Mark
Mazz’s 12 Questions
with Robert
J. Sodaro...
1)
How did you get your first start in comics?
My first job in comics came about when I was working in a local radio
station in CT and a DJ friend of mine at the station, named Mike Raub,
told me about some friends of his that were starting up a new comics magazine.
That magazine was Amazing Heroes, which was a sister publication of The
Comics Journal. At the time Mike Catron was the editor of AH, and he gave
me my first assignment, which was an article about Steve Ditko’s
tenure on Spider-Man. This led to another article, and to me writing about
John Romita, Sr.’s run on Spidey for FantaCo’s The Spider-Man
Chronicles. Naturally, this eventually led to me writing articles for
other comic mags. Eventually even to a writing assignment from Jim Salicrup,
editor of Marvel Age. Then in 1987, I sold an espionage series concept
entitled Agent Unknown to Deni Loubert at Renegade Press. Unfortunately,
the series only lasted three issues, but it was a lot of fun to write.
2)
a) What magazines have you written for?
In addition to Amazing Heroes and Marvel Age I’ve written for virtually
every major comic mag, including The Comics Buyers’ Guide, Heroes
Illustrated, Combo, Flux, Wizard, The Comics Journal, Entertainment Retailing,
and many others. I’ve also worked directly for most of the major
comicbook companies as well, producing marketing and promotional material
for Marvel, DC, Malibu, Valiant/Acclaim, Dark Horse, Image (Rob Liefeld),
and JC Comics.
b)
Any on-line sites with Sodaro content that we should know about?
Of course there is; the Ditko article I wrote is up on a Ditko-centric
site called Ditko Looked Up, plus I am a staff reviewer and Sr. Title
Coordinator for SpiderFan.org (where it is all Spider-Man, all the time).
Then I have a movie column called Suspension of Belief that I post on
PopThought.com.
3)
Did you approach Deni Loubert with Agent Unknown?
Yes, I did. I was interviewing her for an article I was writing for Amazing
Heroes. After I was done talking to her about the article, I pitched the
series. She really liked the idea and signed me up. Like I said, though,
due to economics of the time, the market just wasn’t able to support
the book, so it was canceled after three issues. I keep hoping that I
can interest someone else into picking up the series again (hint, hint),
as I still have stories to tell about these wonderful characters.
4)
Can you give us a little of the back-story for that series?
Sure, I decided that instead of following a single character, Agent Unknown
would follow an ensemble cast of characters that was spread across 20
or 30 years of continuity. I wanted to show the evolving nature of the
intelligence agency, as well as the nature of National and World security
during the those years. The main characters in the series are a pair of
brothers operating during the ‘60s, named Andrew Jackson Seven and
Thomas Jefferson Seven, they are joined by Stacy Anne Duncan, a tough-as-nails
supervisor, and an undercover agent named Larry Haloran who operate during
the ‘70s. Plus there are a third pair of agents code-named Springload
& Renegade who operate during the ‘80s. There are other characters
as well who moved between each of the respective series, as well as several
stand-alone stories about individual agents as well.
5)
How did you get the Marvel advertising and promotions gig in 1994?
You know, I was just thinking about that the other day, and I have to
tell you that I honestly don’t remember how that came about. I’m
sure that I was recommended for the job, but I just don’t remember
by whom. It might have been by Steve Saffel, my then editor on Marvel
Age at the time, but I just don’t remember. I do know that I was
working for a very nice guy named Vito Incorvaia (who did some wonderful
work on the Marvel quarterly and annual reports when the company went
public at the end of the ‘90s), and that the assignment lasted about
two or three weeks. It was a real high point in my career.
Any
regrets with Marvel?
Yea, that I was unable to translate either that assignment or my freelancing
into either a Marvel staff job or writing gig on one of Marvel’s
comicbook titles. Although, I did wind up meeting you, (Mark Mazz), and
getting myself invited to a couple of the Holiday parties and Summer Picnics.
6)
I know you were there when Image and the various studios were just born,
any inside info you’d care to tell us about...?
Yeah, it was a real heady time. All these new universes were being formed.
All these new heroes and legends were coming to life. It really was incredible.
You had all these incredible new characters and concepts coming to market
by all the great talents. In addition to Image there was Malibu, Valiant,
Dark Horse’s Comics Greatest World, Defiant, Majestic, Milestone,
Lightning, the revival of T.H.U.N.D.E.R., and several other universes.
Many of which were really quite cool. It’s just too bad that the
marketplace couldn’t support them all.
7)
Any journalism experiences you’d like to share?
In addition to my comics writing, I also did writing for quite a few non-comics
magazines and publications, including some local newspapers (where I wrote
about local bands and national music acts, as well as movies, and other
local events), computer mags (Ahoy!, Run, Compute’s Gazette, Videogaming
Illustrated), as well as various types of trade and consumer publications.
I actually (quite accidentally, mind you) broke a major comicbook story.
