PeterDavid.net

Just to clear it up, in the Incredible Hulk :Hercules Unleashed one shot you wrote, was Hercules not as strong as when fully immortal, or just less durable, both? or did that Hulk trash a full power Hercules who just wasn't immortal. This may seem a silly question to you, but its come up, and if you could answer I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time.

As I recall, Herc had undergone a power downsizing courtesy of Zeus in "Avengers." As a result, he wasn't the godling he was in either strength or durability. If he'd been at full strength, I'm not sure the Hulk could've taken him. At the very least, the fight would likely have gone on forever.

- are there going to be any more babylon 5 comics?

Ever? I don't know. There's none scheduled that I know of.

- why are you not writing a buffy novel? or a buffy comic?

You know, I'm not sure. I didn't want to do it while the series was on, but now it'd be fun. Except I could swear someone said the comic book series was being canceled. Anyone know anything about that?

thanks

roger

Ok, here's my question (I also posted it over on a.f.p-d, but thought I would post it here for those who don't have access to that newsgroup.)

Was just re-reading "Being Human", and was wondering why you have Si Cwan doing the opening steps to the "Timewarp" when he's fighting the ninjas on the holodeck...?

"It will be good training for you,", he said as he made a jump to the left. His attackers, drawing closer, followed suit. He took a step to the right...

I read a bit more closely, but he never did put his hands on his hips...

You know, I don't remember specifically what was going through my mind when I wrote that, so I can't say for sure. But I'm really skeptical that it was coincidence, knowing me. It was probaby just me being funny, or doing the approximation of what I believe to be funny.

What kind of process do you use for writing a comic script? Any specific format you use?

A struggling comic writer,

David

I write full script. I break down each page on a panel by panel basis and label them as PANEL A, PANEL B, and so on. Then I describe what's in each panel, and then do the dialogue, numbering the balloons. I designate the panels with letters and the word balloons with numbers so as to minimize confusion for the letterer. There is no standardized format in comics scripts, the way there are in movie screenplays.

Any plans to work with George Perez on something now that he is only working for CrossGen part-time?

Well, it'd sure be fun to work with him on Sachs & Violens again. But I haven't had a chance to speak to him about it. But I'd work with George on just about anything.

I'm sure there's a biography somewhere, but at least in brief, in no more than 8 words each, just tell me:

What college/major did you go through?

I have a BA in journalism from New York University.

What did you do in the meantime before your writing career "took off" (or at least, before you considered it having taken off)?

I worked in sales and distribution, first for Playboy Paperbacks, and then for five years as assistant direct sales manager, and later sales manager, for Marvel Comics.

What was the pivotal work/situation in which your writing career "took off"?

Probably my work on the Hulk. My work on Spider-Man gave me my start and got me noticed, but the Hulk is what really cemented things...such as they are.

Thanks. Oh yeah, if you really want to elaborate in those answers, the 8 word limit was merely a suggestion.

I am reminded of the story in which a bubbly young woman said to President Calvin "Silent Cal" Coolidge, "Mr. President, I bet my friend that I could get you to say more than two words." To which Coolidge replied, "You lose."

Hey Peter here are my questions:

1. If you could write about any character who would you pick and why?

Doc Savage I'd also love to write a Tarzan Meets the Phantom crossover.

2. Whats your favorite ice cream?

Phish Food from Ben & Jerry's.

3. If there was going to be movie about your life who would you want to play you?

Who would I want? Antonio Banderas. Who would they likely get? Dennis Franz.

This is little off topic i just got done reading the novelization you did for Spider-man and it was really good. Before this I read your hulk novel so i thought i would like spider-man you broght some really interesting touches to the book like the whole journal thing of peters.

Thanks.

Alright PAD, I'll play.

1) What would it take to get you to write (at LEAST) an arch on the Buffy comic?

I'm sorry, I'm not a builder. I don't know anything about arches.

2) Are there any titles or characters you've never written that you'd like a shot at?

See above

3) Since he is almost certainly never going to get used again by the Trek franchise, and since Wil Wheaton is widely popular on the internet, have you ever considered making Wesley Crusher a mainstay on your New Frontier series? (Loving Gods Above, btw)

I've considered it. Then I go and hit myself in the head with a baseball bat until the notion goes away.

4) An insane director calls you up. He says "I LOVE APROPOS!" (that's not why he's insane.) He says "We're gonna make it into a movie!" (That's not either.) THEN he says "You have total control, who do you want playing the parts of the main characters?" (Aha, the insanity revealed at last; hollywood directors would never give that kind of control). The question is, who do you cast in your movie?

As Apropos, Seth Green. King Runcible, John Cleese. As Entipy, Allison Mack. As Sir Umbrage, John Neville.

Thanks PAD. I continue to enjoy every comic and novel that you write!

-k.

1) Given the poor reception that comics readers often give to anything too different from what they are used to, have you considered/are you considering adapting any of the comic book ideas you've recently had to novels instead?

Where do you think "Sir Apropos of Nothing" came from? I thought of it as a comic and then figured it would tank, so I launched it as a novel instead.

2) A related question: Since FALLEN ANGEL is creator-owned, would you consider taking it to another media (presumably novels) should it not succeed as a comic book?

Not sure if it would work as a novel series. I think it needs the artwork to really capture the mood. I might write a couple of chapters to see if I was satisfied with it.

3) What has Bobbie Chase been up to since she was let go at Marvel?

Not sure.

4) Do you think the "reassignment" of Bill Jemas will make it any more likely (or less likely) that you will be doing more work at Marvel in the near future?

Don't really know. I actually never had any really major disagreements with Jemas. Joe was the one who seemed torqued with me. On the other hand, maybe Jemas really was annoyed with me and Joe was the front man, so I couldn't really say. That place is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, you ask me.

5) Is there going to be another collection of your "But I Digress..." columns?

Maybe. Go yell at Krause publications. I don't want to have to go find another publisher for it, but they've been dragging their heels on it for going on ten years now.

6) Any thoughts on the "CrossGen Implosion"?

Eighty percent of small businesses fail in...what? The first five years? CrossGen was a small business. So, y'know...do the math.

Carl Henderson

Having trouble sleeping after my recent experience(s), so I thought I would try to play internet catch-up.

Although I'm looking forward to hearing some of the answers to the questions before me, my own personal questions are this:

1. You have given advice in the past about how to write. Any advice on how to actually get published?

Uhm...find a publisher?

2. Considering what passes for a sense of humor from your perspective (most of which I do laugh at btw), have you ever considered taking on a purely humorous title like say "Howard the Duck"? and

I would certainly count "Soulsearcher and Company" as a purely humorous title, and I've been writing that for ten years. I wouldn't touch HTD with a ten meter cattle prod; too much negative karma left over from Gerber being yanked around.

3. What do you read when you're not working?

Whatever interests me. Books, newspapers, magazines.

Thanks in advance.

How far ahead did you have the Incredible Hulk planned and plotted when you first took over the book?

I knew that I wanted to lead up to the Merged Hulk, but I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to go about it aside from some very general ideas. That didn't happen for four years. Usually I would plot in six month arcs in terms of immediate storylines. So the answer to your question is either six months or four years, depending.

Aside from the Maestro storyline being diverted by Heroes Reborn and Onslaught, is there anything you planned to do that one editor or another outright vetoed? Why?

The pregnant Betty was supposed to have her children in a storyline that was vetoed by the PTB who declared they didn't want Betty to come to term, because then she would always be a mother and therefore of no interest to the readers (don't look at me; I just work there.) I refused to write the story in which she actually miscarried, and Bob Harras wrote it. I came very close to resigning from the book at that point, but ultimately decided to stay with it. I used the storyline itself, in somewhat revised form, in "What Savage Beast."

CJA

1) Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, is it just me or do they remind you of Spinal Tap & The Folksmen too?

No, you don't remind me of Spinal Tap & The Folksmen at all.

I really love your work on the Original Star Trek crew (comics and "The Rift"). Any chance of writing another novel about Kirk and company?

Thanks

No immediate plans to do so, since I'm concentrating most of my efforts on NEW FRONTIER. But I wouldn't rule it out.

These are questions about the New Frontier and Star Trek TNG books.

I noticed that the character of Quitin Stone in "A Rock and a Hard Place" and Mackenzie Calhoun are strikingly alike. I was wondering if you created Calhoun with Stone in mind, as a way to continue writing this character, or if the similarities just arose out of the story you needed to tell.

