The Staff


Editorial Staff Staff Writers
Frederik Hautain - Editor in Chief
Andy Oliver - Lowdown Editor
Eric Lindberg - Review Editor
Bart Croonenborghs - Blog Editor		 Fletch Adams
Noel Bartocci
Kris Bather
Richard Boom
Jonathan Chuang

 William Gatevackes
Steven Surman
Jason Wilkins
Nathan Wilson
James Wortman

Editorial Staff


Frederik Hautain
Editor in Chief

Joined BF in: The day the site was born: October 28, 2002.

Writes for BF because: comics are my passion, my escapism and because I get to meet a lot of creative people.

Wannabe character: Yorick Brown, the best new character of the 21st century. He doesn’t have superpowers, except for boyish charm. So do I.

Favorite comics: You know what, I suck at listing favorites. Unless it’s favorite basketball player. But comics? Impossible! I’ll list some of my all time favorites instead: 100 Bullets, Hellboy, Mouse Guard, Y: The Last Man, Batman: The Long Halloween, Scalped, The Walking Dead, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Sin City, American Born Chinese, Michael Turner’s Witchblade issues…
I got bitten by the comics bug reading X-Men, so those muties will always have a special place in my heart as well. Age of Apocalypse! Adam Kubert’s run on Wolverine! Joe Madureira on Uncanny X-Men! Aaaah, those were the days… spending all of my undoubtedly huge amount of savings at the comics shop, then hop back on the bus to my grandmother’s house and devour them all at once.

Favorite movie: Gladiator. Russell Crowe got voted #1 male hero of all time for his role as Maximus, beating out Sean Connery as James Bond in the process. Well-deserved if you ask me, even though I like Connery’s Bond a lot.  

Favorite music: As a teen I was pretty fond of Michael Jackson. While I still like his music (except for Invincible which sucked big time), nowadays I dig Coldplay, Moby, Muse, Athlete, Sweet Coffee and lots of Jazz.

Favorite quote: “What we do in life, echoes in eternity.” – Gladiator.


Andy Oliver
Lowdown Editor

Joined BF in: December 2006

Writes for BF because: It whiles away the long, empty years between parole boards.

Wannabe character: John Constantine, Tommy Monaghan (Hitman) or any other character who spends way too much time in his local pub. Not so much wannabe characters as characters I can empathize with the most...

Favorite comics: In no particular order - Ostrander's Suicide Squad and The Spectre, the first twenty years of Amazing Spider-Man, Moore's Swamp Thing, Morrison's Animal Man and Doom Patrol, 'Mazing Man, Gerber’s Howard the Duck, Marvel’s 1970s horror output, Krazy Kat, early 2000AD, anything drawn by Joe Kubert or Jim Aparo, Jimmy Corrigan, Joe Sacco, Will Eisner.  We could go on and on.

Favorite movie: Dead of Night, the classic supernatural chiller from the Ealing Studios in 1945. I never tire of rewatching that film but stick me in front of pretty much any Universal horror/mystery film from between 1930 and 1950 and I’ll be happy. Ditto for Tim Burton.

Favorite music: The Smiths, Morrissey, Paul Simon, They Might Be Giants, The Hot Puppies, Altered Images, Laura Marling, Half Man Half Biscuit, Kate Bush. I have eclectic tastes in music… or at least I like to think I do.

Favorite quote: "And when I'm lying in my bed/I think about life and I think about death/And neither one particularly appeals to me" from The Smiths song "Nowhere Fast".


Eric Lindberg
Review Editor

Joined BF in: 2002

Writes for BF because: I love comics, pop culture, writing, and editing. BF allows me to indulge in all of the above and interact with the industry and creators I admire. It has also opened many doors for me, such as helping me sell my first comic book scripts.

Wannabe character: The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Creativity and imagination are two of the things I value most so having a ring that can bring such things to life would be amazing. Plus Alan gets the green flame and the stylin’ cape.

Favorite comics: Justice Society of America, Bone, Hellboy, BPRD, Astro City, Fables, The Sandman, Conan, Runaways, Birds of Prey, Fallen Angel, Femforce

Favorite movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Favorite music: Classic rock – The Beatles, The Who, The Doors, CCR, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Queen, Aerosmith, etc.

