Canadian Comic Insider Interviews Darryl Andrews - Part II

By Millicent Mortificus
Special to DFG ONLINE

CCI: Continuing our interview, I would like to ask you about Captain Nepto's changing outfits. I'm trying to catalogue them all, but I've lost count. It seems to have started with the wig, and then there was the closet full of costumes in Spy '96 #1. I've never known a hero to have so many looks? And any chance for a special Captain Nepto fashion showcase issue?
DTA: Nepto has always been searching for "who he is". I suppose the ever-changing wardrobe is a sympton of that. Captain Nepto Prime August will address this and no to the silly question.

CCI: Tell me about Captain Nepto's "powers."
DTA: I'll explain this in two parts. Nepto has temporary "super-powers" that he obtains, mostly by accident, from the scientist Zed. "Captain Nepto Prime" July is a perfect example of this [Nepto is zapped by some strange instrument in Zed's lab and can fly]. This was absent from the original series as Zed was working behind the scenes. Please read past and upcoming issues in the Retro-Spy series to learn the whole history. The second part of this answer is that Captain Nepto possesses no "powers", super or otherwise.

CCI: What led to the decision to end the 1981-1984 series and start again by consolidating both Spymaster & Nepto into Spy Comics vol. 2, #1, in 1985?
DTA: By 1985, both Dan's and my stories and art had developed to the point that the earliest issues looked like "chicken-scratch". I was working the 'new look' into the original series, when Dan decided to 'submarine' his entire first series and start new. He suggested we publish under one title so the issue would be more substantial [meaning maybe 10 pages instead of 5]. The second aspect of this was, we were actively selling the comics at this time and two heroes in one book served to encourage and actually spike sales. Spy-Comics vol.2, #3, for example, had three print runs and actually made us a tidy profit at the time.

CCI: Why do you seem to want to kill Captain Nepto?
DTA: I do want to 'kill' Nepto. I've already expanded on this in part one of the interview, but I will say that as an older person I find it difficult to accept the Nepto Legacy. He absolutely makes no sense to me. I'm an orderly person now....and Nepto does not make sense. It reaches far back to the original series when I was writing stories on a panel to panel basis not knowing or having any sort of conclusion. That's why we have the earlier asked, "super-powers' question. Let me explain it in simple, real salt of the Earth language. The name..., Captain Nepto came about because there was an advertisement for Captain Crunch cereal that I was able to trace for the cover of Captain Nepto #1. Nepto was supposed to be Neptune, but I couldn't remember how to spell Neptune at the time..plus I had run out of space on the cover[!]. I didn't know what he was even going to look like until page 2. With that kind of poor planning, is it any question why I want to kill this character?
Okay, so I do love the character now, but you still see why I have to "kill" him, right?

CCI: Okay, amongst Cap's enemies, who is a) your favourite, b)the most dangerous, c)the most overused, d)the most underused, and e)the biggest mistake (i.e., you would not invent him the second time around)?
DTA: My favourite is Killer Shark. Cool name, cool costume and first enemy created. The most dangerous would be the Mummy. I mean, how do you stop the un-dead? The most overused on first appearance would be the Jester, but when you examine those appearances, every one has a vital place in the canon. The guy just won't go away; even our holiday Retro-Spy Christmas Special marks an appearance with the Jester. If the appearances were lame and unmemorable, then fine I'd say him, but I can't, so I won't. Therefore no enemy, in my opinion has been overused. The most underused is easier. I'd say, the Sea-Serpent. Look, he makes a big comeback in the important Prime series, but what will anybody remember about the June issue....the super scientific Nepto Sub.
They are 'all my children', I love them all, so I would not call one a mistake.

CCI: You have also created several other heroes... I believe that the Warrior, the Winged Avenger, the Savage Beast, and Nightmare were all your creations. You officially created Cyclone & Tornado, although Todd Abbot claims that it was actually him. I guess what I'm asking is two-fold: first, to your mind, what makes a hero? And secondly, why do some creations work and others do not?
DTA: What is it that makes someone a hero? Is it great bravery? Superior intellect? A noble heart? Maybe A hero has all these things, But what makes him a hero Is more than that. It's using his fortune and destiny, To help those whom fate has not smiled on so kindly. It's his compassion and reverence, for the quality of life that all people deserve. It's knowing that but for his circumstances, He is no better or worse than those he seeks to help. Heroes are all around us in everyday life. They do what must be done.... Even if their deeds go unnoticed, And their praises go unsung. For true heroism is selfless and does not seek recognition. But we have heard its name and know its face when we see it. As for your second part of that question...., I have no idea.

CCI: Aside from Nepto, which other hero that you created is your favourite?
DTA: One doesn't really have a warm spot for me over the next. Because of limited development to date; I really don't have much invested in those characters. I will say, that my next favourite hero is The Spy-Master. I've always thought Dan came up with a great character and that's why early in the original series I started using Spy-Master in a guest role. I'm sure that Prof. Martin R. Schoedel, the official DFG historian, would be able to tell you, that I was responsible for the Spy-Master's first signs of physicality in the series as Dan was focusing on greater mental challenges for his character to be more in line with his age and orgin. I was overly excited and wanted the Spy-Master to "kick-butt" and in hindsight shouldn't have opened up that element. Even as recent as the year 2000, I was toying with the idea of doing a DFG comic strip featuring a rough n' tumble Spy-Master, showing no signs of crime fighting at an advanced age. I think honestly, I was only going to do it to stir Dan's ownership of the character into possibly making a return to the books as this was a dormant period for us. Still, the character has endured and I'm only too happy to have some small measure of influence on it.

CCI: You introduced a couple of new storylines in Spy '96 that never wrapped up, as the second story arc of the series was never finished. Can we expect to see some resolution here? And if so what are your plans for Divine, Nightmare, and The Executioner?
DTA: Spy '96 never wrapped up since by then I was working completely without support. The DFG regulars were all busy with other projects [-ie meaning life] and I couldn't sustain it myself. I did have big plans for those characters. Presently, I have no plans for those characters.

CCI: If DFG could launch one new title of your absolute choosing, what would it be?
DTA: I'm very pleased with the number of titles and the variety of titles we have on our slate. Each title is unique and exists to serve all our characters in whatever part of their development well. if I had to add one title it would be a solo book to focus on the development of Red-man. I think he has enough substance to warrant his own series. But, I've thought that for some time. Back in 1996, when I served as President of DFG; he was the character from the original series I reintroduced and immediately make an impact with. Dan was at a sticking point with Spy-Comics and well,...real life was getting in the way of his continuing with the comics, but I thought maybe Red-man would offer him some temporary relief and he could do a "one-off" just to end his draught. It didn't happen in 1996, but obviously I was correct about "setting the itch" as Dan responded years later with the continuation of the Retro-Spy storyline. I really think by Dan completing that story arc, it was a necessary component to revitalizing the entire company.

CCI: What would be the ideal DFG merchandising product?
DTA: A super scientific Nepto Sub!

CCI: What has been your favourite day at DFG?
DTA: I remember a BBQ. No drawing or scripting, just Dan, I and family. We'd talk about life, we'd talk about the characters in our comics. It was 'all' there...and juicy burgers.

End of Part II