Paramus Author Writes Book about Creating Comics

Comic books that inspire movies like “The Dark Knight” and “Iron Man” usually get most of the attention in the comic industry, while retailers are often overlooked. However, the author of a new book has ensured that Fair Lawn's comic store won't get short shrift.

The  on River Road has been a harbinger of all things comic books for many years now, catering to fans but also to up-and-coming comic creators. Buddy Scalera, a Paramus-based comic book creator, interviewed the Joker's Child owners, Len and Caren Katz, for his new book titled “Creating Comics from Start to Finish,” from Impact Publishing.   

“I happen to find that Joker’s Child, in Fair Lawn, is one of the best comic book shops. They survived recessions and they are still growing strong. What sets them apart from other comic book stores is their great customer service,” said Scalera.

Len Katz said he has known Scalera for at least 15 years, from the time Scalera worked for Wizard Publishing.

“We were thrilled he included us in the process,” Katz said.

Scalera said the propensity to overlook retailers in the comic industry is why he included the Joker's Child in his book.

“I included Joker’s Child because the retailers are important to the process,” he said. “They live and breathe comic books and they know what is selling or what isn’t selling.”

In his book, Scalera interviews some major comic creators such as Mike Marts, editor of Batman; Mark Waid, writer of Kingdom Come, Flash, Irredeemable; Darick Robertson, penciler on Wolverine, The Boys, Transmetropolitan; Rodney Ramos, inker on Green Lantern, Punisher; Brian Haberlin, colorist on Witchblade, Spawn; Chris Eliopoulos, letter on Pet Avengers, Spider-Man, X-Men; Joe Quesada, chief creative officer of Marvel Comics and Stan Lee, former president and chairman of Marvel Comics and creator of Spider-Man. 

Scalera said he has worked as a journalist and had the chance to interview many of these creators, but wanted to sit down and write a book that explained where many of the creators came from. 

“I interviewed people who have a successful track record and most of their money where they support themselves comes from being a full time comic book creator,” said Scalera. 

“A lot of those people got their starts by self-publishing their work, creating their own web comics,” he said. “Each one of them has achieved a different level of success and I wanted readers to see that.”

Scalera said he believed it was important to remember retailers in the mix of comic book creating.

“I think all creators need to recognize what the final product will be and listen to the retailers,” said Scalera. “The retailers are the ones who know what titles are selling or not selling. They live comics and I can’t stress enough their importance.”

Scalera, a lifelong Paramus resident, is married with two daughters. He said he wants people to pick up his book at local stores like Bookends in Ridgewood, Barnes and Noble in Paramus or the Joker’s Child in Fair Lawn.

“The important thing for you is to keep trying and not to give up. Say someone is a writer, they may find they love publishing or editing comic books. The important thing is to be open and learn as much as you can about the industry,” said Scalera.