An interview with Peter David

This short interview was made in the Comic Con New York 2012 (october)
- Is it true that when you were young since there was not any specialized stores did you stop reading comics because you were kind of ashamed for it?
Yeah,.. The main reason that I stop reading comics was that I was afraid that girls would find out that I was reading comics and would think I was an idiot. So the only store where comics were sold where corner stationery stores that we would call mom and pop stores. They sold magazines … and all that kind of thing. So I was afraid that people would come in, particularly girls, and see me buying comics books and would assume that I was an idiot. And, finally, the pressure that I put on myself became so great that I just stopped reading entirely and that when I was about fourteen years old. And I didn’t start reading comic books again until I was on my early twenties and I happened to be walking past a corner newsstand and they were selling X-Men and it was something like X-Men 93 and I look to the covert and I said: “Who are these guys ?!? You know it says X-Men but I don’t recognize anyone except Cyclops !!”. And it got me interested enough that I bought that off the stand and I start getting back in the comics but it was because I was no longer afraid about what people would think I was an idiot. I outgrow those concerns.

- After so many efforts how did you feel when you saw your name on Spiderman comic?
 Well, it wasn’t a matter so much of efforts as years of dreaming how cool that would be. Hum…  I wound up writing Spiderman because I came off with some ideas and a young guy named Jim Owsley has taken over as the editor. I had some ideas and I when to him and suggested them and he said:  “ I really like that one! Let’s do that” and that is… then he started hiring me to do more stories and that’s pretty much how all started, but really wasn’t …uhm …  that really wasn’t that much effort as opposed to that other people who’s job work in … were working in a actual comic book office. I could walk down … I just walk down the hallway and talk to the editor as oppose as would-be-writers who would have to send in samples and letters and pray that somehow they would able to make that connection… So, compare to many other people, who tried to break in I was, in fact, tremendously lucky.

- Bob Harras offered you Hulk that was the beginning of a lasting cooperation. It was among the best. Everybody remembers The Pantheon. Ok, that’s not really a question,  it’s  was just a statement… ah .. to which I would say:  Thank you very much. I’m glad that everybody remembers The Pantheon. I really wish that Bob Harras would say: “Hell, Let’s do the series”,  in which I would certainly be there for it.

-The Hulk from Avengers The Film reminds of your take on the Hulk.
Yes, I would agree. I mean, less articulated, obviously, but certainly the way they portrayed Bruce Banner in the film it’s much truer to the Banner I was always writing him, and indeed the way they portrayed Banner was pretty much identically to the way that I portrayed in 467, you know, when we the last time we see it. So, yes, I think you are absolutely right.

 -With X-Factor you proved there is no weak or bad characters if you have a good story to tell. What character would be a challenge for you?
The Marvel character who is the biggest challenge for me is The Punisher. I just really have trouble connecting with him in any kind of moral or personal level. Over DC the one I have more trouble probably was Lobo but for Marvel comic. Yes, The Punisher was a real pain for me. I’ve written a couple of Punisher stories but I am not really happy with any of them.

- You worked in a futuristic version of Marvel Comics. Which character futuristic version would you like to write?
That’s an interesting question. Uhm I done a futuristic version of The Hulk …and I did Spiderman 2099.

Well, I figured that… So, Thor would be interesting, because, you know, it’s the same guy so he would be the character in more that in just name only. hewould be Thor. And it would be interesting how Thor handles himself in a world of the future depending upon how far we want to go. So I think that would be very intriguing.

- Atlantis Chronicles… Am I familiar with any Spanish work?
Sergio doesn’t count. Uhm … Not that I could name. I’ve seen other Spanish works that I thought were absolutely beautiful. I cannot name off the top of my head.
Robin Riggs: Who do they live?
Nobody, they ask if I know anybody..
Robin riggs: Spanish artists?
Yeah.
Robin riggs How about Luis Garcia Lopez?
No, no …they … you mean that comes out in Spain, yes?
Both things
Garcia Lopez, George Perez
Robin Riggs: George Perez is not from Spain.
Yeah, but what do you want from me?

-Do you feel female character like Supergirl are more difficult to write?
 No, I think female character like Supergirl are more difficult to get people to buy.

- Are you still a Disney movies fan?
 No, no. Absolutely. I still love Disney movies. Absolutely. I still go to Disneyland. I’ve got Mickey Mouse on my shirt. No I still am a big Disney guy. Even more so now that Disney has bought Marvel. So I now have a nice silver card that gets me into Disneyland or Disneyworld anytime I want. And gets me a discount off the Disney store.

 -The Phantom was a classic hero.. I think there was some kind of problem with the pistols?
A: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I tried… Ok. When I was writing The Phantom limited series, I actually have The Phantom’s shooting wound people, which Lee Falk didn’t like, because he thought The Phantom should just shot guns out off people’s hands. And he didn’t like the way that I actually had The Phantom shooting to wound and my attitude was: “Eh, I am not the one who gave him twins forty-fives”, you know, if he didn’t mean for the guns for use he shouldn’t have given to him.

- What do I think about future of printed comic?
 I don’t know. Honest to God, probably, twenty to thirty years from now, printed comic would be non-existent. Everything it’s gonna be electronic. I just have trouble believing that. With the prices of producing comic books going up and up and up, then sooner or latter, it’s gonna be largely just, you know, just something that’s entirely electronic. It’s probably gonna happen after I’m gone, but I think it’s almost inevitable.