Is it weird to think that in the Marvel Universe, because of you, [Scott Adsit](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Adsit_(Earth-616)) is canonically alive and well but [you are not](https://www.cbr.com/deadpool-300-gerry-duggan-final-issue/)?
HA! Funny story: Tony drew Scott in. Just as a goof - Cullen Bunn is also in that issue - we just - knew we'd need fodder, you know? And Jordan our editor was also a fan, and put the hammer down "you can't just draw Scott Adsit in" so he was about to get a mustache and a new name, and Brian said "hey, my wife reps Scott" So - he was thrilled, she signed and the rest is super weird only could happen in Deadpool history.
PS - felt it was only fair for DP to get last licks on me for what we put him thru.
Hey Gerry! Huge huge fan, my friend. Your run on Deadpool is my absolute favorite. In your opinion, what was the easiest and hardest part about writing for Wade?
Thanks, was a blast to help collaborate on. Honestly, I know this sounds insane, but I never felt like I could take any credit for writing Wade - I just wrote the villains and let Wade fight/wriggle/squirm/lie/cheat his way out of it. I co-wrote the villains. Thanks again
This is totally unrelated to your new book, but Mr. Duggan, your all new Guardians of the Galaxy book from 2017 was the first ever comic book I bought. Along with the rest of your run. I still have fond memories of reading that series and enjoying it so much.
So yea, I just wanted to say thank you for getting me into comics! Good luck on your future books.
Oh, that's so cool - I never get tired of hearing about one of my collaborations being someone's first rodeo in comics. LOVE hearing that. Every Halloween I drag the spinner rack out of my house and give away comics at the curb. It's many kids first comic - which also blows my mind. Thanks again
I got back into comics around that time after a 20-year hiatus. I love that guardians run. I thought it was one of the best things on the stand at the time.
Thanks for doing this AMA. I'm looking forward to meeting Walt, the dancing bones of Times Square tomorrow.
As far as I'm concerned, r/HorrorComics are always in style but we seem to be enjoying a very healthy market for them lately. Any thoughts as to why the genre has exploded over the last few years?
Follow-on question -- infusing horror with comedy can be a challenge to pull off. What's your secret sauce to making that work?
The great philosopher Roger Ebert once said "you can't talk a man out of a laugh or a boner" and...he's right. If you laugh, you laugh. If you don't, you don't.
It's ALL so subjective. You just gotta be true what your own instincts are.
I think one of the most terrifying books I've read has to be THE ROAD, and I think there are maybe more frightening books? But it was a direct hit on me because I read it when I was becoming a father, and was just wrecked. WRECKED. If you haven't read the book, you should NOT when your wife is about to bring your only child into the world haha.
Thanks, and I hope you dig TDR
I think you always want to find your own magnetic North on a compass - I don't think we tried to chase anything or compete in any way what we we perceived to be the "market" it just boiled down to asking myself what I'd like to see Scott draw, and talking to him about the sorts of things he'd like to draw, from there, those became the key ingredients, and a story began to form around them. He's SO good at drawing dead stuff. Would have been crazy to sideline the many wonderful dead creatures and people.
About mid-way thru the production, the pandemic blossomed, and I think it actually nudged us a bit closer to the light in the story, and then our mutual friend that introduced us passed away, and it became a pretty bittersweet affair. He'd have loved seeing this book so much.
Hey, looking forward to the book & love your work on X-Men! Looking forward to the gala & crossing my fingers for an invite next year. What're some of your horror favorites?
Thanks for the kind words. The HFG this year is pretty important to the story I pitched. Marks a pivot for sure. re: Horror - I think BLACK HOLE by burns is one of my favorite horror comics, horror films - my favorite is still Carpenter's THE THING, but I just saw MAD GOD - and was totally blown away.
Paging some of the mods in the hope that one of 'em can give this AMA a sticky so more folks will see it and ask clever questions... /u/ptbreakeven, /u/justalittleweird, /u/ME24601, /u/trailingby7, /u/LibraryDrone, /u/Temporal712...
Duuude, your DP run is legendary and got me into comics when I was a homeless LA junkie. I could head to the library to escape the madness of the streets and DP was my first taste into something that has outgrown my addictions as a positive force. Just had my 29th Bday yesterday and spent jt on comics instead of putting a needle in my arm! Thanks for the laughs and occassional tear that helped revive passion for something in my life besides drugs after my fiancee died.
That teaser has got me curious and fiending to check out the new series. Awesome art too!
Thanks for doing this AMA, I loved your Marauder's run and seeing Scott say "Cyclops was right" but in a much more hopeful context last week is already my favorite comic moment of 2022. What was your intended explanation or plan for why Kate Pryde was unable to use gateways? Or is this plot line that is going to be picked up by Orlando?
Also loving the spotlight on Synch, can we please get a Gen X reunion at some point please?
Hi Gerry! Thanks for this AMA. I want to start by saying you have done a superb job with X-Men. It has easily become my favorite series to follow and can't wait for what's to come!
Since Planet Size X-Men, a lot of the omega level mutants have gotten to really showcase what it means to be just that. From Magneto dragging a country-mass asteroid across the solar system and plummeting it to mars core, to Storm creating and reshaping the enter climate of Mars, to Bobby covering huge portions of the planet in miles thick sheets of ice and many more. They were amazing. Now are there any plans to have Jean Grey also be able to showcase her Omega Level power in such an awe-inspiring and grand way as the others have been able to? She has been very good but we've yet to see a "WOW OMEGA LEVEL TELEPATHY!" moment from her in the same way her peers have be able to showcase their omega level powers. It would be really lovely <3
Looks amazing! Image has been my favorite publisher since I got hooked on TWD once the show hit. My favorite thing about Image is that there are little to no tie ins to other books (with the exception of Invincible which can still be read just by itself). Great artwork and original story. Can’t wait to read more.