Favorite quote: "Elvis lives on in our hearts, in his music, and in a trailer park outside Milwaukee." – Yakko Warner


Bart Croonenborghs
Blog Editor

Joined BF in: April 2007, the year right after I turned 30.

Writes for BF because: The inherent psychedelica involved in dissecting such a supreme form of entertainment beats any behavior of extralegal gaiety.

Wannabe character: I don't need to go all Xavier mental on somebody. Just let me be Steve McQueen or Brando. The superpower to dress cool and make men and women go 'AAAAHHH' as I walk on by.

Favorite comics: *Takes breath, dives in!*
Anything by Jack 'the king' Kirby, Steve Rude, Paul Pope.
Must reads in order of importance for effectual brain enhancement:
Rogan Gosh by Brendan McCarthy & Peter Milligan, The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, Abraxas and the earthman by Rick Veitch, Starman by James Robinson, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright by Bryan Talbot
Assorted comics to unlock those hidden areas of the brain:
Cages by Dave McKean, Casanova by Matt Fraction, Classic Star Wars by Al Williamson, Ordinary Victories by Manu Larcenet, Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison, Ditko's and Buscema's Amazing Spider-man, Flex Mentallo by Grant Morrison, From Hell by Alan Moore, Martin Luther King by Ho Che Anderson, Capacity by Theo Ellsworth, Murder me dead by David Lapham, the Salon by Nick Bertozzi, Scalped by Jason Aaron, Seaguy by Grant Morrison, Street Angel by Jimm Rugg, Superman: For All Seasons by Kurt Busiek, THB by Paul Pope, Xenozoic Tales by Mark Schultz,  etc

Favorite movie: The Prisoner tv series by Patrick McGoohan, Othello by Orson Welles, Soylent Green by Richard Fleischer and Rollerball by Norman Jewison.

Favorite music: Nina Simone, Chet Baker, Autechre, Aphex Twin, Albinoni, Beethoven etc

Favorite quote: "I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book." - Groucho Marx (1895-1977)
“I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own.” No.6; the Prisoner

Staff Writers


Fletch Adams

Joined BF in: 2005

Writes for BF because: Originally, it was as a way to network and hone my own writing.  Over the years I’ve found I really enjoy being able to help people, even in my own small way, bring their dream projects to the world

Wannabe character: Clark Kent.  Sure it would be great to be considered one of the best in the business or to have amazing powers to do great good, but really – I just wish I could look as good in a fedora hat as Clark.

Favorite comics: Bear, Bizarre New World, Box Office Poison, Death: The High Cost of Living, Emo Boy, Hack/Slash, Laika, Planet of Vampires, James Robinson's Starman, the Superman titles and just about any Silver Age DC comic.

Favorite movie: I have a hard time nailing down just one, but if Back to the Future, The Empire Strikes Back or Superman II are on TV, I ALWAYS stop and watch them.

Favorite music: The Alley Dukes, Bif Naked, David Bowie, Death Cab For Cutie, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Jimmy Eat World, Mae, Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies, John Mellencamp, The Monkees, Tom Petty, Joel Plaskett and about a million more

Favorite quote: “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do” - Bob Dylan


Noel Bartocci

Joined BF in: November 2009

Writes for BF because: I'm a nerd... and I want to spread the disease.

Wannabe character: During the week: Scott Pilgrim, instantly relatable and undeniably charming. On the weekends: Tony Stark, instantly rich and undeniably charismatic... and a super genius.

Favorite comics: I love my big action goofiness like New Avengers, Captain America, Invincible and Green Lantern but thoroughly enjoy stuff slightly on the fringe like Scott Pilgrim, Y the Last Man and Criminal. I will give absolutely anything a shot of it tells a good story.

Favorite movie: If I were on a desert island, I suppose I would go with Evil Dead 2, Empire Strikes Back, Monster Squad, The Last Starfighter, FIght Club, Shaun of the Dead & Moulin Rouge. If Aliens, Big Trouble in Little China & The Dark Knight washed up on the shore, I'd be a happy camper as well.

