(Still with us? Good. It starts to get a little complicated soon, but hey, you all understood Invisibles, this should be no problem, right? Right?)

RICHARD: Looks like you've been receiving the emails at different times to when they've been sent. The first you mentioned was sent at 13 February 2003 10:22 PM GMT. The second at 14 February 2003 12:52 AM GMT, two and a half hours later. I got no response from the second so I resent it at 15 February 2003 12:33 AM GMT

But aside from the most boring part of this back-and-forth, let's move on.

I didn't know what answer I wanted, just didn't expect it to be turned back on the interviewer. One addressing the dissatisfaction with what seems to be a fair proportion of the non-A list creative at Marvel, with reference to Dan Didio and DC showing signs of suddenly turning all 'nicey-nice' towards creators might have been a good one. (4)

The pirouetting was in reference to your sleight of hand, your misdirection away from what I was asking, to what you decided I was really going on about. But fair enough. Let's go with this. (5)

Doesn't everyone want to be loved and liked? Hopefully that's what I've got family, friends and colleagues for.

But in the comics industry? I've made some friends, sure, as for my many enemies you talk about, I presume they don't want to talk to me, so I'm not as aware of them as you undoubtedly are. (6)

At one point I wanted to "break" into the comics biz. But that was more like ten years ago. Since then I realised what I actually wanted was to make a living at writing, which I do. Occasionally ideas come along that would be suitable for comics. And what happens is I generally self publish them. I've been working on a few bits that might make an anthology at some point, I show them around to get reactions, but I'm not trying to break into the comics business. What I do in comics is for my own satisfaction and expression, not to make a career or get a gig.

There have only been a very few times when I've actually pitched for company things, you can count them on one hand of a Simpson character. Not including the thumb. And that was down to having an idea I wanted to get onto paper and explore, rather than any desire to 'break in'. That's it. In ten years. On that basis, you could believe that I want to move to Scotland because I've been to Edinburgh three times in the same time period. If writing the comics rumur column has taught me anything, it's not to try to break into comics. Everyone gets their hearts broken eventually. (7)

On your insights into my motivation, all I can say is that your telepathy has a glitch you might need looking at. You're finding anger where there is none, I'm putting questions I'd like to read answers to, sure, but as for the anger, well, that's inferred rather than implied, I think.

But well done, you managed to distract me quite beautifully, and at length too.

This couch sure is comfy.

Joe, do you consider me an enemy? (8)

JOE: (4) Well, before we get back to you, lets look at this one more time and then lets move on.

ORIGIN HARDCOVER

Did you happen to see the ORIGIN hardcover? Within that hardcover you'll see an editorial back and forth between Bill J, Paul Jenkins, Mike Marts and myself. It was an interesting way to create a book but one that was important to a project like ORIGIN. There have been several projects like this in the past that were considered very import for us on a business level. They were projects that were created by management (Bill and I) and we wanted to make sure that they headed in a certain direction. Books like Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men were the first, ORIGIN was a later one. You may want to consider that an editorially heavy hand, but all the talents involved in these projects knew that that came with these particular assignments. We were going to treat them like motion pictures and carefully review the stories, the direction and the purpose behind the projects to insure maximum success.

I think we've seen how that's panned out. Also, in each of those cases, once there were two or three issues under everyone's belt, we just stepped away. Even a book like the revamp of Supreme Power, we're taking great care with, that's why I'm personally editing it. We'll eventually go to press with all the notes back and forth from JMS [Joe Michael Straczynski] and myself, and you'll see how great and organic the editorial process can be without having to change the writer's words. We have a few new launches, which were created internally, that we want to make sure have the best possible chance to succeed because it's almost impossible for a book not carrying a Spider, a Bat, or an X to survive. Look at recent launches by many of our competitors or even Marvel in the past, it's not easy out there. For some of these launches we have taken an active hand because either the talent is new or the project needs tender loving care to give it the best shot at survival. I'm not going to get into specifics, but there have been a bunch of books that are being launched strategically whose concepts started at the editorial level and we want to deal with them carefully. Now, that being said, none of our new talent is being treated any different from Bendis, Millar, [Paul] Jenkins or even JMS got treated when working on certain projects that required all hands on deck. If they want to bitch about it then fine, if they want to leave to go elsewhere then that's okay too. As I said, there are ways to build your franchise, some people can make the cut, others don't. Sometimes it's talent, sometimes it's professionalism, sometimes it's ego.

(5) What misdirection? You were talking about editorial interference running off talent and I'm telling you that we get out of our talents way, but there are times when you have to jump in and especially with new talent that is either new to the industry or new to Marvel.

(6) Come on now, Rich, you know the kind of enemies you make by doing the kind of column and interviews you do. Don't give me this "woe is me" routine during this interview. I don't do it to you, so you should certainly not do it to me. I respect your intelligence so not for a second do I buy that a guy as smart as you has no concept of the enemies he's making with every column.

(7) As if it's any different in any other field. See, that's why I don't buy that for a second from you. You and I know that you've shown me stuff in the past and at a time or two something's have almost come to pass with respect to you and work for Marvel. Who knows there still may come a day when you do something for us. But, let me ask you, since you're going on about all this creative interference, if you really believe all mumbo jumbo, if you really think it's not just people venting for the sake of venting or perhaps being babies, would it be fair to say that you will no longer ever pitch Marvel, should we throw out any Rich Johnston pitches we may have laying about? If we decided to work with you on something, but we warned you ahead of time that as a new creator we were going to monitor the project carefully, in the beginning, to make sure it was heading in a direction we felt strongest, would you bow out? Or are you made of stronger stock?

(8) One question at a time. Rich, there is a distinct element of anger in your work and in wanting to anger the subject in your interviews as well. The first time I sensed your anger was awhile ago when I fooled you into thinking that I was a disgruntled Editor at Marvel, someone who really hated Bill and me. You were so happy to hear from me that I could hear you virtually drooling over the 'net. It also made it incredibly easy to fool you because you were wide open to any and every negative news coming from the Marvel camp. It reminded me of the girl who broke up with her true love, who still loves to hear that his life is miserable or about every mishap he's having without her. I believe that you view the entire comics industry as that lost lover.

I don't think I've distracted you, I think you're fascinated that I care enough about you to discuss this with you. I don't consider you an enemy, Rich, how healthy or productive would that be? I think you're heart is in the right place, a bit misguided but in the right place. You and I have always been friendly, I'm friendly with almost everyone I know. I don't spend time worrying about enemies and I can honestly say that I only truly dislike 3 people on this planet and only 2 of them are in comics. That said, why don't you try focusing your energy towards good. Have you ever tried taking that unique voice you've acquired and writing something for the mainstream that might move the industry a couple of inches forward? See, that's where I think the anger becomes very evident, it's deep within the surface but it's there. Tell me about the bully in your life, was it grammar or middle school?

Continued Here...