Connect with us
Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Comic Books

Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Plus, Piskor looks ahead to what comes after X-Men: Grand Design – X-Tinction.

Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor blew the comics community away with his comprehensive remix of X-Men history in the first two volumes of X-Men: Grand Design. Now, the auteur is ready to wrap up his mutant saga with X-Men: Grand Design – X-Tinction #1 and 2. The two issues promise Piskor’s take on classic X-Men stories like “Mutant Massacre” and “X-Tinction Agenda,” as well as a conclusion you’ll never see in Marvel’s ongoing X-Men comics.

Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Photo by Garret Jones

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!

As AiPT! spoke to Piskor ahead of the release of X-Men: Grand Design #1, now felt like the perfect time to have a follow-up chat about the work that went into the final volume of this very unique X-series, as well as what’s next for the creator.

AiPT!: First, congratulations on finishing all of X-Men: Grand Design. In a Twitter post you said it took a little over 1,000 days of work. How does it feel to be finished with it all?

Ed Piskor: Pretty good. I was itching to get back to my own stuff, so after putting the final nail in the X-Men work I immediately got to work on my next book. I thank Marvel for financing these next few years of independent comix making.

AiPT!: On average, how long did it take to complete a single page of Grand Design?

Piskor: Probably three days.

AiPT!: Which X-Men character did you have the most fun drawing?

Piskor: There aren’t many standouts. I can tell you that Cameron Hodge was the guy I was least looking forward to drawing.

Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Image Credit: Marvel Comics

AiPT!: The final installments of X-Men: Grand Design – X-Tinction focus on the later stories of Chris Claremont’s first X-Men run. When re-reading those comics, was there anything in them you came to appreciate more as an older reader?

Piskor: Hmmmm. I think they’re the best Marc Silvestri and Jim Lee comics money can buy. The stories are just dumb fun, though. “Pulp” in the most joyous sense of the word.

AiPT!: And as an X-Men fan, is there a character you came to appreciate a lot more after working on X-Men: Grand Design?

Piskor: I think I identified with Cyclops more than I thought I would have. I think this might mean I’m becoming older and more of a nerdy square.

Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Image Credit: Marvel Comics

AiPT!: You’ve said before that X-Men: Grand Design pretty much just covers about 280 issues of X-Men. How did you approach crafting a conclusion to your X-Men story knowing that these characters’ adventures obviously continued beyond Claremont’s run?

Piskor: You’ll have to see how I finished things off in X-Tinction. The ending was something I had in mind almost the whole time.

AiPT!: Of the three X-eras you covered, which was the most fun to work on?

Piskor: The last two for different reasons. Second Genesis because it’s the best material from any X-Men comic. X-Tinction because it was my X-Men, the era where I was pulling those books off the spinner rack each month at the local drug store.

Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Image Credit: Marvel Comics

AiPT!: Will the eventual X-Tinction collection feature a re-colored comic like the previous two Treasury Editions?

Piskor: Yep. Uncanny X-Men #268. The issue with Captain America and Black Widow. It’s the closest to a standalone comic from that late period.

Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Image Credit: Marvel Comics

AiPT!: Would you be open to working with Marvel again on another project?

Piskor: Sure. Why not. I don’t know what it would be though.

AiPT!: After completing a project as massive as X-Men: Grand Design, do you like to take some time off or do you jump right into your next project?

Piskor: Grinding away on my next comic as I type this. I’m built to make comics and wouldn’t know what else to do with my time.

AiPT!: We wouldn’t have it any other way! Thanks for taking the time to chat, Ed!

Age of X-Tinction: Writer and illustrator Ed Piskor reflects on X-Men: Grand Design

Image Credit: Marvel Comics

X-Men: Grand Design – X-Tinction #1 goes on sale May 29 and X-Tinction #2 will be available June 19.

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup