Jeremy Adams Talks Creating First DC Hero - Creator Owned Art

Jeremy Adams is an American-born comic writer known for his work on The Flash, Flash Gordon, Green Lantern, and Flashpoint: Beyond. This month, his new Aquaman series with John Timms and Rex Lokus arrived in comic book stores, and up next, he’ll write the Green Lantern Corps with Morgan Hampton, Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, and Arif Prianto.

I spoke with Adams about his favorite piece of art from his collection as part of my Creator Owned Art series, where I talk with creatives about art from their collection that’s meaningful to them. Here’s what he said:

Okay, so here’s the story. 

I’m new to comics. Like, NEW NEW. I had cut out a career in TV and movies, but always angled for a way into the funny books. And here it was - a strange 22-page book smashed into the back of a FUTURE STATE SUICIDE SQUAD. 

The direction? My editor told me that I was doing something in the “1 million” Universe, and we’d use Black Adam. And I said… I don’t remember. 

Internally I was screaming. It finally happened. I was writing a comic. That drowned out any real direction (as you can tell when you read it *sob). Listen, he could have told me that we were going to do a story about the disembodied sentient mask of the Golden Age Batman, and I would have jumped at the chance (In fact, I don’t hate that idea…Hmmmm).

So, anyway, I’m writing this thing with no knowledge of HOW to write this thing. It’s wordy and a bit over-done. I think there are some cool moments (Teth saying his magic word in the vacuum of space, and the magic, still floating somewhere in the remnants of Earth flying across the cosmos to make him new…) But I digress…

I was throwing all sorts of things into this weirdo issue. In my defense, I really thought that this COULD BE the last time I get to write a comic, so I was going for broke. And then the unthinkable happened. THEY LET ME CREATE A CHARACTER. Like, what? But this is my first book. That’s not allowed, is it?

The idea of adding something to the TOY BOX I have enjoyed my entire life seemed impossible. And…AND…it was going to be a mash-up of two of my favorite characters?!! GET OUT OF HERE! 

Thus, GOLD BEETLE was born. She was my version of David Tennant’s Doctor Who. Zany, a bit A.D.D., and… I love her. In fact, I have an ongoing story in my head of her adventures (and it’s a lot of fun.)

So…I wrote the script, and it was sent in, and then DC obviously made a Faustian bargain to get the great Wizard Fernando Pasarin to draw it. 

When the art started appearing in my inbox, I was flabbergasted and… humbled. VERY humbled. No amount of praise was too much to be heaped upon Fernando for his work (something that continues to this day.) Seeing Gold Beetle in pixels was overwhelming! 

THEN he did the unthinkable. He sent me the art for Gold Beetle’s first appearance. I opened the package and I heard a voice in my head say, “DING! New addiction unlocked!” I almost passed out. Original art…pencilled or inked is just…it’s so tactile and REAL. And here was a page that had a character I HELPED CREATE! ON MY FIRST BOOK!?!

I’m still pumped about it. I imagine I always will be. 

So, THANKS to Fernando. What a genius. And me? I’m the luckiest kid alive…