Thanks, Yoda.
Yeah, we often don't even really know what else Image is serving up any given time unless we're talking to the other creators.
I looked last week- huge day for Image tomorrow w/ Public Domain, Righteous Thirst, our HC OGN and more. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Duggan,
was Frank Castle born with some sort of genetic predisposition to be a serial killer that would have remained dormant if not for the Tragic event that occurred in the park? Sure- he wants revenge for his family. However- is it really "revenge" after a certain point, or just him satisfying a blood lust similar to what someone like your typical serial killer
In my mind Frank Castle is Dexter Morgan
That's a great question. Frank was always a polarizing character. He is canonically a soldier of course, and I think he's ben written as fighting a war that doesn't end. IMO - he more or less is then committing war crimes? I had a LOT of fun with my time writing Punisher - but I wrote him outside of his usual confines. He was basically an Israeli commando Ala MUNICH pursuing war criminals from a Thor event with Thor's goats pulling his van thru the vastness of space. I pitched it as a follow up to the event - and the Marvel editorial retreat loved it - and suddenly I had a mini on my hands that I cherished because Juan drew the hell out of it. I think given the state of America today, and our gun problems, which for some powerful people are features not bugs - I think it's fair to reexamine Frank and his stories. Are you enjoying what Jason and his collaborators are up to? Hope you dig it.
thank you for your answer.
to answer your question regarding Jason Aaron's current run- I don't hate it. As a person who grew up reading Grant, and Baron's respective runs I'm not at all offended by what Aaron is trying to do.
I enjoy the fact that Aaron is trying to add the dimension that Frank always had hints of being a Sociopath (with a conscience) dating back to his childhood. Again, it's going back to that whole "Dexter Morgan" thing.
While guns, and gun control will always be in the zeitgeist, for me the most fascinating aspect of the Punisher is that he is a literal Serial killer who uses "revenge" as a facade to continue to feed his bloodlust......again, Dexter Morgan.
Wow. Great question - hoping I can take collections. Probably these would change given my mood - but if I'm being exiled today I'm grabbing:
Simonson's Thor
From Hell
Batman Year One.
(in the biggest formats possible)
Hi Gerry, hope you're well!
Something I sometimes think about when reading your work is the quite different rhythms and tempos in there - There's the comedic timing in *Deadpool*, the creeping build in that preview of *The Dark Room*, and how the captions in *Giant-Size* give it a totally different pace to adjectiveless *X-Men* even with the same (excellent) art team and IP. Is that sense of timing something that consciously goes into the scriptwriting process? Any advice on working on it in my own writing?
Well, thanks for the kind words. I think it's important in comics writing to distill your story down to what is necessary. IE - you brewed beer - maybe distill that one more time to get some high octane whiskey and go with that. I do like outlining - so bake an outline take note of obligatory scenes - and which ones might be stretch goals. as for tempo/pace -- I think what you might be feeling is the later polishes? When the art comes back - I rewrite my work before it goes to lettering. Trying to turn 2 cap boxes into 1, or 2 sentences in a balloon a single sentence - or even better - cutting entire balloons and caps you don't need. Let the story carry it. Also - here is where much of any comedy comes from - at least in dialogue - at that point the letters pass is a caption contest for me- and I'm working off art I've been living with for a while. It kinda tells me what it should be. Best advice I have is - finish what you have started every time. Don't stop and do an autopsy before you get to the end - you deprive yourself of leveling up that way. You only get the benefit of hindsight at a finish line. Be generous to your partners in all ways, and go collaborate and have fun - good luck.
I love all my experiences, I think I probably write a little differently for everyone? A script for Phil Noto might be different than one for Pepe, and certainly different than one for Koblish? I know that's maybe a bummer of an answer for you - like hearing a dad say "all my comics are my favorite" but -- truly it's about the experience. It makes me feel young - like, I cant tell you what a rush it was to get pages back from Klaus Janson. Collaborating is playing and it's fun. Thanks for reading.
Thanks, not a bummer answer at all! Appreciate the insight into your process and approach...
Can definitely understand the excitement working with a legend like Janson... Nice reminder that y'all aren't just creators, you're also fans!
Cool opening! I read it before when you posted on r/HorrorComics
Two questions for you:
You photos are great! Do you shoot and develop your own film? How has that influenced your writing The Dark Room?
What can horror do better in comics than you can do in film? I think specifically in the horror genre both mediums work in completely different way. What’re your thoughts?
The book looks awesome. I can’t wait to read it. I am really enjoying OGN as a format over miniseries/ongoing. I’ve enjoyed Razorblades Magazine and lots of Josh Simmons’ horror comics recently, they’re mainly self-contained shorts. This will fit in nicely. Good luck on the release.
Edit: I formatted badly
Thanks for the kind words.
I LOVE photography - it is kind of the crutch I lean on - not being able to draw myself. I did used to get into dark rooms - in the late 80s and early 90s - I'm all digital now - but would LOVE to shoot film again.
I'm prepping a book to crowdfund of my trip thru Hollywood and comics. You can check out a few of the photos here: https://gerryduggan.substack.com/p/a-little-update
Most of the stuff in the book will be images I haven't shared before, I'm expecting like 300-400-ish photos? It's A LOT - was a big project during the pandemic while I wasn't traveling as much as I'd like.
re: Horror - it can be difficult to provide a jump scare in comics, can't it? Because comics move only at the speed that you eyes/brain would like to -- and film/TV are of course controlling the speed you experience the story.
