The Surfing the Bleed Interview: Jason Aaron

Jason Aaron is the Eisner Award-nominated writer of Scalped, The Other Side, Wolverine, Ghost Rider and Punisher MAX. I got a chance to sit down with the man this past weekend at the Baltimore Comic-Con and ask him a few questions about his process, his background and breaking into the industry. Unfortunately, I left my recorder at home and had to do the interview 1920s-style, with a notebook, a pen and a good ear. If it's any consolation, it did inspire this rap;

I'm a bonafide classic, don't call me Jurassic,
I'm bringing comic greatness to the expectant masses.

You know you want to hire me. You know it.

Without further ado or rapping, the Surfing the Bleed Interview: Jason Aaron.

Surfing the Bleed: Thanks for taking the time today Jason. I'll get right to it so you can get back to signing some books. So, when you were younger, did you always think, I want to write comics someday? Was that always your goal?

JASON AARON: No, not at all. Early on, maybe it was. I mean, I was always a fan. I think my mom was buying me comics before I could even read. But it was never something I really considered as a career. I had no idea how you could even break into comics. I guess I thought you had to live in New York City to do it, and at the time I suppose you probably did. So I went to college, majored in journalism, and spent time writing some short stories, reviewing movies, that sort of thing. My first introduction to comics was the Marvel Talent Search, which I won with my pitch for a Wolverine story. But even then, it was a while before I really broke in. My first work after that eight page Wolverine story (which resulted from winning the Talent Search) was The Other Side for Vertigo. But that didn't come right after Wolverine. I mean, I won that talent search in 2002 and I didn't get The Other Side published until 2006.

STB: But were you trying to get published again during that time period? Were you actively pitching The Other Side?

JA: Yeah. I pitched The Other Side to a few publishers and kept getting turned down. But I was encouraged to stick with it and eventually Vertigo got interested in the project and made it happen.

STB: Now you're writing an ongoing series for Vertigo, Scalped. I'm a big fan of the book. You've created this very intriguing crime epic that is equal parts Raymond Chandler and Robert Rodriguez. Considering the success of Scalped, have you ever considered taking a break from the medium to write crime fiction?

JA: Sure, I've thought about it. But right now, you know, I've only been writing comics for three years. I still feel really new at this and there is still a lot I want to do. I wouldn't want to jeopardize that by trying to break away from it for any period of time. I do love the genre and I think, maybe sometime down the road I might try my hand at that, or at screenwriting, but right now I'll stick to comics.

STB: Scalped was originally pitched as a retelling of the Scalphunter character created by Sergio Aragones and Joe Orlando in Weird Western Tales. How much of an influence were those DC Western titles on you as a writer? Were you a big fan of them growing up?

JA: I read Jonah Hex quite a bit, but I wasn't a huge fan of those books as a whole.

STB: So did the Scalphunter pitch come along more because you were trying to find an obscure character that nobody else was working on at the time? I've always heard that one way to get your pitch noticed is to come up with some fresh take on a nearly forgotten character.

JA: Yeah, definitely. That is a good way to get your pitch some attention and that is what was happening with Scalped.

STB: So what was Scalphunter like before it morphed into Scalped, and how did that transformation take place?

JA: Originally it was going to take place in the modern day. The story was going to follow the main character in the modern day and flash back to the 19th century. It was all sort of spur of the moment. My editor Will Dennis encouraged the change. We determined that naming it Scalphunter didn't really buy us much. Sure, maybe five guys who were huge fans of that character would pick up the book, but it might have diffused the overall impact of the book. So Scalphunter became Scalped.

STB: I know you're a big fan of 70s cinema. On that subject, I feel like I can recognize a big Sam Peckinpah influence in your work, especially on Scalped. Were his films a big influence on you as a storyteller?

JA: I'm definitely a big fan of Peckinpah, but that's just sort of a happy accident. I suppose subconsciously I probably do try to get that sort of mood out of my stories, but it's not something I do actively. Maybe Guera does that a bit more consciously.

STB: Do you have a favorite Peckinpah film? You know, other than The Wild Bunch?

