Editor’s Note: “Comic Book Boy” attended the Comic Convention in New York City last week. While there he was able to discuss the industry with Jeanine Schaeffer, an associate editor at DC Comics as well as Ryan Dunlavey, artist for Action Philosophers and Fred Van Lente, writer for Action Philosophers.
INTERVIEW 1: Jeanine Schaeffer, DC Comics
The Mirror: So how did you start your work in comics? Jeanine Schaeffer: Actually I used to work for Show Business Weekly and I had met a few comics people at, you know, just various signings and I tried to get involved interviewing them. When a job came up at DC, I heard about it, I applied on the website. I came in I met with Eddie Beganza and Dan Didio, and about three weeks later, I got the job. TM: How long have you been working at DC comics and which books have you worked on? I’ve been working there for about three years. I started out working on the Superman lines, Action Adventures, and Superman. I also worked on Infinite Crisis. Right now I’m working on Countdown, 52, Supergirl and the Legion, and JSA Classified. TM: Wow that seems like a lot! Yeah and I’m also launching the Legion of Superheroes animated books which start in April. TM:Did you do those books because you were assigned to them or because you wanted to do them? I was assigned to them because the assistants and the associates work with the full editors, senior editors and the group editors and my first job was with group editor Eddie Berganza. So the editors get to decide which books they want to work on; you know shuffle it around and talk about who would be the best fit for each book and their assistants and associates go work with them. Right now I am working with Mike Mark. TM: You’re working on some heavy hitting books there, especially 52. Considering that book comes out on a weekly basis, is it hard to keep up? Actually Michael Siglane, the editor, and all of the writers and the artist work as such a cohesive unit that there are no glitches. Every week is smooth, it’s amazing. I don’t think any of us expected it to work as well as it has. TM: I know, most people thought that Civil War was going to be the bigger event in comics but 52 has completely stomped it out and I’m really happy about that. We are too.
*** Comic Book Boy’s Note: Action Philosophers is a comic book which recounts lives and philosophies of philosophers over years; starting with the Pre-Socratics and going until the present. This is not some cheap educational comic book produced by a company like Scholastic. The book covers the concepts accurately and in the same level of terms as my philosophy text book for class. The book is also very funny and does take its time to poke fun at the philosophers. The book is self published by an author and illustrator team. I saw them at their booth and asked them a few questions:
INTERVIEW 2 “Action Philisophers” Artists The Mirror: Why did you guys decide to write the series? Ryan Dunlavey: Like I said before, liquor. (laughs) We did a Niche biography comic for an anthology and it didn’t get picked up but a magazine commissioned us to do more and we had several issues worth of material. Then the magazine folded and we had no other option but to self-publish. And we did, and, surprisingly, people like philosophy comics. TM: So how long have you guys been writing for? We’ve been doing this series for two years now, since April of 2005. TM: So are you guys mostly getting picked up by schools or by bookstores? All over the place: schools, bookstores, comic stores. We started in comic stores and now we spread into the book market. The book is being used as a text book in certain classes. Fred Van Lente: Also Barnes and Noble and Borders just picked us up. TM: Alright, thanks a lot for this interview and best of luck.
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