The similarities probably arise because they're both based to some extent on Mel Gibson characters. Stone was evocative of Riggs from the Lethal Weapon films, while Calhoun was based on "Braveheart's" William Wallace (the historical Wallace was a much younger man than Gibson; why do you think they kept calling him "Young Wallace.") If I wanted to continue writing Stone, I'd've just brought in Stone and written about him.

Also, is there a chance that Stone might show up in a New Frontier novel at some point?

Nah. Did everything I wanted to with him back in "Rock."

Okay, here we go.

1) What happened to Ronni Beth's promotion? We found out in "Cold Wars" that she had recently been promoted to lieutenant. But in "Gods Above" she is being called Ensign Beth again.

Curiously enough, her full name is Ensign Ronni Beth (you know, like Sergeant Shriver.) When referring to her in full including her rank, she'd be Lieutenant Ensign Ronni Beth. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

2) Was Karl Coven really an alien? If so, what was he doing on Earth?

Yes, he was. As for what he was doing on Earth...that's set-up for a future story.

3) About Coven kissing Rick; was Karl actually gay (or bi) or was he just doing that to upset Rick?

Cover was more of an asexual character. He was interested purely in power and in screwing with people's heads.

4) Was there a purpose to Coven's murders (Rick refered to them being ritualistic) or was he just psycho?

"Just* a psycho? What, being a psycho isn't enough reason?

5) What're the chances of an Avengers guest appearance in CM at some point?

Not a top priority for me. Certainly not before issue #25.

Thanks PAD!

Three questions for you.

1. What do you see the state of comics being ten years from now?

Aw, man, I dunno. What am I, Kreskin? If you ask me, people who pontificate on how things are gonna be ten years, twenty years from now...they're talking through their hat. We can barely predict how things are going to be ten months from now.

2. What would you like the state of comics to be ten years from now?

More success for titles that are outside the superhero "norm."

3. What would you do to improve the quality of Star Trek; in books, television and movies?

As I noted elsewhere, I tend to avoid answering questions regarding quality of Star Trek. They get changed in the retelling, get repeated to the wrong people, and I wind up with grief I really don't need.

On writing humor...

Do you run your jokes past others (friends, family, strangers in a resturant) before submitting them for publishing, or do you just send away and hope that the editors and the readers get the joke?

If something occurs to me, I'll ask whoever's with me what they think of it. If they laugh, I mentally file it away for use somewhere. I don't write it down because I figure, if it's really good, I'll remember it. If I don't, it's best left forgotten. But the vast majority of the time, I'll come up with stuff as I'm writing as a natural result of whatever's going on in the story. Contrary to the opinion of some, I don't come up with a gag and then bend a story to it...except one time, when I guest-starred Dolphin in "Aquaman" just so I could write a story entitled "Single Wet Female." Once she was there, I liked her so much I kept her around. Other than that occasion, humor always flows out of what I'm writing rather than the other way around.

On comics...

What do you think of the latest trend of "poster covers" that often just showcase a character, but do little to sell the inside story?

Hate it. Hate it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns.

On Trek...

Shelby, Lefler and Selar are easy to hear, but what actor voices do you have in mind when writing the rest of the NF cast (if any)?

No actors (except for Mel Gibson as Calhoun.) The characters voices are the characters voices

PAD

What are your plans for your novel series? Are we going to see more of Sir Apropos and New Frontier, or are you working on something new?

Pocket Books is no longer doing original fantasy novels, which leaves Apropos homeless...which, y'know, figures. Finding a new publisher to pick up a series already begun by another publisher is problematic at best. I may well continue the story of Apropos in short stories. As for New Frontier, yes, I'm hard at work on more books in the series. And yes, I am working on something new, but I don't want to announce it until the contract is signed.

Thank you very much for doing the open questions again.

Peter, I am sure there are people dying to know how you got your agency representation.

If you mean movie rep, I mentioned in "But I Digress" that I didn't have a rep, and an agent named Frank Balklin contacted me and said he wanted to represent me. My literary agent is a fellow named Matt Bialer, whom I went with after talking with several different agents (it's easier to get an agent when you're already published.)

Could you let them know?

In your owner-owned comics properties (Sachs & Violens, Soulsearchers & Company, Fallen Angel) how much input do you get in artist selection and control over content? Or, if you prefer, how much control do you exert over selection and particular looks?

Varying amounts. Generally I work with the editor who presents me with people they'd like to use, which I yea or nay. In the case of Fallen Angel, Lysa Hawkins came to me with Dave Lopez, whose work looked as if it would complement what I had in mind for the series. And I worked very closely with Dave in developing the character designs (the Angel, for instance, originally was depicted wearing a skin-tight suit, which I nixed as "too superhero.") Sachs and Violens, I borught George in on when he expressed interest in working on another project with me after "Future Imperfect." Soulsearchers, Richard Howell handles most of the nitty gritty, but I jump in with storylines and character ideas, and write the scripts.

When the rumor first started going around that Ashley Judd was going to reprise her Robin Lefler role in "Star Trek: Nemesis" -- as Wesley Crusher's wife -- how did you react? Or was that something you decided not to take seriously in the books until it was a done deal (which, of course, it wasn't)?

I screamed. Literally. Deep screaming. Then I started thinking about how I was going to work it into New Frontier. And, hating everything I came up with, I decided to pray that either it was wrong, or that it would wind up on the cutting room floor.

-If asked, would you write for the forthcoming Russell T Davies produced series of Doctor Who?

-Have you read any of the original Virgin or BBC Books Doctor Who novels, or heard any of the Big Finish audios?

Some, yes. Liked some of the books, enjoyed the audios.

-I'm sure you mentioned before, but which was your favourite Doctor?

General rule of thumb, you'll find that everyone's favorite Doctor is usually the incarnation they were first exposed to. I'm no exception in that regard: Tom Baker.

1) Please clear up the status of the New Frontier series for us. Can we really expect 3 new novels next year (stated by you in the last questions thread) or "only" 1 hardcover each year for the next 3 years (stated by John Ordover elsewhere).

I prefer they come out close to each other; John is saying the current plan is to have them come out once a year (as is the case with many series, let's face it.) I think part of it depends upon how quickly I turn them out. I've no desire to sacrifice quality for speed. We'll see.

2) How did you get into writing, and what was your very first assignment?

I first got "into" it at a very young age, influenced by my father, Gunter David, a reporter. My very first "assignment?" Covering the World Science Fiction Convention in Washington back in the 1970s for the Philadelphia Bulletin.

3)Will we ever c a revised edition of Howling Mad?

To the degree that I did with Knight Life? Not at this point. I think it holds up better than the original edition of Knight Life. I wouldn't mind seeing a new edition come out which includes the novella-length sequel that appeared in "Otherwere," though. Who knows? If the movie gets made, maybe they'll release a movie tie-in edition that can be cleaned up and have the novella as well.

4) When (if) you have phases of creative burnout, what do you do to get out of them?

Answer questions on my blog.

Finally managed to get ahold of the Young Justice series (a bit late I know, but it wasn't easy to get over here - if you don't live near a big city US comics are hell to get hold of, you should see the fun I'm having trying to get CM and FA right now) and having read and enjoyed it enormously I'm more than a little put out with the stupidity in Graduation Day (Titans mess up, Titans die, YJ members show maturity and strength - so of course it's YJ that disbands because they aren't good enough???). Not the way the series should have ended!

So my question is, if Outsiders bombs (and with its track record that's not an outside chance) and DC asks you to - Would you restart YJ? And if so would you keep the same characters, or are there others out there you'd like to play with (in this scenario you have the pick of any Young Hero's)?

If they asked me? Sure, I'd restart YJ. I had a ball with those characters. As for other characters I'd like to include...I'm not sure why, but I had a blast with the Wonder Twins. Probably use them.

On a related question, will we ever see more of Greta? Could she wind up in Fallen Angel perhaps (something her background would make her very suited for)?

No, she wouldn't be in FA. I doubt I'd use her again, even if YJ was restarted. I think her story's been told. I'd rather leave her with a happy ending.

And lastly, what was your take on Graduation Day? If you had written it, what would you have changed, if anything?

Didn't read it. Figured I'd just get upset.

Thanks for the oportunity to ask you these.

- Rob Wilson

What was your favorite comic title as a kid?

Superman.

Who will truly win Superman or Thor (this is a joke pls NO ONE respond...atleast seriously)?

Thor.

Do you also think Twin Peaks is one of the most amazing things done on tv or is it just me? (i need to watch Carnivale)

I haven't seen you on TV so I can't judge if you're one of the most amazing things on it. Twin Peaks started off strong but shouldn't have been more than a miniseries. Carnivale is great; you should watch it.

