Gail Simone's Blog, page 856

daggerpen: wishyouweremegan replied to your post: As much as I loved Secret Six…Not just...

daggerpen:

wishyouweremegan replied to your post: As much as I loved Secret Six…

Not just you.

Like

She’s about as dark as Talia is, and clearly darker than the very white Knockout?

And then in the later issues-

Now she and Knockout are the same skin tone?

I’m not blaming Gail for this, since I don’t think the writers have much power to change this type of stuff if a colorist can’t find the goddamn brown crayon, but it’s still bleh.

Nope, you are absolutely right. It happened gradually enough that it slipped by in most cases.

And I don’t let myself off the hook whatsoever. We don’t usually get to see color proofs anymore, the last stage we are usually involved in is proofing final lettering in black and white.

But I didn’t notice the gradual whitewashing until it was later. I did ask to have it changed several times. But it kept fading back to white.

And before anyone says it, yes, I am aware that there are lots of Caucasian Brazilians. The point being made is that Scandal is supposed to be darker complected.

You guys have every right to point this out, it’s irritating. I’m sorry on behalf of the whole team.

The infuriating thing is that MOST of the colorists I work with are people of color themselves. I had whitewashing of Asians once in a book where the entire art team was Asian.

I’m not trying to dilute the message, I’m not even BLAMING the colorists. To me, it seems an endemic problem that it’s just assumed almost all the characters are white. I can’t blame them for thinking characters are white if 99.91879% of the characters are white already.

There must be a way to make this not happen all the time, it’s really just unfair. it just seems that little extra bit sad when the colorists are themselves POC, somehow. Makes me think we are not doing our job at all on diversity. The expectation should NOT default to white every time.

I will try harder to make sure that the colorists know who is POC. Oddly, putting it in the script is not enough, many colorists don’t read the script…some don’t speak English.

There’s got to be a way to avoid this.

I'm drunk right now, I'll admit that. But I also fully admire you as a comics creator. And right now, as a transgender female, all I want is to make a comic that makes people feel good about themselves and makes people feel good in life. I'm Devi, and c

Sigh.

You know, I honest to god have no idea what I ever did to deserve readers like this. It’s amazing. I don’t even know what to say.

I’ve been having a genuinely rotten week, and I got several emails in a row, as if on purpose, that expressed nothing but kind, lovely sentiments like this one.

I may not deserve this kind of reader but I certainly do cherish them.  Unbelievable.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are MY hero. I honestly don’t know if I could keep going without people like you and the thousands of other people who have been so supportive.

And YOU MAKE THOSE COMICS, Devi. Your voice is MUCH NEEDED.

Are there any women of color heroines at DC you'd really love to write someday?

Holy crap, yes, and not just at DC. I’ve gotten to write some, but I would beat up a granny to write Storm, Bumblebee, Misty Knight, Katana, Photon, lots more. Also, MOONSTAR. I LOVE HER.

I’ve come close on a couple. And of course, I’ve be lucky enough to write Vixen and Shiva and Scandal and Rainmaker among others.

I swear to god, the best thing about the job of writing at DC or Marvel is everywhere you turn, there’s someone wonderful to write about.

sosuperawesome:The Adorable Story of a Grandmother and Her...

sosuperawesome:

The Adorable Story of a Grandmother and Her Cat

Japanese photographer Miyoko Ihara began taking pictures of her grandmother, Misao, 13 years ago to commemorate her rich life. Along the way, the photographer came across a beautiful bond between her now 88-year-old grandmother and a cat named Fukumaru, whose given name roughly translates as “good fortune circle.” In her photo book titled Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat, Ihara captures the affectionate tale of these two best friends doing everything together.

Looking through a selection of photos from the book, one can see the genuine friendship and warmth between the inseparable pair as they keep each other company throughout their daily lives. It was nine years ago that Misao first found Fukumaru abandoned in a shed, described as an “odd-eyed kitten.” While the cat had its own ailments and hearing disabilities, the two have continued to grow old together, enjoying the beauty of everyday life against the stunning backdrop of nature’s fields.

To see more heartwarming images of this adorable grandmother and her precious cat, Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat can be purchased directly through Little More Books.

Good lord.

Beauty still exists.

APE IN A CAPE: Questions for Cosplayers

APE IN A CAPE: Questions for Cosplayers:

owlman-chronicles:

gailsimone:

I have a question.

Okay, I just saw a Batwoman cosplay where HOLY COW it really looked like Kate in costume. A lot of people know I’m a big fan of some Batgirl, Misfit, Black Alice and other cosplayers who somehow manage to look EXACTLY like their comics counterparts.

