Baltimore Comic Con: Marvel: Your Universe

September 28, 2008 on 5:47 pm | In Baltimore Comic-Con | No Comments

Keeping with tradition, Marvel’s Executive Editor Tom Brevoort, X-Infernus writer C.B. Cebulski, Amazing Spider-Man’s Dan Slott, and the ever-popular Brian Michael Bendis sat in front of the panel room in Baltimore to run the Marvel: Your Universe panel. Brevoort immediately opened up the room for discussion of the fans’ favorite moments and constructive criticisms of Marvel’s heroes, villains and events. Here are the highlights.
- One of the main complaints about the events from the crowd was that they were too long and too close together. Brevoort assured the crowd that Marvel will be trying next year to do fewer and shorter events that don’t span as many books.
- A fan mentioned that he was slightly miffed at the treatment of the Hulk and his devolution back into the “Hulk Smash” days. Bendis commiserated, but offered an explanation: “I’m with you. A lot of times I’ve been beating my head against the wall… Then I took my kid to The Incredible Hulk [movie], when [The Hulk] went, “Hulk Smash!”, she was blown to the back of the theater!” Dan Slott agreed, “The first time we heard “Hulk Smash!” it was amazing.”
- Bendis mentioned that his enjoyment of an event was not only the ending, but the journey getting there. “More and more people want to hear the end of the story. I love the journey. My favorite parts are the middle. I’m fascinated by it.”
- Bendis related an anecdote about Marvel’s retreats started by Bill Jemas and the process of going through each book and asking the question, “Why do we publish this?” The panel agreed that changes take place when more stories can be told as a result.
- Bendis and Slott related their experiences with McDonalds. Bendis, while working at McDonalds, realized that he no longer wanted to work there. When he decided to quit and pursue other interests, his manager came up to him and said, “Brian, you’ll always have a place at McDonalds.” Bendis says that whenever he doesn’t feel like writing, he thinks of that moment. “Then I go sit down and I write my ass off,” he laughed. Dan Slott, had another experience playing McDonalds Monopoly. He realized that there is no purchase necessary to get game pieces, so he would drive around to every McDonalds in town while thinking of script ideas. It ended when he saw a recent graduate friend of his handing Slott his game pieces for the day. Slott then got an internship at Marvel.

That’s it for the Marvel: You’re Universe Panel! Keep clicking Wizard Universe!