Favorite music: The Beatles, Weezer, Muse, Jay-Z, SElf, U2, Editors, OK Go, Soul Coughing, They Might Be Giants, Our Lady Peace, Spoon... That's off the top of my head.

Favorite quote: "No Matter where you go, there you are." -Buckaroo Banzai


Kris Bather

Joined BF in: September 2008

Writes for BF because: I don’t have a girlfriend and I’m desperate for attention.

Wannabe character: Nightwing. He’s not as angsty as Batman, is more acrobatic and once had a romantic relationship with an alien. What a combo.

Favorite comics: Anything by Geoff Johns, Mark Waid or Brad Meltzer for starters. My always changing list usually includes Green Lantern, Superman/Batman, JLA, Detective Comics, Hulk and New Avengers but non-spandex tales like Blankets, That Salty Air, The Surrogates, Hotwire and more are creeping in to my diet. I’m always up for a surprise and will give anything a chance.

Favorite movie: Superman: The Movie. The first film I ever saw, and one of the very few I’ll gladly watch multiple times. It’s simply magical and transports to me its world of sacrifice, heroism, romance and humour every time. Plus, John Williams' music simply moves me.

Favorite music: Anything that doesn’t involve swearing, shouting or booty shaking. dcTalk, delirious, Jars of Clay, U2, Coldplay, Kirk Franklin, TobyMac and various film soundtracks.

Favorite quote: “The glory of God is man fully alive.” - Saint Iraneaus


Richard Boom

Joined BF in: May 2009

Writes for BF because: I wanted to find a new outlet for BadGrrl-related content, aside from my Yahoo-group. And I love doing interviews.

Wannabe character: Superman. I would love to fly and be so strong!

Favorite comics: Vampirella, Hack/Slash, Cavewoman, Tarot Witch of the Black Rose, Red Sonja, Fathom, Witchblade and many BadGrrl-comic miniseries like Zenescope's Wonderland, Avatar's Anna Mercury, Radical's Hotwire or DE's Jungle Girl. I also like Fables and The Walking Dead.

Favorite movie: Kill Bill, Lord Of The Rings.

Favorite music: De Dijk, R&B-music, Bon Jovi, Elvis Presley, Anouk and I love the occasional Top40-onedayfly with a nice beat.

Favorite quote: "Suddenly I heard a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door." You heard me rapping, right? Eric Draven.


Jonathan Chuang

Joined BF in: March 2010

Writes for BF because: BF is pretty awesome... and my doctor says it's good for my self-esteem.

Wannabe character: Jack Hawksmoor, Morpheus of the Endless, X-Man, Amadeus Cho. Spider-man?  Magneto. DOCTOR WHO.

Favorite comics: Everything by Kirkman, Gaiman, Bendis, Morrison, Ellis, Millar.

Favorite movie: I'm going to preemptively say the Avengers movie.  DON'T make me regret that, Marvel Studios.

Favorite music: Maroon 5.

Favorite quote: "The Universe is vast and complicated, and sometimes impossible things just happen, and we call them miracles."


William Gatevackes

Joined BF in: January 2006

Writes for BF because: Because they'll let me? Also because the site has a unique voice in the world of intelligent comic book commentary.

Wannabe character: The Beast. Not only was he remarkably agile for his size, he was more intelligent than his outward appearance might have indicated. As a bonus, he was blue and furry, which made all the ladies want to hug him.

Favorite comics: I have been a fan of the Avengers in all their incarnations. I also like Captain America, Invincible Iron Man, Fables, Ex Machina, Scalped and anything pertaining to DC's Golden Age, especially JSA.

Favorite movie: Heathers. Dark humor, immensely quotable dialog and Winona Ryder. Who could ask anything more from a movie?

Favorite music: I have very diverse tastes in music, with everything from Rap to Country to Pop to Alternative in my CD collection. R.E.M. is my favorite band of all time, but the following bands get played a lot on my iPod: Nirvana, Barenaked Ladies, Weird Al Yankovic, Refreshments, Nellie McKay, Patty Griffin, Dixie Chicks, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Beastie Boys, Dave Matthews Band, Weezer, Ramones, Johnny Cash, Jared Campbell, Badlees, Dean Martin, Beatles, Pearl Jam, Lewis Black, Frank Sinatra and many, many more.

