[TRAIN WHISTLE]
JOE QUESADA: When you've spent more than 20 years
working at Marvel as I have--
my passion for comics--
well, it's pretty clear.
But it's far from my only love-- my beloved Mets,
the Beatles and rock and roll, classic movies--
I can go on and on.
And all those passions, I hope it made me a better storyteller
and helped me find my voice.
And finding that unique voice, it's incredibly hard.
But when it happens, well the results speak for themselves.
I'm Joe Quesada.
I tell stories for a living.
Welcome to Marvel's Storyboards.
[THEME MUSIC]
Today I'm in a Astoria, Queens hanging out with the star
of stage and screen--
Christian, how are ya?
Christian Borle.
In a place where I know we're both
going to completely geek out.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You may know Christian from his Tony Award winning runs
in the hit Broadway shows, Something Rotten and Peter
and the Star Catcher, or the critically acclaimed TV
musical drama, Smash.
But before we talk about that, there's something else
we've got to cover.
You are a hard core comic book nerd, like an every
Wednesday in the comic shop.
No BS.
This is what you do. - That's right.
- What's your shop? - Midtown Comics.
- Midtown Comics. - 48th and seventh.
Awesome.
Tell me about that moment where you saw the light?
You saw the light that so many of us have seen.
The year was 1986.
GI Joe number 21, the silent issue.
It literally-- like, as I opened it up,
that moment happened where, like, the heavens open
and the light came down.
And I saw what storytelling can be in that sequential art
kind of way.
And I got the drawing bug.
Every day I started drawing.
I sat at a drafting table, and I would
just sit and put on show tunes.
I combined my two loves.
And I practiced, practiced, practiced.
And when I was a senior, I was probably about as good
of an artist as I was an actor.
Which is to say not very good, but certainly had passion.
And there is a path that, I think,
if I had gone to school for it I would
have ended up drawing comics.
Wow.
Let's walk around a little.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Star Wars?
(EXCITEDLY) Yes.
JOE QUESADA: Tell me of your love for Star Wars.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: It was the first movie I ever saw.
- First movie you ever saw? - Yes.
Wow.
Yes.
And it obviously burned in my brain.
Yeah.
And I revisit it often.
And I just contend that it is a perfect movie
in terms of storytelling.
Well, hello my friend.
[LAUGHTER]
It's the resin mold.
Wow.
See?
And without the soul behind the eyes,
it's just a bunch of yak fur.
Literally, had it, had it, had it, had it,
had it, remember getting it, remember opening it,
had it, had it.
The most notable thing that I'd like to point out to you
is the suggestive tape dispenser.
Look at that bizarre thing.
Stop motion animation.
Look at this.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: Have you ever dabbled?
JOE QUESADA: In stop motion? CHRISTIAN BORLE: Mm-hmm.
JOE QUESADA: No.
It tells a story.
It's a crab creature who's moving,
and then a car hits its.
It's a tale as old as time.
[LAUGHTER]
Look, you've worked on TV, and film, and on stage.
The two Tonys you won-- right?
Were for?
CHRISTIAN BORLE: Peter and the Star Catcher--
JOE QUESADA: Mm-hmm.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: --and Something Rotten.
My favorite role of yours--
the eBay guy.
[LAUGHTER]
You wouldn't sing a bit of that song for me, would you?
[VOCALIZING]
That's all.
(SINGING) When you can't seem to find a baseball that's
been signed, that's on eBay.
If I get an opportunity to talk to students about this business
and about being in it for the long term,
no matter what you're doing, you never
know who is going to see you.
Yeah.
It's how you do that thing that people remember.
A lot of people remember that commercial.
And you played a troll once.
I played a bridge troll.
We were wondering if maybe you'd like to come with us
to the grove for our picnic.
Me?
Full makeup. JOE QUESADA: Uh-huh.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: If I have to send somebody a picture of me,
I still send that.
I know that comics have meant a lot to you as they have
to me and so many other people.
And Stan Lee was such a part of all our lives.
Do you have any memories of reading his work?
Obviously, like, what he created
has just changed my life forever.
On top of creating everything that he did,
he had that spirit and that soul.
And he wanted everyone to feel included.
JOE QUESADA: Mm-hmm.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: And it comes out in what he created.
Do you remember the first time you met him?
First time I actually had a long conversation with him
was when I started Marvel Knights in 1998.
I just cold called him and asked him for advice.
He was like, hey Joey.
How are ya?
So facetiously, I asked him, Stan, what's the formula
for making a Marvel character?
It's like, I'm going to tell ya Joey.
And I'm sitting there going--
I'm literally holding a phone going,
holy mack-- he has a formula.
It's not about Iron Man or Spider-Man.
It's about Peter Parker, Tony Stark.
You have to tell a great Peter Parker story.
Because if not, it's just a red and blue suit.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: That's right.
[RAIN FALLING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Now this is a video flip book, Joe.
This is the simplest way of making a sequence.
Well let's do it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I'll tell you, it's more magical than I expected.
JOE QUESADA: We're going into the theater.
- My home. - I know.
I know.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: I should have warmed up.
Is the same thrill every time you come on stage?
Even now, stepping out on the stage I get sweaty palms.
Uh-huh.
It's a very specific--
I don't know if it's like a sense memory thing.
