I thought for the first installment of 2009, we might try something a little different (and slightly longer). Rather than reviewing novels that they may have written, I’ve asked my colleagues in the 150ish-member strong International Association of Media Tie-In Writers to answer a couple of questions about the characters and books they would like to write, as well as to share some of their wackiest experiences dealing with unreasonable or just plan dumb editors and licensors (with names changed to protect the innocent … and the likelihood of these guys ever getting work from those same dummies again).
Keith R.A. DeCandido, whose most recent novels include STAR TREK: A SINGULAR DESTINY, SUPERNATURAL: BONE KEY and CSI: NEW YORK: FOUR WALLS, and who edited many of the Marvel novels produced by Byron Preiss for Berkley Books, said, “Well, the ideal choice would be my favorite superhero of all time: Spider-Man. Except, I’ve already written him. My first short-story sale and my first novel sale were both Spider-Man, so I’ve kinda already done it.
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Since CAPES, COWLS & COSTUMES’ last installment on novels based on big comic book stunts and events focused, by necessity, on DC Comics — as Marvel hasn’t adapted any of their big, company-wide events to prose — I thought I would even things up by looking at a handful of Marvel books this time around. Pulp publisher turned comics impresario Martin Goodman was one of dozens who leapt into the four-color parade after the initial success of Superman and, early on, achieved success with such characters as the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch and his flagship character of Captain America.
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Comic books sure do love their stunts. Those are the big events that run through the company’s entire line, featuring Earth- (and universe-) shattering storylines where heroes die, heroes are reborn, the fates of everything hang in the balance, and readers are expected to buy 72 separate comics in order to be able to read every last bit of the story. And at three or four bucks a pop these days, the True Fan can wind up spending well over 200 smackers for the whole thing. With FINAL CRISIS and SECRET INVASION running simultaneously, said True Fan is Truly Screwed.
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Yesterday, I spoke to an editor at a comic book publisher for whom I have written media tie-in projects, including an adult superhero novel that’s seeking a publisher, and several kids chapter books coming out next year. He reported no success yet in selling the novel (it was to have been published in 2006, but the company’s publishing partner went bankrupt), but said that not only was the kids series I had written two books for going to be continuing, but they were about to sign a contract for a new line based on a recently debuted animated show. “For some reason,” he said, “kids publishing is still doing okay.” (That, by the way, is a glowing report in today’s publishing field.)
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Comic books didn’t start as comic books. They started as comic strips in daily and Sunday newspapers. Then 20, 30 years later, someone started collecting them into the cheaply printed pamphlets we came to know and love. And finally, when everyone had reprinted all the good strips and low-rent publishers found they could commission — and own — new material for a lot less than the licensing fees for Flash Gordon or The Katzenjammer Kids, the likes of Superman, Batman, Captain America and all their descendents were born.
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