A Counter (X) Reformation

Brian Wood and Steve Pugh

by Lee Atchison

Something was going down at Marvel.

There were stories floating about before everything was laid bare, but in this rumor-mill known as the Internet (where fans pride themselves on predicting the every move of characters and creators far in advance), it all happened so quickly. The news that Warren Ellis was picked to coordinate the rehashing of three X-Men related books came as a shock to many and left the comics forecasters of the 'Net flat-footed. Known collectively as the Counter-X books, Generation X, X-Force, and X-Man would be headed up by brand new teams under the creative direction of Warren Ellis, and no one knew what to expect.

Yet, for many fans of Marvel's mainstream and hottest selling collection of titles, the names associated with the books inspired more confusion than anything else. While Brian Wood and Steve Pugh are well known amongst their respective circles (and well liked and respected by the Tarts, one might add), their selections as writer and artist, respectively, on a very mainstream and high profile book means that their target audience would only be tangentially familiar with them, if at all. So, as a service to those curious about the direction Generation X will be taking and to others who have not yet been introduced to the phenomenally talented pair, Tart Lee Atchison undertook the task of questioning them on their intentions.

Sequential Tart: For those who are unfamiliar with your work, can you give us a synopsis of your comic creations to date?

Brian Wood: I've played around with the small press/indie thing back when I was in school, and put out some dinky comics with names like JunkFoodCity and Pure, but if you wanna count books people have actually heard of and read, it would have to be Channel Zero from Image.

Steve Pugh: Well, I've been kicking around for years, really ... I'm like one of those fellas who you keep seeing in movies but you never remember his name. I did a bit for 2000AD with Garth [Ennis], had some work published in Deadline, but my real break was filling in on Grimjack with John Ostrander. He later mentioned to Karen Berger that she should look me up on one of her "raiding parties" to the UK. Every so often she came over to "abduct" a few Brits for Vertigo, leaving the London editors cursing. But hey, they were complacent, sweaty ol' fellas, and Karen was beautifully professional and professionally beautiful ... So, then it was Hellblazer and Animal Man with grim n' gritty, painfully pretty Jaime Delano. I like him a lot.

ST: And who, exactly, are you anyways?

SP: Yeah, I get a lot of that!

BW: Brian Wood, age 28. I live in Brooklyn. I ride three trains to get to work in the morning. I read a lot of books. I have a girlfriend and two cats. I graduated with degrees in Illustration and Media Design from Parsons School of Design, and have been working in web and print design since graduating.

ST: What drives you and your work?

BW: I feel horrible if I don't produce, basically. I have this full time design job, the sort of job one has to pay the bills and that easily occupies most of my waking hours. But I can't be satisfied with that, no matter how creative and fun it can be. It's just not my creation, and it's not being done on my terms. If I don't have something else to work on, something that's MINE, I feel like shit. Like I am wasting my life.

As far as what drives me to do the sort of work I do, it's a desire to get a reaction out of people. To talk about stuff that I KNOW people will respond to in some way, positive or negative. There is nothing worse that doing something creative and getting a bland response, or worse, no reponse at all.

Plus, I want to talk about things that matter to me personally, and I hope they matter to other people as well. I think they do.

SP: Ahemmm ... a desire to inject a deep sense of atmosphere into comics without becoming a sad photo-tracer.

ST: How did you come to be involved with Generation X?

SP: Heh... here's the long version...

My basic way of working is to just draw a page in one go -- pencil a face, ink it, draw another bit... very unstructured. I'd add bits of photocopy and all sorts of print textures. Over time, though, the publishers were becoming more and more hostile to this way of working. DC especially wanted everything pencilled, lettered on the boards, then inked on their stock paper. It saved them a couple o'bucks not to have the lettering cut out and stuck on!

It came to a head when Dark Horse wanted me to use an inker on the first issue of Superman/Terminator. I had to learn to pencil, fast! I kind of bluffed my way through it, and I had a great inker in Mike Perkins, but I really enjoyed the way I could get the pages done so fast but pay more attention to the actual drawing. I was really up for it and tried to persuade a DC editor I know to let me have a crack at a regular book, but he felt I was better off doing mini-series uninked.

As it happened, Warren, a mate from way back, took the opposite view, and felt I'd benefit from the regular exposure of an ongoing book. So, he recommended me for Gen X. None of us seriously expected Marvel to go for it. Worralaugh!

BW: For me, basically, it was bugging Warren Ellis. Well, not bugging him about writing Gen X exactly, but I would, and still do, bounce ideas off him, stuff I want to pitch to companies, to see what he thinks about them. I guess one of them had an impact, this teen book called the Radicals, sort of a DV8/Channel Zero mix. He emailed me one day asking to see it again, and wouldn't tell me why at first. Then he told me he was recommending me to co-write a redirected GEN X with him.

I met with Jason, the editor, provided some writing samples, and that was it. I was amazed at the ease and speed of the whole process.

It's funny now to look back on that crappy, half-assed Radicals idea, because it really seems to be a perfect match for what Warren had in mind for GEN X. We seem to think alike as to how a book like this should be written. I guess that's why he asked me.

ST: What drew you to this project?

BW: The chance to work with Warren, and the chance to work on something that's so visible. I knew that this wasn't gonna be just another revamped superhero book. I knew that Warren was gonna tweak the hell out of it, as much as he could get away with, and to be part of something like that is sure to be a blast. Really, how could I say no?

Having Steve Pugh draw the thing was just the icing on the cake. He is one of my favorite comics artists.

SP: The high quality of ALL my co-creatives. At LAST I can say that without a whiff of irony.

