More from Comics Journal 57 (1980)...

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ITKOWITZ: Do you want to write your own stories someday?

BYRNE: Yes, very much.

ITKOWITZ: Like what?

BYRNE: I want to write the X-Men!

ITKOWITZ: I thought you were.

BYRNE: [laughter] No, I'd like to write a book I'm not drawing. I had a lot of fun doing the Hulk Annual. Sal Buscema is a genius, and I hadn't realized just how much of a genius until I saw his pencils. And they were just breakdowns! I'd like to write something like the X-Men that I'm familiar with. I wrote that Fantastic Four story for Coca-Cola -- and drew it. It was turned into #221-222 of the regular book. I hope it holds up being cut into two like that.

2. Did Dave design all of your X-Men covers?

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1. Yes

2. As I recall, one or two might have been Ed Hannigan.

JB: As I recall, one or two might have been Ed Hannigan.

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I have seen Ed's sketches for some of your early FF covers...

1. Do you remember the first cover you designed, JB?

2. Did Ed design your personal favorite- Alpha Flight #3?

Thanks! :)

2. Did Ed design your personal favorite- Alpha Flight #3?

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1. That would have been my first WHEELIE AND THE CHOPPER BUNCH! I designed all my Charlton covers.

2. The ALPHA FLIGHT covers were also all mine.

Can we halt this thirty year old post mortem, please?

Yep, sir! I haven't gotten it up on the wall yet (I call a professional to do that --- damn earthquakes!) I was going to wait till it was on the wall to take a pic.... but maybe I should just take one this weekend and post it...

It looks great, JB!! Giant art + really thick frame & museum glass = it weighs a TON!

The X-Men piece is, of course, representative of my years as penciller on that title. The FF piece, on the other hand, is only those characters created by Stan and Jack in roughly the first 100 issues of the magazine. ALL those characters were created by Stan and Jack, while only SOME of the X-Characters were created or co-created by yours truly.

Yet what hits me, every so often, is that for a couple of "generations" of fans and readers, the characters I created are EVERY BIT AS "REAL" as the ones created by Stan and Jack! When Sasquatch met the Thing, it was not a cue for fans to think "Huh! A fan character meeting a real character!" It was simply TWO MARVEL CHARACTERS meeting!

And after something dangerously close to 40 years in this business, all I can STILL say to that is "Wow!"

I've asked you before, How do you not let this go to your head? Not only what you've pointed out above but, to pick up a recent TPB of STAR TREK and seeing your name above it!

I guess that you can still say "Wow" answers my question.

I just took an up-close look at this piece on the gallery, and just wanted to say to you, Mr. Byrne, that I have always been a big fan of how well you pay attention to perspective and using it properly. I couldn't get over how well drawn Captain America's shield was, nor the wheelchair of Professor X, amongst the active line you use. 

I teach middle school students a basic course on drawing, and I start with some technical perspective drawing to get them an understanding of the importance of drawing with volume, before we start drawing still lifes. I study your work very often particularly for those architectural elements

You are a true professional at what you do, from the figure, to the background, to the story. There are many reasons to be a fan.