Okay, I rarely call my wife and “squee” with Internety delight, but when Clark Gregg, quite possibly the most consistent (and should I say “important”) character and the binding force of the non-X related Marvel movies (Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, and the Avengers) as the unflappable Agent Phil Coulson, agrees to answer a couple of questions for this crappy blog, I squee with Internety delight. Clark Gregg is making a living as an actor and has graced both the big screen and the not so big, yet getting bigger home screens with his talent.

The affable Mr Gregg has graciously agreed to answer 10 of the 20 questions for this week’s 20 Questions Tuesday. And without further ado… the questions:

I make maps for a living and have my master’s in geography, so space and place are very interesting for me. I was born in Oklahoma City, OK, moved to Montgomery, AL when I was 3, grew up in Birmingham, AL from 5 to 18 years old, did my undergrad in Kent, OH at KSU, and finally moved to Columbus, OH and got married, got my MA and settled down for the past 15 years. Question 1: What is your geographic story?

It is a transient one. Born in Brookline, Mass. Moved to Newport R.I. a few months later. Then Providence, RI - Philadelphia, PA, Evanston, Illinois, Chapel Hill, NC for middle and high school, then New York City for a long time and now Los Angeles for a long time.

Surprisingly one can glean a ton of information from someone, by asking the next question. I just realized that I have stolen this question from the erudite Paul F. Thompkins, but I am still curious Question 2: Cake or Pie? Which kind and why?

German Chocolate Cake. My grandmother used to serve it and it tastes like love, my death row dessert, and probably entire last meal.

Question 3: Now that you are firmly ensconced in the geek/nerd culture due to your portrayal of Agent Coulson, will you be hitting the convention circuits to meet up with the fans?

I see no reason to stop now.

Question 4: In many ways Agent Coulson is the Boba Fett of the Marvel movies… discuss

Very flattering comparison, the bounty hunter man of mystery. Just glad I got to use my own face.

Question 5: A: What is your favorite color? B: What color is your toothbrush? C: If they are not the same, why not? If they are the same, how did that come about? Was it a conscious decision?

A: Various shades of blue depending on my mood.
B: Toothbrush is mostly white sonic one.
C: Just comes that way. I realize I must now paint it grey-blue.

Question 6: Is there one person with whom you have previously worked that you would kick a kitten in the rain to get a chance to work with him/her again?

My wife, Jennifer Grey. Political, yes, but also true. Most fun I ever had acting with anyone. And that was in the unforgettable Lifetime holiday classic, “The Road to Christmas.” Imagine if we got to do something classy, like a reality show.

I currently work for the State Department of transportation locating dots on maps that correspond to holes in the ground that my group has drilled, but in my free-time (I have 2 young kids, so “freetime” is a relative term) I enjoy drawing and playing some video games. Question 7: What do you enjoy doing during your downtime?

I play way more basketball than I should and I also enjoy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but I’d rather go shopping with my daughter than just about anything else.

I am constantly asking myself “How do I get my professional life to become more in-line with my personality and more fulfilling for me personally?” The answer for me is not necessarily “more money” but I don’t think that would hurt. Question 8: What is your one burning question that drives you? What is the question that you find yourself constantly trying to answer?

How could this be funnier? (Clearly I didn’t figure it out with regard to this answer)

Turnabout is fair play, so… Question 9: Do you have anything that you would like to ask me?

Are paper maps on their way out?

There will always be a place for paper map products… well, thin sheet-like mapping products that are foldable. I think more durable plastic sheet maps will becoming more prevalent than paper-based products. That being said, the bulk of mapping will be associated with handheld smart-phones/Computers. You can already see this trend with GPS/mapping apps on the iPhones. So to sum up, paper maps are not on the way “out for evers” so to speak, they are just becoming less prevalent.

Question 10: What is next for you? Be as vague or precise or as philosophical, or concrete as you want to be

Tonight sleep. Tomorrow basketball, writing, some animation voice over, food, meetings and more sleep. Then in a few weeks I will start a new film with my talented pal, Jason Reitman called “Labor Day.”

Thanks for the time and answers. You really are the best part of all those movies and I am surprised you took the time to deal with me. I love looking through your twitter feed and seeing how much you interact with your fans. Seriously people, if you don’t follow him, you should. I love the balance of fun and seriousness that you seem to bring with your craft. You, good sir, are the best.

Here is the thing… 10 does not 20 make, so to round out the 20 Questions, because this is 20 Questions Tuesday, I have asked Khoi Pham and Reilly Brown, artists of MARVEL Comics fame, to draw some Agent Coulson fan art and each answer the same 5 questions about Agent Coulson. On top of that (if that weren’t enough… I mean, come on?!?!?) I stole the top 2 vote getters for the Ten Ton Studios Sketch Challenge from a few weeks ago, who happen to be friends of this blog. Chris Ring and Steve Wilhite have allowed me to post their sketches and been gracious enough to answer the same 5 questions.

Khoi Pham:

1. In many ways Agent Coulson is the Boba Fett of the Marvel movies… discuss

Totally. I can absolutely see him mastering an outdoor grill. No wait, that’s Bobby Flay.

2. Do you find it surprising that the “everyman” character got so much screen time within the Marvel movies?

A bit surprising, but Gregg is fantastic, so in that sense, it’s not surprising. That answer makes no sense.

3. Is there really room to integrate Agent Coulson in a meaningful capacity into the main Marvel Universe. Aside from his introduction in “Battle Scars,” where could he fit long term? What would his role be?

Head of S.H.I.E.L.D. This needs to happen.

4. If you were to alter Agent Coulson’s character model/apperance (G-Man in a suit with a “bluetooth”-ish headset), what would you do? or would you leave it alone? and why?

He could use an eye patch.

5. If Agent Phil Coulson were to be elevated to a member of the Avengers, a la Hawkeye and Black Widow, which Avenger’s mantle would you like to see him take on… Yellow Jacket? Ant Man? Ronin? Wonderman? Machine Man? D-Man? Goliath? Vision? or would you include him as some completely new Super-Hero?

Hmmm. I’d dig him as Iron Patriot. Wow, that was sort of a serious answer.

Reilly Brown:

1. In many ways Agent Coulson is the Boba Fett of the Marvel movies… discuss

Because he’s a jet-pack wearing hard ass who don’t take guff from no one, and would shoot his own mother for the right price… Oh wait, no, I was confusing Agent Coulson with Khoi.

2. Do you find it surprising that the “everyman” character got so much screen time within the Marvel movies?

His “everyman” aspect is what made him such a good character. He doesn’t immediately come off as a super spy— when we first meet him in Iron Man he just seems like a mild mannered government bureaucrat, but we slowly learn more and more about him until he’s firing a sci-fi gun at the Norse god of mischief with his dying breath.
Learning about him bit by bit is a great way to build up a character.

There have been a few SHIELD agents who have become more memorable members of the Marvel Universe, such as Fury’s Howling Commandos, Jimmy Wu or Maria Hill. I could picture Agent Coulson being used like one of those guys— another super spy for your everyday household needs.

Although I do like that “everyman” aspect of his character that you mentioned earlier. It could be fun to use a character like that who’s mostly just an average guy, but has all the most insanely awesome connections and hook-ups. Imagine him with the full range of the entire Marvel universe at his disposal, rather than just the Avengers. He could call up Xavier or Reed Richards when he needs something, or have an amulet that opens a door through some dark, demonic dimension to contact Dr. Strange. The story possibilities are endless!

4. If you were to alter Agent Coulson’s character model/apperance (G-Man in a suit with a “bluetooth”-ish headset), what would you do? or would you leave it alone? and why?

I’d consider a black SHIELD agent suit. He’d look pretty sharp in that. Or perhaps he ALWAYS wears suits, but has different ones for different occasions, like a bullet proof suit, or a suit that can withstand the absolute zero of outer space. He’d be the everyman for every occasion!

5. If Agent Phil Coulson were to be elevated to a member of the Avengers, a la Hawkeye and Black Widow, which Avenger’s mantle would you like to see him take on… Yellow Jacket? Ant Man? Ronin? Wonder Man? Machine Man? D-Man? Goliath? the Vision? or would you include him as some completely new Super-Hero?

He’d make a killer Ms Marvel!
Heh, no, just kidding, I think he’d have to be his own guy. He’d use his skills and experiences to make his own name for himself. It would be fun to see him as the Avengers recruitment agent like he was in the movies, and he’d have powers to accompany and aid him in that.
He’d be able to check references on a resume SO fast.

Chris Ring:

1. In many ways Agent Coulson is the Boba Fett of the Marvel movies… discuss

Most times less is more when it comes to cool and it’s easier to project ourselves into roles where no special powers are required … a few gadgets help but for the most part these guys are the everyman and bridge the gap between fantasy and reality to make incredible movies …well, credible.

2. Do you find it surprising that the “everyman” character got so much screen time within the Marvel movies?

Not at all, in the early days of film the straight man ALWAYS got paid more than the punch-line guy because it was always harder to find a straight man who could deliver. Kudos to Clark Gregg for delivering. The over the top characters need to play off these everyman characters like the chorus to a verse of a great song.

A great writer could do great things with agent Coulson. Speaking as someone who is not a teen anymore I’d definitely pick up a book which featured agent Coulson in an X-Files/BPRD/Man with no name sort of way … Hell, I’ll draw it and write it ;)

4. If you were to alter Agent Coulson’s character model/apperance (G-Man in a suit with a “bluetooth”-ish headset), what would you do? or would you leave it alone? and why?

Much like a James Bond role I’d keep it as an iconic look but alter it depending on the situation and task at hand.

I think if you made him any of those characters, much of his everyman appeal would be forfeit. As an avenger I would keep him as is, what makes him unique is that he’s not just another costume. To quote Grant Morrison in reference to Batman in contrast to other Superheroes ”He’s just a man … the most dangerous man on the planet.” I think fans have projected this sentiment onto agent Coulson and hopefully Marvel will run with it.

Steve Wilhite

1. In many ways Agent Coulson is the Boba Fett of the Marvel movies… discuss

I have to disagree with you right out of the gate. Boba Fett was a waste of time in the original trilogy. Couslon is more like a red shirted ensign in the original Star Trek. He furthers the plot, helps the team, you might get to know him a bit and then BAM!

2. Do you find it surprising that the “everyman” character got so much screen time within the Marvel movies?

No. The movies needed someone you could relate to. Think about it, I will never be a Norse God (except in the bedroom), won’t be a billionaire inventor, super soldier or a super spy but I’m good with people and could rock a really nice suit.

Sure! You need to have great supporting characters like Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and that Morgan Freeman guy that they have in the Batman movies. They may not be super but they are super awesome. Marvel needs to have some of these characters around too. They do all the crap that would look stupid if the big heroes did it.

4. If you were to alter Agent Coulson’s character model/apperance (G-Man in a suit with a “bluetooth”-ish headset), what would you do? or would you leave it alone? and why?

I think I would give him an eye patch. But on the opposite eye from Nick Fury. It would just piss Fury off. He would be like “Fool! What’s up with that eye patch?” and could would be like “What eye patch?”. Hilarity would ensue.

All of the above would suck. If you can’t just leave him as the guy in the suit make him Luke Cage. Iron Man would say “Coulson get over here. Thor’s hair is caught in a ceiling fan again!” and Coulson would go “Sweet mother Christmas!”. If he can’t be Luke Cage then just make him a disembodied head in a jar…with an eye patch.

Thanks gents. You are an unequaled group of fellas

To recap:
On vacation and I have one of the best 20 Questions ever
I think I might like this 10 Questions and then asking others for opinions
Any thoughts on the topic from you yahoos?
We are in the Disney World this week
Yesterday was The Magic Kingdom
Here are the kids during the Electric Parade last night

{to be added when my photobucket upload works again… stay tuned!}
Today is a day of rest
Tomorrow is LEGOLAND (not associated with Disney)
Thursday is Downtown Disney
Friday is Disney Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends
Saturday is most likely going to be EPCOT and Animal Kingdom
Then we are home again home again, giggity gig
Have a great weekend everyone, we definitely will