NICK LOWE: Getting to see how production has changed
over the years, how people who did
our jobs 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago,
is pretty humbling and mind-blowing.
MIKEY TRUJILLO: We're inside Spider-Man--
Beyond Amazing exhibition at the Comic-Con museum
in sunny San Diego, California.
We're joined by two very special guests,
CB Cebulski and Nick Lowe, from Marvel Entertainment.
They're going to be sharing about their career journey as
well as some of their favorite things
about everyone's favorite wall crawler, Spider-Man.
Nick, CB, are you ready to get swinging?
- Let's do it. - Web, web.
Follow me.
Nick, CB, you are both storytellers
being in the comic book industry,
and you know that every story has a beginning.
So I'm very curious, CB, where did your story begin--
your love of comics, that is?
My love of comics began when I was six years old, I believe.
I was going to get a haircut, and I didn't
like getting my hair cut.
So to calm me down, my grandfather
took me to the five and dime next to the barber shop.
And there was a spinner rack.
And he said, pick out something you'd like to read.
And for some reason, there was X-Men.
It was X-Men 121.
And it just-- something about the cover really
jumped out at me.
I said, I want this.
So my grandfather bought it for me, put
me in the barber shop chair.
I remember reading it.
And this crazy, colorful cast of characters
I knew nothing about just kind of jumped out at me
and sucked me in.
And from that day forward, it was just I was a comic fan.
And that's also really what taught me how to read and put
me on the path I am on now.
Yeah, that's incredible.
And Nick, I know you share that same comic book love.
Oh, yeah.
And so with that, that is your fuel.
That's what drove you through your career.
So how did your career lead you to where you are today?
Well, I was in college, and I learned that you
could intern at Marvel.
And I applied one year, didn't get it.
And then I applied again and got it.
So I started coming in five days a week,
and no one told me not to.
And just worked my butt off.
I started as an editorial assistant,
now executive editor, from Marvel
Knights all the way through X-Men and Spider-Man now.
It's just nuts.
Thank you for those answers.
Are you ready to see more of the exhibit?
CB CEBULSKI: Yeah.
All right, follow me.
Amazing.
I commissioned that puppy right there.
- That was yours? - Yeah.
Oh, really?
It's part of our Miles and Gwen crossover.
Oh, cool.
That's awesome.
So as we've toured this exhibit, and clearly, as we can see,
Nick, what is one Spider-Man project
that is very personal for you that you've seen here?
Well, I mean, the image we were just looking at there,
I commissioned that cover.
That was we were crossing over a Miles Spider-Man
book and Spider-Gwen.
They came together.
And between those two books, we had this story
that spanned universes.
And so seeing that up here and seeing Sara's art
is just incredible.
And then alongside John Romita, Sr. and Gil Kane,
it's just incredible.
It's been 60 years of Spider-Man.
And so, CB, with that, we know that he's
gone from the comic book-- he's leapt off those pages
into various forms of media.
But what is it about the character Spider-Man that
resonates so much with people?
You know, Spider-Man is about relatability.
That's what it is.
You think you can be him.
Everyone has been a teenager at some point in their life.
They can relate to some aspect of Peter Parker,
whether it's problems with family, problems with money,
problems with your boss, problems with love.
That's what it is.
But it's also that dream of imagination.
Like Peter, when he puts on that mask,
he becomes someone different.
He leaves that life behind and becomes Spider-Man.
And he's got problems all of his own.
But still, with what he's dealing with,
there's connections to his real life
that he has to overcome as a hero
and as an alter ego as Peter Parker.
So I think it's that relatability.
And I think that's what's led to the longevity
and the popularity that Spider-Man has achieved.
Yeah, I agree, absolutely.
And you touched on something very important is that anyone
can wear the mask, as we know.
And so Nick, with that in mind, we know
it's not just Peter Parker.
It's Miles Morales, it's Gwen Stacy
who can also wear the mask.
It's including these diverse characters.
So how do you think the inclusion
of these diverse characters is going to impact the comic book
industry for years to come?
NICK LOWE: I mean, we're already seeing it.
I mean, Miles has been around for over 10 years now,
Gwen for a good five or six years now.
I mean, the more people see themselves in the characters,
the more they've got their in.
