There’s not many writers who have made such an impression so quickly as Curt Fernlund. He has quickly made himself known through his meticulous description and firm characterization and he has recently taken the helm of the good ship JLU2001 as it’s Editor-In-Chief. HEROES is happy to present this highly informative and entertaining interview with Curt.
HEROES: Who Is Curt Fernlund?
Curt Fernlund: I’ve been told that I’m ‘everyone’s favorite uncle’. I don’t know what that means exactly, but I hope it’s a good thing. As far as I know, however, I’m just another guy writing Fanfic and trying to get by.
H: What’s Your Background?
CF: Probably not what you’d expect. I’m a tall, skinny white guy that grew up in Oregon in the Sixties. I had a fairly typical childhood: going to school, playing sports and in the end just trying to graduate. I got interested in art at an early age and drew reams of comic book stories on typing paper before I knew any better and in pencil on top of that. I took a few semesters at college that were geared towards commercial art, and got a credit in that field from SOSC- Southern Oregon State College. In ’84 I loaded up a U-Haul and drove cross-country with some friends from Oregon to New York in hopes of getting an art job at Marvel or DC. The art job didn’t happen, but I stayed in New York ‘cause it’s the center of the universe and I can’t imagine being anyplace else!
H: Where do you live?
CF: I live in Manhattan by the skin of my teeth with my girlfriend- my center, the love of my life, Erica. I have a cracker box studio apartment in Chelsea with my stuff piled high on one side of the room and hers piled higher on the other. It's tight and combustible, but I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China!
H: How did you get involved with fan fiction?
CF: I was checking out the Fanfic scene one day on the Internet and discovered MV-1. I was really impressed by the work I saw there and really wanted to contribute. I’d found the link through the Avengers Assemble site- the Avengers have always been my favorite- but the dibs list just really turned me off. Stories were popping up in my head, but it seemed that every character that I wanted to use was spoken for. I joined the MV-1 Yahoo list before too long and saw that Russ Anderson was pushing people to get their stories in for a Christmas Holiday Special. This was 2002. I thought maybe this was something I could contribute to, so I wrote a Fantastic Four story set in the Sixties, not long after the birth of Franklin and sent him a message saying that I had a story and wanted to contribute. Russ was great, and I consider myself fortunate that he was my first real contact with Fanfic as he took me by the hand and told me where to go, figuratively. He liked the story, apparently, and posted it to the Holiday Special. I doubt anyone remembers the story if they actually read it, but my first work was posted at MV-1 at the end of 2002, and Russ suggested then that I look at JLU 2001 and submit a prop if I thought that I would like to write there. The rest, as they say, is history…
H: What are your influences?
CF: Easily, my first and foremost influence is Stan Lee. Growing up in the Sixties, he was the man- Stan the Man! When I first discovered comics he was writing like 99 % of Marvel’s titles and Jack Kirby was drawing most of those! Jesus, who could ask for anything more? The Fantastic Four! The Avengers! Captain America! Thor! I was an impressionable kid, and Stan Lee had me hooked from day one. Of course, back then I was more into the art than the writing, so I gravitated towards Adams’ X-Men and Steranko’s SHIELD after awhile, but now going back I read those stories in a new light and am simply blown away. Steranko is THE greatest storyteller, bar none. His innovations back in the Sixties turned comics around and I can’t imagine where we all would be today without him. So to answer your question: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, and later Chris Claremont and John Byrne on their outstanding X-Men run, Roy Thomas of course, John and Sal Buscema, Barry Smith, George Perez, and finally Frank Miller and Alan Moore though they came much later and were more for the love of comics than anything.
H: How long have you been writing?
CF: I’ve been writing as long as I can recall. As I said earlier, a lot of my writing was word balloons on typewriter paper comic book pages because I was focusing on the art. After I gave up drawing for the most part and started in on the writing aspect- It’s much easier to pull out a typewriter than it is to set up the drawing table- I soon discovered the Internet. I started writing stories on a Brother Word Processor, and then on a PC and posting to a web site. This was back in ’96 I think, the latter part of the year and long before I started Fanfic. The stories I was doing then- and still do actually though they are fewer and farther between- were Pulp-ish for the most part. Officially they are considered Adult stories with questionable themes- Damsel in Distress and Female Escapologist! It’s soft porn okay, bondage, but quality stuff. I have some 300,000 words written in my out of Fanfic original series Kiri and Claws of the Cat and Lady Shade, all of which I am quite proud and would never hang my head due to content. I have met some fantastic authors in that sector of the web; one who is published with Harlequin Romance and another who is the most computer savvy guy I know. I would suggest anyone stuck in a rut at Fanfic, branch out a bit and try your hand beyond. It opened my eyes…
H: Hobbies? Other interests?
