‘X-men’ writer, comic book stars coming to Memphis Comic Expo
Considering that he makes a living by imagining the adventures of superhuman entities engaged in cosmos-spanning conflicts, writer Chris Claremont — a guest at this weekend’s Memphis Comic Expo — is remarkably down to earth and plain-spoken.
He peppers his speech with such inoffensive expressions as “heck,” and he speaks with what used to be characterized as boyish enthusiasm about the characters he has created and the art form that brings them to life, the comic book.
“Everyone is, at their bedrock, human, and we all live on the same planet, and to put it in the most cliche term, why the heck can’t we get along?” asked Claremont, a superstar in the world of superheroes for his influential work on “Iron Fist,” “Fantastic Four” and, especially, “Uncanny X-men.”
Claremont is one of close to 100 professional writers, artists and other comic book professionals set to attend the sixth annual Memphis Comic Expo, which takes place Saturday and Sunday at Agricenter International — a location that allows for “50,000 square feet of comics, a cosplay contest, video game tournament, vendors, artists & writers, food, drinks, and more!,” according to the event’s website.
It is the brainchild of Donald Juengling, a longtime manager at Memphis Comics & Collectibles at 4730 Poplar, who said the expo is intended to celebrate comic books as a distinct art form, rather than as source material to be exploited — however respectfully or profitably — for more hugely commercial enterprises, such as video games and movies. The event’s motto reinforces Juengling’s emphasis on comics as art: The expo is the convention where “Creators Come First!”
“Creators” scheduled to attend — to name a very few — include Scott Snyder, one of this decade’s most popular and acclaimed writers for his work on “Swamp Thing” and various “Batman” titles; David Finch, much sought-after artist for “Moon Knight” and “The New Avengers,” and his wife, Meredith Finch, creator of the fantasy series “Rose”; and Robbi Rodriguez, co-creator of “Spider-gwen,” the alternate-universe Spider-man spinoff series that showcases Gwen Stacy, who was Spider-man’s girlfriend in “our” universe.
Local artists also will be present, including professional wrestler Jerry “The King” Lawler, who will bring his Batmobile, a full-scale replica of the famous gadget-loaded automobile driven by Adam West in the 1960s “Batman” TV series.
For many, however, Claremont will be the expo’s most notable talent, in large part to his work on “Uncanny X-men.”
During an unprecedented run of authorship that lasted from 1975 to 1991, Claremont transformed Marvel Comics’ team of mutants from relatively unknown cult weirdos to the comic industry’s most popular — and diverse — collection of heroes (and anti-heroes), resulting in Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops and others ascending to almost Spiderman levels of fame.
Notably, Claremont’s 17-year X-men stint included the tragic “Dark Phoenix” storyline that continues to inspire comics creators, animators and filmmakers 40 years after the saga unfolded in the pages of the comics. (Most recently, it was the basis of “Dark Phoenix,” the Xmen movie that opened in June, with “Game of Thrones” star Sophie Turner cast as Jean Grey, the telekinetic mutant who transforms into the ultra-powerful Phoenix.)
In 1991, at the height of the comics “speculator” boom, when collectors bought issues as investments, Marvel relaunched the X-men series. Written by Claremont, issue No. 1 of what was now simply titled “X-men” had orders for close to 8 million copies — a staggering sales record that remains unchallenged.
Speaking by phone before coming to Memphis, Claremont, 68, said he is proud of such achievements, but he is more grateful that the comics industry has embraced the inclusiveness that he incorporated into his stories — “the idea that people of all — for want of a better term — races and choices can become superheroes.”
Claremont said the story of the Xmen is in part the story of “outsiders trying to fit in and create a welcome environment for themselves in society.” Sometime feared and even persecuted due to the mutant genes that make them “different,” the X-men “speak to a huge section of the reading audience who feels like they are being discriminated
If you go
Memphis Comic Expo Cost: $25 for one day; $35 for two days; kids 12 and under get in free with an adult
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday Where: Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road
Details: memphiscomicexpo.com against, who feel they are being looked at weird in school . ... They might dress differently, it might be because of their religion, it might be that they are gay as opposed to straight ... . ”
He cited Nightcrawler as an embodiment of this idea. A fur-covered X-man with pointed ears, fangs, claw-like hands and feet, and a long tail, the Satanic-seeming Nightcrawler is in fact Catholic. “To meet him face to face you realize he looks like every classic depiction of a demon, a monster, and yet he is the most Christian member of the cast. His belief is ‘I look the way I am because the Almighty made me this way. It doesn’t mean I can’t live my life to the fullest tenets of Christ’s words.’ “
Claremont said he thought the Xmen’s message of acceptance might be more universally accepted by now than it is. “I hoped that things would be better 35 years after I wrote the stories than they turned out,” he said. “Hopefully, sooner or later we’ll get it right. The difference in fiction is I get to rig the ending so I can express a positive resolution. Reality, sadly, is a little tougher, but that doesn’t mean one has to stop trying.”
In any case, Claremont will have a chance to share his positive message with perhaps hundreds of people this weekend, when he makes his second appearance at the Memphis Comic Expo.
“The thing about being a professional writer, one spends one’s time sitting in a room, gripped by one’s imagination but staring at the screen of a computer — or in my case, a notepad — and writing away,” he said. “To discover there are actual people who read the material and love it, that’s wonderful.”
“The difference in fiction is I get to rig the ending so I can express a positive resolution.” Chris Claremont