HÊLL HAPPENS IN THE STORY.

  4. 1Mr David are there any plans for anouther stand alone New Frontier book? I know this question is late but I worked a 12 hour shift yesterday.
    Thanks Diana

    THERE WILL BE A “STAND ALONE” NOVELLA AS PART OF THE MIRROR UNIVERSE THING. AND PROBABLY THE NEXT NF NOVEL WILL BE STAND ALONE.

  5. PAD,

    Since Peter Parker has accepted a position as Tony Stark’s “right hand man” or assistant, why does he continue to teach and/or work at the Daily Bugle? (Although, I don’t expect him to be welcome there anymore)

    BECAUSE HIS MOTIVATIONS FOR WANTING TO HELP THE KIDS HASN’T CHANGED, AND BECAUSE IT MAKES FOR GOOD STORIES.

    Between being Spider-man, being an Avenger, working for Tony, teaching, and free-lancing for the Bugle, when does he have time to sleep?

    IN BETWEEN PANELS. AND SOMEHOW I DON’T THINK THE BUGLE FREELANCING IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR THING ANYMORE.

  6. What do you think of J Michael Straczynski’s Star Trek reboot proposal? I just downloaded a copy of it and I was aghast. I didn’t think JMS’s pitch was bad, but just the idea of a Trek reboot in general makes my stomach turn. Why does everyone (Star Wars, Trek, Ultimate line at Marvel, All-Star line at DC) want to tinker with stuff? Why can’t they plan Trek in the 25th century?

    Sorry, I’m ranting. My recap question: what do you think of a Trek reboot?

    IT’S NOT THE DIRECTION I WOULD HAVE GONE. I’M NOT SAYING IT’S NOT WORKABLE–THERE’S BEEN ANY NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL MOVIES THAT HAVE DONE MUCH THE SAME THING WITH 1960S TV–BUT IN A LITERATURE OF IDEAS, I THINK RECYCLING THE PREVIOUS ONES ISN’T THE BEST WAY TO GO. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF JOE ASKED ME TO WORK ON IT, I’D BE THERE IN A HEARTBEAT, SO…

  7. Any plans for more BUT I DIGRESS on this website? If so, how about posting recent columns (after whatever embargo period is appropriate)?

    GLENN IS PRETTY MUCH IN CHARGE OF THAT.

  8. Q: What did you think of the way Captain Marvel was renamed and then “killed” in Thunderbolts?

    Loved your Captain Marvel by the way.

    I’ll start reading Marvel again when they bring him back.

    Thanks.

    I DIDN’T READ IT. I FIGURED I’D JUST GET TOO PÍSSÊÐ ØFF. BUT REALLY, IF YOU’RE BOYCOTTING MARVEL BECAUSE OF THAT, IT MEANS YOU’RE MISSING FNSM AND X-FACTOR. THAT SURE DOESN’T BENEFIT ME.

  9. What’s your opinion on Season 2 of Doctor Who so far?

    REALLY? I LIKED THE CYBERMEN TWO PARTER. I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY COMPELLING. BUT MY FAVORITE OF THE NEW SEASON SO FAR REMAINS SCHOOL REUNION.

    OH, AND I’VE KNOCKED OUT YOUR SCENE DESCRIPTIONS FROM YOUR POST SO SPOILERS AREN’T AN ISSUE.

  10. PAD,

    The last time you’d offered a “what’cha wanna know” thread I’d asked who or what inspired you to become a writer. You said you write because you have to write. That’s not what I meant (and as a writer myself, I know the “write because you have to” feeling). I meant (and mean) was there a particular individual, or something you read, or moment in your life, etc. that set you down this path in the first place? If so, who and/or what was that influence?

    OH. SURE. MY FATHER. HE WAS A REPORTER.

    For example, the late Joseph Campbell has cited two key moments in his childhood as helping to spark his life-long interest in mythology: When his father took him to see Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show; and when his father took him to the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Likewise, the late Charles Schulz recalls a grade school teacher telling him that one day he’d be an artist.

