TCZ: So Brian how did you get your start?
BA:  Like many folks in the business today, I started as a die-hard fan--which I still am.  After that I was part of the great, mid-eighties
independent  comics boom, editing and co-writing on a comic called Trollords.  From there, I was offered a job with DC as an editor, and stayed for almost ten years.  My first major comic work was the 1989 Detective Annual, which I co-wrote, oddly enough, with Mark Waid.

TCZ:  Ok -- so what do you think has been  your best work so far?
BA:  I hope I haven't written it yet, or I might as well give up.  I am fond  of "Gotham By Gaslight," DC's first Elseworld's comic, and I love  working on  Flash with that Waid guy.

TCZ:  We know you're a big fan of comics so what is your favorite comic - from your childhood and now?
BA:  I was a really major Daredevil fan as a kid, and--thanks to Smith,  Quesada and Palmiotti--I still am.  I also loved Flash.  It's the only comic I actively collected.  Of late, I truly love Alan Moore's "America's Best  Comics" titles, and Waid's Kingdom Come.

TCZ:  What was your favorite toy - from your childhood and now?
BA:  I have always been a fan of die-cast metal cars, and I casually collect  them as an adult.  I also liked and like all things Baseball, too.

TCZ:  Who has inspired you the most (does not have to be comic book related, but you can answer both creatively and personally if you like)?
BA:  I was inspired by most everything I read as a kid.  Stan Lee, Julie Schwartz, Carmine Infantino, John Broome, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, Ray  Bradbury, Raymond Chandler, Harlan Ellison.  More recently I've been  impressed and inspired by writers such as David Mamet, David Kelley, William Kennedy, and Lawrence Block.

TCZ:  What other people in the comics industry would you most like to work with and why?
BA:  Tough one, I work with some amazingly talented folks already.  It's a dream, for instance to write for Humberto Ramos, on Crimson.  I am a big fan of Alan Davis, though.  I'd love to do a Flash something with him.

TCZ:  Who else in the industry do you follow - what I mean is, who's stuff   impresses you?
BA:   Waid, Moore, Astro City, Grant Morrison, Devon Grayson, Frank Miller, Warren Ellis, Tom Peyer, Christopher Priest, Quesada and Palmiotti, and tons and tons more...

TCZ:  What advice you give you someone who is trying to break in to the business of comics?
BA:  Seek professional help--FAST! ;-)  Actually, the oldest advice is still the best.  Keep doing it, get better, submit constantly and practice,  practice, practice!

TCZ:  When you are considering a job -- what makes you want to take it the most -- is it the character - the people you will be working with -- or something  else?
BA:  It's usually some combination of all of the above.  But if there isn't a character I can get into, nothing works.

TCZ:  What book would be your dream project?
BA:  Something with Daredevil, I suspect.

TCZ:  What is the most difficult thing/ and or fun aspect of working on  Crimson  for you?
BA:  There is nothing difficult about working on Crimson, it's non-stop  fun--with great art!

TCZ:  What's it like working with Humberto Ramos on Crimson?
BA:  See above; he's great fun, a terrific artist, and a very funny guy.

TCZ:  Any hints as to what you guys have in store for fans of the series?
BA:  A new angel character joins the cast full-time with #13, and Stan will be back to collect his debt someday soon.

TCZ:  As far as Cliffhanger titles go - Crimson has been a great read - and the best part is it also has been coming out fairly consistently - will it continue to do so?
BA:  Thanks for the kind words.  We will certainly come out regularly--Crimson IS a monthly comic, after all.

TCZ:  In creating a good comic book, in your opinion, what is the most  important element?
BA:  As a writer, I'd say character and story are the most important, but I recognize that a great comic needs great art to truly bring it off. 

TCZ::  What was the high point of 1999 for you  so far --- and why?
BA:  199's been a great year, but I think I enjoyed getting back to Flash, and receiving such terrific response to JLA: Year One.  It's always reassuring to find that the things we enjoy working on are equally enjoyed by the readers.

TCZ:  Flash - how is it working with Mark Waid?
BA:  It's good.  We're very good friends, and we've been doing it for  ten years.  He's extremely talented, very generous and hilarious.  And a heckuva ballroom dancer too.

TCZ:  Big changes are happening in this book - can you give us run down of what's going on?
BA:  We've got a new, mysterious Flash as of #152, we'll be picking up  mystery of whatever happened to Linda.  Plus, we'll be looking into whether Wally West is dead, or...?

Plus we'll be introducing some brand new villains, and reintroducing some old ones.

TCZ:   What is the most difficult thing/ and or fun aspect of working on  Flash  for you?
BA:  Again, it's all fun.  Working with a good friend on a long favorite character has always been a dream.  It's most fun, however, when a sneaky plan for story reversals occur to us.  We love keeping the reader guessing!

TCZ::  Any hints as to how this new direction will pan out…our fans are dying to know?
BA:  Yes, they are--but I'm not going to give anything away--sorry.  All the answers will be known by Flash #158, however, so you don't have long to wait.

TCZ:  Will you be working on Pain Killer Jane or any Event book again anytime  soon?
BA:  As soon as they ask, yes!  Jane is one of my most favorite  characters--she gives me a chance to use my hard-boiled detective genes.

TCZ:  What made you decide that "the comic business is  the career for  me"?   
BA:  I'm not sure what it says about me, but I think I wanted to do this since I first became a fan.  I have had "real" jobs, but this is still the most fun and rewarding.

TCZ:  What makes you want to stay in it…?
BA:  The stories keep coming to me, so I'd better have an outlet.

TCZ:  What's next (next book, next project, next deal or next thing we should be looking for from you?
BA:  Actually more Flash and Crimson, and some one-shot spin-off stuff  from both.

TCZ:  What do you think the industry needs to do to attract more readers/fans?
BA:  It might help if comics were available in more general-audience venues,  like mall stores, video stores, etc.

TCZ::  What message would you like to send to your fans or comic fans in general?
BA:  Thanks for keeping us all in business to do the things we enjoy so much!