LGBTQIA+Creator Spotlight: Steve Orlando

In this installment of the Queer Creator spotlight I spoke with Steve Orlando about his career and his various works and what it was like to work on the iconic landmark issue of Wonder Woman #750!

Orlando began pursuing his dream of writing comics at the tender age of 12 when he attended his first San Diego Comic Con. Steve pounded the convention floor, as it were, where he met his mentors Steven Seagle and Joe Kelly who happened to be writing X-Men at the time and the rest is modern history.

Chris Allo: What made you want to work in the comics industry?

Steve Orlando:  It’s not a lie, in my case, because I started breaking in when I was 12 years old, but I always kind of had my eye on this. It was always something I wanted to do, whether it was writing, or editing, or being part of a visual art team. That didn’t really come into play until I was a little older. Going back to when I was young, even when I was about three or four, my father sold sports memorabilia, and I was not a fan of sports. So I would always be collecting all these non-sports cards at baseball card and baseball memorabilia shows. 

And that gave me a strong fascination with superheroes, because they all looked incredible! You know, you’re a kid and here are all these brightly colored costumes and all these things. I was also going through, like, Garbage Pail Kids and things like that, but that’s a little less viable these days. There was a lot of Alf. A lot of fucking Alf cards as well. That’s going to date my childhood. But what stuck with me, I think, was the vibrancy of the worlds. Especially because I came in from both trading card collecting, and also back issues at flea markets while my dad was out collecting things. 

I think that’s why I have such an appreciation of “deep cut” characters and concepts, if you’re talking about the lore outside of like the Big 2. You don’t know any of the characters as a kid, and when you’re that young, you don’t even really know who Superman and Batman are. They all seem just as important, right? That’s why I love Big Sir just as much as I love Wonder Woman, or loving – take your pick at Marvel – Slapstick, or Quasar, as much as I like Storm or Captain America. 

So it all came from following my dad around really early on, but when they made Superman permanently electric and blue in the early 1990s, because he was never going back, they made an article in the Syracuse Standard – I’m from upstate New York – it really made it a time to get in. Because here you are in a ground floor moment, when Superman’s powers are changing forever. In that article as well, there were interviews with the folks who were putting it together. Of course Dan Jurgens, but I can’t remember who else was involved. Probably Stuart Immonen and Tom Grummet. And more, because at that time Superman was essentially a weekly book. I was fascinated with the creative process, and that made me think “hey, maybe this is something I want to do.”

Justice League America/DC Entertaninment

I gravitated more towards the visual side when I was younger, and I still like visual art, but it quickly became apparent to me that the speed of my ideas, and what was going to be most interesting to me in a visual sense, was going to be writing. So I started hustling and doing it! You know, my friend? Some kids do can drives to get themselves, I don’t know what normal kids are into, a shiny new bike? But what I wanted was a plane ticket to San Diego Comic Con. So that’s what I did.

Allo: Good for you. 

Orlando: At 12 I met Steve Seagle and Joe Kelly, who were writing X-Men at the time, and they started mentoring me on this whole business. It took almost 20 years, but that’s how it all began.

Allo: I read this before about you, but you kind of just hit the convention floor and pounding the pavement and approaching companies and editors?

Orlando: Yeah, I mean I don’t have any shame. And also, the narrative at the time was like “oh, you know Jim Shooter was writing the Legion of Super-Heroes when he was, what, 14 or 15? And it was Paul Levitz who only worked for one company his whole life, and it was DC Comics, kid! And he got in when he was 17!” So I was like, “shit, I’ve gotta get moving! If I’m going to be the next Jim Shooter, with no concept of what that entails, I need to get my ass in gear!” I tend to still be someone who doesn’t really sell fame. So I began approaching Seagle and Kelly. They kind of looked identical in the 90s, so it was easy to find them. 

And that was also when Crossgen was starting to get going. I was following them almost monthly, I really loved those books. And because not as many people knew them at the time, they were really easy to talk to. I always talk about people like Seagle and Kelly, but I should really talk about people like Tony Bedard, and Barb Kesel, who also took a lot of time to kind of show me the ropes really early on. To this day I always remember to bring my balloons, and that’s because Barb Kesel told me that anybody who doesn’t do it is an unprofessional fool, and I’m not going to argue with that woman, so I always remember my balloons! 

Allo: I worked with Tony Bedard when I was with Marvel. He’s a really good guy, and a really good writer. So you did a creator-owned first?

Orlando: Yes, that’s true by numerous tokens. My first published work was in 2008, in the Eisner-nominated Outlaw Territory anthology through Image. I had two shorts that I made with my co-creator on that, an amazing hearing-impaired artist named Tyler Niccum. He actually has a book out that you can buy right now actually, about his life as a deaf hitchhiker. We worked together in 2008 and even that was through networking, actually. He was like “shit, I need someone to work with. Let’s make it Steve.” So we did that, and then I also worked with Celal Koc, a European artist, for Outlaw Territory volume 3. And if I’m mixing up which volumes I’m in, come and slap me in the face, because I did that a long time ago.

Allo: (laughs) Okay.

Orlando: And then in 2012 I had already been networking with DC for over a decade. So I got the opportunity to do a story there in the Strange Adventures anthology, about centaurs taking space peyote and hallucinating gladiatorial combat.

Allo: (laughs) Very topical!

Orlando: I know, all the time, right? That’s how bisexuals decide. We take our straight half and make it fight our gay half, and whoever wins, you know, gets to choose where the dick goes. Anyway, so I did that, and that was with DC, with editors Will Dennis and Mark Doyle. The funny thing is this was around the same time Tom King broke out with an anthology called Time Warp. This was years before we would meet, but it was the same round of early Vertigo short stories. That was around 2014, when I did Undertow, and I also appeared in the “yellow” issue of the CMYK anthology, with future friend and collaborator Gerard Way. So my past was really prologue in a lot of ways. I didn’t know it at the time.

