The Village Gossip has a bag of 64 questions...every visitor who comes past must answer a totally random selection of these, the first twenty pulled from the bag. This week, Gary Reed drops by: the former publisher of Caliber Comics and currently writes Deadworld and the upcoming A Murder of Scarecrows. He is also known for Baker Street, Renfield, and Saint Germaine.
What are you working on at the moment?
Finishing up the lettering corrections on the first issue of Slaughterhouse which is a new story arc in the Deadworld series. Nate Pride sends me a pdf of the complete script so I can check for mistakes. I find the best way to look for errors is to read the last page first and so on. That way I don’t get caught up in the story and miss any mistakes. I wouldn’t recommend it for fans, though. The story doesn’t make as much sense.
What is the best comic you've ever read?
Wow, that’s a tough one. It would probably be something from Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman, though. The issue of Daredevil by Frank Miller where he killed Elektra was a shock to me, so maybe that one. I did not see that one coming. As a kid, I remember the in the Legion of Super Heroes when Ferro Lad died…that stayed with me for a long time.
Downloading illegal torrents will kill comics, discuss.
Obviously if you’re taking money away from the producers, that is going to hurt. But right now, according to some people, the torrents are providing an exposure service and introducing comics to a new audience. I think it will push the publishers to find ways of getting their product out there legally but there has to be a way for publishers to separate themselves from the illegal posters in order to charge for the content. Not sure how that can be done yet as the technical aspects are beyond me.
Are you a good kisser?
I have no idea but I’ve been married a long time and she’s never complained. And frankly, once you hit a certain age, you really don’t care.
Do you have a big circle of friends?
No, a lot of acquaintances but not a lot of true friends. Very close to my wife and I have a few friends plus 5 brothers, that seems to serve me well enough.
Do you like your own name?
For the most part. It’s short which makes it easy to sign those electronic keypads. I have no idea what people with long names have to contend with. But if you say my name fast, it sort of slips into a bit of clunkiness.
Have you ever seen a ghost?
Since I don’t believe in them, no. But if I saw one, then I guess I could convert to being a believer, but until then…
If you could swap places with someone for a day, who would it be?
I can’t think of any particular person but I think it would be cool to be an astronaut or something. Maybe the President as I’d like to see where that red button is.
Were you ever bullied at school?
No, I actually have a fraternal twin brother who was quite a bit smaller than me in the early years so most of the fights I got in were protecting him. I was a decent size and never backed down so that kept most of the bullies away.
What are you most ashamed of having done?
I’m fortunate that I can look back and not have much to be ashamed of. But I do remember as a teenager, a casual friend knew this girl liked me and he told her the feeling was mutual and I had to explain it to her. He was the only person I hit without provocation. I felt bad afterwards. Not much, I know.
What was the last book you read?
I just finished it about an hour ago. It’s called Radical Evolution by Joel Garreau. I read mostly for research whether for writing or teaching. It’s been awhile since I read a fiction book.
What’s the worst comic that you’ve ever been involved in, or read?
That’s really tough because when I ran Caliber we got some really bad submissions in…I mean, really bad. I can’t really think of any particular one because if it’s that bad, I wouldn’t have finished it.
What's the most ferocious argument you've ever had?
Undoubtedly, it would have to be regarding religion. I tend to ignore most of the arguments but when someone starts preaching and won’t back off, that’s usually when I get heated about things.
Which - if any - established comic would you most like to be part of?
If I were ever involved in mainstream comics, I’d like something like Challengers of the Unknown or Ant Man…something scientific based. I always liked Adam Strange as well.
Who was your first crush?
That goes way back to the third grade. I guess it was the girl I always wanted to pick me when we had to do those stupid square dances.
What is the most exciting thing happening in comics right now?
I think it’s the different forms of distribution, whether it’s graphic novels expanding online or in bookstores or the digital format in downloads. I think the distribution is being set up but it’s going to take awhile for the material and diversity to fill the demand that can be obtained but there’s a lot of good things happening in that direction.
If the comics industry died tomorrow, what would you do instead?
Since the comics industry isn’t my full line of work, it really wouldn’t impact me that much. I teach college biology and moving more towards writing non-comics such as text books and novels, so I’m not dependent on comics. But I love the storytelling medium of comics so I definitely would miss it.
What do you think of the likes of talent shows such as X-Factor/American Idol?
I’m not familiar with X-Factor but American Idol, I am. My wife watches it and I gravitate to it quite a bit. I know it gets criticized a lot but I think it’s a great way to introduce new talent and provides a way for people to make it. I find it funny how many people find it repulsive yet there’s a number of similar contests with comics that are essentially the same thing.
What's the most tragic CD you own?
I’ve never regarded a CD as tragic. I’m a big fan of the Beatles so probably when listening to some of their CDs and thinking of John Lennon getting killed and not continuing.
If you weren't answering these s illy questions, what would you be doing instead?
More than likely, writing the next script.
If you'd like to drop by the Village to answer the Gossip's questions, email craigjohnsonesq@aol.com to chat. Similarly email if you have a question you'd like the Gossip to include in his bag.