Articles: Interview: Bobbie Chase (2/25/2000)

S Kleefeld: As author of the 4 Freedoms Plaza web site, I was hoping you might be able to take a little time to answer some questions about yourself and the Fantastic Four for my site.

Bobbie Chase: Finally got around to it, Sean -- thanks for putting up with me!

SK: As I understand it, you actually started out in the fashion industry and wound up in comics almost by accident. Would you mind elaborating on that story?

BC: Not that interesting, really. Right out of college I got a job working for Bill Blass in one of his showrooms -- as a receptionist. (My parents knew the President of the company -- that biz is all about connections, baby!) I got to do some Fit Modeling on the side, but I basically hated the job. The people in comics are much nicer! I was so happy to be at Marvel that I put on about 10 pounds in my first few months here.

SK: Having so little experience with comics at that time, how did you acclimate yourself to the industry? How daunting was Secret Wars II, which I believe was your first assignment at Marvel, and did you do anything specifically to help ease the pressures of such a large initial project?

BC: SW II was certainly a trial by fire, or getting thrown into the deep end of the pool. I went from not knowing who the Fantastic Four were to knowing little bits and snippets about every major Marvel hero and villain. But there's still some stuff I don't know. In the old days, when I started to work on a title, I used to go into the archives and find every back issue and read them all. It's been a little harder to do that with the books I edit now -- we just don't have the back issues to all the old FF, Cap and Iron Man stuff. But I'm a lot more confident in my Marvel knowledge now, and there are always people around to ask. Ultimately, knowing every little thing about every Marvel character isn't as important to being an Editor as knowing what a good story is.

SK: I've heard you say that one of the reasons you were hired originally was to bring a fresh, outsider-type of perspective to books. After having worked in the industry for over a decade now, do you still try to bring that into the books you edit? Do you find your job easier now from your experience or more difficult for trying to find new ways to tell good stories?

BC: You know, the more I know about comic book, the tougher it is to be a good Editor, sometimes. I just got a letter from an FF reader who said he didn't understand what was happening in a recent issue, because there wasn't enough background information for him to follow it. I really feel as if I let him down. I've always told myself I'd try to keep the eye of an outsider -- that if I couldn't understand a story, then a new reader picking up the book wouldn't either. That fan gave me a good and humbling reminder -- the more I know, the more I have to scrutinize each and every issue to make sure brand new readers will understand them.

SK: I've been very impressed with you as an editor over the years, and I've found that most of your books are very enjoyable. What do you do, as an editor, to help ensure a book works well?

BC: Aw, shucks. Thanks for the compliment, but I'd need a whole interview, or seminar, to answer that question. Actually, it would have to be a course called "How to write a good comic, Marvel Style." A couple of editors (me included) have even compiled a thick memo with that title, for our writers.

SK: Books seem to have been shuffled around a lot editorially in the past two years and you've wound up on several of Marvel's flagship titles (like Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Captain America). While some of your past books (like Hulk and G.I.Joe) weren't exactly nonentities, how does it feel to have the reins of so many popular books?

BC: Fantastic! I love this stuff. These are excellent characters with fascinating histories. I'm working with Comic Book Royalty!

SK: On the Fantastic Four specifically, how did you come to inherit the book from Mark Powers? As Salva tells it, you actually contacted him regarding working on the book months before you actually took editorial control. Were you simply helping Mark at that point or were you already slated to pick up the book?

BC: It's been a while, but I imagine I was already slated to work on it. Books get shuffled around all the time, as I'm sure you know. Mark knew he wouldn't work on it for long, as he has plenty to do with his X-Men books -- in fact, he had a full plate, and I didn't. So it goes. I doubt I called Salva months before I took Editorial control, though. I probably called him months before he and I would be working together, since the story lines get worked out so far in advance of publication, or even of the art being drawn.

SK: Given your seemingly heavy workload, I'm not surprised to be seeing your assistant Brian Smith's name more frequently lately. So, is he plotting to take your job or are you using him as a front man/shield?

BC: Ha ha! Smitty is a fantastic Assistant -- ranks up there with the best I've ever had! And he was thrown into a very odd position. I hired him May (? I think) 1998, with the warning that we would have a few months together for me to train him before I went on Maternity Leave. (I was due in December.) Lo and behold, I went into Pre-term Labor at the end of August and spent 6 months at home (3 in bed before my son was born -- didn't love that!) Smitty, after 3 months in the office was running the show. I talked to him almost every day, and worked at home for the first 3 months, and after that he was very much on his own. And he did a great job! And besides, every Assistant should be plotting to become an Editor -- the Assistant job is a training position for the Editing job. I ask that all of my assistant Editors do almost everything I do in a day's time, giving input in the plotting and art stages, contacting freelancers, etc.

SK: Working on the Fantastic Four, you've stumbled onto some interesting complications, I think. Chris Claremont has long been considered a legend in comicdom and his position as "Bob Harras' left-hand man" (to use his phrase) would strike me as daunting to a comparative newcomer; and Salvador Larroca working in Valencia obviously poses a bit of a geographical problem. Did you, in fact, find that those points were problematic for you and what were you able to do work with/around them?

BC: Actually, everything works smoothly. Chris has to put aside his position as Editorial Director when he puts on his freelance writer cap, and we have a mutual respect for each other. And Salva and I e-mail each other, as he's not comfortable speaking English yet. But we all make it work. The only "complication" so far occurred right off the bat. My first issue a FF Editor debuted the same month as my son -- I don't think I really had that much Editorial input in the book for those first few months. It took me coming back to the office, and sitting down with Chris to discuss the books' direction before I felt that I was really contributing to the process.

SK: Going into the Fantastic Four, what were some of the things you really wanted to do with the book? Were there any story ideas you wanted to explore or aspects of the books you wanted to exploit more heavily? What about things you'd like to do, but haven't had the opportunity to utilize yet?

BC: I'm not the writer. In working on any book, I do go in with some expectations, but I look ultimately to the writer and artist to shape the book. In a perfect world, I like to hire people whose artistic vision I respect and am excited by. I haven't hired any other team on FF, but I've been terribly lucky to work with some amazing people.

SK: YourMan@Marvel announced recently that Carlos Pacheco will be taking over the writing and penciling duties for the Fantastic Four come issue #35. The news has been very well-received from what I've observed thus far, and I expect he must have turned in some excellent story ideas to be offered the writing chores. Although I realize he probably hasn't completed any work on the book yet, is there anything you can divulge at this time that readers can expect to see on Carlos' Fantastic Four?

BC: I'm afraid it's a little too soon to discuss story lines, although we've announced a few things already -- Carlos's run starts in September, which right now is still 7 months away. And Chris and Salva have some amazing things going on between now and then. Ask me in a few months!

SK: Although I still have a wealth of questions, I do realize you have a great deal to do. I will therefore wind up by saying thank you very much for taking the time to answer me. I was happy to hear you were coming to my favorite comic book and I hope you remain on the FF at least as long as you were on the Hulk.

BC: Thanks, Sean. Thanks for the kind words. I hope so, too!

SK: Thanks again.