Todo sobre fantastic four

[DRA]

WAID'S FANTASTIC QUARTET

Mark Waid is in the middle of an Unthinkable storyline involving one of comic's first families, The Fantastic Four. What is this horrible event? What's next for the gang afterwards? Waid isn't telling all ... but he did answer some of our questions about Doom, terror, and more.



THE PULSE: Marvel has The Fantastic Four, whom some consider to be comic's first family ... but outside of comics, what real or TV/Movie families best represent or are akin the most to the template of Fantastic Four?

WAID: I wish I had a better answer since this is your very first question, but I really think the FF has a unique place in pop culture. If I had no soul, I would have made them the Osbournes when I took over, but while it'd probably sell purely on shock value, that would be turning the FF into something it's NOT. This is a book about family.

Karl Kesel makes the excellent point, by the way, that referring to the FF as "Marvel's Dysfunctional Family" is a misnomer, because they're actually EXTRAORDINARILY functional when they face a common threat.

THE PULSE: If you had to describe the main cast of The Fantastic Four to someone who had never read comics before, how would you go about it? What characteristics would you use to describe each member of the "family?"

WAID: Reed Richards, a world-class adventurer and the team leader, is the brains of the outfit, the smartest and most inventive mind alive--Indiana Jones by way of Stephen Hawking. His wife, Sue, is the smart, sexy Hot Soccer Mom--I'm trying to sell this to people who don't read comics, right?--the Hot Soccer Mom who holds the team together. Her kid brother, Johnny Storm, is fire personified, traveling in whatever direction he damn well feels like and moving with total abandon and capriciousness. He mows over whatever stands in his way, and once he's set his course, it takes someone hitting him with a hose to get his attention. And Ben, Reed's best friend, is the gruff, cranky uncle with the heart of gold buried deep within his coarse, rocky exterior. Theirs is an ongoing story of planet-hopping, globe spanning adventure. Oh, and did I mention they have super-powers? Did I also mention that that's actually the least interesting aspect of the FF to me?

THE PULSE: How hard do you think it is to relate a lot of comics to more recognizable "mainstream" properties from Film and TV? How do you think the story structure and themes of comics have changed in the last twenty or so years to be more relatable to things like popular TV and Film?

WAID: I certainly think they deal far more readily with relevant subject matter. Even the most fantastic--no pun intended--characters, if well-written, speak to contemporary emotional issues and concerns.

THE PULSE: Why do you think more children aren't reading comics?

WAID: Because they can't find them. And when they do find them, they're either full of impenetrable continuity or they cost three bucks for something you can read while you pee. Anyone who says kids don't LOVE comics has never been by my house at Halloween, when kids have literally lined up for thirty yards to stand in line for freebies and have howled in glee at them.

THE PULSE: What can be done to attract the younger audience to comics?

WAID: Again, I maintain attraction isn't so much the problem as availability. That said, it's also a matter of writing about things kids WANT to read about--consistent characters in situations they can recognize, either on a realistic or on an allegorical level.

THE PULSE: What about women? Why do you think in Japan do shojo and josie manga sell millions of copies each week, but in the US less than five percent of women read any comics?

WAID: In part because most American comics sold are about super-heroes and super-heroes are, at heart...say it with me...adolescent male power fantasies. I'm sure there are a bajillion other reasons, too, but I think the fact that the general perception that "comics" and "super-heroes" are synonymous isn't helping.

THE PULSE: When you're working on a comics series how conscious are you of trying to produce something that will be just as appealing to women as men as children as teens? How hard is it to craft an all-ages comic?

WAID: I don't think it's hard at all. In fact, I'm actively penalized by some of the people who employ me for doing just that--catering to an all-ages audience with material no stronger than they'd encounter on THE SIMPSONS. I'm certainly not opposed to gearing material towards adults--I think EMPIRE certainly proves that I'm capable of and interested in writing more mature, kid-unfriendly work--but when it comes to handling established super-hero properties, it's crucial not to take them too far away from their roots and their original vision. Keep them contemporary, yes--but be careful not to jeopardize their core creative integrity.

THE PULSE: When you began your run on the Fantastic Four, what were some of the initial goals you had? How did you want your version to be different yet respectable to past history?

WAID: My first goal was simply to enjoy working with Mike Wieringo and Karl Kesel, two of the most talented individuals in all of comics. My second goal was to make Reed the star for a while, and I think we've succeeded there--which means it may be time to shift focus. My third goal was to underscore what I just said about making the most of what Stan and Jack created rather than change the FF simply for change's sake. Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to sound like some old, crotchety crank who can't take his mind off the Silver Age. I think an honest examination of my body of work will show that I'm more interested in looking ahead than looking back; that said, there are reasons some of these characters have lasted thirty and forty and fifty years, and I think my first job as writer is always to ask why that is and see what's there that can still translate into something a 21st century reader could be interested in.

THE PULSE: When we first talked in August you said you wanted to get comfortable with the core Four before moving on to other villains or characters. How comfortable do you feel with the main cast now, six months later? How hard was it to get to know these characters intimately?

