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Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, DC Comics, Movies, TV | Tagged: amanda waller, james gunn, john byrne
Don't Forget John Byrne When It Comes To Amanda Waller, James Gunn
Don't Forget John Byrne When It Comes To Amanda Waller, James Gunn... he is her co-creator for a very good reason.
Article Summary
- James Gunn's celebratory post on Amanda Waller's anniversary overlooks co-creator John Byrne.
- John Byrne co-plotted Legends #1 and designed Amanda Waller, integral to her creation.
- Byrne received a significant check from DC for Suicide Squad characters, noting the industry's credit practices.
- Byrne's original design for Amanda Waller, based on Nell Carter, contrasts with Hollywood portrayals.
Yesterday, James Gunn posted to social media, "Is it just a coincidence that one of my favorite comic book characters of all time was brought into this world on August 5, my birthday? The iconic Amanda Waller made her first appearance on this day in 1986, in LEGENDS #1 by Len Wein and John Ostrander. Happy anniversary to the peerless commander of Task Force X! Excited for you all to experience @violadavis ' return as Amanda Waller this December in DC Studios' Creature Commandos."
That, Mr Gunn, would be Legends #1 by Len Wein, John Ostrander AND John Byrne who co-plotted the comic and designed and drew Amanda Waller for the first time. Always worth remembering. Credits mean a lot, as Byrne recalls on his own message board.
Back in 2018, John Byrne recalled "It's been weird. A few years ago Marvel sent me a big check for use of characters I'd created, yet the check DC sent me for Suicide Squad was bigger than anything I got for any of the X-Men movies."
And in 2019, Byrne added, "For some reason, I found myself thinking about Amanda Waller this morning, specifically in the context of how she has been portrayed in live-action versions. When I first drew the character I was told to use Nell Carter as my model, and I thought that was great. So very OFF-model for the usual portrayal of comicbook females. Hollywood didn't agree. Amanda got tall and skinny, and even in the comics she developed a taste for skintight jumpsuits on a suddenly svelt form. Does this count as "body shaming"? Fat forms are not allowed?"
It may be worth noting that, even physically, Viola Davis is not quite Nell Carter… here is how she is currently looking in the DC Comics event Absolute Power which has seen her decades-long plan come to fruition. Though, of course, while Amanda Waller plans for success, she also plans for failure… more on that to come.
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