JOE: Man, it took you over 24 hours to come back with that reply? This is one dead horse you like beating. Actually Rich, what's sad is just this tact that you've taken for this entire interview, at this point I fail to see how this serves any purpose other than you and I sparring about stuff that really isn't an issue, yet prolonging it to the point where I can imagine the reader's screaming, "okay, we get it, get on with it!" So far we've been flogging this dead horse for several questions now, and what's really tragic is that you have the EIC of Marvel on the line and you're beating on the same question. Yeah, yeah, I get it, you're the confessional for the comics industry, blah, blah, blah. Since we're being so candid I could also go on about how many creators loathe you and actually think less of me for even giving you the time of day. Doing an interview with you can honestly do more damage for me and Marvel than any of these rumors. For example, most of the Brits use the expression 'tw*t' several times in any conversation whenever your name comes up, but I actually like you in a sick perverted way. I guess it's because you can call me a bitch and I can call you a tw*t and mean it in the nicest of ways. So should I just disregard the authority of your questions because I know so many people that hate you?

Now, that being said, let's get your head out of your own tw*t for a second and talk about the facts. What's really silly is that you and I have gone around this thing before, remember NYX or X-Men: The Hidden Years or Robert Weinberg on Cable back in 1999? Remember how everyone was talking about the lack of creative freedom at Marvel and here we are 3 years later and you're masturbating to the same photograph only now bringing up Darko and Cable. There will always be creators who are going to complain that they aren't being treated well, it has happened since day one of me being EIC at Marvel, it doesn't mean that they're not. What's truly ironic is that we are at a place at Marvel where we are now taking chances with some of the books that we're putting out and in the next few months you'll hear more and more about things like this. And here's Rich Johnston talking about us strangling books like DC did with the Authority while we're trying to expand our horizons! Dude, what are you talking about, strangling like Authority, isn't that putting the cart before the horse accusing us of something that you think may happen? That may be the best accusation to date! I realize that as the top publisher the fun for guys like you is to now predict the downfall of what we've managed to build up and I know that several years from now we'll be doing this again, but Rich, the problem is that you're assuming we're finished...

... but we're not done rebuilding yet.

Our competition will get their 'W's' in from time to time and that's great, it makes it a horse race. They'll have a top book here and there and they'll sign a creator here and there, welcome to the world of business. On the flip side we will be announcing at least three or four more brand new exclusives who have just fled to our side of town because we treat our talent, as you would like to believe, so miserably.

Is Marvel perfect? Hell no, yet it seems like you're trying to somehow burst people's bubble about Marvel's perfection. Okay here it is, major bulletin folks, "Marvel is not perfect!" I know, hold on to your hats, Saddam isn't sleeping well tonight and Michael Jackson is hanging more babies from windows!

Come on, Rich, lets move on to the next round of BS, this one is old.

(With the next e-mail, Joe started to address different bits in different sections. To make any sense at all, I'm going to have to start footnoting responses to the phrase that they were addressing. Oh brother. Anyway, I thought this was heavy, thought I'd throw out a fanboy question to lighten the tone. Didn't work.)

RICHARD: Check your e-mail Joe, I replied almost instantly, you didn't respond, so 24 hours later I resent it... (1)

I didn't get in to this to be liked. As your top selling writer Mark Millar says when he's not calling me a tw*t, me, or someone like me is needed. Though possibly not by you. But it's a good way to pirouette around the issues here. Okay, fine, new line of BS coming right up. (2)

Fanboy to fanboy.

How do feel about the route Azrael took after you left the character? (3)

JOE QUESADA’S MARVEL ORIGIN’S LITHOGRAPH

JOE: (1) According to my AOL status report, I received that last question at 7:35 PM, February 14th, the question before that was at 7:54 PM, February 13, if that isn't 24 hours then what is? I'll send along screen captures of the e-mails so you can tell the readers how I'm lying and your info is accurate. If you can't open the files, someone with a Mac can, take a look at the 'date sent.' What's funny is that if I didn't have this proof, you would accuse me of nefarious intent.

(2) Whoa, seems like the interviewee is getting to the interviewer. Isn't it supposed to work the other way around with you? I love how now that you don't get the answer YOU WANT you like to say I'm pirouetting around the issue, this is great! Damn, Rich, a little tw*t calling and you get all bent, you wouldn't last a day in my shoes. But let's face it Rich, the truth is that deep down inside, you more than anyone, really wish you were loved and liked, that's really what's at the core of all of this stuff and this style of questioning. What's happened is that you ended up finding yourself in this kind of a situation where this rumor thing has actually made you so many enemies that there's absolutely no turning back. Come on let's talk about it a bit, Doctor Joe is in the house. I'm actually pretty good at this, lets try to get to the root of what's making you so angry, realization is part of the solution.

(3) You may find this to be utter BS, but I have not kept up with the title at all, really. They're almost 100 issue into it and I just haven't read anything past the first issue relaunch. Nothing more behind it other than I just haven't had the time. But let's say I had, it wouldn't matter because I never want to be one of those creators that looks back on what happened to one of their creations bitterly. Ah, look at what they did to my song, mom! That's just not me. I understand that once I'm gone, I'm gone and I'm sure those guys did whatever was best for the character and it's publishing longevity. I'm glad I left something behind, I hear it's getting cancelled, it's great it lasted as long as it did and now let's move on to the next thing.

But now let's get back to what's really a much more interesting issue here, since I think I've hit a vein that our readers may be infinitely more interested in. I know you've always wanted to break into the comics biz as a writer, you still do, and it just occurred to me that that's why you were harping so vehemently on the last question, and questions of its ilk. The question has nothing to do with the people who are e-mailing you, it has to do with YOU. I'm seeing it now, it's all about how the rest of the comic book industry treats you. There are some of us who don't mind talking to you, but that list is pretty damn short, Rich. These interviews and rumors are like anger management classes for you, "those guys don't let me in, so I'll show them how in I can get." Seriously let's talk about this for a second, I'm fascinated now.

Continued Here...