So we did Undertow at image, and a lot of my friends and peers at DC were following my work and said “look, this is somebody reliable who can be trusted with work.” So thanks to the success of the Burnside Batgirl repackaging, I got an opportunity to pitch whatever I might do in a similar mode. Which ended up being Midnighter.

Undetrtow/Image Comics

Allo: Which is awesome!

Orlando: It is funny when you think about it. I was in an anthology with Gerard, who ended up being a good friend and collaborator. And I was friends with Tom. He and I both had these poorly selling but well-regarded books at DC at the time.

Allo: I wouldn’t blame yourself. A lot of it has to do with marketing. DC was pushing out so many books at the time. It’s like, “what do I buy this month?”

Orlando: Not Midnighter and Omega Men, I’ll tell you that much! But that was in 2015. We’re both doing fine.

Allo: Would you consider Midnighter your breakout hit?

Orlando: Oh, very much so. I’d consider that my “Freebird,” actually. I’ve gone on to put out stuff that I’m much more proud of. But any creator evolves over the course of seven, eight years. At this point it’s been long enough that I can go back and… unquestionably it showed folks who I was at DC, and I made a huge fan out of Dan DiDio. I got signed as an exclusive probably about a year after Midnighter launched.

Allo: So being at DC, you got to write Midnighter, and then Midnighter and Apollo. You went on to write Supergirl, and then Wonder Woman… obviously Wonder Woman is a heavy hitter. What was that like for you?

Midnighter and Apollo/DC Entertainment

Orlando: It was fascinating to work on a character and see… you know she’s one of the Trinity, but I think her character is easily the most complex. She has a lot of oppositional forces in her life, and she’s in one of the greatest corners of the DC Universe, and she’s also an agent of peace, which is something we tried to wrestle with throughout all my two-and-a-half runs. But I loved building parts of that world. It’s something I’d love to come back to, but sometimes I feel that I’ve said what I’ve said. I had wanted for years to do Martian Manhunter, and I was lucky enough to do a 12-issue series. I think it’s my best. It’s the best work I’ve ever done, and easily my best DC work. I worked with one of my favorite people ever, Riley Rossmo. The editors I worked with, Chris Conroy and Dave Wielgosz. I felt that I said exactly what I needed to say. It was unadulterated. I don’t know if I ever need to write J’on again, even though he is my favorite DC character. But with Diana, it’s like the more the world gets shittier and more hateful, there’s always more to say with Wonder Woman. It was an honor to be part of that, but of course there’s always stuff on the drawing board that couldn’t get done. That said, Conrad and Cloonan are doing a great job, along with of course Stephanie and Vita, who are doing stuff that I wish I could have done when I was there. So I’m really excited right now.

Allo: In recent years, comics have become more inclusive of LGBTQ+, black and brown characters. Obviously not enough, but things are changing. As a creator on that front, what are some things creators can do to help facilitate more exclusivity and even exposure to queer folks and lifestyles within comics?

Orlando: The thing is, my answer is not going to be sexy. One thing they can do is buy the books. And they can pre-order the books and not buy them in trade and not buy them in digital. I’m going to be honest because I just said that, and it sucks. But that’s also the reality right now. And people come to Orlando for reality when the reality is shitty. The reality is that right now for the publishers, their customers are retailers, and the retailers’ customers are readers. For better or worse, the industry is in need of a ballistic overhaul. But we’re not there yet. So right now, the best we could do is… the language of the Big 2 publishers is preorder numbers. It’s not ideal by any means, and I’m speaking euphemistically when I say “ideal.” 

I remember when my friend  David Walker was on Nighthawk… he’s a good friend of mine, and that was with Ramon Villalobos. That book was canceled shortly after it came out. And I don’t fault the publishers either, because the markets are so tight that they’re going to do what they have to do. There’s not really a villain here, or maybe there are so many villains that nobody is a villain.  But that happens because preorder numbers weren’t high. 

There are many other problems in the world, but if the question is how you can support more inclusive content, for better or worse, support the places that are supplying it. For the Big 2, that means you have to preorder and support the periodical editions. That said… the world doesn’t stop and start with the Big 2. There are other publishers with different metrics, like book market numbers and they expect books with a longer tail. Support books that you are interested in, but if the question is how you can support books at big publishers, the answer is preorders.

Rainbow Bridge/Seismic/Aftershock

Allo: Talking about the landscape of comics, obviously right now there are more publishers. Of course smaller than Marvel and DC, but there’s definitely a lot more publishers and a lot more content out there. How exciting is that for you as a writer? Do you approach other companies? Does the new world of comics, with the amount of publishers right now… is that a good thing?

Orlando: More competition is always a good thing. More options for creators is always a good thing, because at the end of the day… if this wasn’t comics, say you were a farrier, the first job that comes to mind because I’m an idiot. Say you were a cobbler, and other jobs that don’t exist right now. The point is, if you have any type of office job, as we all know, it’s not a guarantee that you’re going to remain in that office. And if you work freelance, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to work out. If you work in comics, you’re probably working in 10 different offices in a given month. You know, sometimes you need to refresh yourself. You need to revitalize. A pitch that you might have at one company may be a nonstarter. That might be because of the people you pitch it to, and it might be because of what they publish. But it might be gold somewhere else. And that doesn’t mean, because one person turned down the idea, that it was bad. It just wasn’t a good fit for that company. 

The more companies we have that are trying to do different things and push out different kinds of comics, the better. Unquestionably. RIP the companies that tried along the way and failed, like Speakeasy and Crossgen, which I referenced before. I referenced those before because I love Crossgen books and I love Rocketo, which Speakeasy published. Frank Espinosa, amazing. Not only are those different places to work, but each company brings in a slightly different kind of creator, and they’re gonna know how to best hone their ideas and get them out there. 

