Where do you stand on the Batman TV series – frustrating in that it was so campy it besmirched comic books? Or good fun? Or somewhat of both?
I enjoyed it as a kid - and actually took a while to realize that it was sending itself up. And I can still enjoy it now, when I'm in the mood. Let's face it, superheroes are hard to do seriously in any medium other than comics. It's like if you try to do a straight dramatic version of an opera, you immediately realize how ludicrous opera plots always are. Conventions that you don't question in a comic book -- like costumes -- become huge stumbling blocks in movies and TV shows.
What question are you most tired of answering?
Actually the one that causes me most grief is the "what else have you got coming up?" question, because I always miss something out and leave one of my editors feeling really aggrieved. But the hardest one, which I usually duck, is "where did you get the initial idea for X,Y or Z..."
What's the biggest misconception about you? About comics writers?
Well, some people make assumptions about me because of the kind of material I write. They expect someone dark and brooding, and actually I'm more sort of like Arthur Putey (a character in a Monty Python sketch).
I don't think there are any general misconceptions about comics writers - just a lack of any conceptions at all. People don't know we exist, unless they've got the passion themselves.
Thanks again to Mr. Carey. The Devil You Know is the best book I've ever read with exorcisms and a succubus.
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