Chris Claremont Interview!

[@johnlindsay7301]

I’m reading Claremont’s X-Men from Second Genesis for the second time and am amazed at how good it is. I really enjoyed it the first time I read it, but appreciation for how truly good it is was tempered by expectations that it is a story of its time. The thing is, it is a story well beyond its time. And so upon my appreciation for how good I am finding it, I made the argument to my wife that Claremont is one of the great writers of our time. Not one of the best comic book writers, but one of the best writers period. The subtle moments of character growth have actually made me reflect on where I am in life and my need for growth. To be able to reach an audience like that is the essence of an effective writer. He is actually making this world a better place by creating material that helps us become better people. It’s so inspiring. And what do we need now more than inspiration? We need more creators like Chris Claremont in this world. It’s a good thing we’re getting to know him better thru these interviews.

[@NearMintCondition]

It is so good. YES one of the best writers of our time.

[@venomspawn5422]

Honestly, I thought your conversations with artists would be boring but I was so wrong. I've found them extremely interesting and I absolutely love them

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much for the kind words. I have lots of fun getting to talk to these legendary creators.

[@andreac4757]

Amazing!!!! King Claremont!!!!

[@NearMintCondition]

I love that title for him!

[@logicalvslateral]

can't wait to watch this, i know how much this must have meant to you omar :)

[@NearMintCondition]

It meant lots to me.

[@hugorios]

It's always good to see a Claremont/Omar collab. Good stuff sir.

[@NearMintCondition]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@michaelgardner6311]

Loved reading his books as kid from NYC. He really was ahead of his time. Great interview.

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you and yes he was.

[@hugomcardoso]

Omar is amazing and Chris Claremont is a LEGEND. Thanks for sharing.

[@nikob7428]

This was so awesome!! Thanks so much Omar and Mr. Claremont.

[@NearMintCondition]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@joshbolton5624]

His marvel team up run was outstanding

[@NearMintCondition]

I agree.

[@paulreilly2304]

I wish there were more interviews of him talking about that. He's written quite a bit of Spider-Man, but I've never heard him speak about it.

[@SuperRedVeg]

Claremont and X-Men in space is some of my favourite stuff.

[@NearMintCondition]

Yes, such a great time.

[@azorestiger]

🦾👊🏽👊🏽💯 This was such an awesome experience Omar! Thanks for sharing!

[@NearMintCondition]

My pleasure!!

[@jmv1969]

Great guy. I met him at a convention once. Marv Wolfman and him made my childhood fun.

[@NearMintCondition]

I have a picture of him talking to Wolfman at a con and I'm in the middle. It's like I'm standing between my childhood.

[@artofbusiness12]

To: NMC / “Kicked out of the Hotel with Chris Claremont” - NOW..that is the Ultimate Log line for Omar..!! HaHaHa..!!! Awesome!!

[@NearMintCondition]

Yes sir!

[@DevilzFan]

This was so good. I was enthralled the entire time. Like you, Chris is my favorite writer.

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much, sir.

[@mustermas]

Great discussion Omar with a fan fave!

[@NearMintCondition]

He was great to have on.

[@halfdrawnpe]

Omar, congratulations and great job with this interview with Chris Claremont! Absolutely fantastic!

[@NearMintCondition]

Thanks so much!

[@jeffh8094]

Fantastic interview with my favorite comic book writer of all time!

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much for the kind words.

[@jirenthegoat9717]

Can't believe I missed this live. One of the GOAT.

[@NearMintCondition]

He said he would like to come back.

[@MagicJulienBertone]

What a great interview! I could watch more every week

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much. I could talk to him every week. :)

[@comicbookcrazy]

I'm in awe. Just......awe. Omar, I'm usually pretty glib but I'm, truly, at a loss for words. This was so fantastic and just an amazing watch. There aren't enough kudos I can throw your way. You blow me away, my dear friend. You are unmatched on this platform when it comes to comics and talking about them. Again, I'm in awe. #OmarRules #BestInTheBiz #BlownAway

[@NearMintCondition]

Wow, thank you so much brother. Always makes me happy to see your name pop up.

