(because ten questions aren’t enough “” and who has time to read twelve?)

Todd DeZago is a comic book author with an impressive background of work at both Marvel and DC comics. Todd wrote X-Factor for Marvel Comics (1994-95), Wolverine (1998), Spider-Man Team-Up, and The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1 (for the majority of its 35-issue run). Todd also (with artist Todd Nauck) created Young Justice for DC comics and wrote Impulse (taking over with issue 50 and concluding with issue 89 — except for a “fill-in” issue #55). Todd’s most recent project has been The Perhapanauts, a horror/sci-fi/suspense comic, featuring a team of secret paranormal investigators (including a sasquatch, a psychic, a ghost, and a chupacabra). New Perhapanauts projects will be published early next year from Image comics. For more Perhapanauts information, see www.perhapanauts.com.

T.E. Pouncey: You have written both Spider-Man and X-Factor stories for Marvel. Before you write a Marvel comic, do you get guidelines or can you do pretty much what you want with the characters?

Todd DeZago: When I first started in comics, things were a lot more liberating. Editors expected you to come in and pitch your story, something that you had come up with yourself. They would take it or leave it — sometimes taking it but making a few suggestions here or there. They would be shepherds, making sure that you were telling a good story while keeping an eye on continuity and that the characters were “in character.” These days, things have changed. As big events and crossovers became standard practice, a lot of the stories now come from the editorial department and you, as a writer, are handed the basics for the story and then left to write within those parameters. Very rarely are you given carte blanche on a project and left on your own.

TEP: Can you tell us a little about how you got your first Spider-Man story assignment?

TD: I had been writing X-Factor for about six months when I got a call from Mark Powers in the Spider-Man offices asking me if I would like to script (dialog) an issue of one of Tom DeFalco’s Spectacular Spider-Man‘s. Tom, apparently, was a bit overwhelmed with work and they had liked my scripting on the other books. I was honored to have a chance to see how my heroes did it; Tom’s plot was flawless and I was thrilled to be able to work Sal Buscema, whose artwork was a lesson in storytelling!

TEP: I absolutely LOVED Impulse. What did you find most appealing about the character?

TD: Oh, Bart… I loved Bart from the moment he popped out of the future! He was everything we are as kids: reckless, impetuous, fearless… He was young and innocent (and ignorant), and gullible. He was a “Joey” (from Friends). He would write his own dialog. I would just put him into a story or situation and let him go — and he’d just do what he did! I loved writing his adventures and his fun and am sad we didn’t get to go on. Our last year was a mess due to all the crossovers and events (7 out of 12!!), but I had some more fun planned for that kid…

TEP: I became an instant fan of yours after reading JLA: World Without Grownups. How did you come to be involved in that project?

TD: Editor Eddie Berganza and I had chatted a lot when he was still an Assistant Editor and when the time came for DC to want to do a re-launch of the Teen Titans (or the concept — the name was already being used), Eddie called me. We talked a lot about it and, at the time, Grant Morrison was starting up his incarnation of the Justice League. Grant had mentioned somewhere that he had an idea for a JL story where the adults got captured and the kids had to save the day. That was all he really had but we didn’t want to step on his toes, so we got his permission. He’s Scottish and I didn’t really understand a word he said, but I think he said okay. Anyway, from there I wrote up my story and it got pretty good response, so we were approved to make it into a monthly series.

TEP: Did you create Tellos, your sword-and-sorcery fantasy, because you were a fan of the genre or because you weren’t seeing the kind of S&S stories you wanted to read?

TD: Mike Wieringo and I had been working on Sensational Spider-Man for a few years prior and had become great friends along the way. We had the same sensibilities as far as the type of stories we liked and the types we wanted to tell. We were both HUGE fans of the genre, of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and Eddings and the like. And we both loved animals a lot! And, yeah, there didn’t seem to be much of that around then…

TEP: Which Sword and Sorcery stories do you personally prefer, Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser tales or Robert Howard’s Conan stories?

TD: Ah, that’s tough… I love to read and, unless it’s a particularly bad story, or a poorly written one, I find something good in everything. So when it comes to which do I like more, I think I’m influenced by all of it. Sorry. Not an answer, was it?

TEP: The Perhapanauts is a great concept. Which of the characters do you personally relate to most?

TD: Oh, I think there’s a little bit of me in all of them! (Sorry, again, I’m being very vague.) I can easily relate to Big’s spiritual journey and his search for answers beyond. I can identify with Molly’s feelings of loss and denial, with Arisa’s self-doubt and fear of jeopardizing her team. And Choopie, of course, is the kid in all of us and, admittedly, my chance to do some of the things — the fun and the funny things — that I never got to do with Impulse.

TEP: One of the things I most enjoy about the Perhapanauts is the supernatural angle. Is it difficult to turn wild myths and legendary monsters into credible characters?

TD: Not difficult, but I do feel that Craig and I both needed a little time with them to find out how they ticked, what they were really like. I think you can see it about halfway through the first issue of Second Chances — the characters really come alive in a way that they hadn’t before. We all started coming together and, like with Impulse, sometimes the team just tells me what to do, what they would say. They’ve taken on lives of their own — it’s exciting! And sometimes a little scary…!

TEP: Craig Rousseau’s art is amazing and he may be one of the most under-rated artists currently working in comics. How did you start working with him?

TD: Craig and I met years ago when he was on Impulse and Mike and I were just starting Tellos. I had loved what he’d brought to Impulse after Humberto (Ramos), although I knew that they were telling him to keep it like Humberto and that he really wasn’t getting a chance to show what he could do. We became friends and hoped to be able to work together someday. When I was called and asked to take over Impulse I was thrilled ’cause I’d be working with him, but when I called him he told me that he’d just quit the book, feeling that they were wanting to start over with a whole new team. We were both so disappointed at that that we talked about doing a Tellos story together (The Last Heist) and we had so much fun doing that that we KNEW we needed to start on something of our own!

TEP: You’re moving The Perhapanauts from Dark Horse Comics to Image comics early next year. What made you guys decide to move?

TD: Though they promised a lot in the beginning, Dark Horse really didn’t give us any support on The Perhapanauts. We loved working with our editor, Dave Land, Katie his assistant, Tina in design… But when it came to promotion (and accounting), Dark Horse left much to be desired. We saw very little promotion for our first miniseries and no publicity of any kind for our second series. In the few weeks that we’ve been at Image, they’ve already done more promotion for us than Dark Horse did in two and a half years.

TEP: What can you tell us about your new Perhapanauts projects for 2008?

TD: Nothing. Don’t ask again. No, we actually have a LOT planned. When I said that the characters were writing themselves, well, it sure feels that way right now… We start out with a over-sized ANNUAL, a done-in-one story that has it all: action, thrills, horror! It’s also designed to be a great jumping on place for new readers, introducing the characters along the way and bringing them up to speed on what’s going on. And, as always, some secrets are revealed…! The Team battles the Jersey Devil and that thing is a scary piece of work! And deadly! Then we start our newest miniseries called “Triangle” as the Perhapanauts go up against the Clan of the Mothmen for trespassing in — and learning the secrets of — the Bermuda Triangle! Also, the return of their deadliest enemy — and Choopie is crowned King of the Gremlins! Who would wanna miss that?