Interview with Bruce Jones
With Jager

Bruce Jones has really come to the forefront of the comics' community with his current work on the Incredible Hulk. His twist on this familiar character has given new life to the Green Goliath. Also, he's working on an origin for Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of crime in Kingpin. Plus he just finished a miniseries pitting Wolverine against ol' Jade Jaws in Wolverine/Hulk: 6 hours.

Yes, Mr. Jones is a busy man. But he took a few minutes from his hectic schedule of writing and summer signings to answer a few of my questions.

MillionairePlayboy.com: When you came on write The Incredible Hulk, the focus shifted away from the monster, and more attention was given to the man, Bruce Banner. What is your philosophy for writing this book?

Bruce Jones: I was totally blocked (for the first time in my life) when offered the Hulk book because I just could not get into the whole Hulk Smash routine. I was ready to give up when I got this mental picture of me sitting at my computer blank-faced and haggard and chuckled at the idea of the fugitive Banner feeling much the same way. That got me thinking about Banner and his situation and that became the key for a path to the Hulk. I also suddenly realized I had something here that is rare among comic characters: the fact that the Banner-Hulk transformation is organic-oriented as opposed to the Clark Kent School where we, the audience, know he's really Superman under those glasses. Banner isn't entirely sure who the hell he is-and that fascinated me.

MillionairePlayboy.com: With issue 50 you finally introduced a known Hulk villain, the Abomination, and currently with the arc started in issue 55 we've been treated to the Absorbing Man. Why did you wait so long to bring in an already established character to battle with the Green Goliath?

Jones: It wasn't out of any conscience aversion to villains, we just had so much story to relate involving the OTHER people chasing after Banner and the paranoia that ensued, we really didn't have time or space for traditional villains. We were gambling that our narrative involving Banner's flight from shadowy but earthbound forces was of sufficient impact to keep the reader's interest month to month-fortunately this proved to be the case. But it was a risk, no doubt about it, and we we're nervous there for a while, holding our collective breaths.

MPb: You're also busy writing Kingpin, a story telling the rise of Wilson Fisk from normal gang leader to the kingpin of crime. What's it like to create a history for one of Marvel's biggest (no pun intended) villains?

Jones: It's been a very circuitous route. The whole thing began with the idea of a crime related book that would fit my peculiar sensibilities. There was going to be no mining of the Marvel canons at all at first. But the more we worked it out, the more we realized we had just what we needed in the form of Wilson Fisk and that fans might enjoy our take on his early rise to infamy. I wrote a six issue outline that was approved and ready to go, when we realized the best way to keep this dark, film noir kind of piece at least tenuously connected to the Marvel Universe was to give Fisk a traditional arch enemy like Spider-Man. There were problems, of course-the two didn't meet in strict continuity until Fisk was older. But we just didn't want to throw out the opportunity the wider canvass of their initial meeting invited, so we blurred time a bit and got our cake and ate it too. So far the risk has proven as lucky a gamble as those with the Hulk-at least in the initial stages. We'll see what the public thinks!

MPb: On top of that, you've recently written Hulk/Wolverine: 6 Hours. What was it like being given most comic fans' dream of controlling the grudge match between these two fan-favorites?

Jones: Hard work! Because you want more than anything to avoid what's gone before and try to come off as half way original, while also respecting the fan base and its expectations. Much tougher than it sounds. And-like the Captain America series I did-there were some internal problems between writer, artist and editor that made the final outcome of the series not quite what I had in mind, though no one person was to blame, these things just happen occasionally in the mad world of comic publishing. It's a collaborative medium like film, and you take your bruises as you go. Thus far, my favorite book has been Hulk, largely because I've had the great good fortune of working with terrific artists wholly-almost supernaturally--in sync with what I'm trying to say. You don't always get this. In fact, you mostly don't get this!

MPb: The hits keep coming! In 1997 you wrote a new comic adaptation for Star Wars: A New Hope. How was it working on such followed characters? Did you feel a bit of intimidation rewriting this well known and loved space opera?

Jones: Initially it was intimidating, but I had a leg up in working with close friend and ace artist Al Williamson, which made all the difference. Right from the get-go we wanted to be faithful to the film but also to the tradition of great comic story telling. I think we really hit our stride on that with the trench chase. I asked Al to draw a LOT of panels so we got this back and forth filmic jump-cut look, and he dove right in. It remains one of the best sequences I think I've ever done in this medium. It's still fun to go back and look at because it still works, and nothing is more rewarding than that.

