The Chat with comic-book guru and Everett CC professor T. Andrew Wahl

By day, Wahl, 45, leads the journalism and media communication program at Everett Community College. By night, he’s a comic-book historian. He travels the state professing his love for superhero comics and is closing in on 3,500 miles of road-tripping for Humanities Washington. He has two daughters, Katja Wahl, 16, and Anastazia Burnett, 25, and a grandson Dax, 2. He has read 20,000 comic books, and counting.

What does the T stand for?

Theodore. Dad is also a Theodore so I’ve always gone by my middle name, Andrew.

You’re sitting down with a new comic book: Where are you and what are you drinking?

That’d be my front porch. I bought one of those zero-gravity chairs and it’s perfect for reading (and napping). As for beverages, I tend to go unleaded, so ice water or Diet Snapple are my go-to drinks during summer.

If you could have a beer with anyone in history who would it be?

No question: Benjamin Franklin! He was one of my first inspirations as a journalist and editorial cartoonist, and there are few characters in history more interesting.

Besides teaching, what’s your dream job?

Not to sound cheesy, but I’ve got my dream jobs. It’s always been journalism and comic books for me. I published my first newspaper, The Shooting Star, at age 5, and my first comics when I was 10. Journalism ended up paying the bills first (I was a newspaper editor before teaching journalism), and comics and comic-book history became the side gig.

Fill in the blanks: People think I am an extrovert but I am really an introvert.

My mom is a quiet homebody and, in reality, I actually take after her. But Dad is a big-time extrovert, and I’m able to tap into those tendencies when I need to, which is handy for someone who gives public presentations on a regular basis.

Favorite superhero?

Kitty Pryde of the X-Men. She debuted in 1980 and was my point-of-view character into the X-Men and the Marvel Universe. My teenage daughter, Katja, is actually named after her. I convinced her mother about the name before telling her where it came from.

Most proud moment?

Every time I think about what amazing young women my daughters have become. I’m not usually one to live vicariously through others, but my girls make me beam with pride.

One thing you (and others) wish you’d stop doing/saying?

“Back when I was at the newspaper …” But it’s unlikely I’ll ever stop saying it because I believe passionately in the mission of newspapers and the work that journalists do.

What books are on your nightstand?

I’m doing research right now so my bedroom and home office have been overwhelmed by fanzines and other primary-source documents related to the comic-book industry. The last books I read for pure pleasure were Laini Taylor’s “The Daughter of Smoke &Bone” trilogy. She’s a YA (Young Adult) writer from Portland with a beautiful writing voice. It was my second time through the series and I recommend them highly.

If you could meet any comic book artist in the world who would it be?

Alive? John Byrne, whose X-Men run in the late ’70s and early ’80s were responsible for my lifelong addiction. I’ve actually met most of my favorites, but haven’t met Byrne yet. Historically, it’d be Jack Kirby, co-creator of the Marvel Universe (and someone who should be known by the general public at least as well as Stan Lee).

People would be shocked to know you are …

A grandfather. My adult daughter has a beautiful 2-year-old son who is my latest comics-reading buddy. We play action figures together, too!

Three things in your fridge.

Milk, cheese and Diet Coke. All three are weaknesses.

Best year of your life?

Hmm. Let’s go with 1980. I was 10 and was nearly killed on a family trip. The experience left me with a real appreciation for life. That was also the year I started seriously collecting comics and first played basketball, another of my lifelong passions.

Most favorite obscure comic book?

Just about any superhero comic from the “Bronze Age” of comics, a period covering roughly 1970 to 1985. I love them all.

Guilty pleasure?

Guilt? I get to travel the state publicly professing my love for superhero comics! There’s no guilt in my game.

Pet peeve?

Generation Z’s lack of understanding about why the news is important. It kills me! As a group, they care about issues — global warming, human trafficking, equal rights — but are painfully disconnected with politics and the process, and don’t understand the important role journalists play as watchdogs.

Who do you like more, Betty or Veronica?

Betty. No question. I was raised by working-class Democrats. They would have frowned on me dating Veronica.

— Andrea Brown, Herald writer

Do you know someone we should get to know better? Send suggestions to abrown@heraldnet.com or call 425-339-3443.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.