Mage: The Author Defined
Separating fact from fiction in Wagner's mythology.
By Kevin Hawkins.

In the 1980's a new comic creator named Matt Wagner began work on a unique story. It was titled MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED. Contrary to most comicbook fare of the time, this story's featured Hero wore no spandex tights, had no mutant powers, he couldn't even fly -- quite to the contrary, he was deathly afraid of heights. The Hero, Kevin Matchstick, also bore a remarkable resemblance to his creator. Wagner himself has called Kevin Matchstick his "thinly veiled fictional alter ego." There's more to it than that, Wagner made it quite clear over time that MAGE was a mythological autobiography.

By the time the story in THE HERO DISCOVERED ended, a cynical and nihilistic Kevin Matchstick had come to terms with his true identity: he is King Arthur reborn, bearing Excalibur in the form of a magic glowing baseball bat. You could say Matt Wagner had discovered his true identity as well. He entered the comic scene out-of-the-blue, working with a brand-new comic label (Comico Comics) and emerged from completing MAGE as an acclaimed talent, pen in hand. Wagner and his fictional alter ego had both claimed their power.

As the story of MAGE closed, Comico Comics was already advertising the sequel: MAGE 2: THE HERO DEFINED which was later to be followed by MAGE 3: THE HERO DENIED. Originally promoted for publication in 1988, the MAGE 2 project spent years undeveloped as Wagner poured his energy into his other signature work, the violent and often bloody, GRENDEL. But as GRENDEL drew to a close, Comico Comics filed for bankruptcy and the resulting licensing entanglements forbid Wagner from working on either of his creations for years. Even after those complications had been resolved, he still refused to return to work on MAGE. At last, in 1997, ten years later Wagner returned to work on the second part of the MAGE story with MAGE 2: THE HERO DEFINED.

With MAGE 2, Wagner raised the autobiographical stakes even higher. Other characters in the story were based not only on mythological figures, but real-life comic personalities as well. Matt Wagner had moved into a larger world of other artists and creative peers, and Kevin Matchstick had encountered a community of Heroes, mythological avatars. As a result, MAGE 2 becomes a rather dense, if not Joycean tale to read. One can engage with the story in a strictly fictional sense and follow the adventures of Kevin Matchstick, attempting to decipher which historical Heroes these modern avatars represented. Alternately, a reader can look for hints of how this stories events relate to Wagner's real life and speculate on which comic creators were the inspiration behind Kevin Matchstick's new circle of peers. So how does it all come together? Or rather: Who's who in MAGE 2?

In December 1986 the last issue of MAGE: THE HERO DISCOVERED was published. Wagner's popular comic GRENDEL had just printed Issue #3. Rumors of MAGE 2 seeing print by 1988 were already circulating. In October of 1987, colorist Joe Matt had been working with Wagner on GRENDEL and Bernie Mireault joined the two on issues 13-15 of GRENDEL. This is shown in the pages of MAGE 2 as Kevin Matchstick and Joe Phat meeting with Kirby Hero. As an autobiography, one must conclude that the events in MAGE 2 cover Matt Wagner's life experiences of roughly 10 to 12 years ago. Of the comic heroes' relation to their real-life counter-parts, Diana Schutz (Wagner's editor on MAGE and GRENDEL, now with Dark Horse Press) says: "Joe Phat (Joe Matt) and Kirby Hero (Bernie Mireault) are dead-on-the-money caricatures of their originals."

A trio of witches offsets this trio of male heroes in MAGE 2. Three sisters named Isis, Magda and Ishtar. For now let us establish Isis as a fictional double for Diana Schutz, and her two sisters Magda and Ishtar as respective doubles for Diana Schutz's real-life sisters Barbara and Trish.

Let's examine the male trio in detail first. Kevin Matchstick quickly assumes a position of leadership and armed with his magic money card buys a fair amount of meals for the three. Of this, Matt Wagner has said: "In the days covered in MAGE 2, I was part of a moderate sized contingent of fledgling comic creators. Of the group, only I was successful, both financially and critically, so in that sense, I was leader... I had the magic money card."

