First & Last: Kurt Busiek

He may write timeless stories of awesome wonder, but that doesn't mean he can cook or keep track of his toiletry bag... The author of MARVELS, ASTRO CITY and more takes his turn in the hotseat.
07 March 2005

First comic you read that made you want to work in comics?

An issue of Steve Gerber's DEFENDERS, in all likelihood, maybe #32, with the full-on origin of Nighthawk. I remember being really impressed with the writing on that one, and a healthy dose of "I wanna do that".

I should add, though, that the first comic that made me think of pursuing a career in comics was an issue of X-MEN, somewhere between #97 and #100, I think. In it, a Chris Claremont answer to a letter involved Chris talking about his grandfather saying yeah-yeah, you write funnybooks, but what do you do for a living?

Reading that was the moment I realized that writing comic books was a job, something people got paid for and did for a living. And that made me start thinking about doing it too.

Last person you spoke to on the phone?

Mike Wieringo, I think. I called him Friday to geek at him over the sketches he's been doing at his blog, in particular a piece he did based on a series of French graphic albums called LES LUMIERES DE L'AMALOU, gorgeously drawn by Claire Wendling.

That or my wife, to tell her I was on my way home from the doctor's, and offering to stop at the grocery store.

First time you met one of your heroes?

December, 1980, in Cambridge Massachusetts. I went to a recreation of a medieval 'Christmas Revels' at Harvard University. After the show, I was talking to a friend who'd been involved, and told her that the show reminded me of the Christmas festivities in THE DARK IS RISING, by Susan Cooper.

"Oh, you like her stuff?" my friend asked.

I went on for a while about what a terrific writer Cooper is, and how whenever a new book in that series had come out, there was a squabble in my house over who got to read it next, as it made its way through four sisters, me and my mother.

When I paused for breath, my friend said, "That's nice. She's the historical consultant on the show and she's standing right behind you."

I babbled something incomprehensible at her, I'm sure, but she'd heard the unsolicited testimonial I'd just rattled off, and seemed pleased.

Last time you cooked a meal?

A month or two ago. A big pot of mac and cheese, while my wife and kids were out of town. I used to have a larger repertoire, but domestic bliss has reverted me to college cuisine on those occasions that I actually cook.

First crush?

From afar, Mary Beth McDonough, who played Erin Walton. Something about those freckles...

In actual human proximity, Susan Barton, who lived down the hill, and took the same route I did to school. I don't think she had much use for me.

Last time you spent $100 on clothes?

A couple of months back, when I mail-ordered a new Essenden Bombers bomber jacket from Australia to replace my old Essenden Bombers bomber jacket. The Bombers are an Australian Rules football team. I've never seen them play - I just saw the first jacket in a Melbourne airport shop and liked the design.

Nowadays, they have a different design, but it's still a good one.

First thing you do when you book into a hotel?

Unpack toiletries, lie down on the bed, check what the pay-per-view choices are, then call home to let my wife know I'm there. Unless Ann's on the trip too, in which case I go straight to 'lie down on the bed and check pay-per-view' stage, because I don't know which bag the toiletries are in...

Last time you cried?

You mean, as opposed to tearing up at a movie or something?

When our dog Hector got put to sleep. He was miserable - he couldn't move his back legs at all, and was getting worse and worse, and I'm sure it was the right thing to do. But I stayed with him while they took him back and gave him the injection, and stayed with him until he drowsed and then fell asleep. And then he just wasn't there any more.

First teacher to make a difference to you?

Mrs Renzi, in third grade. She read us FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS BASIL E FRANKWEILER, by EL Konigsberg. I'd been something of a reader before then, but she fanned the sparks into a flame, and I tore through the kids' library looking for more good books for the next few years, reading anything and everything I could find.

Mrs Renzi was also very encouraging of creativity, and I can't help but think that had a factor in turning my vague desire to be a writer, some kind of writer, someday into an actual ambition.

Last time you told a lie?

Does "I'll have it done by Friday?" count if you really thought you would when you said it?

First time you feared for your life?

I was about ten, on a family hike in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. We were staying the night in an AMC hut, and the men's bunks went five bunks high. I was amazed, and immediately claimed one of the top bunks.

Then, of course, I rolled over in my sleep, fell out of bed and plummeted all the way down, splitting my forehead open on the floor. When I staggered out into the dining room, I was apparently a very gory sight and got lots of very enjoyable attention, and got patched up promptly. I still have the scar.

But on the way down, I had time for a "Whoops, this is it, everything's over," before I hit.

The next day, my parents decided we had to hike back down and go home rather than keep going, which was a bummer. I wanted to finish the hike...

Last comic you read that reminded you why you love comics?

HUNTER AND PAINTER, online at: http://www.cabanonpress.com/gallery16-HP.htm.

Ninth Art endorses the principle of Ideological Freeware. The author permits distribution of this article by private individuals, on condition that the author and source of the article are clearly shown, no charge is made, and the whole article is reproduced intact, including this notice.