Mark Schultz

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Comic List
Pencils: Inks: Mark Schultz Colors: Mark Schultz Xenozoic Tales / cover	Death Rattle (1985 series) #8 December 1986	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Letters: Mark Schultz Xenozoic! Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 12 pages	Death Rattle (1985 series) #8 December 1986	Kitchen Sink Press Inks: Mark Schultz The Sea King King Kull / comic story / 8 pages	The Savage Sword of Conan (1974 series) #132 January 1987	Marvel Inks: Mark Schultz Untitled Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #1 February 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #1 February 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz An Archipelago of Stone Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 12 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #1 February 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz The Opportunists Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 9 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #1 February 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Law of the Land Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 9 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #1 February 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Untitled Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #2 April 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #2 April 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Rogue Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 10 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #2 April 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Mammoth Pitfall! Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #2 April 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz The Rules of the Game Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 10 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #2 April 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Untitled Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #3 June 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #3 June 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Benefactor Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #3 June 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz The Road Not Taken Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #3 June 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Untitled Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #4 November 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #4 November 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz History Lesson Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #4 November 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Postal Service Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #4 November 1987	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz L'Archipel de béton Chroniques de l'ère xénozoïque / comic story / 12 pages	USA magazine (1987 series) #32 février 1988	Comics USA Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Untitled Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #5 February 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Excursion Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #5 February 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Dog's Life Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #5 February 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Echec de taille Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	USA magazine (1987 series) #33 avril 1988	Comics USA Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Untitled Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #6 May 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Foundling Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 9 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #6 May 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Green Air Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 11 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #6 May 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Intrusion Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #6 May 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz (signed) Inks: Mark Schultz (signed) [ no title ] Kings in Disguise / cover	Kings In Disguise (1988 series) #3 July 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Kings in Disguise / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 pages	The Spirit (1983 series) #45 July 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #7 October 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz The Growing Pool Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #7 October 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Crossed Currents Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #7 October 1988	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Excursion Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 10 pages	USA magazine (1987 series) #37 novembre 1988	Comics USA Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #8 January 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz In the Dreamtime... Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #8 January 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Foul Weather Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #8 January 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Xenozoic Tales / cover	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz title page Xenozoic Tales / illustration / 1 page	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Introduction text article / 2 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz The Known World in the Xenozoic Era Xenozoic Tales / illustration / 1 page	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz timeline Xenozoic Tales / illustration / 1 page	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz An Archipelago of Stone Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 12 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz The Opportunists Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 9 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz The Road Not Taken Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Law of the Land Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 9 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Rogue Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 10 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Xenozoic Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 12 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Mammoth Pitfall Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz The Rules of the Game Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 10 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Benefactor Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Postal Service Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz History Lesson Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Xenozoic Tales / illustration / 1 page	Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (1989 series) #[nn] July 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Arcipelago Di Cemento Jack Cadillac / comic story / 12 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #76 Agosto 1989	Comic Art Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #9 September 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Last Link in the Chain Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #9 September 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz The Aqueduct Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #9 September 1989	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Mammuth Jack Cadillac / comic story / 8 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #77 Settembre 1989	Comic Art Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Strange Fantasies The Betty Page Portfolio / illustration / 1 page	The A1 True Life Bikini Confidential (1990 series) #1 1990	Atomeka Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Le Regole Del Gioco Jack Cadillac / comic story / 10 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #81 Gennaio 1990	Comic Art Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Benefattore Jack Cadillac / comic story / 20 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #82 Febbraio 1990	Comic Art Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Lezione Di Storia Jack Cadillac / comic story / 20 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #83 Marzo 1990	Comic Art Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Flamingo Dancer Stripclub Portfolio / illustration / 1 page	Melody (1988 series) #5 April 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Xenozoic Tales / cover	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #10 April 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Lords of the Earth Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #10 April 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Fields of Expertise Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Xenozoic Tales (1987 series) #10 April 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Gli Opportunisti Jack Cadillac / comic story / 9 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #84 Aprile 1990	Comic Art Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Aria Verde Jack Cadillac / comic story / 11 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #85 Maggio 1990	Comic Art Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Kenozoikum Jack Cadillac / foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page	X9 Spesial (1990 series) #1/1990 [juni] 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Et øyrike av stein Jack Cadillac / comic story / 12 pages	X9 Spesial (1990 series) #1/1990 [juni] 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz La Legge Della Natura Jack Cadillac / comic story / 9 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #86 Giugno 1990	Comic Art Pencils: Mark Schultz (signerat) Inks: Mark Schultz (signerat) Omslag Jack Cadillac / cover	Seriemagasinet extra (1990 series) #2/1990 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz (manus; signerat); ? (översättning) Pencils: Mark Schultz (signerat) Inks: Mark Schultz (signerat) Den kända världen i Xenozoikum Jack Cadillac / illustration / 1 page	Seriemagasinet extra (1990 series) #2/1990 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz (manus) ?; ? (översättning) Pencils: Mark Schultz ? Inks: Mark Schultz ? Introduktion till den xenozoiska eran Jack Cadillac / text article / 1 page	Seriemagasinet extra (1990 series) #2/1990 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz (manus); ? (översättning) Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz En arkipelag av sten Jack Cadillac / comic story / 12 pages	Seriemagasinet extra (1990 series) #2/1990 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz (manus); ? (översättning) Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Opportunisterna Jack Cadillac / comic story / 9 pages	Seriemagasinet extra (1990 series) #2/1990 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz La Strada Sbagliata Jack Cadillac / comic story / 8 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #87 Luglio 1990	Comic Art Pencils: Tore Knutsen; Mark Schultz Inks: Tore Knutsen; Mark Schultz Velkommen tilbake foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page	X9 Spesial (1990 series) #2/1990 [august] 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Opportunistene Jack Cadillac / comic story / 9 pages	X9 Spesial (1990 series) #2/1990 [august] 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Xenozoica Jack Cadillac / comic story / 12 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #88 Agosto 1990	Comic Art Pencils: Mark Schultz Nine Tales From the Xenozoic Age Xenozoic Tales / cover	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Introduction foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 2 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Pencils: Mark Schultz Pages From Mark Schultz Sketchbook... Xenozoic Tales / illustration / 10 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Excursion Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Dog's Life Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Foundling Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 9 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Intrusion Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Green Air Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 11 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Foul Weather Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz The Growing Pool Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Crossed Currents Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 8 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz In the Dreamtime... Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 20 pages	Dinosaur Shaman (1990 series) #[nn] [October] 1990	Kitchen Sink Press Script: Mark Schultz Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz Landets lover Jack Cadillac / comic story / 9 pages	X9 Spesial (1990 series) #3/1990 [oktober] 1990	Semic Script: Mark Schultz Servizio Postale Jack Cadillac / comic story / 8 pages	L' Eternauta (1988 series) #90 Ottobre 1990	Comic Art Pencils: Mark Schultz Inks: Mark Schultz [ no title ] Xenozoic Tales / cover	Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (1990 series) #1 November 1990	Marvel Script: Mark Schultz Inks: Inks: Mark Schultz The Opportunists Xenozoic Tales / comic story / 9 pages	Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (1990 series) #1 November 1990
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Comic
Mark Schultz (born June 7, 1955) is an American writer and illustrator of books and comics. His most widely-recognized work is his self-created and owned comic book series, Xenozoic Tales, about a post-apocalyptic world where dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures coexist with humans. He is also the current writer of the Prince Valiant comic strip.