JA: Yeah, it's easy to say The Wild Bunch. I'm a really big fan of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, those movies.

STB: The 70s was a great time for that sort of gritty, bare knuckle style of storytelling. As far as comics are concerned, it was a time period when the storytelling took a big leap forward. Guys like Chris Claremont, Denny O'Neil, et al really took the kitsch and the cheese out of comics and introduced a more realistic approach to the characters. Is that time period a big influence on your work today?

JA: I read a lot of that stuff and definitely filed it all away. Denny O'Neil's Batman was a favorite, as were the Thor stories by Walter Simonson, Swamp Thing by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, and then later Alan Moore's stuff with the character. So yeah, that stuff was all a favorite of mine.

STB: So far in your time at Marvel you've written Wolverine, Ghost Rider and Punisher. You're starting to get a reputation as the go-to guy for those darker, more conflicted heroes. Is there something about those type of characters that appeal to you more than, say, something like Captain America or Spider-Man, or have you just had enough success with anti-hero stories that editorial has sort of pushed you in that direction?

JA: A little bit of both. You know, I came into Marvel through Axel Alonso and those were the books he worked on, so that's what I got. There is a lot of freedom to writing characters like Logan, Frank Castle, Johnny Blaze. It is really liberating, really fun to write those kind of stories. But that's not to say that I wouldn't love to write a character like Captain America or that I don't have ideas in mind for those type of characters. I would like to write that kind of stuff and you will see me do that in the future. I don't want to just be the guy who writes the characters who stab people to death on every page.

STB: The real focus of this site is breaking into comics. I try to get different perspectives on the ups and downs of making it into the industry. You're the first interview I've had with a creator who just handles the writing side of the story. The perception among aspiring comic writers is that it's often easier for artists to get a break since their work has that immediate impact. It's a piece of visual artwork you can hold in your hand and instantly critique. Do you have any advice geared specifically toward writers who maybe sometimes feel like it's hard to break in?

JA: You just have to be able to put in the work necessary to make something really worthwhile. When I was pitching The Other Side I was writing all the time. Going over the script again and again, researching constantly, just making sure that what I put out there was the best possible story I could pitch. And you have to have a story that you can really stand behind, something that you really want to tell. For instance, The Other Side was a story that felt different to me, a story that was personal enough that I felt like I was the only person who could tell it.

STB: In my experience, the comics industry seems to be very inclusive. Personally, I've had no trouble approaching creators about their work, getting feedback and advice from various editors, etc. Did you find that to be the truth when you were trying to break in? And now that you are writing comics fulltime, is that your impression of the industry?

JA: Oh yeah. You know, three years ago I was just a fanboy like anybody else, then almost overnight I was creating comic books. And I was at cons, on trips with all these guys that I respected and they were totally inclusive, totally helpful. I was the new guy and you never know how people are going to react, how they're going to feel about you, but everyone was really gracious. And now, I live in Kansas City and we've got such a great community of creators and fans there. I feel great about being in the industry.

STB: Alright! That's going to do it for now. I'll let you get back to the convention. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to do this, Jason.

JA: Not a problem! Thanks a lot!

Baltimore Comic-Con: The Panels

In anticipation of the trip to Baltimore next weekend for the Baltimore Comic-Con, I thought I'd give a preview of a few of the panels I'm looking forward to.

Saturday, Oct. 10th
Avengers Mansion

11:00 - 12:00 Kids Love Comics Presents: Comic Book Carnival for Kids - If you're not familiar with Kids Love Comics, you should be. They're an organization devoted to helping build the next generation of comics fans in an industry that has been downright woeful at gaining new readership over the last decade. In a nutshell, they fight the good fight. At this particular panel event, they'll have some of the industry's best kids book talent (John Gallagher [Buzzboy], Join Franco [Tiny Titans], Andy Runton [Owly]) on hand offering a workshop to children interested in learning to draw for comics. The folks at KLC take this job very seriously and they always present a lot of fun activities for kids and parents alike, so if you've got a little one with you next weekend in Baltimore, I highly suggest stopping by the Mansion for a little fun.

