My well-meaning parents decided to send me to a Catholic grade school to get a better education than I probably would have received at the local public school. They had no way of knowing that the school nuns, who were the majority of the teachers at this particular parochial school, were right-wing, card-carrying John Birch Society members.
I've been influenced by so many different writers along the way - from Charles Dickens, Roger Zelazny, Michael Moorcock, John D. McDonald, and so many others - that it would take a page or two to list them all.
My father worked in Chrysler's drafting department and used to bring home tracing paper, No. 2 pencils, and masking tape from the office. With these, I used to trace off drawings from the 'Superman' and 'Batman' comics and put them up on my bedroom walls.
If you look closely, you'll see that Marvel basically has three Thanoses. There is the 1970s Thanos appearing in the movies. This is before he got the Infinity Gauntlet. Then there are the Thanos stories I'm telling. And finally, there is the Thanos that appears in the mainstream Marvel stories.
Yes, Marvel Entertainment has treated me very well and generously. Them, I like.
Thanos and Adam Warlock are two of a kind because they're both sort of out of the norm: out of the circle of life and death that falls on top of everyone else. Both have had multiple deaths and resurrections, and they always seem to get pulled in as key players for cosmic events.
When I was a kid, there was this neighborhood beer and wine store that sold old comics for a nickel a piece. I'd load up on old books whenever we went on vacation. Yeah, I have a lot of fond memories of riding in the back of the ol' station wagon and reading 'Mystery in Space' and 'Strange Adventures' as we headed up to Torch Lake.
There's a character, Eon, I did back in the 'Captain Marvel' story. Eon came from a greasy smudge on a paper bag inside my kitchen being used for garbage. I went and got a paper and pencil, drew it up, and he became a character in that story. Things come from everywhere.
I got rid of Warlock's lightning bolt because... it was a real pain to draw.
Back in my high school years, the Hulk was my favorite Marvel character, and I always enjoy drawing him.
My only surprise when I saw Thanos up on the screen was how violet he was. I always saw his exposed hide as being more grayish violet.
