A Conversation With Saladin Ahmed
A few weeks ago, I had the fortune to interview author Saladin Ahmed over the phone. I think it’s fair to say that Saladin is one of, if not the most prominent Arab American authors in SF. When we had this conversation, I was working on an article about Afrofuturism in comics, and I knew there was no way I could leave out one of my favorite comic characters, Miles Morales.
I first met Saladin at WisCon, although I’m not sure which year. His manner is warm and friendly, and he’s just a good hang. Powerfully built, he usually wears his hair in a dark mane that goes well with his beard and mustache. We’ve spent a lot of time just shooting the shit outside the Madison Concourse Hotel, and the phone conversation had much the same vibe. It was a great way to start putting together the material for my first-ever nonfiction feature.
A lot of what Saladin said didn’t make it into the final article, so I’ve decided to post it here and give people an idea what the author has to say about his comics work.
Sometime soon, I’ll take a deep dive into Saladin’s exquisitely crafted weird western short story, “Mister Hadj’s Sunset Ride,” but I’ll save that for later….
(This interview has been edited for clarity.)
Alex Jennings: Are there any ideas or principles you keep in mind when making story/character decisions for Miles?
Saladin Ahmed: Miles is a spider. Spider-man stories have certain commonalities across media. Audiences want to see a character who is a normal person, not a living god or an android. He’s a neighborhood kid suddenly granted access to incredible power.
Miles is also a decent kid. He’s a good person, and he’s driven by brightness in a way that Peter Parker isn’t. Miles has his darker moments, but he’s not as melancholy as the other Spider-man. His stories tend to focus on everyday heroes and highlight the importance of being good to the people around you.
AJ: You’ve recently introduced 616 Miles Morales under the codename Ultimatum. He’s a fascinating character. What is it like to pick up where Spider-Men 2 left off?
SA: “Complicated” is the first word that comes to mind. One of the things you deal with is these Russian Dolls of realities that exist side-by-side. Miles’s origin is all caught up in that. We’re trying to streamline that and make it all make sense at least in a crazy Marvel way, over the next arc or so. There will be some spectacular reveals coming up.
AJ: Has [The animated feature] Into the Spiderverse affected your writing process at all?
SA: Not really. Some people think because of the movie we’ve introduced Ultimate Norman, but when I was writing the first arc, I declined early looks at the film because I wanted to do my own thing and get it out there. I went to the movie on opening day with my kids like a civilian, and it just so happens that some of the same threads appear in my work. Miles’s Latino Side, the sense of place (Brooklyn.)
AJ: Marvel seems to be entering a new era after Marvel #1000. How do you see your role in building that new era?
Giving that a name is above my pay grade. I’m pretty boots-on-the-ground in my own own books. There are a couple things I can’t talk about, but my main commitments are Ms. Marvel and Spider-man. So we’re in our own little corner of things.
AJ: You’ve written Black Bolt, The Exiles, and now Spider-man and his various guest stars. Which characters are you just salivating to get your hands on?
SA: That’s a bit hard to say. It’s never really just about the story you want to tell. It’s about the hundreds of stories being told, or that were just told, or are going to be told, so we have to coordinate with that. That being said, Captain America is a character that I’ve had a complicated-but-loving relationship with that I’d love to take for a spin.
AJ: Do you find that Miles’ existence is “taken for granted” by younger fans? How do you feel about that?
SA: I think about how I thirsted for characters like these without really realizing it as a kid. They take a lot for granted, but they’re both, even at age 9, aware that this stuff can’t be taken completely for granted. Diversity is growing, but the narrative weight most media is still centered on white boys. They have better things to compare to that now, but it doesn’t feel like a won battle to them or to me.
AJ: Hickman’s X-men relaunch HAS to create ripples in the wider Marvel Universe. Do you see it intersecting with your own work at all?
SA: The fun thing about this work is that even when you are doing these very local stories, there is always that ripple effect from some of the larger events. For instance, when we had that Atlantean invasion last year, we used that event to create some of our set-pieces—like a train rescue where there was water on the tracks from the whole Atlantis.
AJ: What’s coming up for Miles in the next few months? Is there anything you can talk about?
SA: We just announced at Comicon that Marvel is reviving this series called The End. The final adventures of a given set of characters. Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, etc. I wrote one for Miles, and it’s being illustrated by Damion Scott, the artist who created those comic covers based on iconic Hip-hop album covers. In this story, Miles elderly, and the last dregs of humanity are making a community in Brooklyn in an era where Manhattan is no more. Miles is Mayor, and while the story is post-apocalyptic, I think there’s also a hopeful feel to it.