Joe Matt seems an obvious inspiration for the speedster hero, Joe Phat. Joe Phat is constantly hungry and asking if Kevin Matchstick will pay for their next meal. As if to support any suspicions that Joe Matt himself engages in such behavior, the March 2000 issue of DETAILS Magazine, features a comic strip by Joe Matt in which he passes on ordering a meal at a restaurant because he's broke. Later in MAGE 2, a sex-demoness (Succubus) attaches itself to Joe Phat. She appears to him in the form of the witch Ishtar and shortly thereafter takes up residence in his closet. One of the things this succubus appears to represent is Joe Matt's self-confessed appetite for pornography. In the previously mentioned comic strip, a character mentions Joe Matt's "massive collection of pornographic videos." But there is possibly more to this she-demon.

In 1988 or so, Joe Matt began creating one-page autobiographical strips that eventually were published together in a book titled PEEPSHOW. One of the tales features involves his breakup with his girlfriend Trish. It seems likely that this is Trish Schutz, the real-life basis for Ishtar, whose appearance the succubus assumes. Their involvement and eventual breakup could be mirrored in Joe Phat's capture and eventual freedom from the succubus. Of course, it could just as easily be a dramatic embellishment strictly for storyline purposes.

Kirby Hero, Kevin's come-and-go companion is certainly based in part on Bernie Mireault (Mireault is currently working on artwork for THE BLAIR WITCH CHRONICLES, published by Oni Press.). Mireault agrees with some reservations: "I think Kirby Hero is a mixture of a lot of people, not just me. MAGE is a sort of autobiographical fantasy where Matt takes people who were present during the period of his life that inspires his story and uses them as a springboard for the ultimate character. Everything is larger than life." However, recognizing the elements drawn from him, he goes on to add: "I feel Matt has given me something precious. He's made me a part of the art form I love. I'm there, in the comics, printed in four colors. It's a dream come true."

The evidence of Kirby representing Bernie Mireault is compelling:

1) In Issue #5 Kirby Hero joins Kevin and Joe in the Faerie Realms with the line: "The return of the 5-o'clock hero." This refers to a song by the group The Jam. Mireault's own comic is titled: THE JAM. Also, Kirby Hero's quip following his name: "Rhymes with Zero" has been used by Mireault in conjunction with his surname.

2) Mireault worked with Wagner and Joe Matt four separate times on GRENDEL. Like Kirby Hero, he kept coming and going. Just as Kirby parts company with the other Heroes three times, Mireault had three gaps in his time working on GRENDEL.

3) The stormy friendship shown between Kevin Matchstick and Kirby Hero mirrors some friction in Mireault and Wagner's friendship. Kirby Hero is constantly accusing Kevin Matchstick of assuming the role of leader, the tension between the two is palpable. Once in an interview, Mireault confirmed that he didn't necessarily acknowledge Wagner's superiority. However, when questioned about this he now states: "Like any work relationship, it was not always smooth. We didn't always see eye to eye, but I've always respected his talent and appreciated the fact that it was he who gave me a start in the business."

Regarding the falling out between Kirby Hero and Kevin Matchstick in the conclusion of MAGE 2, Wagner has stated: "Bernie and I had a falling out, couple years back and haven't spoken, really, since." Of this, Mireault states: "We didn't have much of a falling out. It was more that Matt moved to the West Coast and started a family. I think the "falling out" depicted in MAGE 2 was dramatized to serve the needs of the story."

The influence of Mireault on Kirby Hero is undeniable, but Wagner has commented: "A lot of the characters are the amalgams of many people." In fact, although Kirby Hero specifically started out in MAGE 2 as Mireault, he "ended up more like a person with whom I've had a much closer and even more complex relationship than the big B."

Moving on to the trio of female characters, we come to Isis. Wagner has shown his one-time editor constantly working with charts, figures and calculations. All the things that Wally Ut refers to as "Women's Magic." Diana Schutz responds: "How do I feel about Isis? I'm honored -- and I took Matt's gentle little digs about my overly anal sense of organization, scheduling, and deadlines with great humor. He teases me about that stuff all the time anyway -- not just in the comic. But I look a lot less like an old hippie than he depicts me -- though perhaps that's the "inner" me that he drew. I sure as hell wouldn't ever wear Converse high tops with a long skirt!"

Isis's companion, the giant Bart Gretch, is apparently based on Diana Schutz' one-time husband Bob Schreck (recently with Oni Press). "I adored Matt's depiction of Bob Schreck as the giant Gretch," confirms Schutz. "Who could not love a guy like that?!"

