Tom wrote:
> Robert Weinberg will take the UNCANNY X-MEN job.
> Adrian Alphona will take the UNCANNY X-MEN job. The VP of Operations
> warns you that Adrian isn't fast enough to do twelve issues a year--and
> especially starting under the gun like this, you'll likely need a fill-in artist
> after around four issues.
First step: Check if Michael Ryan is available for a two-issue fill-in work. He has worked with Weinberg before (Cable) and followed Alphona on Runaways, so the style change shouldn't be too jarring.
If he's unavailable, I'd like to borrow X-Men's fill-in artist Humberto Ramos for that story, scheduled for issues four and five of our run.
If both don't work out, I ask Kaare Andrews about the two-issue fill-in.
Step two: I ask Robert Weinberg if he minds doing a first look feature for Wizard, spotlighting the characters. Also, I need sketches for new X-Men uniforms by Adrian (and perhaps Marko Djurdjevic, if he wants to pitch in). If Robert and Adrian agree, I give Ben confirmation for the First Look.
Step three: I ask Robert Weinberg if his schedule allows to work on Issues two and four simultaneously, so our fill-in artist could get a head start.
Tom wrote:
> Ed Brubaker is intrigued by the approach you describe for WOLVERINE,
> but isn't sure about his schedule. He'll get back to you.
I try to get a writer for a one-issue story (like between Guggenheim's and Loeb's runs) to buy myself more time. I really would love to have Brubaker on Wolverine, so if he needs a breather between Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine, I’ll ask Andy Diggle to pitch in for one issue.
> Mike Perkins will take the WOLVERINE assignment, presuming that Ed
> or another writer he likes is also on the title.
If Andy Diggle is okay, Mike could come on board with his issue. If not, he'd come in with Ed and we’d need a different artist for Diggle's story. Is Jock available?
> Dave Johnson will do covers. The VP of Operations reminds you that Dave
> can sometimes vanish off the map, so you'll want to keep an eye on things
> and have a back-up plan if something comes up or Dave runs late.
While I have Jock on the phone, I ask him if he'd mind doing two or three covers we could shuffle in when Dave misses a deadline. I tell Dave that his covers should be Wolverine on a motorcycle, Wolverine fighting generic goons, nothing too story-specific.
------------
Waiting for your approval, Sean.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
FF OFFICE POSSIBLE POST - DAY 2 - SEAN PLEASE REVIEW ASAP
I've got plans this evening that will go well past the assigned deadline so I'm going to have to post this afternoon. Fortunately it sounds like I'm being told to start on a slower burn, so it's less likely that Sean's going to have any objections to the following more self-contained 3-issue arcs:
Creative Team Request: First thing, ask Amanda Conner if she'd like/wouldn't mind having to draw only 14 pages or so for each of these first three issues, so she's got some room to settle in, the remaining pages bein flashbacks to She-Hulk era FF drawn by John Byrne (alt. Paul Ryan, alt. Amanda Conner). If this is approved, the following would reflect Byrne's or Ryan's involvement:
HEY, PREVIEWS!!! HERE'S THREE MONTHS OF SOLICITATIONS!!!
SHE-HULK 18
New Creative Team Dwayne McDuffie & Amanda Conner (with John Byrne!)
Cover by (John Byrne?) Amanda Conner (alt. Horn, alt. Land,)
THE GOOD OLD DAYS PART 1 (OF 3)
Jen's last mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. pits her against villain she first faced during her days in the Fantastic Four. Featuring flashbacks to classic times drawn by John Byrne!
SHE-HULK 19
McDuffie & Conner (and Byrne!)
THE GOOD OLD DAYS PART 2 (OF 3)
Jen's final mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. takes a turn for the worse as Psycho-Man steps up his game and Jen remembers how much easier her job is when you're not all alone.
SHE-HULK 20
McDuffie & Conner (& Byrne!)
