Continuing our series of features on the various 2006
What If? one-shot specials, we now turn the spotlight on Rick Remender.
Perhaps new name to Marvel fans (unless youd been reading
Avengers during the tail-end of Kurt Busieks run and also when Geoff Johns was on chronicling the adventures of Earths Mightiest Heroes for a brief period), the Portland-based writer/artist is not an enigma to comic book fans, having created/co-created, written and/or drawn at least
half a dozen comics last year alone.
In December, he attempts to make put the cool factor back into one of Marvels best-loved crossover events in the one-shot special,
What If? Age of Apocalypse and we journeyed into Remenders world for apocalyptic visions and end of the world-type prophesies.
Well, expect to find that stuff in his
other projects, anyway.
Read on
Newsarama: So, this is your first Marvel work, correct?
Rick Remender: First writing work that will see the light of day, yeah. Though, Kieron Dwyer and I were the art team on
Avengers for a year, 2001-2002.
NRAMA: Right. So,
What If? Age of Apocalypse. Backtracking a little, just how much of an impact did the original
Age of Apocalypse event have on you as both a comic book fan and a pro working in the industry now?
RR: It felt like Marvel had given the green light to the biggest idea ever basically it was one huge
What If? story. It was exciting because everyone (i.e. me) loves alternate reality tales and here was this huge one that took the place of the regular books. I was actually an animator at 20th Century Fox when around the time the series was coming out and I recall lots seeing dozens of artists in the studio penciling the new variations of the characters. There is something engrossing about seeing a classic character reinvented. You love the classic version, sure-- but its fun to see what life in a very different environment would have on these classic characters. It gives an opportunity to explore the core of the character does environment form a character person or are we all born with a set of traits engrained in us? It opens a never-ending bag of intriguing angles to approach.
NRAMA: What're some of your favorite moments from the original
AoA?
RR: I really respond to the set up and the high concept more than any one event inside. Legion jumps back in time and kills Xavier opening up the world for a hostile take over by a monster who believes only the strongest should survive. Sold.
NRAMA: Favorite
AoA characters?
RR: Holocaust, X-Man and Sunfire. Im obviously looking more at original characters from the series here. X-Man and Holocaust play a large roll in my issue. Theyre the next first generation of super class mutants,mutants; one was a genetic offspring of the Summers/Grey clan and the other a child of Apocalypse. Im always drawn to characters with powerful parents and seeing how different writers deal with their reaction to it. In life its always seemed to me that it either pushes people hard toward success or failure but seldom anything in-between. Sunfire wins by design alone, Im not sure if that was a [Joe] Madureira design or not but it was amazing.
NRAMA: Some regard the
AoA as the best X-Men (or even Marvel) story ever. Weve had
House of M and other reality-altering and universe-shaking events, though none of them ever achieved the buzz that the
AoA created. In your opinion, why did it work back then?
RR: Continuity can be a huge off-putting bum out for many readers. It can heavily infringe on a writers options and often times make the entire tale a bridge to facilitate a larger plan. The
AoA was a rethink of the entire MU. That will never stop being interesting no matter how many times you do it. Its nearly total creative freedom, you get to conceive of your own continuity and though its based on the 616 it can be all the things you ever wanted to see. That is a golden key.
NRAMA: That said, why do you think the recent
House of M hasn't been
that successful compared to the
AoA?
RR: There is no way to ever know what will or wont grab readers. If it was a science, every book would be a hit and wed all have solid gold racecars and swimming pools full of cash-money coins. Why did the
TMNT connect with kids so well in 1987? No idea, we can examine it and look at all the minutiae but there is no way to lock it down, its just in the zeitgeist or it isnt.
NRAMA: Last year, Marvel celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the
AoA with a special one-shot and a new limited series. However, not everyone who was into
AoA in the 90s was happy with the "aftermath"... Magneto and his gang surviving and all that. In your opinion, why didn't it work, ten years later?