[@Alex-yx5qh]

Can't believe you got Claremont on a second time

[@CSionni]

Confused and surprised as to why Mr. Claremont has praised some of the Fox films in the past and yet has harsher words for X-Men TAS here...most X-Men fans, including myself, find TAS to be MUCH more faithful to the spirit of his stories and characters and of higher quality than the movies. My head is going to explode on this one!!!!

[@NearMintCondition]

I really think it had to do with him being confused with the animated series. He kept referring back to Pryde of the X-men. I'm thinking he never saw them.

[@CSionni]

Totally agree!!!

[@AgentMorgan2010]

I still love the original X-Men film. That and First Class are by far the best ones in my eyes. If it weren't for the animated series, chances are I never would have discovered and fallen in love with X-Men originally. It was quite good for its time, and very faithful to Claremont's stories.

[@nodatastored684]

Did the animated series actually pay him. I've never heard of animation paying original comics creators

[@razrauf24]

Gutted I was too busy to watch this live. Great interview Omar & great interviewee Mr. Claremont. So many great insights into the art of great storytelling. Can't wait for the next interview in December. Exciting times ahead.

[@NearMintCondition]

Glad you enjoyed it and he wants to come back.

[@roboters100]

Great Job getting Claremont on for this Interview one of my fav Writers ever got to meet Chris at Wizard World Chicago back in 2013 had him sign a few key issues of Uncanny that are more so special to me than actual monetary value. You Rock Omar keep it up.

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much for the kind words.

[@josearrocha3377]

Each generation having to yield to the next. Now that’s a learned man right there. Great talk. Looking forward to you guys linking back up in December.

[@ZOMBIELUIS666]

Just watched Ed Piskor's interview with him and it turned into more of a seminar 😸 but its cool listening to Clermont. I'm interested in how this second interview is gonna go. Congrats Ormar happy for you bro.

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much.

[@wellington66440]

''that's hilarious!'' , ''it's not hilarious. it's a mistake!''. both this guy and john byrne have such a strong personality. working together must have been like 'when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. the result was so unique!

[@Shoobadon52]

Wow Omar, congrats on this one. You really have an impressive channel, keep it up brother.

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much for the kind words.

[@coyley72]

Marvel should ask Chris to invent something new. No Avengers, X-Men, X-Force, whatever. Something brand spanking new, never before seen. He can pick his own talent to work with, and given free rein to create. I'd read it :D

[@NearMintCondition]

I would be all over that.

[@oxmeatpete]

Absolutely To the Moon Happy over all of this and for you Omar. This was wonderful. Quote of the video “Keep your crap tidy.”- Chris Claremont

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much, brother. He was great to have on

[@Martin_TheCollector]

This is absolutely MARVELOUS.

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@Martin_TheCollector]

@@NearMintCondition Don't mention it, I'm always interested to hear what the writers or artists have to say. Unless I have zero interest in them but that list is very short to be honest.

[@sade281]

Yoooooooooooooo good to see the man!! Good stuff Omar your the man!!

[@NearMintCondition]

Appreciate it!!

[@anthonygarcia8749]

This man's an utter genius when it comes to story and characterization. Bravo again to you Omar for managing to land a second interview with the living legend lol but how?!? 😂😂

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much. He is a legend, for sure.

[@datboisteve6992]

This. Was. EXTRAORDINARY!!

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you, sir.

[@gabrielmarks6369]

WoW amazing video

[@asianjohnnydepp4729]

Soooooo fuckingggggg coollllll!!!!

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you, my brother.

[@krishnansutewari470]

OMG Uncanny Omar! This is unbelievable!!!!

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much.

[@AgentMorgan2010]

Very cool. Some of it was a little redundant with the last interview you conducted, and I would have grilled him more on his X-Men Revolution & Xtreme runs in the early 2000's, but insightful nonetheless. Claremont's original run in the 70's and 80's still comprises my very favorite X-Men material to this day. And I'm a big X-Men fan. I have him to thank.

[@NearMintCondition]

Since he will be coming on again, I just let the man tell me stories. :) But I really want to have his thoughts on his original ideas he had.

[@AgentMorgan2010]

@@NearMintCondition Cool! It was really only in the very beginning were it kinda felt like a rerun, but it eventually got goin'. And I realize the man is gettin' a little up there in years, so the "senior moments" are bound to occur from time to time. But, sweet! I will certainly be tuning in for that. If you get a chance, or have nothing better to talk about, I would be curious to know the answers to a couple of these questions... just suggestions, obviously. It's your interview. But, maybe you'd be interested, too: - Did he prefer working with Dave Cockrum or John Byrne? What were the differences in his working relationship between them? - Who's idea, explicitly, was it to make Corsair Cyclops' father, and how did he feel about it at the time? I know Starjammers were Dave Cockrum's creation, and they were pretty much shoehorned into X-Men because he couldn't get the approval for their own solo series fast enough, but I'm curious as to who's idea it was to tie them in directly to Cyclops' backstory. It's one of those things that I always found pretty bizarre, and it really comes out of left field from nowhere when it's first mentioned during the Phoenix Saga. I've come to get used to and accept it over the years, but I'd really be interested in some further insight into the thinking behind that, and what he thinks about it now. - Wolverine was initially not well-received as a character (may be hard to believe now, but that was indeed the case. For evidence of this, just read some of the fan letters in first Uncanny omni. My father, who was a young reader at the time, always hated Wolverine because he was such "a jerk"). It has been said that Claremont was about to write the character out of the series, but that Byrne fought to keep him in due to his shared Canadian nationality with the character, and I think the character's popularity really began to take off after Byrne began to helm the art on the book. How did Claremont feel about the character in the early goings of the run with Cockrum, and why did he consider writing him out of the book? How does he feel about the character and his impact in today's context, now that he is so popular and perhaps oversaturated? - What's with him and his penchant for demons? I've always found X-Men to naturally lean more towards the science fiction side, but a lot of Claremont's X-Men stories involve fantasy and demons (Magik, etc.). I'm just curious as to what his affinity for demons is, especially in context to the X-Men. - How did it feel to return to the book in a writing capacity after nearly a decade? Was it more difficult? How much of these runs consisted of completely new ideas, and older ideas he may have had for his original tenure before leaving in '91? How does he feel about the Revolution and Xtreme runs now in retrospect, compared to his initial seminal run? Would he have done anything differently?

[@Havok1718]

Hell yea my bro knock off this on the bucket list.

[@NearMintCondition]

:)

[@albertserafim8092]

Omar bro i am from Bosnia(east europe) i never had english in school. but i understand more than 80%. its all from comics and movies and music(most metal)

[@paulreilly2304]

Very interesting.

[@joshuahelmeke]

WHAT?! You lucky dog, you. 🤩😎🤓

[@NearMintCondition]

I felt it...well with everything, but my internet.

[@dukedidgeridoo2289]

10/10 video of 2 G.O.AT.’s

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you so much.

[@garysandberg6132]

Great interview Omar

[@NearMintCondition]

Thank you, sir.

[@andrewhibbard708]

Keep calling out for that X-Treme X-Men omnibus. We'll get it someday.

[@NearMintCondition]

Never stop! :)

[@paulreilly2304]

The weekend before everything locked down March 2020, I had found the complete X-Treme X-Men run including the annual and related limited series for $100. I was glad to have picked that up, especially since it would have been a long time till I was able to get any new comics. Just recently got the X-Men Reload vol 1 & 2 trades, which continue on from X-Treme in some way. Reading through vol 1 now.

[@ReaperXC]

Who was Claremont saying them at he wanted Kitty Pryde to end up with with red hair? Sean Cassidy? Rachel ?

[@NearMintCondition]

He was hinting at Rachel.

[@stephenjohnson9745]

I really enjoyed this, but I wanna push back a bit on Chris's stance on representation. I think it is good to write characters as characters/people first and not try and be a statement piece (unless that is the point of the story), but representation is vital, imo. Showing people while growing up that it is okay and normal to be themselves can help fight a lot of internalized hatred or fear. So just to have all lgbt relationships be off-panel can be seen as lame. I'm not saying we need full splash-page rainbows saying "[Character] is gay!" but just make it text instead of subtext. There are straight relationships and cis people all over comics, at least have people holding hands and noting that they are in a relationship. Treat it the same as any other comic book relationship

[@NearMintCondition]

I really really enjoyed your take on this and how relations should be in comics. I understand where you are coming from and can say that they've come a long way.

