Today, as promised, I will be posting an interview I was rather excited to get! None other than Mr. Dan Abnett has graced the pages of my blog! I'd like to give a big thank you to him for doing this.
The Mast Meets: Dan Abnett.
The Mast: First of all, thanks for coming onto my blog. It's a pleasure to have you on here. I suppose, right out of the blocks I'd like to ask you where this all began for you? Being a fan, I suppose I've read the story to some extent, but for those who aren't familiar with you, how did the love of the medium and the writing of comics start for you?
Dan Abnett: My favourite pass times when I was a kid were reading, writing stories and drawing pictures, the latter two I soon combined into writing and drawing my own comics. After studying English at university, I ended up working at Marvel Comics in London, on the editorial side, but freelancing as a writer, which is where I learned the ropes (Working on junior titles like Ghostbusters, Thundercats and Care Bears). Ultimately I went freelance full time.
The Mast: One thing I've noticed about your writing style, however intentional or unintentional it may be, is that you seem to balance such expansive dialogue in which action. It feels like everything is happening, but not in a bad way. Is this a style you, or Lanning (Forgive me, I never know who writes what and I'd hate to miscredit anyone), just naturally birth, or does your style come from being inspired by any other writers?
Dan Abnett: The dialogue is usually me. It's just my natural inclination to write that way, though I'm sure there are vast subliminal influences from all sorts of writers whose work I've enjoyed.
The Mast: I've written some knock-about fan-fic scripts involving Marvel characters and what not. Obviously, when flying solo you can literally just throw any idea you want onto a page, so it could seem as if you have unlimited freedom. At face value, collaborative writing may seem restrictive to many.
In recent years, though, it seems some of the best penned-work has come from collaborative writing. Yourself and Lanning, Diggle and Johnston, Pak and Van Lente; what is it about the creative/collaborative process between you and Lanning specifically that works so well, and how do you usually go about handling a story?
Dan Abnett: Andy and I have worked together for two decades, mainly because we enjoy the fun of the process. We both work separately (Me with the novels and 2000 A.D., Andy as an inker). Getting together once a week or so and having fun whilst sharing a love of comics (We like similar things) means we can both stave off the classic freelancer blight of cabin fever. We also riff on each others ideas all the time and that takes the story to places neither of us would have got to alone.
The Mast: This could be considered a lead-off for the prior question, but I've always been curious. How much of the writing is you and how much is Lanning? I have such a habit of just referring to your name first, which is quite bad really! Props to you both, either way.
Dan Abnett: We plan and plot together in the same room, then the finished scripts get "processed" by me. I guess you could say Andy's focus is plot and concept, and mine are character and dialogue, though it's nothing like as clean cut as that. I basically script stuff we've worked up together while he's doing his other job as an inker. Except for the times we do it the other way round for fun ;).
The Mast: Being that you have made a great name for yourself on Marvel's cosmic scene, was that more organic for you than writing a character that has stricter mythos and continuity? By that I mean Nova, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Kree/Shi'ar Empires; these entities don't have the strict continuity of a Daredevil, Spider-Man, Superman or a Batman. Does writing for characters that are perceived as low-priority mean that you can have greater room to move, or due to some of their cult statuses, is it more restricting?
Dan Abnett: To an extent, yes, and also because they were freed from the mainstream continuity of the Marvel Earth, but they come with great (powers and) responsibilities of their own. You've got to keep the galaxy's continuity straight.
The Mast: Of all the things you've written so far, what would you say is your proudest achievement as a writer? What piece, throughout your career, really made you sit back and smile at what you'd done?
Dan Abnett: Personally, several of my novels and my work on Sinister Dexter for 2000 A.D. As a team with Andy, Guardians of the Galaxy and Legion of Superheroes.
The Mast: Regarding what you're up to now, The Thanos Imperative is pretty enormous. Many are, sadly, seeing it as or assuming it to be the last hurrah for Marvel's cosmic resurgence. We've had Annihilation: Conquest, the Nova/Guardians on-goings, War of Kings, Realm of Kings and now The Thanos Imperative. When you took over the cosmic stuff, did you have this all planned out, what exactly was your goal and is this the last installment of your wide-spanning cosmic epic, or do you plan to remain on the cosmic scene for more time to come?
Dan Abnett: We had big plans, but we shifted and adjusted as they grew (Expended following successes, re-trenched when things were less popular etc). There was no set timetable, however. We're delighted to have had the opportunity to play everything out to a proper end - quite often, you don't get that chance. The Thanos Imperative is the big FULL STOP to our cosmic cycle in terms of satisfying closure and reaching the place we were kind of aiming for...however, inevitably, there is more to come; Rocket and Groot, and...well, I can't say ;)
The Mast: Rumours, which I'm sure you are obliged to not address (Understandably), are running wild that you may be penning a new Silver Surfer on-going. Is there any truth to this? Also, I really, really loved what you did with Gabe Summers in War of Kings. Arguably the most believably despicable villain in a long, long time. Is there any future for the third Summers brother?
Dan Abnett: All I can say to both is, I’m afraid, no comment ;).
The Mast: In keeping with the prior question, you've been revealed as the writer for the upcoming Heroes for Hire series. What else can we expect to see you on? That you are permitted to talk about, that is.
Dan Abnett: Heroes for Hire is big for us, and we're very excited. We're deliberately going to something as un-cosmic as possible, just for a change of pace and to recharge our batteries. Street-level vigilante heroes is about as far as you can get from cosmic. I think readers will really enjoy the tight thriller concept and off-beat set up of the series, not mention the trademark D'n'A oddball team combo, forgotten character revival and shock twists.
The Mast: Last and by no means least...who is your favourite character to write? I think you write a mean Surfer, but I'd go with Nova. He's essentially gone from this powered New Yorker to a legitimate cosmic protector that transcends being Earthbound. He really has come into his own and, being that he is a fav of mine, I'd like to thank you.
Dan Abnett: Thank you. Nova is a fave. Oddly, it's some of the tangential characters you get a real fondness for: Mantis and Gamora, Ronan, Jack Flagg and Cosmo.
The Mast: Thank you SO much for taking the time, I really do appreciate it. Keep up the fantastic work because you're making a lot of folks happy!
Dan Abnett: Thank you! My pleasure!
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What a lovely chap Dan Abnett is, huh? Thanks again to Dan for grabbing some time to come by, and if you've not been hooked on the cosmic sagas he and Lanning weave, you should be now! The fact that he chose not to comment on a future for Surfer OR Gabriel Summers is as exciting as can be, for me anyway.
Thanks for reading, if you did, as always.
What kind of posts would you like to see on here? As readers, is there anything you were curious about that you'd like my take on, or a question you'd like to ask? Decent questions, please. Bless ya little hearts. Not childish, get-deleted-right-away questions.
Until next time, peace.
-The Mast
