Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth
With Writer Victor Gischler
Welcome to a very special edition of Why I Love Comics! With the release of July's solicits it was revealed that there would be a second Deadpool ongoing series. I determined that it would be fun to talk to the new writer Victor Gischler on how he got the gig, so here's that conversation readers, enjoy!
Eric: Okay Victor, can I call you Vic for short or just Victor? Vic: Vic is great. Makes me sound like a lounge singer!
Eric: How did you land this new Deadpool gig with Marvel?
Vic: I got the gig after working closely with Axel Alonso. He broke me in with a Punisher one-shot and then a Punisher arc after that (hitting this summer) and also a Wolverine one-shot. I guess I proved myself, and he thought I had the right set of skills for the job.
Eric: Your mostly known as a crime novelist though, have you always been a comic fan?
Vic: Mostly as a crime novelist, but my recent novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse has a satirical science fiction flavor and I have another novel coming out in September with a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc. So I'm spreading out a bit. I was a big comic book fan in the 1980's and early 1990's and, as I've said elsewhere, Frank Miller's run of Daredevil will always stick in my brain as one of the top examples of damn fine writing and art. Then I was off comics for a while. A long time actually. But in the last few years, I've eased back into it. So much innovative stuff going on. I'm thrilled to be part of the action.
Eric: I actually remember seeing that advertised somewhere. The title alone kind of caught my attention. What's the book about?
Vic: Nine years after the fall of civilization, Mortimer Tate emerges from his cave atop a Tennessee mountain to look for his wife and see what's left of America. The only thing that passes for civilization is a franchise of Go-Go clubs. (No, really.)
Eric: Do you happen to have a monthly pull list at a local comic shop or do you just pick up whatever has your favorite characters in it?
Vic: I have a favorite local store (SCHOOL OF COMICS in Baton Rouge), but I travel a lot and often pickup titles here and there at different places. For this reason, I don't have an official pull list. But that might change.
Eric: So why Marvel for your first foray into comics? Do their characters attract you more then the competition?
Vic: Well, the simple fact of the matter is that I would have liked to write for anyone that would have me. I feel my novels show I'm not a bad writer ... but that doesn't necessarily mean comic book companies will toss offers at my feet. Fact is, I was lucky lucky lucky luck as hell to fall in with Marvel comics and Axel Alonso. I felt the situation allowed me to showcase my own skills, while simultaneously getting "on the job training". Axel has a real skill for taking a writer in hand and showing him the ropes.
Eric: So let's jump right into your new job with Marvel. How long have you been a fan of Deadpool?
Vic: I've been aware of Deadpool for a while, but I think Way has been doing it so right, I have to give him the bulk of the credit for making me a fan. So I guess I'm a relatively recent convert ... but a ZEALOUS one.
Eric: Have you gone back to look up the Mark Waid mini, the Joe Kelly stuff or any of the first comic run he had? Maybe even the Cable/Deadpool stuff?
Vic: I've been playing catchup and those are on my list. Especially Cable/Deadpool since my pal Duane writes Cable now and I've also become a Cable fan.. It's been very educational and very entertaining. But it's amazing how reading a run of something leads to reading three runs of something else, etc. The Marvel Universe is a big damn place.
Eric: So what would you say really attracts you to Wade as a character?
Vic: I love his particular brand of insanity, but I appreciate that this has blunted his effectiveness. He's a hell of a killing machine. I think humor/violence is a tough tightrope to walk, but when it's done well it can be brilliant. And even though Wilson is a killer, he is often quite vulnerable too ... like when he sees a pretty face.
Eric: I agree, whether it's Death, Siren or currently Black Widow, Wade seems to fall for the whole damsel in distress thing hook line and sinker. That must be fun to play with?
Vic: It's a hell of a lot of fun ... and really, aren't all of us poor sad men guilty of the same thing now and then?
Eric: So do you think that he tries to play the hero a lot too? As evidenced by the description of the first issue of your new series?
Vic: He often ends up being the hero, but the fact is that he is a mercenary. He doesn't set out to be a hero. He's looking to get paid. But...you know...sometimes thing happen along the way.
Eric: So we have Zombie Deadpool aka the merc with only a mouth. Can we be expecting Bob Agent of Hydra or Weasel or any of Deadpool's old friends coming into play in your new series?
Vic: Anything is possible. (How's that for a weasel answer?)
Eric: How much do you have planned out so far for the series?
Vic: We feel pretty good about the first year. Filling in some details, but there's been a lot of talk around HQ to make sure we have a game plan.
Eric: The opening arc is 6 issues correct? Will the series do shorter arcs after that?
Vic: Yes, the first is six, followed by (probably...it can always change) another six. But the first arc leads into the 2nd. You'll feel the creamy good continuity. I'd need to consult the Magic Eight Ball for more precise answers.
Eric: Heh so what can readers expect from the first arc of the series? Especially with the weirdest team up ever to grace the pages of a Marvel Comic.
Vic: Well, we get double the Deapool, don't we. Sure, one of the Deadpools is only a head, but he can still keep up his share of wisecracks. It's going to be fun.
Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth lands in July from Marvel comics. It will be the first time that Deadpool has had two ongoings. Not to mention a mini-series at the same time. It's a good time to be a fan of the merc with a mouth!
Eric Ratcliffe is a young writer/pop culture journalist/interviewer currently working on pitching a project named the Hunter chronicles. When not reading his weekly stack Eric can be found watching dvd's, playing on his 360 (gamertag: Zack Hunter) or just surfing online trying to find a scoop or two. Brand new to the Comic Related family, Eric is a fun new voice. Eric shops at TJ's Collectibles. Visit them on the web at www.tjcollect.com!
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