Yes.
But, like, with a long running show, after like six months,
finally I relax and I don't get nervous.
And then you can just, kind of, operate from a different place.
But it's the thrill every single time.
Yeah.
So one of the reasons I brought you out here
is because secretly in the back of my mind, I know I can act.
I know I can do this.
You know, I just--
Those are bold words.
I just didn't put myself out there.
It wasn't my passion.
But now after talking to you for a while,
I want to give it a shot.
As long as you don't mind me being brutally honest.
I only want brutal honesty.
But you've written something for Marvel.
Right?
CHRISTIAN BORLE: It's about teenage Thor and Loki.
High schools always do the same one acts.
What if we came up with one acts using Marvel characters,
that they could license to high schools,
and they could do at all these one act festivals.
I picture these students getting excited to play
young Thor and young Loki.
I have chosen a scene here.
Oh man, this is very exciting.
So who would you like me to play?
I'll put on my director's cap.
You seem like more of a Thor than a Loki to me.
OK.
How do you feel about Thor?
Yes, of course. Handsome.
Buff.
You know, cut.
[LAUGHTER]
Lights up.
Thor, now 18-- so I'm just kind of...
Loki, now 17, are trapped, mashed against each other
in a claustrophobic rock crevice,
covered in dirt and dust.
For a moment, it's hard to tell whether or not
they've been crushed to death.
Then--
[COUGHING]
What was that?
Cave in.
Yes, but what triggered it?
Gods only know.
Can you move?
Not an inch.
You?
Thor strains mightily.
Nothing.
I'm wedged.
I can't get any leverage.
Damn!
OK, now I'm going to stop you.
Yeah, OK.
Be Thor.
Be like-- play it big.
You know, fill up the space.
But we are crammed together.
We're crammed together.
And I think we're mashed back to back.
And you start.
[COUGHING]
What was that?
Cave in.
Yes, but you-- sorry.
OK.
Sorry.
Line?
We start with relaxation.
Just kind of like--
there's no right and there's no wrong.
But get it right. - OK.
OK.
This does seem like the perfect time
to call your precious hammer.
How do you do it?
Just whistle a magic little tune or something?
Don't you think I really thought of that?
I've been clenching this whole time.
Now-- I have question about this line.
Yes, yes.
What's he clenching?
He's just clenching everything.
- OK. - Do you know what I mean?
Yeah.
Because it's sorta me with the cave, and he's like, grr.
[LAUGHTER]
We must be buried too deep for it to feel by summons.
Got any brighter ideas?
Help!
That's it?
Got a better idea?
We're down here!
Help!
And scene.
Really, really good.
Are you sure?
Well this just-- it takes time.
It's rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal.
It's not like it's going to happen spontaneously.
OK.
[LAUGHTER]
Tell me your origin story--
your Super Hero origin story.
I guess we will have a superpower.
Right?
You know, no matter who you are, there's that superpower.
You found yours.
Looking back on it, I used extroversion
as a deflector shield against mockery, bullying, anything
like that.
And so I was--
I had a skill very early of playing a part of someone who
was unafraid of anything that would
come at me that would hurt.
I remember in high school, people--
I remember some guy was bullying me against the locker.
And he kind of slammed me up against the lockers.
And I said, bub, you just signed your own death warrant.
Wow.
Which I got from Wolverine.
And that made him laugh.
JOE QUESADA: Right.
CHRISTIAN BORLE: And so I think there was a piece of making
people laugh even in the most extreme situations
that led to that hunger and the ease
of being in front of people.
And my father, who was a doctor, never once wanted me to go
down the road of medicine.
He saw me going down the road of the arts
and he was incredibly supportive.
And you said you were supported too.
Yeah.
My grandfather, he was from a different generation.
You know, it's just like, you know, you need to be a doctor.
You need to be a lawyer or an accountant.
And my dad was like, no, you don't want to do that.
You can do what you want.
Even back then, I was very appreciative of that.
It's also nice that times have changed.
In 1986 or whenever, I think that comics
were a little more of the nerd domain
and kind of looked down on.
Now we understand the power of comics.
And there's so much entertainment around comics
that you kind of can't deny the power and strength of it.
I get paid to do what I used to get yelled at in school
for doing--
looking out a window, daydreaming,
and doodling in my notebook.
Christian, I'm going to put you on the spot here.
Oh, God.
I'm going to put you on the spot.
All right.
So you used to like to draw, or you draw.
You want to be a comic artist? - Yes.
Right? OK.
I'm going to ask you to sketch me.
OK.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I think this isn't doing your handsomeness justice.
[LAUGHTER]
Well, get ready for the first day of the rest of your life.
Holy mackerel, that's awesome.
No it's not, but you're sweet.
Wow.
Christian, thank you.
Thank you so much for giving us so much of your time,
giving so much of yourself.
But, give me back my pencils.
Yes. I'm so sorry.
I was hoping to get that past you.
You can keep the paper.
You can keep the Marvel paper.
Cool.
Thank you.
JOE QUESADA: When you spend the day with Christian,
it's impossible not to be charmed.
It's also impossible not to be impressed.
When you see Christian tell a story,
whether it's on the stage or on the page,
you can't deny that it's his.
And that's because he's one of a kind.
[MUSIC PLAYING]