Recently we had a chance to get some questions answered by Marvel writer Greg Pak
about his main projects: Incredible Hulk, Skaar Son of Hulk, and War Machine. He also told us about how some of these ideas came about, and some of his plans for the future.Modern Mythology: I've read that you're coming back to being a regular in the "Hulk" series with issue #601. What can you tell us about the direction you're going to take with the characters?
Greg Pak: This is the culmination of a crazy plan the Hulk office has been cooking up since the end of "World War Hulk." I can't say too much for fear of spoilers, but the story launches out of the climactic conclusions to Jeph Loeb's "Incredible Hulk" #600 in July and my own "Skaar" #12 in June. It's a whole new world of smash and a perfect jumping on point for "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" fans as well as brand new readers ready for a shocking new direction, massive emotional payoffs, and multiple megatons of gamma powered smashing.
Modern Mythology: And how is it working with artist Ariel Olivetti?
Greg Pak: Ariel's been fantastic to work with so far -- wait until you see the cover to issue #602! He's justifiably renowned for his amazing work on "Punisher War Journal" and "Cable" drawing giant guys fighting, so that makes him a natural for "Incredible Hulk." But he's got a great touch for little emotional details and funny, human moments -- he's making every element in the book really come alive.
Modern Mythology: Perhaps you answered this in the last question, but I hear your last Skaar issue is #12 -- Will he figure into your new Hulk run, and if not, any hints on how will Skaar will figure into the Marvel Universe now that he's in the neighborhood?
Greg Pak: Skaar will indeed play a big role in my "Incredible Hulk" run -- that's definitely him behind Banner on the cover to #601. I'll just say he's about to have a massive impact on his pop and just about everyone else he meets in the Marvel Universe. Modern Mythology: Do you like taking certain characters that you are personally interested in, and revitalizing them? Or does Marvel pitch the idea to you?
Greg Pak: Sometimes a Marvel editor will approach me with a character and pitch that I just can't say no to. "Magneto Testament" was like that for me. I've always thought Magneto was a fantastic character, but for one reason or another I hadn't independently come up with many stories featuring him. But when editor Warren Simons approached me about telling Magneto's origin story as a boy during the rise of the Nazis and the Holocaust, I was immediately hooked and knew I was going to do everything I possible could to write that project and do it justice. And then there are characters that I've been itching to write forever and have basically lurked around waiting for my shot. My first run on the Hulk came about that way. I bonded with editor Mark Paniccia while working on a completely different project, and at every opportunity, I'd shamelessly tell him how much I dug the Hulk. And eventually when it came time for Marvel to pick a new Hulk writer, all those hints I'd been dropping must have paid off.
Modern Mythology: Where did you get the idea for the direction of the new War Machine series?
Greg Pak: The idea was actually editor Bill Rosemann's. I heard him pitch the idea of Jim Rhodes as a one man army taking on the world's worst dictators and madmen at a Marvel creative summit two years ago and couldn't get it out of my head. I asked him if he had a writer; he grinned and said no. And within a few weeks, we were off to the races.
Modern Mythology: What's coming up in War Machine this year?
Greg Pak: Everything changes for Rhodey this year. Even as we speak, he's finally brought his fight against madmen and monsters to American soil. He's fighting to save the country -- but he might just end up branded a traitor in the process. Key issues are #7 and #8, in which we learn about his target and see how he reacts to a high-octane intervention from his former teammates in the West Coast Avengers. Then at long last there's a War Machine versus Iron Patriot showdown in issues #9 and #10 -- and only one man will be standing at the end. It's a massive turning point for James Rhodes that might just tear the heart and soul out of the Marvel Universe. I'll say no more.
Modern Mythology: How was the Marvel Comics retreat? Were you surprised by anything that happened there?
Greg Pak: Something surprising always happens at the creative summits. My non-disclosure agreement prevents me from saying much more, but there were a lot of big smiles at the end of this last meeting.
Modern Mythology: Finally, how does writing for comics compare to your work as a film writer-director?
Greg Pak: Writing comics can often be more time consuming that writing a film script. Film writing tends to be very stripped down. A screenplay is read by all kinds of people, not just the folks involved in actually making the movie -- so I never overexplain visuals. The idea is to write simply and evocatively in a way that allows any reader to "see" the movie while reading.
On the other hand, comic book scripts are generally read only by the people who are actually making the comics. So I fill them with what in the film world would be my director's notes. In a comic script, I'll break each page down into panels, which would be the equivalent of breaking each scene down into different shots in a film script. I may give very specific visual direction, directly address editors and artists and letterers, or maybe even digress for a minor treatise about the visual look of the whole book. As a result, my film scripts tend to be a bit more elegant, a touch closer to a satisfying literary read in and of themselves. But the comic scripts probably provide a better window to an outsider into the actual workings of the creative process, since they're chock full of practical details of creative choices.
Modern Mythology: Any plans for new film projects in the coming year?
Greg Pak: I just got greenlit to direct a new short film entitled "Mister Green," which should be a blast. I should have more info about it soon at www.pakbuzz.com.
Pictures courtesy of Marvel.com and pakbuzz.com
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