The onus is on us as creators to not just cold pitch things, but… something that I might pitch to Aftershock, who I have a great relationship with – and honestly, they’re kind of my ride-or-die because they supported creators intensely during the pandemic – a book that would be a good fit there maybe wouldn’t be a good fit for Vault, who are also doing great work. And vice versa. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’ve got to know which brands you’re going to. The problem is now there’s more brands than ever. Which means there are more homes than ever for unique stories.

Allo: You worked at the Big 2, you worked at smaller publishers, you worked creator-owned… what are the benefits of work for hire versus creator owned? What do you enjoy the most? What things about those experiences do you like or not like?

Wonder Woman 750/DC Entertainment

Orlando: I think the best situation is to have your feet in both pools. There is unquestionably something exciting and invigorating about being part of what is really a gigantic, decades-long ongoing story. Listen, I was the lead writer of the 750th issue of Wonder Woman. Nobody else can claim that, it was just me.

Allo: It was great, by the way!

Orlando: If I make it to 100 years old, I will still be the writer of Wonder Woman 750, and it will still be an amazing thing. And yeah, that’s a responsibility. It’s an honor, it’s exciting, and there’s no question there. I’m in the X-Men office now, and that’s an honor. I would argue it’s the biggest renaissance the mutants got in at least a decade. Not that there wasn’t incredible work in the interim there. To act like it’s not an honor and a privilege… anyone who says otherwise is complete horseshit. So those are exciting moments.

Darkhold/Marvel Entertainment

At the same time, you can’t take those things with you. So you also wanna be working on originals where you are not part of an 80 year tapestry. You are thread one on that tapestry. And it’s not that it isn’t exciting, it’s just a totally different thing. The way that I think you stay fresh for either one of those is by doing the other. Like, if I spend a month in the work for hire mind, I get that hunger to work on originals, and vice versa. And it’s not really like I just spend on a month on one or the other. Let’s be real, I do both every day, seven days a week. That’s what it takes to be a creator. A freelance creator, at least. But I think one fuels the other. And I think there’s a certain amount of freedom when you know there’s not going to be any sort of S & P person telling you can’t do this. 

But that can also become a negative, because the reality is that you can’t say that with 50, 60, 80 year old franchises. There’s always going to be S&P  on a huge character that’s also on lunchboxes, backpacks, or whatever else. To expect otherwise is folly. I expect to have different hurdles at different companies. I think that’s part of the game. Again, I’m not negging myself when I say to myself that more people are reading Wonder Woman or the X-Men, than a book like Loaded Bible: Blood of my Blood, a book in which Jesus was makes out with Dracula and wants to fuck with him. That’s just a fact. There are freedoms and restrictions that come with both of those scenarios.

Allo: You’ve been doing some really great stuff at Marvel. Last year you did the Darkhold with Wanda. You’re working on Marauders now. Not to compare DC to Marvel, but what have been the good experiences from working at each company? What do they do differently that’s great for writers? What could they do better?

Orlando: A lot of times as creators we talk about… I think there is a fundamental difference between, at least the classic characters at Marvel and DC. And I think it’s a product of when the characters were born. What we love to say, when we’re fingering our assholes as it were, is that DC is the world as we wish it was, and Marvel is the world as it is. But, you know, that is flowery fucking bullshit. The reality is that DC characters tend to be much more mythological and aspirational, and Marvel… not to say they were built around Spider-Man, because they did acquire Timely and other characters, but their trademark characters are mostly  people you could meet on the street. That’s why Peter Parker was so revolutionary. He could shoot webs, but he’s also just like you. He can’t make rent, and he can’t get the girl, and the old Parker luck, and…

Allo: And he’s late for school.

Orlando: And Batman… look, I love Batman, but he does not have the old Parker luck. He has the old Tony Stark billions. Again, the general DC character is more mythological, and the general Marvel character is more… I don’t want to say more street level, but more humanistic and relatable. There are exceptions to both rules. Batman is more like a Marvel character, and Thor is more like a DC character. So they stand out in a world that contrasts them. And then of course there are characters like Captain America and the Destroyer, the original Vision, Sub-Mariner, the original Human Torch… they were all created in World War 2, and the way that they function was more like a DC character. But they’re a rarity, and I think that makes them special at Marvel. And Captain America, by the way, was fighting the Nazis before we were! That’s always going to be one of the coolest fucking things. Not like I was fucking around then, but still. 

Marauders #1/Marvel Entertainment

Allo: Of course. Obviously this is a visual medium, so can you name some great artists that you’ve worked with? And maybe some great artists who you’d like to work with? 

Orlando: Great artists that I’ve worked with… I’ve never worked with a bad artist!

Allo: Well, the standouts. I know you love all artists, but who really brought your work to life?

Orlando: I would love to say I love them all equally, but I would be lying (laughs). Well I’ve already said that I love to work with Riley Rossmo, who’s at a few different companies right now which bums me out, but stay tuned because I might get the band back together for something really quick. Riley and I hit it off from moment one. We worked together on “Night of the Monster Men,” and we worked together with Roge Antonio. And Andy MacDonald – Andy actually has a book with me coming soon, so keep an eye out.

But Riley and I, we just got each other. We’ve always loved the same kind of stuff. And he’s someone who always wants to be challenged, which is good because I’m a bastard when it comes to writing challenging scripts. We loved working on “Night of the Monster Men,” he was the first name that came up when DC offered me Batman/The Shadow, and I’m probably one of the biggest Shadow fans at DC. I’m probably one of the biggest Shadow fans around. He is my favorite character.