WAID: I'm still having a tough time with Ben, to be honest. Because all four are so well-defined, I don't have a hard time imagining what any of them would do in any given circumstance, but Ben still eluded me a bit until I hit #502. You'll see.

THE PULSE: Comics fans have been a buzz with the news of Dr. Doom and Fantastic Four # 67. Why do you think out of all comics Dr. Doom is one of the most recognizable villains? What is it about this character?

WAID: First off, he's got a great look, a great visual design. Also, he's got a dynamite origin. Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom were college contemporaries. Doom was working on a machine with which to breach the barrier between our existence and the netherworld. Reed stumbled onto Doom's equations and formulae and caught an error--but Doom, in his arrogance, refused to listen to Reed. His mistake. The machine exploded, scarring Doom's face and his mind. Worse, Doom sometimes if not always chooses to believe that Reed sabotaged the machine to make Doom look bad, meaning that he and Reed will be locked in conflict until the end of time.

There's also the notion of Doom's sovereignty. He's king of his own country, Latveria--and that gives him not only a regality but actual diplomatic immunity. As Stan Lee used to put it, there's no actual law that we know of against trying to take over the world. (And thus begins the stampede of message board posts telling me I'm wrong.)

THE PULSE: Out of all the villains - DC, Marvel, Image, CrossGen, etc.,. - where does Doom rank?

WAID: Either you really mean "AT DC, Marvel, Image, CrossGen, etc." or you're trying to lead me into an evil, evil trap. Are you sure you don't want to rephrase the question?

THE PULSE: What inspired "Unthinkable?"

WAID: The same thing that inspires a lot of my stories, from Flash's "Terminal Velocity" to Captain America's "Man Without A Country"--asking myself what's the absolute worst thing I can do to the characters.

THE PULSE: When you hear a title like Unthinkable ... it brings to mind certain horrible ideas like death, mutilation, rape, child abuse, etc.,. It almost always has negative connotations associated with it ... What does Unthinkable refer to? Something Dr. Doom does or something the Fantastic Four do? Or something else? Any clues about what this Unthinkable event is?

WAID: Afraid not; it would give too much away. Suffice it to say that the title refers to more than one aspect of the story. It's not simply describing the horrors Doom will visit on the FF--and they will be grim, dark and vicious--but also the plight in which Reed finds himself.

THE PULSE: What other characters from the Marvel U or Fantastic Four lore will be guest staring in this five-part story?

WAID: One other Marvel Universe character appears in a key role--and his identity shouldn't be a complete surprise to those who think carefully and are observant.

THE PULSE: After this five-parter are you planning another multi-part tale or will we see some one-short stories?

WAID: Issues #501-502 are a two-parter addressing some of the horrific ramifications of "Unthinkable." Beyond that, our next arc is the one editor Tom Brevoort refers to as our "Anti-Authority" story. There, look for Ben, who's so far been unfairly neglected, to take more of the stage--the story hinges on the Reed/Ben relationship and asks the question, "How far are you willing to back someone you love if you think he's wrong?"

THE PULSE: What other projects are you working on?

WAID: EMPIRE, with artist Barry Kitson, is finally being relaunched by DC in July, and SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT is taking some interesting twists and turns. I'm also working on an exciting FF project that's NOT a comic book--more on that as it develops!

THE PULSE: There 's a lot of speculation that issue 500 will feature the death of Franklin Richards ... What can you tell us about what's planned for issue 500?

WAID: Well, the fact that so many fans have thought about my killing Franklin would seem to indicate that it's not exactly "Unthinkable." Beyond that...well, you'll just have to read it. But there are consequences to what happens, and they affect the future of the FF rather profoundly.



THE PULSE: Why did Marvel start renumbering at 500 again?

WAID: Because #600 would have been wrong.

THE PULSE: How do you think this helps or hurts the title?

WAID: It might help only in that any attention is good attention, but I really, personally, could not care less if it's #71 or #509 or #DLIV. It's nice to honor heritage and tradition, yes, but it's vastly more important to tell a good story. Still, I see AMAZING SPIDER-MAN joins that 500 Club soon, too, so we're not alone!

[Azraelito]

sin dudas es por eso que ahora toy leyendo ff4,mark se pasa de groso y ahora supuestamente despues de la 501 empezaria a dibujar tony harris con tom feister.

[Obsidian]

Que groso que la agarre Harris, hace bastante que no hace nada y el tipo es un groso de verdad.

Live Long and Prosper

[Azraelito]

si onda las tapas pintan hay que ver el dibujo de adentro,taria copado la verdad que habria que verlo a ver que tal se lleva con la familia o por hay es solo por 2 o 3 numeros y la verdadera sorpresa es que vuelva salvador larroca ya que en la 6 de namor no esta mas sino que ya entro a dibujar pat ollife.

[foreverGREEN]

Así como lo leen señores, el groso de Howard Porter, famoso por su laburo en toda la etapa de Morrison en la JLA y que luego se retiró por 3 años del mundo de los comics para laburar en otros ámbitos gráficos, vuelve esta vez en Marvel, y nada más y nada menos que en Fantastic Four, en donde a partir del N° 503 se dibujará 6 numeritos de la "primera familia", la saga se llamará “Authoritative Action”.