THE GOOD OLD DAYS PART 3 (OF 3)
Jen digs deep to put an end to Psycho-Man's rampage and makes a fateful decision about her future. With an appearance from the modern-day Fantastic Four (only on the l!
FANTASTIC FOUR 546
New Creative Team Dan Slott and Mike Deodato Jr.
Cover by Ed McGuinness
SOFTBALL AND EMPTY PROMISES
As the New Fantastic Four team up with the Mighty Avengers for a charity softball game against Force Works and the Rangers, Sue and Reed Richards take a long hard look at their relationship, and Sue says four words that will rock the foundation of their marriage forever.
FANTASTIC FOUR 547
Slott and Deodato Jr.
STORMY WATERS, SILVER WINGS
The New Fantastic Four assist Namor in thwarting a horrifying sea monster in New York Harbor, whether he wants their help or not! The Silver Surfer shows up to deliver a prophetic message from a most unexpected source! Gravity demonstrates why it's a good thing he's not dead anymore! Oh, and Reed and Sue reappear to officially rejoin the Fantastic Four.
FANTASTIC FOUR 548
Slott and Deodato Jr.
THE FANTASTIC SIX
The Original Fantastic Four, Black Panther and Storm pool their resources with Namor and Gravity to either help the poor mutated sea monster or put it out of its misery! Action! Derring-do! A profession of love! The Thing gets covered in sea monster slime! Oh, and a surprise guest shows up at the Baxter Building!
Tom, can I include the Black Panther book in the crossover?
Then I'll coordinate on the upcoming crossover, double-checking if anybody needs fill-ins for an issue so we can stay on schedule (I'd be willing to find Deodato a replacement for the She-Hulk Crossover so he can get a head start on the Road to Defenders arc, and if either McDuffie or Slott wanted to take those issues off for some breathing room I'd see if the other would like to write all 4 issues of the crossover).
I'll check with marketing about whether or not they've got enough lead time on the described FF/She-Hulk/FFLA/crossover promotions and beyond.
Finally I'll send an email to Wacker congratulating him on the job. As counter-programming to that, I've pitched several crossovers to the EIC because I really feel like we need a linewide event to compete with this brash young upstart.
Creative Team Request: First thing, ask Amanda Conner if she'd like/wouldn't mind having to draw only 14 pages or so for each of these first three issues, so she's got some room to settle in, the remaining pages bein flashbacks to She-Hulk era FF drawn by John Byrne (alt. Paul Ryan, alt. Amanda Conner). If this is approved, the following would reflect Byrne's or Ryan's involvement:
HEY, PREVIEWS!!! HERE'S THREE MONTHS OF SOLICITATIONS!!!
SHE-HULK 18
New Creative Team Dwayne McDuffie & Amanda Conner (with John Byrne!)
Cover by (John Byrne?) Amanda Conner (alt. Horn, alt. Land,)
THE GOOD OLD DAYS PART 1 (OF 3)
Jen's last mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. pits her against villain she first faced during her days in the Fantastic Four. Featuring flashbacks to classic times drawn by John Byrne!
SHE-HULK 19
McDuffie & Conner (and Byrne!)
THE GOOD OLD DAYS PART 2 (OF 3)
Jen's final mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. takes a turn for the worse as Psycho-Man steps up his game and Jen remembers how much easier her job is when you're not all alone.
SHE-HULK 20
McDuffie & Conner (& Byrne!)
THE GOOD OLD DAYS PART 3 (OF 3)
Jen digs deep to put an end to Psycho-Man's rampage and makes a fateful decision about her future. With an appearance from the modern-day Fantastic Four (only on the l!
FANTASTIC FOUR 546
New Creative Team Dan Slott and Mike Deodato Jr.
Cover by Ed McGuinness
SOFTBALL AND EMPTY PROMISES
As the New Fantastic Four team up with the Mighty Avengers for a charity softball game against Force Works and the Rangers, Sue and Reed Richards take a long hard look at their relationship, and Sue says four words that will rock the foundation of their marriage forever.
