In Which STARRO interviews GAIL SIMONE!

To conquer a world, one needs to understand the creatures living in it. Multiple times had I been defeated by the various superheroes living on Earth (which version, it is up to you). Thus, I, STARRO, have decided to talk to the MIND OF ONE WHO CONTROLS THESE SUPERHEROES. Perhaps then, I will successfully conquer Earth!

There were many targets at the Singapore Toy Games Comics Convention but I had decided on the one called Gail Simone.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAA!

Mind controlling a puny human at the media desk was easy and I received a badge for access to the interview room.

Then, I  added a Santa hat to look festive and harmless for AN UNGUARDED MIND IS AN EASY MIND TO CONTROL!

I do not think Gail saw through my disguise as we went into the interview room. She seemed rather pleased instead. Take that people who disguise themselves with spectacles! Hats are the way to go!

With two other inteviewers, one from K-Zone (Malaysia) magazine and Red Dot Diva, I sat there amongst them. K-Zone was asking questions briefly on her past work and what an aspiring young comic writer would want to know while Red Dot Diva asked about characters and storylines.

Ha ha ha, Starro had foreseen this and had a different set of questions!

Being a rather powerful conqueror, I have my share of attention so I asked:

Being a popular writer with tons of fans, when going to your own local comic store, do the store owners or the patrons freak out?

She says that the owner of the comic store she goes to is very reserved since he doesn’t want her to feel uncomfortable going in but she is more than fine with signings if he wants her to do. Since it is a small town, everyone usually sees her anyway.

Very interesting, perhaps if I find a small town to conquer and reach out, people will not run away from me before I control their minds! Onwards, I went on for Gail seems to be “everywhere” online.

How DOES she manage her time writing all her stories and yet be on twitter, tumblr and also accept convention invites?

Apparently Gail types it all very quickly and that it doesn’t take that much time now. In the midst of researching or finishing a scene, she can write a tumblr post or send out a twitter message briefly before getting back to her work.

She has also learned how to work on the go but needs complete silence when working a scene. Workwise, she works at home in her own office or gets her husband to put on headphones and be quiet until she gets off from her computer on the road.

It is unfortunate that Gail is a human with morals,  I would just make my minions do it all… AT THE SAME TIME!

Since Gail is often on her twitter (@GailSimone) or Tumblr does she often try to insert references to real tumblr/twitterers as minor characters as cameos?

She replies that it’s tricky to do so but it’s fun to insert them once in a while.

Ha ha! I, Starro, am amused for Gail has been noted to put her fans like @pseudicide of Girls Read Comics in a future issue for one of her series as a cameo. So fans of Gail, if you’re lucky enough, one day you could be written in.

Besides comics, Starro wondered if Gail had the the urge to ever write an original cast story like an independent styled comic or a novel?

Yes, she has ideas for novels and stuff and has just published her first prose in form of a short story in a superhero anthology titled Masked. She enjoyed writing it and is interested in doing more in the future.

Gail enjoys the challenge of what she had not done before and is willing to try a lot of different formats like novels, video games and TV. She notes that she’s not afraid to try them out and if it doesn’t work out, she can always try something else.

Starro finds this a good tip for writers and conquerors to be! If one way doesn’t work out, try a different one. Why, in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, I was defeated by the masked human and his friends. I shall try a different way TO CONTROL THEM… another time. Which reminds me…

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, you wrote the episode The Mask of Matches Malone! How did you come up with the lyrics sung by Catwoman, Huntress and Black Canary?

As she laughed, Gail informed us that she did not write the lyrics! However, the lyricists working at Warner Brothers did it and thinks that they had it in mind before the episode was written for it. So credits goes to them for the song.

Currently Gail is both controlling the Secret Six and the Birds of Prey. The humans call this power as “writing” but it is all REAL! Thus, to not give away myself that I knew her to be the mastermind of controlling both teams, I asked…

Which one does she find more fun to write considering the dynamics and personalities of the cast are different?

Gail  couldn’t choose between them. Secret Six is fun because she says she can get away with almost anything and crazy things like Ragdoll’s dialogue, while  Birds of Prey is a delight as she is  able to take a group of females who are friends and weren’t fighting over boyfriends and keep a group of readers who keep supporting it.

As the other two interviewers interspersed questions and I read the mind of Sarah, a human I met at the convention (the person who is helping me typing this now for I do not have fingers you see) and she had a question which I helped ask.

Who would you like to go out to dinner with? Batman or Catman?

Gail’s husband said “Hey!” to that but she concluded that with Batman, she could have the expensive stuff but with Catman, it would be wild and crazy. Thus, Catman first then dessert with Batman… And then to her husband!

And that was the end of the end of the interview and I thanked her before leaving the convention hall to find some more humans to control! BWUAHAHAHAAH!

Ps. Sarah here! If you want to read the other side of the interview with more “serious” questions, Red Dot Diva posted here.