Retro Thursday: Len Wein, Marv Wolfman
In spring of 2004, I attended Planet Comicon in Overland Park, Kan., and heard two of the most successful comic-book creators of the 1970s and 1980s: Marv Wolfman and Len Wein. Julius Schwartz, longtime DC editor, had recently died, and so he was on the minds of both creators. A few things discussed at the show four years ago that still haven’t come to fruition: Wein was working on a “Swamp Thing” movie script, and Wolfman was hopeful his long-delayed “Teen Titans: Games” graphic novel would be finished by George Perez. As of 2005, the “Games” graphic novel was on indefinite hiatus. I haven’t heard any updates recently about a “Swamp Thing” film. The following article was originally published April 9, 2004.
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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Two former editors in chief of Marvel Comics talked about their work in comics and other media adaptations of some of their most famous creations at the recent Planet Comicon. Marv Wolfman created many of the New Teen Titans for DC with artist George Perez. He’s written episodes of the “Teen Titans” series for the Cartoon Network based on his comic and has more episodes in the pipeline.
Wolfman also created Blade, the vampire hunter who will be featured in a third motion picture this year, and Bullseye, a villain in the recent “Daredevil” film.
Len Wein is working on a screenplay for “Swamp Thing,” which he co-created with artist Berni Wrightson.
Wein said the new “Swamp Thing” would be a true horror movie, with the creature done in CGI rather than a “guy in a rubber suit.”
Wolfman and Wein both had hits in the 1970s horror resurgence in comics, following the relaxation of the comics code to allow more horror elements. Wolfman’s “Tomb of Dracula,” with Gene Colan, introduced “Blade,” and Wein’s “Swamp Thing” brought a philosophical slant to a horror staple.
Wein and Wolfman broke into DC in the late 1960s, when Julius Schwartz was one of the top editors at the company.
Wein and Wolfman paid tribute to Schwartz, who died Feb. 8.
Wein told how he received his first assignment from “Julie.” He was waiting in the DC offices to pitch a story for “Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane,” when Schwartz barreled into the office.
“What are you doing here?” Schwartz said.
Wein responded, saying he was pitching a “Lois Lane” story.
“No, you’re not,” Schwartz said, grabbing Wein by the collar.
Schwartz sat Wein down in his office and said, “You’re writing the Flash.”
When Wein protested that he hadn’t prepared anything for the Flash, Schwartz said, “You couldn’t be any worse than that S.O.B. I just fired!”
While Schwartz could be gruff, he also was very influential.
“It’s astonishing when you look at one man’s impact,” Wein said, noting that Schwartz’s revival of Flash, Green Lantern and the Justice League motivated Marvel’s 1960s output.
Wolfman and Wein, who each briefly served as editor in chief of Marvel in the 1970s, trail only Marvel’s Stan Lee in the number of characters they have created or co-created that have been adapted into film or television. Besides Swamp Thing, Wein also co-created Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Storm and Colossus of the X-Men.
Though these creators appreciate the opportunity to bring these characters to a larger audience, they feel some in comics are trying too hard for movie success without noting what makes a good comic.
“Comics used to be ahead of the curve; now we’re following the curve,” Wolfman said.
Wolfman also wrote the hit series “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” of which Wein served as a consulting editor. The artist was Perez. The landmark miniseries aimed to clear the barnacles off DC Comics’ continuity, which at the time included multiple universes and versions of main characters. The series, released in 1985-1986, will reach its 20th anniversary next year.
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” was targeted at hard-core Marvel fans, who at that time didn’t follow DC Comics.
“And wouldn’t,” Wolfman said, “because it was too confusing to them.
“We needed to do something incredibly large and incredibly loud to say to these people, ‘Come on over and take a look. DC has great characters.’”
“Crisis” merged all the continuities into one Earth. In the process, Flash and Supergirl were killed, and the multiple Earths were destroyed.
Wolfman said despite its sales and critical success, “Crisis” didn’t clear up continuity problems as much as he would have liked.
Characters weren’t supposed to remember the Crisis, and all the books were supposed to start new with No. 1 issues, with no recollection of what had gone before, Wolfman said.
“It failed only because the people (in charge) in 1986 and on decided to go in a different direction,” Wolfman said.
However, the books made a mark in sales and in readers’ minds. “The ‘Crisis’ was a way of getting (Marvel) fans over. … We actually succeeded and got them to come over … we were 100 percent successful in that,” Wolfman said.
To commemorate the series, still popular in trade paperback, Wolfman is writing a “Crisis” novel.
Another series still with a strong fan following is the Wolfman-Perez issues of “New Teen Titans,” which DC will release in trade paperback. Also expected late thisyear or next year is the long-awaited “Titans: Games” graphic novel reuniting Wolfman with Perez.
The release date isn’t set yet, as Perez is still recovering from a wrist injury he suffered drawing “JLA-Avengers.”
“Games” was originally set for a 1989 release, but stalled after Perez was “burned out” on drawing the Titans. Now, Wolfman said, the project is back on track.
While DC would like the graphic novel out for Christmas, Wolfman said, he’d prefer it to come out in 2005 for the 25th anniversary of the first Perez-Wolfman issue of “New Teen Titans” in 1980.
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Comments
The amazing thing is, if they ever do get around to finishing it, Perez is still in top form, so there more than likely wouldn’t be a dramatic difference in art started 20 years ago.
I would agree. Legion of Three Worlds looks so amazing. Another one of his books where each time you read it, you discover something new in each panel.
I remember when there was talk about the Games graphic novel finally getting finished, and then the disappointment when it was put back on hiatus. I would love to some day see this project finished, Marv Wolfman and George Perez are the two creators behind my all-time favorite series.