The Batcave

12:30 - 1:30 Spotlight on George Perez - An hour long retrospective and Q & A with one of the industry's most prolific illustrators? Sounds like a blast to me. Perez, the undisputed king of fitting an obscene amount of characters onto one page, will be discussing his years working for both Marvel and DC. That work includes iconic runs on The Avengers, Crisis On Infinite Earths and Wonder Woman. Most recently, Perez teamed up with Geoff Johns for the critical darling, Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. This should be an hour well spent for any lifelong comics fan.

1:30 - 2:30 Comic Rewind: The 70s - Oh man, oh man, oh man! I am so excited about this panel I can hardly contain myself. In my opinion, the 1970s is a real high water mark for superhero comics. The decade that gave us the brilliance that was Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams must always be mentioned as one of (if not the) best decades in comics history. The 1970s gave us a better Bat, a roadtrip of epic (and very green) proportions, a new class of mutant and a shambling verdant mass that would become one of the most acclaimed characters in comics history. This panel will feature some of the creators responsible for this great shift forward, including Chris Claremont (X-Men), Len Wein (Swamp Thing) and Walt Simonson (The Mighty Thor). To cap it off, the panel is moderated by comic historian, editor and writer extraordinaire, Mark Waid. I'll see you there!

3:30 - 4:30 Spotlight on Wednesday Comics - Wednesday Comics was an ambitious project that met with a great deal of critical, as well as fanboy, acclaim. This panel will feature some of the creators from editor Mark Chiarello's latest success, including Andy Kubert (Sgt. Rock) and Mike Allred (Metamorpho). What I find most exciting about this panel though is the inclusion of editor Mark Chiarello as the moderator. Chiarello is one of the most exciting and talented people in comics. The projects he takes on are some of the most innovative in the business and I am fairly in awe of his talent. I might, just possibly, be considering approaching him with my The Question pitch. Am I crazy?

Sunday, Oct. 11th
Avengers Mansion

12:00 - 1:00 Marvel: Your Universe - Tom Breevort puts his own head on the chopping block and turns the microphone over to the fans for a bit of lively discussion. In an interesting twist on the big company panel, the Your Universe panel is meant to act as a soapbox for fans to express their own opinions about the direction that Marvel is taking. Do you think Agents of Atlas deserves more attention? Let 'em know. Do you think that bringing Steve Rogers back was an awful idea (it was)? Let 'em have it! This hour of opinion slinging could be the most entertaining hour you'll spend all weekend. Better bring your gloves! Fanboys are a rowdy bunch.

The Batcave

11:30 - 12:30 DC Conversation w/ Ian Sattler - Do you prefer DC to Marvel? If so, maybe you'll want to wait till 11:30 and hit up the DC Conversation with Ian Sattler. The DC equivalent of the Your Universe panel from Marvel, Sattler will be on hand to field all your questions (and attempt to deflect your ire) about the current state of DC comics. I'm sorry, DC Entertainment. Unimpressed with Blackest Night? Think that Barry Allen should have stayed dead? Not digging Batman: Reborn? Well, here's your chance to let 'em know. On a related note, these discussions can also be used as a vehicle to express your positive opinions. Just putting that out there.

12:30 - 1:30 Spotlight on Jo Chen - This spotlight panel would be exciting enough if it were just Jo Chen. Add to it the fact that Jose Villarubia is the moderator and you've got a can't miss event. If you're a fan of either of these creators (and you should be a fan of both) then make sure you clear your lunchtime schedule. After all, that hot dog cart will still be there at 1:30.

Baltimore looks to be a great con. From what I can tell, it appears to be more about celebrating the people who make comics and the people who read them than creating a giant pop culture circus. As much as I loved NYCC this year, I'm more excited about Baltimore. Perhaps it's that my comics acumen (and my resume) is better now than it was back in February, and that's making me more confident about being thrust back into this environment. Whatever the reason, I'm very excited. This will be my first con ever where I'm trying to pitch things on the floor (or over beers) and (hopefully) getting editorial feedback in the process. Wish me luck, true believers! It's going to be a blast!