Geek of the Week: Marc Andreyko

By Kate Kotler

When I was a theater student at Kent State University in the very early ’90s, I had a wild schoolgirl crush on Marc Andreyko.  He, of course, was a brilliantly talented play-writing/directing student, dark, brooding, sarcastic, and totally uninterested in me.  Being wholly goofy in my 18 y/o way, I used to cruise by the comic store downtown where Marc worked and aimlessly wander around thumbing through books I had no intention of buying, hoping he’d notice me.

He did notice me (not in that way, DUH!) long enough to hand me a copy of Ranma 1/2, saying he thought I’d like it.  I bought the book, took it home, and read it cover-to-cover.  I totally liked it.  Here’s the trip: I kept buying Ranma 1/2 (and a TON of other comics) long after Marc Andreyko graduated, left Ohio, and went on his merry way through life…  I’ve oft said that my goofy schoolgirl crush on Marc was responsible for me becoming addicted to comic books.

A long time later, in a state far, far away from Ohio, a comic-addicted friend handed me the book Torso.  (I’m a “true crime” junkie.)  I looked it over and was like, “Wow! I know the dude who wrote this! Crazy…”

Marc has gone on to become an award-winning, renowned, celebrated comic-book writer — writing Manhunter (from DC) and a slew of other impressive projects…

When I think about you — and remember my impressions of you from college — I think of someone who I thought was really bound for a successful career as a theater/film director. Where (or how/why) do you think you took a turn in your career path and (very successfully) ended up writing comics?

Your guess is as good as mine! Actually, I just started having story ideas and thought about having other people write them, but then I started writing ‘em myself. Luckily, people seemed to respond to ‘em. I still plan on getting back to theater directing (I’m currently searching for the right play), but unfortunately, theater pays less than freelance writing, so…

You’ve been celebrated by the LGBT community for creating a gay relationship (between superhero Obsidian and Damon, Manhunter Kate Spencer’s business partner) that is just a normal relationship- – no tricks, whistles, and weird backstory to justify why the character is gay — which was a huge leap forward in the portrayal of queer characters in comics. What would you, personally, like to see happen next as LGBT issues evolve in the comic industry?

I would just like to see more minorities reflected in comics, be it gender, race, orientation, age — you name it. The world seems to be more diverse than ever, but comics, at least superhero comics anyway, still seem to be a white man’s game.

And I wanna write a villain who is gay, too. Then we have truly arrived.

What’s your favorite comic book? (Not your own.)

Currently, I’m really digging a few: Fables by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham, Scalped by Jason Aaron, Criminal by Brubaker and Phillips. And the Abnett/Lanning Cosmic stuff from Marvel is a blast.

Of all time? Well, the Lee/Ditko Spider-Man, Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing, Scott McCloud’s Zot!, and the criminally underrated Enigma.

And your favorite comic-book movie adaptation? (I’ve been dying to know this for a while.)

Hmm, The Dark Knight is up there. My favorite of all time changes, but my top five are the aforementioned Dark Knight, The Rocketeer, Dick Tracy, X-Men, and Batman Returns.

What have you been working on since Manhunter?

A lot actually: A book I co-created with Michael Chiklis called Pantheon from IDW, a prequel miniseries for the upcoming Predators movie, cowriting a book for Dynamite with Bill Willingham, a Viking book called Saga for Archaia, and a few other things too embyronic to reveal yet. And Manhunter will still be in Streets of Gotham through #13, and all five trade are in print, so order many!

Do you have any important advice for aspiring writers/comic writers you’d like to share?

Just a few simple tenets to live by: Write honestly and write every day (especially the days you don’t want to)!

See Marc speak about his new project with Michael Chiklis at Wondercon: Pantheon Panel, 4:30-5:30pm, 4/2 in Room 104

[Images via ComicVine and The Gay Gamer]