[@blurjose]

He got it wrong when it came to the "between the panels thing". It's one thing to say the Comics Authority necessitated it, it's another to say it was BETTER to have to hint at it. Does that mean the hetero relationships were portrayed poorly because they were on panel? I'm not being black/white--I appreciate the ways that Chris was progressive. Truly, love it and his work. AND it's important to be critical w/out bringing in cancel culture. Thank you for Roberto. He meant a lot to me. But you wrote him using stereotypes. Thank you for all the strong females. But you found any excuse you could to put them in leather and bikinis. It's both...the good and the bad. And yes, the Comics Authority must have made it hard.

[@Chandasouk]

And Omar has a sequel planned later this year! Good work!

[@NearMintCondition]

Already planning ahead is how I do.

[@pulsarstargrave256]

56:00 onward are why I don't read Mainstream Corporate comics any more: Claremont, Marv Wolfman and writers like them put some thought into their work when it came to character development! I didn't feel that coming from the few corporate "funnies" I've read in the last 10 years! There's nothing wrong with the occasional "potboiler" written specifically to move product, but to do nothing interesting at all; to keep characters stuck in amber while instead relying on cheap stunts; seems to be all the Mainstream is capable of producing these days!

[@jdmendonca3602]

Next time you get a chance, Omar… please ask Mr Claremont if he had any say on Peter hooking up with Zsaji in Secret Wars. I identify with Peter so much, and I know Wolverine and others expressed that his “love” of Zsaji was a “result” of her healing powers (holy sh-, if the same was done with a lady in the same situation - what a violation! And as a reader who identified with Peter, that’s actually exactly what it felt like to me - NO, not Peter and not to Kitty), but did Chris have any say in that outta-no-where character “choice”?

[@Nocturne22]

Omar getting his stream fucked up on the day he interviews Chris Claremont... Will 2020 NEVER END?!

[@NearMintCondition]

I know!!!

[@felixnolasco2683]

I’m surprised this video wasn’t six hours long 😂

[@NearMintCondition]

Oh you know I would have!

[@barrye5376]

@@NearMintCondition Omar I remember the hotel interview - Good to see you live your dream once again!

[@CAM8689]

we all have things we like the whole house of m and decimation era I personally hated and felt it damaged the franchise for years afterward but others love it to each his own

[@NearMintCondition]

I am not a fan of House of M. I never hide that. And the day that The x-men let the government put sentinels in their backyard was the day the editors didn’t get the X-men.

[@CAM8689]

@@NearMintCondition yep

[@LarrysLibrary]

I'm sorry but I HATED Igor Kordey's art on Xtreme....I barely got through those issues. Loved everything but those issues. Just a scratchy dirty MESS. And the worst part was the STARK contrast to the clean beautiful lines of Larrocca

[@NearMintCondition]

I was not a fan either, Now I did love his Cable stuff, but that's because he was drawing one issue a month. But when X-treme was coming out he did two issues a month and fill in issues on other comics.

[@adrnevez]

My comment was erased just coz i disagreed on smth, without dissing anyone? Really???

[@NearMintCondition]

What was your comment? I don't delete any comment. Even when they are right down vulgar and name calling. Was it in the chat. As I had two Admins keeping an eye that day since I was talking to Chris.

[@adrnevez]

@@NearMintCondition oh, my bad, then. I really thought it was deleted cuz i disagreed on the not showing sexuality on panel issue. Unless smth automatically deleted it coz of the word sexuality, i dont know.

[@DJ--ALLDAY]

☝I met him in 92' when I was 15 at my C.book store in Forest Hills Queens NY at an in store. 😆 I got him to sketch me CYCLOPS on an 14x14 signed👉 Yo I still got that drawing

[@Volcanic47]

Not sure why he thought kitty aging 5 years was weird? Didn't he do that with Ilyana?

[@kivarsummers3243]

Considering the utter messes the people some of you are most likely talking about have made with the X-men and New Mutants titles over the years I frankly don't blame CC for the "sour grapes" certain of you are whining about. Must be rough seeing something you spent years of your life working on get trashed the way the X-men and New Mutants have been.

