Jeff Parker is a renaissance man in the comic book world. He's an Eisner nominated cartoonist (The Interman) and publisher (Dear John - The Alex Toth Doodle Book) and has been writing a variety of titles for Marvel Comics and has recently collaborated with Eurythmic Dave Stewart on Virgin Comic's Walk In. Among Parker's latest work is X-Men: First Class, Marvel Romance Redux, Marvel Monsters, Marvel Westerns, the new Spider-Man/Fantastic Four mini-series and Marvel Adventures The Avengers. Last week, Marvel Comics published a collection of Parker's latest project, The Agents of Atlas in a definitive collection which includes the entire mini-series AGENTS OF ATLAS #1-6 plus the Agents’ first appearances in stories from YELLOW CLAW #1 (Jimmy Woo; October 1956), MENACE #11 (Human Robot; May 1954), VENUS #1 (August 1948), MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #82 (Namora; May 1947), MARVEL BOY #1 (December 1950), MEN'S ADVENTURES #26 (Gorilla Man; March 1954) and WHAT IF? #9 (1950s Avengers; June 1978). The book also includes creator interviews, character designs and material found from the series blog and website.
Jeff took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with FOG!
HOW DID THE AGENTS OF ATLAS ORIGINATE, DID YOU PITCH IT OR WAS IT ASSIGNED TO YOU BY MARVEL?
It, like a lot of things was one my editor Mark Paniccia asked if I might have a pitch for. Not because they had an agenda to get old unused characters in, but because he was looking at the old What If with the Agents (then the Secret Avengers) and had a hunch. I'm glad he thought of me with that hunch.
THE CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN AGENTS OF ATLAS HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN MARVEL'S GOLDEN AGE, YET MANY OF THEM ARE UNFAMILIAR, EVEN AMONG MOST READERS. WAS THIS AN ASSET OR AN OBSTACLE?
More an asset, because it can be a real challenge writing current characters with decades of continuity behind them. The Agents were relatively an open book.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE COLLECTED EDITION OF THE BOOK?
It's the nicest production I've ever been part of. They really went all out on that book with the original stories of the characters, the nice paper, everything.
YOU TEND TO WRITE IMAGINATIVE ALL AGES STORIES SUCH AS SPIDER-MAN/FANTASTIC FOUR, MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS AND X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT WRITING IN THIS READER-FRIENDLY STYLE OR DO YOU WISH THAT YOUR WORK WAS FIRMER EMBEDDED IN CONTINUITY?
It depends. Some things I would happily jump into the continuity, and others have had storylines that I wouldn't want to have address. The all ages work is only restrictive when I want to explore more mature themes. But I'm getting more outlets to do that. And I believe strongly that there need to be more all ages books from Marvel and DC, or we'll die out. And kids could be becoming better readers.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS IS BECOMING AN ONGOING SERIES. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR SERIES HAS DONE DIFFERENTLY THAT HAS MADE IT SUCCESSFUL VERSUS PREVIOUS FAILED ATTEMPTS THAT COVERED THE SAME CONCEPT?
Just by the nature of the setting, we've been able to pare things down and try to find the core of what readers like about the characters. And they make a perfect entry book into the world of Marvel and mutants, I think. Really we're just embracing escapism as hard as we can.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE CHARACTERS TO WRITE AND ARE THERE ANY CHARACTERS THAT YOU WANT TO WRITE THAT YOU HAVEN'T YET?
Almost any of the characters that were around (and long before) I was a kid are interesting to me. That, or characters where I'm given a lot of freedom to interpret them. At Marvel, I would like to write some Dr. Strange. Brian K. Vaughan did a great job with him in "The Oath".
MANY OF YOUR FANS MIGHT NOT BE AWARE THAT YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER AS AN ILLUSTRATOR, EVENTUALLY WRITING AND DRAWING YOUR ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL, THE INTERMAN. DID YOU INTEND ON BEING A WRITER AND DO YOU NOW THINK OF YOURSELF AS A WRITER WHO DRAWS OR AN ARTIST WHO WRITES?
I always planned on writing for others along with doing my own cartooning, but it just never saw the light of day until recently. In the 90's I had editors who were trying to get me on books as a writer, but it just never happened. I even wrote some stuff way back for Malibu, but it never saw print because books were shut down when the company was bought... by Marvel! How's that for a circle?
WHAT'S THE STATUS OF INTERMAN 2?I've written it, I just need to draw it. And without blowing my paying deadlines. If the movie actually goes into production, that will certainly help because I'll be able to count on sales.
WHAT ARE YOUR UPCOMING PROJECTS?
I can't remember what I can talk about now. Sorry! I don't want to jinx things.
WHAT POP CULTURE DISTRACTIONS ARE TEARING YOU AWAY FROM YOUR WORK?
I just got that new Fountains of Wayne, that ruled. I'm also liking The Shins latest album, Wincing the Night Away. And the Casino Royale dvd, which I haven't had a chance to watch the extras. I don't play video games because they're designed by The Man to keep us down. I'm wishing that next volume of Popeye would come out, but I hear it will be a while. Ooh, that Pogo collection that Jeff Smith is helping with, I gotta get that. I recently read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, a book half your readers have probably already enjoyed.
Thanks Jeff and FOG!-gers be sure to check out Jeff's website HERE.
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