    For myself, one early influence/indication is when I found I enjoyed writing short one or two-page stories for some grade school project. That led to my writing stories for the fun of it.

    Rick

  11. Pascal, please first mention that you are including spoilers in your post. While I have seen the episodes in question, many have not.

    My question for Peter is

    What is the status of SOULSEARCHERS and Claypool?

  14. Having just finished watching the last season of Angel on DVD and knowing you’re such a big fan of the show, my question is:

    what would (b)you(b) have showed in season six?

    PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TRIED TO GIVE THE SERIES A GLOBE-TROTTING FEEL, JUST TO BE DIFFERENT. GIVE ILLYRIA TRANSPORT POWERS, PERHAPS, SO THAT SHE, ANGEL, SPIKE AND GUNN (I’D HAVE FOUND A WAY TO SAVE HIM) ARE ON THE RUN FROM WOLFRAM AND HART AND ARE GOING AROUND THE WORLD. IF ALIAS COULD DO IT, SO CAN ANGEL.

  15. Peter David: WELL, THE PROBLEM IS THAT POCKET BOOKS NO LONGER DOES ORIGINAL FANTASY, AND IT’S DIFFICULT TO TAKE A SERIES THAT ALREADY EXISTS AND RELAUNCH IT ELSEWHERE.

    From an outsider’s perspective that seems odd to me. I would think a publisher is most interested in whether a book would sell. And having something with a (perhaps small but) built in audience would have an appeal.

    Certainly if “Sir Apropos 4: Non cents” came out I’d buy it and can’t imagine I’d even notice who the publisher was.

  16. “I WROTE AN EPISODE OF GARGOYLES…?”

    Hmm. Sorry, I guess I remembered that one wrong.

  17. Ok, PAD. Since I have to choose 1, here it is: What do you do with all your comp comics? I mean, you must be on a ton of different comp lists. Do you keep them at home? Give them away? Are you bound by the same rules as the DC staffers who go in so much trouble last year for selling them?

  18. Technically this is only one question. Because it has one subject:

    Is Space Cases officially dead? Is anything at all related to it to be expected in the future? I realize a remake is probably out of the question but how about books? Would you sue someone who decided to write stories about Space Cases?

    WE WERE ACTUALLY PRETTY CLOSE TO GETTING A COMIC BOOK SERIES UP AND RUNNING FROM TOKYOPOP, AND THEN THEY DECIDED (FOR NO APPARENT REASON) TO PASS ON THE PROJECT EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE GO AHEAD FROM NICKELODEON. AND SINCE I’M EXLCUSIVE TO MARVEL, I CAN’T PURSUE IT AT THE MOMENT. WOULD I SUE SOMEONE? NO. BUT THEN, I’M NOT THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER.

    If you look at the message board here:
    http://imdb.com/title/tt0115366/

    You’ll see that it still has a HUGE following. And this isn’t the only site i’ve seen loads of posters at.

  20. What do I win for asking the crappiest question?

    Quoted below.

    Me: Do you remember that time in Detroit when I got your autograph?

    You: THERE’S JUST NO GOOD ANSWER TO THIS…

  21. Have you ever thought of updating your bibliography on your blog? Currently it is the 2002 information. Here is a much more recent list created by the same guy you cribbed from back in 2002.

    Oh, and another question:

    Have you ever considered putting a convention list on your blog so people know where you will be in the upcoming months?

  24. Um, when you wrote this blog entry’s title, where you saying in your mind like Al Pacino? 🙂

  25. Assuming it’s not tooooo late for this. . . .

    Obscure Captain Marvel question. Genis’s lover, Private Saria (sp?), when last seen during the initial Genis-goes-crazy arc (aka U-Decide ‘contest’), was pregnant with (presumedly) his baby. Do you recall where you were going with that plot point, if you were going somewhere with it at all?