:)

Jorge

About supporting smaller Marvel titles:

I already asked this in the CM 'letters page' thread, but hey. I want to do my bit supporting 'smaller' Marvel titles I don't want to see cancelled, like CM, Thanos and whatnot.

1) Does writing in through the Marvel.com email link help in any way? Do these things get READ at all?

Well, they've been forwarding me e-mail for CM lately; I assume it comes in through Marvel.com.

2) Other than (obviously) buying the book, what other way can you recommend for feedbacking it so they know there's some support for the title out there?

Just keep doing what you're doing. Buy the book, tell others about it, and let Marvel know you support it. I still believe writing snail mail is taken more seriously than e-mail simply because if you're taking the time to write a letter, stick it in an envelope, stamp it and mail it, it shows you're serious in your enthusiasm.

About the TPB Vs. Singles thing...

Any thoughts on this (again, focusing on Marvel since they seem to be the only ones releasing TPBs regularly)?

I think publishers have caused readers to divide their purchases into two categories: Books they must keep up with on a monthly basis to remain au courant (mutant books, Super titles, Bat Titles, Spider-books), and books that they figure, "I'll buy the trade paperback when it comes out." Thus it's murder starting up anything that's new as readers don't comprehend that failure to support a monthly title results in no trade and no monthly.

With gvalley asking about TPB's - now Jemas leaving, is there any chance of your CM (either volume), X-factor or Incredible Hulk runs getting put out in Trades?

CM is being collected. The first six issues of the first run were collected, and there've been trade editions of issues 1-12 of the new run. X-Factor? Unlikely. Hulk? I don't think they want to distract from the current version.

I already own a full run of Hulk, CM (before U-decide) and X-factor, but the issues are getting a little worn from constant reading, so a set of TPB's would be nice :-)

Oh, and when do you think Marvel will bite the bullet and rename The Incredible Hulk to The Interminable Banner? :-D

Not real soon.

Do you listen to/enjoy Howard Stern?

Once upon a time, yes. But then he started to develop most of the shock-jock stuff that became his hallmark and he lost me. I felt, y'know, this guy was so damned funny without all the crap that slowly overwhelmed the show; I saw it all as a crutch. A lack of confidence in his basic ability to entertain. But that's the material that made him famous, so what do I know?

How did you get the opportunity to write your first novel (franchise or original work)?

I was working at a publisher which went bust and one of the editors with whom I was friendly was going to become a full time agent. She took me aboard and through her I sold "Knight Life."

How different is it from writing a comic?

Very. Comics, you have to think visually. Novels, as long as the dialogue and prose is interesting, you can have people sitting around in a room for a couple hundred pages and still write an engaging story.

Did your job as a comic book writer help or hinder your books getting published, or even looked at by editors in any way, at least initially?

The two careers kind of developed separately, neither feeding the other.

Thank you for your time.

Whats your favorite season of Buffy (sorry I couldnt resist)

Third.

What are your favorite comics being published right now from all the major publishers (DC/Marvel/Dark Horse/Crossgen/Image)

Fables, Y, Strangers in Paradise, the JMS Spider-Man

What book are you reading, right now? And how is it?

{{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375507523/bibliobytes Bushwhacked}} by Molly Ivins. Pretty good so far.

Simple word association, what comes to mind - use as many words as needed.

Spike - Volleyball

Supergirl - Fallen Angel

Battlestar Galactica Remake - Richard Hatch got screwed

Eliza Dushku -Hot

Betty Banner -Dead

Lena Olin - Missed

U Decide -Seemed like a good idea at the time

Spider-Man 2 -Should be working on novel right now

Keira Knightly -Buried treasure

Trade Paperback reprints - Killing monthlies

John Byrne - Pretty pictures

Halloween - Fattening

Action Figures - Charlie's Angels

Bubba Ho Tep - Lansdale

Music and film Dowloading/piracy - Theft

No Screener Copies - Screws Indys

Best Movie of the year - Pirates of the Caribbean

most annoying commercial - Jeter/Steinbrenner

1602 - Hotel room with fond memories

After reading WOAD TO WUIN, I couldn't help but be reminded of some of your other work, particularly FUTURE IMPERFECT, your current work on CAPTAIN MARVEL, and even the struggles of Secret in YOUNG JUSTICE.

What is it about the idea of the protagonist "going bad" that interests you (though, I realize in the cases of Apropos, and even the Hulk, they didn't have too far to go to "go bad)?

Because villains make things happen. They drive the story. So protagonists with darker shadings are by definition more active and therefore, to me, more interesting.

I have always enjoyed your Pantheon characters from your run on the Hulk. Do you have any regrets for not saving the Pantheon concept and characters for a series you owned? In my ideal world, I would be buying and reading Peter David's Pantheon.

No regrets. I take pride that I've always developed characters to the best of my ability, no matter what the context. I'm not much for holding back.

Best wishes and continued success!

If at some point in the Future you had to pick someone to write your Biography (rather than writing it yourself for whatever reason in this scenario -sudden attack of modesty, writers block from hell, too busy pointing and laughing at Bill Jemas's comic scripts, etc), who would you pick and why? And would you pick a straight title for it or a pun?

Carl Bernstein. He's a better writer than Woodward. And I'd want him to title it whatever he wanted to.

-Rob Wilson

Aha! I got here in time for a change! Here we go:

1. While reading your X-Factor run again this summer, I was reminded of how jarring the change in style was, what with another writer taking over in the middle of the Genosha storyline and all. My question here is, what did *you* have in mind for the comic from that point on, particularly Rahne?

The notion at the time for Rahne was that she was in heat. That's why she was so obsessed with Alex, and why the dogs were all barking when she walked past. She was going to have to cope with the notion that her feral nature was taking over more and more. As for other story details, it was ages ago; I really don't remember.

2. The Hulk: The End -- maybe I was the only one who thought the end was a bit cryptic. Did the Hulk go on living afterwards, with Banner finally being free, or did he eventually revert to his human form and succumb as well?

It's intended to be ambiguous. You could say that the Banner's soul vanished, leaving the soulless monster. Or that the Hulk effectively annihilated the Banner personality so that he was alone, just as he'd always wanted to be. But my intent either way was that the Hulk was alive at the end.

3. I think we've seen hints of your musical tastes here and there, but I'm going to flat out ask: who are your favourite musical artists? Who do you listen to while you're working, if you operate like that?

If I'm listening to music while working, mostly it's movie soundtracks. As for musical artists...there's really no CDs I'm snapping up of anyone current. There's the classics like the Beatles, Elvis, Buddy Holly, that kind of thing. These days most of my exposure to current artists are from songs I hear being played on everything from BtVS to Smallville. And I hear people and think, Oh, that was catchy, I should pick up CDs by him/her. But I rarely do. Like Tori Amos, though. And Liz Phair.

Thanks!

Wow, i'm actually in time for this one.

1) Could you please put up a link to the previous Q & A (for those of us too lazy to go through the archives

No.

2) what's the unladen flight velocity of a hungry cat? (Sorry)

You should be.

3) Are you ever going to do any more parodies of famous properties (like 'Wendy' and PeekaBoo (IIRC) were for their respective series?)

Digimon or Yu-gi-Oh, maybe?

Well, as noted elsewhere, we're riffing "League" in Soulsearchers.

4) What did Dead-boy (the youthed Deadman) have against Power Rangers?

He didn't like the production values.

5) Any chance of Anarky showing up in Fallen Angel (along with any family members/associates he might have managed to pick up along the way)?

None whatsoever.

6) *scanning other posts* Doesn't the name 'Robin Crusher' just scream for a Batman crossover? ^_^

Yes. Yes, it does.

Alan.

Based on the questions asked to actors on Bravo's The Actor's Studio:

What is your favorite sound? Baby Laughter

What is your favorite word? Peace

What is your least favorite word? Deadline

Other than writing, what job would you've wanted to try? Gigolo

What's your favorite cuss-word? Nothing I want to print here

If Heaven exists, what would you want God to say when you arrive? You've lost weight.

What is your take on the supposed "creativity" tools that are supposed to help writers clarify their vision? I'm thinking specifically of the "Dramatica" software produced by Screenplay Systems. I have used it, but its "Dramatica Theory of Fiction" seems like a stunt to me. Or is it possible that some writers need just such a "stunt" to shape their vision of the story and characters? If you haven't used it personally, could you ask your pro friends and report their opinions?

