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ANGELO: You've got a long list of credits in the comics field. Which ones stand out the most in your mind?
BILL: Obviously, JOURNEY was closest to my heart. I had total input and nearly total control. Nothing is better than that. I liked writing the BATMAN newspaper strip because even people outside the comics field could understand what I was doing. My relatives for instance. And Jonny Quest was as close to total control as anyone will ever get of a licensed property. And a wonderful editorial situation.
ANGELO: If someone wanted to put together "The Best of Bill", what stories would you want included?
BILL: Probably the first 6 issues of Journey, the first 2 of Bliss Alley, the Movie Theater and the Freefall issues of FLASH, Rex Mason, Boy Transvestite from Bizarre Sex, a couple from Dr. Fate, maybe the "Newts in the Senate" issue. There was an issue of Impulse where I got to write the older Vigilante in action. Oh, and the Coming Out issue for the Pied Piper. That won a GLAAD award and someone in every convention thanks me for doing it. They should thank Brian Augustine. He ran interference for me, and sometimes that's the tougher job.
ANGELO: You began your comic book career as an artist doing "underground" and independent books. Most of your "mainstream" work involved your writing skills only. Would you like to do more drawing?
BILL: I love to draw and in fact I've done sketches for one or two collectors all through the current "troubles". I was just hired to illustrate a short story for Aardwulf Press. But yes, I'd love to do more. My 1930's style doesn't much fit a mainstream superhero, but heroes are getting funkier and I keep trying to stretch, so maybe we'll meet someplace in the middle.
ANGELO: Speaking of drawing, you're a self taught artist. Were there any influences upon your style?
BILL: Eisner, of course, a lot of Walt Kelly, Segar and Roy Crane. Neal Adams, too, and that would surprise people, but I got interested in comics when he was the ne plus ultra. I doubt he'd care to lay claim to part of my style, but I loved his art and I studied his structure and anatomy. His panels had such depth and realism. Frazetta was a gigantic influence to my whole generation, though in me deeply buried. And now that I think about it, Richard Corbin.
ANGELO: What was your inspiration or motivation to get into the comic book field?
BILL: Aside from just reading comics, it was the Great Comicbook Heroes by Jules Fieffer. That was serialized in Playboy when I was 14 or so, then the next year Harvey started doing reprints of The Spirit. Shortly thereafter Green Lantern/ Green Arrow came out, the Drug Issue. And just after college I went to law school for six weeks. At Wayne State University there was a bounty of Head Shops and thus Underground Comix. After that I was hooked.
ANGELO: What are your hobbies? Interests? Do you have any heroes?
BILL: My Heroes? The ever cranky Ralph Nader, Gore Vidal. Will Eisner, who I think was in many ways was the ideal artist and managed to lead the ideal artist's life. Mark Twain. Jimmy Carter. Bill Clinton. Ellen DeGeneres. Robin Williams. Will Smith. I'm not sure why Will Smith; I just feel happy when I see him. And I like the film choices he makes. He seems like a stand up guy. My parents. too. I find myself thinking about them more and more lately.
I'm not really a person who believes in heroes, so it's hard for me to draw the line between friendship, admiration and heroism.
I like movies and novels; I read a lot about religion and other historical stuff. I'm currently reading about the influence of Persia on Judaism.
In the final part of our interview, Bill discuess various books that are available to be purchased either RIGHT NOW or PRETTY DARN SOON! You must read it here.
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