It's David Lynch does CHARLIE'S ANGELS. ...

It’s Lovecraftian and everything,
but it’s also bright and breezy with
a different song in it every week. 

I think I’ve gone through most of the questions I’d planned to ask you. Let me ask you one other question, though.

Mm-hm.

[Laughs.]

Anything exciting for the next year?

I’m trying to think what I haven’t mentioned here.

I think I’m going to do some Batman projects because I’ve been speaking to the Batman guys, and I’m doing one soon. I’m going to actually start it in a couple of weeks. They said to me, "You know BATMAN CHRONICLES?" They said, "You want to do a whole issue of that next year as a big special?"

Have you had a chance to read any of the stories that have appeared there?

Yeah, I’ve really enjoyed BATMAN CHRONICLES; I think they’re great.

Oh, it’s the finest [Batman] book in a while. I’ll really be looking forward to your story there.

There’s two I want to do, and there’s one they said I could have the whole comic [for]; I could have the 38 pages and do it as a [special].

There’s a guy called Chris Weston, who drew one of the SWAMP THING stories—he drew the Nazi one. He and I were going to do a Batman story, and it’s all from Alfred’s point of view. It’s basically this insight into the death of Jason Todd, when Alfred had decided after Jason Todd dying that enough was enough and he wasn’t going to hang out with this crazy rich guy anymore. And this is all getting out of control, so it’s like—it’s this big, expansive Alfred story that takes in Batman’s entire career. And there’s a lot aspects; it’s a very big, complex thing, and that’s why we said, "Do a whole issue like this; get Chris to draw it."

We’ve talked to him about doing a couple of others, like a Batman special project as well.

But besides that, I think with my first love in life being Superman, I’d really, really love to write Superman. And my Red Son editor said to me, "Would you like to sort of have fun and do an issue of SUPERMAN ADVENTURES?" And I did an issue of that that’s out in November or December, I think.

I’ll be looking for that too.

I’m so happy with it. Actually, it worked out great, ‘cause—what, all my life?— I’ve been waiting to write Superman in his red-and-blue suit. You know, the real Superman, with Clark Kent and everything.

And actually writing that was brilliant. I had such a great time doing it, and I think they’ve got—

I know Scott McCloud, he’s leaving it—

Oh, I didn’t know that.

—and I think they’ve got someone else lined up, but if it falls through with the other person I really, really want to write that book, you know?

I don’t want to write more than two books a month, but ideally I’d like to be writing ELSEWORLDS as a monthly book and SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. And doing SAVIOUR and stuff like that and all the other special projects—just doing that between.

But yeah, SUPERMAN ADVENTURES—actually writing something that children can read and enjoy as well as adults is such a lot of fun to do. I’d really like to try that again. Especially when you’re writing real-sex stuff, like Vertigo stuff.

[Laughs.] Exactly.

I think it can definitely balance out your karma if you write something like SUPERMAN ADVENTURES.

Keeps your life on an even keel?

[Laughs.] Yeah! Well, Grant and I are doing a lot of telly and things like that, as well.

Hm. Really?

Yeah. Actually, right now we’re doing a sitcom for the BBC, you know?

That should be interesting. Any idea what it’s going to be called?

Oh, yeah. Actually, we’ve just gotten the first episodes out. It’s called JACOB'S CRACKERS—

[Laughs.]

—and it’s a CHARLIE'S ANGELS thing. It’s David Lynch does CHARLIE'S ANGELS, you know? That’s a comedy. [Laughs.]

[Laughs.] Must be very interesting.

Well, "a different song every week" certainly sounds interesting!

[Laughs.] Grant’s doing THE INVISIBLES for the BBC, as well, and I’m talking about doing a drama about the Royal Family.

I don’t know if you know this, but there’s a company called Date Management in Hollywood where they’ve signed up a few comic guys. They’ve got Garth Ennis, and they’re talking to Mark Waid, and Grant and I are thinking about working with them as well. [W]e met with them recently in Los Angeles, so—

Yeah, I had heard that Grant had written a script for LAWNMOWER MAN 3.

Oh, that was a separate thing altogether, that was.

Our first love is comics, though. We really do enjoy comics, but these other things pay better than comics. You know, you do something else when you can’t write Superman or the Flash, but [you’re] always drawn back into comics.

Well, Mark, thanks so much for making time to talk with us this morning.

Hope you have a fine afternoon. We’re getting ready to open the store and start selling some copies of FLASH.

[Laughs.] Good stuff. I hope you sell tons of it.

Me too!