Gail Simone's Blog, page 343

If you read something and really hated it and someone asked you your opinions of it, what would the appropriate thing to say? I think most creators would hesitate to bash each others' works.

If I dislike a book just for craft or taste, I don’t talk about it. I can’t endorse it in good conscience and I firmly believe just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean others won’t love it.

So I have a strict policy of just not talking about those books. It works well for me. 

People are always trying to get me to bash books I haven’t read, and that seems very wrong, so I don’t do it.

How many ongoings are you writing right now and how many do you think you could write in a single month?

It’s a bit confusing because I am finishing up some books, starting new ones, some are minis, and some are one-shot things. I am doing between four and five books a month right now for a brief while, then it will settle to four with some special projects scattered about. Five is about the maximum I can do comfortably.

Three to four is easier. There are a few months where I have more than that but that’s more a scheduling thing.

Two Batgirl Volumes Out Today!

Batgirl volume five, which is my last and features some really cool stories, in hardback, and also the softcover edition of Volume four, both come out today.

I hope you try them!  :)

just a note to tell you i love your work. i don't usually fangush, but i just read the new secret six and i hope and pray DC doesn't f*** you up again with convergence. i felt like they cut your last brilliant run on S6 short because of Flashpoint.

I appreciate your kind words, thank you!

But I have zero ill will with DC over Secret Six, they supported that book and gave me tremendous freedom. The series ended for the New 52, it’s true, but I was given time to wrap it up and they were great about allowing me to end it the way I felt it should end.

Really, DC was great about Secret Six!

It’s a shame it ended but now it’s back and we have incredibly fun stuff planned, plus some big shocks. I am happy. :)

That Creative Thing You Want To Do?

I believe you can do it.

Go do it. 

What kind of underwear does Red Sonja wear?

A fabric thingie, then a leather thingie, then the chainmail thingie.

Since you are the go-to person on thoughts: What are your thoughts on clam chowder? Manhattan vs. New England?

Manhattan Clam Chowder is a clam chowder in the same way that a hot dog is a Samoyed.

It's Funny How Comics Have Been Around For Decades...

…but some topics in mainstream comics still feel utterly new just because we are so far behind reality.

Number Of People Who Have Volunteered To Give Sonja A Bath...

…roughly a billion.

Knowing Sonja, she’d be up for it!

Ms. Simone, I know most people don't mean to be disrespectful and it's usually driven by (a) curiosity, (b) that you're an Authority, and (c) you're awesome but I was curious (ha see!) if you ever get tired of answering asks wanting you to comment on the s

It is not always comfortable, most of the time I would rather just be a writer or just be a reader, rather than a commentator. And sometimes I am friends with a creator and I know they feel bad about something they got wrong, all of that stuff is no fun to deal with.

On the other hand, like it or not, I am a high profile female creator and people are going to ask my opinion on things, and even though I feel like my voice is small, awkward and imperfect, I don’t want to be one of those people who is so afraid to make waves that they never support anything important or condemn anything that needs fixing. 

It’s not that my opinion is so important, it isn’t. But I do want people to know that there are people in the industry who are listening and not just defending the status quo forever. I feel like that is important. 

For a long time, any issue that related even a little bit to females in comics, I would get asked about and that did get wearying. I feel very fortunate now that there are more voices out there to share that particular burden. :)

At heart, I really love comics, I love the industry, I love the creators, I love the readers. And I am generally a very optimistic person. So it can be very weighty to focus on negative things as often as I am asked to do, but I still feel that we are SO CLOSE to Heaven on some of these things. There is so much more discussion about ways to make comics better and more inclusive. I feel we still need to have those conversations.

But I do hope for a time where I can lay down my sword and just enjoy the meadow we’ve created. :)