Gail Simone's Blog, page 246

I never knew about Strix before Secret Six. I really picked it up because of the nonbinary talk, but Strix really hits me. I'm still recovering from my abuse as a child, still having to ask my partner at times, "Is this how I'm supposed to do this?" On bas

I am very sorry to hear about your childhood like this.

I am very glad to hear you have someone there who can help you navigate. Sometimes, that’s the most helpful thing of all, someone to read the map wihile you steer. 

I’ve also very glad Strix is meaningful to you. Strix has had one of the most fucked-up childhoods imaginable, so to me it’s very important to show her surviving. 

I find it curious the idea that male audience feel comfortable with a female character having a love interest, since I have seen more cases of male audiences who feel uncomfortable to a female character has a boyfriend (an example, Wonder Woman).

I think I was pretty specific. I was talking about not the audience, but the people in charge of these characters. 

Those tastes do not always line up.

politeandnotgay:I’m pissed that Tom, Michael, and Gail were...

politeandnotgay:

I’m pissed that Tom, Michael, and Gail were all at Comic-Con this year and they didn’t meet up to throw down. (Or record a new episode, which is frankly all the viewers care about.)

I didn’t know they were at Comic-con!

I love the show, even though Michael Ian Black is famous for playing it ‘fast and loose’ with the ratings…

jgiampietro-art:gailsimone has been knocking it out of the...

jgiampietro-art:

gailsimone has been knocking it out of the park with Secret Six. Loving Catman’s new costume.

Drawn in ink and marker, colored in Photoshop    

ACK, I love this so much!  Gorgeous!

Question I am not 100% sure if you have answered on here or not, What do you think of the team taking up the mantle of writing Batgirl after you and the approach they have taken to the titular character and her story?

I have only read the first issue. I really, really love the art, it’s a gorgeous book.

But I don’t read books for a long time after I leave them. Call it sentimental, but it’s kind of like watching someone you dated with another person. :)

I know the entire team is very committed and are producing a book that speaks to a lot of people. And because they had the right editor, they can tell lighter tales, something the book desperately needed. 

Other than that, I just haven’t read it. I’m sure it’s great, but I haven’t read much Wonder Woman or Bop in the last few years, either. It’s just a personal thing that probably speaks to some flaw in my character. :)

I wish them every success, though!

I would wager men like female leads with romantic leads because it still makes men the focal point of the story in a weird way? My guess anyway.

I think you are spot-on, actually.

I don’t want to stereotype guys, either, there’s a LOT of support for heroines having their own stories now. 

I’m talking about a very particular mindset that hopefully is sinking into the tar pits. Romance is great, romance stories are great, but their baggage was kind of mucking it all up. 

On the subject of being more open to differing sexualities and relationships, What are your thoughts on Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Connor's recent take on/revitalization of Harley Quinn and the news that she is bi and in an open relationship with Ivy?

I haven’t read it, but it seems like that’s been in the not-very-subtextual-subtest for years and years. Why be coy about it now?

muddled-thought:I am so so excited that the phenomenal gailsimone will be at Edmonton Expo this...

muddled-thought:

I am so so excited that the phenomenal gailsimone will be at Edmonton Expo this year!

Yahoo!

I haven’t been to Edmonton in years, last time we went, no one had any good ideas for stuff for us to do other than the mall. Any ideas?

Why do you think a romantic relationship between Babs & Dinah was never explored?

That’s an interesting question.

Hmm.

Well, I can only speak for myself. There was no question they loved each other. But at the time I wrote Bop, even the idea of two women being friends seemed almost subversive to many in the readership. It was wildly important to me to show that a group of women could be friends and love each other and not constantly squabble and fight over guys. 

If you read my bop, there’s almost NO romance of any kind, not gay, not straight, nothing. Very, very little. And part of that was because there was a constant pressure to have heroines have a romantic subplot, always. It’s something males feel very comfortable with for some reason I can’t quite grasp, really. 

So there was a bit of drawing a line in the sand. 

In my mind, they are friends who are sisters. Helena, too. 

It could certainly have gone that way, as long as the friendship remained, I think. 

Tough question, I am not sure what the answer is, to be honest!

It's kinda silly how much comic book fans can draw the line at LGBT and non-binary stuff when there's already so much stuff that they accept as part of the medium. Bigotry's weird and closes off creative avenues like that. :V

It’s weird.

We’re fine with aliens and robots, but GOD FORBID SOMEONE IS NON-BINARY. 

I am trying to be understanding, but come on, everyone. Let’s grow up a little.