Editor’s Note: C.C. Banana is a comedian. The following interviews are provided for entertainment purposes only.

Last weekend I went to the premiere New York Comic-Con at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, intending to snag a few new interviews. Even though the focus of the event was primarily comic books, there were also a few TV and movie-related guests scheduled to be in attendance. I figured with a little luck, I’d be able to finagle a few names of interest to Metal Sludge readers. Alas, there were few if any to be found.

However, I did end up snagging a few interviews with some really great comic book people, the names of whom should be recognizable to those familiar with the genre — Joe Quesada (Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics), Phil Jimenez (penciler of DC Comics’ landmark Infinite Crisis series) and Jason Mewes (of Jay & Silent Bob fame). Actually, most of you will probably recognize Jason from his work with filmmaker Kevin Smith, but I don’t think his name alone is enough to warrant a main page feature at a hard rock news site. Still, the interviews are designed to be funny and accessible, much like those I conducted during last summer’s Rock Never Stops and American Metal Blast tours.

FYI, despite being held at the enormous Javits Center, demand for this event was severely underestimated! An hour after opening, the New York State Police came in and shut down the entrance! Thousands of people were left waiting in line for hours, until the exhibition hall cleared out a bit. All in all it was a complete blast, with major presentations from all the big companies, hot chicks in tight clothing and comic creators up the wazoo.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the following journey into the land of the 80-page giants.

– C.C. Bananaman
Sludgeaholic of the Year 2003

Joe Quesada, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief

For those of you who know comics, you know Joe Quesada. Joe is an industry veteran, whose rise to fame began in the early 1990s, penciling such heroes as Ninjak, Azrael, and the Ray. Later he founded his own company, Event Comics, home to his creator-owned character Ash. Based on his successes as a publisher, he was asked to helm the Marvel Knights imprint at Marvel Comics, spearheaded by his signature run on the monthly Daredevil comic. Ultimately, he was placed in charge of the whole damn company, which in turn led to his encounter with a certain six-foot fruit…

C.C. BANANA: Joe, what makes the New York Comic-Con so special?

JOE QUESADA: What makes it so special is that it’s the first one we’ve had here in 15 years. It’s been ages since we’ve had a big con in New York City. So yeah, it’s the first one in 15 years and they’ve been turning people away at the door. They built it, and they came! So that’s a great sign. By the way, you’re very a-peel-ing.

CCB: Thank you.

JOE Q: I figured you’d like that. Many of my good friends are bananas. Or ex-bananas. Although there are many “spoiled” relationships as well. Ba-DOOM-Boom!

CCB: Where do you see the comics industry 5 years from now?

JOE Q: Five years from today, I think a bunch of us will be a lot older and a lot heavier. But seriously, I think comics will be as big as Hollywood. Maybe give us a little more than 5 years. But it’s a booming industry and everybody’s coming to realize how great our stuff is. And again, where else can I be interviewed by a banana?

CCB: What percentage of costumed fans here today should not be wearing spandex?

JOE Q: Probably all of them. But it is a great anatomical lesson for us artists. We learn how things rumple in places where they shouldn’t. Not to mention the strange places where people perspire.

CCB: Is there any truth to the rumor that you will be following up your popular Joe Fridays column with another column (dedicated exclusively to Event Comics) called Ash Wednesdays?

JOE Q: No, that is not true. No Ash Wednesdays! We were thinking about Joe Sundays, but the Catholic Church protested.

CCB: How many monthly series is Brian Bendis capable of writing at the same time?

JOE Q: Using all of his appendages… five.

CCB: How many good monthly series is Brian Bendis capable of writing at the same time?

JOE Q: Oooh, that’s a good question. Let’s split the difference… two and half.

CCB: Name one thing you miss about Valiant Comics.

JOE Q: You know, there were some nice people at Valiant Comics. And I miss a lot of the energy they had. They were a good group of young artists, all coming up. But most importantly, I miss the big checks.

CCB: Any chance of an Ultimate Obnoxio the Clown?

JOE Q: Uh… no.

CCB: What is your favorite Marvel collectible?

JOE Q: There’s a Brian Bendis action figure that will be on the market soon. I actually have the prototype.

CCB: Really? What does the Brian Bendis action figure do?

JOE Q: It just sits there in boxer shorts and writes all day long.

CCB: Wow!

JOE Q: But if you rub its head, it’s good luck.

CCB: How old is Spider-Man right now?

JOE Q: In comic book time, Peter Parker is about 25. In the real world, he’s close to applying for social security.

CCB: Why is Samuel L. Jackson so damn cool?

JOE Q: Because he is the baddest motherfucker anywhere!

CCB: Who is your favorite rock & roll band?

JOE Q: Well, I’m a big Beatles fan. Anybody who knows me knows that I’m a huge Beatles fanatic. So yeah, me and the Beatles go back a long way.

CCB: How much cash do you have on you right now?

JOE Q: Why, do you need some? Let’s see… [Joe pulls out his wallet and thumbs through the bills.] I’ll tell you right now, it’s all $20s. And a stack of singles from last night. So about $200 bucks.

CCB: Name one thing you never get tired of drawing.

JOE Q: Uh… bananas! I like drawing bananas.

CCB: Oh, I’m flattered! And honored that you like drawing my namesake.

JOE Q: There ya go.

For more information on the man who enjoys rubbing the heads of bald men wearing underwear, visit Marvel.com, JoeQuesada.com, and http://www.Newsarama.com/JoeFridays/JoeFridays42.html.

C.C. Banana’s interviews from the New York Comic-Con will continue tomorrow with artist Phil Jimenez.