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Gail Simone Wants To Write Spider-Man With Nicola Scott, And More From Her SDCC Panel

Published Thu, 20 Jul 2017 15:49:54 -0500

Joe Glass writes:

Starting my first full day at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 with a nice Spotlight panel, this time for popular comics writer Gail Simone, who has worked with most major publishers on books like Batgirl, Red Sonja, Deadpool and more.

The panel started with Simone being awarded an Inkblot Award, which she was not expecting.

The panel was amusingly hosted by Simone's husband Scott, who started out by pointing out the amazing cosplayers in the room.

We then moved on to questions they gathered from Twitter, where Simone holds an active and entertaining presence, and she thanked the room for coming, especially considering how we were right across from the DC All Access panel.

Simone told the story of how she started her career and her very first Comic-Con, when she was still working as a hairdresser. She talked about growing up in a really small town, and how she wasn't used to crowds or traveling on planes. She'd been running late for her panel, and still felt confused as to why Marvel had invited her (she'd only written a few Deadpool issues by that point).

Mid-story, Aaron Lopresti joined the stage.

Back to her story, Simone described how amazed she was that the crowd in her first panel went berserk when she was introduced, leaving Chris Claremont giving her a look she described as "Who the hell are you?" In full deer-in-the-headlights panic mode, she soon realised that all the people on the panel were people she knew online and friends she made online who wanted to make a huge deal of her first panel.

We moved on to asking Lopresti some questions, as he joined Simone on Wonder Woman on her run, and of course he'll be doing the Wonder Woman/Conan crossover with her.

Dan Didio said that Simone is the only person he would want to do the crossover, and Simone asked Lopresti to do it with her, as she loved working with him. Lopresti promised that the crossover is brilliant, that it has a lot of heart and depth, and makes a lot of sense. He said it has inspired him to do his best work in years.

Simone told the crowd that she wanted to tell a story that could stand alone, and in the original Conan work there were strong women included, so she really loved having him meet Wonder Woman. Simone also pointed out how these crossovers usually involve male DC characters like Batman or Superman, so she's really proud of being able to do this with Wonder Woman.

Back to Twitter questions: What do you love? Simone cheekily responded to her husband, "I love you."

Asked if it was the right thing to do with the New 52 version of Batgirl to remove the disability from Barbara Gordon, and Simone felt it's a bit of both. She described how Barbara Gordon was a huge inspiration for her, and how despite being a really shy kid, just the character one screen gave her the confidence to speak up more in school.

So for Simone, to get to write Barbara Gordon as Oracle was a huge deal for her. She was asked several times if when writing Birds of Prey she ever wanted to return Barbara to Batgirl, and at the time she felt it would be a bad idea, given how important she was as a disabled hero.

When New 52 came around, she really didn't like some of the ideas that were being thrown around to get Barbara out of the wheelchair. She ultimately said she'd do it, but she didn't want to have it be a magic wand instant cure kind of story (the idea of Zatanna just instantly curing her of her disability was being banded about). Simone, however, wanted it to be an opportunity to discuss the work involved in getting Barbara to the stage where she could walk again and re-enter the world as Batgirl, and address her PTSD. However, she still feels they have lost an important element in losing her as Oracle, an important disabled hero.

Cat Staggs then joined the panel, the co-creator on Crosswind, and asked how it came about. Staggs said they'd been wanting to work together for years, and it was at some convention Simone approached Staggs about doing a crime book, which Staggs jumped at (she is a huge fan of crime fiction). Thankfully, schedules aligned, and they were able to make it happen.

Simone asked what Staggs loves about the book, and she said it's the fact that the scripts keep her on the edge of her seat. She praised Simone's sense of timing and ability to create tension, and to be able to effectively cut through it with humor.

Simone also discussed how hard it is at times to script particularly with all the mannerisms and physicality involved in the story. Staggs talked about how when the characters switch bodies, she really worked to get across how the mental change affects the physical in their postures, mannerisms, and more.

They then moved onto audience questions: did she draw on her own experience with getting involved with computers and the internet early on with Oracle in Birds of Prey?

She described how she took to computers maybe not early, but immediately, because the internet allowed her to connect with other comics fans. She said it also helped with word processing, but probably didn't inform her writing of Oracle.

Is there a character she'd like to write? Simone would love to write Spider-Man with Nicola Scott as the artist. Start your petitions now. Scott has even told her that she would drop whatever she was doing to do it.

Asked about the Wonder Woman movie, has she been approached for writing the sequel? Simone said they borrow a lot from various writers over history, and yes, her own run as well, but she has not been approached to write the sequel. Yet.

Her husband Scott described how they saw the first and last showing of Wonder Woman at their small-town theatre, and it was just as busy both times.

How has Simone changed from the start of her career to now and how has it affected her writing? Simone said she always loved to tell stories, but was pushed away from that dream all her life because she was told "You can't make a living doing it." Her two dreams were to be a writer and to see the world, and that is the biggest thing that has changed for her. She writes, makes a living through it, and is able to get out and travel and meet people from all over the world. Those different perspectives are her greatest gift, she said, and thanked everyone who buys her books and allows her to do those things. Also, she's not quite as freaked out about being at conventions now.

What does Simone think is the most important things about Wonder Woman? Simone thinks it's the fact that Diana went out and had her own adventures; she was in full control of that. And that is rare to see, even as recent as a few years ago. No being taken by a twister to Oz, or having life change for you; Wonder Woman made that choice herself.

If Simone could give any character a service animal, who would it be? It almost happened with Oracle. She'd probably now create a new one.

Finally, Simone gave a tidbit of advice for those who want to make comics: offer something new that no one else has to offer.

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