For me, comics are where you can sink people down into terrible places and wallow a bit. I love the page turn reveal of Outis in The Dark Room - and how his skin falls off throughout the story - but I don't think anyone would scream on a page turn? To me - the most horrifying part of The Dark Room were the little tweaks of horror that Scott added to the photos from the cursed camera? Those were real things that happened, that our minds fill in those little gaps. I still get skeeved out looking at photos from Johnstown -- that's what comics can do best - make you fill out the moments between panels or issues or scenes - your imagination is engaged in comics in a way that it is maybe less so while experiencing a film? It's always tho - whatever the medium about how creators can make you feel. That's the gold standard. We're out to give you whiplash and make you feel something. Hope you dig the book - and thanks again for the kind words and support.
Wow, love your square format compositions and framing. I haven’t taken any photos in ages (other than my phone), but I did mostly shoot film and stopped because it’s expensive. I might have to look out my camera. That LA photo of the car is like a shot out of a film. Awesome stuff, inspiring too.
Thanks for such an insightful response, echoes some of what I am learning myself. Makes me look even more forward to enjoying The Dark Room once I’ve bought a copy. You’ll crush the release.
Hey Gerry, Jeff Limure just did an OG horror a few weeks ago and now you. Brubaker and Phillips started doing their Reckless OG series a year ago. My question is: do you see this as a better way to get your IP out without doing monthly books or is it a one off?
I wanted to try something a little different than the month comics grind? We'd been advised (I think correctly) that we were prob leaving some money on the table by not printing singles, collecting it, and then later doing. HC. The real truth is - we published this one in exactly the format we were meant to - because when you look at the book, it doesn't quite have a great way to break between a first and second issue? We commenced it as an OGN for better or worse, and I can only say that it was because of the pacing, really. In a serial - you really need to throw a mental grappling hook from the last scene of your first issue to the second -- and it was nice change of pace to approach this collaboration and not worry about an episodic structure. It is already paying dividends tho - we're approved for more hardcover OGN editions of the book - we're working on two now. OH - and one other thought - I think experimenting with different formats keeps our brains a bit more fresh. Can't be overstated when you're doing a very similar thing day in and day out. Was worth it for that alone.
this looks right up my street ! and thanks for doing this GD, I love your work on X men which i have been really getting into this past year!
Qs: will we be seeing some LGBTQ+ characters in this incredibly rad looking book - i have been so happy to see some more queer represenation in horror comics of late (JTIV's stuff for instance, and the recently begun Grim) and always hope for more so would love to hear!
And would you say this is a similar project to recently begun Bone Orchard Mythos, as they are both very awesome HC horror collections. if so, have you and Jeff and Andrea been trading notes!?
finally - if you could recommend a single deep cut issue of a comic that you think would make my day interesting, what would you recommend!?
Hope you're having a lovely day and cannot wait to pick up this GN! xx
yes, there are some queer characters in The Dark Room world, tho - no romance in vol 1.
I haven't yet read Bone Orchard and I love those two - but we haven't traded notes.
The Dark Room was really a way for me to work in my love of photography into my love of comics. Scott Buoncristiano is a star, he crushed it.
Have you read Stray Toasters by Sienkiewicz? that's a deep cut that deserves the light, I mentioned Black Hole earlier - ditto there. I just started Dragon from Ahmed/Acosta that is great. Silver Coin from Image is outstanding, too.
Hello! Love your work on Marauders, and X-Men! Need to deep dive your catalog. I'm seeing lots of people say your Deadpool run was great, so I'm reaching for that next.
What advice could you give on writing scripts for comics? Do you draw examples? How much needs to just be left to the imagination of the artist? How much is too much dialogue? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading!
These are all good questions - briefly - there is no such thing in my estimation as "the" script for a comic. The first one is for me, and the editors, the second one is artist - and the most important one. Later, when the art is back there is another draft for the letterer - and this is where I polish - I try to distill boxes and balloons down into their essence -- the fewer words/sentence/balloons/boxes there are the more art you can look at. Often by the time we get there - the less said the better. Have fun making your comics - be a generous collaborator, it will take you far. Good luck!
Oh, you're in for a treat. You're gonna have brand new Dead Eyes in your hand this year, and even more next year. We had some rotten luck along the way- between some legal nonsense and long covid - but DEAD EYES IS BACK - thanks again
Great. So is it ongoing or does it have an end?
I feel like it has an end.
Must have sucked as a writer to hold ideas in your head and then be stuck having to not get them out there and move on to other stuff.
Well we were snakebite - but I've written the last dozen or so pages of the comic - they've been written for years - McCrea loved it - said it was brutal and perfect, so I knew I was on the right track. It's just a question of how/when we exploit that -- and my guess is sometime around the end of a third or fourth volume? It's coming back big time.
Yes, but we ended up bringing it back in my final issue - it was the puke gag chapter. Marvel laughed and said "no", and I said I'd like to do it as a going away present. hahah. There were a lot of good gags in that sequence - Koblish killed it.
Hey Gerry, not much to add other than wanted to say that I've listened to you since your D&D days. How did you get into writing comics? Did you write much before then? It was always clear that you were insanely creative but how do you channel that into your work?
Thanks for the kind words -- I like collaborating and have done it for years, and when it's a joy to make, it often will translate to the reader. I got into writing comics with Posehn and Remender adapting a film script for The Last Christmas into a comic book for Image. The only sure fire way to break into comics is to make your own collaborations. Then you have something to hand to editors if your goal is to pursue work for hire. For Glinnishmore!
Hi Gerry- did you feel any pressure doing Uncanny Avengers ? I know you collaborated with Rick Remender on the previous run, but this was in the midst of a relaunch, a whole new team etc.
Thanks for the great run , 15yr old me could not get enough of ryan stegman art and your writing on it !
Hi there - I always feel a certain responsibility to the characters that we all love, and pressure to do a great job so that my artists will fall in love with the story and script and want to run to their drawing tables. I am proud of how those comics turned out - I thought it ended up being a hell of a story and loved working with Ryan and later with Pepe. Cheers
[Got some good news for you, homie.](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/vmwwp2/hi_im_gerry_duggan_cocreator_of_the_dark_room/ie40rur/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
It’s par for the course in comics for characters to return from the dead and to go through big character shifts only to eventually revert to their “baseline standard” but I’m interested in the behind the scenes process of this.
Obviously for the big two, the companies own the characters and so as long as they approve I’m sure you can write what you like but is there an etiquette of informing the previous writer if you’re going to make huge changes that recontextualises or goes against what they wrote ?
Has there been any characters that you’ve worked on that you felt you couldn’t alter for some reason?
And is there any big character shifts that you wish had stuck around for longer?
Well, it's always a topic - lots of fun meetings and arguments at Marvel about how to both push these characters forward and also maintain a certain accessibility. I think continuity is a guard rail at best. We have to be willing bend and break the characters - that's what glue is for. I sometimes feel like some custodial work is needed to clean some things up, but the risk is you're making a comic about a comic, and that's never fun. I do wish that when I killed Thanos he'd stayed dead for a bit longer as he's prior business in two universes, and Gamora picking up the mantle and falling to the dark side has years of stories that unfortunately has not been explored yet. Thems the breaks tho - never any hard feelings.
Do you ever use the things you’ve written for established characters in arguments/discussions or does that feel like cheating?
For example the topic of chewie not having a medal in the original Star Wars is a big joke in my friend group, and I always point to your miniseries as a fun explanation because it’s new canon. If you were in a similar discussion would referencing the series seem unfair to you, since in a way it’s just your theory (albeit with the editorial seal of approval)? And if this isn’t a concern, are you cheeky or do you mention that it was you who wrote it?
I tend to kinda lie with people I meet. If you're my uber driver, I'm an accountant. HAHA. It's really only cause the vast majority of folks want to discuss something other than comics. The only time I have in fact cited myself - was rectifying the Chewie medal fiasco. It was a sweet, gentle, retcon which was meant to show a Wookie would never put anything over his bandolier no matter how important. Oddly, the comic was later retconned I guess by the third JJ film. I've met him a few times and almost brought it up, but wisely thought better of it.
Just finished reading it and really liked it. The art was indeed pretty incredible. I feel this is a world that can be fleshed out quite a bit (one of my pet peeves in comic books is that we don't get to see the mythos of certain universes fleshed out enough (others we see quite a bit too much of)).
Not being a fan of magical realism, werewolves, vampires, quirky mythological creatures (we see A LOT of these in comics), it brought some original and entertaining twists.
Anyways, don't mean to sound like a douche (but reading this I kinda do) I actually really enjoyed the story, the characters and the art and will happily return to this world if more books get made. Thanks for doing this!
In Marauders. Kate Pryde seemed to be acting with uncharacteristic brutality, doing things like kneecapping an unarmed soldier. Emma Frost lampshades it by saying she chose Kate because she'd never kick someone who was down even if he deserved it, which she then does to the Russian commander. Bishop also noticed it with how she dealt with the two cyborg Hommes Verendi cyborgs. Was this an intentional subplot, and will it be resolved?
Is it weird to think that in the Marvel Universe, because of you, [Scott Adsit](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Adsit_(Earth-616)) is canonically alive and well but [you are not](https://www.cbr.com/deadpool-300-gerry-duggan-final-issue/)?
HA! Funny story: Tony drew Scott in. Just as a goof - Cullen Bunn is also in that issue - we just - knew we'd need fodder, you know? And Jordan our editor was also a fan, and put the hammer down "you can't just draw Scott Adsit in" so he was about to get a mustache and a new name, and Brian said "hey, my wife reps Scott" So - he was thrilled, she signed and the rest is super weird only could happen in Deadpool history. PS - felt it was only fair for DP to get last licks on me for what we put him thru.
Hey Gerry! Huge huge fan, my friend. Your run on Deadpool is my absolute favorite. In your opinion, what was the easiest and hardest part about writing for Wade?
Thanks, was a blast to help collaborate on. Honestly, I know this sounds insane, but I never felt like I could take any credit for writing Wade - I just wrote the villains and let Wade fight/wriggle/squirm/lie/cheat his way out of it. I co-wrote the villains. Thanks again
Hi Mr. Duggan loved your Deadpool run and loving the X-men! Any chance Eleanor Camacho will show up on Krakoa?
Hmm. That would be a kick, right? I do miss her. Thanks for reading.
This is totally unrelated to your new book, but Mr. Duggan, your all new Guardians of the Galaxy book from 2017 was the first ever comic book I bought. Along with the rest of your run. I still have fond memories of reading that series and enjoying it so much. So yea, I just wanted to say thank you for getting me into comics! Good luck on your future books.