Allo: Really?

Batman/The Shadow/DC Entertainment/Dynamite Entertainment

Orlando: Yeah. I’m frequently asked who my favorite Marvel and DC characters are, and there’s different answers for that, but my favorite character is The Shadow. So it could only be Riley, and it led to an incredible visual reinvention of that whole world. Sure enough, as soon as we got the final pen stroke of that book, we began lobbying DiDio, who’s one of my strongest supporters, for Martian Manhunter. Once again, I’m a kid in a candy store. I would work with Riley in a second, and not just because he’s one of the nicest Canadians in comics, but that certainly helps. 

But he’s not the only one. I want to point out that I loved working with ACO and Hugo Petrus during my Midnighter and Apollo run. Fernando Blanco… Ryan Sook  on The Unexpected. I’m going to lightly fluff him here and say Ryan Sook was like, in Wayne’s World “we’re not worthy!” But he’s just the kindest guy. Of course his work was off the chain. His work was incredible, but always so humble for someone I consider a giant. And funny story, he actually drew a portrait of me for my alumni review at my college. So I’m gracious, I’m not lying. I don’t know that I’ve ever worked with Joelle Jones, but I love Joelle Jones. I’ve met her a lot at summits and stuff like that. Maybe I got a cover or something like that, but she’s incredible. I’m probably forgetting countless people at DC.

Allo: It’s okay!

Orlando: Oh, and of course, beginning to work with Ivan Reis on Justice League of America. And getting a Kevin Nowlan cover, are you fucking kidding me? Who am I, what’s going on? On the Shadow/Batman crossover.

Allo: That was incredible.

Milk Wars/ DC: Young Animals

Orlando: Getting a Frank Quitely cover to Milk Wars… I could go on! Oh, and RIP by the way, getting a John Paul Leon cover for Midnighter. Just the nicest guy, and gave me the cover for a very gracious price for someone who, again, I consider one of the greatest artists in the history of the industry.

Allo: Definitely.

Orlando: That was great. It’s a small thing, but Brittany Holzier and I campaigning for Ramona Fradon to be a part of Wonder Woman 750. Something I’m incredibly proud of. Something that was mostly Brittany’s work, but she and I came together and I’m incredibly proud of it. Easily the most historic living female comic artist. There are no words that could be heaped upon her that would be undeserving. 

And at Marvel, they lined up a murderer’s row for me. Cian Tormey on Darkhold… everyone I worked with on Curse of the Man Thing… Andrea Riccardo… Francesco Mobli… they’ve all gone on to do incredible work at Marvel. Eleonora Carlini on Marauders… the energy she brings is incredible. It’s a revelation. Folks who haven’t checked out the book really don’t know what’s coming.

Allo: Any tidbits about… well of course my favorite character is Psylocke, so any big plans for Psylocke on the Marauders?

Orlando: Well, before I answer that, why don’t you explain more, because I think a lot of folks who are Psylocke fans… I have an answer for you, but I wanna hear you turn the tables. I’m always fascinated about why people like Psylocke. I think we both know that the person in the body that we once believed to be Psylocke is not the same character. As she always should have been, the actual Japanese woman is back in the Japanese body. When you say it’s your favorite character, do you mean Qanon, who appeared in roughly three issues before disappearing for roughly 30 years, or do you mean Betsy Braddock?

Marauders #1/Marvel Entertainment

Allo: I mean, it’s funny because I loved Betsy when she was introduced, and when she was introduced in New Mutants and took on Sabretooth, I fell in love with Betsy. And then the evolution happened, and the visual of Kwannon was something I loved too. Those are kind of my favorites. I follow Captain Britain, and I follow Marauders because I follow Kwannon wherever Kwannon goes. 

Orlando: I’m just always interested. Psylocke is a war captain, and you’re going to see her… I don’t want to spoil too much, but she’s going to step up in a leadership role more and more over time. You kind of see that evolution as she’s more confident in herself and can do a lot more now that the correct mind is in the correct body, so to speak. You’ve already seen that in Marauders #1, but it’ll become text, not subtext, by the time the year’s over.

Allo: Awesome, that’s exciting. They’re both really great characters.

Orlando: And look, she goes to fucking space if she wants!

Allo: Your book Party And Prey touches on the “Party and Play” gay subculture.  Which is known as the “PNP” crystal myth fueled sex scene. It’s known to be a bit scary filled with predators, extortion, suicide and addiction.  What was your interest in this and what was the impetus for the story?

Orlando: In regards to PARTY AND PREY, since I co-wrote the book I tend to not do solo Qs for it. BUT I think a lot of what you’ve asked is answered by the text piece my co-writer and I included in the book? We try to let the work speak for itself on things we’ve done together, and intended that to be our statement on the content.

Party and Prey/Aftershock

Allo: Any advice for up and coming queer creators, or creators in general, that you wish you had when you were starting out?

Orlando: Look, comics is a challenging business. There are less spots at Marvel and DC… it’s easier to play for the Yankees or Red Sox. Know that it is a challenge, but know that it can and will happen if you don’t give up. I like to tell my story because it’s a story of almost 20 fucking years. I know someone can buy a pie for someone in a diner and get a book the next week, but that is not my story. And there’s nothing wrong with that story either. There’s no one way to break into the comics industry, just as there’s no one way to break into the comics or any other entertainment industry.

The thing is, make your books and hone your craft. It’s easier than ever. When I was a kid we didn’t have crowdfunding, and we barely had the internet. Now all those things exist. It’s easier to connect with likeminded creators whether they are established or aspiring. And make content! Make the content, and make it short. Almost everyone, myself included, is guilty of saying “this is my Dune, or this is my Lord of the Rings. My first book will be 100 issues long, and everyone will see!” 

