Wait- are you implying Peter ONLY goes down on Black Cat? Like, did he go down on Gwen first? Is there anything he won't do with MJ? Was Black Cat his first kinky gf, and did he and Gwen only do it missionary?
Then there's the whole Peter Parker-Betty Brant angle...
Damn it Chip, I don't want to spend the rest of the day thinking about Spider-Man's sex life. I HAVE WORK TO DO.
I always hear creators talk about comics they loved, but not much about what comics they hated. Are they any comics you really disklike, or hot takes on well received comics?
Not really? I mean, I genuinely just stop reading books if I'm not into them. Plus, I'd never slag off other comic creators' work. Making things is hard! It's a lot of effort and I wouldn't feel right going off on them
I kind of figured creators don't usually bash comics because they're more personal than a tv show or movie, which I totally get. How about if there is a comics you have to read for your current projects like Batman, Spider-man, or Daredevil? Do you ever struggle to get through any of those stories? (you don't need to name names)
when I'm doing research there will sometimes be stories that I speed read through, but if I'm being honest that's usually more to do with the artist than the writers!
I hate to say this, but I agree. There is no such as thing as a wrongly written character just whether the readership agrees with the writing or not..... so when will they put you on JLI or invite you on board the Lonely Krakoan Island Club?
I do not agree that you should finish a bad hot dog, and you really should get your health checked.
Ha! It's funny, my reverence for JLI is so high that I don't think I could do the title while Giffen, DeMatteis and Maguire are still working professionals! Wouldn't feel right!
And, god bless them, the X-Office has had an open door policy for me for a while now. I love everyone working on those books but there just aren't enough hours in the day, y'know?
Right now it's Batman, Kaptara, Daredevil, Public Domain, Newburn, a secret Marvel mini and two secret Image books! I'm off of covers until I can get through at least a couple of these!
Have you called Bendis and told him that, since you're writing both Daredevil and Batman, you are much closer to writing Daredevil/Batman than he's ever gotten?
You know he still wants to do that.
You could even do it without telling Marvel or DC. Just sneak hints in. Like, in one scene, Batman says he went to his attorney Matt something-or-other, and then in Daredevil, Matt (when he's alive again) says he went to a fundraiser at this stuffy rich guy's mansion.
Similarly: It took me a long time to realize I can walk out of a movie if I didn't like it. But then movies got super expensive and super long, and being a cheapskate I realized I could sleep at the movies in a nice reclining seat and not have to worry about my kids waking me up and suddenly I had uninterrupted nap time. So not a bad trade off and if I woke up before the end, I got to see the goods parts, like the post-credits sequence.
Good question and good answer that I totally agree with! Also to add on — because of the nature of comics, if you’re not loving the current stories with your favorite character, just wait. Eventually someone will make stories you love. This goes quadruple for the most popular characters. If you don’t like the latest Batman or Spider-Man movie don’t worry, there will be fifteen more of each in your lifetime!
The one time I thought someone got a character completely wrong was Grant Morrison in Final Crisis, where he had Batman use a gun (my brother and I have an ongoing argument over this - he loves Morrison, not that there's anything wrong with that). I know at the start of the character he had a gun as part of his arsenal, but that has changed over the years, and (for me) there are two rules about Batman that you just can't break: he doesn't kill, and he doesn't use a gun. If someone can't follow those two rules, then you've lost me. (Sorry if that destroys your entire story arc ... (not sorry)).
That is really good insight. I really never thought of it that way. I guess attachment to runs and certain ways you can see a character sometimes overpower what you think they could do with different writers. It feels hard to disassociate characters like Spidey from runs you love to runs you don't.
I haven't read my emails lately because of blah,blah,blah. But my wife has always referred to you as "Chippy Z". I think that's cooler than "Chipster" but I don't know "cool" anymore.
Wait- are you implying Peter ONLY goes down on Black Cat? Like, did he go down on Gwen first? Is there anything he won't do with MJ? Was Black Cat his first kinky gf, and did he and Gwen only do it missionary?
Then there's the whole Peter Parker-Betty Brant angle...
Damn it Chip, I don't want to spend the rest of the day thinking about Spider-Man's sex life. I HAVE WORK TO DO.
MJ won't let him do that until marriage and, well ... you know
MJ is doing it wrong.
kelly my substack is a NO-JUDGEMENT place
(except for me judging everyone)
I'm just trying to help her out, man.
Then write Amazing Spider-Man!!!!
oh wait, YOU DID
Sadly but unsurprisingly, nobody would let me cover this material.