And you don't need that per se, but it helps.
I mean, I'm meeting new writers who
grew up on Miles Morales, who it hit
them when they were teenagers.
And that is mind-blowing, and humbling, and so cool.
And the impact that can have-- and you could throw a rock
and find a story about a kid who says, Miles Morales,
he looks like me.
I want to know more about that guy.
And that is beautiful.
That is beautiful.
And that's why we do this.
Because we have all seen ourselves in these characters.
And luckily, Spider-Man has the mask,
so anyone can see themselves in that.
But the more we can do this sort of thing,
the more people will resonate with these-- these characters
will resonate with people.
Yeah, absolutely.
And so we all know that these diverse characters,
it takes people to create them.
So CB, do you have any advice for those people who
are interested in the comic book industry?
Oh boy, sometimes the comic book industry, when you look
at it, can be very daunting.
Oh, how do I get into that?
There's so many different characters.
Which storyline do I start with?
But it's not about that.
When we look for people to bring into our positions,
either on the editorial side or on the creative side,
it's all about passion.
It's showing that you're into storytelling,
you're into character, you are into entertaining people,
you're into bringing part of yourself
and putting pieces of your life and your history
into those characters.
And that's what means the most.
It's not so much about knowing the history of Spider-Man,
or the X-Men, or the 60 years of comic book history.
It's about telling us about how it has affected you
and proving to us what you can bring
to the comic book industry through your own life story.
Yeah, thank you.
Well, we have a little bit more of this exhibit.
Are you ready to go check out the final?
- Let's do it. - I'd like to see more, yeah.
MIKEY TRUJILLO: Are you ready for the most
important part of today's conversation, the rapid fire?
Oh boy, you ready?
I think so. I think so.
All right, Nick, you're up first.
What is your favorite comic book?
Oh, that's pretty easy.
Amazing Spider-Man number 32 where
Spidey lifts the unliftable weight
still gets me every time.
That's a fantastic one.
It's the best.
All right, CB, which comic book character would you
like to see on the big screen?
There's been so many.
If I had to pick one-- and people might not know him,
but it's a character called the Jack of Hearts.
He's got the coolest costume.
He's got the coolest powers.
And I'd love to see him as part of--
on the big screen someday.
Perfect.
All right.
You can have only one of Spider-Man's powers
for the day.
Which power would it be?
Oh, that's easy, spider sense.
I'm a total klutz.
And I run-- I bang my head on things.
I do that.
If I'd have that to warn me when I'm close,
I'd be way better off.
All right, now we're going to spice things up.
This is for both of you.
Oh.
We all know Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider.
If a radioactive animal bit you, which animal
would you want it to be?
Rapid fire.
OK, I got it.
I have three kids, and I'm always chasing them around.
I'd love to be bitten by a radioactive cheetah
so I could keep up with them.
For me, I've always wanted to fly.
So I think I want to be bitten by a bird,
but not like a pigeon, but like a cool a cool bird, like
a like a falcon or an eagle.
But you really don't want it to hurt either.
That's a part, you know?
So I'd go with-- yeah, I'd go for, like, a falcon.
I like the little disclaimer on there.
Final question-- what is one super thing about your role?
Nick?
Oh, getting to look at comic book art every single day.
What our artists do is magic.
And getting to see John Romita, Jr. draw a page of Spider-Man
and have it come to me is unbeatable.
All right, but CB, can you beat it?
What's one thing super about your role?
I'll take a different course then.
We're here in the Spider-Man exhibit.
And as we all know, with great power,
there must also come great responsibility.
And I think the best power that I have, any of us
have as editors, is the power to inspire.
It's the power-- not only the staff that we train and mentor,
and the younger generation that we're bringing up
to continue making these comics, but inspire
generations of kids, anyone, readers
of all ages around the world.
And that, I think, is the true power of what we
do in the comic book industry.
Well, Nick, CB, thank you so much for sharing about
your career journey and taking us on the journey
of 60 years of Spider-Man.
Truly, your stories have inspired
us to not just be amazing, but beyond amazing
in our own unique ways.
And to you, thank you so much for watching.
And we hope that you stay tuned to the next cast conversation.
Goodbye everyone.
Bye.