FANTASTIC FOUR 547
Slott and Deodato Jr.
STORMY WATERS, SILVER WINGS
The New Fantastic Four assist Namor in thwarting a horrifying sea monster in New York Harbor, whether he wants their help or not! The Silver Surfer shows up to deliver a prophetic message from a most unexpected source! Gravity demonstrates why it's a good thing he's not dead anymore! Oh, and Reed and Sue reappear to officially rejoin the Fantastic Four.
FANTASTIC FOUR 548
Slott and Deodato Jr.
THE FANTASTIC SIX
The Original Fantastic Four, Black Panther and Storm pool their resources with Namor and Gravity to either help the poor mutated sea monster or put it out of its misery! Action! Derring-do! A profession of love! The Thing gets covered in sea monster slime! Oh, and a surprise guest shows up at the Baxter Building!
Tom, can I include the Black Panther book in the crossover?
Then I'll coordinate on the upcoming crossover, double-checking if anybody needs fill-ins for an issue so we can stay on schedule (I'd be willing to find Deodato a replacement for the She-Hulk Crossover so he can get a head start on the Road to Defenders arc, and if either McDuffie or Slott wanted to take those issues off for some breathing room I'd see if the other would like to write all 4 issues of the crossover).
I'll check with marketing about whether or not they've got enough lead time on the described FF/She-Hulk/FFLA/crossover promotions and beyond.
Finally I'll send an email to Wacker congratulating him on the job. As counter-programming to that, I've pitched several crossovers to the EIC because I really feel like we need a linewide event to compete with this brash young upstart.
Day 2
We've got competition.
Steve Wacker founded his own company. Expect trouble for us down the road.
Also, we posted our plans too late.
Steve Wacker founded his own company. Expect trouble for us down the road.
Also, we posted our plans too late.
Crossover Pitch: A Fusion
MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS
THE DEFENDERS:
A TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS
Written by Brian K. Vaughn (when you wish upon a star)
Pencils by Mike Deodato Jr.
Covers by Todd MacFarlane, Jack Kirby, Leonardo DaVinci and the cavemen who drew the famous cave drawings everybody's always talking about
Having already established the Defenders in my run on FF, this series will serve to (literally) shake up with Marvel Universe with a cautionary tale of complacency and the perils of public opinion.
The first issue will feature the Defenders announcing themselves to the world, with Namor being their leader, and will also feature Doom realizing that a natural disaster of insane proportions is imminent. He will be almost happy when he realizes that Reed Richards doesn't see it coming, for all his genius, he's somehow missed this. The issue will end with massive worldwide calamity as you describe.
The second issue I envision as a NY heroes centric, claustrophobic terrifying day in which none of them really get what's going on (Spidey and Reed at the forefront; the one trying to save as many people as possible, the other too upset that he missed this). The whole time everybody's worried about the rest of the world but all they want to do is save NY. The President orders everybody out of the city ASAP and the heroes try and stay to help people who can't buy their way out (echoes of Katrina). Oh, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier crashed in Times Square. Tony Stark is in critical condition. The Mighty Avengers are fractured, the New Avengers can't even reach other. Near the end of this issue, Reed or someone comments on how the rest of the world must be even worse We then reveal that the third world has actually suffered the least of anybody thanks to Doom and the Defenders.
Issue 3 demonstrates the ineptitude of the Initiative as a whole to deal with a major crisis as well as the incredible success enjoyed by the Defenders. Near the end of the series, the President rejects the Defenders' offer to aid the American East Coast with recovery. Most major cities in Florida (including Miami) have been washed away, New Orleans and most of the Gulf is under water again. But America doesn't want the Defenders' help. We also learn that Namor is angry that Doom prevented him from at least saving Sue Richards.
Issue 4 the Defenders continue their spike in the polls of public opinion. To the shock of the Americans, allies such as Canada and England accept Namor's aid. Doom is trying to play Namor against Richards though. Doom sees Richards as the only thing standing in his way of conquering America and eliminating it as a distraction from his plans of a worldwide Utopia in his image. So Doom once again allows but does not construct cataclysmic events, this time a team of Defenders' aid workers helping recovery in Cuba, who are killed by the Florida Initiative Team for infringing on American Waters.