I haven't used it, so understand I can't comment from first hand knowledge. Nor do I know any pros who would have used it. I think if writers need a computer to tell them what they're doing wrong, they've got bigger problems than a computer can solve.

Just a personal qualm... Why are the vast majority of alternate realities and futures so horribly "wrong" all the time? I mean, aside from Spider-Girl's universe, they're pretty much disaster areas. It gets rather monotonous.

Because writing about dystopias is more interesting than utopias.

Will the Magus thread ever be picked up again in Captain Marvel?

Maybe.

While we're at it, will Genis' previous look be showing up in the title on occasion? It's return in that time rips issue was a really nice surprise.

Yes, it will be showing up again...but not necessarily on Genis.

Licenced comics... You're given free reign to pick five properties to choose to write (in a universe where you can write faster than Bendis... and perhaps you can...). What would they be, and what draws you to these properties? Not talking comics characters, but shows, novels, toys...

Free rein, dammit. Licensed characters? Doc Savage. Tarzan. Dragonriders of Pern. The Steed/Peel Avengers. Dracula. What would draw me to them? Just that I like the characters and think I could tell interesting stories about them. Not much more involved than that.

Do you believe that "decompressed storytelling" is just a fad, and that eventually we'll see more traditional comics again at Marvel?

Depends entirely on whether the trade market collapses.

In hindsight, what's the worst thing you've ever written? I mean what do you look back at and say, what was I thinking?

Early issue of Web of Spider-Man. I forget which issue: #10, I think. I was brought in to write the second half of a story begun by another writer. I did it very badly.

I thought I remembered hearing about a re-release of the howling mad novel, but I can't seem to find anything about it on amazon.com. Is there a re-release coming or did I imagine it?

It was rereleased several years ago. I think it's still in print.

1. In the ST:TNG book "Doomsday World," were you the one that wrote the part about Geordi and the bartender that could answer any question?

I don't remember.

2. Are you really planning on attending the Motor City Comic Con in Novi next spring, or are they using your name to pad the guest list? I promise, I'll try to space out all the stuff I want to get signed over the days, and not drop it all on your table at once. :-)

Yeah, they asked me, I said I'd go.

Ever since the Texas Case, I've been in a state of high paranoia when it comes to my purchasing preferences. I feel that in the near future, my choices will be limited due to the so-called "moral standard" that's been implemented by hypocritical religious puritans. It's been coming to the point where I can't think of anything else sometimes. I've been trying to help out anyway I can in impeding these blatant attacks on free speech and expression. I have been a long time supporter of the CBLDF but many are saying it will barely slow people like Ashcroft & co down. What else can I do? What can anyone do?

Join the ACLU. Appear at town meetings where the subject is raised. Write letters to local editorial pages. Financially support bookstores. Never give up. Never surrender.

My question is similar to Wildcats'. What were you planning to reveal about Genosha, and how was Armageddon involved?

I really don't remember. For me, it was years ago.

The British guy who owned Marlo's health spa in an Incredible Hulk Annual, the one who claimed to have been a former intergalactic bounty hunter; did you ever have plans to use him again, or was he just a throwaway joke I don't understand?

He was a throwaway joke you didn't understand. He was supposed to be Sweeney, the bounty hunter I did over in the Star Trek comic series for DC.

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

Marry her off.

Will the REAL Captain Marvel aka Monica Rambeau, ever appear in CM. No offense to Genis, but Ms. Rambeau was twice the hero he ever was.

No, she won't be appearing, but she is mentioned in the summary page of an upcoming issue.

Any chance of having Genis join an Eternal Uni-mind? That would be cool.

Yes, it would be. But no.

Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox? Due to your appearance in Incredible Hulk, and your very nice portrayal of nuns, I actually thought you were Catholic.

Had been conservative, now attending a reform synagogue. And between this nun question and the Maria reference, you appear to have a Sound of Music fixation.

Thanks for taking the time, and I hope you and your family continue to prosper throughout the year.

Ben Hunt

SidSavage: You could try... praying!

PAD: Was your goal always to be a writer or did you back into it? Did you take the Marvel Sales job with Carol to get a foot in the door or was that serendipity?

Always wanted to be a writer, gave up on the notion of making it a career, embarked on a career in sales, and wound up backing into a career as a full time writer.

To answer the question about Bobbie Chase, I don't know all the details, but her name appears as a story editor or producer (can't remember the exact title) on both the new Paul Dini Duck Dodgers cartoon, and on former PAD editor Christopher Priest's Static Shock cartoon.

I'd be surprised if it was the same person, since to the best of my knowledge she's still living here on the East coast. But I guess it could be.

Actually, Adam Lipkin, while Christopher Priest was tangentially involved in the founding of the Milestone universe characters, Static Shock is really Dwayne McDuffie's baby.

Has anything happened on the Space Cases front at all lately?

No.

Why is Nickelodeon still holding onto it?

Because they're insane.

I was wondering if you would ever work with Kevin Smith? I think your styles would compliment each other SO incredibly much. You have similar aproaches to your writing and seem to even have similar goals in your career. Plus you just seem to share an incredible love for the comic field. I would love to see what you guys would do with a movie script together.

I doubt Kevin Smith would feel he needs my help to write a screenplay.

Do the comic companies give you more freedom when writing a character based novel than they do in the comics? I have always wondered why Marvel or D.C. hasen't released a line of novels that are a bit more adult. Nothing over-the-top but a bit more gritty language and a closer look at each characters personality...and what made them the way they are in "sharper" detail.

Considering the novels aren't really canonical, usually there's a bit more freedom novel wise.

How come when Spock runs through a list of experts on godlike beings, James T. Kirk isn't mentioned as an available expert? Have you not read the Shatner/Reeves-Stevenses books or did you not want to mention them or are writers of ST novel not supposed to refer to the new Kirk books? I mean, the impossible to fit into continuity SPOCK vs. Q gets a mention...

The novels are theoretically supposed to exist as independently of each other as possible. It risks confusion. Having a throwaway reference to Spock meeting Q is one thing. But mentioning that Kirk is alive risks stopping a reader dead and having him say, "Wait...Kirk's alive? When did THAT happen? I thought he was dead. Didn't the writer see 'Generations?' What the hell...?

Not a complaint. Just curious. You're not the only writer to take the, "Kirk died on Veridian, end of story," perspective.

So, in the final issues Justice, a certain little-known writer threw in cameos by Major League Baseball's Orel Herschiser (sp?) and by the Joker (maybe even Batman ... it's been years since I read it). Did this get you in any trouble?

None whatsoever.

Any chance of Sachs and Violens getting reprinted? I've never read it, but I'd love to.

It keeps getting discussed, but no one's pulled the trigger on it. My guess is you can easily score a set on Ebay.

1) Since there will be a firefly movie made, any chance of you writing the movie novel? How about an original story? I think your sense of humor would be perfect for a firefly novel.

I'm not actively seeking out yet more media tie-in projects.

2) Any chance you putting out more Star Trek books in the near future? I would like to see something with Kirk. How about a time travel novel that involves the crew of new frontier with the Enterprise-A crew? =-)

We've actually discussed doing that. We may at some future point.

Mike: In regards to your question regarding Kevin Smith, don't count on it. Kevin had some harsh things to say in regards to some of PAD's work. He even went as far as to complain to Wizard that he doesn't want to be in the same Hot List with PAD so Wizard took PAD off the list and kept Smith in.

Will you be appearing in any of the bonus features of the Hulk movie DVD?

Corey

Unless they have the MTV special on there, which I don't think they do, then no.

PAD,

Thanks for providing the Q & A. I've enjoyed your comics work, especially Hulk and Supergirl, and the novels I've read.

I'd like to know how far ahead you plot a storyline for a comic you're working on, and to what degree, if any, this varies between a series you're on from the beginning (ie Supergirl) and one you take over from someone else (ie. Hulk). This is assuming you're given freedom to do what you want with the book and its character(s).

See above.

Concerning your work on Hulk, did you originally intend for the merged Hulk to be a permanent state (again, barring any editorial edicts to the contrary), or would you have eventually returned to a separate Banner and Hulk?

No, it was never intended to be permanent.

If at some point in the future, you find yourself working on Hulk again (and have complete editorial freedom) would you immediately return the series to where you left off, treating the interim as something that didn't really happen, or simply continue forward, accepting everything that's happened as canon? I would guess you'd choose the latter, if for no other reason, because it could be more of a challenge.

The latter.