    Chris

  27. It seems too late for a question, but two (of many) things that have bben bothering me in my feeble attempts at writing are:
    1. How you create speech patterns,slang, accents?
    2. How to build suprises into stories. You can’t surprise yourself, since you know what’s going to happen. How do you feel that the suprise you set is going to work?
    Yo probably deal with these things in your book. I’ll get it when I can.

    ———
    About this:
    “What advice would you give to someone thinking about converting to Judaism?

    MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, BY TALMUDIC LAW, THE ONLY ADVICE I COULD GIVE SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL WOULD BE “DON’T.” CONVERTS TO JUDAISM ARE GENERALLY DISCOURAGED, NOR DO WE BELIEVE IN TRYING TO CONVERT PEOPLE. IF YOU’VE EVER ENCOUNTERED THE CHASSIDIC JEWS AND THEIR “MITZVAH MOBILE,” THE FIRST QUESTION THEY’LL ASK YOU IS “ARE YOU JEWISH?” IF YOU ANSWER “NO” THEY’LL IMMEDIATELY SAY, “THANK YOU, HAVE A NICE DAY,” AND THAT’LL BE THAT. (UNLIKE, SAY, JEWS FOR JESUS, WHICH IS THE SINGLE MOST IDIOTIC NAME FOR A RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT I’VE EVER HEARD. WE ALREADY *HAVE* A HISTORIC NAME FOR JEWS FOR JESUS: THEY’RE CALLED “CHRISTIANS.”)”

    Everything you said is very true. I hope I don’t overstep the limit if I add that part of the question is why someone wants to convert?

    People have converted to Judaism, even when it wasn’t very popular. If someone wants to convert because he or she want the whole orthodox religious experience, this involves taking on many rules, restrictions and rituals that are not required from non-Jews. This is what the chosen people thing is all about. The Jewish religion discourages people from converting because it wants to make sure that the convert really wants to take on this extra burden. It doesn’t want people to convert into non-observant Jews. From its point of view they are better off being non-Jews at all.

    However, most Jews are not observant, and don’t follow all the rules. I don’t know about Peter. I’m not, but according to the Jewish religion (as well as my own personal feelings which matter more), I am still considered a Jew. It is even harder to stop being a Jew than converting to Judaism. If what someone wants is just to join the Jewish people without taking on all the rules, the Orthodox Judaism will frown upon that, but as I understand it, there are, especially in the US, more lax versions of Judaism that are less stringent about conversion, although they are not recognized by the Orthodox Rabbis. (This is a matter of great debate in Israel). There are people who converted to Judaism without becoming Orthodox.

    In any case, conversion is not required from non-Jews by the Jewish religion or people, nor is it encouraged. It is possible. I guess it depends on the reasons. But no pressure.

  28. The Bronze Age of comics is considered the 1970’s. With that in mind, do you have any favorites from this period?

    Thanks, Fred

  29. Not to drag this off on a tangent, but with regard to this:

    Give JMS’s success with the BABYLON 5 SCRIPT BOOKs being published through Cafe Press, have you considered putting together a similar volume of your two B5 scripts, your CRUSADE script and your B5 comic scripts along with some recollections of your work on the franchise? Maybe include some notes on the Centauri trilogy as well? If you haven’t given the idea any previous thought, could you do so now? I’m sure it would sell well.

    I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT I’M NOT SURE OF THE LEGAL ANGLE. AFTER ALL, I DON’T OWN THE COPYRIGHT SO I’D PROBABLY HAVE TO WORK OUT SOME SORT OF DEAL. I SIMPLY HAVEN’T HAD THE TIME, OPPORTUNITY OR INTEREST IN GOING TO THAT MUCH WORK.

