Question Time

Got non-spoiler-request questions? I’ll try to answer!

24 Comments

Fighting a cold and about to turn in. But if you have non-spoiler-request questions, I’ll try to answer.

As usual, I’ll just ask everyone to please not pitch projects or stories – I can’t read or respond to those!

Also, life is short, so rudeness, nastiness or personal attacks against anyone automatically get deleted.

Thanks a ton, and fire away!

24 thoughts on “Got non-spoiler-request questions? I’ll try to answer!”

  1. Do you still do film? All of your recent updates are about comics so I really would want to know if you have projects in other media.

    1. Yes, I always have a project or two in some stage of development in the film world, but I don’t usually talk about them because things in film often take a huge amount of time and often don’t end up panning out. 😉

      I am planning to shoot another short film in the near future — once it’s all set in stone, I’ll start talking about it.

      Thanks for the interest!

  2. Have you considered a sequel or spin-off to Vision Machine?

    1. Great question! Yes, I have, actually. Even wrote a short film set in the “Vision Machine” universe that I’d love to do some day. Some day!

  3. What is the tone, or the vision, you’re going for on your upcoming run on Action Comics? (Insanely excited about that, by the way, your Zod issue was killer, and so is your work on Batman/Superman).

    1. Huge question! I love the huge themes of power and responsibility the character brings to the table. I love the idea that this insanely powerful person is deep down this kid named Clark Kent. I love that he always strives to do the right thing, no matter what the personal cost. I love his supporting cast. I love the dangerous, edgy world of the New 52 and the fact that Superman’s still young, still figuring things out. I love the artists and editors I’m working with and all the crazy things we’re trying.

      1. Favorite DC character and Favorite Superhero character of all time. Sup is such a hard character for people to grasp because all they see is the indestructible boy scout. When everything aligns the character tends to have some amazing stories. Really looking forward to what you guys have planned. Poor Clark has had a rougher relaunch than some of the other characters.

  5. I’m a new writer trying to find an artist for my book. Unfortunately, I don’t have much money to offer. Have you ever been in that place? If so, how were you able to persuade someone to work with you? What steps can I take to finding someone to help me out?

    1. Big question! Here are just a few thoughts to consider.

      First, start small. Don’t approach an artist with a 200 page epic — no one who’s not getting a living wage can commit to a project that huge. Develop your own skills and your relationships with artists with small projects — six or eight pages. I came up through independent film and made tons of shorts before ever making a feature film. Learned a huge amount and actually finished things, which is tremendously important.

      Second, if you can’t pay a full page rate, share the ownership of the project with the artist.

      Third, have an actual completed script to show. An artist doesn’t have much incentive to collaborate with you if you haven’t actually written anything. Working on small projects can help with this — actually finishing an 8 page script is much easier than finishing a 100 page graphic novel.

      Fourth, consider drawing it yourself. I cartooned for years in high school, college, and beyond. I don’t have anywhere near the skills necessary to illustrate the kinds of comics I write now. But back then, I was doing strips that worked given my limited art skills, and I learned from creating them. Similarly, in the film world, I learned how to shoot and light and record sound and edit, so I could shoulder a big part of the labor in making my shorts. As time went on and I got a little funding here and there, I’d try to hire other people who were better at me at those various jobs. And for certain projects, there’s no way I’d attempt them without people vastly better than me at those jobs. But if push came to shove, for certain kinds of down and dirty jobs, I knew I could do certain things on my own and get the film done. That’s a liberating feeling and it’s a way to keep working, no matter what.

      1. Thanks for the reply! I will definitely keep this in mind and I can’t wait to read the next issue of Batman/Superman!

    1. There’s the feeling you get every day on the job of figuring out things. Sometimes it’s finding just the right two words for a tiny little moment. Sometimes it’s cracking open the key scene in the story or finally understanding what really makes a character tick. But all of those big and small moments are incredibly rewarding. That’s the day-to-day joy of writing — just figuring out what the story is and how it works.

      Then there’s a whole ‘nother huge kind of joy that comes when a book or story or film gets out in the world and people actually respond to it. We tell stories to communicate, right? So when people actually get something from those stories, it can be a huge feeling for us writers. A few times I’ve been almost overwhelmed by some readers’ or viewers’ reactions to something I’ve helped create. Other times, I’m just delighted as I see people laugh and joke and just enjoy talking about or playing with the work.

      And yes, those moments absolutely make it all worthwhile.

    2. You know, something else occurred to me… another reason writing is so rewarding is because writing is thinking. I often don’t know what I think about something until I write about it — writing is a way to organize and work through big ideas and complex thoughts and emotions. So the act of writing helps us become who we’re going to become; it literally makes us who we are and helps define our whole reason for being on the planet. Sometimes I work on projects that I think on some level make me a better person. Or at least a more thoughtful one. So that can be a great thing.

  7. What do you think is one genre in the industry that doesn’t get enough attention or that is really neglected?

    1. Good question. Probably romance. Romance comics used to be HUGE. Can’t really think of anyone giving it a real go now. Someday someone’ll figure it out and make a ton of money. 😉

  8. What advice do you have for a writer whose making his/her own comics with a artist? Dos Don’ts? Anything important you have learned you can pass on?

  9. I’m currently working on my own comics, would you suggest working on pitches to companies or just getting out a full issue of something?

    1. Getting out a full issue of something. Or even a short story of a few pages. I could be wrong, but I honestly don’t know of many companies that are likely to publish something from someone who doesn’t have work to show already.

  10. can i ask whether sentry go all out or fight at his limit with hulk in the final battle in worldwar hulk 5? he is in weak mentall state of Agoraphobia and i think that weaken him.
    the same question go with hulk, did hulk go all out or fight at his limit with sentry? i see after the fight with sentry hulk even angier and got more powerful when miek tell him the truth. so i guess that mean in the fight with sentry he didnt fight at his limit strength.

Comments are closed.