MARK WAID Previews His Hero Initiative Live Experience; Talks Comics & Coronavirus

On April 30 at 8pm ET, five comic book fans will be able to sit on a Zoom webconference call with comic book writer/publisher/retailer Mark Waid. And unlike a convention panel where you watch creators on a dais from an audience or a con signing when you get a fleeting few seconds of a personal meeting, five (and only five) fans will get 40 minutes to have a real-time conversation with Waid – about the comic books he writes (or has written), the company (Humanoids) he serves as Publisher for, tips on writing, or whatever the hell they want, really. 

The event (which you can purchase a seat for right here, right now) is part of the Hero Initiative’s series of Live Pro-Fan Experiences,  with proceeds going to comic book creators in medical or financial need, while the organization’s usual fundraising initiatives are hampered with the shutdown of all major comic book conventions this spring and summer.

In advance of his April 30 event where you can ask the questions, Waid spent a few minutes of his weekend answering our’s. 

Newsarama: Mark, there’s a lot of fundraising going on out there. Artists auctioning off artwork and the #creators4comics thing to benefit comic book shops during coronavirus shutdowns and restrictions.

Why’d you choose to do a Hero Initiative benefit right now?

Mark Waid: As a board member, I saw early on what a benefit this could be not only to us but to fandom in general. People are craving content, yes, but that’s what Tiger King is for. They’re also craving connection, a sense of community, and this seems like a great way to provide it while at the same time helping us lend aid to creators who’ve been hit especially hard by the pandemic and its fallout.

Nrama: So what kind of things can fans look forward to/request during your upcoming Live Experience?

Waid: AMA, man. As everyone knows, I’m an open book, so they can feel free to ask me anything, and I’ll answer what I can. I’m hoping this can turn into a dialogue as much as a Q&A, too.

Nrama: Generally, how has your comic book work been affected by the coronavirus shutdowns. We reported your letter about the adjusted Humanoids schedule. Any updates there? How about your Marvel titles?

Waid: With Humanoids, it’s business as usual — that’s the upside of working with a publisher whose main stock-in-trade is graphic novels, which need a longer lead-time and aren’t on that same strict periodical business as monthlies are.

With Marvel, a bunch of us have been asked to take a break, which is reasonable. When you’re owned by a company like Disney that’s losing an estimated 30 million dollars a day on theme park closings alone, it’s to be expected, but I have confidence that we’ll all get back to work sooner than later.

Nrama: Finally Mark, Diamond announced Friday morning intentions to restart distribution in a month to six weeks? As a publisher, freelance writer, co-owner of a comic book store, co-creator of a digital platform (Thrillbent) and a comic book reader yourself, from your very unique POV, any thoughts on that timetable and/or who you expect things to really get restarted again?

Waid: Man, what a thorny briar patch that is. Diamond’s projected timeline seems reasonable — if you live in an area where shops will be open at that time. If not, you’re going to be looking at stores who are having to stockpile incoming shipments until bans are lifted, and most stores can’t afford to do that — maybe not even mine. Diamond had better be ready to massively extend credit terms to those stores or watch them fail.

When do things get back to ‘normal’ again? June, maybe? July? With social distancing in effect regardless of shutdowns, comics stores will no longer be the community centers they are now, and the effect there concerns me, as well.

On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, people will be hungry for content, so let’s hold on to the optimism that thought brings.