There is no doubt that Gail Simone is one of the best creators ever. She’s responsible for classic stories, making new characters, and remaining important to the comic book industry despite it being a male-dominated industry. If that isn’t enough, it’s more impressive that she’s never watered down her style or stories to fit someone else’s narrative. She’s someone to be admired, and I had the privilege of asking her some questions about her past work.
One of the first things we talked about was the moment that Gail was "bitten" by the comic book bug. I learned that, like many people, it started with Charles Schulz and, later, DC Comics.
"...I got a collection of little Peanuts books and read them to tatters," Gail said. "But the hook to comics came from a garage sale that had a poor old copy of Justice League 100, and I NEEDED to know who all the characters were. I was just a kid, but it never went away, that love."
Gail Simone's early work
Next, I needed to know about writing Deadpool. Gail Simone was a major contributor to my love of the Merc With A Mouth. She wrote Deadpool Nos. 65-69 and Agent X Nos. 1-15, so I wanted to know how she came to write it.
"This is fun, I got a call from Joey Quesada. He was a fan of my comedy column, and Deadpool was selling poorly and about to be canceled. So he asked for a pitch to make it ‘laugh out loud’ funny again, and I had no idea what I was doing. I wrote down a year’s worth of stories.”
“The pitch made such an impact, unrelated editors were reading it for FUN. It was a big hit, then they canceled the book for unrelated issues and made Agent X, which was an even bigger hit. But I wrote it so Deadpool could come back, I knew they’d change their minds."
When I asked what past projects she was proud of, she said, "I am intensely proud of Clean Room and Crosswind, which are both creator-owned projects. I think "The Circle" from Wonder Woman and "The Dark Artery" from Uncanny X-Men are probably my favorite superhero stories. I think they stand up."
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an important part of the comic book worlds, as the animated series is widely considered one of the best animated DC TV shows of all time. So many people still speak highly of it all these years later, and rightly so. Among the highly rated episodes is "Double Date", which features a team-up from Green Arrow and Black Canary joining the Question and Huntress. This particular episode was written by Gail Simone.
In wanting that episode's legacy, I asked Gail how cool it is knowing that her episode still gets watched.
"Well, I was so insecure about my writing career that I kept my day job at that point. Then one day, I get a call from Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie. I almost fainted. They wanted me to write it in MY style and barely changed a word. Later, Bruce Timm said it was one of his three favorite episodes, and my heart exploded."
Alysia Yeoh
One of the first major trans characters in DC Comics to be written in a contemporary contest is Alysia Yeoh, who debuted in Gail Simone's Batgirl No. 1 back in 2011. Gail discusses the importance of creating a trans character in a world where there aren’t a lot.
“Well, there were trans characters, just not so much in mainstream comics. Or if they were there, they’d be coded as robots or aliens or some other nonsense. For me, I thought it was a real opportunity to be welcoming and inclusive, I saw a lot of trans bullying even then.”
"A lot of credit has to go to Dan DiDio who approved the idea almost immediately, as long as Alysia meant something to Barbara’s story as well. I was ready to fight, but didn’t have to."Gail Simone
Gail discussing the importance of fighting for trans representation back in 2011 is a reminder of how we, as a society, have "gone backward" on this topic. It needs to be acknowledged that trans rights are human rights. And Alysia Yeoh's involvement in DC Comics - and the positive reception to the character - is a great reminder of that.
I couldn't leave without talking about her novel Red Sonja: Consumed. Readers have raved about it on social media, so I asked her to give people a reason to check it out.
"If you like your sword and sorcery stories to be brutal and lusty and feature the ultimate badass redhead, I don’t think you will be disappointed. It’s a rude, impolite book and that’s what I love about it. Red Sonja, at least my version, does not apologize, and does not ask permission. She bends the knee to no one."
"She’s imperfect, she messes up. I think that’s why I love her so much, BECAUSE I CAN RELATE."Gail Simone
Fun questions
No comic book creator has more fun on the internet than Gail Simone. For example, her playful “feud” with Tom Taylor is legendary. She adds her secret to social media happiness, and it’s pretty simple.
"I do have fun, and that is my secret. I don’t come onto the internet with the idea of ‘building a brand’ or whatever the hell some people do. I come in to tell goofy jokes that people can join in and add to, AND to promote the work of people doing good stuff. If your goal is to have fun and talk about good work, you know, those are easy goals to achieve. If you do it to CHANGE THE WORLD and BUILD YOUR FANBASE, I think you aren’t going to have as much fun, and people know the difference."
In reference to her ongoing "war" Tom Taylor, she'd like everyone to know "Plus, I am not a bear."
You can find Gail Simone on Instagram, Twitter, Threads, and Bluesky.