And a similar question with Supergirl: Assuming there's no connection between Linda and Lee in Fallen Angel, and an opportunity arises to revive the Supergirl title, would you pick up where you left off (assuming a revival took place in the relatively near future and not years from now). Or barring a revival of the title, would you include Supergirl in a team book to keep her in the public's eyes.

I really don't know. It would depend upon a variety of factors.

Oh, and to echo what someone else asked, will there be another BID collection?

That'd be nice. Go tell Krause to get off their butts.

Thanks, and again, I've enjoyed your work.

Rick

Other than Alias, West Wing and Angel, are there any other current TV shows you watch religiously? (as in, every episode, not while praying!)

The Practice. Carnivale. Boston Public. Charmed. Friends.

Dear Dad,

Where do babies come from?

Love,

Gwen!

Ask your mother.

Would you please re-post the mailing address to have a book signed? Thank You!

PO Box 239, Bayport, NY 11705

I'm not a big fan of Alias. Now, I've had enough conversations in the local CB store to know I'm in the minority so I've done reflection on why I don't like it. My question is whether or not you, as an experienced writer, agree or disagree with my statement...

Babylon 5, a show like Alias which was deeply stocked in continuity, was a great show because JMS had the entire thing drawn out ahead of time and therefore the twists and turns made sense and were carefully thought out. Alias, however, seems to take a tactic more like X-files; You are made to believe the producer in charge KNOWS where its going, when in the end, the biggest screw-job is that he genuinely has no idea, and the whole thing IS made up as it goes along.

Or long-story-short Is Alias's continuity Babylon 5-like or X-Files-like?

I don't know whether to agree or disagree because you presuppose that the producers have no idea what they're doing. Personally, I think it's silly to compare the two. B5 was a novel told over five seasons. Alias is an ongoing series with twists and turns that are developed to keep the viewers off guard. I suppose Alias is closer to B5 in that many of the storylines come across like novels to me, whereas X-Files just seemed to be vamping for years.

Peter,

I've loved your work all my life, but as my interest in stuff like Star Trek waned, so, obviously, did my reading of your books. I've enjoyed the Knight and Apropos novels, but I'm curious whether you might attempt something both original and relatively "serious" at any time in the near future...take a crack at something like Gaiman did in "American Gods." Any possibilities?

JC

I don't consider either 'One Knight Only' or 'Sir Apropos of Nothing' to be any less original than 'American Gods.' A lot of it comes down to marketing. 'American Gods' was as much as fantasy as 'One Knight Only,' but it was marketed as general fiction/literature. So if you're asking if I'm planning to write a lengthy novel that would be marketed as mainstream...I don't know. Depends on my mood.

Good Morning Peter:

I loved the post from your Daughter Gwen...PRICELESS

OK now that I have had my morning laugh :)

Regarding your future projects will there be:

*Another Pendragon Novel

*Apropos Book 4

*A Howling Mad Hardcover follow-up to "Moonlight Becomes You"

*(Please say yes to this one)Another HULK Novel that explores the Maestro's rise to power--hopefully set in the years where Brett was growing up before the Hulk came to the Maestro's dimension to rescue him in "What Savage Beast"

Nothing definite on another Arthur book. No publisher for Apropos. No follow-up planned for Moonlight. And I think a Hulk novel such as you describe would be so narrow focused that it probably wouldn't find a large enough audience.

With respect to your past work...I believe that I have every novel that you have written with the exception of the PHOTON ADVENTURES that you penned under the nom de guerre David Peters.

Where can I obtain copies of these books?

I prefer nom de plume, meaning name under which one writes. Nom de guerre, although it's broadly a synonym for that, literally means "war name." As for where to obtain them...no idea. Again, ebay is the place to watch for. I only have a few copies which I'm not selling, and I doubt they'll ever be brought back into print.

Regards:

Warren S. Jones III

I've created a CD of original songs, one of which was -- in an oblique sort of way -- inspired by your work on Hulk. May I send you a copy?

Would you listen to it?

I guess, sure. Send it to my PO box as mentioned above.

Hello, being a big fan of the Apropos books (and always hungry for all things Apropos), would you ever consider creating a 'further adventures of' type comic book based on the character..? If so, is there any particular angle you would like to explore in detail... something you could/would not do in the novels? For instance, a serial based on the 2 years he spent tending Bugger Hall..?

Doing a comic book would be fun, but I doubt it would sell.

Incidentally, if an Apropos movie were made [as Kurt suggested], I'd vote for James Marsters or maybe Bruce Campbell [in a big red wig] for the title role.

Nah. Too traditionally good looking.

Thanks for listening

E. Weatherhead

Where can I obtain copies of these [PHOTON] books?

Try the usual used-book search sites:

www.bookfinder.com

www.abebooks.com

used.addall.com

half.ebay.com

zshops.amazon.com

Corey

Here are a few assorted queries:

1)How scary is it that in five months CEREBUS #300 will be out, and in 6 months there will be a comics world sans CEREBUS for the first time since the '70s?

I lay awake at nights dwelling on that.

2)Any idea why there have been plenty of great STAR TREK: TNG episodes but not one great movie with that cast?

I wouldn't say that. I thought First Contact was really good.

3) Do you play HeroClix? Any favorite figures or teams?

Nope.

4) Was that Gwen above the famous Gwen David? If so, is an online q&a really the right venue to answer that question?

Yes, that was her.

5) Who'd be your ideal actress to play: Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Supergirl, Marla.

Lucy Lawless, Sharon Stone, Christina Applegate, Kristen Johnson

6) Any idea if Ben Edlund will *ever* finish the TICK stoyline he's left hanging for years now?

How the heck would I know that...?

7) Any questions for the fans?

WHY?! WHY DO YOU TORMENT ME SO?!?!?

I have two questions:

1) Have you or would you write characters or stories that you hate?

I've done it. Lobo. The Punisher. I find ways to make them work for me.

2)I had asked you before (with no response, I know your a busy man, so that's ok) what did you think of my comic book radio show?

You sent me the tape cassette, right? Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet.

Ever think of writing for video games?

Yes.

Wow, Gwen! had it right. Where _do_ babies come from?

Ask your mother.

And there are a ton of good questions out there, so it's really hard to come up with an original, non-insulting, not-heard-80-thousand times, non-embarassing question.

As a writer, when you are at the thanksgiving table, watching your beautiful family sitting down to eat, are you thinking about thanksgiving or are you thinking about something you are supposed to be writing?

Usually the former, sometimes the latter.

If so, does Kathleen notice? ;-)

Always.

1. After the amazing work you did with the unlikely members of X-Factor, if you ever had the chance to write X-Men, what would your roster be?

Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean, Wolfsbane, and Putz the Wonder Possum

2. Have you ever thought of adding more stories to the Tribute the First, Second, and Third series? These are some of my all time favorite X-Men stories, and I would love to see more.

Hadn't really thought to do that, no.

3. Do you watch the show 10-8? The mix of humor and drama really reminds me of your style.

Haven't seen it.

To Gwen: From an extremely drunk stork. Watch more cartoons.

Oh, and don't scare your father. That's our job. ^_^

Alan.

Since you have seen a lot of live theater, I'm curious as to your preferences in terms of plays and musicals. Do you have faovrote writers/writing teams? Are you more of a Sondheim person, a Lloyd-Webber person, or a Kander/Ebb person? Do you see any upcoming artists to achieve the status of any of the above?

1776, Man of La Mancha. Those are my favorites. More a Sondheim person with a leaning toward Lerner and Lowe as well. Up and coming artists? Well, I think this Mel Brooks kid has potential.

Thanks,

malvito

Two questions:

1. At Dragon*Con, you mentioned an aborted second New Frontier comic that had Calhoun visiting the Mirror Universe. Any chance of that story seeing the light of day in a non-comics format?

Not anytime soon, but eventually perhaps.

2. Have you caught the new Tarzan show on WB, and, if so, what'd you think?

Remember "Beauty and the Beast?" This is kind of "Beauty and the Beauty." He's prettier than she is. Other than that, I'm lukewarm on the writing and waiting to see where it goes.

Regarding the New Frontier Books, and forgive me if this is redundant in any way, but has Paramount or the Trek francise ever approached you with the idea of making NF into a TV series or movies?

Never. Nor do I think they ever will.

And who do you see playing Calhoun?

Well, as I noted, Mel Gibson was the inspiration.

Are there any Riker/Troi/Titan stories in the works at all? Preferably from the Imzadi scribe?

If they're in the works, it's not from me.

