Spider-Man Crawl Space Interview: Howard Mackie

Spider-Man Crawl Space: Talk a bit about how you got into comics. What was your first issue published, what year etc?
Howard Mackie: 1984. I was working for an exporting company and having less fun then I thought I should be having. A good friend, tired of hearing me whining about how much my current job sucked, was aware that there was an editorial position opening up at Marvel. The job was to be Mark Gruenwald's assistant editor ... the salary was pathetic ... the friend was Mike Carlin (I think he went off to do something involving a guy with a red cape.)
I worked as Mark Gruenwald's assistant (editing the core Avengers titles) for a couple of years and then received a promotion to managing editor. Nothing happened in that position, but I DID start trying my hand at writing. It was STRONGLY suggested at that time that assistants do something "on the other side of the desk" so that you could learn what it felt like to be a freelancer.

My first published work was IRON MAN#211 "The Return of the Living Laser." Mark Gruenwald made me write, rewrite, revise and write that story over and over again. I assumed it would be my last writing for Marvel. It wasn't.
       Without ever soliciting more work I was approached by editors and wrote a series of other stories (Chuck Norris and His Karate Commandos, Air Raiders, Power Pack, Solo Avengers etc...)     Then Jim Shooter, against my wishes, promoted me to Editor of the New Universe titles. He left Marvel shortly thereafter and I was given a mandate to make those titles sell. We shook things up.. raised sales for a while ... and then decided to cancel them on a high note. Mostly I, along with the writers of the books, wanted to be able to choose when the books would be canceled.
       I went on to take over editing the Avengers line of books for a few more years.     And then Mark Gruenwald twisted my arm until I turned a proposal in for a new Ghost Rider series. He knew they were looking to relaunch the character, new that they had not received any proposals they liked and knew that I had always loved the character. So... I did... it got approved... and I wrote the book for about five years.
       I had a few health problems... my wife and I gave birth to out first daughter... and the 9 to 5 thing was not working for me. I decided to leave staff. It was a very big and very risky decision. I only had one monthly title. Didn't know if I would get any more work. I decided to go for it anyway.     It worked out.

Spider-Man Crawl Space: How did you get the job as the writer for Spider-Man? I've been looking through my back issues and was your first issue "Web of Spider-Man #84?" That was published back in January of 1992.
Howard Mackie: The day after I left staff (after exactly 7 years) I got a phone call from Danny Fingeroth who wanted to know if I wanted to give Web of Spider-Man a shot. I said yes. And THAT was how I started chronicling the adventures of Peter Parker.

Spider-Man Crawl Space: What is different about writing Spider-Man in 1992 as opposed to 2001?
Howard Mackie: Times change. People change. Characters change--as much as the company will allow them to change. Clones come and go. Editors change. Editors in chief change. Much of it depends on the editor, the chief and those who call the shots from on high.

Spider-Man Crawl Space: After almost writing Spider-Man for 10 years do you, or have you ever, felt burned out on the character?
Howard Mackie: Of course. My run on WEB OF SPIDER-MAN ended because I felt as though, given the conditions which existed at that time, I had said as much as I could with that character. The books were not linked together at that time in any but the most surface fashion. I also had WAY too much other work over in the Ghost Rider office to give Spider-Man my complete attention. SO I quit.
A very short time later Danny Fingeroth called me up and asked me if I wanted to write the adjectiveless SPIDER-MAN title now that McFarlane was leaving. I couldn't figure out WHY he would ask me to write a DIFFERENT Spider-Man title. It wasn't that I had a problem with the WEB title, or the artists... I just felt done. Then I looked around at the OTHER writers he had lined up at the time... and I went for it.

Next Page