Bendis interviews... Dan Slott

[Kevinroc]

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/001357536.cfm

Bendis and Slott discuss Slott's breaking into the industry, the Marvel writer retreat, licensed comics and other subjects.

[dingo]

Being a fan of Dan, I have been reading lots of interviews and listening to poscasts.

The man must be completely sick and tired of being asked how he broke into the industry. It is a really cool story, the first 3 times.

Other than that it was a great interview. Bendis seems to conduct his interviews as a bit interview and a bit conversation between two pro's. It is nice to see an interviewer argue or talk about something they want to say. It shows that there is actually an interview going on rather than just a guy reading out questions he prepared earlier. I swear if I read another second rate comic interview where the "journalist" just reads the questions and pays no attention to what is actually being said I will scream.

[Adem]

Being a fan of Dan, I have been reading lots of interviews and listening to poscasts.

The man must be completely sick and tired of being asked how he broke into the industry. It is a really cool story, the first 3 times.

Ya, I know what you mean I wish they'd just skip that question from now on. The same goes for BKV.

[Eric_Carnaby]

"His ongoing run on She-Hulk is the most successful and critically acclaimed in the title's history."

I don't know about critical success, but John Byrne's 60-issue Sensational She-Hulk was the most commercially successful She-Hulk book ever.
The book was actually selling more than 100k a month when it was cancelled.


Not to mention that it actually gave the character a personality and it took her on a light-hearted path that Dan Slott closely follows today.

[dingo]

"His ongoing run on She-Hulk is the most successful and critically acclaimed in the title's history."

I don't know about critical success, but John Byrne's 60-issue Sensational She-Hulk was the most commercially successful She-Hulk book ever.
The book was actually selling more than 100k a month when it was cancelled.


Not to mention that it actually gave the character a personality and it took her on a light-hearted path that Dan Slott closely follows today.

The comic industry then was a very different place. We need to compare apples with apples, and the best way of doing that would be to see how the Byrne run ranked on the sales charts rather than it's sales. I have heard rumours to the effect that in the eighties 100K was were a title got canceled.

I don't have access to sales data from back then, but if someone does please provide a link.

Plus you have to expect some hyperbole in an interview.

[Eric_Carnaby]

The comic industry then was a very different place. We need to compare apples with apples, and the best way of doing that would be to see how the Byrne run ranked on the sales charts rather than it's sales. I have heard rumours to the effect that in the eighties 100K was were a title got canceled.

I don't have access to sales data from back then, but if someone does please provide a link.

Plus you have to expect some hyperbole in an interview.

True, but I am willing to bet that a book that sold over 100k during its last breath, and lasted 60 issues, surely ranked way higher than the numbers that Slott's She-Hulk lands in all the time.
And remember that back then, John Byrne was still a very hot creator; in any case, there's no doubt Sensational was a much better seller than the current book.


But you are right, most interviews use hyperbole to prop up their subjects.

[dingo]

True, but I am willing to bet that a book that sold over 100k during its last breath, and lasted 60 issues, surely ranked way higher than the numbers that Slott's She-Hulk lands in all the time.

But as I said 100K may not be impressive for the eighties.

And remember that back then, John Byrne was still a very hot creator; in any case, there's no doubt Sensational was a much better seller than the current book.

But was it a higher ranker?

[Shellhead]

True, but I am willing to bet that a book that sold over 100k during its last breath, and lasted 60 issues, surely ranked way higher than the numbers that Slott's She-Hulk lands in all the time.
And remember that back then, John Byrne was still a very hot creator; in any case, there's no doubt Sensational was a much better seller than the current book.

The X-Men got cancelled in the early 70's for selling *only* 200,000 copies of each issue, despite decent writing by Roy Thomas and amazing artwork by Neal Adams.

[innocentboy]

Being a fan of Dan, I have been reading lots of interviews and listening to poscasts.

The man must be completely sick and tired of being asked how he broke into the industry. It is a really cool story, the first 3 times.

Other than that it was a great interview. Bendis seems to conduct his interviews as a bit interview and a bit conversation between two pro's. It is nice to see an interviewer argue or talk about something they want to say. It shows that there is actually an interview going on rather than just a guy reading out questions he prepared earlier. I swear if I read another second rate comic interview where the "journalist" just reads the questions and pays no attention to what is actually being said I will scream.
co-signed.

[CyberCoyote]

"His ongoing run on She-Hulk is the most successful and critically acclaimed in the title's history."

I don't know about critical success, but John Byrne's 60-issue Sensational She-Hulk was the most commercially successful She-Hulk book ever.
The book was actually selling more than 100k a month when it was cancelled.


Not to mention that it actually gave the character a personality and it took her on a light-hearted path that Dan Slott closely follows today.

Slott follows what was laid before him, that's his thing. But selling 100k then and even 30 or 40 k now is probably even if not better by today's percentages. It sounds like Ren and Stimpy made him more money then than NA makes for Bendis now.

[EmmettHULK]

Slott follows what was laid before him, that's his thing. But selling 100k then and even 30 or 40 k now is probably even if not better by today's percentages.

Hmmm, I don't see how.

Selling 100 k copies it's still more successful than selling 30 k.

And the thing is that if Byrne's She-Hulk was selling 100k at its cancellation point, 60 issues into its run, it must've been selling way, way more than that at the start of the run.

