Gail Simone's Blog, page 291

I know you probably can't say, but I heard you had tried getting Starling in Secret Six and was told no. Could that be because there are plans for her elsewhere? She's my absolute favorite character and I was DEVASTATED when she just up and disappeared. Sh

Okay, here’s the thing.

I have said this many times but shared universes are like  a big round table with a pile of crayons in the middle. Around the table are the creative teams, and they all have a coloring book. We all reach for the colors we want, but sometimes, another writer got that particular crayon first. Or sometimes, someone is doing a picture where they WILL need that crayon and they call dibs. 

It’s not bad, it’s not evil, it’s sort of necessary. We need to prioritize appearances at times, otherwise, it would be very chaotic to write and to read.

So, it is very common that a character won’t be available, and it’s because Geoff Johns wants to use them for something huge, or Scott Snyder is going to give them a big debut in Batman. These are GOOD things. I am happy when a character I like is unavailable because they are getting a big launch somewhere.

So it’s possible, but there is no way to know.

My understanding in the case of Secret Six is that they felt Black Alice had more fans than Starling, and that she provided a greater contrast to the rest of the team. 

I know you probably can't say, but I heard you had tried getting Starling in Secret Six and was told no. Could that be because there are plans for her elsewhere? She's my absolute favorite character and I was DEVASTATED when she just up and disappeared. Sh

Okay, here’s the thing.

I have said this many times but shared universes are like  a big round table with a pile of crayons in the middle. Around the table are the creative teams, and they all have a coloring book. We all reach for the colors we want, but sometimes, another writer got that particular crayon first. Or sometimes, someone is doing a picture where they WILL need that crayon and they call dibs. 

It’s not bad, it’s not evil, it’s sort of necessary. We need to prioritize appearances at times, otherwise, it would be very chaotic to write and to read.

So, it is very common that a character won’t be available, and it’s because Geoff Johns wants to use them for something huge, or Scott Snyder is going to give them a big debut in Batman. These are GOOD things. I am happy when a character I like is unavailable because they are getting a big launch somewhere.

So it’s possible, but there is no way to know.

My understanding in the case of Secret Six is that they felt Black Alice had more fans than Starling, and that she provided a greater contrast to the rest of the team. 

lilyvonpseudonym:gailsimone:notfadeaway:Anything you want...

lilyvonpseudonym:

gailsimone:

notfadeaway:

Anything you want to tell us gailsimone ? Hmmmm?

I did pitch Alysia having a costumed identity when I was writing the book, that idea was soundly rejected. She was going to end up being Batgirl for a while.

I am not aware of any plans to make her a costumed figure now, I am not in that loop. Sorry!

Oh, come on, they’ve barely even used her. SOMEONE in the chain of command basically wrote her out. I sincerely doubt editorial’s gonna turn it around and put a cape on her.

My understanding is that editorial LIKES Alysia a lot. Again, I was told that it was the book’s editor that insisted she stay in the cast after the changeover. 

About That Alysia News Thingie

Just to clarify, I didn’t write it or have anything to do with it, I was just responding.

For those who missed it, it was a Bleeding Cool story that implied that Alysia may get a vigilante identity in Batgirl. I am not in that loop, I have ZERO knowledge of such a thing, if it’s true.

But it made a bit of a stir, in a good way and a sad way both, when I commented on the story, so I thought I would clarify a bit. A lot of people asked me about it, so here’s a bit more detail.

My memory is a bit fuzzy, so forgive me for being a bit vague.

Again, this is NOT reflective of Alysia now. If she’s going to get a vigilante identity, I am not aware of it (which is fine, I don’t write the book anymore).

But I am not against it at all, in fact, I did pitch such a thing. It was foreshadowed in the book that she had a baseball bat and was prepared to kick ass if necessary.

The idea was, after the Joker’s goons showed up in their apartment, and the thing with James Gordon, Jr., Alysia was going to be fed up and create an activist vigilante, a character who tried to help the poor people of Cherry Hill, while fighting against the corruption of people like Knightfall. 

