GOING GALACTIC

I've got two conventions coming up in July. First is GalaxyCon New Orleans (July 10—12) and then comes GalaxyCon Raleigh (July 23—26). For some reason I'm not listed on the GalaxyCon site for either convention, but I suspect that will be corrected shortly.

These will be my first cons of the year and I'm really looking forward to getting back out there and meeting the folks who read, and appreciate, my work.  

Update:  For reasons too complicated to get into here, I will not be at the New Orleans GalaxyCon. GalaxyCon Raleigh—July 23—26—is still a go. See you there, I hope! 

LEN DAY

The great Len Wein would have been 78 today. Here's an excerpt from a tribute to Len I wrote, and posted here, back in 2014.

We miss you, Len.

                                                          ***

When I first began working with Len, he was—despite being just past thirty—already a legend in the industry. This was the writer who, with the equally-legendary Bernie Wrightson, created the groundbreaking Swamp Thing series. Unless you were around when that book debuted, you can’t really grasp how truly revolutionary Swamp Thing was, how different from everything that had come before it. I remember being floored by the emotional power of the art, the pulp-poetry of the language and the big beating heart at the story’s core. You couldn’t read an issue of Swamp Thing without feeling something, without being moved.

If that series was all Len had done, his place in Comic Book Heaven would be secure, but he was also the guy who co-created Wolverine, one of the most successful, and popular, characters in the medium’s history... resurrected and revitalized the X-Men franchise...had memorable runs on everything from Justice League to Hulk, Batman to Spider-Man...and, oh, yes, was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics along the way. Len could do slam-bang superhero adventure with the best of them, but the hallmark of a Wein story wasn’t the action, it was that aforementioned beating heart. All of Len’s best work was marked by a deep humanity and a profound compassion.

Which is why, when I entered his office in the spring of 1979, I counted myself among the lucky ones: I didn’t realize just how lucky until I got to know Len. There are some writers whose work you admire, but then you meet them and it’s impossible to make the leap from the words on the page to the person across the table: there seems to be some great cosmic disconnect—and, yes, a great disappointment, as well. (It’s unfair to expect a writer or actor or musician to somehow be the embodiment his art—the work alone should be more than enough—but we hope for it nonetheless.) With Len, though, the man and the work were one. He was just like his stories: charming, funny, eloquent and all heart. He extended that heart to me. There wasn’t a hint of self-importance to the man. His editing style was warm and welcoming. He taught through encouragement, enthusiasm. Even if he didn’t like a particular story—and, believe me, some of my early scripts were massively flawed—he never eviscerated the work, never bullied: just found a gentle way to guide me out of the morass of my own inexperience and onto solid creative ground.

In a very short time, Len became not just my editor, but my friend and first real mentor in the comic book business. He saw a spark of something special in my stories and, through his patient guidance, helped fan that spark into a flame. There I was, an insecure, working class kid from Brooklyn, uncertain of my own talent, wondering if I could carve a career for myself in this wonderful, and hugely peculiar, business—and there was The Legendary Len Wein providing the answer: “If you want it, you absolutely can.”

You can’t put a price on that.

THRILLS!

Got my copies of Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2026 and the book looks great. If you missed the Kickstarter and want to read short fiction by me, Steven Grant, Paul Kupperberg, Alisa Kwitney, editor Bob Greenberger, and many more, hop over to Amazon. The book releases in July. Hope you come along for the ride.

RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADER

Looks like the premiere date for Season Two of Batman: Caped Crusader has finally been announced. Happy to have contributed to the new season. (And, no, I can't reveal what my episode is about.)

You can read more details and see some promotional art here.

PROPOSITIONS

Had a fun chat with Chris Schnabel of the Mad Props podcast, talking about music, the creative process, Spider-Man, and other things. Enjoy!

1994

A short one to let you know that the collected edition of Spider-Man '94 is on sale now. (If you want to read a review of the book, just hop over to AIPT for an enthusiastic thumbs up.) No official word from Marvel regarding a return to the '94 universe but—with or without my participation—I hope they do.  

And while I have your attention, let me point you to this announcement, heralding the coming of Amazing Spider-Man #1000. Very happy to be part of the celebration.

Thank you. That is all.

KRAVEN COMES ALIVE

Came across this on YouTube: a full-cast motion comic adaptation of Kraven's Last Hunt. I was very impressed with this and I think you will be, too. Congratulations to the folks who created and performed this adaptation. You did a fantastic job.