I was in the office of The Comics Journal, and a press release had come
in from David Singer announcing that the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were public
Domain, and that he was legally able to publish them. Well, I happened
to know John Carbonaro (who actually owned the Agents) and knew that Singer
was lying, and trying to run a con game on the press and fans. I happened
to mention it in passing, and suddenly found myself doing investigative
journalism. I was working in New York City at the time, and was asked
to stop by the courthouse and photocopy the papers that Carbonaro filed
against Singer. Next thing I knew I was covering some of the court action.
Over the years John was vindicated, and I wound up becoming very good
friends with John Carbonaro, and even doing some additional reporting
on the story and PR for John himself. I even wrote a Lightning story,
as well as plotted out a Raven story, neither of which will (unfortunately)
probably ever see print.
8)
What was your weirdest interview experience?
Well, I once had to interview Sam Keith about his Image comic, The Maxx.
Only he was under deadline, and had locked himself in his studio, refusing
to come to the phone, so I wound up interviewing his agent. Then there
was the time I was attempting to interview Steve Bissette who was getting
ready to launch SpiderBaby Graphix. Well, as it turned out, he announced
way too early, and was nowhere ready when I took on the assignment, but
instead of simply blowing him off, I was very patient with him, and called
him every couple of months for over a year until he was closer to launch.
Then I had a great four-hour interview with him. I never realized, until
then, how much I knew about the horror genre. Steve never forgot me, and
for years afterwards, whenever I would show up conventions he was at,
he would introduce me to everyone, like I was an old drinking buddy of
his. It was great. I hope that he gets a chance to see the horror story
that I wrote in Psychoses! I’d love to know what he thinks of it
(“Hey Steve, you still out there?”)
9)
Did you ever get to write advertising copy based on your previous comics
background?
Not really, but I think that I did learn some very valuable lessons in
how to conduct interviews and how to write marketing and promotional copy
while working in the field. Plus, I managed to score a whole bunch of
cool comics, because, while I was working in comics I was on virtually
everybody’s comp list. Actually, there was one San Diego Con where
I had a featured article in virtually every single comics-related magazine
that was issued during the show.
10)
As a writer have you ever had to juggle your family life against your
freelance career?
Ha! Every day! If I want to actually get any work done I find I have to
get up early, before anyone is awake (sometimes as early as 5:30 A.M.)
and stay up after everyone is in bed (like Midnight or 1:00 A.M.)
Care
to share one experience?
Like I said, between family, my job(s) and my freelance assignments and
clients it sometimes feels like I’m working around the clock, including
nights and weekends.
11)
What licensed properties, comics or otherwise still hold your interest?
Well, I’ve always been, and still am partial to Spider-Man. It’s
a fact that I not only have a nearly complete collection to virtually
all Spider-Man related titles (and comics in which he appears) as well
as that for the past couple of years I’ve been a regular contributor
to SpiderFan, plus I have piles and piles of toys and other Spider-collectibles.
That I’m a big fan of Spidey’s is fairly obvious to anyone
who knows me. Other licensed characters that interest me include The Shadow,
The Green Hornet (mostly based on the very cool TV show with Bruce Lee,
and his car, the Black Beauty), Nick Fury (but only in stories when he’s
the head of S.H.E.I.L.D. I never really liked his WWII stuff, I always
felt he was a poor man’s Sgt. Rock), The Batman, and of course The
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.
What
draws you to them?
As corny as it sounds, with Spidey it is Spidey’s mantra “with
great power comes great responsibility” as much as anything else.
I honestly can’t get enough of that character and the angst that
drives him. I love the fact that he was something of a wallflower but
the absolute purity of his heart and the love of his Aunt, are what have
driven him to do what he does over the years. The world sees Peter Parker
as a cipher, but once he puts on the costume there’s something of
a wildman-wizard inside him that simply can’t be stopped. With the
Shadow, he is the preeminent superhero boogieman and I still remember
what must have been the re-broadcasts of his radio show. The Green Hornet
was like a cooler Batman, and Batman is just a psychopath in a cape that
carries a badge. Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. are Man from U.N.C.L.E.
gone capes and superheroes, now what could be cooler than that? Plus,
I don’t think that the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ever really have gotten
the fair shot that they deserved. It seems that whenever they’ve
really started to get a good head of steam built up under them, the marketplace
has somehow conspired to yank the rug out from under them. I truly believe
that they need someone who will be able to commit for the long haul to
back their play and stick around while it happens.
Why
are they interesting from your perspective as a writer?
Because I don’t think that the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents have ever really
been fully fleshed out. Sure, in the beginning, under Wood, only the comics
of that era really weren’t designed for the kind of introspection
and exposition of today’s comics. Plus, given the kind of temperament
of today’s heroes, and the technology available to them including
the world in which we live, I’m thinking that a decent writer/artist
team could really delve into who these characters are, and could go some
very interesting places with them.
12)
Are there any pulp characters you might re-imagine for the 21st century?
Which one, and why?
I really haven’t given that much thought, but I’d guess I’d
have to say that I’m partial to The Shadow. I’d really like
to get into what that hard-core of a character could do in the 21st Century,
with all of the technology currently available, especially given his Depression-era
ethics and world-view.
