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DYNAMIC FORCES: You worked on the previous Deadpool series. How does it feel to be returning to the character in Agent X?
BUDDY SCALERA: Excellent! I loved Deadpool since the first time I read it. Loved it day one. And Gail [Simone, current writer] has done a great job with the new direction of Agent X.

DF: How is Agent X different from Deadpool?
BS: Bigger crunch, same chocolaty goodness.

DF: When you first heard about the character of Deadpool and his description, what were your thoughts?
BS: It was way back, when I was working on WizardWorld.com. My assistant at the time Glenn Haight had a copy of Deadpool and insisted that I read it. I think my first issue was #10, and I was hooked since then.

DF: When you began writing the comic with Jimmy Palmiotti, how did you take your ideas of the character and incorporate them into the book?
BS: Jimmy was really the head writer when we were doing Deadpool. He was the marquee name that sold the book. So he drove the direction of what we did. We would sit together in a bar or something and just hash out ideas. I would say, "Let's do THIS." And Jimmy would say, "That's good, but it would be better if we did THIS!" So it was a very organic process. Most people don't know which stuff was mine and which was his although Joe Quesada once said that he could tell the difference.

DF: When you look back at your Deadpool work, what do you think? Did you accomplish what you wanted with those issues?
BS: I'm really proud of what we did. Seriously, I really enjoy those issues. I've done a lot of writing, and a lot of it was outside of comics. And like a lot of writers, I find it hard to enjoy my own work. I wish my run was longer though. I felt like we should have stayed with the title longer because we were just starting to hit our pace. In terms of telling the story of Wade Wilson...nah, I definitely had more to say.

DF: How did you become involved in Agent X?
BS: Here's a tip to aspiring writers...read EVERYTHING. I keep in touch with some of the editors up at Marvel and I read all their books. It's expensive, but it's worth it, if you can just pick up one fill-in project. I guess more than anything, I was in the right place at the right time. And I know the story lines.

DF: What is your two-part story about?
BS: Alex (Agent X) is hired to kill the Invisible Man. The trick is finding someone who is invisible.

DF: Why the Invisible Man? Did you just want to make it easy on your artist?
BS: Hah! I wish I was being that clever. I actually just thought it would be interesting to give Alex a near-impossible task and see how he accomplishes it.

DF: Is there really an "Invisible Man" or is this just another piece of insanity in Agent X's life?
BS: It's all real.

DF: Who's Mitchell Breitweiser?
BS: Mitchell is new guy who came up through the Marvel art contest. He's really polished and advanced for a newcomer. His stuff is particularly edgy and seems to pop off the page.

DF: What do you like the best about working with editor Andrew Lis? How has he helped guide your ideas for the series and turn them into reality?
BS: Andrew is very laid back and professional. I've found him to be very easy to talk to because he tells me what he wants and let's me do my thing. I like that. He's given me the right amount of input and direction, which I really appreciate. And he's great about returning phone calls and emails. Freelancers appreciate that kind of professionalism.

DF: Why should people check these issues out?
BS: I think because you can sit down and read a full, self-contained story. There's an undeniable charm to reading a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. Mitchell's art really captured the gritty street feel that we needed to make this story work.

DF: What other projects are you working on?
BS: Well, my CD-Rom "Visual Reference for Comic Artists: Vol. 2" hits the comic book stores in early December. People can see a preview at www.buddyscalera.com. I'll be making an appearance at Jim Hanley's Universe in New York City to sign my CDs and comics. And in early '03 we'll see the release of the Decoy trade paperback. And in mid '03, I have a graphic novel coming out through Stand Up MultiMedia (www.SUMM.net). So, I'm pretty active these days, which is how I like it.