ALEX ROSS KEEPS IT REAL Mulling an independent life ..................p.24 KURT BUSIEK V2.0 The Astro City writer revitalized.......p.36 ™ FRANK ROBBINS by Michael Aushenker The cartoonist’s Mexican sunset ........ p.8 by Jorge TODD McFARLANE Khoury Spawn-man’s Show-All Book ........p.12 A TwoMorrows Publication No. 1, Spring 2013 THE NEW VOICE OF THE COMICS MEDIUM #1 0 1 p.48 1 82658 97073 4 $ 8.95 in the USA Cover art by Alex Ross Spring 2013 • The New Voice of the Comics Medium • Number 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Ye Ed’s Rant: Dignity and the mission of Comic Book Creator .............................................................2 COMICS CHATTER Derf’s Friend Dahmer: The City cartoonist on his acclaimed, smash hit graphic novel .....................3 Hembeck’s Dateline: Hembeck: Our Man Fred ponders Jack Kirby’s legacy in the future ..............7 ARS for Art’s Sake: Shawna Gore explains how the Artists Rights Society can help comics folk.....8 SUPER-W©©DY, The Copyright Crusader The Good Stuff: Todd McFarlane discusses his new show-all book with George Khoury ................12 CBC mascot by J.D. KING About Our Cover Aushenkerology: Michael Aushenker chronicles the Mexican twilight of Frank Robbins ...............14 Painting by ALEX ROSS Irving on the Inside: A night with Denny O’Neil & Neal Adams hosted by Christopher Irving ........22 Alex Ross photo by SETH KUSHNER REMEMBRANCE Kurt Busiek photo by Les Daniels, The Incomplete History: Part one of a look at an amazingly creative life ................32 BARBARA RANDALL KESEL Frank Robbins photo courtesy of COVER STORY FRAN ROWE ROBBINS Kirby’s Kingdom: The Commerce of Art: Jon B. Cooke’s examination of Jack Kirby’s Todd McFarlane photo by ANNA PEÑA business dealings over the decades, spotlighting unjust and underhanded treatment by CBC friend and comic book super-star artist unscrupulous men, as well as those who treated Jack with dignity and fairness .......................40 ALEX ROSS depicts a confident and proud FEATURES JACK KIRBY among his Alex Ross Gets Real: The CBC interview with the painter-comic book artist supreme, covering subjects, who sprang from his imagination, much of the previous ten years since Ye Ed last spoke with him for print, the business of comics, the piece a brilliant echo of Alex’s work for and maybe a future that includes producing “The Great American Graphic Novel” ...................54 his and Mark Waid’s 1996 graphic novel Astro City’s Kurt Busiek: Ye Ed converses with the renowned comics scripter about his rise doing Kingdom Come. Alex fan comics with Scott McCloud, his breakthrough with the age of Marvels, the mechanics of recently co-created (with his Marvels and Astro City cohort, Kurt Busiek) the Dynamite sub-imprint writing, and treating the King right with Kirby: Genesis ..............................................................68 KIRBY: GENESIS, a line of comics which generously benefited the estate of Jack Kirby. Creator’s Creators: Ye Ed gives you the Cooke’s Cook’s Tour ............................................................79 All imagery TM & ©2013 the respective owners. Coming Attractions: The scoop on what’s in store for our next visit — our tribute to Joe Kubert! ...79 COMIC BOOK CREATOR is a proud joint production of Jon B. Cooke/TwoMorrows A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Tom Ziuko opens his massive art archives for y’all .......80 Comic Book Creator ™ is published quarterly by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Dr., Raleigh, NC 27614 USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Jon B. Cooke, editor. John Morrow, publisher. Comic Book Creator editorial offices: P.O. Box 204, West Kingston, RI 02892 USA. E-mail: [email protected]. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Four-issue subscriptions: $36 US, $50 Canada, $65 elsewhere. All COMIC BOOK CREATOR #1 “Director’s Cut” Digital Edition includes over 20 bonus pages not shown here, characters are © their respective copyright owners. featuring extended interviews with Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek, more Ross art and Busiek artifacts, plus Jack All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All Kirby esoterica and other treasures. All CBC #1 readers can download the bonus material as a FREE PDF file editorial matter ©2013 Jon B. Cooke/TwoMorrows. at: http://twomorrows.com/freestuff (The full Digital Edition is only $3.95, or free for all subscribers) Comic Book Creator is a TM of Jon B. Cooke/ TwoMorrows. