What do you think?
Rate this book
Direct Comments: Comic Book Creators in their Own Words
Comic book creators in their own words!
From 1988 to 1995, Paul Kupperberg wrote DC Direct Currents, the company’s monthly promotional newsletter. Like several predecessor publications (DC Coming Attractions, DC Coming Comics, DC Releases), Direct Currents was distributed free through comic shops to promote upcoming events, specials, and title launches.
Writing Direct Currents could be a chore; endless capsule descriptions of tortured plot twists...and often, the editors had no plot specifics to share, leaving the writer the even more tortuous task of trying to make nothing sound interesting. But conducting the interviews for the Direct Currents “People at Work” feature, profiles showcasing the writers and artists behind the comics, was anything but work. It was an excuse to call and chat with a wide array of creators, running the gamut from Golden Age pioneers to contemporaries, including admired creators on whose work he had grown up. One month, he even interviewed himself.
But only excerpts of those interviews were used in the published profiles, and the unedited transcripts of only twenty-two of the more then ninety interviews survived. Now, newly edited and annotated, you can read the Direct Comments (along with some rarely seen interviews from the 1970s) from some of the greatest creators of the first half-century of the comic book business, including:
Murphy Anderson
Jim Aparo
Kyle Baker
Brian Bolland
John Byrne
John Costanza
Chuck Dixon
Keith Giffen
Dick Giordano
Mike Grell
Ed Hannigan
Adam Hughes
Carmine Infantino
Klaus Janson
Paul Kupperberg
Tom Lyle
Lee Marrs
Pepe Moreno
Denny O’Neil
Jerry Ordway
Jerry Robinson
Kurt Schaffenberger
Julie Schwartz
Walter Simonson
Jim Warren
From 1988 to 1995, Paul Kupperberg wrote DC Direct Currents, the company’s monthly promotional newsletter. Like several predecessor publications (DC Coming Attractions, DC Coming Comics, DC Releases), Direct Currents was distributed free through comic shops to promote upcoming events, specials, and title launches.
Writing Direct Currents could be a chore; endless capsule descriptions of tortured plot twists...and often, the editors had no plot specifics to share, leaving the writer the even more tortuous task of trying to make nothing sound interesting. But conducting the interviews for the Direct Currents “People at Work” feature, profiles showcasing the writers and artists behind the comics, was anything but work. It was an excuse to call and chat with a wide array of creators, running the gamut from Golden Age pioneers to contemporaries, including admired creators on whose work he had grown up. One month, he even interviewed himself.
But only excerpts of those interviews were used in the published profiles, and the unedited transcripts of only twenty-two of the more then ninety interviews survived. Now, newly edited and annotated, you can read the Direct Comments (along with some rarely seen interviews from the 1970s) from some of the greatest creators of the first half-century of the comic book business, including:
Murphy Anderson
Jim Aparo
Kyle Baker
Brian Bolland
John Byrne
John Costanza
Chuck Dixon
Keith Giffen
Dick Giordano
Mike Grell
Ed Hannigan
Adam Hughes
Carmine Infantino
Klaus Janson
Paul Kupperberg
Tom Lyle
Lee Marrs
Pepe Moreno
Denny O’Neil
Jerry Ordway
Jerry Robinson
Kurt Schaffenberger
Julie Schwartz
Walter Simonson
Jim Warren
- GenresNonfiction
181 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2021
About the author
Paul Kupperberg
768 books52 followersPaul Kupperberg is a nearly 50-year veteran of the comic book industry as a writer and editor for DC Comics, Archie Comics, Marvel, Bongo Charlton, and many more. He is also the author of more than three dozen books of fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, as well as of short stories, articles, and essays for Crazy 8 Press, Heliosphere, Titan Books, Stone Arch Books, Rosen Publishing, Citadel Press, Pocket Books, TwoMorrows, and others.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 8, 2023
This book consists of interviews with individuals in the comic book industry done primarily for DC Comics' promotional newsletter, with a couple of interviews from outside sources.
The DC interviews are an interesting look back at a moment in time. One has to consider the context, particularly that many of these were done to promote specific projects, so there's only so candid some of the creators were likely to be. As well, events of the ensuing years provide new perspectives on some of what was shared in these interviews.
The book really ends on a high note, at least for the reading experience, with an interview with Jim Warren of Warren Publishing, conducted by the author and Paul Levitz for their fanzine well before becoming industry professionals. Warren's general condescending and confrontational attitude is in stark contrast to all the interviews that come before and add quite a bit of spice to this book.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read, providing a look back at one of the most creatively rich periods at DC Comics through the lens of creators eager to promote themselves and their work. Anyone interested in comics history should find material of interest here.
The DC interviews are an interesting look back at a moment in time. One has to consider the context, particularly that many of these were done to promote specific projects, so there's only so candid some of the creators were likely to be. As well, events of the ensuing years provide new perspectives on some of what was shared in these interviews.
The book really ends on a high note, at least for the reading experience, with an interview with Jim Warren of Warren Publishing, conducted by the author and Paul Levitz for their fanzine well before becoming industry professionals. Warren's general condescending and confrontational attitude is in stark contrast to all the interviews that come before and add quite a bit of spice to this book.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read, providing a look back at one of the most creatively rich periods at DC Comics through the lens of creators eager to promote themselves and their work. Anyone interested in comics history should find material of interest here.