RR: For the same reason I dont want to see Elektra done by anyone other than Frank Miller or see the Dead Kennedys touring without Jello Biafra-- the band is broken up and done so everyone walk away. Its nice to think that something would be left alone once finished. When it comes back after a seemingly lock-tight resolution it leaves people unsatisfied by what was a nicely concluded story. My two-cents.
NRAMA: Did you know that there was a couple
What If? issues that presented different takes on
AoA? There's What if Legion had killed Magneto? from
What If? (Vol. 2) #77 where it led to an Age of Xavier. And What if the Age of Apocalypse had not ended? from
What If? #81 where the survivors took on Galactus...
RR: I didnt actually and it makes me laugh because the Galactus thing was one of the ideas I pitched. Crazy how our brains are warped in the same ways from ingesting the same pop culture, isnt it?
NRAMA: Editor Mark Paniccia
said that you presented "some really cool directions for the Age of Apocalypse storyline."
So, what's your take on the
AoA when you revisit Earth 295 again with your December one-shot special,
What If? Age of Apocalypse?
RR: Were creating an all-new paradox on a new Earth. I think well shock readers when they see this worlds far-reaching effects. Mark wanted a
Twilight Zone ending, something with a real twist at the end and I think what we cooked up has just that. I dont want to give away too much but this is a very different
AoA.
NRAMA: Your work on
Fear Agent, Sea of Red, Strange Girl and others have been praised by critics and fans alike. The recently-released
Classic Battlestar Galactica series isare getting some attention from fans of the old (and new) series. What's it like to be doing work for hire for the House of Ideas now?
RR: Im enjoying the work immensely. I grew up reading these characters as many of us did and have always had an itch to play in the Marvel sandbox. Im getting to a nice place in my career where my time is evenly split between fun projects like this and my creator-owned books. Im happy.
NRAMA: Cover artist Marko Djurdjevic was
praised by Marvel EiC Joe Quesada recently. And I remember interior artist Dave Wilkins name from
El Zombo. Whats it like to be paired with them on this particular project?
RR: Both are names that I expect will be on everyones lips soon. Cover artist Marko Djurdjevic is absolutely astounding. Hes a concept artist who does digital paints ofn an unreal high quality level. Hes clearly classically trained, his work drips with the passion you only find in someone who has put in the hours painting and doing life drawing.
Interiors are by the equally brilliant Dave Wilkins who I believe is also gainfully employed as a concept artist. Dave is part of a new generation of guys who are mixing real drawing chops with computer savvy to create a level of fully imagined realism that doesnt sacrifice style to archive it. The characters are dynamic and animated with a rendering technique that gives them just enough realism to bring them to life without sacrificing fluid figure work to do so--. Hes my kind of artist, no photo tracing-- just real chops.
NRAMA: What else have you got in the works? Other projects that you'd like to introduce to Marvel fans with this interview?
RR:
Fear Agent and
Strange Girl continue to grow in readership every month as word of mouth and amazing reviews continue to spread. It also sounds like people are really enjoying my arc on the ongoing
Classic Battlestar Galactica book.
Very excited about the trade paperback of
The Last Christmas co-written by
Mr. Shows Brian Posehn shipping just in time for X-Mas. I recently finished writing the final issue of
Sea of Red which should be in stores soon as well. Image is doing hardcover editions of
Black Heart Billy as well as
Sea of Red in early 2007, which Im extremely jazzed about.
As for new comic projects, I have a few new projects my new ongoing superhero series
The End League at Dark Horse with artist Mat Broome,
XXXombies at Image with Kieron Dwyer and Tony Moore and a
Red Sonja book with break-out artist Paul Renaud. Im currently writing on a video game for Electronic Arts and working on a top secret screenplay. Theres more but I wouldnt want to come across like a ****e.
NRAMA: Lastly, what's your dream Marvel project? Say if you could pick any characters, which one or team of characters would you drop everything else that you're doing to write?
RR: Id love to get a crack at
The Guardians of the Galaxy or, The Rocket Racer, but I think doing a Spider-Man book with Mike Wieringo on art would have to top the list.