NICIEZA, Fabian 1961-

PERSONAL:

Born December 31, 1961, in Buenos Aires, Argentina; immigrated to United States, 1965; children: two daughters. Education: Rutgers University, B.A. (advertising and public relations), 1983.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Dark Horse Comics, 10956 South East Main St., Milwaukie, OR 97222.

CAREER:

Writer, comics creator. Berkley Publishing, New York, NY, became managing editor; Marvel Comics, New York, 1985-1996, began as manufacturing assistant, became advertising manager and writer; Acclaim Comics, Glen Cove, NY, 1996-98, began as editor-in-chief and writer, became president; Marvel Comics, writer, 1998—; freelancer.

WRITINGS:

NFL Superpro: Fourth and Goal to Go, Marvel (New York, NY), 1991.

(Editor, with others) Hook: The Official Movie Adaptation (Hook, numbers 1-4), Marvel (New York, NY), 1991.

Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, Marvel (New York, NY), 1991.

(With others) The New Warriors: Beginnings, Marvel (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Rob Liefeld and Todd McFarlane) Stan Lee Presents X-Force and Spider-Man in Sabotage (X-Force, numbers 3, 4, and Spider-Man, number 16), Marvel (New York, NY), 1992.

(With Tom DeFalco) The New Warriors: Beginnings (The New Warriors, numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4, and Thor, numbers 411 and 412), Marvel (New York, NY), 1992.

Gambit and the X-Ternals, illustrated by Salvatore Larroca and Al Milgrom, Marvel (New York, NY), 1995.

The Amazing X-Men, Marvel (New York, NY), 1995.

X-Men: Fatal Attractions, Marvel (New York, NY), 1995.

(With others) Justice League: Midsummer's Nightmare (Justice League: A Midsummer's Nightmare, numbers 1-3), DC Comics (New York, NY), 1996.

Deadpool: The Circle Chase, illustrated by Joe Madureira, Marvel (New York, NY), 1997.

The Blackburne Covenant, illustrated by Stefano Rafeale, Dark Horse Comics (Milwaukie, OR), 2004.

Cable/Deadpool: If Looks Could Kill, edited by Jeff Youngquist, illustrated by Mark Brooks, Marvel (New York, NY), 2004.

Writer of and contributor to comic books, including Psi-Force, New Warriors, X-Men, Spider-Man, Nomad, Captain America, Gambit, Hawkeye, and Thunderbolts, all Marvel; Troublemakers, Turok, and Classics Illustrated Study Guides, all Acclaim Comics; The Blackburne Covenant, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Hellboy, all Dark Horse Comics; Justice League, DC Comics.

SIDELIGHTS:

Comic book writer Fabian Nicieza was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and moved with his parents to the United States when he was four. He grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in advertising and public relations and was hired by Marvel for a position in manufacturing, but he soon became the advertising manager. Nicieza's true calling, however, was writing comics, and he created his first, Psi-Force, in 1987. He followed with New Warriors, Nomad, and the "X" series, X-Force with Scott Lobdell, Uncanny X-Men, and X-Men.

Nicieza left Marvel in 1996 to join Acclaim Comics, where he developed the character of Turok and created the new series. As he told Roger Ash of Westfield Comics online, "The current Turok is a concept more than a person. Turok means 'son of stone' in the fictional Native American Saquin language. The eldest-born male in the Fireseed family is responsible for assuming the responsibilities of Turok and guarding Earth from a race of evolved dinosaurs and from attacks which emanate from an other-dimensional 'sewer of the universe' known as the Lost Land."

The responsibility has now fallen to Josh Fireseed, a star college baseball player who is neither prepared nor interested in carrying out the task. Fortunately, he has a brainy roommate in Barry Hackowitz, who helps him accomplish his missions.

Nicieza's Troublemakers for Acclaim features four kids who are the children of scientists working for a pharmaceutical company. They were genetically bred to be perfect human beings and live below the complex where their abilities are developed and tracked.

Nicieza returned to Marvel in 1998 to write the new Gambit series and then Thunderbolts. Sequential Tart interviewer Keri Wilson said Gambit "touched lightly into central themes in Southern literature with a liberal dose of a science-fiction fantasy blended with adventure/suspense stories. [Nicieza] showed an unusual sensitivity and accuracy in capturing the [Southern, Cajun] culture."

When Nicieza again left Marvel he concentrated on his new project, The Blackburne Covenant, the book and the series, for Dark Horse Comics. It is about Richard Kaine, a man with no prospects who writes a blockbuster novel. The plot revolves around the question of where his sudden talent came from. A Dark Horse Comics Online writer said in an interview with Nicieza that "Kaine's search for the source of his ideas forms the backbone of the book. What Kaine believed was fiction as he wrote it turns out to be factual, and he begins to uncover the world's secret history … and the organization that has been steering it. But to reveal more would be unfair."

Wilson asked Nicieza what advice he would give his daughters if one or both of them decided to follow in his footsteps, and whether he would advise them to work for a publisher or write independently. Nicieza replied that "having worked a staff job at Marvel for so long, I wouldn't trade those years for anything ever. They were some of the happiest of my life. And on a creative end as a writer, it was both a boon and a burden. The thrill of getting my first freelance job, of knowing that my work was generating some buzz within the editorial offices, that was unparalleled. Growing slowly, sometimes frustratingly so, getting better and better assignments, all of that was incredibly fulfilling."

He went on to say that if his daughters were creatively driven, he would "encourage they go the independent route. Ultimately, on that road, I think the potential for creative and financial reward is commensurate to the quality and enjoyment of the work. If they were driven towards staff-oriented careers, like editorial or advertising, then a job at any of the companies is worthwhile. Hell, making comics still beats just about any other job I can imagine in terms of day-to-day satisfaction. What would someone rather be doing to earn a living?"

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

ONLINE

Dark Horse Comics Online,http://www.darkhorse.com/ (January 23, 2003), interview with Nicieza.

Rational Magic,http://www.rationalmagic.com/ (August 15, 2003), review of The New Warriors: Beginnings.

Sequential Tart,http://www.sequentialtart.com/ (November, 2001), Keri Wilson, interview with Nicieza.

Westfield Comics,http://westfieldcomics.com/ (January, 1998), Roger Ash, interview with Nicieza.*