Comic Book Conversations #5: Gerry Duggan

Deadpool cover by Mike Hawthorne & Nathan Fairbairn; Gerry sketch by Skottie Young; Analog cover by David O'Sullivan

Back in 2012, writer Gerry Duggan entered Deadpool’s hectic world. Now, he’s wrapping up the memorable Marvel run while also returning to Image Comics for two new titles and writing even more for the House of Ideas. In this fifth edition of Comic Book Conversations, Gerry explains what it was like writing Deadpool for about half a decade, why his new series Analog deserves a spot on your pull list, and what it’s like being such a busy writer. Now, let’s get to know Gerry a little better!

Cover by David O'Sullivan

GREGG KATZMAN: I've read that you worked at a comic shop when you were younger. While you were there, did you ever imagine that you'd become a successful comics writer and have the opportunity to write stories for so many Marvel characters and even help shape the publisher's universe?

GERRY DUGGAN: No, never. If I had, I'd have maybe played it smarter and tried to get in at Marvel years earlier, though I suspect I would not have been as interesting a hire to them as the guy that moved across the country and was struggling to get by in Los Angeles. Going and living a life and suffering for your pursuits always builds character. It's been a thrill to make comics and collaborate with artists every day. It's really the best job in the world.

GK: You have lots of writing experience, but what motivated you to focus on writing comics?

GD: I had written five years of live TV when Deadpool came along, and I was pretty sure I was gonna have fun and be done pretty quickly. Very grateful to the editors at Marvel that found some other assignments for me to supplement co-writing Deadpool. Gigs like Nova and Hulk helped me transition from TV and prove that I had some gears that were unrelated to the Deadpool job. 

GK: You're doing a ton of work with Marvel and you have a new Image Comics series Analog  on the way, but do you ever experience doubts about your career as a comics creator? If so, how do you push through those negative thoughts and keep at it?

GD: No, nothing leaves my desktop to be read by anyone else unless I've slept on it and still enjoy the script in the morning. Everyone has times when the work doesn't flow as easily. For me, I'm always writing so many different things that I can switch gears to something else, but the best advice is to stand up and walk away from the computer and go do something else until inspiration strikes. 

Art by Mike Hawthorne, Terry Pallot, Jordie Bellaire

GK: Analog is incredibly topical, but what inspired you to tell this story and why do you believe David O'Sullivan and Jordie Bellaire are the right people to help you tell this tale?

GD: Well, thanks, but in 2015 when we started on the series it felt less topical. I miss those simpler days.  Declan Shalvey introduced me to his friend David and it was love at first sight. His work was so good, I don't think either of us could understand how he had progressed as an artist and not been published yet. We're thrilled to be creating this monthly comic at Image. Our world looks more like Analog's after the 2016 election, but this is still a character-driven piece about a courier who moves secrets around the world for wealthy benefactors. Any time you can get rid of mobile phones you've done your story a real favor -- and so that's what we've done here. After a mass doxxing nobody trusts the internet for anything valuable, and that gives rise to the "Ledger Men" like Jack McGinnis. It's speculative fiction that feels like less and less of a guess every day. We appreciate you telling your retailer that you'd like to add it to your pull list.

Analog variant by Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire

GK: Lots of fans are working with a pretty tight budget on new comic book day, so it can be tough for a new comic to earn a spot in someone's stack. For the fans reading this, why should they give the first issue a shot?

GD: Well, for one, I think you're getting 28 pages in the first issue for the same cost as a regular self-cover comic book. So, it's not quite the ginormous size that Saga dropped at years ago, but we're trying to give you a little more bang for your buck. The real answer is that this is a labor of love for all involved, and that if you liked what we were doing on your favorite characters, you have a shot to like this new world. I can really promise that you'll feel like you got every cent's worth out of David & Jordie together.  

GK: You've been in Deadpool's head for about five years now and, in my opinion, created a must-read run for the popular character. What has that experience been like and what surprised you the most about the Merc with a Mouth? Were there any ideas you scrapped that you really regret?

Art by Mike Hawthorne, Terry Pallot, Ruth Redmond

GD: Well, thanks for the kind words. I've been lucky in collaborators the whole way from our first number one to issue 300. I can only hope I will have been as good to Deadpool as he has been to me. We've tortured him for a long time, and had a blast doing it, and in return he's opened a lot of doors for me. The ONLY script to ever get spiked has been resurrected in 300. So, I can really say as I walk away from the character that I'm leaving it all out there. I'm immensely proud of my collaboration on the character and don't have any intention of writing him again. 300 is without a doubt our best work. It's hilarious and heartbreaking. None if it would have been possible without the fans. Very appreciative of the support. 

GK: What's the most challenging and most rewarding part about being a busy comics writer? What is one of the biggest misconceptions about being a writer?

GD: The work is always fun, but it's a lot of work. From start to finished comic I usually do three drafts - even if one of those is a polish for the letterer when the art is back. It takes a lot of time. I think if there's any misconception - it's that the work is easy. It should seem effortless, no matter how hard I work on it, and I work pretty damn hard. Probably the only thing I've been trying to change is how much I'm working -- in order to do what I do, I work days, nights and most weekends in some form or another. I'm looking forward to more time with my wife and son.

GK: Do you check out reviews of your work? If so, do they ever influence your work?

GD: No. I see the ones that get linked to me on Twitter, but that feels intrusive. I will sometimes late at night do a vanity search to see what people are saying, but as a general rule, I write the first draft to make me happy, the second to make sure the editors are happy, and then I polish the script after the art is back before it goes to letters. If I'm having fun then everyone has a chance to have fun, readers included. I couldn't imagine trying to guess what anyone else wanted. 

Covers by David O'Sullivan

GK: Who do you think is an underrated Marvel character that deserves their own series?

GD: Captain Britain would be interesting right now. 

GK: Is there anything you would like to add about your career and upcoming work?

GD: No, just wanted to thank you all for the support over the years first at Image, then at Marvel and now back at Image again. I've been lucky to do this for years, but I'm most excited about the comics that are rolling off a printer this year. The Marvel story I'm telling is a real dream come true and working with my favorite artists to tell that story, and then I have two new debuts on the way from Image, the second being a crime comic from the incomparable John McCrea called Dead Rabbit. I'm only able to live my best life because of the support of retailers and fans, so thank you all.

GK: Thanks, Gerry!

Art by Matteo Lolli and Ruth Redmond

Thanks for reading the fifth edition of Comic Book Conversations – links for the other ones are below. Be sure to follow Gerry on Twitter and follow me on Twitter for updates about the site. Analog #1 goes on sale April 4, 2018.

Comic Book Conversations #1: Erik Burnham & Dan Schoening (Ghostbusters, TMNT)

Comic Book Conversations #2: Susan Eisenberg (Justice League, Injustice: Gods Among Us)

Comic Book Conversations #3: Michael Moreci (Superman, Roche Limit)

ComicBook Conversations #4: Vita Ayala (Wonder Woman, The Wilds)