Issue 5 is a terrifying attack by Namor and the Defenders on a shattered New York City; they aim to take out the Avengers. Namor has the previously descried final scene with Sue and Reed Richards (that's still how I see this thing ending) and ultimately apparently commits suicide. Though this is not Doom's plan, it suits him well enough, as he becomes the leader of the, though somewhat less trusted after Namor's attack, still very popular Defenders.
THE DEFENDERS:
A TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS
Written by Brian K. Vaughn (when you wish upon a star)
Pencils by Mike Deodato Jr.
Covers by Todd MacFarlane, Jack Kirby, Leonardo DaVinci and the cavemen who drew the famous cave drawings everybody's always talking about
Having already established the Defenders in my run on FF, this series will serve to (literally) shake up with Marvel Universe with a cautionary tale of complacency and the perils of public opinion.
The first issue will feature the Defenders announcing themselves to the world, with Namor being their leader, and will also feature Doom realizing that a natural disaster of insane proportions is imminent. He will be almost happy when he realizes that Reed Richards doesn't see it coming, for all his genius, he's somehow missed this. The issue will end with massive worldwide calamity as you describe.
The second issue I envision as a NY heroes centric, claustrophobic terrifying day in which none of them really get what's going on (Spidey and Reed at the forefront; the one trying to save as many people as possible, the other too upset that he missed this). The whole time everybody's worried about the rest of the world but all they want to do is save NY. The President orders everybody out of the city ASAP and the heroes try and stay to help people who can't buy their way out (echoes of Katrina). Oh, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier crashed in Times Square. Tony Stark is in critical condition. The Mighty Avengers are fractured, the New Avengers can't even reach other. Near the end of this issue, Reed or someone comments on how the rest of the world must be even worse We then reveal that the third world has actually suffered the least of anybody thanks to Doom and the Defenders.
Issue 3 demonstrates the ineptitude of the Initiative as a whole to deal with a major crisis as well as the incredible success enjoyed by the Defenders. Near the end of the series, the President rejects the Defenders' offer to aid the American East Coast with recovery. Most major cities in Florida (including Miami) have been washed away, New Orleans and most of the Gulf is under water again. But America doesn't want the Defenders' help. We also learn that Namor is angry that Doom prevented him from at least saving Sue Richards.
Issue 4 the Defenders continue their spike in the polls of public opinion. To the shock of the Americans, allies such as Canada and England accept Namor's aid. Doom is trying to play Namor against Richards though. Doom sees Richards as the only thing standing in his way of conquering America and eliminating it as a distraction from his plans of a worldwide Utopia in his image. So Doom once again allows but does not construct cataclysmic events, this time a team of Defenders' aid workers helping recovery in Cuba, who are killed by the Florida Initiative Team for infringing on American Waters.
Issue 5 is a terrifying attack by Namor and the Defenders on a shattered New York City; they aim to take out the Avengers. Namor has the previously descried final scene with Sue and Reed Richards (that's still how I see this thing ending) and ultimately apparently commits suicide. Though this is not Doom's plan, it suits him well enough, as he becomes the leader of the, though somewhat less trusted after Namor's attack, still very popular Defenders.
SheHulk Titles Brainstorming
Just kicking around some title ideas for She-Hulk in another meeting. (Love that mutlitasking!) I'm not married to any of these, but it might give you a jump start on the types of things I'm thinking of...
She-Hulk's Guide to Hollywood/LA/California
She-Hulk's California Girls
She-Hulk & Human Torch: In Search of California Girls
She-Huk's Beverly Hills Heroes
She-Hulk & Human Torch: Hollywood Heroes
She-Hulk's LA Torch Song
She-Hulk: I Love LA
She-Hulk's Guide to Hollywood/LA/California
She-Hulk's California Girls
She-Hulk & Human Torch: In Search of California Girls
She-Huk's Beverly Hills Heroes
She-Hulk & Human Torch: Hollywood Heroes
She-Hulk's LA Torch Song
She-Hulk: I Love LA
WHERE THE @#$@! ARE OUR POSTS?