For Wagner, perhaps one of the most important roles that Diana Schutz has ever assumed is that of matchmaker. In MAGE 2, Isis introduces Kevin Matchstick to her sister Magda. The Hero and the witch quickly fall in love. Of meeting the woman who was to later become his wife (Barbara Schutz), Wagner says:"[Diana] had been trying to set us up for years and then, POW, we fell like little tin soldiers."

Like her sister, Wagner's wife also questioned his choice in footwear for her magical double. Upon viewing some artwork for MAGE 2, Wagner reports she exclaimed she would never wear shoes like those of her double. Magda's resemblance to Barbara Schutz is more than just passing, readers of GRENDEL can confirm this from perusing the letters column of Issue #28 which featured photos from Wagner and Schutz' wedding. A frame in MAGE 2 was even inspired by an earlier drawing by Wagner. He claims, "The shot where Kevin wakes up and then peers over her shoulder in bed (Issue 10, pg. 2) is actually based on a drawing I did of Barb asleep in my bed one morning. Still have it. The touching shoes as well."

Diana has confirmed the real-life identities of her alter ego's sisters, and adds: "I love Matt's renditions of my two sisters. Barbara (Magda), his wife, is totally glamorous, which is no doubt how Matt sees her -- and Trish (Ish) is unmistakable! Although, since this MAGE series is actually set about a dozen years ago in terms of Matt's life, I should point out that Trish is no longer the young punkster she was then."

So what are these heroes doing? Most specifically, Kevin Matchstick? They are engaged in something called the "Nasty Hunt" -- finding monsters and destroying them. Of these battles, Wagner says: "I've fought those goblins and ogres in a very metaphorical sense in my own mind as the various stresses and conflicts that you come into contact with in everyday life. I tend to take something that has happened to me, either a trauma or emotional development, and turn it into a myth." And while his characters are hunting monsters, Wagner was dealing with a monster of his own creation: GRENDEL, the very comic he was working on at the time. I believe that one of the things indicated by the violence in MAGE 2 is the overall violent tone of GRENDEL. Its influence was definitely immediate. Wagner has referred to his work on GRENDEL as helping him work out his "demons."

The Nasty Hunt eventually draws Kevin Matchstick and Joe Phat to Canada, where they run into Kirby Hero once again. An event mirrored by Matt Wagner's move to Montreal, where he shared a studio with Mireault. It is also here where Kevin Matchstick encounters even more Heroes, many who are not so ready to accept his leadership. Well... one is perhaps over-eager to serve King Arthur reborn: Garth. Wagner admits that the character of Garth "was a composite of sycophants that I've known. One in particular that no one would recognize." But there are other heroes... the Sun Twins, The Dragon Slayer, Prester John, Kim Song and the Ulster Hound.

The Dragon Slayer is a hero that catches everyone's attention easily. The other heroes speak of him in hushed tones of wonder. I owe the following observations to Danny Sichel:

"As the "Otto Biawgravie" letter (published in Issue #8 of MAGE 2) made quite clear, the Dragon Slayer is Dave Sim, creator of CEREBUS. There's the initials, the attitude, the facial features, the mention of an Earth Pig, and above all, the Slayer's assistant "Schnobble" -- who "stays in the background". Dave Sim's assistant is named Gerhardt. Sim draws most of the comic, and Gerhardt fills in the backgrounds. Will Eisner wrote a much-reprinted story about the life and death of Gerhardt Schnobble. Q.E.D."

Wagner admits that the Dragon Slayer is based on Dave Sim. "Sim's a complicated equation." He says. "I tried to get that across in the depiction. A hard-core partier ("Gimme all that juice") and cultural elitist, he's one of the funniest, meanest, most honest people I've ever met. No, we didn't fist fight."

The Ulster Hound's appearance makes him a dead-ringer for Alan Moore, the creator of the 1980's comic WATCHMEN, and current cornerstone of AMERICA'S BEST COMICS. The symbol on the Ulster Hound's shirt itself is a modification of Moore's WATCHMEN "smiley face" logo. Apparently Alan Moore and his wife at one time had a third partner join them in their relationship -- in an issue of CEREBUS, Dave Sim has referred to this with the following line: "Alan Moore's ex-wife and his ex-wife's girlfriend," or "Alan's then-wife and Alan's then-wife's girlfriend." Is certainly seems that as one whose work contains more than a slight reference to the occult, such a relationship (and it's echoes of the notorious mystic Aleister Crowley) might be right up Moore's alley. Sim refers to a discussion with Moore and his female companions about Martin Scorsese's film THE LAST TEMPTATION OF JESUS CHRIST, which was released in 1988. The same time-period covered in MAGE 2. The two female companions of the Ulster Hound would seem to logically represent Moore's wife and their female partner.

