Fred Van Lente - Writer At Large

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Doin' my damnedest to bring down pop culture from the inside. Crack open a cover and see:

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06.06.2013 New York Post

Enjoyed talking to Dan Greenfield of the "Parallel Worlds" blog about the new arc of Archer & Armstrong, the nature of conspiracy theory, and being an NYC creator.

06.04.2013 Trip City

Always fun when my lovely wife Crystal Skillman and I are interviewed together: Me about comics, her about playwriting. Stick it in your ears!

02.20.2013 Comixology

I had a great time talking GI Joe and Archer & Armstrong with Matt Kolowski in-studio at the Comixology offices -- and both those series, in fact, along with many others, are available digitally on their app.

02.09.2013 Robot 6

As part of their Robot Roulette series, I get six randomly generated questions and the answers range the gamut from growing up in the same town as Bill Watterson, getting fired a lot, time travel, my morning routine to how I use music to help me work: Enjoy.

12.11.2012 MTV News

Valerie Gallaher talks to me about the new storyarc debuting in this week's Archer & Armstrong #5: "The Wrath of the Eternal Warrior," featuring a new faction of the Sect, a new threat in the form of Armstrong's fellow immortal brother Gilad, and the truth behind global warming: It's not a hoax! It's a conspiracy!

11.21.2012 Boing Boing

Lots of fun being the guest on this week's Gweek podcast hosted by Maker magazine editor Mark Frauenfelder along with blogger Michael Pusateri. Give it a listen.

11.15.2012 USA Today

Brian Truitt debriefs me about my upcoming run on IDW Publishing's GI Joe monthly, deploying with a new #1 in February.

10.23.2012 Reddit AMA

Had great fun participating in Reddit's weekly comic Ask Me Anything (AMA). Full transcript is at the link above. They persuaded me to post one of my scripts -- for the one-shot MARVEL ZOMBIES HALLOWEEN. Hope y'all find it enlightening.

09.14.2012 Nerdist Network

A great LIVE! podcast from the packed theater of Comic Book Club, in which Valiant Executive Editor Warren Simons and I talk about the whole line, including the return of Eternal Warrior to the pages of my title, Archer & Armstrong. Features an absolutely awesome live performance by Pearl and the Beard -- give it a listen!

09.06.2012 Kotaku

Very pleased I can at last announce the game I've been working on for the last year-plus (and counting) is Avengers Initiative, a fighter for iOS and Android with the first installment starring the Hulk (with three more heroes to follow). Kotaku gives us a very nice review here, calling it "almost the strongest portable game there is."

07.13.2012 The Gameological Society

Derrick Sanskrit interviews me about my gaming habits and we hint at some of my upcoming video game work.

06.28.2012 The Washington Post

Matt Moore of the Associated Press talked to artist Clayton Henry and I about the One Percent, the devil-worshipping Wall Street cult that will be the bad guys in the first arc of our ARCHER & ARMSTRONG revival.

06.11.2012 iFanboy

Very pleased The Comic Book History of Comics was named Book of the Month.

03.09.2012 USA Today

I am thrilled to announce I'm joining the Valiant Comics relaunch by reviving one of the most beloved buddy books of all time, Archer & Armstrong. Check out as well a great interview I did at CBR about the project, with great designs from David Aja and series artist (and my Incredible Hercules compadre) Clayton Henry.

12.16.2011 Comic Book Resources

Artist Tom Fowler and I are interviewed about our original graphic novel HULK: SEASON ONE, debuting from Marvel September 2012. Smash from the beginning!

12.06.2011 Comics Should Be Good

Another magical time was had at the sixth (I can hardly believe it) Fred Van Lente Day at Comic Book Resources/CSBG. The highlights were a fantastic chat about comics history and piracy where artist Steve Lieber came by to talk about the ramifications of the (in)famous Underground/4Chan incident. We were also happy to announce that Comic Book Comics by Ryan Dunlavey and myself will be collected and published by the fine folks at IDW as The Comic Book History of Comics in May 2012. Also: Feast your eyes on the first five pages of Renaissance, the graphic novel I'm creating with obscenely talented artist Sarah Oleksyk.

09.29.2011 The Brooklyn Paper

As the sold out run of the theatrical run of Ryan Dunlavey's and my Action Philosophers returns to the Brick Theater next month, check out this interview with me and playwright Crystal Skillman.

09.17.2011 CBLDF

My frequent collaborator Greg Pak and I kick off this semester of CBLDF's Comics College with an afternoon seminar on the Secrets of Self-Publishing. Come on out, learn something, have a good time, and contribute to a worthy cause.

06.24.2011 Yahoo News

As the big-screen adaptation of my OGN Cowboys & Aliens nears theaters, Yahoo talks to me about comics, film, Westerns, science fiction and giving aliens humanity.

05.12.2011 Slate

A story on one of the more bizarre outgrowths of Clayton Henry's Incredible Hercules run, the "Cool Story, Bro" meme.

05.05.2011 Comics Alliance

I try not to post reviews here, but this longform assessment of one of my favorite things I've ever done, Taskmaster: Unthinkable is very flattering and fun to read.

05.04.2011 USA Today

Read the first 9pp of the brand new Alpha Flight #1 from Greg Pak, Dale Eaglesham and I here.

04.06.2011 AM New York

The 2011 MoCCA Arts Festival is this weekend, and AM New York declares Comic Book Comics #5 by Ryan Dunlavey and I is one of the festival's top premieres.

02.19.2011 The Toronto Star

Canada's largest on-line news source interviews me and my collaborators Greg Pak and Dale Eaglesham about the return of Alpha Flight under our guidance.

02.01.2010 USA Today

Brian Truitt has the full scoop on my official -- and, for the first chapter, FREE -- prequel to the Captain America: The First Avenger film, First Vengeance, debuting on Super Bowl Sunday.

12.06.2010 Comics Should Be Good

It's CSBG's fifth annual Fred Van Lente Day, the highlight of which for me were these different artists' intrepreations on the theme "Cowboys & Aliens".

10.14.2010 New York Times Bestseller List

Odd Is On Our Side, the graphic novel collaboration between Dean Koontz, Queenie Chan and myself, debuts at #1 on the softcover list! Thanks to all the readers for their support.

10.08-11.2010 New York Comic-Con

Where to Find me: Mostly I will be at my Artist's Alley Table, #C1. Otherwise:
Friday, 5:30pm-6:30pm Psychology of Spider-Man panel, Room 1A17
Satuday, 10:30-11:30 Signing Odd Is On Our Side, Del Rey, Booth #2223; 12:30-1:30pm Signing Marvel booth, #1843
Sunday, 1:15pm-2:15pm Marvel Next Big Thing panel, Room 1A06

08.06.2010 The New York Observer

I'm speaking at Governors Island on Sunday, August 8 on "Keemia's Castle," the two-part AMAZING SPIDER-MAN story I set there and Javier Pulido illustrated, with selections from Paolo Rivera's photo reference.

06.25.2010 Attack of the Show on G4

Blair Butler of "Fresh Ink" announces the next chapter of me & Greg Pak's INCREDIBLE HERCULES saga: CHAOS WAR, which begins this October:


06.06.2010 New York Times Review of Books

A very nice review of Action Philosophers (among others) as part of the NYT's summer comics roundup.

04.22.2010 San Francisco Chronicle

"Asian Pop" columnist Jeff Yang interviews my cohort Greg Pak about Amadeus Cho and our upcoming series, Heroic Age: Prince of Power.

03.09.2010 Comics Alliance

I'm very proud to announce my Exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. For the full details, plus the fate of self-published works like ACTION PHILOSOPHERS and COMIC BOOK COMICS (short answer: business-as-usual), click on the above.

02.04.2010 New York Times Bestseller List

You just can't keep the super-undead down: Marvel Zombies Return debuts at #7.

01.28.2010 Deadline: Hollywood

I'm thrilled that current James Bond Daniel Craig is joining the cast of the big-screen adaptation of my graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens.

01.14.2010 NPR

I had the privilege of going on New Hampshire NPR's "Word of Mouth" program to plug the Complete Action Philosophers. Give it a listen.

12.31.2009 Best Comics of 2009

As my cohort Greg Pak says, Incredible Hercules made "about a million Best of 2009 lists", including at Comics Alliance, the Austin American Statesman, Comic Related, Comic Book Resources, and Best Shots. Thanks to Newsarama for nominating Pak & me as Favorite Writer(s).

And thanks to Comixtreme for naming Action Philosophers as one of the Best of the Decade.

12.24.2009 Bill Baker Presents...

The arrival of the Complete Action Philosophers is an occassion for the esteemed comics journalist to sit down with me for a lengthy chat.

12.06.2009 Comics Should Be Good

The annual Fred Van Lente Day tradition continues at CSBG. My favorites from this year are the list of favorite INCREDIBLE HERCULES SFX and this touching holiday portrait.

11.19.2009 New York Times Bestseller List

We're back, this time for MARVEL ZOMBIES 4, which debuts at #4 (appropriately enough).

11.09.2009 Midtown Comics Podcast

I do a podcast in an actual comic book store! That's a first. And it came out real nice, too -- Have a listen.

10.24.2009 Gosh London

Looking forward to my first-ever signing outside the US!

10.15.2009 Newsarama: Change of Pace

A very nice assessment of me and Pak's INCREDIBLE HERCULES from Troy Brownfield.

09.01.2009 The Hollywood Reporter

Iron Man director Jon Favreau is set to direct star Robert Downey Jr. in the big-screen adaptation of my graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens!

08.10.2009 Talking Comics @ Robot 6

A fun, career-spanning interview with Tim O'Shea. Check it out!

08.08.2009 Chicago Comic-Con

Continuing this summer's Big Announcements: Get ready this November for the massive HERCULES crossover, Assault on New Olympus! Welcome Spidey, Agents of Atlas, Ares, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers and more to the party!

08.03.2009 Comixology

ACTION PHILOSOPHERS and COMIC BOOK COMICS are now available for download to your iPhone through the Apple iTunes Store (along with me and Steve Ellis' THE SILENCERS) thanks to our pals at Comixology, and Ryan Dunlavey and I go onto their podcast to talk about it.

07.23.2009 San Diego Comic Con International

The big news out of SDCC regarding Yours Truly is that Dennis Calero and I will be re-teaming for a new installment in the X Men Noir saga: Mark of Cain, starting this December!

06.21.2009 Wizard World Phialdelphia

Big announcements regarding my Marvel work in Philly -- including Amazing Spider-Man and Marvel Zombies Return!

05.21.2009 Halopedia

The clearinghouse for Halography interviews me about the upcoming original comics series Halo: Spartan Black. Best part? I now have my own Halopedia entry and everything.

05.08.2009 Weekly Webbing

As part of Newsarama's weekly Spider-Man feature, I lay out the gang war between The Hood and Chinatown in the pages of this June's Dark Reign: Mr. Negative.

05.05.2009 Rolling Stone

The music industry covers the Eminem vs. Punisher comic I did with Salvador Larroca. The first half appears in this month's XXL Magazine and the story concludes at Marvel Digital Comics. (You can read the first half on-line -- for free! -- there too.)

04.24.2009 New York Times Bestseller List

We made the list again, this time with Marvel Zombies 3!

03.25.2009 NPR

A very nice write-up of Comic Book Comics by Glen Weldon.

03.05.2009 New York Times Bestseller List

The NYT debuts its long-awaited Graphic Novels bestseller list, which is cool, and Incredible Hercules: Love and War debuts at #8 in hardcover, which is even cooler!

02.22.2009 Robot 6

I tell the Sixers "What I'm Reading" as part of their regular feature.

UPDATED AGAIN -- 02.14.2009! 12.10.2008 Wired

It was terrific to learn of the sellout and second printing of X Men Noir #1 on the same day artist/co-creator Dennis Calero and I went to went to Jim Hanley's Universe in NYC to do a signing.

X Men Noir #2 sold out and will return with a second printing too! Thanks to all the readers for their support.

NEW! THREEPEAT! X Men Noir #3 sells out too!

01.22.2008 Comic Monsters

A sneak peak of Marvel Zombies 4 with the Big Bad Wolf!

01.02.2009 CBR's Best 100 Comics of 2008

In a poll of CBR's staff and contributors, Incredible Hercules came in #7 out of the Best 100 Comics of 2008. iHerc was also named Best Revamp of 2008 by Wizard Magazine and made the Best of 2008 list at ComicsBulletins and Newsarama, too. Thanks from the whole creative team!

01.01.2009 Why I Love Comics

Many thanks to WILC for selecting me to head their Best Writer category for 2008.

12.29.2008 X-Addiction

A podcast plunging deep into the grey world of X Men Noir with hosts Paul and Antony.


12.06.2008 Comics Should Be Good

It's the FOURTH -- count 'em! Fourth! -- Fred Van Lente Day at the CSBG blog, and this year the holiday was celebrated with a live chat with me and the readers. Check out the transcript here! Also, CSBG added a special tag for its FVLD stories, so you can browse the whole archive here.

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