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WAITING
FOR TOMMY: JIMMY PALMIOTTI
By
Richard Johnston RICHARD:
Well let's talk about your support... Jimmy. you're pals with
Dan Buckley. A visitor to the Dude Ranch, you guys seem to
go way back. Jimmy. you're pals with Dan DiDio. Co-writer
on Superboy, you guys seem to go way back. One is Marvel's
President of Publishing. Another is DC Vice President and
seemingly in charge of a new wave of creativity at DC. How
does it feel to be the man in the middle? The new Nexus of
comic book realities? Do you ever find yourself in a conflict
of loyalty? And how do the two men measure up to one another?
JIMMY:
Well, I think these guys both have a lot in common. First
off they have me as a good solid friend. Just because they
happen to be in positions of power in an industry I work in,
doesn't mean they get treated any different from before they
held these jobs. They are my friends first, and then company
heads. Really, I am happy for them both, but at the same time
couldn't care less. Our relationships haven't changed a bit..
well, a tiny bit, but not in the way you would think. Now
I have to work a little harder so it doesn't look like I am
calling in a favor with them, but that's with any job really
where your buddy gets to play boss all of a sudden.
I really
do not think of myself as the man in the middle. I am doing
the same job I always have been doing. I am as good in business
as I am with creative aspects of the job, and I enjoy both,
but I know when to mind my own business and let things pass
me by. Dan DiDio is a very close friend. He and I wrote together
and worked on animation projects together as well way before
the EIC job ever came up. To tell the truth, I was in shock
that he even got offered the position, but at the same time
the shock came from the fact that I thought no one would ever
be that smart to think of him. He got hired while we were
writing Superboy together, which made it even weirder. Dan
is smart and great with people, and given some time, he did
exactly what I thought he would do.shake the company up in
a positive way and show everyone that he knows his sh*t. You
meet Dan, even for 10 minutes, and you know you are dealing
with someone who has seen it all and knows how to deal with
it on every level.
Dan Buckley
is a great guy and a good friend that I met when I started
at Marvel Knights. Dan was the "go to" guy for us there whenever
we needed ideas about how to not only launch the line, but
also how to keep Marvel Knights on the top with the fans and
retailers. I was in Dan's office at least once a day, getting
lessons on the economics of the business, and he really has
a great way of cutting through the crap and getting the job
done. He is honest as hell and calls them like he sees them,
and that's what I like best about him. There is never a dull
moment with Dan Buckley. Even when he left Marvel, we stayed
friends and he has always been part of our twisted circle
of freaks.
The great
thing about both these guys is that they both are really great
people to hang out with and both have great senses of humor.
I think that's a quality that I admire in people the most.
I try to stay out of their business, but will always have
an opinion and will be there if they need help. Really, all
either one of them has to do is just ask and I will back them
up 100%, but I try not to get involved with anything that
might be a conflict to them both. It's not my place and to
tell the truth, they are both good communicators, so I don't
worry so much about that stuff. Unlike some, I like to look
at the comic book companies as one big company. I think it's
a healthier attitude to have rather than playing each company
against each other.
These
are the good guys' folks. Honest hardworking people that care.
I'm just proud to know them.
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