Loeb Report 06/09

[SpecialK]

MP3

www.wordballoon.com

Jeph Loeb is back, to talk about Hulk #600 and what the future holds for the Red and Green Goliaths. We also talk about Ultimatum, and get into some in depth discussions about the creation of the classic X-men arc The Age Of Apocalypse, the rebirths of Flash Captain America and more.

[thefreakytiki]

Why is Jeph Loeb so condescending in his answers?

I don't mind a wisecracker joke every now and again in good fun but there just has a mean spirited feeling to alot of his comments.

Am I the only one who thinks this?



the Tiki

[sonnylarue]

Why is Jeph Loeb so condescending in his answers?

I don't mind a wisecracker joke every now and again in good fun but there just has a mean spirited feeling to alot of his comments.

Am I the only one who thinks this?



the Tiki

hi tiki, nice to see you check in.

can you please explain where you think loeb is being "mean spirited" ?

the guy's having fun with his fellow creators, and i thought gave some clear eyed explanations about how the comics biz works, and his pov on how he writes stories.

i truly enjoy my talks with jeph. he's funny and forthright .

[sonnylarue]

Good resource on sales charts from 1997 til today. New Loeb report prompted a tweeter listener to find the site. http://tinyurl.com/mmqjc5

[thefreakytiki]

hi tiki, nice to see you check in.

can you please explain where you think loeb is being "mean spirited" ?

the guy's having fun with his fellow creators, and i thought gave some clear eyed explanations about how the comics biz works, and his pov on how he writes stories.

i truly enjoy my talks with jeph. he's funny and forthright .

First off please don't misconstrue my comments as being a Jeph Loeb hear, I actually like him.

Alot of what he said is more so in the tone. It feels very snide and chastising towards people who don't share his views. It doesn't sound like he's "debating" a view point but rather telling EVERYONE that they are wrong and that's that. Once again, just my impression in this one episode.

The thing that honestly made me shake my head no was his exaggerating numbers to make his points. When he said that Wolverine selling 200,000 copies a month supports Marvel books selling 10,000-15,000 doesn't fit what we have seen with Diamond sales numbers (and Marvel sales cancellation levels).

He also states comics cost a Publisher $1000 a page to publish (not counting printing). In many past cons creators have stated that on average a writer gets about $100-150 a page while an artist gets $200 a page. If the two most public positions on a creative endeavor are costing $350 a page... Inkers, Colorists, Letterers and Editors are raking in monster cash then.


I don't want to come off as whiney, but Jeph just rubbed me the wrong way this one time. It's just me.



the Tiki

[leafinsectman]

I'm only up to the 20 min mark but based on his other interviews and his dealings with other creators, I think that's just his general attitude. I don't think he's being mean, maybe it just sounds like that to some of us who don't see him on a day to day basis. Maybe at most its frustration from having to sit through all our questions (I missed out this time though).

EDIT: Okay I've listened to more of it now. Is it the bit about Nightwing? The dude hates Nightwing

[ringslinger]

John,

Thanks again for another episode with Jeph. I agree with you that he gives a really candid and no BS view of the way things work in the comics industry as well as the way he approaches his stories. If you cut that down from a 4 hr conversation, job well done sir!

I think people take his jokes as mean spirited, because he's seemingly "taking the piss" out of some of the message board questions. I get where's he's coming from. Sometimes the questions are worded in such a way that make them feel like he and others are being attacked for the way they tell stories or the way business works. He's just being really honest about it, which honestly is refreshing.

BUT! - (heh) I did take a bit of exception to the way he characterized the whole Dick Grayson becoming Batman thing...where he basically said that because DC was owned by Time Warner than when the next movie comes out then Bruce will be Bats again. Which you know, is probably true. However, when you brought up the Captain America/Bucky thing, he spun it off as something that would stick. Now in light of the whole Reborn thing and the fact that Marvel is now a movie studio as well, you an I know that when the movie hits in 2011 (or whenever) Steve Rogers is going to be in that uniform and Bucky will be who knows what, cuz Marvel isn't going to have two Cap's running around. I mean it's the same thing.

Now I know it was in May so perhaps he couldn't talk about it, but still it felt a little bit like defending his team which is unlike Jeph. Still awesome interview as always.

Also is there another part because the title read as part 1?

Cheers,

ringslinger (yea, the username doesn't help. I swear I'm not a DC fanboy).

[leafinsectman]

If you cut that down from a 4 hr conversation, job well done sir!

Wait, that was originally 4 hours long? Any chance of us hearing the uncut version?

[Zac Goyette]

I have an incredible amount of respect for Jeph Loeb. His candid comments are very interesting. He has some very good points when he talks about the industry and how it works. Loeb has some of the most definitive takes on the industries biggest icons, so his points about how characters should be handled is very valid to me. I think that his sense of humor throws some people off, but I enjoy it. He has a great chemistry with John. I love hearing them go back and forth. I would love for John to moderate a WB episode between Loeb and Bendis someday.

[sonnylarue]

John,

Thanks again for another episode with Jeph. I agree with you that he gives a really candid and no BS view of the way things work in the comics industry as well as the way he approaches his stories. If you cut that down from a 4 hr conversation, job well done sir!

I think people take his jokes as mean spirited, because he's seemingly "taking the piss" out of some of the message board questions. I get where's he's coming from. Sometimes the questions are worded in such a way that make them feel like he and others are being attacked for the way they tell stories or the way business works. He's just being really honest about it, which honestly is refreshing.

BUT! - (heh) I did take a bit of exception to the way he characterized the whole Dick Grayson becoming Batman thing...where he basically said that because DC was owned by Time Warner than when the next movie comes out then Bruce will be Bats again. Which you know, is probably true. However, when you brought up the Captain America/Bucky thing, he spun it off as something that would stick. Now in light of the whole Reborn thing and the fact that Marvel is now a movie studio as well, you an I know that when the movie hits in 2011 (or whenever) Steve Rogers is going to be in that uniform and Bucky will be who knows what, cuz Marvel isn't going to have two Cap's running around. I mean it's the same thing.

Now I know it was in May so perhaps he couldn't talk about it, but still it felt a little bit like defending his team which is unlike Jeph. Still awesome interview as always.

Also is there another part because the title read as part 1?

Cheers,

ringslinger (yea, the username doesn't help. I swear I'm not a DC fanboy).

actually i do think jeph always defends "his team" , when it comes to the whole dc vs marvel thing. I've even called him the Zell Miller of comics , for being the DC defender while HE was there, and yet was quit to complain about them after jumping back to marvel.

just understand that at the end of the day, it's all just playful towel snapping in a very small locker room of talent.

these guys cross the street more than a boy scout working on a merrit badge, and that's never going to change, but (as I'm sure will happen at Wiz Philly or Heroes this weekend, most of these guys are friends at both companies, and I know this is the case with Jeph.