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING. Find CBC online at www.cbcmag.net & twomorrows.com/comicbookartist, and be sure to “Like” us on Facebook! This issue is dedicated with gratitude and affection to BOB BRODSKY ye ed’s rant ™ The New Voice of the Comics Medium The Word is Dignity JON B. COOKE Ye Ed’s journey and the urgent mission of Comic Book Creator Editor/Designer Illustration ©2013 Ronn Sutton. You former readers of Comic Book Art- Another reason I wanted to return JOHN MORROW ist, this mag’s two-volume predecessor to the field so urgently was because of (published for 25 issues by TwoMorrows developments over the past few years Publisher & Consulting Editor and six by Top Shelf Productions): which do not bode well for the rights thanks for stopping by. And any and treatment of comic book creators. MICHAEL AUSHENKER newcomers, welcome! It’s been There was last year’s decision against Associate Editor quite awhile since CBA V.2 #6, the estate of Jack Kirby (discussed in and much has transpired in Ye Ed’s my cover-featured essay to come); ALEX ROSS personal life: Raising three sons also Gary Friedrich’s loss to attain Cover Artist to adulthood, making it through rights to his character Ghost Rider; the recession (so far!), housefire*, and recently, the ruling against the JORGE “GEORGE” KHOURY flood, hurricane, and simply getting heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry CHRISTOPHER IRVING my head and heart in the right Siegel for ownership. These distress- place. In the comics-related field, ing judgements, combined with the fact TOM ZIUKO I scribed introductions for Marvel comic book characters are generating Contributing Editors and Dark Horse collections; co- billions of dollars at the box office — produced and wrote a full-length virtually none of which is shared with BRIAN K. MORRIS feature film, Will Eisner: Portrait of the creators of the lucrative proper- Senior Transcriber a Sequential Artist, directed by my ties — instill in me a desire to help. favorite younger brother, Andrew I hope for CBC to be of service, and STEVEN E. TICE D. Cooke, and also taught and play an advocate’s role by informing lectured on comics at the Rhode and discussing the issues, and do STEVEN THOMPSON Island School of Design. Not all what we can to support the artists Transcribers that much for Ye Ed being seven and writers who have given so much. years gone. But I’ll also do what I believe I was J.D. KING Much as I wanted to restart meant to do: produce an engaging, in- CBC Cartoonist CBA, get back into the game, and formative, and entertaining magazine do good for Chris Staros and Brett that celebrates and enlightens. Not TOM ZIUKO Warnock — two great guys who too different than CBA, except now CBC Colorist Supreme served as my publisher for V.2 — within a definite number of pages, all I’d been mired again in ambiva- in color, and disciplined to strive to RONN SUTTON lence and an ennui of isolation. meet a precise schedule. Oh, different Oh, I attempted CBA’s return a too is the double-size special we’ll CBC Illustrator few times, but, well…. Jack “The King” Kirby have every summer! And, oh yeah, Importantly, a few years ago, by Ronn Sutton we’ll also be adding expanded “Director’s ROB SMENTEK I started working again — in a production capacity — Cut” Digital Edition PDFs (see bottom of our TOC for CBC Proofreader for my longtime buddy John Morrow. And, at near the details) and, time permitting, website extras — because end of my one-year stint as Alter Ego’s “layout guru” I can’t resist indulging in at least another format or three! GREG PRESTON (hi, Roy!), I was talking with my one-time publisher Most of all though, this is all about dignity: Ye Ed SETH KUSNER about how much I missed the give-&-take, collaborative attaining the virtues of being reliable, accountable and a relationship we shared during the years I toiled with him, man of his word. You, the reader, being treated with the CBC Contributing Photographers first on The Jack Kirby Collector as associate editor grace of getting what you pay for: a quality publication (hi, Pam!), and then the five-year run of CBA V1. on-time and delivered as promised. And I greatly wish to MICHAEL AUSHENKER In your hands — or screen — you’re viewing the bestow the dignity deserved to so many comic book cre- FRED HEMBECK results of that chat of less than a year ago. I couldn’t be ators. May this be a venue to tell the stories of their lives, CHRISTOPHER IRVING more grateful returning to Ye Ed mode, as I frantically fin- be shown our respect, and bask in appreciation for how ish our fabulous first ish. Boy, it is great to be back! they have so enriched our lives by sharing their dreams, JORGE “GEORGE” KHOURY *Confined to the basement, so any and all loaned materials imaginations and talents. May CBC be that place. ALAN KUPPERBERG remain safe in my second floor office — they will be returned! — Ye Crusading Editor TOM ZIUKO cbc contributors CBC Columnists Sal Abbinanti Bob Booth David Cowles Housing Works Scott McCloud Alex Ross Neal Adams Amanda Bullock Dynamite Bookstore Cafe Bruce McCrae Cory Sedlmaier Brent Eric Anderson