Killman/Aftershock

No one will see, because no publisher will take a risk on the faith of an unproven talent. Make eight page stories, make 10 page stories, which, by the way, are harder to tell than a 100 issue story. And find peers or editors or creators who you respect and you think have your best interests at heart and get critiqued. Get ready to hear some things that you’re not necessarily excited about, but that’s why I say make sure to find creators who you respect and have your interests at heart. Even if they’re things you don’t want to hear, they’re probably things you need to hear.

Look, I was mentored by one of the most lovably gruff people in comics. When I met Steve Seagle, he told me “here’s what’s unprofessional about your work, kid. Either I’ll see you next year or I won’t.” It doesn’t have to be that harsh, but you have to find folks whose critique you respect, and you have to get ready to take it. If you do that, it could be a long process, it might be a short process. And maybe you won’t get there. But use the resources that are out there, like crowdfunding. It’s easier than ever to tell your story unadulterated. You don’t have to be like me sneaking in in 2008. You can do your book with 38 dicks like Euphoria, and it can get funded, as long as you’re speaking your truth. Don’t be deterred by speed bumps and things like that. You can get there. And also, know that before they got in, every creator you know probably quit trying to make comics a thousand times. God knows I quit many times, and the only reason I didn’t is that I’m extremely stubborn. That’s what you take to heart. I would call Steve Seagle and he would be like “this isn’t fair, I want to quit!” And he’d be like “no you don’t.” And that’s when I’d be like “fuck you, old man! I’m never going to quit!” Even though he was probably the same age that I am now.

Allo: Thanks so much, Steve for a great interview!


For more info on Steve Orlando and to see a list of his works check out his Twitter and Instagram.

Celebrating an Icon: Diana Prince, Wonder Woman-the most enduring female super hero of all time!

All-Star Comics 8, Sensation Comics 1 DC Comics

Wonder Woman was co-created by William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter. She first appeared in All-Start Comics #8 in 1941. Some of us know Wonder Woman from her origins in comic books. Stories crafted by the likes of George Perez, Jose Garcia Lopez, Phil Jimenz, Greg Rucka, and John Byrne. Others remember her from the 1970’s hit TV show portrayed by Linda Carter or from the Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon from the seventies and eighties. Younger generations remember her from the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited shows. And now a whole new generation is experiencing the Princess of Theymyscyria through Gal Gadot portraying Wonder Woman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Patty Jenkin’s Wonder Woman films

Super Friends, Wonder Woman and Justice League Animated DC Entertaiment.

However you’ve encountered Wonder Woman for the first time, it cannot be said enough that she has always been a hero for all of humanity and even more, a true purveyor of peace, truth, and building bridges. This may seem pretty basic, but it is still a revolutionary perspective in 2021.

Recently, I had the opportunity to ask a few of the creators who have had a hand in shaping Wonder Woman in her comic book exploits-writer Steve Orlando, artist Emanuela Lupacchino and all-around Rennaissance Woman, writer-artist, Amy Chu. And one super-fan who loves Diana more than anyone I know. But also embodies Wonder Woman’s ethics and mindset, Lego Master, Sam Hatmaker.

Comic book, Writer Steve Orlando (MIdnighter, Nightwing, Wonder Woman)

Wonder Woman DC Comics

Chris Allo: What was your first exposure to Wonder Woman?

Orlando: Undoubtedly it would’ve been the DC Cosmic Card series, which was my first exposure to nearly all DC characters. We didn’t have a comic store in my town at first, so I would get back issues at the flea market, and snag all the non-sports cards I could at sports memorabilia shows, where I’d accompany my parents. I was instantly taken with Diana. Especially, oddly enough, the elegance of her Golden Age design. And once I got into DC books in the mid-90s, when we got a Waldenbooks and a comic store, Diana was front and center — battling nazis, becoming the goddess of truth itself, and kicking the shit out of White Martians. It didn’t take long for me to be sold for life.

DC Comics Trading Card Impel

Chris: Why do you think Wonder Woman has endured for so long? Icon level achieved!

Orlando: I think it’s because of the clarity of her message — love over hate, peace over war…and a swift hand for those that refuse those edicts. These were challenging ideas when she was created, and they’re challenging, radical, subversive ideas even today. We know that no matter what we’ve done, who we are, Diana will be there to offer love, IF we’re strong enough to take it, IF we’re strong enough to admit our faults and mistakes, she is there with compassion. And we know for those who fall to violence and hate, the weaks ones, that Diana will be there to defend us. Wonder Woman, through a myriad of lenses, is STILL a book about the devastating, transformative power of love. And that’s a message, and a character, who will always be relevant. 

Chris: Do you have a favorite storyline and or creative team?  One that inspires your work on the character?

Wonder Woman by Phil Jimenez DC Comics

Orlando: I think the closest inspiration for me is Phil Jimenez’s run as writer and artists. Phil and I think very much along the same lines with Diana, even if he’s an angel and I’m a devil. But as a reader, I instantly loved how provocative, how radical, how strong and welcoming Phil’s Diana was. She wasn’t just a classic greek hero, screaming into battle with sword drawn. She DID draw sword, but only when there was no other recourse. And she understood that peace is radical, peace if frightening, and peace is the highest aspiration. She wasn’t naive, she knew this would anger the power structures around her, and she was ready to fight against them. These are ideas imbued in every panel and line of WONDER WOMAN when I’m working on it, and I owe that to Phil.

Chris: Since she is a comics Icon, what is one of your favorite images and or artists that have portrayed the character?

Orlando: Good lord, there are so many! Outside of Phil’s Diana, I would be remiss not to mention the incredible work of artists like Colleen Doran, Ramona Fradon, Nicola Scott, Jill Thompson, Joshua Middleton, Jenny Frison, Gil Kane, Adam Hughes, and when we’re lucky enough to see her draw Diana — Joyce Chin.

