Gail Simone's Blog, page 110

Hey Gail, what are Vixen & Elektra's views on TKJ?

Vixen hates it but Elektra thinks it sucks.

What in your assessment is the essence of Mary Marvel? What differentiates her from Billy, or other young Superheroines?

I have long, complicated thoughts about this. But my feeling was that Mary Marvel felt more like an actual GIRL than most superheroines until just recently. She wanted friends, she wanted to be popular, she wanted to do good things, she wanted her family situation to be nice and safe. I always felt like the writers actually made an effort to write a young girl with Mary, not a sexpot, a giggling annoyance, or a tomboy cliche. All of those things are fine, but feel a lot more male than female.

I liked her because she felt like a girl.

Even her powers reflected the things many girls most want at her age. I felt a lot of sympathy for her, and she was also tremendously popular in her original era, so she had her own star power, and I dearly love that.

Even to this DAY, I can’t think of that many GIRL heroines who act like girls I know. There are a few, but many of them ultimately get sexualized or become killers, it’s just tiresome after a while. 

Dear Mrs. Simone, I'm a closeted trans woman comic writer. I've been professionally published for about a year, and just discovered who I was a few months ago. I've been worried that me coming out publicly as a trans writer would stifle my dreams of workin

Okay. Here’s the truth. 

First, I don’t claim to have any special knowledge of what you are going through, or the challenges you might face. All I can say is what I personally have observed. I think you are right to have concern, because it’s still relatively unknown territory. 

However.

I have expressed many times how open-minded Dan DiDio and others have been with lgbt creators and content. I say all the time, we don’t agree on everything, but I’ve never had a publisher who was more willing to be inclusive about these things. It’s something he feels strongly about. 

And DC has hired trans creators before, most notably Rachel Pollack on Doom Patrol, but she’s not the only one.

I don’t want to claim inside knowledge of the day-to-day working environment and hiring practices of any comics company. I have worked at for DC for over a decade and have been to their offices less than a handful of times. This is important stuff, so I don’t want to be obtuse and just wave away your concerns. That would be irresponsible. 

But my experience and instinct is that it would make no difference. I won’t say there wouldn’t be SOME unenlightened people, I am sure there are some. But the vast majority of people there are good people and they want to be inclusive and MOST of them care far more about the finished product than they do about who wrote it.

I say be aware, certainly, protect yourself, but go for it. And any company that doesn’t want to hire you because you’re trans doesn’t deserve you anyway.

GOOD LUCK.

Secret Six vs. Donald Trump? Can we make this happen?

Can you imagine Deadshot or Jeannette putting up with this orange jackass for more than ten seconds?

ur new book must be for marvel since ur known as a dc writer so u would just say "i have a new dc book" and not "i have a new big two book"

I’m saying nothing.

antoniotyler:roaringwhitelion:cutecreative:cocochampange:...

antoniotyler:

roaringwhitelion:

cutecreative:

cocochampange:

floozys:

micdotcom:

Watch: When Mitt Romney makes the same points as John Oliver, you know shit’s gone south.

this is ‘the villain helps the heroes take down a more evil villain’ trope come to life

*looks outside to see if pigs are flying*

if you told me a few years ago that I’d be reblogging a gifset of Mitt Romney, agreeing with every word he said, I would NOT have believed you.

Republicans and Democrats finally find common ground in mutual hatred of Donald Trump

It would have been more impressive if he and other Republicans did this before the RNC.

And not the “I disagree with Mr. Trump’s statements” bullshit they were doing before.

I lost what little respect remained for McCain when he endorsed him, and the huge amount of respect I had for Paul Ryan when he met with him after repeatingly saying he wouldn’t.

I feel bad for my Republican friends. They aren’t bad people, they just have different values and priorities than I. But here they are either being lumped in with the (long list of negative adjectives) Trump or having to see the rest of the GOP roll on their backs. They don’t have a Sanders or Clinton to get excited about. Don’t get someone with new ideas. They get gear mongering liars.

I hope Romney’s example is something we see more of: Republicans not just saying “it’s the Democrats fault” or using hyperbole and lies to rile up fear. Republicans who get up there, tell you their plans and stand up for the values they claim to believe.

Quick note: I know Democrats do some of the same things Republicans do. It drives me nuts.

Miz Simone, do you think there's a good story to be salvaged from The Killing Joke, or would you recommend doing away with it entirely?

I don’t want stories ‘done away with,’ ever. And a lot of people care about TKJ. I’m just not one of them.

Hi Gail a person recently posted your comments on a board about the killing joke and Brian azerello commented your opinions doesn't matter because your feminist liberal and you only got to write batgirl because your a woman and have a huge internet followi

Even if this was true, who cares? Brian is one of my favorite writers, he would be entitled to his opinion. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Hi Gail a person recently posted your comments on a board about the killing joke and Brian azerello commented your opinions doesn't matter because your feminist liberal and you only got to write batgirl because your a woman and have a huge internet followi

Even if this was true, who cares? Brian is one of my favorite writers, he would be entitled to his opinion. Wouldn’t change a thing.

I've heard that King Shark is some sort of fish. Can you confirm?

Shark.