BRIAN HAS HAD A VERY DISTINGUISHED WRITING CAREER.
HE IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE CLEVELAND PRESS EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARD, AND HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL HORROR GUILD AWARD (FOR TORSO) AND 3 INTERNATIONAL EAGLE AWARDS.
HE IS ALSO AN EISNER AWARD WINNER AND NOMINEE FOR HARVEY AWARDS AS WELL.
AND NOW BRIAN IS HOT IN THE COMIC "MAINSTREAM" WITH TITLES LIKE POWERS, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN,
AND DAREDEVIL, TOPPING THE CHARTS.
DURING A VERY BUSY WEEKEND OF SIGNING FOR HIS THRONG OF FANS AT THE 2001 PITTSBURGH COMICON,
BRIAN TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO "EVEN THE SCORE" BETWEEN US.
THANK YOU BRIAN FOR THIS INTERVIEW,
AND FOR ALL THE ENJOYMENT YOUR WORK HAS BROUGHT TO ME, AND ALL YOUR FANS!
1) First, I want to give a little insight to where you and I stand.
Since I've been posting on your web-board, you've labeled me a "troublemaker"...
Brian: Yeah.
...you've told me to "fuck off"...
Brian: Yes...but only with love.
...You act like I've posted unflattering pictures of you on the internet.
...Oh wait!...I DID!!! So is that why you have all this hostility towards me?
Brian: You're going to post that fucking picture again, aren't you?!?
I see...Every time I deem to go off my board and venture off into the other comic-book communities...
this would be Joe (Quesada) at Event Comics or anywhere else.Anytime there's something...when you're posting something...you always spread the controversy...it's always got your name on it.
It's ALWAYS...got your name on it . So I always laugh. It's not just only me. If anyone says anything controversial, you're the guy that goes "Erik Larsen and Bendis are fighting!"
I saw this and I thought "AAAH you troublemaker!"
But that wasn't me on that one!
Brian: Naah...I saw...I have my people. I'm a very high-powered player in the comic-book business.
Nothing happens without my knowledge. I'm very aware. I'm taking notes.
Beau Smith has denied your claims that he's really Jewish and you two went to school together.
(See the Taking Five Archives)
Brian: He was in my Bar Mitzvah class. He's lying!
He told me you were an "apprentice at McDonalds" when he was in school.
Brian: That's true! But I've done comics about that age. Absolutely true.
That's still an unfound fountain of writing for me. It's my back-up plan that
Spider-Man gets a job at McDonalds. I got a great story!
But no...he was in my Bar Mitzvah class. His name was little Stevie Smith.
And he's circumcised. That's all I can say about that!
Y'know why he's always wearing his cap? Yarmulke! (Laughs)
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~~~BEAU SMITH'S REBUTTAL~~~
"I think that poor ol' Bendis lost more than his hair during that terrible grease fire mishap at the McDonald's that he worked at. I think it also burnt off some of his memory.
Ya see it was "Bitty Brain Bendis" that used to handle the snakes at the old Cottonmouth Church of Fire and Brimstone where we both attended Sunday services.
Good thing I got a great memory.
And the reason I wear the trademark ball cap is 'cause my head looks like a high school football field at mid-season...that and I'm waitin' for Mother Nature to finish cuttin' my hair in her own sweet time.
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What has been you're least gratify piece of work, compared to your most gratifying one? What made the difference to you?
Brian: I won't say what my least gratifying piece was, because it's somebody's favorite.
In fact, I know from the boards, people enjoyed it immensely...
Okay...Maybe I should phrase that differently. You don't have to name them directly. But what do you feel distinguishes the two. What made the difference between one being bad and one being good, in your mind?
Brian: I would say that both the best and worse experiences came from a collaboration that fully exceeded my expectations, and from one that was so below my expectation, that I could only view it personally
as a failure.
Okay...now for the serious question...
You have to live on a deserted island with someone, for the rest of your life.
Your choices are Rosie O'Donnell, Ru Paul, or Rob Liefeld.
Who do you pick, and why?
Brian: Well...I wouldn't pick Rosie because I've heard she can be mean. Have you heard how she treated those kids? And it wouldn't be Ru Paul, because we would always be fighting over the mascara. So I would have to pick Rob Liefeld. And since we would have alot of time...I could teach him how to write!