Chris: I can add a few to that amazing list! I was working with Joyce recently and mentioned to her your comment, she was so humbled and was surprised anyone even remembered that she drew Wonder Woman.

Emanuela Lupaccina-Artist(Wonder Woman, Trinity, Starfire)

Wonder Woman 67 DC Comics

Chris Allo: What was your first experience or exposure to Wonder Woman? 

EL: My first experience with the characters was 10 years ago or so, I worked on a cover with Wonder Woman and I suddenly had a great feeling drawing the character. It was a powerful action scene and I remember how naturally it came to me drawing her. 

Chris: Why do you think Wonder Woman has endured for so long? Icon level achieved!

EL: Wonder Woman is a superhero where principles and love come before the superpowers. She may change her look through the years but she keeps some good ideals immutable. I believe she touched the heart of the people as she was born as female superhero and what made her such a great character was her personality over the powers. That personality is still there as it was at the beginning. Iconic.

Chris: Do you have a favorite storyline and or creative team?  ONe that inspires your work on the character?

Wonder Woman by Jose Garcia Lopez, DC Comics

EL: My favorite creator is Jose Garcia Lopez, I believe he’s the most representative author of the character. And his art is as iconic as the character itself. 
I do love some of the covers Adam Hughes did for the series, his work was a great inspiration for me as much as Garcia Lopez. I love his touch of power on the character keeping it graceful and elegant at the same time.

Lego Artist Sam Hatmaker

Gal Gadot as Wonde Woman by Sam Hatmaker.

Chris Allo: What was your first experience or exposure to Wonder Woman? 

Sam Hatmaker: I first fell in love with Wonder Woman in 1977 when Lynda Carter introduced the character to the world.  I spent the next few years spinning around and becoming powerful when I felt weak.  I have a 2” scar across the bottom of my chin from spinning around in the bathtub.

Chris: Why has the character endured so long? She’s an Icon now!

Sam Hatmaker: The character has evolved with time, always finding a message to empower women and the disadvantaged.  That keeps her relevant.

Chris: What is your favorite storyline or creator on WW?

Sam Hatmaker: George Perez inspired my love of the character and the Greek Gods.  He made her a character of peace first and foremost.  She is one of only a few characters in comics whose first choice is defense, not offense.  Her weapons are defensive.  Bracelets to deflect attacks, and a lasso that binds the opponent so they can not fight, and forces them to communicate the truth.  My favorite stories were solved with her forcing the enemy to examine themselves and their motives.  

Chris: Any standout or favorite image/artist depiction of Diana?

Sam Hatmaker: I have a few.  I own one of the original 1980’s style guide pictures by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez.  I love George Perez and Phil Jimenez’s drawings of her.  

Comic Creator Amy Chu (Girls Night Out, Sensation Comics, Deadpool)

Greg Silber: What is your first experience or exposure to WW?  

Amy Chu: Oh you know what, I did read the Wonder Woman comics when I was a kid for sure. Because I was also watching the TV show with Linda Carter. That was huge. I would say that was formative. So there was that, and in fact, if I think harder, there was a lot of classic Wonder Woman I was reading at the time.

GS: Like the Marston/H.G. Peter stuff?

AC: Yeah. I remember because with all the bondage stuff, as a kid I was like “what’s with all the chains?” [Laughs]. Now I’m like “oh, okay.” So yeah, I would say I grew up with Wonder Woman.

GS: Why has the character endured so long? She’s now an icon of mythic proportions!

AC: First of all, how many woman characters were there like 80 years ago? She was very powerful. The character of Wonder Woman is someone we aspire to. She’s powerful, and there’s a quality about Wonder Woman that endures today. Part of it is that she’s so much of a legacy character now, right? It’s great that there are so many new female characters now, but with Wonder Woman, there’s a certain universe that owes everything to her. And she’s from that sort of Amazonian idea as a woman. It’s very appealing! I think it’s also kind of funny that… look, it’s an island full of women. The idea that they’re all heterosexual is kind of odd, right?

GS: [Laughs] Island full of all straight women.

AC: I never thought of it that way but… yeah. That sort of appealed to me.

GS: What is your favorite storyline or creator on Wonder Woman?

AC: Wow, I’m going to get in trouble here. Because there are so many good ones. I will say that working with Bernard Chang on my first Wonder Woman comic, I specifically asked for Bernard. That was Sensation Comics. I don’t want to point to any specific arc because there have been some really good ones, obviously. I will point to Gail Simone and Greg Rucka, they’re all good. I won’t point out some duds that I bought.

GS: Any standout or favorite image/artist depiction of Diana?

AC: Okay you know what, I will point to the (Brian) Azzarello/Cliff Chiang stuff. I am a big fan of Cliff Chiang’s work. It’s so funny. With Brian Azzarello, it’s not like I know him that well, but I saw him at the Comixology party and he was like “hey Amy!” I love his writing in general. I’m not going to say one over the other, but it really did make a difference when I was reading that arc.

Chris Allo: I want to add that two of my favorite artists who have drawn Wonder Woman over the years are Brian Bolland-who give Phil Jimenez a run for his money on drawing Diana’s raven locks. Bolland portrayed her as powerful and almost mythical at times. And second is Terry Dodson, one of my all-time favorite artists, who depicts Wonder Woman as with a more muscular frame than most, but manages to retain her feminine beauty while showing the powerhouse aspect that is equal to Superman.

Terry Dodson
Wonder Woman, DC Comics

I also wanted to take a moment to thank ally, Greg Silber for helping out on this interview. Gregory Paul Silber is a writer and editor with bylines at PanelxPanel, The Daily Dot, NeoText, Shelfdust, and more. His humor column, “Silber Linings,” appears every Friday at The Comics Beat. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @GregSilber.”

