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Here are Kurt Busiek's answers to questions fans put to him about "Action Comics #853" and other relevant topics:
Kurt's Answers
Connor (kryptonman1@aol.com) asks:If the lab was soundproof, how did Krypto hear the signal? Furthermore, if Jimmy knew the lab was soundproof (the 'weedy-looking guy' told him) why did he even TRY to use the signal device in his watch? I'm really hoping I missed something, and that it really all makes sense.
Kurt: "Soundproof" doesn't mean that no sound whatsoever can escape -- Jimmy heard thumping noises through the wall, after all. It merely means that conventional soundproofing has been done, with acoustical tiles and the like, to cut down drastically on noise. Technically, that's "sound-lessening" rather than soundproofing, but soundproofing is what we call it.
The hypersonic signal will make it through acoustical tile -- otherwise, simply being in a city would be enough to kill the signal long before it reached Superman's ears.
Curtis Cheer Jr. (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Where has Krypto been since Infinite Crisis?
Kurt: Darn good question. Ordinarily I'd say "Wait and see," since he's only been back for a panel, so you'd expect that sort of thing to be covered next issue -- and it is, at least slightly -- but the real story's told in "Lost Boy," the Krypto tale I did with Rick Leonardi that got pulled from publication at the last minute. The folks up at DC, up to and including Paul Levitz, have told me they want to run that story eventually, but there are reasons they can't do it right now. So when they do run it, you'll know!
Adam Dechanel (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Is there any particular reason Krypto arrived and not Supergirl? Perhaps you have bigger plans for the canine?
Kurt: When you get #854, imagine the story playing out with Supergirl instead of Krypto, and you'll see why it just wouldn't have worked with her. Presumably, either she was busy elsewhere, somewhere she couldn't hear the signal, or else the signal doesn't reach her the way it reaches Superman. There must be some reason she doesn't regularly turn up when Jimmy sets that thing off, after all. Plus, in this particular case, he'd inadvertently cranked it up to a level that Kryptonian canines could hear, but Kryptonian humanoids couldn't.
Jeff Javorie (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Being honest here: I've always found Kryptonite Man a bit of a joke and the tie in thing feels like it shouldn't be. I must ask though are you told "you must write a countdown tie-in?" Your stories seem a lot richer and vibrant when you are given some freedom - your past portfolio proves that but considering the long term plan for Countdown - are you told how your story should pan out or are you allowed some freedom with it?
Kurt: I wasn't told "You must write a Countdown tie-in" -- I was asked, "Hey, how'd you like to write a Countdown tie-in about Jimmy Olsen?" I said, "You bet!" Particularly after asking if I could use Krypto, tell the New Earth origin of the signal-watch and bring back the Kryptonite Man, and was told yes at every turn.
As for how constricted the story was -- well, Jimmy's ongoing Countdown adventures are following a particular track, and I'm tying into events that happen in Countdown. So I built my story to connect to those. But the stuff outside of that particular material -- the Kryptonite Man and K-Monkey plot, plus the Krypto stuff -- is all my own devising.
Noah Treadwell (Email address withheld by request) asks:
I've noticed you've introduced a whole new array of villians which is (very) cool btw. How are the villians for story arcs chosen? Can you just create one or is there an approval process?
Kurt: I can just create 'em, subject of course to my editors approving the idea. So, yes, I did call Matt Idelson and describe the Clan MacHinery to him. Once he stopped snickering, he told me sure, that sounded fine. Same deal for the other villains I've introduced into the Super-books, but generally with less snickering. Except in the case of KryptoCoccus the Omni-Germ...
Michael Johnson (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Hi Kurt! Unrelated to the tie-in and I'm sure you have been asked this already but is 'Secret Identity' one of the 52 Earths?
Kurt: If it's up to me, I say no. It's a story that stands on its own -- it doesn't need to be woven into the DCU multiverse. I wouldn't particularly want to see DCU characters showing up in that universe and pulling the characters into conventional adventures -- it works better, to my mind, as a story that takes place in a world more like ours, where the DCU characters are fictional, and not characters who could actually turn up at any time.
Adam Dechanel (Email address withheld by request) asks:
Is this storys subplot with the monkey the introduction of a New Earth Titano or is there something bigger in the mix?
Kurt: Mainly, there was a lab monkey in Superman #650 that Dr. Abernathy's K-device was being tested on, and when we realized he'd escaped, we decided we had to do something with him. I call him "K-Monkey," mostly, so whether he becomes a new Titano remains to be seen. At least until next issue, where our story concludes -- I know what happens there, but I ain't telling.
It hadn't actually occurred to me, when working on the story, that the pre-Crisis Titano was a gorilla and the post-Crisis Titano was a chimp, while our little guy is a chimp who can turn into a gorilla if he wants to. Sometimes you just get lucky.
Thanks Kurt! Looking forward to your next Superman issue.
Kurt: My pleasure. The finalé of "3-2-1 Action" is coming this week, I think, and then next up should be Superman #666, a double-sized nightmare of a story in which Superman goes to Hell, featuring guest-appearances and/or cameos by the Phantom Stranger, Zatanna, the Demon and more, all gorgeously drawn by the great Walter Simonson...
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