You asked, Brian Wood answered

Brian Wood (Fonte: www.spycomics.com)

This is the english version of the interview, for Mr. Wood show to his english speaking non-Brazilian friends! // Esta é a versão em inglês da entrevista que Brian Wood nos concedeu, para que ele possa mostrar a seus amiguinhos fora do Brasil.

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From reader JOAO GILBERTO:

Hello Mr. Wood,

Until now, you have only worked with your own creations. Was that a choice or part of a natural process? And which Marvel or DC characters would you like to work with (typical fan question, I know…)?

I’ve just started to read your work, but I’m a fan already.

It was part of both… I started off in comics working on my own creations, as projects in art school, so it never occurred to me that I could be working on a company-owned book.  So that part was natural, at the beginning.  But over time, with a couple of small exceptions, I have made a point to continue to create original works, because it’s better for me, its more fun and more lucrative, and I think its better for the comics industry when new ideas and new books are pumped into it.

From reader ALEX_RP

I’m working on my final graduate project on DMZ. The theme is journalism and comics, as well as the influence of journalism on wars. So I would love if you could answer some questions:

- Where did the idea for DMZ come from?
- Does it already have an ending?
- Is Matthew Roth based on war photographer Matthew Brady? What about his last name?
- Besides movies, what are your biggest influences for writing?

The idea for DMZ came from several sources – my original work CHANNEL ZERO, which could almost be considered a prequel to DMZ, a lot of politics and current events, and a love for old 1970′s movies like Escape From New York and Death Wish.  All that stuff was in my head at the same time and, eventually, DMZ was born.  And yes, the book does have an ending already figured out, and I estimate two more years of the monthly comic before it concludes.  That should be about 12 collected volumes in total.

I don’t know Matthew Brady, so no.  Matty came purely out of my head.  “Roth” is because one of my favorite writers is Philip Roth.

And my influences are mostly novels:  Scandinavian crime, Russel Banks, a hell of a lot of non-fiction on history and war, and all kinds of music.  I am very jealous of songwriters.  They get to tell whole stories in just a few sentences.  I’d love to write lyrics some day.

From reader AUGUSTO LIMA

How is your work process like? Does it involve a lot of research?

I research a lot.  I probably research too much, more than I need to, but I get addicted to it.  Each of my two big projects right now, DMZ and NORTHLANDERS, had me reading dozens of books for each, and in the case of NORTHLANDERS, travelling to Iceland and Norway (I might be visiting Finland and Greenland next year, too).  So my work process involves a lot of reading, a lot of staring at the walls, a lot of note-taking, until the right moment when I can sit down in front of a script and write.  I can generally write a comic in two or three days, maximum.

And in the scripts themselves, I’ll put in links to online research websites I create specifically for my artists.  Northlanders has a secret website with a cumulative fruit of many years of research, so if I describe a certain kind of house or church or weapon, I can link right to some pictures.  I figure its better the artist spends his time drawing than hunting for reference online.

From reader ALESANDRO

What are your main literary influences? Which books do you like the most?

Henning Mankell, Russell Banks, Michael Gruber, some of John King’s books (Human Punk and White Trash), Wells Tower… the list is endless, so there’s just a few.

From reader LUIZ

Hello, mr. Wood. DMZ is fantastic! I’d like to know if you think that anything like DMZ’s Manhattan could happen to a city in the US or in any other developed country. Thank you.

For my own sanity and peace of mind, I have to say no, because its too crazy an idea to seriously entertain.  I like to think that common sense would prevail before that could happen.  At the same time, things happened in America after 9/11 that would have been unimaginable just a few months before… and you look at Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, where bodies of dead people lay in the street for days and the government was unable (unwilling?) to really help… it can make you fear the worst for when the next crisis hits.

From reader HUGO ANDRÉ (MUSGUS)

Brian, did you do any kind of historical research to write NORTHLANDERS? Which author or sources? If not, where did you draw inspiration to build this incredible story? I’ve already read it until #11 and loved it. I would also like to know if it has an ending. Congratulations for your great work.

Here is a partial list from the NORTHLANDERS blog:  http://northlanders.tumblr.com/post/242809186/northlanders-research-source-list . And the book doesn’t have an ending in the traditional sense since its not a single story, but rather more like a bunch of thematically-connected graphic novels.  So I can keep writing them indefinitely.  I hope to at least write the stories I have notes for, which should last two more years.

From reader LIOMAR

Mr. Wood, how did you start to write comics? Did you always have the desire to be a writer, or how did it come about this way?

Simply put, I was a comics artist first but didn’t trust anyone I knew to write my stories or to create a story for me to draw.  So I decided to write it myself.  And based on that book, Warren Ellis asked me to work with him on GENERATION X at Marvel, and I think that was around the time I not only fell in love with writing but saw that I had a lot of ideas, a lot of stories I wanted to tell, but that for whatever reason I wouldn’t, or couldn’t draw them.  My art style is very specific, very limited, and really only works for a few types of stories.

From reader MAURICIO

Hello, mr. Wood! Marvel Comics’ Joe Quesada once said it would be difficult for a non-English-speaking writer to get any jobs in American comics. What do you think about that? Should a Brazilian writer with American comics aspirations just quit? Thank you for your attention!! And also for your great comics!!