Early life and career
Schultz was born on June 7, 1955 just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but raised near Pittsburgh. At the age of six he discovered both comics and classic adventure films, his early favorites including Tarzan and King Kong. As a teenager he was further inspired by such fantasy authors as Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard and the artists who had illustrated their work, including Frank Frazetta, Roy Krenkel, and Al Williamson. He enrolled in Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 1973 and graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting. From there, he embarked upon a career in advertising illustration, bolstered by such odd jobs as working as a security guard, but he found this work unsatisfying.

First comics work
In the early 1980s, Schultz became interested in the burgeoning underground comics scene, which allowed independent artists to publish stories outside the traditional assembly-line approach of the mainstream comics industry. He also became attracted to the art of the classic stories published by EC Comics in the 1950s. At one point, he took the few boxes of 1960s and early 1970s Marvel and DC comic books he owned to a local comic book store and traded them for a large collection of EC Comics. From then on, he began to hone his illustration style to emulate that of classic EC artists. Schultz's first published comics work was on a story called "The Sea King," featuring Robert E. Howard's character King Kull, which appeared in Savage Sword of Conan #132, published by Marvel Comics. Schultz inked over pencils by Val Semeiks. Schultz did not actively pursue further work from Marvel, however, as he was more interested in developing and publishing comics based on his own concepts.

Xenozoic Tales
Throughout the early 1980s, Schultz would germinate the ideas which would eventually bear fruit as Xenozoic Tales. The characters and stories he created were set in a future time period he dubbed the "Xenozoic Age," in which an unspecified cataclysm had all but wiped out modern human society. The survivors emerged from their underground bunkers to find a world transformed, where prehistoric creatures had once again become the dominant life forms on Earth. The first story set in the Xenozoic Age that Schultz completed was "Mammoth Pitfall," but it would not see publication until Xenozoic Tales #2. The first to be published was "Xenozoic!", which ran in the anthology title Death Rattle #8, published in December 1986 by Kitchen Sink Press.

Later work
Since Xenozoic Tales, Schultz has written comics series for a number of publishers, including Dark Horse and DC. Typically these are stories based on company-owned or licensed characters, rather than his own original work. Schultz created the underwater adventure comics series SubHuman, published by Dark Horse comics. In 2002, Schultz contributed a number of illustrations to Conan the Cimmerian: Volume 1, a new reprinting of the Conan stories of Robert E. Howard, published by Wandering Star Books. The book has since been reprinted in paperback by Del Rey as The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian. He was also interviewed by Durwin Talon for Panel Discussions, a nonfiction book about the developing movement in sequential art and narrative literature, along with, Will Eisner, Walter Simonson and Mike Mignola.

Since November 1, 2004, he has been the writer for the long-running comic strip, Prince Valiant, originally created by Hal Foster. He also wrote the two-issue intercompany crossover Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator. In 2009, he was announced by Dan Didio as the writer of the up-coming The Spirit series, spinning-off of the First Wave limited series, that is intended to create a new universe of non-superpowered characters like Doc Savage, Batman, Black Canary, the Blackhawks, Wildcat, The Avenger, Rima the Jungle Girl and others. Schultz will only write the first two issues of The Spirit. ==Influences==Schultz is influenced by commercial illustrators of the early 20th Century, including Howard Pyle and Joseph Clement Coll.

MARK SCHULTZ HAS "SPIRIT" Tue, February 16th, 2010 at 11:58am PST | Updated: February 16th, 2010 at 1:54pm

Comic BooksJeffrey Renaud, Staff Writer

Email Print Editor's note: Since the publication of this story, DC Comics has informed CBR that Mark Schultz will be on "The Spirit" for three issues instead of two.

Two issues is still enough for Schultz to get The Spirit into plenty of trouble Mark Schultz is no stranger to writing big picture, epic adventures. For the past five years, the creator of "Xenozoic Tales" has been writing the long-running comic strip, "Prince Valiant" for King Features Syndicate.

So when DC Comics Executive Editor Dan DiDio announced that Schultz would be writing a new "The Spirit" series spinning out of Brian Azzarello's forthcoming "First Wave" universe, CBR News reached out to Schultz for comment on the new ongoing and the writer dropped the bomb that he was leaving the title after the first two three issues.

Disappointed that he had to make the tough decision to walk away from the dream gig, Schultz is still thrilled to be writing the character Will Eisner created more than 70 years ago.

Schultz confirmed his two-parter is set squarely in Azzarello's world but there will be faint evidence in the first two issues of "The Spirit" that Bruce Wayne and Clark Savage exist within it alongside Denny Colt.

Other classic characters from Eisner's "The Spirit" will also be appearing, including Commissioner Dolan and his daughter, Ellen, as well as the masked avenger's arch-nemesis The Octopus, though Schultz said his version of the villain may not be what readers are expecting.

Editor's note: Since the publication of this story, DC Comics has informed CBR that Mark Schultz will be on "The Spirit" for three issues instead of two.

Story continues below

CBR News: I understand you have an announcement to make.

Mark Schulz: As it turns out, I'm only going to write the first couple of issues.

Was that the plan all along?

Ladronn will be covering "The Spirit" No, it was pretty open-ended and basically, what it came down to was the commitment - the time I was going to need to put into this, in addition to other things that are on my plate right now. I had taken on too much.

Because DC wants to keep the "First Wave" Universe pretty tight?

It's all being pretty well defined, right now anyways, by Brian Azzarello and what he's creating for the miniseries. It's all working off of that.

So how many issues will you be writing?

Just the first two. I had written a two-issue story, which would have just been the beginning, but I just had to make a decision and back off the book.

The Spirit is obviously a character that you're familiar with.

Not only am I a long-time fan of "The Spirit," but I got to collaborate with Will Eisner a couple of times when his work was being published by Kitchen Sink Press, which was also my publisher for "Xenozoic Tales." So I got to do a combination cover with him, which he penciled and I inked.

And when Kitchen Sink was publishing what I think was called "The New Adventures of The Spirit," which featured various artists' and writers' takes on the character, I wrote a story for that. That was a dream come true.

I guess that makes it all the more difficult that you're only on the title for two issues.

The Spirit is one of the few established characters that I have a real interest in contributing to. One of the few properties that I would even consider doing. I have a number of my own projects that I feel - just because they're my own projects, and I have the opportunity to realize them - that I have to do them. They're my first priority. But it's tough to give up "The Spirit."

Can you share some details about your two-part story?

We're introducing a European assassin named Angel Smerti - which is Russian for "the angel of death." And other than that, we're using the first two issues to establish this new venue for The Spirit, which pulls in a great deal from what Will Eisner established for The Spirit but it is also reaching forward in that it's been modified a bit to take place in this great "First Wave" universe.

DC released this version of The Spirit's vital stats Are there major differences between how you're presenting The Spirit and how he would have been depicted by Will Eisner? I know Brian Azzarello's Batman uses guns.

I wouldn't say there is anything greatly different. There is nothing like that - the Spirit has never used guns, and he's not using them here, either. There is, I guess you would say, a different attitude towards The Spirit, where we're presenting him with more of an edge. There is more of a suspense, crime angle to this. Moving a bit away from the humorous side of The Spirit. So we're going for a darker guy and I know that is an overused term, but someone who is more a risk-taker - someone who works on the margin between the law and the underworld.

Sorry, I'm trying to put this into words with out spilling too much [laughs]. You know, Eisner wrote so many different types of Spirit stories, and a lot of them are really humorous. And personally, I love those. But in the context of this story, we're absolutely going for someone who is more of a suspense character, more of a crime fiction character.

Will we see Doc Savage and Batman in your issues?

No.

Will there be an acknowledgment that Doc Savage and Batman share this universe?

Ah, again, I have to be careful with what I say here because at this point, while there will be some interconnections, I don't know the extent of it. I don't know if I'll be specifically mentioning Batman or Doc Savage or the Blackhawks. But there will absolutely be certain conceptual elements that link the books.

And I guess no matter how long your run is, it's pretty nice to have your name on "The Spirit" #1.

Yes. That's both exciting and terrifying, because on the one hand, you want to be associated with such a great character, but on the other hand, you don't want to set yourself up to be compared to stories that were done so brilliantly by Will Eisner - and also, in recent history, continued by Darwyn Cooke.

Have you seen any of Moritat 's finished pages yet?

Yes, I have. And I'm very happy. We really wanted to emphasize, again, the atmosphere. For lack of a better term, a noir-ish atmosphere. There's going to be a night-time feeling - a dark claustrophobia-- that pervades Central City. Looking at the interior pages by Justin [Norman], he's really risen to the task. He did great research on urban environments. One of our goals was to give our Central City personality – something that makes it one of the major characters in this world, not just a background. Justin is really pulling this off.

He's also developing the new human characters that we're introducing. He's really doing some creative work.

Some of artist Moritat's interior pages from "The Spirit" #1 Do we see some of the other characters from the world of Denny Colt in this series?

Yeah, specifically Commissioner Dolan and Ellen Dolan will be appearing in the two-parter.

And there are some other new characters that we are developing. Again, I'm playing with this idea that The Spirit works best – and it's nothing new, Eisner did this too – when you play up the darker side, when he's between the police and his underworld connections. So we're having fun developing, for lack of a better term, people that have their ear to the streets and maybe more towards the shady side of the law. He's got working relationships that allow him to do stuff that the police couldn't do.

And do we see The Octopus?

Ah, hmm. Yes, you do, but I don't know if The Octopus is going to be what you expect. We've got an interesting new take on The Octopus.

I'm not sure how much Brian is going to get into The Octopus per se in his "First wave" book. But, he outlined the concept for this Octopus, and I'm playing off of that. I liked it a great deal. It makes a lot of sense and it makes for a really, really great take on The Octopus.

Can you share any details about the Golden Tree?

The Golden Tree does directly impact this Spirit story. They're both catalysts and benefactors.

And while your "Spirit" run is only two issues long, readers can still get their fill of Mark Schultz in the "Prince Valiant" serial comic strip.

Yes - every Sunday, with Gary Gianni doing the artwork. And I'm also in the process of finishing an illustrated book. It's a story I wrote called "Storms at Sea." I've been working on the illustrations for the last two years. And I've also got a couple of new "Xenozoic Tales" projects that I'm trying to get to. I've been poking around at them for a while - now I just have to carve out the time to finish them.

"The Spirit" #1, written by Mark Schultz featuring art by Moritat, is scheduled for release on April 21.

TAGS: dc comics, the spirit, mark schultz, first wave, will eisner

Awards
Schultz has been awarded five Harvey Awards, two Eisners, an Inkpot, a Spectrum, and three Haxturs (from the Salon Del Internacional Comic del Principado de Austurias).