When I took over 'New Mutants,' writing and drawing, and I figure this is a big deal, I'm 23, 22 at that time, and I am nervous because I've had nothing but success. And now they're giving me the entire platform to create. And I figure, if I fall flat on my face here, it's going to hurt. It's going to set me back.
As a kid, my favorite book, up until 'X-Men,' was 'Avengers.' What does Captain America have? He has a shield. What does Thor have? He has a hammer. What does Hawkeye have? He has a bow and arrow. That's why Cable came with weapons. That's why Deadpool had swords and machine guns and pistols. It's like, let's weaponize these dudes.
Everyone has embraced the family-friendly Disney approach, which is great. I see all of those movies, and I take my kids. But I grew up on 'Predator,' 'Alien,' and 'Terminator.' People forget, but those were R-rated movies. So 'Deadpool' put its money where its mouth is, and it changed the game.
Dave Cockrum's work at Marvel and DC defined my childhood and inspired me to be a comic book creator. Without Dave, there is no New 'X-Men' resurgence, there is no Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, Lilandra, Star Jammers, or the Imperial Guard. His influence on generations of fans cannot be measured.