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Radiation Interrogation: Matt Fraction
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Location: Blogs Atomic Fallout |
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| Posted by: Atomic Online |
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 5:50 PM |
Atomic Comics - Matt Fraction, where do we start. Best New Writer in the last 5 years? How about that. I gotta say that on the first question and get my “fan-boy-ness” right out of the way. Did I just make you uncomfortable? What if I said “fan-boyner-ness”?
 Matt Fraction - Your first question is, “Did I just make you uncomfortable?” Mike, m’man, I can tell you right now, right this very second: this is going to be my favorite interview ever.
AC - Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men Utopia with art by Marc Silvestri. First X-Avengers crossover in a decade plus! I guess if you had to have someone draw the book, Silvestri isn’t a bad choice. But seriously how awesome does this book look?
MF - It’s amazing, right? I mean, it’s Silvestri. I bet if you ask X readers of my particular generation who their holy X art trilogy is, it’d be J.R. Jr., Jim Lee, and Silvestri. In my head, the X-Men LOOK like Marc Silvestri drawings, y’know?
AC - Now this is the book where it all hits the fan as far as mutants are concerned in the Marvel Universe, correct?
MF - Yeah. And then, moving forward? It starts to-- if I may continue that metaphor-- splatter off the blades and hit everybody. Things aren’t the same at the end of this. This isn’t, ya’know, THE EVOLUTIONARY WAR or whatever where it’s just a fight story spread out over different titles; it’s not one of those stories where you can figure out what happens by looking at the cover and reading the solicitations. The status quo is irrevocably usurped, toothpaste forever removed from tube, etc. etc. We’ve been building to this since 500-- hell, since the first time someone said the word “Mutie” on-panel, even. Human-Mutant relations are about to H-Bomb explode.
AC - I have asked this question before but I feel you are one of the few creators who really embrace the new technological age. Twitter has become huge for the geeks of the world. How do you feel it has affected your work or the way you relate to peers and fans?
MF - I’m the world’s laziest blogger, so I love Twitter because it dumps these dumb little 140-character thoughts to my webpage and makes it look like a site that’s always dynamic and always changing.
AC - I seem to remember a tweet from several weeks back where you were asking about very hi class/underground restaurants in San Francisco. In this issue Daken mentions Chez Pannise. Was this a little research via Twitter?
MF - Yeah-- my first choice was a place that I knew about without research, and I figured if *I* knew about it than it could really only be at the bottom of the A-List. I polled Twitter, and asked a few pals in the Bay Area, emailed some others, and Chez Pannise... was second place. First place didn’t sound right on the page-- it was the chef’s name-- and it didn’t sound like a restaurant necessarily. So the line read weird and I went with #2. That said I’d gladly eat at either.
AC - So since you assumedly have X-Men vs. Dark Avengers battles going on in this arc, did you and Bendis arm wrestle or anything to choose who would win in the individual fights?
MF - No, actually because we were both very much in the same place about what would happen in the macro sense. Umm.... there’s not much I can say without being murdered. So let’s try this: XMDA is only the beginning. A rock dropped in the center of a large pond.
AC - So all three of the chief editors are overseeing this project (Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso, Nick Lowe) … what’s it like working with these guys on such a HUGE project? Which is Larry, Curly & Moe? F, Marry, Kill?
MF - Man, those guys were lifesavers, I’m not even gonna lie. This is the biggest thing I’ve ever written-- I mean, hell, you’ve read the first issue, it’s giant-- and there were times I needed the help. So many moving parts and so many different things going on all at once... the editorial team was Johnny-on-the-Spot when I’d
mistake trees for forests, forests for trees, and spell “Graymalkin” with an E. Except T-Voort, he’s totally useless. The man is like an anchor, wearing a hat, chained to your soul. The anchor, I mean, not the hat. Who would chain a soul to a hat? That’s just goofy. What is this, upside-down day? Axel is definitely the Moe of the bunch. Tom, the Larry. Nick Lowe, due to his well known psychotic allergy to cheese is of course Curly. John Barber is the Curly Joe Dorita.
AC - When are we going to see more Casanova? We need our fix!
MF - I started writing it a couple weeks ago. Working with the twins on when it’ll fall on their schedule. When we know that, the rerelease plan can get its trigger pulled. Hopefully by the end of the year.
AC - Given the company properties (Iron Man and Uncanny X-Men) and your creator owned stuff (Casanova), what would be your dream project to work on?
MF - Man, I’m just super-happy right now. I’d like to be able to maintain a healthy mix between the work-for-hire worlds and the creator-owned worlds as until I start making the tall Jeph Loeb dollars it’s really the only way to make it work. There’s no way to say this without sounding totally cheeseball but, like, I feel like I got here incredibly fast. I feel incredibly lucky. And I’m having a ridiculous amount of fun. I don’t want to look this gift horse in the mouth too much.
AC - Do you read any non-Marvel comics these days? If so, please recommend some books for Atomic fans to check out.
MF - Oh, golly tons. let’s see. Ivan and Nic’s VIKING is fun. Anything Remender does-- FEAR AGENT, THE END LEAGUE-- is always worth a read. Fantagraphics’ reprint program is out of control these days-- the HUMBUG collection is amazing, as was BLAZING COMBAT, and the Fletcher Hanks books. Anything by Urasawa-- PLUTO especially. Ellis’ Avatar work is good-- IGNITION CITY was particularly great, I thought. I devour anything by Los. Bros Hernandez.
AC - What’re your thoughts on the Batman Reborn … err … Reboot? Coincidence that all of a sudden Batman is “Reborn”? You think DC was actively trying to steal some of the Captain American thunder?
MF - All I care about is more Grant Morrison comics. And that Quitely is drawing it just makes it all the more perfect. He’s just so endlessly inspiring, endlessly inventive. His BATMAN run is one for the ages. And, Mike, are you saying that theft is the only way DC can manage to have a little thunder surrounding their books and events these days? Shocked. I am SHOCKED, sir, that the claim comes from a retailer of your high stature.*
*Atomic Note: Niether Atomic nor this “Mike” fellow made any claims or allegations regarding DC’s intentions, we merely asked Mr. Fraction what he thought about the word Reborn. The fact that he is such a conspiracy theorist is, frankly, troubling.
AC - Not a question but a statement. Five Fists of Science kicks ass!!!!
MF - Remastered edition available at fine comic shops everywhere-- Like Atomic Comics, no doubt-- this August! AT LONG LAST! |
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