ST: There have been criticisms that Generation X is one of the lowest selling X-Books due to its problems with storytelling and character development. As the new writer on the book, how do you intend to address the perceived problem?

BW: Mess with the storytelling and character development.

I mean, I don't know if that really is the problem, but from a personal standpoint, I don't like the book the way it is now. When Warren first contacted me about this job, I went out and read a few issues, and I was having some difficulty getting through them. Nothing was appealing to me, and the whole book seemed very fragmented. Granted, this isn't the sort of book I would like anyway.

I can turn on the TV and take my pick of teen dramas if that's what I wanted. It seems like everywhere I look, there they are. Why would I want to duplicate that in GEN X? I think the concept needs to be pushed a little. Or a lot.

ST: Now, Steve, there's been some talk that you're not a typical Marvel mainstream artist and that your style is not like the superheroic art style that the X-Books typically utilize. How do you plan to approach the book in terms of artistic style?

SP: Well, I can only do what I do. My main aims are to really define the look of the characters. Up until now they've been a bit "blonde one", "brunette one", "Asian one" ... I'd like to establish real faces for them. I'd like them to be as identifiable as Kitty Pride for example. There have been worries about the accessibility of my work, but the inker has a very contemporary look, and I do feel the X-fans (as always) are being underestimated.

ST: When artists join a new comic book, there seems to be a tendency towards changing looks and costumes. Do you plan on giving these characters your own distinctive flair?

SP: Heh... The gang are going to be tying out lots of different looks. Some they'll stick with, some will be ridiculed horribly by their team mates. (Or the editor!)

ST: Back to you, Brian. What do you think of the practice of strict adherence to continuity? Do you plan on sticking to the continuity of Generation X or do you have other plans?

BW: Well, the plan with the Counter X books I believe, is to just toss the notion of traditional continuity out the window. We have a useful tool in the form of the 6-Month Gap, which basically advances #63 six months in time from #62. That provides Warren and me with enough leeway to make his changes without having to sweat over what's been going on in recent issues.

The book is designed to stand on it own, without having to rely on anything else, including the other Counter X books. Let's hope it stays that way for a long time. I think there is more than enough material to work with without having to bring in new people, teams, crossovers, etc.

ST: What do you see as the concept behind Generation X?

BW: Smart kids doing smart things, in essence. Warren talks about them not being content to "just survive in a world that fears and hates them." They want to do more, they want to CHANGE that world. Make a difference.

Sounds good to me. I just don't think they are being useful holed up in some quiet New England academy when the whole world is out there, waiting to be experienced. They must be restless as hell...

ST: What are your impressions of the characters? Do either of you have a special affinity to any particular character?

BW: I have always liked Jubilee. She is spunky and sarcastic in that way only a 16-yo SoCal mallrat can be. I look forward to writing Angelo. I think there is a lot of material, background stuff to explore.

But it's sorta hard to just name a few, after reading Warren's character guides. He made them all new and exciting again. I would have a hard time pinning down just one or two. I am excited to write all of them at this point.

SP: Originally, I was only really inspired by Jubes. She's got the biggest personality. As I've been drawing the strip, though, I've started to find something in all of them, especially Chamber. Though I'm still bummed Penance isn't around...

ST: I understand you can't give any specifics, Brian, but in general, what themes and ideas are you looking to explore with Generation X from a writing point of view?

BW: I think the kids aren't being used properly from a writer's standpoint and also within the story. I just find it really hard to belive that they would be happy kicking about in that Academy when they have the abilities they have. I think the kids should be out in the world sometimes, doing things they are passionate about. Exploring and changing and growing.

This is also an exciting time to be young, and I think kids these days are more globally aware now then when I was a kid, thanks to inventions like CNN and the internet. The GEN X kids are no exception.

Click for full size image (78k).

ST: And from an artistic point of view?

SP: Again, I hope to define them more, flesh them out. As far as stories go, they'll be more active in the world. Less waiting for stuff to turn up on their doorstep...

ST: Feared and hated in a world they are sworn to protect. What do you guys think of mutants, the X-Books, and what they represent in our own world?

BW: The X books in general? Dunno, but I think the GEN X kids represent kids everywhere. The feeling that most of us had when we were young, feeling different and stupid and embarrassed and self-conscious. I also think that a lot of kids out there feel helpless to be heard, to speak their mind, to bring about change, and that is where the GEN X kids can shine. They HAVE that power, and it's my intention to make sure they use it.

SP: I guess there's plenty of metaphors in there. "Civilians" always seem to be wary and suspicious of the people who are dangerous enough to protect them.

ST: Besides Generation X, are either of you working on any other projects?

SP: Ha! No. It has my full attention!

BW: I am working on quite a few things, actually. Most notably is Public Domain, a Channel Zero related book. It's coming along slowly. I am also writing a couple books that other artists are drawing. I am starting to gradually pull out of the 9-5 thang and do more personal work, so hopefully the next year will be an eventful one for me.

ST: Steve, how closely are you, Warren, and Brian working on Generation X?

SP: Heh. We're in constant e-mail contact. Although, for the most part, it's just swapping nudie pictures of Garth [Ennis].

ST: So, Brian. About Steve Pugh... What's the story? Any comments on your partner in crime?

BW: Steve is a champion. I love his work, have been a fan for years, and this GEN X project is turning into a dream come true. I feel really lucky to be working with Steve. His pages are some of the best of his career.

I have every intention of tapping Steve to work with me on some future project, if he is willing. GEN X is fun and all, but it would be killer to really let loose on a book with him.

Steve Pugh's Website
Brian Wood's Website

[an error occurred while processing this directive]