See you next time!

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Marvel vs. DC – The Pride-Off

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Eric Green, as they discuss the final trailer for the massively built up “Snyder Cut” of Justice League, DC’s big campaign announced for Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary, and celebrate all the queer artists and writers announced as part of DC Pride in This Week in Queer.

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN:  Netflix is testing out a new crackdown on password sharing
ERIC: Bob Iger and Bob Chapek chair Disney’s Diversity Councils

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Promising Young Woman, Moxie!, Genera+ion, Resident Alien, Super Mario 3D World
ERIC: X-Men (as always), All My Relations, Extremity, Raya and the Last Dragon, Lego VIDIYO

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

DC announces “Believe in Wonder” campaign for Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

DC announces new DC Pride anthology and variant covers 

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

Final trailer for Justice League: The Snyder Cut

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• HBO Max confirms that Batgirl and Zatanna movies still in development
• Pepe Le Pew removed from Space Jam 2
• New trailer for Vanquish
• New trailer for The Unholy
• Movie theaters in Los Angeles can reopen at 25%

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TV

• The History Channel is releasing a docu-series celebrating 55 years of Star Trek
• Peacock developing series based on George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards
• Netflix cancels/expands Special season 2 to 30min
• Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit being developed into a musical
• Michelle Gomez joins season 3 of Doom Patrol
• HBO Max adapting comic Slam! into animated series
• New trailer for book 4 of Infinity Train
• Cast reveal for The Powerpuff Girl live-action pilot
• New trailer for the Kung Fu reboot
• New teaser for Amazon Prime’s Them from Lena Waithe
• First look at Starz’s Heels
• Ducktales living on as a podcast, This Duckberg Life
• New trailer for Falcon & The Winter Soldier

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COMIC BOOKS

• New The Nice House on the Lake horror comic coming from James Tynion IV
• Marvel announces Marvel Voices: Pride #1 plus

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SHILF

• KEVIN: Jason Momoa
• ERIC: Henry Cavill

The Geeks OUT Podcast: It’s a Winter Wonder(Woman) Land

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Geeks OUT President, Nic Gitau, as they get into the spirit with a new queer holiday movie trailer “Dashing in December” and the early X-mas miracle of “Wonder Woman 1984” coming to theaters and HBO Max on 12/25, and celebrate The CW developing a Yara Flor centric “Wonder Girl” series for our Strong Female Character of the Week. 

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN & NIC:  Wonder Woman 1984 will hit theaters and stream on HBO Max on Xmas

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Underwater, Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, Adventure Time: Distant Lands – Obsidian, Marvel Voices: Indigenous Voices
NIC: His Dark Materials S2 premiere, Animaniacs reboot!,1 week countdown to The Happiest Season];  [everything royal (White Queen, The Crown, The Princess Switch 2)

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

The CW developing a Wonder Girl series centered on latinx character Yara Flor

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

New trailer for Dashing in December

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New trailer for Chaos Walking

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• New trailer for Godmothered
• New teaser for Canvas
• Yet another trailer for the director’s cut of Justice League
• New trailer for Tom & Jerry
• New trailer for Batman: Soul of the Dragon

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TV

• Hulu renews Woke
• New trailer for The Wilds
• Mattel is developing a gameshow based on the card game Uno
• New trailer for the Minions Holiday Special
• HBO Max orders limited series of DMZ based on the comic & The Last of Us
• New teaser of season 2 of Batwoman
• This will be the last season of Black Lightning
• Charmed and The Conners casts trans actor J.J. Hawkins & Alexandra Billings in recurring roles

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COMIC BOOKS

• Vault Comics releasing queer sci-fi horror book Hollow Heart in Feb. 
• SiriusXM announces new set of Marvel podcasts 
• Marvel announces Marvel Voices: Legacy for Black History Month

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SHILF

• KEVIN: Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit)
• NIC: Queen Elizabeth (White Princess) 

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Suicide Squad Goalz

Geeks OUT Podcast: Suicide Squad Goalz

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin (@Gilligan_McJew) is joined by Lynaé DePriest (@LynaeDePriest) as they discuss news from DC Fandome, including the first look at The Suicide Squad, The Batman, and celebrate the new trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 as our Strong Female Character of the

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Lynae DePriest, as they discuss news from DC Fandome, including the first look at The Suicide Squad, The Batman, and celebrate the new trailer for Wonder Woman 1984 as our Strong Female Character of the Week. 

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN: Massive layoffs happen at DC including Editor in Chief & a third of their editors & name new co-interim-editors in chiefDC Universe shows moving to HBO Max
LYNAÉ: Stranger Things to go past 4 seasons

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Project Power, Umbrella Academy, Teenage Bounty Hunters
LYNAÉ: 3%, Lovecraft Country, I May Destroy You, The Chi

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

New trailer for Wonder Woman 1984

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

New teaser for Bad Hair

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New look at The Suicide Squad

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

• Olivia Wilde to direct female led “spider” movie for Sony
• New trailer for The Batman
• Netflix gets the R.L. Stine Fear Street trilogy
• Amazon announces Welcome to the Blumhouse movie series

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TV

• Netflix renews Warrior Nun for season 2
• Netflix cancels The Society and I Am Not Okay With This due to COVID
• Showtime cancels Penny Dreadful: City of Angels
• Writers quit All Rise after clashing w/ showrunner on depiction of gender/race
• New trailer for Earth to Ned
Supernatural announces return date for final “season”  
• AppleTV+ orders an animated Harriet the Spy series 

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COMIC BOOKS

• The Other History of the DC Universe finally getting released
• Milestone Comics returning early 2021
• Marvel announces Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices one-shot

The Geeks OUT Podcast: Social Distance+

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Jon Herzog as they discuss all the shows they’ll be binging while social distancing, new trailers for Disney’s Jungle Cruise & Pixar’s Soul, and celebrate Wonder Woman’s new writer Mariko Tamaki as our Strong Female Character of the Week.

