Refered to by many as Marvel's continuity guru, Tom Brevoort has made a name as one of Marvel's best editors, overseeing some of Marvel's highest selling titles, including Avengers, Iron Man and Thunderbolts. Tom has also been a part of the Spider-Man family of titles, working on Untold Tales of Spider-Man and New Warriors in the mid-1990's, and even appeared in a behind the scenes comic titled "1001 Ways to End the Clone Saga". Taking some time out of his busy schedule to share some info with us, Mr. Brevoort is not only a great editor and writer, but one heck of a classy guy too!

Thank you very much for taking the time to do the interview, Mr. Brevoort.

The Spider's Web: Okay, let's start by asking how you got started in the comics book industry?
Tom Brevoort: I was a college intern for Marvel in the summer of 1989, and was hired as an Assistant Editor at the end of that year; I've been there ever since.

The Spider's Web: Were you a big comic book fan when you were a kid?
Tom Brevoort: Yes, I've been reading comics since 1973, when I got SUPERMAN #268.

The Spider's Web: Who's your favorite character?
Tom Brevoort: My favorite super hero is the Flash.

The Spider's Web: What led you to work at Marvel?
Tom Brevoort: As I mentioned above, I started with Marvel. They were the ones who got back to me about the internship. And, of course, I had been a big Marvel fan.

The Spider's Web: Aside from the Sandman back-up story in Spider-Man #12, have you done much other writing? I remember seeing your name on a few other books, but their names escape me right now.
Tom Brevoort: I've written a decent-sized stack of stuff. Of primary interest to Spidey fans would be the FUNERAL FOR AN OCTOPUS limited series, as well as a couple stories for SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED (featuring Flash Thompson and Cardiac, among others), some stuff for assorted Spidey Annuals (A nice little Guy Named Joe story and a really bad Cloak & Dagger yarn, as well as a trio of Top-10 lists.)

The Spider's Web: How did the assignment on Spider-Man #12 come about? Did the Spidey offices get in touch with you, or did you just want to see an explanation for Sandman returning to crime?
Tom Brevoort: Ralph Macchio asked me to do it. He'd wanted somebody to clarify the hows and whys of the Sandman suddenly returning to crime, especially after the reaction of the readership to it. I think he expected me to go about it in a different way, but he let me run with it the way I'd conceived of it.

The Spider's Web: What was it like reading yourself as a comic character in 1001 Ways to end the Clone Saga?
Tom Brevoort: More fun in many ways than being involved in it.

The Spider's Web: If the opportunity ever came up, would there be another Untold Tales of Spider-Man special?
Tom Brevoort: I don't really think so. UTOS was a good little series, but everybody associated with it has moved onto other things, and with Marvel's shift away from projects that are too continuity-bound, I don't think there'd be all that much interest. The only reason STRANGE ENCOUNTER got done was that it was an inventory story that Kurt had plotted while the book was running, that we later went back to and expanded on for the one-shot.

The Spider's Web: How did you gain the rep of being Marvel's continuity and history buff?
Tom Brevoort: I read a lot of comics, and I remember a lot of this stuff. I've got the sort of mind that allows me, more often than not, to be able to tell somebody what the last appearance of the Kangaroo was, or who inked AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #52.

The Spider's Web: Do continuity errors in other books bug you at all?
Tom Brevoort: It depends on the error. Axel Alonso will attest to the fact that it irks me no end that Peter Parker's high school has magically moved to Manhattan in recent months.

The Spider's Web: How did you feel about the short-lived Avengers animated series? Would you have liked it to continue? I only mention this because I was a really big fan of Avengers: United They Stand, by Ty Templeton and Derec Aucoin. Any stories you can share about working on Avengers: UTS?
Tom Brevoort: I think that the folks working on the AVENGERS cartoon did the best they could given the parameters they were saddled with. Giving the Avengers armor and stuff was a mistake in my opinion, but it was something that was foisted on the production. Another one of those cases where people decide to do a media production of a given concept, and then throw out what that concept is really about. But I liked working on the comic with Ty and Derec, and, as I said earlier, I think the folks working on the show did the best they could given the timeframe and the circumstances.

The Spider's Web: Just slightly off topic, but considering all that's happened with Immortus in Avengers Forever, is it at all possible that a Space Phantom is secretly hiding on the Marvel Earth?
Tom Brevoort: I suppose it's not impossible, but I don't really have any plans for it.

The Spider's Web: Finally, if you can tell us, what lies ahead for Tom Brevoort, the Avengers, Iron Man and the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes?
Tom Brevoort: We're in the midst of our big Kangwar story arc at the moment, which'll run through the end of the year and beyond. Kieron Dwyer comes on as the regular artist starting with #48, and he brings a nice, polished look to the series that I think people will enjoy. Beyond that, more of the same.

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