MPb: Before coming back to the comics' world, you wrote novels. Can you talk about writing those in comparison to your current work on comic books? What are the similarities and differences between these two mediums?

Jones: Actually I began as an illustrator of sci-fi magazines in New York. Then I drew some comics and finally began writing them regularly. One of them got optioned by Warner Bros. for a film and that got me into film and TV work. The comic market took a serious dive soon after that and most comic editors had either forgotten me or been replaced. It doesn't take long to become a has-been. So I turned to writing novels for a time. As for comparisons, it's really apples and oranges in my opinion. A movie script does resemble a comic script in some ways but it's quite another mindset. I think you have to take the particular strengths of whatever industry you're working in and push that medium's envelope as far as you can. It's kind of an empty procedure just making a comic look like a film. For one thing you don't have movement-at least not that kind of movement. So you go other places with the craft. Similarly with novels, you can operate at a far more leisurely pace and paint character and environs with a much broader palette and a far smaller brush. Someone once described novels as the baseball of writing and I would agree-you're not rushing all the time to be succinct and cram a limited number of panels into a limited number of pages as you are with comics-or worried about talking heads and the relentless movie camera which keeps urging you to keep things moving, always moving, you're boring the audience! Basically, with comics and movies you're thinking visually, I mean, that's sort of the whole point. With novels, you're allowed to be more cerebral, even enigmatic, if you can get away with it.

MPb: What drew you into writing comic books?

Jones: Well, I read them as a kid, saw their unique form of narrative. But really it was fairly mercenary: I was never a fast artist and writing was-for me-a more sane way of making a living.

MPb: What creative process do you go through to prepare for writing a story?

Jones: The very slow, detailed, extremely conscientious, deliberately methodical and laboriously exacting ritual of making coffee.

MPb: What draws you to a book: character, creative team, or something else?

Jones: Always character. But I usually begin with situation. I create the mine shaft, then put my characters at the bottom of it and let them fight among themselves about the best way of getting the hell out of there.

MPb: The Hulk is about to leap from the page onto the big screen. More to the point, you wrote the comic adaptation with Mark Bagley. What are your insider thoughts on the upcoming movie?

Jones: I wasn't exactly wild about the screenplay to be truthful-I mean, it had its good points to be sure and was certainly professional, but I wouldn't have waited so long to get to the Hulk. But I have enormous faith in Ang Lee -he's one of my all time favorite directors--and if anybody in Hollywood or out can pull this film off, it's him. He's tremendously eclectic both in his tastes and his style. I can hardly wait to sit there with my popcorn like everyone else!

MPb: Are there any characters you would love to take a stab at? Why?

Jones: In fact I'm currently taking a stab at another staple character from the Marvel canons, but as Marvel likes their press department to announce these things I've really promised not to discuss it. I will say I'll be working with one of the artists I collaborated with before on the Hulk books. And everyone seems very enthusiastic about the project. You can never tell how these things are going to turn out, of course, but so far so good.

Read this review

MPb: What about artists, are there any you've admired and would like to work with?

Jones: A lot. I've admired them from Rich Corben right across the board to John Romita, Lee Weeks, Stuart Immonen and Mike Deodato-and I've been lucky enough to work with them all! I'd love to do some more stuff with Russ Heath in the future, but he's tied up for the moment.

MPb: What are you reading now?

Jones: I read anything by John Updike, Hank Searls and Mitchell Smith. Also John Buell, though he doesn't write novels very often. My favorite comic book writer is Brian Azzarello. Big surprise, right?

MPb: I know you've been busy going to signings and conventions this summer. Do you have any interesting convention stories?

Jones: One guy came by the signing line at a recent convention when it was a particularly long, wait for autographs. He poked his head in my direction and declared (very loudly so all around could hear) "Are you Bruce Jones?" I said that I was. He asked, "Bruce Jones who writes The Hulk?" I replied that was me. He then said, "Just so I know, you are the Bruce Jones who currently writes The Hulk, right?" I confirmed that I was. He then turned to the crowd and shouted: "So where's The Hulk?" To my great relief nobody laughed. Some actually booed. It takes all kinds...

MPb: Millionaire or Playboy, which and why?

Jones: Truthfully, I could never figure out how you become one without the other.

You can get your hands on some of Bruce Jones' work: Amazon.com

Check out the rest of our Smashing Hulk Coverage

All characters and likenesses are copyright their respective owners. All images and this article are copyright 2003 MillionairePlayboy.com and may not be reprinted without permission.