[@NearMintCondition]

The X-men for sure have had their shares of ups and downs.

[@nodatastored684]

If you do another interview, ask him if Sir James Braddock Sr faked his death and is the father of all the Braddock Captain Britain's and humanoid ones???

[@fabioriccardo9290]

Woah Woah Woah.. Chris got shocked by Kitt.. Ehm.. Kate's sexual orientation? Wasn't hinted the first time in his Mechanix miniseries?

[@NearMintCondition]

He hinted long before that. He is shocked that it's Magik and not Rachel. ;)

[@ReaperXC]

Claremont is obviously a great writer but he wants too much control of these characters that Marvel own (even though he created a lot of them). If he had have achieved this in the modern day, yes he could be like Hickman and partially in charge of the X line even though he had a lot of control back in the day with New Mutants, Excalibur and X-Factor.

[@NearMintCondition]

It has to be tough for someone who poured so much of his life into these characters and then later was told they made a mistake letting him go.

[@AgentMorgan2010]

Claremont truly defined the X-Men (along with Dave Cockrum & John Byrne). His run is the seminal run, and every iconic storyline that truly defined the team, the characters, and the theme comes from his tenure on the series in the late 70's and early 80's. And being that he was writing the book for 17 years, he has every right to feel a sense of ownership over it. I think anyone in his position naturally would.

[@joelp4600]

I Love CC and everything he's done, but it sucks that he has so much sour grapes. He's the reason I got into comics at a young age. You would think that an elder statesman would be a little more welcoming to new and different writers, whether he likes their decisions or not. Having a mentor of his magnitude would only benefit the overall creativity and improve the writing for those who follow his ways.

[@joelp4600]

Kivar Summers Wow. I wasn’t even whining. Don’t get me wrong- I love CC. He’s entitled to be upset for what they did to him. But it would’ve been nice for the franchise if things didn’t go south like that and he was able to play more of a mentor role with the young guns coming up. Instead, he sometimes sounds like the kid who took his ball and went home. He’s just a fan of the old guard, which is sad for those writers that grew up wanting to be like him. He’s not all sour grapes- after all he is coming back in December to do another X book. Count me in for that.

[@NearMintCondition]

I really see what you are saying, but I will say... I think Claremont reads more newer comics and keeps up with X-men than he lets on. :)

[@joelp4600]

@@NearMintCondition I think so too. You seemed to catch him a couple times seeming to know more than he was admitting. I think he does his homework. Too bad there's no Writer's Master Class that he could teach for all the new writers in the industry.

[@chrishaizlip5378]

I think if you wrote something for years, and see everyone written totally out of character, you'd feel the same way.

[@joelp4600]

Chris Haizlip I totally agree. It’s just unfortunate.

[@HipHopHappens]

And then the X-Men rename the fourth world MarX 1:40:00

[@HipHopHappens]

or Xars... huh.. czars and marx from one letter. N-E-WAYS... can you believe the lore cakes we got to feast on here regarding x-men endgame?? president shadowcat and a planetary eXodus, whew!! It's a crime and a tragedy if those scripts don't get written and published. Big ups on this legendary interview, especially if this is the first time he's spoken on those story threads publicly.

[@HipHopHappens]

ESPECIALLY since we're receiving out-of-continuity stories from the multiverse constantly... give this man free reign over a pocket dimension & watch the world rejoice.

[@HipHopHappens]

Shit, you could make it one of Moira's X lives if you wanted. Maybe they already did. Who knows what adventures await? Excelsior!

[@NearMintCondition]

I completely agree with the Moira X lives.

[@HipHopHappens]

@@NearMintCondition With the advent of the Snyder cut, it wouldn't be an impossibility for fans to communicate the imperative desire to catalogue this man's imagination while it's still fertile. We might need a catchy hashtag tho. #ClaremontComiX

[@kunider9714]

Claremont is not my favorite writer, but i recognise a God when i see one

[@NearMintCondition]

My man!

[@DanielleA2023]

I hate that Chris is one of my all time favourite writers but is a little bit boring in interviews