I love those cosplays, I…

I’m an overweight hispanic security guard  that works the night shift, has a shitty boss and shitty pay. I cosplay because I want to step out of my life and into someone else’s. I stop being the overworked guard who has to decide what bills to pay this month and how much he’s paying into that overpriced house and instead I get to be Secret Six Bane, Killer Croc, The Nemesis, Azrael and KillBane. It’s like the most perfect kind of freedom to be able to shed all those negative feelings about yourself and really, really be the person deep down we all want to be and I feel cosplay brings that person out of me. When I walk the convention floor and I see the most amazing people in costumes laughing, high fiving people they have never met, hugging children and genuinely fooling around then you get to feel like this is what life should be like. 

Sometimes when the day turns into night, I like to sit down someplace and watch those same people in costume walking by. I like to think that the Sub Zero, Gene Starwind, Huntress, Gambit and all the others are people cosplaying are not just wearing costumes but also enjoying that bit of happiness they so richly deserve while cradling that little bit of hope left at the bottom of the box. I’m a worn out, beat up guard that drags his ass back and forth to work every night but every so often I like to stop in front of my costume closet and touch one of my costumes and feel that good person woven into that fabric. 

That good person inside is you.

Also, this almost made me cry unexpectedly. Thank you.

AND, your boss is a dick if he doesn’t realize your value. I hope things are better for you soon and I’m glad that there is a community that knows your worth a little more.

If I ever meet your boss, I’m telling him to fuck right off for not treating BANE the way he should be treated!

iloveboxbraids:Loose braids Rapunzel style ! It is...

iloveboxbraids:

Loose braids Rapunzel style ! 

It is almost unfair that someone should have hair like that. Wow.

Questions for Cosplayers

I have a question.

Okay, I just saw a Batwoman cosplay where HOLY COW it really looked like Kate in costume. A lot of people know I’m a big fan of some Batgirl, Misfit, Black Alice and other cosplayers who somehow manage to look EXACTLY like their comics counterparts.

I love those cosplays, I do, but I also love the clever but maybe less completely accurate outfits that someone made out of stuff in their laundry bag the day before the convention. I have seen cosplay in Singapore that looked like it stepped right out of the lushest manga, and I’ve seen cosplay where a guy is wearing a funny hat, and I think it’s all kind of wonderful.

Obviously, there’s a lot of diversity there, so I’m curious, and here’re my questions. I am also gathering a bit of data for a story so your answers could be very helpful.

Why do you cosplay? What is it that you like about doing it? What originally drew you to it? How do you feel about the cosplaying community in general?

Thank you!

Great comics with women in starring roles: a rec list.

reservoircat:

To start off, I’m gonna go ahead and say two things:

You might not like all of these recs. I’m more fond of some then others. I am recommending these because I think their portrayal of the women characters as either main characters or main characters out of a mixed gender ensemble is strong. And by strong, I mean, well-rounded, well-characterized, not overly sexualized (though even with great writing, there are some cases of this still), with strength and weaknesses of character both well and accurately portrayed.
If you disagree with any of these choices, or would like to rec others, feel free to reblog and add opinions or recs!

And now onto the list. Not reccing these in any particular order!

Wonder Woman: The Hikiteia by Greg Rucka. This was Rucka’s first go at writing Wonder Woman, and he is quite honestly my favorite writer for her. The story follows Diana after she makes a vow of protection to a young woman, who is being chased by Batman for past crimes. Wonder Woman must battle one of her best friends in order to keep her honor—and her life. It’s a fantastic stand alone story, and truly shows how much Wonder Woman values her honor and integrity.
Huntress: Year One by Ivory Madison finally gives us a clear origin story on Gotham’s most violent superhero. There are a lot of mixed feelings about this origin story—some people, like myself, love it; while others hate it. I recommend it because I legitimately think it adds depth and history to the character of Helena Bertinelli, exploring her family’s roots in the mafia and her deep spirituality.
Manhunter (vol. 3) #1–38 (October 2004 – March 2009) is a run I have mixed feelings about, but cannot deny her importance as a character. Kate Spencer is not a typical female character—not just for comics, but media in general. Hard smoking, hard drinking, an inattentive mother, with a failed marriage and an overtly aggressive personality, Kate Spencer is one of a kind within the comic book universe. And that’s what makes her so special, and worthy of the list imo.
She-Hulk: Single, Green Female by Dan Slott is a bright light in an era of what are jokingly called “grimdark” comics. Sincerely funny and light-hearted, this book takes the fantastical world of Marvel and follows Jennifer as she has to prosecute over the top cases while being the She-Hulk. At one point, she even helps Spidey sue the Daily Bugle for slander! It’s a great light-hearted comic with what I feel is very well-rounded writing for Jennifer.
The Question: The Five Books of Blood by Greg Rucka (have you noticed that I love Greg Rucka?) is an extremely dark story following Renee Montoya’s descent into obsession with stopping the religious Cult of Crime, as well as her decaying relationship with her girlfriend Kate Kane (Batwoman). It’s a gory, supernatural noir story that certainly isn’t for people who can’t take horror, gore, or sexuality.
Birds of Prey vol. 1 issues #56-127 and vol. 2 1-13 by Gail Simone and Tony Bedard is the biggest, longest run I will recommend here, but only cause it’s worth it (and all of these ARE in trade paperback). Following the adventures of the Birds after original autor Chuck Dixon’s departure, Gail Simone masterfully navigates the relationships and personalities of a group of very different women. Not only are their adventures interesting, the characterizations are all brilliant; and Tony Bedard’s brief takeover is also wonderful. The story also introduces several new female characters who are beloved by fans, particularly Misfit.
Alias: Ultimate Collection Volume One by Brian Michael Bendis is….depressing. But also amazing, and by far the best Jessica Jones stories ever written. It follows her career as a private detective for the seedy part of the Marvel universe. It also probably tells the story of anti-mutant prejudice better than any actual X-men comic has ever managed. 
Death: The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean, et al. is a heartfelt look at Death transforming herself into a young woman to better understand the people she guides to the afterlife. It’s full of emotion and twists, and is just a wonderful read.
Black Widow: The Name of the Rose by Marjorie Liu is a bit of a difficult read for those not really familiar with Natasha’s history, but if you can get past that, this is an absolutely great read. It highlights the true strengths of Natasha, not as an alien-fighting, in-your-face ass-kicker, but a subtly strong master of espionage and psychological combat.
Vixen: The Return of the Lion by Willow Wilson is a great Vixen solo story, following her as she returns to Africa to hunt down the men who killed her mother. It also has several great scenes where she explores and monologues about her powers, which is surprisingly deep considering how common transformation powers are for superheroes.
BOOSTER GOLD #34.  by Keith Giffen, because Barda punches a dragon. That’s honestly it. She just punches a fucking dragon.
Batman and Huntress: A Cry for Blood by Greg Rucka is a book that many cite as what made them a Huntress fan. It really explores the thirst for approval she has for Batman, while she still refuses to compromise her goals. It also explores her background (and in some places contradicts Year One).
WONDER WOMAN #37 by Gail Simone explores the relationship between Diana and Donna and their mother with great emotional power. It’s something you really have to read to appreciate.
JLA CLASSIFIED #14 by Warren Ellis contains probably on of Oracle’s finest moments. Her determination to save the JLA with only her computer (even if it’s just to give them a proper burial) is fantastic, and the characterization is spot on.
BATGIRL #50. by Dylan Horrocks is the most defining moment of Cassandra Cain. Out of the entire Bat-family, I feel that Cassandra probably understood Bruce and his mission the most and this issue encapsulates that perfectly.
Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka showcases some of the best Batwoman stories ever told, including her incredibly powerful coming out scene and her pretty scary first meeting with Batman.

I’ll add more later in a second part!

Lovely list, worth a read!

Why do you think Huntress always ends up as 'the *bad* kind of vigilante who maybe eventually proves her worth' whenever she's adapted? Do you think that's an integral part of her characterization or just a one-note, surface level approach?

Part of it is fear of the uncontrolled woman. Honest to god, I hate to say it…but uncontrolled male characters, like, say, Wolverine, are not given babysitters as a rule, the way females with an edge usually are. Such female characters are usually there to be tamed and lectured to…that’s part of what made Xena so damn innovative. Helena does work best as untamed. That much, I agree with and she shares a long legacy with lots of great rebel heroes, But when it comes to needing to be leashed and muzzled, that’s just a complete misunderstanding of the character.

EDITED TO ADD: Someone below said that Barbara tried to muzzle Huntress in my run of BOP. And YES, that’s exactly the point. My goal was to subvert that trope. Barbara TRIES to do what I gather Ollie was trying to do in Arrow, to control Huntress.

But she fails utterly and Huntress remains Huntress. More than that, she realizes she screwed up. She apologizes. She realizes she was wrong. And Huntress remains untamed.

It’s the opposite of what I’m talking about above.

midnightcosplay:Batwoman Youmacon 2012A solo shoot I did with...

midnightcosplay:

Batwoman Youmacon 2012

A solo shoot I did with the lovely Ari and her assistants!!! Was so happy about this shoot.

The red on the water. NOT PHOTOSHOPPED! it was there! :D Fate knew we were going to be there!

It was a really good thing we did this cuz during batfam shoot we didn’t really get a lot of solo shots due to the group being so big, and then me and the two batgirls getting lost when we moved locations. :/ ce la vie!

Photos by Totally Toasty

Facebook~Deviantart~Etsy~Twitter

Guys. Come on. What the HELL?

LOOK AT THOSE PHOTOS.

Amazing, holy crap!