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN: Mulan, New Mutants, and A Quiet Place Part II postponed, Disney, Shang-Chi, Netflix, Jurassic World: Dominion, The Batman, Countless shows halt productions, and WonderCon has been postponed, DragConLA has been canceled
JON: New trailer for Disney’s Jungle Cruise

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Yesterday, Steven Universe Future,Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost
JON: Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Trek: Picard, Evil, Bob’s Burgers, Will & Grace

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

Mariko Tamaki taking over Wonder Woman this summer

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

Y: The Last Man casts trans actor Elliot Fletcher

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New trailer for Pixar’s Soul

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

New trailer for Black Widow
Frozen 2 is coming to Disney+ 2 months early
• New Mutants might have queer representation
• New red band trailer for Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge
• Scream 5 is in the works

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TV

• New trailer for Central Park
• New trailer for The Letter for the King
Lost in Space renewed for final season
• Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) will appear in Disney+’s She-Hulk
• New character teaser for DC Universe All Star Games
• New trailer for Stargirl
• New trailer for 50 States of Fright

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COMIC BOOKS

• Steve Orlando moves to Marvel with Darkhold
Immortal Hulk’s Dr. McGowan outs herself as trans

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SHILF

• KEVIN: Ben Schnetzer
• JON: Elliot Fletcher

The Geeks OUT Podcast: It’s a (Wonder) Woman’s World

The Geeks OUT Podcast

Opinions, reviews, incisive discussions of queer geek ideas in pop culture, and the particularly cutting brand of shade that you can only get from a couple of queer geeks all in highly digestible weekly doses.

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Jon Herzog as they discuss the new trailers for Wonder Woman 1984, Black Widow, and Mulan, & celebrate Rebekah, the young trans activist featured in the latest Marvel’s Hero Project on Disney+ in This Week in Queer.

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BIG OPENING

KEVIN: New teaser trailer for Black Widow
JON: New trailer for Wonder Woman ‘84

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DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Steven Universe Future, Castle Rock, Astronomy Club
JON: Knives Out/Jojo Rabbit Double-Header, Mandalorian/Binge Mode: Star Wars

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STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

New trailer for live action Mulan

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THIS WEEK IN QUEER

New episode of Disney+ series Marvel’s Hero Project features young trans hero

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CLIP OF THE WEEK

New animated short film Hair Love from Sony Pictures Animation

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THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

New trailer for No Time To Die
Disney developing new Planet of the Apes movie
• J.J. Abrams continues to insist Star Wars will have LGBTQ representation
• First look at Ghostbusters: Afterlife
• New trailer for Free Guy

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TV

• New teaser trailer for season 2 of The Boys
• New trailer for season 2 of Lost in Space
• New trailer for The Outsider
• New trailer for AJ and the Queen
• New teaser for season 5 of Legends of Tomorrow
• New trailer for Avenue 5
• Disney+ orders Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge competition show
• Animated Tigra & Dazzler show getting overhauled
• Disney+ developing spinoff series to live-action Aladdin
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina part 3 coming in January

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COMIC BOOKS

• Marvel introduces new Strange Academy
• Batman to introduce Alfred’s “replacement”
• Marvel introduces new X-title Hellions

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SHILF

• KEVIN: Red Guardian
• JON: Mr. Sinister

The Geeks OUT Podcast: The Category Is… Dystopian Realness

Geeks OUT Podcast: The Category Is…Dystopian Realness

In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin (Gilligan_McJew) is joined by Sam Johns as they discuss all the dystopian shows nominated for Emmy awards, take solace in knowing that Pose will return for a second season, and celebrate G.

In this week‘s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Sam Johns as they discuss all the dystopian shows nominated for Emmy awards, take solace in knowing that Pose will return for a second season, and celebrate G. Willow Wilson taking over Wonder Woman as our Strong Female Character of the Week.

 

BIG OPENING

KEVIN: Several genre shows nominated for Emmy Awards this year
SAM: Commercial for Brian Michael Bendis’ run on Superman

 

DOWN AND NERDY

KEVIN: Sorry to Bother You, The First Purge, Slasher, The Amazing Spider-Man
SAM: The Handmaid’s Tale, Grotesque, Ping Pong, Mondo’s The Thing

 

STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER

G. Willow Wilson announced as new writer for Wonder Woman

 

THIS WEEK IN QUEER

Pose renewed for a second season

 

CLIP OF THE WEEK

New Christopher Robin trailer

 

THE WEEK IN GEEK

MOVIES

Star Wars IX to feature return of Billy Dee Williams as Lando
Joaquin Phoenix officially joins Joker origin movie
First official image released from Shazam!
New teaser trailer for Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
Trailer for Netflix’s Extinction
Black Widow finds a director
First images from Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Sequel to Zombieland officially happening
Star Trek 4 looking to add two female characters, one being a villain

 

TV

•  New trailer for Hulu’s Castle Rock
 First poster released for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
 Cast announced for FX’s Y: The Last Man pilot
 April Bowlby cast as Elasti-Woman in Doom Patrol and Titans
 Yvette Nicole Brown is taking over Talking Dead
 HBO orders sci-fi series The Nevers from Joss Whedon

 

COMICS

 Archie comics to shift to be more like Riverdale
 Robert Kirkman’s Die!Die!Die! surprises comic shops
 Marvel teases new Superior Octopus and Ghost Spider series

 

SHILF

KEVIN: Colossus
SAM: Nightcrawler