CF: Comic Books remain my main hobby. I’ve been ‘collecting’ comics since the Sixties, though I hate to use the word collecting. I remember I inherited a stack of comics from my sister when I was young. There were some Archies and a Patsy Walker that I recall, but most importantly I remember an issue of the Avengers- # 20, the second Swordsman issue where he had kidnapped Cap and was forcing him to walk the plank on a construction site. That was the first introduction to comics that I recall, and that one comic led me to get others and I've never looked back. Beyond that, I watch TV because someone went to the trouble to invent it and I feel it’s my duty then to watch it. I read and write. I’m interested in sleep and can never seem to get enough…
H: Tell us about Black Canary. Why a series about her and what future plans for the series can we expect?
CF: Black Canary has always been a favorite of mine. I keep going back to this, but growing up there were maybe five cool women in comics that I liked. There was Triplicate Girl and Shrinking Violet over in the Legion in their mini-skirts and black boots. There was the Scarlet Witch in her pink Lycra bathing suit. Later there was Supergirl in her little red hot pants. I’m a leg man- sue me! Above all there was the Black Canary! Black leather MC jacket, fishnet stockings and stiletto boots- who wouldn’t want to write that? Seriously, the Black Canary is a character that I always loved and always thought got the short end of the stick. Right off in the Justice League she got saddled with Green Arrow and became his sidekick for way too long. Despite the great work of Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams in Green Lantern in the 70’s, I thought Dinah was overlooked because of her male costars. She got a series or two in the 80’s, but it wasn’t until the recent Birds of Prey that she started to shine. I just wanted to give my spin on the character and maybe make her a force to be reckoned with- at least in my own little part of Fanfic.
My Black Canary was always planned as a mini series, though I think it may run beyond 12 issues at the moment. I have a few stories to tell. Why Dinah is being such a tough bitch lately. How she is connected to Oracle. Stuff like that. She will be seeing more of Black Adam real soon, as well as Jack Knight, and there is a planned crossover with John Constantine coming up in a couple months with my Hell Blazer over at Vertigo: Subculture! It all comes to a head in conjunction with JLA # 24, when all of the little subplots are realized. Hopefully I'll get it right.
H: Tomb of Dracula is a series you’ve just begun over at MARVEL2000 and it’s gotten off to a rousing start. Why do a Dracula series at all?
CF: Dracula is another story all together. I enjoyed the Wolfman/Colan Dracula series as much as the next guy, but as to doing a series myself (shrugs shoulders). I was talking with Mike Franzoni one night on AIM, and he was asking me if I might consider picking up a title at Rev X if he and Chris Munn needed it, when Chris came on and we started talking M2K. Chris being Chris rattled off a few titles that he said he’d like to see done at Marvel 2000; Moon Knight, Doc Strange, Dracula, Werewolf By Night… I said I could see Dracula and before I knew it we were hammering out details. I wanted to do a sort of Marvel Team-Up revolving around Frank Drake and Dracula, but as everyone who knows me knows, I hate Dibs and Props. I wanted to do a title that tied in the Marvel Universe. I really enjoyed those old Spider-Man stories where Thor would fly through the panel or the Human Torch would show up and give a speech at Empire State University. I started feeding Chris names and he told me ‘yes or no’ as to who I could use until I got a nice base. Everyone’s been really great at M2K so far, going along and allowing me to use their characters in cameos and walk-ons. I have a few issues done, and a few more plotted in my head. I appreciate the feedback on that first issue, though I am a little confused as to why that got such great response. I wrote TOD #1 in a couple short sittings and it just sort of all came together. Hopefully everyone will still be with the title a few issues down the road when I start messing with the characters a bit. It ain't gonna be your daddy's Tomb of Dracula I’ll warn you now…
H: You’re recently inherited JLU2001 as well as the duties and responsibilities of Editor-In-Chief. How did that come about?
CF: I had been writing JLA and Black Canary at JLU 2001 for awhile as well as doing a few issues of Martian Manhunter. James Hickson was the EIC at the time and Russ Anderson was doing the web work (still is btw, and a damn good job). James had recently started college and I think he was finding it just a bit more time consuming than he thought it would be. He hinted at wanting to step down a time or two, but frankly I didn’t want the job at first. James is a great Editor- far better than he gets credit for in my opinion- and I didn’t think I could do the job. He finally talked me into it though as I remembered what hell college could potentially be. Rather he is bettering himself than being EIC because no one would take the job. Turns out that I like it though. Russ is great to work with, and JLU has really picked up recently with the induction of Gary Jones, Jae Lizhini and Bertram Gibbs to the fold. And Steve Crosby is a rock! Steve was there when I signed up as a writer- the last of the originals at the site- and he has been a solid source of inspiration for me! I can honestly say that if Steve weren’t at JLU, I probably wouldn’t be either…
H: What are your future plans for JLU2001? What characters and series would you like to see there? What writers would you like writing at JLU2001?