I think its difficult for ANY writer to get jobs in American comics, but that shouldn’t stop anyone and I hope it doesn’t stop you.  The key, and I would say this to anyone, is to get published and use that published work as a sample, as opposed to just writing pitches and proposals.  Actual, finished, complete work is the best thing to show.  And if the work is good, it shouldn’t matter what your first language is.  I hope!

From reader LEXY SOARES

Dear Brian,
How do you think your stories reach the sensibilities of readers from other countries? Do you believe that “too American” stories, like DMZ or LOCAL, have any appeal outside the USA? And how can a critical work like DMZ affect the way foreigners see America?

I think I can see they have appeal.  DMZ is published in five languages, LOCAL and DEMO have been nominated and won awards in Italy.  There was a huge exhibition of DMZ at the Lucca Comics + Games in Italy a couple years ago, where I got to travel there and be on television talking about the book.  NORTHLANDERS is starting to follow suit, with editions published in Germany, Italy, and obviously for you in Brasil.  I don’t intentionally try and write in a ‘national’ or ‘international’ way, but I have always felt that accessibility is the key to success, writing stories and creating characters that are fundamentally relatable… and I think in large part it works.  I’ve based my career off that premise!

DMZ has been my biggest hit internationally – I think 19 total volumes of the book are in print in languages other than English – and I think there should be more critical comics like this.  I think its much better to show the world that American comics have a complex, critical, and varied comics industry, and that we can tackle serious subjects and our characters don’t have to be wearing costumes to do so.

From reader ROBSON SOBRAL

How does your experience as a designer help or influence your work on comics, besides covers?

I think my artist background helps in the writing, in not overwhelming the artist with detail or difficult angles or page layouts.  I try and think like an artist as I write and make it both simple and effective.  And when I do have to write something complicated or that will take them a long time to draw, I’m consumed with guilt!

From reader ALLAN CHAVES

My questions:
- How do you fell about being considered one of the best current writers in comics: great power or great responsibility?
- Any advice for someone who wants to write comics? And for someone who wants to pursue a professional career writing?
- Having a lot of your stories set in different times and places, have you ever thought about writing a story set in Brasil?
- Have you ever read any Brazilian comics? What did you think? Do you know or like any Brazilian comics author?
- Which comics left their mark on you? Which do you recommend inconditionally?

I’ll answer these in list format:

1. I wasn’t aware I was considered one of the best.  I’m not sure I feel like I am one of the best.  So the best way I can answer that is to say that a writer, in order to work to his best ability, cannot think about the audience too much when he/she writes.  You write for yourself first, otherwise you can overthink things and make a mess of your story.  You’ll never please everyone.

2. The way to be a writer is to just write.  I know that can sound flippant, but its true.  You become a writer by writing and never stopping.  Self-publish at first to get your work into print if you have to.  The more you write, the faster you will improve, and the worst thing you can do is to get hung up on details or worrying that your writing is bad.  Here’s a piece of advice for everyone:  your work IS bad, at first.  Accept that and keep writing, keep moving forward, and sooner than later you will stop sucking and start getting good.

3. I know very little of Brasil.  I would have to visit first.

4. I really only know Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, who are, of course, amazing.  I feel like I should know more, though.

5. The comics that have truly left a mark on me:  Vagabond, Preacher, Hate, The Last American, Love and Rockets, a lot of the early Vertigo stuff like Kill Your Boyfriend, Girl, Enigma, etc.  I wish more of that was in print.  Hate is my all-time favorite, the indie comic that Peter Bagge did in the 90′s.

From reader ANDERSON B.

I have an awful lot of questions…

1. Your first works were drawn by yourself. Nowadays, if I’m not mistaken, you only do some covers and some pages for DMZ (always my favorite ones!). What led you to drop out of drawing? Is it a matter of time or lack of interest (yours or from publishers?)? Did you always think of yourself mostly as a writer? Do you intend to go back to drawing one day? Curiously, this is the same path for Brian Bendis (although you’re not writing half of the Marvel universe) and Bill Wllingham. Do you see any connections to these authors?

2. When NORTHLANDERS was published, most readers were surprised by its theme, so distant from the urban setting from most of your stories – besides being a theme practically untouched by American comics. Do you any other unusual settings for future projects or do you intend to stay focused on urban settings?

1. I think I mostly answered this already.  To add to what I already said, I am not a very fast artist, and comics is a field where artists are required to be as fast as possible, if you want any chance of making a living at it.  I also don’t think my style is very commercial.  I remember after I did those 14 covers for Warren Ellis’ Global Frequency, and was nominated for an Eisner Award for them, no one would hire me to do covers, not even Wildstorm (who published Global Frequency).  And even after DMZ, I never get offers to do artwork for comics.  I don’t think I’m meant to do so.

Brian Bendis and I started off at Image Comics at the same time, writing and drawing our black-and-white creator-owned comics (mine was CHANNEL ZERO, his was Jinx).  Obviously, we have vastly different careers now, so different than I can’t see any connection at all.

2.  What NORTHLANDERS taught me was to not be afraid to take huge creative risks and try new things.  So I plan on being as varied as possible in the future.  Right now I am starting to pitch to Vertigo my next project, that will start around the time DMZ ends (in two years) and all of the ideas I have are pretty different from what has come before.  It’s good, it keeps me from getting bored!

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We would like to thanks Mr. Wood for finding time in his busy schedule to answer the questions from his Brazilian fans. Thank you very much, Mr. Wood!