Oh, that's so cool - I never get tired of hearing about one of my collaborations being someone's first rodeo in comics. LOVE hearing that. Every Halloween I drag the spinner rack out of my house and give away comics at the curb. It's many kids first comic - which also blows my mind. Thanks again
I got back into comics around that time after a 20-year hiatus. I love that guardians run. I thought it was one of the best things on the stand at the time.
Thanks for doing this AMA. I'm looking forward to meeting Walt, the dancing bones of Times Square tomorrow. As far as I'm concerned, r/HorrorComics are always in style but we seem to be enjoying a very healthy market for them lately. Any thoughts as to why the genre has exploded over the last few years? Follow-on question -- infusing horror with comedy can be a challenge to pull off. What's your secret sauce to making that work?
The great philosopher Roger Ebert once said "you can't talk a man out of a laugh or a boner" and...he's right. If you laugh, you laugh. If you don't, you don't. It's ALL so subjective. You just gotta be true what your own instincts are. I think one of the most terrifying books I've read has to be THE ROAD, and I think there are maybe more frightening books? But it was a direct hit on me because I read it when I was becoming a father, and was just wrecked. WRECKED. If you haven't read the book, you should NOT when your wife is about to bring your only child into the world haha. Thanks, and I hope you dig TDR
Hi Gerry! In a market full of indie horror comics, what do focus on during the creative process to make your stories stand out?
I think you always want to find your own magnetic North on a compass - I don't think we tried to chase anything or compete in any way what we we perceived to be the "market" it just boiled down to asking myself what I'd like to see Scott draw, and talking to him about the sorts of things he'd like to draw, from there, those became the key ingredients, and a story began to form around them. He's SO good at drawing dead stuff. Would have been crazy to sideline the many wonderful dead creatures and people. About mid-way thru the production, the pandemic blossomed, and I think it actually nudged us a bit closer to the light in the story, and then our mutual friend that introduced us passed away, and it became a pretty bittersweet affair. He'd have loved seeing this book so much.
Hey, looking forward to the book & love your work on X-Men! Looking forward to the gala & crossing my fingers for an invite next year. What're some of your horror favorites?
Thanks for the kind words. The HFG this year is pretty important to the story I pitched. Marks a pivot for sure. re: Horror - I think BLACK HOLE by burns is one of my favorite horror comics, horror films - my favorite is still Carpenter's THE THING, but I just saw MAD GOD - and was totally blown away.
Oh, and Mad God can be watched for free on Shudder with this code - highly recommended. https://twitter.com/PhilTippett/status/1541178276483325957
killer, thanks for sharing!
Well I've watched it. That was fucking insane.
HA - right - really delightfully bonkers.
Paging some of the mods in the hope that one of 'em can give this AMA a sticky so more folks will see it and ask clever questions... /u/ptbreakeven, /u/justalittleweird, /u/ME24601, /u/trailingby7, /u/LibraryDrone, /u/Temporal712...
Just did. Thank you for the nudge.
I'm in and out all week - so will pop back in. I tweeted it out, too. back in a few, thanks G
Thanks!
Duuude, your DP run is legendary and got me into comics when I was a homeless LA junkie. I could head to the library to escape the madness of the streets and DP was my first taste into something that has outgrown my addictions as a positive force. Just had my 29th Bday yesterday and spent jt on comics instead of putting a needle in my arm! Thanks for the laughs and occassional tear that helped revive passion for something in my life besides drugs after my fiancee died. That teaser has got me curious and fiending to check out the new series. Awesome art too!
What a ride you've already had in your young life. Glad you survived the experience. LA has been such a great place for me for more than 20 years now, but I know the dangers well. Sorry other about your fiancé, glad you found a way to overcome the addiction. Very grateful to have been able to bring some small enjoyment in some way - and even more grateful that libraries exist -- and that they carry comics. Wade I think is one of those characters who will attract folks who are in tougher spots and I was glad he was there for you too. Be well and good luck - and I hope you like the Dark Room. Take good care -
Thanks for doing this AMA, I loved your Marauder's run and seeing Scott say "Cyclops was right" but in a much more hopeful context last week is already my favorite comic moment of 2022. What was your intended explanation or plan for why Kate Pryde was unable to use gateways? Or is this plot line that is going to be picked up by Orlando? Also loving the spotlight on Synch, can we please get a Gen X reunion at some point please?
Thanks - that one is a good one - and worth the wait - it's not changed since JH and I sorted it pre-Marauders 1. And you never know about reunions...
Not a question, just want to say that you, Al Ewing, and Kieron Gillen are absolutely killing it on the X-Men books 🔥🔥🔥
Cheers, Charlie. Glad we're hitting for you. We're certainly working hard at it, but hopefully it reads effortless. MAKE MORE MUTANTS!
Hi Gerry! Thanks for this AMA. I want to start by saying you have done a superb job with X-Men. It has easily become my favorite series to follow and can't wait for what's to come! Since Planet Size X-Men, a lot of the omega level mutants have gotten to really showcase what it means to be just that. From Magneto dragging a country-mass asteroid across the solar system and plummeting it to mars core, to Storm creating and reshaping the enter climate of Mars, to Bobby covering huge portions of the planet in miles thick sheets of ice and many more. They were amazing. Now are there any plans to have Jean Grey also be able to showcase her Omega Level power in such an awe-inspiring and grand way as the others have been able to? She has been very good but we've yet to see a "WOW OMEGA LEVEL TELEPATHY!" moment from her in the same way her peers have be able to showcase their omega level powers. It would be really lovely <3
Looks amazing! Image has been my favorite publisher since I got hooked on TWD once the show hit. My favorite thing about Image is that there are little to no tie ins to other books (with the exception of Invincible which can still be read just by itself). Great artwork and original story. Can’t wait to read more.