The blurb on the interview is definitely wrong.Then again, inaccurate blurbs and misleading hype is as crucial a part of comics today as decompression and Wolverine.

[ednemo]

Hmmm, I don't see how.

Selling 100 k copies it's still more successful than selling 30 k.

And the thing is that if Byrne's She-Hulk was selling 100k at its cancellation point, 60 issues into its run, it must've been selling way, way more than that at the start of the run.

The blurb on the interview is definitely wrong.Then again, inaccurate blurbs and misleading hype is as crucial a part of comics today as decompression and Wolverine.

Lets put it this way:
.75 x 100k=$75000
2.95 x 30k=$88500

[Sean Walsh]

"His ongoing run on She-Hulk is the most successful and critically acclaimed in the title's history."

I don't know about critical success, but John Byrne's 60-issue Sensational She-Hulk was the most commercially successful She-Hulk book ever.
The book was actually selling more than 100k a month when it was cancelled.

And to think - Byrne left that book about a year before it finally ended. And that last year of stories was absolute crap.

Wow.

[Crimson]

Hmmm, I don't see how.

Selling 100 k copies it's still more successful than selling 30 k.

And the thing is that if Byrne's She-Hulk was selling 100k at its cancellation point, 60 issues into its run, it must've been selling way, way more than that at the start of the run.

The blurb on the interview is definitely wrong.Then again, inaccurate blurbs and misleading hype is as crucial a part of comics today as decompression and Wolverine.

So looking at Civil War, in the 60's and 70's that book would be cancelled if it was an ongoing.

Today its one of the best selling comics in a long time.

[jaguarshark]

Lets put it this way:
.75 x 100k=$75000
2.95 x 30k=$88500
Good point, but it's kind of unfair to factor in the change of the price of the comic and not factor in inflation. Obviously the prices of comics have gone up a lot quicker than inflation deems necessary, but still...

And even if all things were even, it still doesn't prove much, because those 100k were sold at the end of the run, after Byrne left. I assume Byrne was moving more copies than that.

A paranoid part of me wonders: if any other creator had been snubbed the way Byrne was here, would people be so willing to accept it and defend it?

But yeah, it's just standard interview hype. It happens all the time, it's generally just better when it's truthful.

[dingo]

So looking at Civil War, in the 60's and 70's that book would be cancelled if it was an ongoing.

Today its one of the best selling comics in a long time.

But to be fair, 12c in 1961 would be about 75c today adjusted for inflation. If comics were 75c each I would probably be buying the entire marvel line. Less people would wait for the trade too.

In real terms comics cost four times as much nowadays. Quadruple Civil Wars sales and they are very healthy.

[SybaritaCybernetico]

But yeah, it's just standard interview hype. It happens all the time, it's generally just better when it's truthful.


I agree.
Everyone knows that Byrne's Sensational She-Hulk was the most successful run in that character's history, but everyone also knows that Marvel loves these types of inaccurate soundbites to hype up their current books, so it really doesn't bother me.

[Subotai]

Thansk for the read. I'd love to read some of Slott's trashed Punisher stuff.

[CyberCoyote]

What I meant by the 100k vs 30k thing is that NOTHING sells as much as they did back then(top books). You could say Byrne's She-Hulk was more successful than NA going by the numbers. In terms of relativity you need to look at it's overall 'spot' on the top 100. Heck, Fantastic Force probably outsold most of the better books of today (well, that was a good 6 years later I think)

And man, back then Byrne was writing AND drawing at least three books a month if not more. I think someone (that wasn't very good) took over the Hulk proper's penciling, but it was just amazing.

Back to the interview, danged if Slott hasn't earned this 'big project' that's coming up. I like the guy but never read more than the intern thing. I had no idea he was involved in so many things. My kid LOVES that scooby-doo game he wrote!

[Starkicker]

I'mgladthatDanenjoyedthelettersIsentintoAlf. :)

[NormanB]

How nice to "listen" to two guys who so obviously love the industry talk shop.

[Giant Guy]

Lets put it this way:
.75 x 100k=$75000
2.95 x 30k=$88500

Actually She-Hulk was over a dollar for most of the run. Probably was at $1.50.

1.50 x 100k = $150k

[The Shadow]

Great interview!

Thanks!

[Agentum]

"His ongoing run on She-Hulk is the most successful and critically acclaimed in the title's history."

I don't know about critical success, but John Byrne's 60-issue Sensational She-Hulk was the most commercially successful She-Hulk book ever.
The book was actually selling more than 100k a month when it was cancelled.


Not to mention that it actually gave the character a personality and it took her on a light-hearted path that Dan Slott closely follows today.

Yes Byrne really made something of this character and thats what Slott builds on really.
I like the new series but not as much as Sensational She-Hulk, but to be fair Byrne didn't do all books in tha series there was Gerber and others on it too and they was not as succesfull as him IMHO.

I reread it recently and i still think it's something special, something that i miss in titles today, but i understand that some people don't like that She-Hulk talk to the readers, that she can walk between panels and talk to the Comic Code man etc :D

I don't argue who is most succesful, i have mine opinion and Bendis may have his opinion.

[Lord S]

It's not fair to compare sales of the 80's with today's...considering the market is much smaller today, with more titles running and competing with one another.