Online desde: 05/01/2000       
Última atualização: 09/02/10       

Art by J.J. Marreiro

Marvel's strong man

A few years ago, Joe Quesada could be considered "just another promising artist". However, a lot of things have changed and today he is the man who makes the editorial decisions at Marvel Comics, the largest comic book publisher in the United States.

By Team UHQ

Joe Quesada - Editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics

In the early 90's, Joe Quesada, still at the beginning of his career, created Azrael with living legend Dennis O'Neil, a character that would become the protector of Gotham City as Batman, when Bruce has had his column broken by the villain known as Bane.

Like Azrael, Quesada soared higher than expected. After doing a brilliant work on Marvel Knights, where he helped to revamp minor characters with great histories, he (that a few years ago was "just one more promising artist") got the attention of the big guys at the House of the Ideas.

The next step by Marvel was to invite him to be Editor-in-Chief of all titles, replacing Bob Harras. A bold move that heated the market and gave a new push to all the company's magazines.

In less than six months, Quesada got involved in a few polemics with Todd McFarlane (defying him to go back to drawing, as a way to help strengthen the marketplace), John Byrne (due to the canceling of X-Men: Hidden Years) and David Choe (that disagreed with the paused status of project NYX, a title that should be released in the adult line of the publisher, and harshly offended him).

Even so, to the comic industry majority, Quesada had more hits than misses. And something can't be denied about him: he is excellent at marketing! His statements and acts (like inviting Alan Moore to work at Marvel, even knowing the dispute of the British author with the publisher) always make waves and thus attracting the reader's attention to his products.

The 39 years old Quesada gives, for the first time, an EXCLUSIVE interview for the Brazilian site Universo HQ, where he talks about his career, his ascension as Editor-in-Chief and several of the company's projects (even though he still kept some of them as a mystery).

Universo HQ, proudly presents: Joe Quesada, Marvel's strong man!

Universo HQ: How did you get interested in Comics? When did that happen?

Azrael - Created by Denny O'Neil and Joe Quesada

Joe Quesada: Very early on, my Dad brought me my first comic! I must have been about 8 years old.

UHQ: You created Azrael, with Danny O'Neil, for DC Comics. How was to work for them?

Quesada: I enjoyed my time working with DC and Denny. It was early on in my career and Denny was very helpful.

UHQ: Your relationship with Marvel became closer when you became the responsible person, beside Jimmy Palmiotti, for the Marvel Knights. How did that happen?

Marvel Knight's Logo - Daredevil

Quesada: It's a very long story. Marvel liked the way that we promoted our books with very little money. They also liked the quality of our books and our ideas. After a few meetings with then President of the company, Joe Calamari, the offer eventually crossed our path and we jumped at it.

UHQ: How did you got invited to the position of editor in chef of Marvel? Which are the difficulties to have this job after been an artist? The Marvel Knights' success was a decisive point in this?

Quesada: Of course Marvel Knights was decisive. Marvel saw what we were able to do with minor characters and wanted me to do that line wide. I don't see many difficulties coming to the position as an artist, if anything it's a distinct advantage. I have a knowledge of the medium plus first hand experience as a freelancer dealing with Marvel.

Amazing Spider-Man #33 cover - Spidey and Ezekiel

UHQ: A lot of changes happened starting from the moment that you became EIC. The main ones were in the Spider-man and X-Men books. Is the need of changes still necessary in another Marvel's books? Which?

Quesada: Of course. I don't think we'll stop until every book is being produced to its highest quality level.

UHQ: How is the work of the team that will take care of the Spider-man's books? According to rumors in Internet, Peter was the victim of sexual abuse from Uncle Ben in the childhood, and the accident that gave his powers wouldn't have been really an accident... this is true?

Quesada: Well, as you can see right now many of those rumors were false. Some of them created by me! About what is coming, we will maintain the suspense!

New X-Men #115 cover- Second issue by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

UHQ: All the X-titles are going through a big change. How is the work of Morrison, Casey and company?

Quesada: They have been a charm to work with. It's easy to work with creators who are exploding with ideas. They make your job easier and make you look brilliant in return!

UHQ: What will happen in the first months of this changes? You said that Morrison will kill, in one page, more mutants than already happened in the whole history of Marvel. How will that happen?

Quesada: I really can't tell you. Wait and see what is coming!

The Brotherhood #1 cover- Unknown writer"

UHQ: The Brotherhood is the new mutant book, that will be release in May. A lot has been talked about it, because the writer is anonymous, being called X ". Will his (or her) identity be revealed? What can be said about that? What sort of magazine it will be?

Quesada: I think it's very obvious by the solicitations and press we've concocted for the book that it will deal with the darker side of the mutant experience. Do you want to know what it's really like to be a down trodden mutant? Well, here it is. I hope X's identity never surfaces. Heck, I'm glad I don't know who it is.

UHQ: What is the reason of so many delays with Daredevil? The book already has a new regular creative team?

Quesada: Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev. The book is in the process of getting back on schedule and as you can see we've announced bi-weekly shipping later this year, for the months of July, August and September.

UHQ: Later last year, you challenged Todd McFarlane to produce a crossover between Spider-man and Spawn, what caused a lot of furor on the industry. Does the contact with McFarlane continue? Do the rumors that circulate in the Internet about this crossover have something true?

Quesada: It probably won't happen. On my end I still like Todd and have tremendous respect for him. I just wish he would do a little more for our industry with respect to the creative side of his persona. He had that magic something when he drew. Quite frankly as a fan I miss it.

UHQ: What if Todd agrees, how much will you pay for him? :-)

Quesada: I promised him the gigantic sum of $1100 American dollars ;-)

Elektra #1 - Cover by Greg Horn

UHQ: Marvel will release a new Elektra series. What are the plans? Is this the first book of the diversification that Marvel wants to do to take new readers, like women? What are the plans for this?

Quesada: Wait and see it's an absolutely stunning visual book and incredibly respectful to Frank's vision of the character.

UHQ: As soon as you took the new office, you said that crossovers with other publishers wasn't in the Marvel's plans. However, now we know that you tried to discover why had never had a story with the Avengers and JLA. Why this crossover had never happened before, although all Comics fans of the world wanted? How were the negotiations?

Quesada: I said that I didn't want to do senseless crossovers. JLA/Avengers is something that as a fan I wanted to see oh so may years ago. So I made it one of my top priorities to get negotiations working with DC again. Once we made the call it was all pretty easy.

UHQ: When the mini-series will be release? What do you expect for the story?

JLA and Avengers finally together

Quesada: I have no idea what to expect, but I know it's going to be great! I would predict the first issue coming out on late 2001.

UHQ: Can this be the beginning of others crossovers between Marvel and DC?

Quesada: Possibly, if they make sense.

UHQ: You announced, for August, the release of a magazine that will be the most controversial of the history of Marvel. Some rumors mention that would be an event similar to Crisis on the Infinite Earths. Others say that the characters will suffer radical changes, as Spider-Man and Captain America, that it will go to Marvel Knights and, perhaps, become a black man. What does really have true about that? Can you talk something about that mysterious project?

Quesada: Nope, I can't say anything at all about that yet!