Prester John, or John J Strider the xth is a prominent Hero in the latter portion of MAGE 2. He enters late in the story, but unlike many other avatars he actually joins Kevin Matchstick on his personal quest. In real life, he would seem to be based on John K. Snyder the 3rd. Last Year, Wagner and Snyder worked together again on DC Comic's DOCTOR MID-NITE mini-series. When questioned regarding the even-tempered Asian Hero Kim Song, Wagner points to artist Tim Sale as his inspiration.

Lastly, it is tempting to jump to the conclusion that the Sun Twin heroes are doubles for Arnold and Jacob Pander (the Pander Bros. who worked on GRENDEL 1-12). One would be wrong however in this assumption. Wagner claims they are based on two "overly eager and argumentative" creators of the time.

As mentioned above, MAGE 2 is a unique mix of fantasy and fact. As Mireault says, "Everything is larger than life." As such, although characters are generally drawn from real people, not everything in the story corresponds to specific events in Wagner's real life.

Let's take a look at the vision shared by Kevin, Kirby and Joe. In the story, the character of Isis provides a mystical means for the heroes to share this vision. When asked if she ever played a similar role as the editor of GRENDEL, Diana Schutz replies: "Matt has always had a pretty cohesive relationship on his own with the artists on GRENDEL; I've never really had to play go-between. It's always been much more of a team spirit, and I always felt myself a part of that team -- rather than someone who had to negotiate between different team members." This vision is important, because it is a specific point of strife between Kirby Hero and Kevin Matchstick. However, it doesn't seem to refer to a specific difference in opinion between Wagner and Mireault. "It's a visual way to illustrate a difference in philosophies between the two characters," Mireault opines. Similarly, when asked about Kirby Hero's thwarted quest, he defers this to story-based dramatics: "There was no key project or endeavor squabbled over."

Diana Schutz' thoughts on her alter ego's struggles with the character of Wally Ut show those scenes to very likely be more story-driven than reality based. Her interaction with Wally Ut is unique, because Wally doesn't seem to represent any specific real-life entity. Diana comments: "[Matt] once told me that Wally was a blend both of his father, whom I barely know, and of Matt himself as an older man -- or how he sees himself as an older man. Matt and I have had our moments of tension -- over deadlines or creative choices or whatever -- but there's such a deep underlying friendship that there's never been any real 'strife.'"

Her reading might be too literal -- Wally Ut is a manifestation of the story's Mage after all. I can only guess that the tension between Isis and Wally is a visual representation of the tensions between the two types of "magic" that go into comic creation: artistic flow and expression vs. deadlines and demographics.

Another important visual metaphor in MAGE 2 is the destruction of the main character's weapon. According to Wagner this represents Comico's filing for bankruptcy and his consequent legal inability to work on either MAGE or GRENDEL.

However metaphorical specific events may be in relation to Wagner's real life, the over-all scope deals with (as he refers to them) "personal truths." The over-riding personal truth in MAGE centering around his alter ego's meeting and eventual proposal to the witch Magda. "The whole point to this stage of growing up is that, sooner or later, the boys club (or whatever you're safe haven clan is) has to break up in order for you to mature." Says Wagner. "In Kevin's case... he's gotta go live with a woman."

And that brings us to the next step, MAGE 3: THE HERO DENIED. Mireault offers an interesting perspective on what has come before and what the future may hold: "MAGE 2 is an excellent piece of work from a strong creator. I hope he continues being so productive. I wonder how he likes trying to work with a bunch of kids playing in the house. I predict MAGE 3 will be about family."

Mireault's prediction seems likely, and Wagner himself has referred to the upcoming MAGE 3 as "the Kevin and Magda show." Although he has claimed at times that he has no firm plans regarding what will happen in MAGE 3, Wagner has let it slip that his son "can't wait until he's in MAGE." As it stands, only time will tell. Hopefully, not ten more years.

Kevin Hawkins lives in Cleveland, OH where he subsists on a diet exclusively of quail eggs and rare tropical fish. When not maintaining the MAGE II website he operates Tech-Style, a web-design and consulting firm, and can be found in blue tights attempting to channel George Reeves. So far, no luck...

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