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Deus ex comica translates roughly into "God is in the comics." For Adam Besenyodi, so was his childhood. For years he was content with the memory of the joy and fun reading comics brought to him, as a lot of us are. Until his parents cleaned out their attic and dropped his comic book collection on his doorstep. As a grown man he quickly fell back into the world of comics, almost exclusively Marvel books and reclaimed a piece of his childhood that had been lost.
Not content to sit in his living room and read comics with his offspring, Adam wrote a book to capture the feeling and depth of his comic collection and experiences growing up with comics. Deus ex Comica is a treasure trove of Marvel comics from the 1980's and forward, with special significance landed on titles such as Avengers and G.I. Joe. I have read this book, and recently reviewed it. You can read that review here. To follow that, I recently sat down with Adam (via the magic of the internetwebs) to discuss the book, his inspirations besides the comics themselves and why there is little mention of any DC Comics.
GeekDad: First off, I have to know - why no DC comics?
Adam Besenyodi: DC just never resonated with me on the page. I loved Super Friends on Saturday mornings, and the Batman movies were amazing (both Burton’s and the current franchise), but the DC Universe never took hold of me. For all the same reasons others have cited, Marvel always seemed grittier, more grounded in the real world.
Since returning to comics, though, I have really been enjoying DC’s Vertigo line, along with Image and IDW and smaller presses, so I am broadening my horizons.
GD: This book is like an encyclopedia of Marvel titles from the 1980’s, did all this data stick with you through the years or did it all come rushing back when you opened the box?
Adam: A mixture of both. My memories are faulty, to be sure, but the seed that planted the original love was always there even if it was dormant. A lot came back to me as we started seeing the Marvel properties march across the big screen over the last ten years or so. More important to the process, though, was when my parents delivered those long boxes to my house and I started flipping through them. All those great covers were amazing visual triggers for the memories of childhood – not only for the stories they contained within their pages, but also the settings and conditions under which I originally bought and shared and enjoyed them.
GD: What comics will you be starting your kids off on, what would you recommend to parents for starter books?
Adam: I started the kiddo off with a bunch of those over-sized DK Ultimate Guides, which laid a great foundation for entering into the larger world of Marvel Comics. From there we hooked him up with singles from the Marvel Adventures line and some digest-sized trade paperbacks like Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius. He’s seven now and already well down the path of comics. He reads Star Wars: Clone Wars and Batman: The Brave and the Bold on a monthly basis (both based on their respective, excellent Cartoon Network series). He has devoured Jeff Smith’s Bone collections, and digs all kinds of graphic novels from the library.
GD: You’ve entered a new era of collecting comics as an adult. Do you see a sequel to Deus ex comica in the future encompassing the next 20 years of collecting?
Adam: That’s hard to say. I’m still trying to do what I can to get this first book into people’s hands and into the pop culture discussion. I kept a long, running list of chapter ideas while writing the book, and I finally had to draw a line in the sand because writing about comics provides a near-limitless source of writing topics. But for now, I’m enjoying this interesting journey of self-publishing and self-promotion and seeing where it leads. I definitely feel I have more to say (about comics and beyond), it’s just a question of how and when to share it all.
GD: Speak more about your “panel to panel” method of reading comics. Why is this important and how can we get our kids to slow down and appreciate the art they have in front of them?
Adam: When I was a kid, the art of comic books didn’t really distinguish itself... it all sort of looked the same to me. The images were cool and all, but I just knew these were fun stories that I got a kick out of reading. Returning to comics as an adult and as a writer, I pay a lot more attention to the writing, but I’ve also found I have a new appreciation for the art. I spend a lot of time soaking in each panel. “Studying” sounds too academic a term for it, but I certainly linger on each page now. I don’t know necessarily what an inker does versus a penciler, or what parts of the process are handled by computer these days, but I do know that comic books can be works of art – accessible, hold-in-your-hands works of art.
I have no idea how to get kids to slow down and appreciate that art. I certainly didn’t when I was in the twelve-and-under group (and at that age I didn’t have the multitude of competing distractions that our kids do). I think if we can guide kids to the medium as stewards of the fan culture, keep putting this art in front of them, they will grow into the appreciation as they and their tastes mature.
GD: Did you find it hard to follow writers to other books where the art was crummy, or artists to other books where the writing was bad?
Adam: I have no visual artistic talent, so I’m hesitant to call any art “crummy.” But being that art is subjective, there is art that I simply don’t connect with. Being a writer, I tend to focus on the writing, but I have a really hard time with a book containing art that does not appeal to me personally. I mention this in the book, but New X-Men is a good example. That book came highly recommended and I went to the store with every intention of buying it, but the art was just a complete turn-off for me. I couldn’t bring myself to buy it or read it, based simply on the art.
GD: In the book you talked about comic book characters outside of comics, such as movies and toys. What comic book films do you feel have best captured the spirit of the comic characters they're representing?
Adam: Because I’ve only read a handful of Batman and Hellboy comics, I can’t necessarily comment on those movie franchises (although I really enjoy them both). 2002’s Spider-Man film and last summer’s Iron Man are probably as close to perfect as you can get. The Spider-Man origin story captured the wonder and trials of a teenager coming to grips with the larger world around him. Iron Man just had a lot of fun with the swagger of Tony Stark. (Admit it, you thought I was going to say Howard the Duck.)
My only complaint is that, with very few exceptions, the movies being made now that are based on all these amazing properties of my childhood (both live action and animated) are rated PG-13, which pulls in the teenagers and the older fans, but leaves the kids behind.
GD: Better wingman, Captain America or U.S. Agent?
Adam: Cap.
GD: You wrote a whole book about comics, so obviously comics were your main inspiration. What else inspired you to write this book?
Adam: Couple of things… I quickly realized my rediscovery of the medium and culture of comics was totally unique and completely universal. It seems many of us who were fans as kids drifted away from the hobby for any number of years, yet somehow are drawn back into the fold as adults. Watching the kiddo take an active interest in what I was reading was also huge. To realize there was an opportunity to share this journey with him and spark a love of reading and hopefully an appreciation for the talent and art couldn’t be passed up.
GD: Finally, any suggestions of current titles for those just getting back into collecting?
Adam: My current monthly favs are New Avengers, Captain America, and Exiles, but read what you like. Plain and simple. Try as many different titles as you can. If the first one doesn’t light your fire, pick up a different one. Switch writers or artists, switch companies, whatever! There are comics out there for everyone, regardless of your personal tastes.
Links:
Read the GeekDad review of Deus Ex Comica here!