(This is my second post in this thread--sorry for not including these questions in my first post--if you get to this, please feel free to skip it and answer questions from folks who haven't gotten any questions in yet)

Just yesterday I read two issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN written by David Micheline that included Doc Samson and The Hulk. Chronologically, they're set to take place right after the Hulk's battle with Madman and Piecemeal on the British Isles. A lot of fans of your Hulk run claim you retconned the events of these stories (the ASM stories) into nonexistence by having Doc Samson say it was all just a dream (sorry, I forget the exact issue, but I believe it was the first issue of "The Troyjan War"). If this was actually your intent, I was just curious as to what it was about the ASM stories that bothered you.

Because the entire story in ASM turned on the notion that the Hulk was flying around to various places on commercial airlines and using commerical airports. This at the time when he was running the Pantheon, had access to their worldwide organization including a variety of air vehicles, and was wanted by SHIELD for criminal actions. The notion that he'd whip out a passport and hop a TWA flight at all, much less unmolested by government agencies, was ridiculous. I hated it. It made no sense. So I made it go away.

Just for something completely different:

So if you were the GM of the Mets, what would you do this offseason?

Resign.

You wrote DS9 and ST:TNG, but you didn't do on Voyager or Enterprise any reason why?

I was offered Voyager but turned it down. Wasn't interested. Enterprise, I wasn't offered. Too busy doing NF.

Which comic book character that you have not written much (ex. cameo do not count) of would you like to write more?

Batman

Which comic book character do you think you would have the most difficulty writing and why?

The Flash. If you're going to play him true to his power's potential, he's unbeatable. The moment someone sees him coming, it's too late. You shout, "It's the Flash!" and you haven't even got "It's" out before you're done. At least Impulse could be easily distracted.

which comic did you most Enjoy writing ?

Hulk

what is your favorite Character in marvel or DC ?

Fallen Angel

How long do you think Captain Marvel will go on ? !1-26 ? 1-126 ?

No clue.

If you could choose any comic to write which one would you choose ?

Tarzan vs. the Phantom.

Are you going to have Thanos in any of your Captain Marvel issues in the future ?

Maybe

I felt kind of cheated while reading "One Knight Only"; the ending seemed pretty abrupt. I was expecting a bit of closure re: Arthur, Gwen, Percival and the rest of the gang, but it was as though the story was roaring along and braked to a sudden stop. Was there supposed to be an additional chapter, or was that how you intended to finish the book?

JSM

It was how I intended it. I wanted to end it on an emotional high. Think about it: All the major storylines, plot points and character problems had been resolved. Anything after that point would have been anticlimax. So I decided not to have an anticlimactic chapter.

I heard that the writer Len Kaminski (Ghost Rider 2099) asked different writers what they would like added in the "2099: Manifest Destiny" one-shot he wrote, could you tell me what did you ask to be added? And did everything you wanted made it to print?

I said I wanted to undo the death of Miguel's mom, and undo the notion that Gabe was the Goblin when it was always intended to be Father Jennifer.

Was there a particular reason why the Atlantians looked like fish-type-people in the first couple of issues of Spider-Man 2099 but when Roman was introduced close to the end they all looked like regular Atlantians? Was it because different artists worked on the two stories?

Yes.

Will you like to write another Supergirl series?

Sure.

Is there a character you will like to write once more?

Hulk

Does Peter David believe in God?

When life sucks, no. When I look at my kids, yes.

Religion? If so what organization if any?

Judaism.

Do you find fans annoying?

Only when they ask about religion

I have heard that you said regarding the Goblin 2099 identity that:

“In the issue # 45 that was "shown" who the Goblin was, well look at that page again - notice that the typeface in the "hold this trunk for me" balloon is slightly different than the rest of the page. Now look at that same panel closely.

Do you see any trunk being passed from Gabe to Father Jen? No? Didn't think you would.”

http://www.2099comics.com/goblin_files/Gabe_201.jpg

Now to my actual question, what was the panel original meant to say?

The actual dialogue? I don't remember word for word, but it made clear that she was the Goblin.

Just a FYI I really enjoyed your time flies storyline in Cap Marvel!

Thanks.

Marcus

What do you think of Marvel's current practice of having all books have generic, non-plot-specific covers? How difficult was it to get them to put Spider-Man on the cover of the recent Captain Marvel book? If enough writers fussed about it, do you think the trend could be reconsidered?

As noted, I dislike the practice. Having Spidey on the cover took some serious badgering on my part, but fortunately the editors capitulated, and I think we actually picked up some readers as a result.

Some New Frontier questions:

1. Does Zak Kebron still wear the gravity belt he had in the first four books?

Yes.

2. Shelby seems to be a favorite characters of yours. Why is that?

They're all my favorites at different times and at different points in the stories.

3. After his "molting", can we still see some of the taciturn, sarcastic Kebron?

If he's cranky.

Sorry, I just had to ask one more question! Since Kathleen works for Del Rey and has worked on the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series, have you ever been asked to write a Star Wars book? If so, would you? Why or why not?

I'm not going out of my way to work on any other licensed projects.

How's it going both working at home and having a newborn? How much has that affected your schedule?

It's tricky sometimes. Lately I've been doing a lot of work at night because I'm doing a lot of labor-intensive stuff under heavy deadline, and then Kath watches the baby in the morning while I collapse. I'm hoping to return to a more normal schedule soon.

I missed the previous opportunity for this so thanks for giving us another chance. Here are my questions..

1) What Marvel books are you currently following?

JMS Spider-Man. Runaways. Other titles occasionally.

2) It seems to me that Marvel editors don't care too much about continuity nowadays, writers are allowed to contradict the past "as long as it's a good story" or whatever Joe Quesada said. It certainly gives more creative freedoms to writers but I feel that something is lost at the same time, something that used to make the Marvel Universe such a special place. As a writer and fan, do you view this loosened control as a good or bad thing?

A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it.

3) Would you consider doing a crossover story with Joe Michael Straczynski's Amazing Spider-Man and Captain Marvel? :-) These books are my current favourites and you two are my favourite writers (along with Neil Gaiman)

so it would be a real treat.

Sure.

Just a couple questions:

1) What ship classes are the Exter and the Trident?

Galaxy class, although the Excalibur has been souped up a bit.

2) How is Pandora doing?

She's just fine. Fully recovered.

Later!

LOU

Love the New Frontier Series

1. How many more do you think you will write?

At least three more

2. How much time separates the events that took place in the first book and the most recent?

Not sure off hand, but you can check the superb timeline charted by Keith DeCandido and that'll tell you.

3 Why do people in the 24th century use imperial measurments in your books?

I don't think they always do. They use metric when discussing distances to vessels, for instance.

You've said that you have no interest in writing a Buffy novel, though you would've liked to write an episode of the TV show. While the show was on the air, did you ever express this interest to Joss Whedon or the production staff, or was your interest just casual, i.e. "If they ask me I'll say yes"?

I had a meeting at Mutant Enemy, actually, with some of the producers. I thought it went well, but they never called, so I guess it didn't go well enough.

Are you also interested in writing an episode of Angel? If so, have you expressed this interest to Joss or the staff?

I'd be happy to, sure. But most episodic series wind up being either staff written or farmed out to close friends of the staff. And I'm neither, so...

davidh

Forgive me if you have been asked this many times before.

What is your opinion of 'Enterprise'?

Do you watch it? and if so, because you want to or out of professional interest?

Thanks,

Kevin (ncc71877)

See above about commenting on Trek.

Hi Peter, I was just wondering

a) if there will ever be any way for those of us who could not attend the convention to see Bye Bye Buffy.

There's video of it, but it's not for general distribution.

b)I remember once reading an intro to a New Frontier book explaining why it was created. Later when I went back to look for it I could not find it, and none of the ones I own have it. So would you be able to put in what that intro said?

I'm not sure myself.

c)and finally, can you explain what that spock/ duck picture was?

The wh--? Oh. Yeah. First, that wasn't a duck, it was a penguin, and it was a reference to "Bloom County" in which the characters would pretend to be Trek characters.

thanks

I caught your run on the Hulk at the very end, during the Heroes Reborn thing. Could you (or anyone else who knows) explain what the deal was with that white cat that was following Hulk around?

For some reason, Kubert kept drawing in this damned white cat. So I finally started writing him into the story.

When will you do any appearance in good old blighty

When someone offers to pay my way there.

What do you think of Grant Morrison, specifically his runs on JLA and the New X-Men?

What I've read of his X-Men I've liked. Liked his JLA run, although to some degree it started with such huge stakes so early that, story-wise, it didn't leave him all that many places to go.

If you were a supreme editor of an Marvel/DC: which writer would you like to put on which series? Like a dream lineup?

