Marvel Comics’ former creative head brings new work to share with friendly Calgarians

Former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief and chief creative officer Joe Quesada had never been to Calgary before this year’s FanExpo event.

During the Calgary Comics and Entertainment Expo, Quesada, a New Yorker, experienced weather with harsher plot twists than he’s accustomed to, with some of that famed Canadian hospitality as denouement.

“You guys are so friendly. You keep apologizing over your weather that you have no control over whatsoever,” he told CTV News.

“I keep expecting something to happen where all of a sudden everyone just becomes mean and nasty, but I don’t think it’s going to.

“It’s the friendliest convention I’ve been to.”

At Expo, Quesada also found throngs of fans eager to check out his new work.

Because what’s a break, right?

He celebrated his stepping down from overseeing creative projects at Marvel by drawing one, getting back to his roots as an artist.

The World to Come, which he worked on with writer Christopher Priest, has five issues out, with the sixth and final issue set for release soon.

If it’s the last thing he does for Marvel, Quesada says he’s “so proud of that book.”

And he’s also pushing his new company, Amazing Comics, which will launch with Disciple, a series he’ll draw and co-write.

‘I can’t stop’

Quesada, now 64, notes his father and grandfather were “both in construction — both union men.”

He says they had their 65th birthdays marked on their calendars, “because that’s when they could retire and get the pension.”

“Heaven to them was not going to work, sitting in the lounge and watching TV or sitting in the backyard getting some sun,” he said.

“I understand, but I can’t think of something I’d rather not do more.

“I can’t stop. Even if people lose complete and total interest in anything I’m doing, I’ll still wake up every morning and write or draw something.”

Something amazing

The comic book company Quesada ran in the ’90s with his wife, Nancy, and his artistic partner, Jimmy Palmiotti, was brought into Marvel when the latter was battling bankruptcy.

That company, Event Comics, became the Marvel Knights imprint and brought properties like Daredevil and Punisher back to successful sales levels.

Quesada was made editor-in-chief and eventually chief creative officer.

About halfway through that decades-long run, “Amazing Comics” was scribbled into a notebook of stuff to get to when the ride ended.

Because he never planned to stay on it that long.

He always intended the follow-up to be smaller, more intimate — something like Event Comics.

“All of our stories are adaptations of Shakespeare plays in different genres with different twists,” he said.

“My book is Disciple, which is Hamlet — it’s our take on Hamlet.

“They all take place in the same world, so these characters can connect—they can mix. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Quesada isn’t surprised it’s finally happening. Because again, what’s a break?

But he was “floored” to find out the name “Amazing Comics” was actually available for him to claim.

“I was always looking for a word, for the day I was going to launch my own company again,” he said.