Aparentemente el chango dijo que tiene una "compulsión a dibujar" y que aunque se fué del medio porque quería un poco de vida propia ("necesitaba un trabajo de 9 a 5, no un trabajo de 9 a 5 de la mañana" dijo acerca del motivo de su alejamiento de los comics años atrás) parece que ahora vuelve con todo porque "extrañaba" dibujar comics... y ya que estamos porqué no volvés a dibujar la liga negro, Mahnke me tiene las bolas llenas









Bye.

G.L.

[Azraelito]

grosisimooooo javi,alta news,uhhhh dibuja re groso,uhhhhh militares mmmm waid que nos traera waid en esta saga copado muy copado pinta.

[Obsidian]

Que raro... Seguro que es Porter? Por un momento casi me gusta.

Live Long and Prosper

[foreverGREEN]

VERSIÓN PARA ONSLAUGHT: Porter me ENCANTA, pero dibuja... raro.

VERSIÓN PARA LOS DEMÁS:

Bueno Azra, me alegro que te haya gustado la noticia, respecto a si "dibuja re groso" o no es algo que puede ser discutible, aunque yo pienso exactamente lo mismo que vos no quita que venga alguien y diga que es un perro que agarró un lapiz, y te lo digo con conocimiento de causa ya que a Porter lo vengo junando desde aquellos primeros Números de The Ray, luego recuerdo su paso por Underworld Unleashed y finalmente toda la etapa de la JLA de Morrison (con los fill-ins correspondientes obvio), y no sé si habrá hecho algo en el medio de estas cosas, como ves son todas cosas de DC, es por eso que tal vez no lo junes mucho... me perdí... retomo mi idea, decía que no sería raro que alguien lo defenestre porque posta tiene cosas raras el chabón, a saber:

-Serios problemas con las personas en perspectiva, las deforma para el orto, posta.
-Las expresiones faciales no son su fuerte para nada.
-Es medio durango para dibujar escenas con personajes en movimiento.

Esas entre otras son falencias que yo le veo y que pueden llegar a ser muy molestas para los puristas del dibujo, sobre todo por el tema de la anatomía, las proporciones, perspectivas y demases... sin embargo lo que si tiene de "groso" Porter es que, no sé cómo lo logra, pero los personajes que hace son PODEROSÍSIMOS, majestuosos, grandilocuentes, irradian poder, y hasta imponen respeto con su sola presencia, te juro, el Martian Manhunter que hacía en JLA te dejaba helado, o mismo Kyle Rayner a veces en esos shots con el personaje solo, o Flash, o lo perra "bien" que hacía a Wonder Woman o Huntress, y no hablemos del Batman que hacía que era un bicho hijo de puta, vos veías el Batman de los primeros Nºs de la JLA y era medio encorvado, con los dedos terminados en "garras", una onda Kelley Jones pero sin los 50 cm de orejas y los 300 músculos demás ; todos sus personajes son muy estilizados, se ven bien, al menos era así por lo menos los primeros 15 Nºs de la JLA, después de a poco fué cambiando tanto, pero TANTO que al final terminó la saga World War III siendo una sombra de lo que era el Howard Porter de los primeros Nºs, escuché por ahí que le rompían mucho las bolas por como hacía algunas cosas, como ser "no hagas tan encorvado a Batman, no le dibujes garras", "no hagas los labios masculinos tan finos", "no hagas las caras tan finas" y pelotudeces como esa, y al contrario de McFarlane que cuando le decían que achique los ojos de Spiderman los agrandaba más, o que no haga la telaraña spaguetti y él la hacía más bardeada, Porter acató las órdenes de arriba y tal vez eso haya influído en su decisión de irse un tiempo bien al carajo de los comics. Espero que esta vez lo dejen hacer, espero que esté con John Dell como entintador y espero que esta vez nadie le rompa las bolas.

Bye.

G.L.

P.D.: Y espero que vuelva a la JLA... les mencioné que Mahnke en la liga ya me tiene las bolas llenas???

[Obsidian]

Publicado por foreverGREEN
VERSIÓN PARA ONSLAUGHT: Porter me ENCANTA, pero dibuja... raro.

Otra vez me confunden con Ons, pero la puta madre. YO TENGO TODOS LOS DIENTES

Live Long and Prosper

[Azraelito]

mmmm a porter lo habia visto en jla,tengo un par de numeros me gusto mucho el tema del dinamismo de como hace que los personajes se muevan cuando hablan y cuando se ponen a debatir algo,es verdad que facialmente no es muy groso pero bue me parece que puedo mejorar,sino mirenlo a mark bagley que dibujaba normal y fue mejorando un monton y si mal no recuerdo mark tambien tenia problemas faciales y ahora esta hecho un mostro en ultimate spiderman.

jajajajjajaaja pobre fede lo confunden con geo,mahnke solo sirve para major bummer.