Deep Discussions with Decapitated Dan: Ken Marcus

Welcome back kiddies! This time we welcome Ken Marcus into the dungeon. If you don't know who Ken is shame on you. He wrote one of the funniest comics of 2009. Sit back and relax as he tells us about who he is, what he does, and what we can expect from him in the future. Trust me, you will like what you read!

Alright lets start out with a short answer section and get the usual out of the way.

Name:
Ken Marcus

Age:
38

Married/Single/Dating/Other:
Married

Pets:
Nope.

Highest Education Level:
Undergrad. JMU in Virginia.

High School Mascot:
Bruin. Which is apparently a bear of some sort.

First Job:
Dishwasher.

Favorite place to get away from it all:
Sweet, sweet comic store.

Staying with short answers lets talk about what you do:

Comic(s) you created Before 1999:
Zero.

January 1, 2000 - January 2, 2004:
Zero.

January 3, 2004 - Today:
Super Human Resources 1-4.

Alright all that stuff aside lets get to the meat of the interview:

What do you do when not making comics?

I'm a writer at an ad agency. I am bringing down some of the world's biggest companies, one mediocre ad at a time. I am also a father of a two year old and a four year old. They take up most of my time.

Atari or Intellevision?

Intellevision. Pitfall, baby.

Your in bed, when ZAP! Aliens snatch you up. What are you most looking forward to when you meet them face to face?

The gentle, loving probing. Wait...

When you were 10 what were you for Halloween?

I was a pirate and I have no images of it. I try to keep my childhood as undocumented as possible. For legal reasons, you understand.

If you were at the mall when the real Santa showed up would you:
A. Get in line and ask for a present.
B. Get your gun and kidnap the fat man.
C. Crap your pants because you didn't think he was real which for some odd reason the child in you is dead and you need to get your imagination back.

D. Tell him I'm Jewish. And then crap my pants.

What do you know about the process of making pipe wrenches?

About as much as I know about writing comics.

Back to comic stuff for now.

Knowing that Iceman is the greatest hero of all time, why do you think he is so underused?

Um…because he's not so great. No, I like him. When he's written right, which isn't often. I like the smartass X-man thing. But how often can you put someone in a block of ice in a fight and have them bust out? Tough powers to write, I imagine. God, remember that scene from a Chuck Austen comic where Iceman constituted himself from his own urine? (Shudder)

Favorite comic character when you were 10 and 25?

Wolverine. It's stupid, but there's a reason he's the most popular comics character in the last 20 years. I do like the bad boys.

Alright your making a comic about an elite team of fishermen who keep the seas safe from the killer swarms of Tuna. Whats the name of the book and sell me on a quick pitch? Go!

"Seamen!" With so much mercury in the oceans, Charlie Tuna becomes mentally unhinged. He goes on a horrible "whale watching tour" killing spree. But the Gorton's fisherman guy takes matters into his own surprisingly-feminine hands. He assembles his own team of drunk, borderline-literate fishermen--Seamen!--to take Charlie Tuna down, once and for all. With extreme prejudice. It's a musical.

We all know funny writer but what do you really want to be when you grow up?

I guess I knew I wanted to be in advertising, pretty early. I think I probably wanted to get into tv or film. But I realized pretty quickly I didn't want to be poor. So…advertising it is.

Where is the real money at in comic creating?

God knows I haven't seen it. I don't see how a lot of guys support themselves, honestly. I guess in creator owned stuff. You have to have a lot of titles going before it starts to support itself. I would guess, most creators we know and love, except for your top level guys, lead a pretty, healthy middle class life. I would guess that only 5% of creators are getting wealthy from comics. But I am hardly an expert. I think most indy guys have other "real" jobs. They have to.

When your making comics whats going on around you? Music, what kind? Silence? TV on?

I'm usually at work, supposed to be doing my actual job. Really. Luckily my bosses don't ready any comic book interview sites. Losers.

10 years from now. Where do you see yourself?

I really don't see comics being a "career" for me. I would like to put out a indy miniseries a year or so. Make it a supporting hobby, and I could go do a few shows a year. It's a great outlet. I really have no desire to pester and pester editors to land a back-up four pager for "Night Nurse" or whatever. Just to "break in." What a nightmare. In ten years, I would love to have 7 or 8 trades on a table to sell at shows. Awesome.

Alright we can finish up with a quick word association game. I will say a word, you give me a quick one sentence response.

Super Human Resources?
We got better with every issue.

Ape Entertainment?
Will be "Boom" in a year or so.

Horror Comics?
Alan Moore did it best.

Pillows?
The flatter, the better.

Ephebiphobia?
I think I do have this.

Green Jello?
Hope there's grain alcohol in there.

Tickle Me Elmo?
My kids might have this.

Decapitated Dan?
Great supporter of SHR. Probably mad at me I took so long to do this interview. A thousand pardons. That was like four sentences.

Ken Marcus?
Pretty lucky for a lazy guy.

Thanks Ken. Great stuff!

While Ken keeps his life a secret you can see what they were up to with Super Human Resources at http://www.superhumanresourcescomic.com