Uh, guys, none of our posts from last night are on Tom's Blog.
I'm going to go ahead and post everybody's moves again in one big entry, clearing noting that this should be disregarded if the posts show up again later.
The Marvel Boards are going to be our undoing...
I'm going to go ahead and post everybody's moves again in one big entry, clearing noting that this should be disregarded if the posts show up again later.
The Marvel Boards are going to be our undoing...
Crossover Idea
Only got a few minutes to drop this out there. This is only a proposal, mind you! I want to know what you guys think or can build off.
I think the "war" theme is starting to wear on fans. Civil War, World War Hulk, Silent War, etc. It's getting a little heavy, so I want to try a different tact.
What have we NOT seen the Marvel heroes really go up against? Mother nature. Oh, sure, they've disappated the odd storm, or tidal wave or what have you, but not mother nature IN ALL HER FURY. What if they had to deal with a sudden, literally seismic shift of the tectonic plates? You'd have earthquakes all over, water rushing in where there wasn't any before, possible new volcanos cropping up, old "dormant" volcanos suddenly blowing up, mud slides, rain storms... the works. How do the heroes deal with that unilaterally? How much can Storm do to prevent disasters? What does Spider-Man do during an earthquake in NYC? That's what I'm thinking for a one or two issue "event" - unique title with a solid creative team just showcasing the actual BOOM moment(s).
Then, the tie-ins can be (up to you guys whether you want to tie into it or not, or for how long) how your heroes deal with the immediate aftermath, and perhaps what happens in specific locations. Does California just break away from the US or does it sink into the ocean? What happens to Japan? Do looters/super-villains take advantage of disruptions in security systems -- either at the prisons they're held at, or the banks they try to rob? Does Dr. Doom try to step in and get government contracts to rebuild?
Just a proposal, like I said. Allows for lots of individual flexibility per title; doesn't necessarily pit hero against hero, but could; lots of location possibilities; fairly (IMHO) new idea for the Marvel Universe... but this by no means The Sean Show or anything. If you guys don't like it, or don't think it'd work, we can still look at other options.
More later.
I think the "war" theme is starting to wear on fans. Civil War, World War Hulk, Silent War, etc. It's getting a little heavy, so I want to try a different tact.
What have we NOT seen the Marvel heroes really go up against? Mother nature. Oh, sure, they've disappated the odd storm, or tidal wave or what have you, but not mother nature IN ALL HER FURY. What if they had to deal with a sudden, literally seismic shift of the tectonic plates? You'd have earthquakes all over, water rushing in where there wasn't any before, possible new volcanos cropping up, old "dormant" volcanos suddenly blowing up, mud slides, rain storms... the works. How do the heroes deal with that unilaterally? How much can Storm do to prevent disasters? What does Spider-Man do during an earthquake in NYC? That's what I'm thinking for a one or two issue "event" - unique title with a solid creative team just showcasing the actual BOOM moment(s).
Then, the tie-ins can be (up to you guys whether you want to tie into it or not, or for how long) how your heroes deal with the immediate aftermath, and perhaps what happens in specific locations. Does California just break away from the US or does it sink into the ocean? What happens to Japan? Do looters/super-villains take advantage of disruptions in security systems -- either at the prisons they're held at, or the banks they try to rob? Does Dr. Doom try to step in and get government contracts to rebuild?
Just a proposal, like I said. Allows for lots of individual flexibility per title; doesn't necessarily pit hero against hero, but could; lots of location possibilities; fairly (IMHO) new idea for the Marvel Universe... but this by no means The Sean Show or anything. If you guys don't like it, or don't think it'd work, we can still look at other options.
More later.
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