Question is moot. I'd never want to be supreme editor of anything. I don't like telling other writers what to do.

Ahem... ahem..

a) So... a Pratchett Fan? Yea or Nay?

Yes.

b) Any more Full Moon stuff coming up?

Nope.

c) Favorite Rock Band... split into two departments: still together, and not together.

Not together, Beatles. Together of modern day, I don't really have a favorite.

d) And, since I live and die by this book in my own personal writing: Do you keep a copy of Elements of Style by Strunk and White by your computer?

No. That's why God created copy editors. In terms of my personal writing, I generally don't need it. If I write something and I'm not sure if it's stylistically correct, I just change it. There's always different ways to express an idea.

Travis

Peter,

1. Any sort of writing regiment you follow?

There are no writing regiments I know of. That would be interesting, though, sending writing regiments into battle. Instead of guns, we would disarm opponents with our rapier wit and perhaps lob literary bombshells into their midst. Now if on the off-chance you actually meant "regimen," which is a regular procedure, I don't follow anything really hard and fast. I go downstairs, I sit at the computer, I write until I can't write anymore, and then I go off and do something else.

2. Best line you've had/heard about the California Recall election.

The Daily Show referring to Arnold's entry as 'Teutonic Plague.'"

3. Any movies/comics/albums/books you've been surprised by lately, either amount of enjoyment or disappointment?

Amazed by how much I liked "Pirates of the Caribbean." Other stuf I've listened to and read but haven't been particularly surprised by it.

Thanks for your time,

Joey

Hey PAD,

I've been enjoying Captain Marvel quite a bit, so I must ask: could you give us a tantalizing clue (or two) about what's coming next? I always loved having those prophecies of yours (like Hulk turning into the Maestro) hanging over every storyline.

Rick's dead and he's pretty pissed off about it.

Carlos

Thanks for doing this again!

(1) If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to do the musical score?

Danny Elfman

(2) Since so many people have asked similar questions, I'll just shoot for the moon... if they committed New Frontier to film, who would you cast as each member of the crew, beyond those already cast? Or would you re-cast some of those who've already been portrayed by an actor/actress?

Mel Gibson as Calhoun; David Bowie as Burgoyne; CGI for Kebron; Bebe Neuwirth as Soleta.

(3) How did NF come about? Was it something you lobbied for, or was it something Paramount gave you, or some arcane combination of both? If it's solely your baby, what inspired you to do it?

The basic concept was John Ordover's, as was the notion of using several already existing characters. I fleshed out the concept and created the original characters.

(4) Would you consider doing the Q&A thread on a regular (monthly?) basis? You're an interesting guy, and all I can think of right now are NF questions, probably because I can't find 'Gods Above' here in Disgusta, GA, and I'm frothing at the mouth.

I don't know that I'd regularize it. But it'll be every so often.

Let me apologize in advance if I've asked somebody else's question, or something that's common knowledge... I checked, but I'm far from perfect. Oh, and while I have the chance, let me thank you for the "Coward!" - "Idiot." exchange in 'Once Burned.' To me, that's one of the best scenes I've ever read in a Trek novel, and it gets better every time I read it.

The OTHER John Byrne

Curious for your opinions if any on the following writers...

1) Sarah Vowell

2) Al Franken

3) Christopher Hitchens

4) Robert Anton Wilson

5) John Ringo

6) Someone else who's name escapes me... oh well.

Not really familiar enough with Vowell, Hitchens or Ringo to comment. Wilson, the Illuminati stuff never did much for me. I think Franken is scattershot; great in some places, unfocused in others.

Always interested to hear one writers thought on others works. Thanks!

-Dire

Thanks for the opportunity, Peter. Just a simple one, really:

Do you have any 'crutches' or 'peeves' when it comes to writing that help the daily X number of pages to flow easier? (Not meaning drugs/vitamins; I have a hard time writing without music in the background and a bottle of Dew in easy reach, f'r instance.)

No, not really.

And for that matter, do you set a particular page goal for yourself per day, or just sort of take it as it comes?

Try to take it as it comes. I know some days it'll flow easily and I'll get a lot done; other times, much less so. But I know that it all evens out.

Thanks again!

What happened to the plan to archive BIDs here?

Uhm...Glenn?

How long has it been since a month passed during which neither DC nor Marvel published a book written by you?

I really don't know. I'm trying to think if there was a gap between when I stopped writing HULK and started writing SUPERGIRL. If not, then it's the month before HULK #331 came out.

Are there any current writers or pencillers with comparable durations of continuous publication?

Don't know. Probably.

I've been a big fan of your star trek novels for over ten years now. If I were to send you a copy of one of them with a self-addressed stamped envelope, would you be so kind as to sign it for me? If so, thanks a billion, (and please let me know the details). If you're too busy, I fully understand, and appreciate the years of entertainment and thought you've provided us all!

Sure. Send it to PO Box 239, Bayport, NY 11705.

Thanks,

Michael

1. Does the number of questions in any way make you think this seemed like a much better idea at the time?

God, yes.

2. If no, would you like me to start polling people to come with with random extra questions?

Please, don't

3. When visiting Jacksonville, have you ever been to Chamblin Bookmine, one of the single largest used bookstores I've ever seen? Admittedly, I'm from the south; they may outdo it up north.

Don't think I've been to Jacksonville, but I will be next year, so maybe I will then.

Out of curiosity, when you were writing The Hulk were you at all influenced by the Bill Bixby TV series? I ask because I was recently watching the DVD of the series pilot, which also included an episode called "Married." Married included scenes where Banner--under hypnosis--interacts with the Hulk. This reminded me somewhat of your run on the book & made me wonder if the series was an influence on your Hulk.

No, not really. If I'd been really influenced by the Bixby series, the book would have pretty much read the way it does now. Which it didn't.

HA! Made it before the cutoff. Two real quick, simple q's.

First, when re-reading Being Human, Burgy is asked the number of Jeffries Tubes on the ship. His response was 42. As a result, I wish to ask: concious Douglas Adams reference or not?

Conscious.

Two: Did you ever read the book, "The Silent Gondoliers?" It's a 100-pg book by S. Morganstern (aka William Goldman, in his pen name under which he wrote "The Princess Bride"). If so, any thought?

I read it years ago and liked it at the time. I don't remember much about the details.

Thanks for this opportunity,

CHris

Thanks for the Lili charactor in New Frontier, did she know?

I hope so.

1. Was the death of Betty Banner your idea, or one of the things which led you to quit writing The Incredible Hulk? (And was returning to the Hulk ever an option, since the "return to savage Hulk" idea was relatively quickly cast aside?) And what was the cause of that death, as far as you were concerned?

It was Bobbie Chase's suggestion which I took and ran with. But after I wrote the script in which she died, I was told that I was to take the opportunity to have the Hulk go completely berserk and spend issue after issue smashing stuff for 22 pages...which seemed wrong and pointless and trivialized the whole thing. And when I wouldn't write it that way, they told me I had #467 to wrap my run, and don't let the door hit me on the way out. Cause of death? The Abomination poisoned her while she was in New York.

2.To pick up on a question someone else asked - was that white cat just Adam Kubert's little signature, or - did it eat the mouse which was hosting the Leader's consciousness (except when he briefly seemed to possess Omnibus)? And then the Leader possessed the cat? (And eventually the Leader would've possessed a cow, and looked for an old lady to swollow the cow?)

Adam's signature, which I then started working into the story in minor ways just for laughs.

3.Do you have a favorite incarnation of the Hulk from your time on the series?

Still fond of Mr. Fixit, even though the readers hated it at the time (and now tons of people tell me that was their favorite Hulk incarnation. People always seemed to bitch about what I was doing while I was doing it, and then embraced it years later.

Thank you for your time (assuming you possibly could have time to answer all of these questions, in addition to everything else you have going on); it's a generous offer to make.

Had Supergirl been given a reprieve and was still ongoing, where would Linda Danvers be now?

San Francisco.

Anychance DC will let you write a story where Linda beats the snot out of Cir-El?

Probably not.

What was Eddie Berganza smoking when he approved the introduction of Cir-El?

Cuban Cigars.

Will he share or has he bogarted it?

Don't know.

OK, here's one that probably belongs on the continuuum with "where do you get your ideas from?"

Deadlines.

How do you find your drive?

I think I need new shock absorbers. Car's bouncing like a son of a gun.

I ask because I'm still trying to find for myself that task, issue, calling, etc. where intellectual interest and emotional issues combine to produce jet fuel.