    I’m no expert, but I think the legal angle might not be horribly complex here. (After all, JMS doesn’t hold the copyright to Babylon 5, either…) When JMS announced his script self-publishing project, he explained that the basic WGA Separation of Rights agreement gives physical ownership of a script itself to the screenwriter. So a screenwriter could sell or publish his/her own script (which is what JMS is doing,) but could not him/herself authorize filming of that script or further merchandise based on that script. Or something like that, but that basically jibes with my understanding of WGA Separation of Rights when I had to understand stuff like that in another lifetime when I worked to package novelizations for movies.

    Obviously, the screenwriter wouldn’t automatically be allowed to use things that are the production company’s to license, like logos and official photography and whatever else. But, notaby, JMS’s script books don’t include those things.

    (Anyway, it’s not as if the JMS POD version’s the only way to go, either. DreamHaven books published Neil Gaiman’s Babylon 5 script for “Day of the Dead” as a CBLDF fundraiser, after all.)

    Obviously, you’ve got a lot of great projects going, and if your time, energy, or interest are best directed elsewhere, that’s perfectly understandable. Then again, there was that USA Today piece about JMS’s project ( http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2006-06-04-print-on-demand_x.htm )that mentioned some heady numbers as to how much money those script books stand to generate. Even with a chunk going to the POD printer, that’s nice batch of money coming to him, it seems.

    Anyway, long digression. But as a publishing guy, I find what JMS is managing to do with his scripts fascinating. And as a B5 fan, I’d be thrilled if other screenwriters’ scripts could become available, eventually somehow.

  30. This has been on my mind for years. I even wrote a letter when it came out, but received no answer: When you were writting THE HULK, he came to Israel and fought Sabra. In issue 387, Sabra says that Israeli women are used to thier husbands beating them, since it is common place due to Israeli’s frustration about not being able to react to Saddam Hussein bombing Israel (this was in the first gulf war). i was very offended by this, and wondered where this idea came from, since I heard nothing about it (I live in Israel BTW). I know it’s been over 15 years, but it still bugs the hëll out of me.

  31. Giving Brian a party at the Brunswick Zone for his fifth birthday soon. Any advice from the Bowling Davids I can give him?

  32. >>1 Are you writing any more new star trek books in the future?
    >WELL, OF COURSE. IT’S STAR TREK. WHERE ELSE WOULD THEY BE SET *BUT* IN THE FUTURE?

    Silly PAD. Two words: time travel.

    How’s this for a series proposal? Instead of a ship being stranded across the galaxy, it (or just an Away team) somehow gets stranded in the past where it has to survive without making any changes to history, all the while using and developping tech to try to make it back. A wildly expanded version of CITY.

  33. PAD:

    We now know that the Hobgoblin 2211 is actually a girl, was this a nod to your original plans with the Goblin 2099?

    Thank you,

    Marcus S.

  37. Actually, let me rephrase that last question (before I get an answer of “badly”) – how should it be pronounced? How would M’k’n’zy pronounce it?

  38. Actually, let me rephrase that last question (before I get an answer of “badly”) – how should it be pronounced? How would M’k’n’zy pronounce it?

  39. Actually, let me rephrase that last question (before I get an answer of “badly”) – how should it be pronounced? How would M’k’n’zy pronounce it?

  40. I have a question— Those bunny slippers that Betty found for Bruce– did they come from the same store where he kept buying those ugly oversized purple pants? Cause you know somebody had to be selling Bruce/Hulk his wardrobe.

    TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORE.

  41. “GLAD YOU LIKED THE PHOTON BOOKS. ALMOST NOBODY REMEMBERS THOSE.”

    Put me down as another person with fond memories of the Photon books.

  42. Hope this session isn’t already closed …

    Anyway, Peter, a while back I sent you a copy of my CD, Jason Powell: BORED SILLY. Did you ever listen to it, and if so, did you like it?

    DON’T THINK I DID. I’LL TRY TO TURN IT UP.

  43. Here’s one. I was just cleaning my diing room. (Wow! A whole room that dines!) Anyway, I was wondering. Of all the characters you’ve written, who would you like to have dinner with? Now I’m thinking, I hope it’s not Spike. You could end up as dessert.