She was going to be called Mouse (this was before the Movement, the name was too good not to use), and she would be a costumed vigilante (her costume would be made up of stuff bought at a used clothing store, like Misfit), and would carry a bat. She has gymnast skills from school, so that would be her edge, and she would take fighting lessons from Black Canary.

Then the plan was for Barbara to be injured, and Alysia finds out by coming home and seeing Barbara passed out, still half-wearing the Batgirl costume. So Alysia would fill in for Batgirl for several months while Barbara recuperated, and Barbara would be giving her information on a headset, while sitting in her room in front of a computer, foreshadowing Oracle. 

There was a lot more, it would have been really cool.

But at the time, any POSSIBILITY of hinting at an Oracle identity was considered absolutely out of the question (I think they have lightened up on that now) and they didn’t want anyone else in the batsuit and the idea was turned down flat. 

So it was something I was in favor of, if it’s done well in Batgirl, I totally support it. I love Alysia being just a friend in the book, but I also think there would have been tremendous value in her actually having the Batgirl mantle, even if it was temporary.

As for her being the ‘first’ trans hero, as the story said, I think most people are aware that that is a very unlikely claim that ignores several characters that fit that definition to varying degrees. 

Anyway, that’s it, would have been cool. 

DC has lightened up on the editorial aspect a lot in the past several months and it’s really showing. I think with the New52, there was an attempt to sort of reign things in a little bit. I am glad they are taking more chances now, some of my favorite books are being produced by new teams with new freedoms. That’s a great thing. 

Hey Gail, have you been reading Angela: Asgard's Assassin? I'm just wondering, because Kieron Gillen & Marguerite Bennett followed your lead and established a best friend for the titular Angela who's trans, Sera's all kinds of awesome!

I have not read it, but I am a fan of both of those creators, so I am sure I will read it as soon as I get a chance!

But I don’t think they are ‘following my lead,’ putting trans characters in books is just a long-overdue course correction that I hope a lot of creators are thinking about. I don’t feel like anyone’s ‘leading,’ we are just trying to catch up a little bit after being so ridiculously behind. The more diversity in characters, the better, we have a LOT of catching up to do!

notfadeaway:Anything you want to tell us gailsimone ?...

notfadeaway:

Anything you want to tell us gailsimone ? Hmmmm?

I did pitch Alysia having a costumed identity when I was writing the book, that idea was soundly rejected. She was going to end up being Batgirl for a while.

I am not aware of any plans to make her a costumed figure now, I am not in that loop. Sorry!

I missed the one year you were at Montreal Comiccon. Will you be coming this year? It's in July.

I am afraid not, they have asked me back, I think…but I can’t make it this year. SORRY!

I crey. T^T I'm still kicking myself for missing the year you were there. Thanks for letting me know! :D

I went twice! :(

Loved it though, hope to come back some day!

I'm going to C2E2 and I will say hello to you there if and only if you apologize for ruining poached eggs, and by extension eggs benedict, for me.

I will do nothing of the kind.

POACHED.

EGGGGGGGGGGGGGS.

"How do we talk about queer characters in richer, less dismissive ways? I’m not sure. It’s hard...."

“

How do we talk about queer characters in richer, less dismissive ways? I’m not sure. It’s hard. Which is why the conversation that Talley started is so important.

One approach might be to include identity cues while also talking about what characters do in the story. This manages to not erase or minimize or dismiss queerness while also making for a better description. Not “an astronaut who happens to be gay” but “a gay astronaut who goes to Mars.” Not “a teenager who happens to be a lesbian” but “a lesbian teenager who runs for student council president.” Not “a woman who happens to be trans” but “a trans woman who falls in love with a cowboy.” Aren’t those fuller, richer, more interesting alternatives?

”

- from Let’s Stop Saying “Just Happens to be Gay”
(via bookriot)