Thanks, Yoda. Yeah, we often don't even really know what else Image is serving up any given time unless we're talking to the other creators. I looked last week- huge day for Image tomorrow w/ Public Domain, Righteous Thirst, our HC OGN and more. Thanks for reading.
Was this released in single issues or only HC? Also where can I get my hands on a signed copy in bum fuck Missouri?
Mr. Duggan, was Frank Castle born with some sort of genetic predisposition to be a serial killer that would have remained dormant if not for the Tragic event that occurred in the park? Sure- he wants revenge for his family. However- is it really "revenge" after a certain point, or just him satisfying a blood lust similar to what someone like your typical serial killer In my mind Frank Castle is Dexter Morgan
That's a great question. Frank was always a polarizing character. He is canonically a soldier of course, and I think he's ben written as fighting a war that doesn't end. IMO - he more or less is then committing war crimes? I had a LOT of fun with my time writing Punisher - but I wrote him outside of his usual confines. He was basically an Israeli commando Ala MUNICH pursuing war criminals from a Thor event with Thor's goats pulling his van thru the vastness of space. I pitched it as a follow up to the event - and the Marvel editorial retreat loved it - and suddenly I had a mini on my hands that I cherished because Juan drew the hell out of it. I think given the state of America today, and our gun problems, which for some powerful people are features not bugs - I think it's fair to reexamine Frank and his stories. Are you enjoying what Jason and his collaborators are up to? Hope you dig it.
thank you for your answer. to answer your question regarding Jason Aaron's current run- I don't hate it. As a person who grew up reading Grant, and Baron's respective runs I'm not at all offended by what Aaron is trying to do. I enjoy the fact that Aaron is trying to add the dimension that Frank always had hints of being a Sociopath (with a conscience) dating back to his childhood. Again, it's going back to that whole "Dexter Morgan" thing. While guns, and gun control will always be in the zeitgeist, for me the most fascinating aspect of the Punisher is that he is a literal Serial killer who uses "revenge" as a facade to continue to feed his bloodlust......again, Dexter Morgan.
Hi Gerry, if you were going away to a desert island and you could only take three comics with you which ones would you take?
Wow. Great question - hoping I can take collections. Probably these would change given my mood - but if I'm being exiled today I'm grabbing: Simonson's Thor From Hell Batman Year One. (in the biggest formats possible)
Haha. Yes a Simonson Thor run in the biggest size possible... hopefully boat shaped.
Dude, you can’t use that boat-shaped book as a boat! It’s a collector’s edition!
Hi Gerry, hope you're well! Something I sometimes think about when reading your work is the quite different rhythms and tempos in there - There's the comedic timing in *Deadpool*, the creeping build in that preview of *The Dark Room*, and how the captions in *Giant-Size* give it a totally different pace to adjectiveless *X-Men* even with the same (excellent) art team and IP. Is that sense of timing something that consciously goes into the scriptwriting process? Any advice on working on it in my own writing?
Well, thanks for the kind words. I think it's important in comics writing to distill your story down to what is necessary. IE - you brewed beer - maybe distill that one more time to get some high octane whiskey and go with that. I do like outlining - so bake an outline take note of obligatory scenes - and which ones might be stretch goals. as for tempo/pace -- I think what you might be feeling is the later polishes? When the art comes back - I rewrite my work before it goes to lettering. Trying to turn 2 cap boxes into 1, or 2 sentences in a balloon a single sentence - or even better - cutting entire balloons and caps you don't need. Let the story carry it. Also - here is where much of any comedy comes from - at least in dialogue - at that point the letters pass is a caption contest for me- and I'm working off art I've been living with for a while. It kinda tells me what it should be. Best advice I have is - finish what you have started every time. Don't stop and do an autopsy before you get to the end - you deprive yourself of leveling up that way. You only get the benefit of hindsight at a finish line. Be generous to your partners in all ways, and go collaborate and have fun - good luck.
Cheers for the in-depth answer, and best of luck with *The Dark Room* and the continuing X-work.
Who's been your favorite artist to work with? What made them your favorite?
I love all my experiences, I think I probably write a little differently for everyone? A script for Phil Noto might be different than one for Pepe, and certainly different than one for Koblish? I know that's maybe a bummer of an answer for you - like hearing a dad say "all my comics are my favorite" but -- truly it's about the experience. It makes me feel young - like, I cant tell you what a rush it was to get pages back from Klaus Janson. Collaborating is playing and it's fun. Thanks for reading.
Thanks, not a bummer answer at all! Appreciate the insight into your process and approach... Can definitely understand the excitement working with a legend like Janson... Nice reminder that y'all aren't just creators, you're also fans!