CF: Damn Derrick, you ask the hard questions… My JLA is written through # 24, and I have several more stories to tell after that. I have no problem writing JLA as long as there are others writing for JLU with me. I want to do a crossover on site, and other writers at the site have said basically the same. We have a great group- though small- but talented as all get out. Expect to see some kind of JLU crossover event this summer or fall. There is a Green Arrow series in the works, which looks great by what I’ve seen, and there is an old Fan Favorite hopefully going to take up the reins of Hawkman in the near future as well. I won’t say who, but it will be hot! As far as writers go, I’d like to see Mike Rasbury take on a title, and I’d love to see Mike McGee tackle the Huntress. And hell, Derrick, there’s always room for you at JLU…
H: What’s a typical Day In The Life Of Curt Fernlund like?
CF: I lead a rather boring day to day life. I’m up at 4:30 and off to work in Brooklyn by 5:15 on the ‘Q’ train after a couple cigarettes and a quick shower. I bust ass for several hours throwing freight and stocking shelves- not the most glamorous work, but I get top dollar and have benefits to die for. Back home on the train by 4 PM where- depending on the day- I usually try to write for a couple hours at least. Tuesday is Laundry and Wednesday is New Comics Day so the writing is less then. Friday I go into Chat with my out of Fanfic friends so I consider that a day off. Saturday I watch the WB in the morning and write or draw or edit. Sunday I watch the political shows giving the girlfriend equal time with the TV. Brunch, movies or just walking about Chelsea round out the weekend. More writing and reading when I can squeeze it in. Can’t read enough- it’s fundamental y’know?
H: What do you consider to be your best work to date?
CF: My best work is out of Fanfic. A couple years ago I got together with some friends at a couple sites and we did a weekly serial that was Damsels in Distress. It was a pulp cliffhanger serial set in the 30’s on a film set in Brazil and appeared alternately on 2 separate sites- one week at one and the next week on another. The HTML was sharp, and we got another friend to do the artwork, which was tight. The whole thing just came together better than any of us expected and we were all very happy with the results. In Fanfic, I would have to say I’m most happy with my Hell Blazer over at Vertigo: Subculture. It’s all First Person, which is a challenge in itself. Add to that the British Accent and having to get a grip on the layout of London, well, it’s been a bit of a sticky wicket- a wicked Googly to be sure! Not to mention getting a handle on Constantine himself. He’s a major fan favorite, and I had to follow Franzoni’s run on the title! Talk about putting my head in the noose. Hopefully I’ve done the character and the title justice.
H: What do you like to read?
CF: Most of my reading is done on the train in the 30 minutes or so between Manhattan and Brooklyn in the morning and back again in the afternoon. I lean towards Fantasy, and really enjoy Dennis L. McKiernan and Terry Goodkind. I also like William Gibson’s Cyberpunk stuff, and Joel Rosenburg’s Guardian of the Flame series. Wild Cards was a big inspiration back in the day, and I keep Anne Perry’s Pitt and Monk mysteries as a fall back when there’s nothing else out that catches my eye. And of course War of the Worlds, my all time favorite. I’ve read that more times than I care to count. I also read something called Dillon and the Voice of Odin recently that was pretty damn inspiring. Can’t recall the author of that one though… J
H: Which 3 Fanfic or original series should everybody be reading?
CF: And here’s where I alienate some people… Only three?
First and foremost and without hesitation nor am I pimping the site I edit- Seriously- Steve Crosby’s Superman at JLU 2001 is the single story that I look forward to all the time. His Batman is great, but his Superman rocks, and if you are not waiting breathlessly for its next update, then you should go to the doctor and check for a pulse. You are dead, man. Steve’s Superman is the best thing out there right now, bar none! It’s slick and witty while still in depth and holds true to the mythos. Check it out!
I like Nate Charles’ Batman over at DC Dark Side as well. Nate is a helluva guy and highly overlooked when it comes to his writing. His Batman is tight, and fits in well with the DCDS theme. Nate’s a busy guy, and the stories are few and far between, but well worth the wait!
My last pick is marginal since it came to a stop before it really started. I loved Mike Franzoni’s Sandman Mystery Theater over at Vertigo: Subculture even though it only ran for one issue. Franz nailed the elder Wesley Dodds and as always his story telling was on the money. He mentioned some of his plans for the title early on, and I was really looking forward to where he was going, but then he got bogged down and had to put the title aside for awhile- if not indefinitely. I was sadly disappointed, and I think everyone should go to Vertigo: Sub and read his story, then bombard his mailbox until he starts up again! That’ll show him.
Thanks for the interview Derrick and the time in the spotlight! Hope my fifteen minutes of fame was worth it. I know I enjoyed it!