This interview was a long time in the making. I met Mr. Jenkins in person at MegaCon 2003 but had enjoyed his work long prior. Over the time since then we wrote and while he was reluctant to do so, he agreed to do an email interview with me in December 2004. And then my life got difficult. My Auntie went into a hospice and died, I had to have a heart stress test, I learned about another even more serious health disorder that I have, and the window of time to do the interview for Paul closed. So I wrote in November of 2005, Paul Jenkins said yes, and here is the end result. Thank you Paul for still being willing to do this interview!
AN: What makes Paul Jenkins wish to write for a living?
PJ: Because I cannot shut up. I feel I have something to say.
AN: How did you develop your writing talents prior to your professional career?
PJ: I was lucky enough to be an editor for such people as Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Dave McKean, etc. I feel this really helped me to learn a lot. Alan's scripts for Big Numbers, for instance, are massive and wonderful and probably terrifying for an artist. I used to talk with him on occasion about how or why he did what he did. Same goes for other writers. Eventually, I hope, some of their talent rubbed off.
AN: What are the cultural influences that led you to writing comics instead of books or movie screenplays?
PJ: Difficult to say. I probably watch more movies than read books. I don't read comics much at all, although I like them a lot. I just feel reading other people's work can interfere with my own.
AN: Who or what inspires you?
PJ: Life, always. Watching people, seeing how they interact. If by this question you mean, who do I find to be inspirational people, I would have to say soldiers right now.
AN: Do you have any sort of online presence where fans can chat with you about your work and/or anything else?
PJ: Yeah... I do a column at Newsarama that people discuss on occasion. Comes out on Thursdays.
AN: You’ve worked now upon a number of well considered video games, HULK Ultimate Destruction being just one, and I seem to remember reading about your panel at SDCCI that comics are dying or dead, and video games are their popular culture replacement. Is that true? Why can’t both coexist? And, why is the trend towards more interactive recreation than passive, such as the case between video games and comics?
PJ: God, I never said comics were dying or dead. Of course they can coexist. Honestly, I don't think there is a trend.
AN: You entered the comics field as a UK writer, and yet, there seems to be a great difference in your variety and type of work than any of the others, is that a conscious effort to be different or is it more of where your interest or work is found?
PJ: I have never worked in UK comics, though, that is the difference. I have never written a single story for Judge Dredd or 2000AD.
AN: As a transplanted British citizen you’ve worked to coach and develop soccer (football), you live in the US, you have appeared at conventions wearing American football jerseys, and you live in the US. Is it easier working in country versus abroad and are you becoming “americanized”?
PJ: I love living in America... it is my kind of place. I love the fact I can buy video games at 3AM. I love American Football as well as soccer. American women are brilliant and Americans in general are the most friendly people I have ever met, along with the Greeks. I don't think I am becoming a Yank, though... I can't do the accent, not even after living here for almost 19 years.
AN: What comic book writers do you read? Why?
PJ: My favorite comics Ihave read lately are OWLY by Andy Runton and Monkey versus Lemur by my mate, Chris Moreno. On the strength of his work there, I asked Chris to collaborate with me on a book called Sidekick that I am working on right now.
AN: What would you suggest to be the greatest strength of your writing?
PJ: Writing honest dialogue.
AN: How do you remember your time on the book Hellblazer? Do you consider it a success or not? Did you enjoy writing it?
PJ: Of course I enjoyed it... it was my first gig. It was difficult... I learned a lot. I have always wondered why they never put it in trade format.
AN: What writer previous or since on Hellblazer would you say is the writer that delivers on the character most? Why?
PJ: I loved Garth's run on the book, especially the Dangerous Habits storyline. I drew from that story, on occasion.
AN: Do you have personal beliefs, religiously or “spiritually” speaking that informed your writing on the book?
PJ: Nope. I am a bloody heathen. Funny, considering that I write often about religion. And I would like to think I am not one of those religion bashers.
AN: I have many times stated that INHUMANS is and will remain a moment in time for comics, one of the best told stories and done so in a fashion that is going to never be dated, or seen as passé. How did you come to write the book, who first came up with the concept?