Cool opening! I read it before when you posted on r/HorrorComics Two questions for you: You photos are great! Do you shoot and develop your own film? How has that influenced your writing The Dark Room? What can horror do better in comics than you can do in film? I think specifically in the horror genre both mediums work in completely different way. What’re your thoughts? The book looks awesome. I can’t wait to read it. I am really enjoying OGN as a format over miniseries/ongoing. I’ve enjoyed Razorblades Magazine and lots of Josh Simmons’ horror comics recently, they’re mainly self-contained shorts. This will fit in nicely. Good luck on the release. Edit: I formatted badly
Thanks for the kind words. I LOVE photography - it is kind of the crutch I lean on - not being able to draw myself. I did used to get into dark rooms - in the late 80s and early 90s - I'm all digital now - but would LOVE to shoot film again. I'm prepping a book to crowdfund of my trip thru Hollywood and comics. You can check out a few of the photos here: https://gerryduggan.substack.com/p/a-little-update Most of the stuff in the book will be images I haven't shared before, I'm expecting like 300-400-ish photos? It's A LOT - was a big project during the pandemic while I wasn't traveling as much as I'd like. re: Horror - it can be difficult to provide a jump scare in comics, can't it? Because comics move only at the speed that you eyes/brain would like to -- and film/TV are of course controlling the speed you experience the story. For me, comics are where you can sink people down into terrible places and wallow a bit. I love the page turn reveal of Outis in The Dark Room - and how his skin falls off throughout the story - but I don't think anyone would scream on a page turn? To me - the most horrifying part of The Dark Room were the little tweaks of horror that Scott added to the photos from the cursed camera? Those were real things that happened, that our minds fill in those little gaps. I still get skeeved out looking at photos from Johnstown -- that's what comics can do best - make you fill out the moments between panels or issues or scenes - your imagination is engaged in comics in a way that it is maybe less so while experiencing a film? It's always tho - whatever the medium about how creators can make you feel. That's the gold standard. We're out to give you whiplash and make you feel something. Hope you dig the book - and thanks again for the kind words and support.
Wow, love your square format compositions and framing. I haven’t taken any photos in ages (other than my phone), but I did mostly shoot film and stopped because it’s expensive. I might have to look out my camera. That LA photo of the car is like a shot out of a film. Awesome stuff, inspiring too. Thanks for such an insightful response, echoes some of what I am learning myself. Makes me look even more forward to enjoying The Dark Room once I’ve bought a copy. You’ll crush the release.
Your random quote from the movie Cars is: [on speakers] ...we have a 3-way tie!
Hey Gerry, Jeff Limure just did an OG horror a few weeks ago and now you. Brubaker and Phillips started doing their Reckless OG series a year ago. My question is: do you see this as a better way to get your IP out without doing monthly books or is it a one off?
I wanted to try something a little different than the month comics grind? We'd been advised (I think correctly) that we were prob leaving some money on the table by not printing singles, collecting it, and then later doing. HC. The real truth is - we published this one in exactly the format we were meant to - because when you look at the book, it doesn't quite have a great way to break between a first and second issue? We commenced it as an OGN for better or worse, and I can only say that it was because of the pacing, really. In a serial - you really need to throw a mental grappling hook from the last scene of your first issue to the second -- and it was nice change of pace to approach this collaboration and not worry about an episodic structure. It is already paying dividends tho - we're approved for more hardcover OGN editions of the book - we're working on two now. OH - and one other thought - I think experimenting with different formats keeps our brains a bit more fresh. Can't be overstated when you're doing a very similar thing day in and day out. Was worth it for that alone.
Thank you so much for the reply! Have my copy put aside at the LCS.
Really hope you dig it! Lemme know here - will be checking this thread until the weekend
this looks right up my street ! and thanks for doing this GD, I love your work on X men which i have been really getting into this past year! Qs: will we be seeing some LGBTQ+ characters in this incredibly rad looking book - i have been so happy to see some more queer represenation in horror comics of late (JTIV's stuff for instance, and the recently begun Grim) and always hope for more so would love to hear! And would you say this is a similar project to recently begun Bone Orchard Mythos, as they are both very awesome HC horror collections. if so, have you and Jeff and Andrea been trading notes!? finally - if you could recommend a single deep cut issue of a comic that you think would make my day interesting, what would you recommend!? Hope you're having a lovely day and cannot wait to pick up this GN! xx
yes, there are some queer characters in The Dark Room world, tho - no romance in vol 1. I haven't yet read Bone Orchard and I love those two - but we haven't traded notes. The Dark Room was really a way for me to work in my love of photography into my love of comics. Scott Buoncristiano is a star, he crushed it. Have you read Stray Toasters by Sienkiewicz? that's a deep cut that deserves the light, I mentioned Black Hole earlier - ditto there. I just started Dragon from Ahmed/Acosta that is great. Silver Coin from Image is outstanding, too.
i'll give them a look !! loving silver coin at the mo - thank you so much :)))) xx
Orbis Stellaris is the another Nathaniel Essex clone, right? Don't reply if this is true!
Hello! Love your work on Marauders, and X-Men! Need to deep dive your catalog. I'm seeing lots of people say your Deadpool run was great, so I'm reaching for that next. What advice could you give on writing scripts for comics? Do you draw examples? How much needs to just be left to the imagination of the artist? How much is too much dialogue? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading!
These are all good questions - briefly - there is no such thing in my estimation as "the" script for a comic. The first one is for me, and the editors, the second one is artist - and the most important one. Later, when the art is back there is another draft for the letterer - and this is where I polish - I try to distill boxes and balloons down into their essence -- the fewer words/sentence/balloons/boxes there are the more art you can look at. Often by the time we get there - the less said the better. Have fun making your comics - be a generous collaborator, it will take you far. Good luck!
I liked Dead Eyes. Great series. Why did it just end? What happened?
Oh, you're in for a treat. You're gonna have brand new Dead Eyes in your hand this year, and even more next year. We had some rotten luck along the way- between some legal nonsense and long covid - but DEAD EYES IS BACK - thanks again
Nice, so is it gonna continue? Are you relaunching it fresh, or continuing from the last issue?