Favorite quote: "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."


Steven Surman

Joined BF in: October 2009

Writes for BF because: My love for writing and comic books.

Wannabe character: Doctor Strange.

Favorite comics: The works of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Mike Mignola, Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, Garth Ennis, Brian K. Vaughan, Warren Ellis, David Petersen, and Joe Sacco.

Favorite movies: Dark City, Star Wars, Avatar, Alien, Zodiac, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Sin City, Capote, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Favorite music: Chopin, Mozart, Pachelbel, and Beethoven.

Favorite quote: “Writing is the art of applying the ass to the seat.” -- Dorothy Parker


Jason Wilkins

Joined BF in: March 2010

Writes for BF because: The short answer would be because I love comics and always have. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read them and don’t foresee a future where I’ll stop. I love reading them. I love writing about them. I love trying to create them. Comics are the best storytelling medium we have that marries words and images. I can’t imagine a world without them.

Wannabe character: Tough one. I’m pretty down to earth, so I’m partial to street-level characters. I’d have to say Green Arrow or Hawkeye because they hold their own on roster full of gods, mutants, and aliens, with nothing more than their arrows and quick wits.

Favorite comics: I’ll give almost anything a read but it has to come from the heart for it to truly resonate with me. The Unwritten by Carey and Gross had me thinking about it for weeks after I first read the trade. It is, to my mind at least, the most original and fully realized comic property on the shelves today.

Favorite movie: I don’t really have a favorite all-time film but I loved Pan’s Labyrinth, Children of Men, and the rejuvenated Batman movie franchise. The last good movie I saw in the theater was Sherlock Holmes and that was also great, rollicking fun!

Favorite music: My dad had a killer vinyl collection that included every from Mozart to Zeppelin and Clapton to Marvin Gaye, so I’m open to pretty much anything. I am a huge Metallica fan (And yes, I realize St. Anger sucked!). I’d also feel remiss as a Canadian if I didn’t exhort the brilliant musical stylings of the Tragically Hip.

Favorite quote: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” My Dad.


Nathan Wilson

Joined BF in: May 2010

Writes for BF because: In my academic career, I write about comics and American popular culture.  Through my research, I made contact with numerous comic book writers and I wanted to maintain those relationships by bringing my writing to an even wider audience who appreciates comics and comic culture as much as I do. 

Wannabe character: Wow, that's difficult.  I'd have to say a it's a tie between the suaveness of King Mob w/ the crazy energy and fun of Wally West's Flash (via Mark Waid of course!).

Favorite comics: Currently, I'm really enjoying the beauty and fun of Francis Manapul on Adventure Comics and his latest work with Geoff Johns on Flash, but nothing beats Morrison's Batman & Robin at the moment.  Scalped, Incorruptible, and Irredeemable are high up there too. 

Favorite movie: Christian Bale's The Machinist.  Don't know why, don't want to think it about for what it may reveal about myself.

Favorite music: At the moment, Les Paul & Mary Ford, White Stripes, and Primus.

Favorite quote: Homer Simpson's conversation with his new editor—Editor: "You keep using words like 'Pasghetti' and 'Momatoes'  You make numerous threatening references to the UN and at the end you repeat the words 'Screw Flanders' over and over again."  Homer: "Oh, it's so hard to get to 500 words."


James Wortman

Joined BF in: February 2008

Writes for BF because: I’m obsessed with all things geeky.

Wannabe character: Tony Stark (Iron Man). He’s a brilliant inventor, has near-unlimited resources and fights bad guys in a totally tricked-out suit of armor. But underneath it all, he’s as vulnerable as any of us.

Favorite comics: I try to pick up Astonishing X-Men, The Amazing Spider-Man, Hulk and The Invincible Iron Man every month, making me more of a Marvel guy. However, my three favorite graphic novels are Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: The Killing Joke. Go figure.

Favorite movie: The Empire Strikes Back, hands down. I had it memorized by the time I was three years old.

Favorite music: Green Day, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Dropkick Murphys, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Weezer, Eminem, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, Tenacious D, The Ramones, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, The Who, and just about everything in between.

Favorite quote: "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."-C.S. Lewis

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