Continuing our look at creators interviewing creators, Rob Williams, writer of MISS FURY (volume 1 trade now on sale), talked to Mark Waid about his recent run on THE GREEN HORNET.
ROB WILLIAMS: What attracts you to Green Hornet? I presume you were a fan from years back? (although not from the radio serials of the 30s, I'm sure).
MARK WAID: Yeah, I'm not THAT old. I got hooked by the guest appearances on the 1960s Batman TV show and then stayed hooked through listening to recordings of the old radio serials. I was always taken by not only the legacy aspect--that he's the grand-nephew of the Lone Ranger--but also by the "triple identity" angle, that he's a newspaper publisher AND a crimefighter who POSES as a criminal. It's a brilliant twist, always has been.
RW: You seem to really enjoy writing period pieces. Is this an era that involves a lot of research for you, or do you have a lot of knowledge of the era already?
MW: I'm no historian, to tell you the truth--I do a LOT of research as I go and work hard to keep the Hornet's technology on that fine line between "cutting edge" and "totally unbelievable for that era." And I've done a lot of reading about the way the crime families of that decade operated.
RW: What's your process on the book and how do you collaborate with Eonilson Friere? Do you work 'Marvel style' or full script?
MW: It's full-script only to bridge any potential language barriers and minimize confusion, but I'm very happy with what he's doing. In fact, I literally just finished proofreading issue eight and was quite taken with the faces and body language of the characters--Friere clearly works VERY hard, and if we ever meet face to face, dinner's on me.
RW: If someone hadn't picked up a Green Hornet comic before, what would you say to convince them to do so?
MW: I'd tell them it's not a superhero comic, it's a crime comic--and the titular "hero" is in many ways also the villain of the piece. It's one of the few comics I can think of where the ongoing theme is "hubris."
RW: The 'wealthy young man goes out to fight crime at night' thing has been done so often over the years, how do you keep it fresh?
MW: Again, it's playing the ego angle. Ramping up the arrogance of the character and letting that be his downfall.
RW: Nazi agents dovetailing with classic Chicago-era mobsters, it's a fun cast to play with. Are you enjoying writing the book?
MW: I really am. Plus, he and Kato travel in a limousine equipped with machine guns. What's not to love about THAT?
Get caught up by checking out THE GREEN HORNET VOL 1: BULLY PULPIT TPB and MISS FURY VOL 1: ANGER IS AN ENERGY, both now on sale.