Comments on J.M. DeMatteis's CREATION POINT: THE POWER OF PLAY

I hadn't heard that! VERY cool!

2011-12-05T17:23:33.643-05:00

I hadn't heard that! VERY cool!

Yeah, the story of the Alamo has some far reaching...

2011-12-05T17:21:51.965-05:00

Yeah, the story of the Alamo has some far reaching appeal. But rest assured we Texans were pretty fascinated with "youse guys" in Brooklyn. Y'all sounded like you had quite the party going up north, hanging from meathooks in Jersey and showing off fancy fashion trends like cement shoes.

BTW, I just heard that Tom DeFalco will be writing LEGION LOST for DC. Pretty cool!

I understand how a kid from Texas could be obsesse...

2011-12-05T16:22:43.760-05:00

I understand how a kid from Texas could be obsessed with the Alamo, David...but, looking back, it's a kind of funny that a bunch of working class kids from Brooklyn could be equally obsessed!

As you might suspect, JMD, we're huge fans of ...

2011-12-05T15:46:34.666-05:00

As you might suspect, JMD, we're huge fans of the Alamo story here in Texas. I played the role of Davy Crockett numerous times as a boy. I also played quite a bit of STAR TREK, TRANSFORMERS, and G I JOE with the neighbors.

I'm pretty sure I had both when I was a kid. ...

2011-12-05T14:28:31.645-05:00

I'm pretty sure I had both when I was a kid. Cowboys were HUGE in those days.

Trying to picture you with a cowboy hat and spurs,...

2011-12-05T14:19:03.922-05:00

Trying to picture you with a cowboy hat and spurs, JMD...and it ain't happening.

That's the spirit, Rob! (Wait. It's not ...

2011-12-05T10:33:57.177-05:00

That's the spirit, Rob! (Wait. It's not the Spirit, it's the Lone Ranger!) :)

"Hi-Yo, Silver! Awaaaaay!"

2011-12-05T10:29:58.474-05:00

"Hi-Yo, Silver! Awaaaaay!"

The return of the Daring Diamond Brothers? I thin...

2011-11-29T08:28:43.842-05:00

The return of the Daring Diamond Brothers? I think I'll leave that to someone else, Joseph! : )

That innocence of a child playing with his action figures, animating them with his imagination, is very touching. Maybe we all hang on to that child, and that innocence, and use it to fuel great work!

Thanks, Javier! I totally agree with that "a...

2011-11-29T08:25:26.082-05:00

Thanks, Javier! I totally agree with that "anything goes" attitude; and Kirby certainly had it in spades. There were more ideas on one page (sometimes one panel) of a Kirby story than in a year's worth of other people's work.

Maybe you need to keep some Mego action figures around to keep you inspired at all times!

Best -- JMD

You look like a happy little tyke there, Marc. Wha...

2011-11-28T23:59:16.129-05:00

You look like a happy little tyke there, Marc. What a great pic!

When I was growing up in Spain, I often played with the doorman's son who was slightly older than me. I had a lot of Playmobil figures and we would stage sieges around my Western Fort. A lot of that enthusiasm went into my fascination with comics later on, to the point that I began to design my own (crudely rendered) characters, mostly based on your Defenders run along with other Marvel heroes such as Moon Knight and ROM.

Being an only child whose folks moved a lot meant some rather lonely times. That's when my love of action figures kicked in. Playing out different adventure scenarios kept me from feeling the blues. I still associate each place I lived in with those happier days when I staged all those imaginary battles to both keep myself amused and real life at bay.

Incidentally, I wouldn't mind seeing you revisit The Daring Diamond Brothers. I would gladly shell out three to four bucks a months for it!

"Death of a Diamond"- Wow, love that! If...

2011-11-28T21:29:27.143-05:00

"Death of a Diamond"- Wow, love that! If anyone needed any indication you were going to grow up and write good old fashioned American comic books, JM, that title is it!

I totally relate to what you're saying here. Tapping into that free-wheeling flow of imagination and creativity of our childhoods as we stare at a blank computer screen or sheet of Bristol paper. It's interesting in that I never find myself thinking of the days I played with friends or my beloved Mego action figures as a way to energize the current me as I ponder my latest comic.

What I do find myself thinking about is the go-for-broke energy I find in Jack Kirby comics or Ed Wood movies (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE), to name just two sources. While some people would be appalled I put Jack and Ed Wood in the same sentence, to me they were creators who seemed to say 'Anything goes! Think it, put in the story, finish it then go on to the next!'I try to tap into that thinking, as opposed to second-guessing every decision I make in my stories. As long as I'm telling an interesting story, I feel I'm on the right track.

Thanks for sharing your poignant memories here. And for those of us who haven't made it to one of your writing classes, I'm filing this post in my mental 'notebook'. ;)

Thanks so much, John: much appreciated!

2011-11-28T17:31:41.961-05:00

Thanks so much, John: much appreciated!

Wonderful sentiments that can be used in all areas...

2011-11-28T17:30:03.813-05:00

Wonderful sentiments that can be used in all areas of life. Great job!