Seriously, if what you're talking about is being a writer and you have to search that hard, something's wrong. You write not because you look around at various options and decide, Oh, this might be for me. You write because NOT writing simply isn't an option. You are compelled to do so, get itchy when you're not.

What ignites a Peter David, a J.M. Straczynski, or a Harlan Ellison -- and why do I (and others?) seem to be banging pieces of flint together without anything catching?

Because you're living on the world, not in it. If you are truly in the world, then it is impossible not to find something that ignites your passion. You have to read newspapers, watch TV news, interact with people, let it get under your skin, get worked up about something, and decide to do something about it. John Adams said there are only two kinds of people of worth in this world: Those with the commitment, and those who require the commitment of others. If you want to be of worth, decide which one you are, and take it from there. If you don't, well...unfortunately, you'll have plenty of company.

1. Ever thought about doing a project with my other favorite writer, Neil Gaiman?

Sure.

2. What do you think of David Mack's work (Daredevil, Kabuki)? He's from my area, just thought I'd might ask.

Haven't seen that much of it.

3. What do you think of Stargate: SG1? It's a long-running sci-fi show but it seems to be off in its own little corner, not getting much attention from everybody.

Don't watch it.

4. What's your favorite animated version of a comic book? (Justice League, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, whatever)

Of all time? Batman: The Animated Series.

Thanks very much :-)

Peter,

I have been a big fan of yours for years, but I have two questions for you.

1) There have been many common themes I've noticed in your works over the years, most notably in the Trek books. One of them is the continued presence of at least one strong female character-very cool. The other though is a loss that tends to be profound for the main character or characters of the piece. Two examples of this include Q as well as a number of other characters in "Q-Squared" and Picard in "Vendetta." Do you feel that loss is the most vivid way to affect a change of character, and if not do you have a preferred method?

I don't think of loss as a "method" so much as that it's something that happens to a character and they have to deal with it. What makes writing interesting is change, be it birth, death, change of focus or life direction, all of which I've explored.

2) You get the call from Paramount. They've made a deal with any production company and/or studio, and have been given the option of bringing over one character or set of characters into a Trek novel. They want you to write it, and you get to choose the crossover. Is there any dream story/fanboy crossover sotry you'd love to write?

I finally get to write that Star Trek/Peanuts crossover I've dreamt about.

Thanks for this opportunity, and I await the next works eagerly.

Can you describe how you felt when you decided to quit your day job to pursue writing full time?

A bit nervous, but confident I could pull it off.

Any truth to the ad that you will be at the Motor City Comic Con in Novi, MI in May of next year?

Thanks,

Brian

Yes. Boy, you're the second person to ask. Does Motor City have a reputation for false advertising or something?

response to Chris'...

Two: Did you ever read the book, "The Silent Gondoliers?" It's a 100-pg book by S. Morganstern (aka William Goldman, in his pen name under which he wrote "The Princess Bride"). If so, any thought?

S. Morganstern actually wrote the original the princess bride and its sequal in floren and was later translated into english (among others). William Goldman rewrote it and the movie was made and he produced the novelised book of the movie. Goldman wanted to write the sequal but the morganstern estate didn't like the idea and asked stephen king to. goldman was miffed and talked to king who told him to go to floren and see the place for himself and to write the first chapter - which is printed at the end of the anniversary printing of the princess bride retold by goldman. i have heard nothing as to what is happening to the remaining chapters but believe the book to be entitled - buttercup's baby.

all the above is stated in the anniversary printing of the princess bride retold by william goldman (along with his own comments amongst the story as asides and his introduction which covered his memories of his life and the movie - the princess bride)

Uh, dude...you ARE aware that's a total hose, right? That there is not, and never was, an S. Morgenstern? That the whole thing is an invention of William Goldman? If you didn't know this, I'm really sorry to burst your bubble, but trust me on this: I had dinner with the guy, I know what I'm talking about. The whole Morgenstern thing was a device Goldman invented to tell the story. Goldman's the author. Always was. If nothing else, the tip-off was when Vizzini said, "You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The best known of course is, 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia!' which was intended as a Vietnam reference...which Morgernstern, obviously, wouldn't have written.

Peter,

As someone who writes both science fiction and fantasy, what aspects of each do you think make them different from one another? Why are they lumped together?

The difference is that science fiction is a logical extrapolation of current scientific thinking, whereas fantasy is pretty much anything goes (within reason.) People lump them together because both of them are set in worlds or environments that do not, and never have, existed.

Janet

I know I run the risk of being flamed, but in New Frontier, every time Morgan Primus shows up someplace new it seems like everyone recognizes her (Riker, Picard, Scotty). Who is she supposed to be, or who does she look like?

The implication is that she looks like Majel Barrett...which would mean that Riker and Picard recognize her as Lwaxana Troi and Scotty knows her as Christine Chapel...or even as Number One. Plus she'd sound like the ship's computer. However that's never been officially copped to.

Peter, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. I know your time is very valuable to you, and it means a lot, at least to me, that you are willing to answer our questions.

There's something I've been wanting to ask a frequently-published writer like yourself for several years now: from what little I understand about writing, you get paid primarily by the number of books you sell. I was wondering what your opinion is of libraries stocking newer pop culture, sci-fi, and fantasy books like the ones you write? By allowing potential buyers to simply borrow your books instead of buy them, do you think libraries cost you income?

That's not exactly right. I get paid what's called an advance, and then a certain percentage of the cover price of each book is applied against that advance. Eventually, if I'm lucky, the book "earns out" and then I get more money on top of that. The books that libraries buy count toward those advances, plus they expose readers to my work who might not have seen it...and may then go out and start buying copies off the stands. So no, I don't have a problem with it.

Elie

Well, besides heaping praise upon you(love your comics and novels), someone already asked the two questions I had in mind (will there be another BID collection, and what was the deal with Sweeney in Trek and Hulk, anyway? He was keen... did you have further plans?)- I came up with something on the fly...

What's the Pantheon up to, hmmm? I'd like to see 'em make a comeback of some kind. Especially Paris, Hector, Cassie and Ulysses.

I doubt you'll ever see them again.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

PS- My girlfriend and I were just going through some of our old back issues, and came across your great Peter Parker run. Good stuff.

I know I run the risk of being flamed, but in New Frontier, every time Morgan Primus shows up someplace new it seems like everyone recognizes her (Riker, Picard, Scotty). Who is she supposed to be, or who does she look like?

She is (apparently) Christine Chapel, from the original series, which is why Scotty recognizes her.

Chapel was played by Majel Barrett, who also played Lwaxana Troi, which is why Picard and Riker recognize her.

Majel also did the voices for all the Starfleet computers in the various series, so that connection has also been used.

Any chance we could see Calhoun's son Xyon show up again?

Yes, Xyon shows up next year.

With all the new pokes the institution seems to be raining down on the comic industry if you woke up tomorrow to find yourself an outlaw in an outlaw business would ya' thumb your nose at BIG BROTHER and just keep writing comics and shipping them out to us via the underground?

No.

batmansero--

You are correct in everything except in one detail (I actually have that exact edition of TPB). However, in the audio commentary of the special edition DVD of TPB, Goldman admits to creating the scene where Westley dies, and that he wrote the book. I'm sorry to say this, but there really is no S. Morganstern. Even the Library of Congress lists this as a pen name for Mr. Goldman. He's just a front that Goldman hides behind. Besides, look at the passage you are citing: about Goldman visiting the country of Florin, which Morganstern claims to come from, but which never existed! Yet he claims in one of his many hillarious introductions that he visited all the places in Florin and Guilder where the various actions occurred. But the country doesn't exist. As for Stephen King, he was interviewed and asked about those comment in the introduction to BB, and he claims that he and Goldman are friends, so Goldman threw him in there as a joke. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Goldman's claims of abridgement are fake--he penned the whole thing. As are his statements about his family--he claims to have an obese son, but in reality he has two daughters. Coincidentally, he asked them what he should write his next book about. One said, "Princesses," the other said "brides." And thus TPB was born. So while Goldman is one of the best and most brilliant authors alive, and his stories pure genius, his claims about Mr. Morganstern are fictitious.

Chris

"We are both men of action; lies do not become us."

Back on topic, one other question: in "The Rift," you play with the fact that the First Officer (played by Majel Roddenbury) was never given a name, just called "Number One." When you wrote the story, were you forbidden from giving an arbitrary name, or is there an actual name that only the higher-ups at Paramount know?

They didn't have to forbid it. I just figured I didn't have the authority to establish it and so didn't even try.

Just curious,

Chris