Gail Simone's Blog, page 413

I have been asking Kate Beaton to draw a Red Sonja cover for the...

I have been asking Kate Beaton to draw a Red Sonja cover for the monthly book since issue one. Since she hasn’t done a lot of covers, she was the ONLY female artist we asked who (reluctantly) turned us down.

I think she has agreed to do one if time permits, and she sent this on Twitter to hold us over and I just love it. Kate, you are awesome!

Tomorrow Is My Sweetie's Birthday

HA! @Rocketspouse doesn’t really follow Tumblr.

I am still trying to think of something cool to get him or do for him for his b-day, he’s been my best friend and partner and I love him dearly! 

AND I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME. :)

Hey Gail, I'm curious about the relation between writers and visual artists for comics. I've read a few comics for which I love the storyline/writing, but the art is just really not doing it for me. (This happens to me with Wonder Woman a lot where I love

This probably sounds a little cliche but it’s true, no two teams work the same way, and it often has a lot to do with the editor, but not always.

Some editors want to be the conduit through which all information flows, so the artist and writer don’t speak directly. I hate this method a lot. It works sometimes, sometimes it’s a huge pain.

Most editors just want a great book and whatever works is how they handle it. I prefer to speak to the artist directly, so I can ask them what they like to draw and hate to draw, for one thing.

We don’t always get a say as writers in who the artist will be but in general we are at least consulted. There’s a lot of stuff done in a panic in comics because the deadlines are so tight, or the writer (me!) is running behind, or the artist is ill and needs a fill-in. 

If you have a bit of a name, you can ask for an artist, or you can make approval part of your agreement.

I generally put it right in the scripts if we are trying to avoid cheesecake, for example. Sometimes, you get it even if you ask NOT to have it. It happens.

Most artists want to do the best book they can, but some really love drawing their version of pretty women or ‘sexy’ shots or whatever. I don’t mind comics being a little unseemly, it just has to fit the scene and the character. Sometimes you WRITE a scene of Black Canary being badass, but you get BACK a bad scene of Black Canary’s ass.

I do feel that almost all publishers are being more aware of it, we are seeing some changes as we go.

I don’t object to cheesecake or sexy art or erotic art or whatever on its own merits at all. All of that is fine, and I don’t think people should feel bad for liking it. It’s just a question of fitting the scene and character, for me, anyway.  If Tumblr didn’t have sexy images, there wouldn’t be much Tumblr left!

Oh, and I like it to be inclusive, I like there to be stuff for lots of people to like. 

:)

Hey Gail, I'm curious about the relation between writers and visual artists for comics. I've read a few comics for which I love the storyline/writing, but the art is just really not doing it for me. (This happens to me with Wonder Woman a lot where I love

This probably sounds a little cliche but it’s true, no two teams work the same way, and it often has a lot to do with the editor, but not always.

Some editors want to be the conduit through which all information flows, so the artist and writer don’t speak directly. I hate this method a lot. It works sometimes, sometimes it’s a huge pain.

Most editors just want a great book and whatever works is how they handle it. I prefer to speak to the artist directly, so I can ask them what they like to draw and hate to draw, for one thing.

We don’t always get a say as writers in who the artist will be but in general we are at least consulted. There’s a lot of stuff done in a panic in comics because the deadlines are so tight, or the writer (me!) is running behind, or the artist is ill and needs a fill-in. 

If you have a bit of a name, you can ask for an artist, or you can make approval part of your agreement.

I generally put it right in the scripts if we are trying to avoid cheesecake, for example. Sometimes, you get it even if you ask NOT to have it. It happens.

Most artists want to do the best book they can, but some really love drawing their version of pretty women or ‘sexy’ shots or whatever. I don’t mind comics being a little unseemly, it just has to fit the scene and the character. Sometimes you WRITE a scene of Black Canary being badass, but you get BACK a bad scene of Black Canary’s ass.

I do feel that almost all publishers are being more aware of it, we are seeing some changes as we go.

I don’t object to cheesecake or sexy art or erotic art or whatever on its own merits at all. All of that is fine, and I don’t think people should feel bad for liking it. It’s just a question of fitting the scene and character, for me, anyway.  If Tumblr didn’t have sexy images, there wouldn’t be much Tumblr left!

Oh, and I like it to be inclusive, I like there to be stuff for lots of people to like. 

:)

I Will Be At New York Comic Con!

HA!

I was DEFINITELY NOT GOING, because I went to New York Special Edition earlier this year and I am trying to cut down on cons so I don’t fall into a cavern of sleepiness forever…but I will be there!

I don’t know all the details yet, it was kind of a long process figuring out if I could go because it’s back to back with a con in London, but it looks like it’s worked out. I believe I will be all the days of the con and will have at least some signing time every day. 

I am getting a lot of questions about panels, scripts, and that sort of stuff but I’m sorry, I don’t know any of those details yet. Soon, i hope!

Hey Gail, I'm curious about the relation between writers and visual artists for comics. I've read a few comics for which I love the storyline/writing, but the art is just really not doing it for me. (This happens to me with Wonder Woman a lot where I love

This probably sounds a little cliche but it’s true, no two teams work the same way, and it often has a lot to do with the editor, but not always.

Some editors want to be the conduit through which all information flows, so the artist and writer don’t speak directly. I hate this method a lot. It works sometimes, sometimes it’s a huge pain.

Most editors just want a great book and whatever works is how they handle it. I prefer to speak to the artist directly, so I can ask them what they like to draw and hate to draw, for one thing.

We don’t always get a say as writers in who the artist will be but in general we are at least consulted. There’s a lot of stuff done in a panic in comics because the deadlines are so tight, or the writer (me!) is running behind, or the artist is ill and needs a fill-in. 

If you have a bit of a name, you can ask for an artist, or you can make approval part of your agreement.

I generally put it right in the scripts if we are trying to avoid cheesecake, for example. Sometimes, you get it even if you ask NOT to have it. It happens.

Most artists want to do the best book they can, but some really love drawing their version of pretty women or ‘sexy’ shots or whatever. I don’t mind comics being a little unseemly, it just has to fit the scene and the character. Sometimes you WRITE a scene of Black Canary being badass, but you get BACK a bad scene of Black Canary’s ass.

I do feel that almost all publishers are being more aware of it, we are seeing some changes as we go.

I don’t object to cheesecake or sexy art or erotic art or whatever on its own merits at all. All of that is fine, and I don’t think people should feel bad for liking it. It’s just a question of fitting the scene and character, for me, anyway.  If Tumblr didn’t have sexy images, there wouldn’t be much Tumblr left!

Oh, and I like it to be inclusive, I like there to be stuff for lots of people to like. 

:)

Hey Gail, I'm curious about the relation between writers and visual artists for comics. I've read a few comics for which I love the storyline/writing, but the art is just really not doing it for me. (This happens to me with Wonder Woman a lot where I love

This probably sounds a little cliche but it’s true, no two teams work the same way, and it often has a lot to do with the editor, but not always.

Some editors want to be the conduit through which all information flows, so the artist and writer don’t speak directly. I hate this method a lot. It works sometimes, sometimes it’s a huge pain.

Most editors just want a great book and whatever works is how they handle it. I prefer to speak to the artist directly, so I can ask them what they like to draw and hate to draw, for one thing.

We don’t always get a say as writers in who the artist will be but in general we are at least consulted. There’s a lot of stuff done in a panic in comics because the deadlines are so tight, or the writer (me!) is running behind, or the artist is ill and needs a fill-in. 

If you have a bit of a name, you can ask for an artist, or you can make approval part of your agreement.

I generally put it right in the scripts if we are trying to avoid cheesecake, for example. Sometimes, you get it even if you ask NOT to have it. It happens.

Most artists want to do the best book they can, but some really love drawing their version of pretty women or ‘sexy’ shots or whatever. I don’t mind comics being a little unseemly, it just has to fit the scene and the character. Sometimes you WRITE a scene of Black Canary being badass, but you get BACK a bad scene of Black Canary’s ass.

I do feel that almost all publishers are being more aware of it, we are seeing some changes as we go.

I don’t object to cheesecake or sexy art or erotic art or whatever on its own merits at all. All of that is fine, and I don’t think people should feel bad for liking it. It’s just a question of fitting the scene and character, for me, anyway.  If Tumblr didn’t have sexy images, there wouldn’t be much Tumblr left!

Oh, and I like it to be inclusive, I like there to be stuff for lots of people to like. 

:)

OMG WILL YOU WRITE A JEAN GREY SOLO TITLE ?

I like Jean a lot, I don’t know that I am the person to write her book…I am way behind on X-titles.

But I DO have some cool female lead stuff coming up soon! I think some may be announced soon.

Seriously, there was a time when X-men were pretty much the ONLY female characters in superhero comics that really had it going on. Still some of my favorites. STORMKITTYROGUEJUBILEE FOREVER!

Hi there, Gail! I was wondering if you could give us any other information on Vengeance Moth from The Movement? I remember you once mentioning she was Killer Moth's niece?

Yes, she’s Killer Moth’s niece and in my headcanon, he was one of the few people who really understood her, particularly as she was struggling with addiction as a teen. 

But I don’t think we ever got to actually NAME him in canon so I don’t know if that will be followed up on somewhere? Hope so!

I know it sucks to talk about stuff that didn’t make it into the comic, it’s a lot like outing Dumbledore after the books are finished. BUT I always have a huge amount of backstory to every character and even if I write them for years it doesn’t all get to the page.

Love VM. Hoping she isn’t forgotten! Seeing Vengeance Moth cosplayers always made my day.

Do the Birds of Prey allow male members or is it strictly a female only team? I'm not a big comic reader and wasn't sure so i thought i'd ask.

I always thought it would be okay to add a guy, we were planning on adding Nightwing when I left the book!