October 12, 2021
I finished reading “Direct Comments: Comic Book Creators in Their Own Words” (2020) by Paul Kupperberg last night.
A fun read for those familiar with comic books and the writers, artists, editors, and publishers of the 1970s and 1980s mostly.
Kupperberg (a comic book writer himself since 1975 and also the authors several books including the DC Comics tie-in novel, “JSA: Ragnarok”) from 1988 to 1995 while on staff at DC had the duty of writing their monthly promotional newspaper, “Direct Currents”.
In addition to blurbs about then upcoming issues and special projects, Kupperberg included an interview with a fellow comics professional conducted by himself in each issue (although in one issue he “interviewed” himself).
Only part of each interview actually saw print in “Direct Currents”. Here in this book are the twenty-two edited and annotated full interview transcripts that still survive plus two bonus interviews done earlier by Kupperberg for other projects: an interview with Warren Publishing founder and publisher James (Jim) Warren that Kupperberg and Paul Levitz interviewed Warren for an issue of their fanzine “Etcetera” #4 (June 1971), and another interview Kupperberg and DC color artist Carl Gafford had with veteran comic book and newspaper comic strip artist Al Williamson in either 1972 or 1973 also for “Etcetera” but did not see print until July 1981 in “Comics Feature” #10. (Note: These two interviews are worth the price of the book all by themselves, especially the interview with Jim Warren! Not much information about what was then happening at Warren Publishing can be found in the interview but you can definitely know what the never afraid to speak his mind Warren really thought about Kupperberg and Levitz!)
The “People at Work” Direct Currents interview subjects in this book are as follows (in the order they are presented in the book which is also the order they originally ran in the promo newsletter): Denny O’Neil, Kyle Baker, Kurt Schaffenberger, Paul Kupperberg, Mike Grell, Jerry Ordway, Walter Simonson, Keith Giffen, Ed Hannigan, Julie Schwartz, Adam Hughes, Brian Bolland, Pepe Moreno, Klaus Janson, John Costanza, Jerry Robinson, Tom Lyle, Chuck Dixon, Carmine Infantino, Jim Aparo, John Byrne, Lee Mars, and Dick Giordano.
Again, these names may not be familiar to non comic book readers of the 1970s (some of them as early as the 1940s) through 1990s. However those who did read comics regularly during those decades should know who most if not all of these people are.
Kupperberg also has an interesting introduction going over the various incarnations of DC’s promotional newsletters over the years, including before and after his time on “Direct Currents”.
The profile interviews are fun light reads (most between five and ten pages long). For more in depth interviews I recommend hunting down the magazines and books published by TwoMorrows, which has become the gold standard of comics history publications. (This “Direct Comments” book is published by Buffalo Avenue Books.)
A fun read for those familiar with comic books and the writers, artists, editors, and publishers of the 1970s and 1980s mostly.
Kupperberg (a comic book writer himself since 1975 and also the authors several books including the DC Comics tie-in novel, “JSA: Ragnarok”) from 1988 to 1995 while on staff at DC had the duty of writing their monthly promotional newspaper, “Direct Currents”.
In addition to blurbs about then upcoming issues and special projects, Kupperberg included an interview with a fellow comics professional conducted by himself in each issue (although in one issue he “interviewed” himself).
Only part of each interview actually saw print in “Direct Currents”. Here in this book are the twenty-two edited and annotated full interview transcripts that still survive plus two bonus interviews done earlier by Kupperberg for other projects: an interview with Warren Publishing founder and publisher James (Jim) Warren that Kupperberg and Paul Levitz interviewed Warren for an issue of their fanzine “Etcetera” #4 (June 1971), and another interview Kupperberg and DC color artist Carl Gafford had with veteran comic book and newspaper comic strip artist Al Williamson in either 1972 or 1973 also for “Etcetera” but did not see print until July 1981 in “Comics Feature” #10. (Note: These two interviews are worth the price of the book all by themselves, especially the interview with Jim Warren! Not much information about what was then happening at Warren Publishing can be found in the interview but you can definitely know what the never afraid to speak his mind Warren really thought about Kupperberg and Levitz!)
The “People at Work” Direct Currents interview subjects in this book are as follows (in the order they are presented in the book which is also the order they originally ran in the promo newsletter): Denny O’Neil, Kyle Baker, Kurt Schaffenberger, Paul Kupperberg, Mike Grell, Jerry Ordway, Walter Simonson, Keith Giffen, Ed Hannigan, Julie Schwartz, Adam Hughes, Brian Bolland, Pepe Moreno, Klaus Janson, John Costanza, Jerry Robinson, Tom Lyle, Chuck Dixon, Carmine Infantino, Jim Aparo, John Byrne, Lee Mars, and Dick Giordano.
Again, these names may not be familiar to non comic book readers of the 1970s (some of them as early as the 1940s) through 1990s. However those who did read comics regularly during those decades should know who most if not all of these people are.
Kupperberg also has an interesting introduction going over the various incarnations of DC’s promotional newsletters over the years, including before and after his time on “Direct Currents”.
The profile interviews are fun light reads (most between five and ten pages long). For more in depth interviews I recommend hunting down the magazines and books published by TwoMorrows, which has become the gold standard of comics history publications. (This “Direct Comments” book is published by Buffalo Avenue Books.)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews