Gail Simone's Blog, page 1037

Ms Simone, I wanted to ask you what an European DC fan could do to support their favourite characters. I buy the (really wonderful) translations in my firstlanguage but unfortunately that means being behind about a year in the storylines so I can't really

Ah!

You know, this is a great question. I don't have a perfect answer, but i DO KNOW that the non-US markets are increasingly important to the major companies. The collected editions do very well and I am told that some books that tank here in the states sell like gangbusters in other countries.

I know my Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, and Deadpool have been reprinted many times in other countries and have been lucrative. So you ARE indeed voting with your wallet.

I think as digital becomes more viable, some of these borders will disappear. If Wonder Woman is huge in Spain or France, that will reflect very very quickly at DC, because the digital aspect will be so much more timely.

However, as it is now, I know that other markets do REALLY well with stuff like the Simpsons and the Phantom, that do less well in the states. You are ABSOLUTELY supporting the characters you like. Your euros (or other currency) are as good as anyone else's and don't let anyone tell you differently! 

I am VERY grateful to the readers outside the US, who often pay a stiff price for individual issues!

Miss Simone Miss Simone I have a question. I know you're probably obligated by DC law to perpetuate the myth that Tim Drake is straight but what are your personal thoughts on the wonderful epic romance that is TimKon? Also, I think Babs (your Babs, not the

Heh. Is it okay if I just love this letter?

The truth is, I think you are seeing a vaster world than I am with those three characters at the moment and I applaud you for it. I would love to have Babs be a big sis, but the age difference is less than it used to be. As for TimKon, well, clearly, there are wonders to behold. ;)

A Deleted Scene From The Wonder Woman Animated Film

Just a funny little moment. Diana has been given the okay by General Rock himself, who tasks Etta with taking Diana to a mall to get some less showy clothing…

Etta turns to the COUNTER GIRL.

 

ETTA

              Pardon me, but would you happen

              to have something tasteful and

              gorgeous that might fit this woman?

 

Diana, stands, beautiful as always, but completely oblivious.

The counter girl smiles broadly.

 

COUNTER GIRL

              Oh, I'm sure we can come up with

               a little something.

 

WIPE TO:

 

Them leaving the store, each carrying an absurd number of full bags (Diana carrying more, obviously). It should be comical, here. Diana is now wearing a flattering dress, rather than her Wonder Woman garb.

 

DIANA

              At home I had three outfits, and

              I was the princess.

 

 

 

ETTA

              I don't know if that's admirable or

              just sad.

 

 

They walk to a glass elevator, the door opens, they enter.

 

Annoyingly bright MUZAK plays.

 

Diana leans back, grooving.

 

DIANA

              This music…

 

ETTA

              I know, it's awful, isn't it?

 

Diana closes her eyes, smiling widely.

 

DIANA

              It's the most beautiful thing I've

              ever heard.

 

So since your Babs is my favorite thing ever pretty much, I was wondering if your birds of prey stuff is entirely compiled into trade paperbacks? Because if it is I will buy them all. I mean... Please just write Babs and Canary forever. It's wonderful.

Awww!  That is so kind. Well, I don't know how much Babs and Canary will be together in Batgirl, that seems to be more over in BOP. But that doesn't mean there isn't a cool new superfriendship coming in Batgirl that I can't WAIT to get to. Maybe two?

And as for bop, it's all been in trade regularly, but I'm told one or two are currently out of print temporarily, and are kind of spendy on ebay. Good luck!

Samanya: maximiliani asked: Hi Gail I wanted to ask if you think the definite (as quoted from Martz at ECCC)" we're staying away...

Samanya: maximiliani asked: Hi Gail I wanted to ask if you think the definite (as quoted from Martz at ECCC)" we're staying away...:

gabzilla-z:

gailsimone:

gailsimone:

Okay, this is not going to be fun to hear, but the answer is no, from everything I have seen. This sucks, but Stephanie's book was not at the sales level they were hoping for with a Batgirl logo on it. This gets lost over and over in the timeline, but her book was already going to…

Sorry, have to respond here to angrysunbird's question here, because of FORMAT. Here's the thing…both things are happening because they didn't happen concurrently, or in equal amounts with both characters. An a-list writer had a plan for Cass, as has been talked about previously, while Steph was more of a "cool-down" issue, originally. I can't really talk about what is coming for either, but both things were a factor. The good news is, I know that your voices are being heard. The relaunch of 52 books and Before Watchmen sucked up a lot of editorial oxygen. But they ARE starting to fill in some gaps.

That does sound like bollocks.

Sorry, Gail. :/

Unfortunately, people believe what they want to believe. But everything I said here is absolutely true, barring those things I labeled as speculation. If there is more to this delay in seeing Stephanie and Cass coming back than what I have said and experienced, I am not aware of it. But I am aware that the odd mythology that is so pervasive on social networks is hard to counter, no matter how completely fictional it is.

If people choose not to believe, there's not much I can say. I would like those characters unbenched. I, and others, have tried to make it happen and in some cases are still trying. It can be frustrating, but it's not a shadowy conspiracy, either, and I never see the benefit in that stuff.

APE IN A CAPE: Looking For Ladies

APE IN A CAPE: Looking For Ladies:

krelllabs:

gailsimone:

…okay, that sounds a little weird, out of context, but I DON'T CARE!

:)

There are a couple ladies I have met at cons recently that I am hoping to get in contact with, whose info I either don't have or can't find.

First, is the lovely lady who spoke at my panel at Emerald City Comicon, who…

It's a small world. The blind woman with the dog and a wife is my friend, Day. Curiously enough, she can currently be seen modeling swag on Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett's Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether site. This is her web site: http://www.dayalmohamed.com/

She got hold of me on Twitter! Thank you so much!

Samanya: maximiliani asked: Hi Gail I wanted to ask if you think the definite (as quoted from Martz at ECCC)" we're staying away...

Samanya: maximiliani asked: Hi Gail I wanted to ask if you think the definite (as quoted from Martz at ECCC)" we're staying away...:

gailsimone:

Okay, this is not going to be fun to hear, but the answer is no, from everything I have seen. This sucks, but Stephanie's book was not at the sales level they were hoping for with a Batgirl logo on it. This gets lost over and over in the timeline, but her book was already going to…

Sorry, have to respond here to angrysunbird's question here, because of FORMAT.

Here's the thing…both things are happening because they didn't happen concurrently, or in equal amounts with both characters.

An a-list writer had a plan for Cass, as has been talked about previously, while Steph was more of a "cool-down" issue, originally.

I can't really talk about what is coming for either, but both things were a factor.

The good news is, I know that your voices are being heard. The relaunch of 52 books and Before Watchmen sucked up a lot of editorial oxygen. But they ARE starting to fill in some gaps.

clownyprincess:so one of the main reasons I won't engage with the anti-JxH shippers and their...

clownyprincess:

so one of the main reasons I won't engage with the anti-JxH shippers and their "reasoned, researched" arguments and instead act like a major troll bitch is because often times their posts are framed as interrogations that both assume a bunch of things about my life, experiences and my own knowledge of the subjects AND demand me "prove" them if I dare to contradict those assumptions…

… they call on me to justify that experience either by revealing my own personal history or the personal history of others who have confided in me.

Which is bullshit.

See, when people enter arguments in this way - making suppositions that demand you disprove them - they've already made up their mind and nothing you can say or do will change it. Countering their assumptions with personal /testaments/histories/background is therefore not ONLY revealing personal information they actually have NO right to but playing right into their hands by confirming that you "needed" to prove anything to begin with.

The "dialogue" doesn't begin on an even keel and attempting to get it so just tips it further out of balance as they will keep moving the goal posts further and further back in response to any proof or evidence you provide so you're always, always playing catch-up and nothing ever changes. Sorry to mix my metaphors all up like that but yannow.

I don't play that game. And the people who do play it can go fuck themselves. :)

I don't understand…what is their problem with Joker and Harley?


It feels like the most natural ship in comics.

Hi Gail I wanted to ask if you think the definite (as quoted from Martz at ECCC)" we're staying away from her" stance by DC editorial on Stephanie Brown is more or less to give Barbara as Batgirl room to shine/grow as they figure out Steph's new timeline/c

Okay, this is not going to be fun to hear, but the answer is no, from everything I have seen.   This sucks, but Stephanie's book was not at the sales level they were hoping for with a Batgirl logo on it.  This gets lost over and over in the timeline, but her book was already going to end before the new 52 thing happened.

When that happens, there is usually a period where the character is deliberately held back for a while. It is NOT to be mean, honestly. It is to prevent bringing a character back in a method that doesn't change enough from what they were when they were canceled.

There is even a not-too-pleasant term for it, "waiting for the smell to wear off.". If they don't do that, if they don't reposition properly, they are almost certainly setting that character up to fail again. Aquaman is the best example of when this works. 

So my feeling is that they did not have an idea that repositioned Cass and Steph ENOUGH to give them the best chance to succeed. That all sounds like corporate bullshit, but it is absolutely true. If we wait a little, and get just the right showcase, you can have a new Aquaman,instead of a new, say, Hawk and Dove.

Now, in this case, the exception is that with the new 52, a bunch of us wanted to showcase those characters…they could get renovated a little bit with most of the rest of the line. But in both cases, the characters were not available, because t hey had already been scheduled for what COULD be a great launch platform. It's a bit frustrating because it's coming slower than we all hoped.

However, it's not necessarily bad news. Some stuff might actually be falling into place for some of the benched characters this very week.  I can't say how or what creators, but I know people are fighting for them.

Wish I could be more helpfu

Hi Gail I wanted to ask if you think the definite (as quoted from Martz at ECCC)" we're staying away from her" stance by DC editorial on Stephanie Brown is more or less to give Barbara as Batgirl room to shine/grow as they figure out Steph's new timeline/c

Okay, this is not going to be fun to hear, but the answer is no, from everything I have seen.   This sucks, but Stephanie's book was not at the sales level they were hoping for with a Batgirl logo on it.  This gets lost over and over in the timeline, but her book was already going to end before the new 52 thing happened.

When that happens, there is usually a period where the character is deliberately held back for a while. It is NOT to be mean, honestly. It is to prevent bringing a character back in a method that doesn't change enough from what they were when they were canceled.

There is even a not-too-pleasant term for it, "waiting for the smell to wear off.". If they don't do that, if they don't reposition properly, they are almost certainly setting that character up to fail again. Aquaman is the best example of when this works. 

So my feeling is that they did not have an idea that repositioned Cass and Steph ENOUGH to give them the best chance to succeed. That all sounds like corporate bullshit, but it is absolutely true. If we wait a little, and get just the right showcase, you can have a new Aquaman,instead of a new, say, Hawk and Dove.

Now, in this case, the exception is that with the new 52, a bunch of us wanted to showcase those characters…they could get renovated a little bit with most of the rest of the line. But in both cases, the characters were not available, because t hey had already been scheduled for what COULD be a great launch platform. It's a bit frustrating because it's coming slower than we all hoped.

However, it's not necessarily bad news. Some stuff might actually be falling into place for some of the benched characters this very week.  I can't say how or what creators, but I know people are fighting for them.

Wish I could be more helpfu