    KING ARTHUR.

  44. One thing I was wondering about recently – as the author, do you have any say on the format of your books, or is it entirely up to the publisher?

    The reason I ask is that I generally wait for paperback editions of novels rather than buying hardbacks. I don’t object to the higher price (which I’d often say is worth it to avoid waiting a year), and I like the fact that a hard cover is more durable, but I don’t like the way that hardbacks are normally taller, so that makes it harder to fit them on my bookshelf. (I had 700 books at last count, so that’s increasingly a concern for me!)

    Realistically, I don’t think Pocket Books are likely to change the shape/size of their Trek hardbacks, since they’ve had the existing style for so long. But I do like the way that the Harry Potter hardbacks are only slightly taller than the paperbacks, and ditto for lots of comic collections (e.g. “Kingdom Come”). Would this be feasible for something like “Fall of Knight”? I suppose the secondary question is whether you’d actually want to change the format if you could, but I don’t want to cheat by asking too many questions here.

    Anyway, for now I’ll stick to buying e-books when your hardbacks come out (if possible), then getting the paperbacks a year later.

    GENERALLY, SUCH DECISIONS ARE UP TO THE PUBLISHER. USUALLY WHEN I SIGN A CONTRACT IT’S FOR A PARTICULAR FORMAT. BUT THINGS CAN CHANGE. THE KNIGHT LIFE SEQUELS WERE INTENDED TO BE PAPERBACK, BUT THEY WOUND UP BEING HARDCOVER.

  46. PAD, some others have asked about Genis-Vell, but are there any plans for his sister, Moondragon, and The Magus. Other than Jim Starlin, I like your use of that character who is a major threat to any hero in the Marvel Universe.

    ACTUALLY, ANDY SCHMIDT AND I WERE KICKING AROUND THE NOTION OF DOING A SERIES WITH MOONDRAGON AND PHYLA, WHO HAD THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP. MAYBE WITH THE WHOLE BATWOMAN THING, NOW’S THE TIME.

  47. Ultimately, there is only one question that deserves answering: Peter David, deal or no deal?

    DEAL.

  48. “GRUDGING, PERHAPS, BUT THEY’RE SURE THEN QUICK TO POINT IT OUT WHEN A TITLE DOESN’T MAINTAIN THE SALES AFTER THE CROSSOVER.”

    Well, the sales dip is to be expected. Why were people complaining? Because they didn’t want to be buying all three titles. Why did sales drop after the crossover? Because they didn’t want to be buying all three titles. The two things go together.

    Obviously, the crossover is a good strategy in the short term. Sales go up, so it worked.

    Is it a good long term strategy? I honestly can’t say. I’d like to say “no”, but I don’t actually have enough evidence for that. Perhaps long crossovers pìššëš people off enough to keep them from reading when they would have otherwise. I’m sure it happens some. I’m also sure that the crossover exposes the comic to a few people who wouldn’t have read it and gets them to become regular readers. I have no idea how these two things balance against each other.

    Personally, I like a short crossover. It might be that the longer the crossover, the more problematic it is. Some people just want to buy one comic a month. I’m very interested in seeing how 52 does after the newness wears off. When people are buying 4 or 5 issues of the same comic a month for the sixth month, will 52 take a dive in sales? We’ll see.

  49. Any chance of you doing a run on New X-Men? I loved Young Justice, and I think you would be perfect for the Young X-Men!

    WELL, I’M PRETTY BOOKED UP AT THE MOMENT, AND DON’T KNOW WHAT I’D WANT TO DROP TO TAKE THAT ON. BUT NEVER SAY NEVER, I GUESS.

  50. “GLAD YOU LIKED THE PHOTON BOOKS. ALMOST NOBODY REMEMBERS THOSE.”

    Except that one guy who had you sign a whole set at 2005’s SDCC. Oh wait, that was me!

    Maybe the pen name throws ’em off. I know it fooled me for a while.

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