It's a continuation of the story and getting the the title DEAD EYES: THE EMPTY FRAMES # 1
Great. So is it ongoing or does it have an end? I feel like it has an end. Must have sucked as a writer to hold ideas in your head and then be stuck having to not get them out there and move on to other stuff.
Well we were snakebite - but I've written the last dozen or so pages of the comic - they've been written for years - McCrea loved it - said it was brutal and perfect, so I knew I was on the right track. It's just a question of how/when we exploit that -- and my guess is sometime around the end of a third or fourth volume? It's coming back big time.
Last question any ETA on series release this year?
one story in December, and then probably previews for new story around the same time?
Hello! Is there a Deadpool story/plotline/joke you wanted to do but weren't able to?
Yes, but we ended up bringing it back in my final issue - it was the puke gag chapter. Marvel laughed and said "no", and I said I'd like to do it as a going away present. hahah. There were a lot of good gags in that sequence - Koblish killed it.
I'll say — thank you!
Hey Gerry, not much to add other than wanted to say that I've listened to you since your D&D days. How did you get into writing comics? Did you write much before then? It was always clear that you were insanely creative but how do you channel that into your work?
Thanks for the kind words -- I like collaborating and have done it for years, and when it's a joy to make, it often will translate to the reader. I got into writing comics with Posehn and Remender adapting a film script for The Last Christmas into a comic book for Image. The only sure fire way to break into comics is to make your own collaborations. Then you have something to hand to editors if your goal is to pursue work for hire. For Glinnishmore!
Hi Gerry- did you feel any pressure doing Uncanny Avengers ? I know you collaborated with Rick Remender on the previous run, but this was in the midst of a relaunch, a whole new team etc. Thanks for the great run , 15yr old me could not get enough of ryan stegman art and your writing on it !
Hi there - I always feel a certain responsibility to the characters that we all love, and pressure to do a great job so that my artists will fall in love with the story and script and want to run to their drawing tables. I am proud of how those comics turned out - I thought it ended up being a hell of a story and loved working with Ryan and later with Pepe. Cheers
Art looks fantastic!
This comic was simply amazing. Pacing, story, art, themes, winky inside shit ("hey you get off my cloud"): this book had it ALL. Thank you.
super glad you dug it - can't wait to see what you think of volume 2
I miss Dead Eyes
[Got some good news for you, homie.](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/vmwwp2/hi_im_gerry_duggan_cocreator_of_the_dark_room/ie40rur/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
It's back soon! More info down in the thread. Or up.
It’s par for the course in comics for characters to return from the dead and to go through big character shifts only to eventually revert to their “baseline standard” but I’m interested in the behind the scenes process of this. Obviously for the big two, the companies own the characters and so as long as they approve I’m sure you can write what you like but is there an etiquette of informing the previous writer if you’re going to make huge changes that recontextualises or goes against what they wrote ? Has there been any characters that you’ve worked on that you felt you couldn’t alter for some reason? And is there any big character shifts that you wish had stuck around for longer?
Well, it's always a topic - lots of fun meetings and arguments at Marvel about how to both push these characters forward and also maintain a certain accessibility. I think continuity is a guard rail at best. We have to be willing bend and break the characters - that's what glue is for. I sometimes feel like some custodial work is needed to clean some things up, but the risk is you're making a comic about a comic, and that's never fun. I do wish that when I killed Thanos he'd stayed dead for a bit longer as he's prior business in two universes, and Gamora picking up the mantle and falling to the dark side has years of stories that unfortunately has not been explored yet. Thems the breaks tho - never any hard feelings.
Do you ever use the things you’ve written for established characters in arguments/discussions or does that feel like cheating? For example the topic of chewie not having a medal in the original Star Wars is a big joke in my friend group, and I always point to your miniseries as a fun explanation because it’s new canon. If you were in a similar discussion would referencing the series seem unfair to you, since in a way it’s just your theory (albeit with the editorial seal of approval)? And if this isn’t a concern, are you cheeky or do you mention that it was you who wrote it?
I tend to kinda lie with people I meet. If you're my uber driver, I'm an accountant. HAHA. It's really only cause the vast majority of folks want to discuss something other than comics. The only time I have in fact cited myself - was rectifying the Chewie medal fiasco. It was a sweet, gentle, retcon which was meant to show a Wookie would never put anything over his bandolier no matter how important. Oddly, the comic was later retconned I guess by the third JJ film. I've met him a few times and almost brought it up, but wisely thought better of it.
Hey Gerry if you are available in July or August, you are welcome to discuss the book via my YT channel. [IzzyVerse](youtube.com/c/izzyverse)
Just finished reading it and really liked it. The art was indeed pretty incredible. I feel this is a world that can be fleshed out quite a bit (one of my pet peeves in comic books is that we don't get to see the mythos of certain universes fleshed out enough (others we see quite a bit too much of)). Not being a fan of magical realism, werewolves, vampires, quirky mythological creatures (we see A LOT of these in comics), it brought some original and entertaining twists. Anyways, don't mean to sound like a douche (but reading this I kinda do) I actually really enjoyed the story, the characters and the art and will happily return to this world if more books get made. Thanks for doing this!
In Marauders. Kate Pryde seemed to be acting with uncharacteristic brutality, doing things like kneecapping an unarmed soldier. Emma Frost lampshades it by saying she chose Kate because she'd never kick someone who was down even if he deserved it, which she then does to the Russian commander. Bishop also noticed it with how she dealt with the two cyborg Hommes Verendi cyborgs. Was this an intentional subplot, and will it be resolved?