Anthony Zisa
Mar 12, 2003, 11:08 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/logos/oscc_logo.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/logos/oscc_logot.jpg" alt="Our So Called Column logo" align=left></a>By Lauren Dougherty (laurendougherty@xfan.cjb.net) and Anthony Zisa (aczisa@xfan.cjb.net)
Ultimate Stewie-Man
Ultimate X-Men fans are sure to be stunned in the wake of Marvel Comics unveiling of the new creative team replacing the fan-favorite duo of Mark Millar and Adam Kubert. Comic newcomer Stewart Bell will replace the creators as both the title's writer and artist, starting with issue #40. Surprising enough is that the book is Bell's first comic work, but perhaps even more shocking he is only four years old!
"It's shocking! It's unexpected! It's the mighty new Marvel style!" exclaimed Marvel president Bill Jemas in response to inquiries. "With Epic, we reached out to the fan community, and now, we're proving that Marvel will not allow age to be a barrier in finding tomorrow's hot new writers and artists!"
Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada elaborated. "It's quite simple, really. By expanding the pool of potential talent, you increase your chances of finding the next creative juggernaut. Frank Miller was a nobody when he was plucked out of obscurity to do the art and, later, the writing on Daredevil. Imagine if Marvel had discovered Grant Morrison earlier in his life. I mean, all that creative output would have been in our back catalog. It's really simple editorial--the hot writers and artists of tomorrow, doing the comics of today."
Why Bell? Jemas says it all goes back to the early days of Quesada's tenure. "Of course, a lot of people are going to ask how we found Stewart. It's a funny story, actually. I ran across Stewart's brother, Nathaniel Orrin Bell, on one of the many messages boards I lurked on, under the name BillJemasFan1. I then came across Nathaniel, who posted under his alias wo1verineru1z69. I saw numerous statements about how much better a writer and artist his four-year old brother was than the Marvel staff, and, well, I just knew I had to have such a talent on one of our top selling books. Stewart is doing some lovely work that is going to blow away the readers. It’s MARVELous! Get it? Heh."
Millar was extremely excited about Bell's upcoming Ultimate X-Men stories. "The joke's on you all!" he said, laughing in a manner he insisted be described as roguishly. "Stewart's already been ghost-writing the book for two storyarcs! Ha ha ha!"
Perhaps best known for his self-published works our kitty and the intensely personal mommy, daddy, nate, and me, Bell might seem an ill-fit for Ultimate X-Men. Quesada dispelled the notion. "Sure, Stewart seems an ill-fit at first, but anyone who has seen the dinosaurs versus robots versus aliens series knows he's just as capable of the widescreen action fans have the right to expect from the X-Men. He's got some wild ideas, and I think there are going to be a lot of surprise twists and turns along the way."
<a href="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/columns/ultimatex40_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/columns/ultimatex40_1t.jpg" align=right alt="Ultimate X-Men #40, page #1"></a>Bell was more forthcoming about his plans. "Umm... I'm going to have Spider-Man join the X-Men, because Spider-Man is cool. And Wolverine is cool, too. I like Wolverine and Spider-man, and I'm going to have them do lots of cool stuff. And Cyclops is getting a secondary mutation and he’ll fling poo. Umm... and I'm going to make myself an X-Man. Stewie-Man. I'm going to be able to shoot lasers our of my eyes. And my hands. And my claws. Berserker barrage!"
"It's a creative and commercial synergy," Quesada continued. "The X-Men and Spider-man, together on a monthly basis. Two of our best-known and best-selling movie franchises together, just waiting to rope in fans of either movie! This is where Stewart's brilliance lies--creatively strong, commercially viable franchise utilization."
Millar gushed about the autobiographical nature of Bell's stories. "Mate, I wish I had thought of that! It's absolutely brilliant! We haven't seen a good self-insertion since Grant [Morrison]'s run on Animal Man. I should have thought of this back during the 'Tomorrow People!' Marky-Man! X-ray eyes and the ability to teleport into women's bathrooms! And Wolverine claws! Snikt! Ha ha ha! I’m a ROGUE!"
