If I had my way, I'd love to see 'Wolverine' in a cosmic adventure all by his lonesome.
— Cullen Bunn
I wholeheartedly believe that super heroes can play in virtually any storytelling genre.
When I was younger, my goal in life was to work in special FX makeup. Liquid latex and fake blood! That was the dream!
Horror used to be one thing, and I think that's starting to broaden - there can have subgenres, and other things can be going on in a horror story. In comics, you'll never get the 'Boo' effect in a comic; you can go for mood, atmosphere and personal tragedy to build the horror elements and sense of dread.
I had a job right out of college writing for a small newspaper called 'The Unterrified Democrat.' Ghastly, ghastly job.
I've loved comics since I was very young, and I've always liked telling stories.
When I first started submitting my work professionally - and we're talking years and years ago - I had no patience for editorial response times. I hated waiting to hear back from people, hated waiting to see my work in print.
I've been extremely lucky in my career, in terms of artists and colorists I've been able to work with, and I think 'Helheim' is a perfect example of that look playing out perfectly.
I kind of hate over-explanation in comics.
As a writer, I feel like your favorite character shouldn't be safe.
I don't want to be a slave to nostalgia.
Writing 'Magneto' as part of a team took a little getting used to.
My hope is that each of the villains I write will have his or her own motivation that readers can understand, whether they agree or disagree.
'Magneto' is a tragic figure. He is a man who has stared right into the face of ultimate evil... and he was broken into pieces by what he saw. When he healed, he healed stronger, but he also never fully recovered.
Reilly Brown is a master of balancing action, humor, and extreme violence, and his character designs for some of the alien races and technology that we encounter is just amazing.
I've been really lucky to work with some of the best writers in the business.
Skipp and Spector's 'Books of the Dead' were huge influences on me as a writer.
Writing 'Deadpool' can be a lot of fun. When I first started working with the character, I wasn't sure I'd like him. I quickly realized, though, that a writer can do pretty much anything with him - comedic stories, serious stories, completely nonsensical stories.
On some level, every story draws something from life experiences. Most of the time, it's just a matter of me pulling bits and pieces of my own past to help give characters or settings a little more life.
I've always liked telling stories. That probably came from my dad, who definitely had the gift of gab and who wove a kind of personal folklore about his youth - stories full of adventure and ghosts and wild antics.
I sent in tons of submissions and proposals, and I collected my share of form rejection letters. Eventually, I found myself working at a comic book shop, where I met my future collaborator Brian Hurtt.
I always wanted to tell stories. Well, at least, I always came back to the notion of storytelling when the glitz and glamour of being a special effects designer or a fighter pilot or a DEA agent wore off.
I think Vikings have always been popular, haven't they? I remember being a kid and being in second grade reading a book about this Viking warrior.
The goal is to write a story that you're proud of and hope the fans like it as well.
Deadpool's' probably pretty proud of his comic book hero physique.
There are a lot of stories I remember with 'Wolverine.' 'Days of Future Past' is one that jumps out in my mind.
In times of crisis, different people react in different ways. Some might try to escape. Others might attempt to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm in a safe haven.
I definitely have a preference for writing anti-heroes and bad guys, especially when they have motivations that the average 'good' person can understand and get behind.
I think 'Magneto' is definitely an anti-hero. He's fighting for the right thing, but his methods are far too extreme. He's not above breaking the law, stretching the limits of what is moral and putting evil to work for good.
I loved 'Lobo' in the '90s, but I think that character is hard to connect with, especially for new readers.
Aside for the dream of writing the core X-Men team, I think I would love to write an Excalibur book.
There was a time, as a young comic book reader, that I would have proclaimed 'Deadworld' my favorite series.
If you go out in the country, spend a lot of time on decaying farms, and you see a lot of crumbling tobacco farms, and wandering the woods, there's something beneath the surface; there's something older... more sinister.
There are plenty of characters I'd love to write. Swamp Thing, Etrigan the Demon, Man-Thing, Howard the Duck, Dr. Strange, Dr. Druid, Ghost Rider, the Micronauts, the Shogun Warriors... the list goes on and on.
I have always loved westerns... supernatural westerns in particular. One of my first professional short story sales was a horror/western story. It wasn't so great, though, so I'm glad the magazine folded before it saw print.
My first short story sale was to a magazine that sat on the story forever... and never did publish it.
I've been writing stories, in one form or another, since I was a kid.
I figure if someone calls something a 'Draugr,' people can figure out that it's a monster or some sort of mythic creature, and if they want to know more, there's plenty of information out there about those mythic creatures.
You want fans to connect to the book, even movie fans. But if your sole purpose is to write towards a certain kind of fan, that way leads madness.
The great thing about writing 'Deadpool' is that he can demolish expectations and typical comic book conventions with monster truck force. There are few other characters who can transition so easily from one type of story to the next.
It's pretty simple, really: I love the X-Men. They were my favorite heroes when I was a kid. My dad and I collected X-Men comics together, and I know it would have made him proud to see me writing 'Uncanny X-Men.'
I always liked 'Green Lantern,' but I wasn't necessarily a diehard fan. I read stories here and there when I came across them.
'Magneto' believes that 'Cyclops' and 'Wolverine' both serve a good purpose. But he believes the help they provide only goes so far.
I've been exposed to a ton of 'Magneto' stories over the years, and they all influence me.
