New series 'Marvel's Storyboards' goes behind the scenes of comic book characters

BySandy A. Kenyon OTRC logo
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Marvel's Storyboards' goes behind the scenes of comic characters
Fans of Marvel Comics can't get enough of the story behind each one of the superheroes, and blockbuster movies have only increased interest in "The Avengers" and the rest of the Marvel Universe.

NEW YORK CITY -- Fans of Marvel Comics can't get enough of the story behind each one of the superheroes, and blockbuster movies have only increased interest in "The Avengers" and the rest of the Marvel Universe.

Now, a new TV series called Marvel's Storyboards -- available for free online -- goes into even more detail.

"I've learned that you can find stories anywhere and everywhere," said Joe Quesada, Marvel Entertainment Executive Vice President, Creative Director. "Everyone is a storyteller. Even if you're not making money from it, we're all storytellers."

"I get paid to do what I used to get yelled at in school for doing," he said. "Which is daydreaming, staring out a window, imagining things, and then doodling in my notebook."

In-depth: Joe Quesada profile

Joe Quesada has undertaken a hero's journey of his own, starting as a first-generation Cuban-American born in Queens who has become a prolific and legendary comic book artist sheph

He grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Jackson Heights, near Shea Stadium.

"We were such a mixed bag of kids that we didn't know any different," he said. "It was really a magical, magical way to grow up, playing stickball on 95th Street."

His life's work was inspired by another kid from Queens named Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man, which makes Quesada the perfect guy to take to our streets for the new series.

Related: Joe Quesada, the man behind Marvel, shares his real-life heroic journey

"The inception of the Marvel Universe, if you look at our publishing history, you know back in the early 60s, New York was the canvas," he said. "Everything happened in New York, so that's really kind of where our roots are."

In the series, which was taped before the pandemic hit, Hugh Jackman shows how he got in character as Wolverine while Natalia Cordova-Buckley, from "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," demonstrates how superheroes work out.

A new episode arrives online every Thursday through September for a total of 12.

Each segment is available for free on YouTube.

"This is a great way, and Marvel.com is a great way, and all our social channels are a great way to reach our fans," Quesada said.