Live Q&A w/ Gene Luen Yang, Writer of SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN, NEW SUPER-MAN, BATMAN/SUPERMAN, & More! Tuesday, 5.18.21 @2pm PT

[KM_726]

Hi Mr. Yang,

First off, I love your work, it’s absolutely amazing!!!

My question is, when developing a new story, as a writer how do you determine what makes a great story?

Thank you in advance for your response!!!

[patterson65.37405]

I just finished reading the periodical version of Superman Smashes the Klan, Mr. Yang. Amazing writing, and the artwork was beautiful. When you’re writing such a story, do you collaborate closely with the artists? Is it easy to visualize the story in your head, and do you offer any suggestions to the artists? Thanks for such great work, and I look forward to reading your other work.

[Izzy11]

Hi, I really enjoyed your work, I recommended Superman Smashes the Klan to my dad(he’s a superman fan but hasn’t read comics since college, so like 30 years ago) and he really liked it too.
superman smashes the klan was set in the past, directly after world war two which was an interesting point in history as far as change and similarities so are there any other time periods or events in the past you would like to explore? if so would you use superman or another character? thank you for your time.

[vcx_c]

nice

[lo_third]

Hello GLY,
Superman Smashes the Klan is one of my favorite Superman stories, but I also really enjoyed your essay “Superman and Me” that came along with it. Can you tell us more about what went into writing that? Was it something that was always planned to be in the book or were you inspired to write it while working on SStK?

[moonwalker]

Will your new Monkey Prince Series includes Billy Batson or you writing a new SHAZAM! Series includes Monkey prince? I can accept either one of those come true.

[RepHope]

Greetings Mr. Yang! Huge fan of your work!

1. Any details you can share about the process of creating Kenan Kong? I know Jim Lee came to you with the idea if I recall correctly, and you weren’t that enamored with the idea at first. But where did the ideas for concepts such as Kenan’s parents to be on opposite sides come from?
2. