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An Author Interview with Jonathan Maberry

Published February 15, 2012

I had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan Maberry at the Central Coast Writers’ Conference last year, and within minutes of hearing him speak (he was our Keynote), I knew all I needed to know about the guy. Namely,

1. He has a killer sense of humor.
2. He writes Wolverine for Marvel Comics.

See?  ALL. WE. NEED. TO. KNOW.

Seeing as I’ve recently had the pleasure of reviewing two of Maberry’s books for you, my Preciouses, (Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay), I figured it was about time to “officially” introduce you to him. Which is why I sent off a note and list of questions last week begging for an interview. A couple of mornings later, I’m minding my own business and checking my email, when I unsuspectingly opened his reply. I promptly choked on the whipped cream in my latte and proceeded to laugh so loud that my husband had to come see what all the hacking and dying animal sounds were about. And then he started to laugh too.

I suspect your reaction will be similar.

As per always, my questions and comments are in white (black if via e-reader or email). Mr. Maberry’s are in green. Enjoy. ;0)

(1) Okay, I assume everyone asks, but I’ve got to go with the flow on this one—what’s your favorite zombie movie of all time?

Maberry: The unrated director’s cut of Zack Snyder’s remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD.  Great cast –including Ty Burrell from Modern Family.  Terrific production values. Lots of character development and a killer score. Next favorite is SHAUN OF THE DEAD.

SHAWN OF THE DEAD, huh? I *might’ve* screamed out loud while watching that one (although I did love it). Did I mention I’m a weenie when it comes to horror? Ahem.

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(2) So you may have heard that I’m something of a zombie survival expert *blushes modestly and holds up Facebook’s Zombie Survival Test* (not to brag or anything, but I got a pretty high score). And, uh…just to compare notes, in the event of a zombie apocalypse, what would YOU grab first? *runs to get notepad and pencil*

Maberry: My first-aid kit, a tool kit, and my katana.  Everything else I can find or scrounge.  Wait…let me back that up.  I’d grab my wife first, then everything else.

First-aid kit…tool ki—wait, what? Er…Facebook didn’t mention anything about grabbing your spouse. *discreetly alters zombie survival plan to include husband*

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(3) And for curiosities’ sake, as a zombie expert, who do you think would be more likely to survive a zombie apocalypse: Darth Vader or Edward Cullen?

Maberry: Darth.  He has the Force, armor and a lightsaber. You can wade through a whole lotta zombies with a lightsaber.  Edward can stand there and brood at the zombies, but Darth would be showing the living dead the real meaning of the ‘dark side’.

*laughs and accidentally snorts whipped cream up my nose* Quick, pull out your katana, I think I hear rabid Twi-girls rioting with glitter bombs.

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(4) Alright, alright. Picture this with me: Old, rundown building. 2 am. Five zombies with killer mullets and “moves like Jagger” attack you. What are your chances of survival?

Maberry: I got this. I’ve been practicing and teaching jujutsu for nearly fifty years, I’m really good with a katana (Samurai sword), and I’m roughly the size of a grizzly bear.  Five zoms?  Yeah, I got this.  Now…if it was a bunch of zombie puppies…I’m toast.  I lose my mind when I’m around puppies.  Go figure.

Okay, seriously. Is there anything this guy CAN’T do? He even loves zombie puppies, for goodness’ sake!

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(5) I know it seems a tad indelicate to mention food in a discussion involving zombies and all, but it’s got to be done (it’s blog tradition). What is your hands-down most-loved food?

Maberry: Chocolate. With a side of chocolate. And some chocolate on top of it.  And coffee.

(Chocolate. Coffee. Wolverine. I’m this guy’s fan for life.)

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(6) Speaking of Wolverine, who do you think would make a better dinner guest—Wolverine or the Punisher?

Maberry: Wolverine. He has a sense of humor.  Punisher…not so much.  I can relate to anyone with a sense of humor.

Ah, Wolverine. *le sigh*

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(7) What was your favorite part about writing the Marvel Universe vs. Wolverine series?

Maberry: Are you kidding? I get to play in my imagination and it’s populated with super heroes.  And I get paid for it. I have the best job in the world. I’m professionally required to be an adolescent.

Heheheh… Nice. :0)

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(8) So, then, if you could be one superhero, who would it be?

Maberry: Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) of the Fantastic Four. He can stretch –which means I can make myself thinner and taller (though I’m already 6’4”), and he’s a super-genius. 

I like it.

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(9) Describe your wife in one word.

Maberry: Mystical.

Ooh, intriguing!

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(10) So, before we let you go be with said mystical wife, tell us what new projects we can expect from you!

Maberry: My 4^th Joe Ledger thriller debuts in April, ASSASSIN’S CODE.  A holy war fought with genetically-engineered vampire assassins.  Fun stuff.  Then in May, V WARS debuts.  It’s a shared-world vampire anthology that I cooked up and edited.  It features novellas by Nancy Holder, Scott Nicholson, John Everson, Yvonne Navarro, Gregory Frost, Keith DeCandido, and James A. Moore.

The third in my post-apocalyptic zombie series for teens, FLESH & BONE, debuts in September.  Plus I have a slew of short stories coming out this year. One just hit stores, “The Death Song of Dwar Guntha”, a John Carter of Mars story in the anthology UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS (in hardcover from Simon & Schuster.)

Yay! *cheers for all the awesome* Thanks so very much for sharing, Jonathan, (and for making us giggle)!

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For more about Jonathan, check out his crazy-awesome bio: Jonathan Maberry is a NY Times bestselling author, multiple Bram Stoker Award winner, and Marvel Comics writer.  He’s the author of many novels including Assassin’s Code, Dead of Night, Patient Zero and Rot & Ruin.  His nonfiction books on topics ranging from martial arts to zombie pop-culture. Since 1978 he has sold more than 1200 magazine feature articles, 3000 columns, two plays, greeting cards, song lyrics, poetry, and textbooks. Jonathan continues to teach the celebrated Experimental Writing for Teens class, which he created. He founded the Writers Coffeehouse and co-founded The Liars Club; and is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries, as well as a keynote speaker and guest of honor at major writers and genre conferences.  Jonathan lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with his wife, Sara and their son, Sam. Visit him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com and on Twitter (@jonathanmaberry) and Facebook.

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Tags: Central Coast Writers' Conference, Darth Vader, dust and decay, Edward Cullen, Joe Ledger, Jonathan Maberry, Marvel Comics, photo of jonathan maberry, rabid fan girls, Rot & Ruin, wolverine, zombies