TheIconicinterviewwithSteveEnglehart By:Chris“Chrispy”Barcomb

Theword“Iconic”doesn’tlenditselfjusttothenameofthisFacebookpageorPodcast,butitcouldalsobeusedtodescribeSteveEnglehart’scomicbookcareer.Asawriter,hehaswrittenjustabouteverycharacterknowntocomicbookfans,forbothMarvelandDC,andhiscareerstretchedovertwodecades.Evenjustrecently,MarvelreleasedCaptainAmericaSerpentsUnite(aone-shot),whichfeaturesareprintofCaptainAmerica#168writtenbySteveEnglehart.

SteveEnglehart’sCaptainAmericarunbeganin1972withCaptainAmerica#153andendedin1975withCaptainAmerica#186.Duringthisrun,heintroducedcharacterslikeWilliamBurnside,JackMonroe,Solarr,Nightshade,Nomad,andanewlyformedSerpentSquad.HealsointroducedandsetthefoundationfortheSecretEmpire.Heworkedwithsomelegendarycomicartistsaswell,includingSalBuscema,HerbTrempe,andFrankRobbins.TogethertheybroughtusstoriesabouttheSecretEmpire,thecrazyCaptainAmericaofthe1950’s,andthetrueoriginoftheFalcon.

ReadonbelowtoseewhatSteveEngleharthadtosayabouthistimewritingCaptainAmericaandhisthoughtsonthecharactertoday.1.HowdidyougettheopportunitytowriteCaptainAmericaforMarvel?I’dbeenworkingmywayupasawriter,frommonsterstoriestoromancestoriesto,finally,THEBEAST.Evidently,Editor-in-ChiefRoyThomaslikedwhatIwasdoing,becauseonedayhegavemebothCAPTAINAMERICAandTHEDEFENDERS.Allworkinthosedayswasbyassignment;yougotwhatevertheEICgaveyou2.Growingupdidyouhaveanyinfluences,suchasacomic,thataffectedyourwritingofCaptainAmerica?Idon’tthinktherewasacomic.IrememberasakidthinkinghowluckyIwastobeanAmerican.Later,whenIwasintheArmy,Igotarealfirst-handlookathowpatriotismplayedoutinreallife,forrealpeople.I’dsaythosetwothingsweremybiggestinfluences.

SteveEnglehartPhotoCredit:PicturetakenfromSteveEnglehart’spersonalwebsite

3.WhatwasitliketoworkwithSalBuscemaontheearlyportionofyourCaptainAmericarun?Itwasgreat.IwouldnotbeallthewriterIamtodayifIhadn’thadanartistwhocoulddrawanythingIcoulddreamup.AndnotethatIhadhimonbothCAPandDEFENDERS.4.DuringyourtimeonCap,whatwasyourfavoritestory-lineandwhowasyourfavoritecharactertowrite?Wasthereacharacteryouwantedtousebutdidn’tgettouse?Oh,IthinkmyfavoritewastheNomadrun.TheSecretEmpirerunleadinguptoitismysecondfavorite,butIreallyliked,asawriter,goingplacesnoonehadgonebefore,andtheNomadrunwascertainlythat.TheSecretEmpiretookCaptonewplaces;theNomadtookSteveRogers.

CaptainAmericaVol.1#180,1stSteveRogersasNomad.PhotoCredit:Phototakenfrommycomicshop.com

5.What,inyouropinion,makesCaptainAmericaan“Iconic”figure?Heconsciouslycarriesthataura.Becauseofwhoheis,hedoesn’tmakeabigdealofit,butitobviouslyisdeeplyconnectedtohissoul,andthatcomesthrough.Herepresentssomething,largerthanhimself.

6.Areyoureadinganycomicscurrently?Ifnot,doyouhaveafavoriteshoworbook?No.OnceIswitchedfromwritingcomicstowritingnovels,Iimmersedmyselfinnovels.7.WhatwasitliketocreatecharacterslikeJackMonroeandSolarr?Quitehonestly,theywerejustpartofthejobofproducinganewstoryeverymonth.Youtakeyourbestshotandhopepeoplelikeit.

8.WhatareyourthoughtsontheMarvelCinematicuniverseanddoyouhaveafavoriteshow(TVorNetflix)ormovie?I’mabigfanofthefilmsandTV.Ithought,inthepastyear,theyfinallyhitthepointwheretheycouldmakea“real”movieandstillhitthecomics’tone,withoutslightingoneortheother.TheygivemewhatI’mlookingforincomics.OnTV,IlikealltheNetflixseries,andI’mlookingforwardtoseeingShang-ChiasaguestonIronFist,andBlackMariahasavillainonLukeCage.(AndMantisalongsideStar-LordinGuardiansII,and…

CaptainAmericaVol.1#153,1stCaptainAmericacomicwrittenbySteveEnglehart.PhotoCredit:Phototakenfrommycomicshop.com

9.TheRussoBrothersrecentlydidaninterviewwheretheysaidthatCapdroppingtheshieldintheendofCaptainAmericaCivilWarmeantSteveRogersgivinguptheidentityofCaptainAmerica,howwouldyoufeelifthenextmoviefeaturedSteveRogersasNomad?…I’veheardthesamerumorsyouhaveaboutthis.I’mnotinvolvedinthemoviessoIknownomorethanyoudo,butIhavehopes.10.WhatdoesCaptainAmericameantoyounow?Samethinghealwaysdid:theSpiritofAmerica,asopposedtothereality.Inclosing,IwouldliketothankMr.Englehartfortakingthetimetospeakwithus.IfyouareeverataconandMr.Englehartisappearing,Iwouldrecommendstoppingbyhisbothandsaying“Hi!”andthankinghimforhisworkonCaptainAmerica.Itwasalotoffunputtingthisalltogether,andwe,atIconicCaptainAmerica,hopedyouenjoyedthis.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorcomments,makesuretodropusamessage!