Interview: Beau Smith...The Toughest Man in Comics

1) Okay, tell the truth...are you really that tough...or are you just a big fuzzy pussy-cat at heart?

Beau: Y'see this? ***Beau pulls out & opens a pocket knife*** That's what other guys use. Y'know what I use? The "two fingers of death"...right there...to the jugular! ***...As he pokes me in the throat!***

No...it all comes from...uh...my sordid youth...when I was not the nicest person! This is pre-1980. Pre- 1980 I seriously was not the nicest person in the world. I really wasn't. I did alot of things that...I shouldn't have...and some of it's gotten...y'know...kind of misunderstood throughout the years as "macho stuff." I mean 'cause I boxed Golden Gloves...I was in the first two "Toughman" contests in West Virginia...I did that stuff...oh yeah!

But that's not counting the bad stuff that I did outside of that.

It came to a halt when my son was six months old. He and I were in the truck, and a guy cut me off in traffic. We come to a stoplight, I got out... me and the guy had words and I beat his head into the hood of the truck...with my son in the baby seat, watching. And I said, "That's it! It's not just me anymore. I gotta change!"

So...can I take care of myself? Yes! That's not a problem, even at my age of 46. Not a problem. But let's put it this way...My new motto is..."I use my fists when kindness fails!"

2) The men on Survivor...REAL MEN or BIG WUSSIES?

Beau: OH...WIMPS!!! The whole Reality TV, M-TV Real World, Survivor...

All that is, is a buncha whiney, "Watch me, watch me Daddy!" crybabies! You put them in a real situation, not one of them would last. Nah...wimps every last one of them!

3) What are your feeling on your boss, Todd McFarlane, wussing out on Joe Quesada's "Spawn/Spider-man" challenge? The fans really wanted it! It could have been big!!!

Beau: Fan's wanted it, true.

Todd never really backed out. He just...to be honest with you, when he runs his company, which is publishing, toys, entertainment stuff, it's not like the old days when you're just doing comics. He really...honestly...he would love to have done something like that, but he...there is a reason. He just doesn't have time. Not because of lack of not wanting to. It's just he really wishes...

Like Joe just has that one job. That's what he does. Todd has a multiple of jobs. He can't do it. He's not gonna cheat people by doing it half-assed.

As far as what Todd's like...to be honest with you, he's the best father and husband I've ever seen.

A good man!

4) Now...I've been told that you're really little Stevie Smith, the nice Jewish boy who went to Bar Mitzvah school with Brian Michael Bendis (writer of Powers, Ultimate Spider-man, Jinx). Brian says that the "Beau Smith" is just a front. Any truth to this?

Beau: First of all, I never knew "Smith" was a Jewish name!

Nah...Steven Scott Beau Smith IS my full name. Bendis is waaay to young for me to ever be in school with. I think he was still an apprentice at McDonald's when I was in school.

But nah...I'm a man with four names. A guy as big as me has to have four names !

5) Now for the last question...You have to live on a deserted island with someone for the rest of your life.. Your choices are...Michael Jackson, Tom Green, or Barbara Striesand.

Who would you pick, and why?

Beau: I'll tell ya what..it'd be a tough decision. Uhm...I think probably the best way I could put it would be..."Yes! I would definately pick one of those three. But the problem is, which to pick. It's hard to say, because which one do I want to KILL first!!!"

I would probably have to say the most worthless use of space out of all those, first, would be Michael Jackson. Then probably Barbara Striesand...she's a bleeding heart liberal. And finally, Tom Green, just because he irrates me!!!.