The Comics Journal Library 6: The Writers
The artists have long grabbed the most attention in the world of comic books, with writers generally relegated to near invisibility. That began to change in the 1970s, when an influx of new talents brought a contemporary sensibility to comic-book stories. The most prominent of those young Turks spout off in this collection of interviews from the pages of the comics field's leading critical magazine. They include Steve Gerber (^Howard the Duck),  Marv Wolfman (New Teen Titans), Steve Englehart (The Avengers), Denny O'Neil (Green Lantern), and Chris Claremont (X-Men).Most of them have left direct work in comics and now toil on its periphery, and their often decades-old views on the industry will vitally interest only hardcore fans. The no-holds-barred comments of volatile sf writer Harlan Ellison, who dabbled in comics, constitute a notable exception; in their time, they prompted a suit for libel. The concluding 1984 conversation with Alan Moore, whoseWatchmenwas about to set comics on its ear, hints at the greater prominence writers have since come to enjoy.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved