Gail Simone's Blog, page 866

feministbatgirl:Batgirl Pin-UP by *ThegerjoosBy Garrie...

feministbatgirl:

Batgirl Pin-UP by *Thegerjoos

By Garrie Gastonny

Another wonderfully detailed piece from this artist. 

Whoa, whoa, hang on now.

Who is this artist? That’s GORGEOUS.

It was just announced on the Supanova website that you are coming to Australia in April. I can't wait its going to be a great con. Have you been to Australia before?

Yep! I’ve been to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Auckland, and good LORD the people are nice there. I honestly, no kidding, had to buy an extra suitcase at one trip because people brought me so many presents (I know I talk about this a lot but it was very touching to be welcomed there like that). The cons were lovely, the readers were wonderful.

I have so many memories; petting koalas and kangaroos, taking the glass-bottom tram over an endless green forest, helicopter ride over the Twelve Apostles, swimming in the Sydney ocean three days after a fatal shark attack in the same area…just an extraordinary country (New Zealand, too!).

But I will remember the people the best. Can’t wait to go back!

Edit: I know Auckland isn’t Australia, ya goof. ;)  I should have said in that area, I guess!

I'm curious about why you've grown to hate the Mary Sue term. I have heard one person say they hate it because it's so gendered, but what is your objection?

I think the CONCEPT is okay, it’s shorthand for critiquing work that is too self-absorbed and precious, I guess. I’m fine with that. But I find it so inexpertly applied, any strong character is eventually called a Mary Sue by SOMEONE, which is just bullshit and also a little annoying.

There’s also little question that the term, as it is applied, is more generally thrown at female writers than male ones. And that has implications of othering, of women being more likely to create Mary Sues, less likely to stick to the integrity of the narrative, and other happy horseshit.

I also think it’s being used as a blanket term to insult fanficcers and new writers, often, and that’s derailing and insulting.

I think the concept is okay. It has some validity. But it’s used often simply to diminish a writer’s efforts.

I’ll give you an example…at one point or another, virtually every female character I have written, SOMEONE has said that character is a Mary Sue, a stand-in for me. It’s…not an intellectual argument, it’s just some dumbass thing someone typed without knowing anything.

For the record, I don’t write Mary Sues, and the gender issue bothers me…Catman has red hair, why isn’t HE my Mary Sue?

It’s just people’s own hangups, most often, I find.

Babs is my favorite superhero and I love what you're doing with her. I just read Batgirl Annual #1 a few days ago and I loved it! Why aren't you writing Catwoman again? *sigh* But, anyway, you're awesome and New 52 Batgirl is legit. Keep it up!

Aw! Thank you so much! Listen, I have heard from Ann Nocenti, and I genuinely feel what she has coming up in Catwoman is going to be GREAT. I’m a huge fan of hers, she’s a hero of mine, I’m delighted she’s doing that book. But thank you, any chance I get to write Selina, it’s always a good day!

If Wonder Woman wears an American flag on her costume because she's the Amazon ambassador to the USA, are there Amazon ambassadors to other nations? Or is the US a special case?

The old canon story has her wearing the flag in tribute to a female pilot, but I thought that was very convoluted (but moving). My theory was that it’s not a flag at all, but elements of the night sky on the night Diana was born. The red is from a red hunter’s moon, , the stars represented the stars in the constellation Cassiopeia (which is in the shape of a “W” and is actually CALLED “The Crown,”), and Athena watched over the birth in the form of a golden eagle, so that gold was included.

I frankly thought it was the most elegant goddamned thing I’d ever come up with. :)  I know that sounds awful, but it felt like inspiration came from Wonder Woman herself. You NEVER have the pieces line up like that, so perfectly, as a rule.

Anyway, I wish they’d kept that. Not sure what the reasoning is now, but she looks less flag-inspired.

Gail, it was just confirmed: you're coming down to Australia for Supanova Melbourne & Gold Coast? 'Cos it's the best news I've heard in ages!

It’s true, and I’m SO EXCITED.

Listen, I love Australia, love the cons there, and the people and the food and the scenery, OH MY GOD, I can’t wait. I’ve been sitting on this news for a while, so I am delighted to acknowledge it.

I’ve been to Australia a couple times, and every time, the people treat me like family. I’ve made friends there that I hope to have for the rest of my life.

Very excited. Can’t wait to see ya!

ladyday93: I am thinking about Gail Simone ...

ladyday93:

I am thinking about Gail Simone

“RT ‏@GailSimone: I’m glad they released a list of the One Hundred Most Powerful Penises in Comics or whatever. #bigeffingsurprise ”

Check-in to

Gail Simone on GetGlue.com

Poop on that list…it’s ridiculous.

This is a personal question: Is King Shark a shark?

That is the eternal mystery.

But yes.

oddric:Scandal Savage, why are you so hard to find a faceclaim for? It’s hard finding someone to...

oddric:

Scandal Savage, why are you so hard to find a faceclaim for? It’s hard finding someone to represent a character so bamf. 

Don’t suppose tumblr has any ideas for me?

Huh. What is a face claim, may I ask?

Personal question, are you secretly Babs?

When I wrote my first BOP issues, I thought I was Black Canary, in the book. Not as a Mary Sue or whatever (I have grown to hate that term), but because she was loyal and brash and didn’t break easily, and people say I have those qualities (also, she’s a loudmouth and hey say THAT, too).

It was my husband who pointed out that Barbara was a smart redhead with glasses who sat at a computer all day controlling people’s lives.

So, I get that connection. :)

Babs is who I’d love to be, certainly!