"Actually, the autobiographical angle was one of the strongest points in the initial pitch," said Quesada. "Stewie-Man represents the everyman. He is every comic reader, because, let's face it, who hasn't wanted superpowers at one point or another? Plus, it's so deeply metaphorical. Lasers out of his eyes and hands? I think it obviously represents the progression of childhood to adulthood, when you sometimes feel so awkward and unattractive that you could kill someone with the merest look, or that the changes to your body hurt like blades in your hands. It's deeply allegorical for, I think, the teen experience, and hopefully that will resonate with people. I think Stewie-Man is the next Wolverine, and we're already planning a twelve-issue maxi-series detailing his origin, plotted by Stewart, Bill, and myself, with scripts by Mark and art by none other than yours truly! Yes, I'm going back to the drawing board for this one, that's how much I love the character!"
Millar says he is extremely excited to be part of the Stewie-man phenomenon. "I've been lobbying Stewart pretty hard to slip Marky-Man into the mini-series, and I think he's willing to do it. I've gotten the plots for the first few issues, and it's truly crazy. Stewart's a nutter, but a brilliant nutter. I feel I'm a better writer for just having worked with him."
Jemas's excitement about both projects is palpable. "Between these two projects, perhaps the Federal Reserve will finally give in to our request for a printer. I'm that confident in the projects."
Asked to boil his approach to the X-Men down into a few key phrases, Stewart responded, "Wolverine and Spider-Man beat up bad guys. And Cyclops. I hate Cyclops. He looks so stupid. That’s why he flings poo. Oh, and they beat up Mr. Fenerman, my teacher who won't let me have more cookies after naptime. If Wolverine and Spider-Man were really here, they'd give me more cookies after naptime."
"I believe we all want more cookies after naptime," Jemas finished. "It's this sort of universal appeal that resonates with readers, and Stewart's got it in spades. He truly is one of the most talented four-year old brothers of a comic reader I've ever had the privilege of meeting."
Ultimate X-Men #40 will ship in December.
All characters ™ and © their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. The preceding article was a work of fiction, and any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All parody of public figures protected under Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, 485 US 46, 108 S.Ct 876, 99 L.Ed.2d 41 (1988), and is intended to be comic, not malicious.
Lauren Dougherty spends the majority of her time in Paris, playing with shiny things and pool boys. She’s best known for creating the “Freedom Fry”.
Anthony Zisa is loved and adored the world over, and is best remembered for his stint as Snuggle the Bear in the late eighties.
Ultimate Stewie-Man
Ultimate X-Men fans are sure to be stunned in the wake of Marvel Comics unveiling of the new creative team replacing the fan-favorite duo of Mark Millar and Adam Kubert. Comic newcomer Stewart Bell will replace the creators as both the title's writer and artist, starting with issue #40. Surprising enough is that the book is Bell's first comic work, but perhaps even more shocking he is only four years old!
"It's shocking! It's unexpected! It's the mighty new Marvel style!" exclaimed Marvel president Bill Jemas in response to inquiries. "With Epic, we reached out to the fan community, and now, we're proving that Marvel will not allow age to be a barrier in finding tomorrow's hot new writers and artists!"
Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada elaborated. "It's quite simple, really. By expanding the pool of potential talent, you increase your chances of finding the next creative juggernaut. Frank Miller was a nobody when he was plucked out of obscurity to do the art and, later, the writing on Daredevil. Imagine if Marvel had discovered Grant Morrison earlier in his life. I mean, all that creative output would have been in our back catalog. It's really simple editorial--the hot writers and artists of tomorrow, doing the comics of today."
Why Bell? Jemas says it all goes back to the early days of Quesada's tenure. "Of course, a lot of people are going to ask how we found Stewart. It's a funny story, actually. I ran across Stewart's brother, Nathaniel Orrin Bell, on one of the many messages boards I lurked on, under the name BillJemasFan1. I then came across Nathaniel, who posted under his alias wo1verineru1z69. I saw numerous statements about how much better a writer and artist his four-year old brother was than the Marvel staff, and, well, I just knew I had to have such a talent on one of our top selling books. Stewart is doing some lovely work that is going to blow away the readers. It’s MARVELous! Get it? Heh."
Millar was extremely excited about Bell's upcoming Ultimate X-Men stories. "The joke's on you all!" he said, laughing in a manner he insisted be described as roguishly. "Stewart's already been ghost-writing the book for two storyarcs! Ha ha ha!"