PJ: It was Jae's idea. Most of the "new" material you see in the book —the reimagining of the characters— was done by accident. Since I don't know enough about comics I didn't know what I could NOT do. Sometimes, i think, it doesn’t hurt to have a fresh take on something.
AN: When you’ve been involved with such a brilliant work, is there a tendency upon the publishers to want to replay it? Is there any way you could revisit the characters without undoing anything of what you have done?
PJ: I am not going back to Inhumans. There is no point. People would probably be disappointed.
AN: I’ve read that some readers see a great allegory or metaphor in the book, and I can certainly see a theme of outsiders versus society, and more, but I think the title succeeds because it is so good a story apart from context. Also the 12 issue series is so rarely done well, that when a good one happens there is far greater impact, oh gee... I am rambling...
Did the INHUMANS succeed due to your ability to tell the story at length with so many emotional additions to the story and are comic book stories falsely constrained by format, and concern over length of story, and efforts to sell the work?
PJ: I think you are right in that they are sometimes falsely constrained by format. If you look closer at Inhumans you will see those stories are really single-issue tales told against the backdrop of the war.
AN: My guess is that your work on INHUMANS led to SENTRY which led to BATMAN Jekyll and Hyde, is there another work on the horizon with Jae Lee? I surely hope so. Why would you suggest that some writers and artists seem to create, for lack of a better phrase, a creative symbiot? While others are more hit and miss?
PJ: I really don't know why some relationships work and some do not. It is as much a mystery to me as where inspiration comes from. Alas, Jae and I have no plans right now.
AN: Who is Hulk? If you accept the revisions and add ons and retcons he was an abused child whose rage caused him to mutate into a vehicle of rage, while if you read Lee/ Kirby’s versions, he is a normal person, placed in extreme circumstances and is a tragic case due to the loss of his future happiness and his struggle as a noble beast. All sorts of later takes on the character added and subtracted from the character so now, he seems to be an undefined mess. So who is he in your view?
PJ: He has to be full of rage for a reason. The childhood thing works for me. I actually think it helps to clarify him. If it's a mess, well... that's just an opinion. I don't know much about it right now... haven't seen it in a while.
AN: When you merged the Hulk’s personalities and such, was it an attempt to unify the character for future use, or, was it simply a good story and needed telling?
PJ: A bit of both. I really felt like we were making an attempt to clean things up a little bit at the time.
AN: The Sentry was revealed in WIZARD in what was called a hoax, where the readership with Wizard’s acquiescence was told that Marvel had discovered early works that would establish, if it had been true that Sentry was a forgotten character who would revolutionize Marvel, had he been used. Do you regret the initial marketing of the character in such a way?
PJ: That marketing REALLY helped make the character seem legitimate in the eyes of the readership, like it or not. I thought it was kind of fun. Did it upset people? I was not aware of that.
AN: With Marvel chief writer Brian Bendis making Sentry an ongoing character, does your new series on SENTRY have potential to become a regular series?
PJ: It will be.
AN: Some have argued, rightly I think, that SENTRY is more of an iconic, caped, DCesque hero than one for MARVEL. I wonder, what was the goal in creating the character, and if it was to create a Marvel version of Superman, well, why do that? I like Marvel and DC but recognize that both continuity sensitive universes are rather unique. How does Sentry fit in?
PJ: The Sentry is his own character ... he does share aspects of the Superman mythos in the same way that Thor does. I feel he is a very different character, apart from the fact that he flies, punches people hard, and sports a cape. The schizophrenia thing that makes him both good and bad guy is unique. Maybe. Unless there's a different character that does that.
AN: At least at one point I read that with Darkness, Witchblade and more books at Top Cow that you were considered their head writer. Since Top Cow has a house art style and is famous for that style far more than their stories, or characters, what are the rewards of having written on their properties?
PJ: Top Cow are great guys... I have always loved working with them. Mark, Jim, Matt and Renae have been brilliant to me. And since I am doing the Darkness game now it has obviously reaped some benefits.
AN: Tell me please, what is the style or thematic difference between writing on Vertigo DC books versus Top Cow Darkness and Witchblade books. Is there a unifying theme at the publishers to allow such consistent product and characterization?