That is the best and worst answer.
I always hear creators talk about comics they loved, but not much about what comics they hated. Are they any comics you really disklike, or hot takes on well received comics?
Not really? I mean, I genuinely just stop reading books if I'm not into them. Plus, I'd never slag off other comic creators' work. Making things is hard! It's a lot of effort and I wouldn't feel right going off on them
I kind of figured creators don't usually bash comics because they're more personal than a tv show or movie, which I totally get. How about if there is a comics you have to read for your current projects like Batman, Spider-man, or Daredevil? Do you ever struggle to get through any of those stories? (you don't need to name names)
when I'm doing research there will sometimes be stories that I speed read through, but if I'm being honest that's usually more to do with the artist than the writers!
every Batman artist just started sweating
haha
to be fair to Batman as a title, it's had a WILDLY stellar run of artists on that title
Hey any info on when the first signing is happening? Or do we just send books to comic sketch art? What’s the deal? Thanks
Yeah! Comicsketchart is handling all of it! I just sent them an email for more direction as the site is a little vague? https://comicsketchart.com/our-creators/chip-zdarsky/
I hate to say this, but I agree. There is no such as thing as a wrongly written character just whether the readership agrees with the writing or not..... so when will they put you on JLI or invite you on board the Lonely Krakoan Island Club?
I do not agree that you should finish a bad hot dog, and you really should get your health checked.
Ha! It's funny, my reverence for JLI is so high that I don't think I could do the title while Giffen, DeMatteis and Maguire are still working professionals! Wouldn't feel right!
And, god bless them, the X-Office has had an open door policy for me for a while now. I love everyone working on those books but there just aren't enough hours in the day, y'know?
Batman, Kaptara, Daredevil, Public Domain, Daredevil and Newburn (did I miss anything?)
6 titles, the odd cover work here and there plus at least 2 substack posts every week like clockwork.
I have already assumed Zdarsky is a secret acronym for a machine that churns Comics.
Right now it's Batman, Kaptara, Daredevil, Public Domain, Newburn, a secret Marvel mini and two secret Image books! I'm off of covers until I can get through at least a couple of these!
Have you called Bendis and told him that, since you're writing both Daredevil and Batman, you are much closer to writing Daredevil/Batman than he's ever gotten?
You know he still wants to do that.
You could even do it without telling Marvel or DC. Just sneak hints in. Like, in one scene, Batman says he went to his attorney Matt something-or-other, and then in Daredevil, Matt (when he's alive again) says he went to a fundraiser at this stuffy rich guy's mansion.
(I'm terrible.)
look, I would do it WITH Bendis in a heartbeat!
Secrets? From us?!!
*shock*
You’ll always be “the ol’ Chipster” to me.
THANK YOU SARAH
Similarly: It took me a long time to realize I can walk out of a movie if I didn't like it. But then movies got super expensive and super long, and being a cheapskate I realized I could sleep at the movies in a nice reclining seat and not have to worry about my kids waking me up and suddenly I had uninterrupted nap time. So not a bad trade off and if I woke up before the end, I got to see the goods parts, like the post-credits sequence.
Good question and good answer that I totally agree with! Also to add on — because of the nature of comics, if you’re not loving the current stories with your favorite character, just wait. Eventually someone will make stories you love. This goes quadruple for the most popular characters. If you don’t like the latest Batman or Spider-Man movie don’t worry, there will be fifteen more of each in your lifetime!
Ha! Too true. It only sucks if you're like a fan of someone like, I don't know, G'Nort? Not enough G'Nort stories out there!!!!
The one time I thought someone got a character completely wrong was Grant Morrison in Final Crisis, where he had Batman use a gun (my brother and I have an ongoing argument over this - he loves Morrison, not that there's anything wrong with that). I know at the start of the character he had a gun as part of his arsenal, but that has changed over the years, and (for me) there are two rules about Batman that you just can't break: he doesn't kill, and he doesn't use a gun. If someone can't follow those two rules, then you've lost me. (Sorry if that destroys your entire story arc ... (not sorry)).
Ha! Oh, I get it. That's your personal rule, can't fault you for that!
That is really good insight. I really never thought of it that way. I guess attachment to runs and certain ways you can see a character sometimes overpower what you think they could do with different writers. It feels hard to disassociate characters like Spidey from runs you love to runs you don't.
Thanks for answering my question!
I haven't read my emails lately because of blah,blah,blah. But my wife has always referred to you as "Chippy Z". I think that's cooler than "Chipster" but I don't know "cool" anymore.