Perhaps best known for his self-published works our kitty and the intensely personal mommy, daddy, nate, and me, Bell might seem an ill-fit for Ultimate X-Men. Quesada dispelled the notion. "Sure, Stewart seems an ill-fit at first, but anyone who has seen the dinosaurs versus robots versus aliens series knows he's just as capable of the widescreen action fans have the right to expect from the X-Men. He's got some wild ideas, and I think there are going to be a lot of surprise twists and turns along the way."
<a href="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/columns/ultimatex40_1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/columns/ultimatex40_1t.jpg" align=right alt="Ultimate X-Men #40, page #1"></a>Bell was more forthcoming about his plans. "Umm... I'm going to have Spider-Man join the X-Men, because Spider-Man is cool. And Wolverine is cool, too. I like Wolverine and Spider-man, and I'm going to have them do lots of cool stuff. And Cyclops is getting a secondary mutation and he’ll fling poo. Umm... and I'm going to make myself an X-Man. Stewie-Man. I'm going to be able to shoot lasers our of my eyes. And my hands. And my claws. Berserker barrage!"
"It's a creative and commercial synergy," Quesada continued. "The X-Men and Spider-man, together on a monthly basis. Two of our best-known and best-selling movie franchises together, just waiting to rope in fans of either movie! This is where Stewart's brilliance lies--creatively strong, commercially viable franchise utilization."
Millar gushed about the autobiographical nature of Bell's stories. "Mate, I wish I had thought of that! It's absolutely brilliant! We haven't seen a good self-insertion since Grant [Morrison]'s run on Animal Man. I should have thought of this back during the 'Tomorrow People!' Marky-Man! X-ray eyes and the ability to teleport into women's bathrooms! And Wolverine claws! Snikt! Ha ha ha! I’m a ROGUE!"
"Actually, the autobiographical angle was one of the strongest points in the initial pitch," said Quesada. "Stewie-Man represents the everyman. He is every comic reader, because, let's face it, who hasn't wanted superpowers at one point or another? Plus, it's so deeply metaphorical. Lasers out of his eyes and hands? I think it obviously represents the progression of childhood to adulthood, when you sometimes feel so awkward and unattractive that you could kill someone with the merest look, or that the changes to your body hurt like blades in your hands. It's deeply allegorical for, I think, the teen experience, and hopefully that will resonate with people. I think Stewie-Man is the next Wolverine, and we're already planning a twelve-issue maxi-series detailing his origin, plotted by Stewart, Bill, and myself, with scripts by Mark and art by none other than yours truly! Yes, I'm going back to the drawing board for this one, that's how much I love the character!"
Millar says he is extremely excited to be part of the Stewie-man phenomenon. "I've been lobbying Stewart pretty hard to slip Marky-Man into the mini-series, and I think he's willing to do it. I've gotten the plots for the first few issues, and it's truly crazy. Stewart's a nutter, but a brilliant nutter. I feel I'm a better writer for just having worked with him."
Jemas's excitement about both projects is palpable. "Between these two projects, perhaps the Federal Reserve will finally give in to our request for a printer. I'm that confident in the projects."
Asked to boil his approach to the X-Men down into a few key phrases, Stewart responded, "Wolverine and Spider-Man beat up bad guys. And Cyclops. I hate Cyclops. He looks so stupid. That’s why he flings poo. Oh, and they beat up Mr. Fenerman, my teacher who won't let me have more cookies after naptime. If Wolverine and Spider-Man were really here, they'd give me more cookies after naptime."
"I believe we all want more cookies after naptime," Jemas finished. "It's this sort of universal appeal that resonates with readers, and Stewart's got it in spades. He truly is one of the most talented four-year old brothers of a comic reader I've ever had the privilege of meeting."
Ultimate X-Men #40 will ship in December.
All characters ™ and © their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. The preceding article was a work of fiction, and any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. All parody of public figures protected under Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, 485 US 46, 108 S.Ct 876, 99 L.Ed.2d 41 (1988), and is intended to be comic, not malicious.
Lauren Dougherty spends the majority of her time in Paris, playing with shiny things and pool boys. She’s best known for creating the “Freedom Fry”.
Anthony Zisa is loved and adored the world over, and is best remembered for his stint as Snuggle the Bear in the late eighties.