Dave Wachter

Talking Comics with Tim: Adam Besenyodi

Deus ex Comica

It stands to reason that if you're reading this site, you're a fan of comics. Some folks step away from collecting at different times for varying reasons. And then some come back. Adam Besenyodi recently wrote a book, Deus ex Comica: The Rebirth of a Comic Book Fan, that documents his history as a fan. As described at Amazon: "With a mix of humor, recollection and insight, Deus ex Comica explores how the Marvel Comics stable of titles influenced Adam's pre-teen and adolescent years, his rediscovery of sequential art as an adult, and the pleasure of watching his own son's first steps into the comic book universe." This Saturday, Free Comic Book Day, Besenyodi will do a book signing at Bill's Books and More comic book shop in Canton, Ohio, from 12pm to 3pm.

Tim O'Shea: How did you score Tom DeFalco to write the foreword to your book?

Adam Besenyodi: Oh, man! Tom DeFalco. I put Tom in the "legendary" category with regards to comics and Marvel, so it is still kind of crazy to me that he wrote the foreword to my book. I met Tom through LinkedIn, actually -- the professional networking site. I introduced myself to him and we struck up an online friendship. In early 2008, I started sharing with him the online Deus ex Comica series I was writing for Field's Edge, and Tom was really supportive and encouraging of my writing.

Around mid-year 2008 I decided to turn the online series into a proper book, and as I was wrapping up the first full draft of the book in December, I began to think about including a foreword and who I could ask to write it. Tom has always been quick to respond and this time -- even amid the holiday crush -- was no exception. He graciously looked past the awkwardness of my proposition and immediately agreed to write the foreword to the book.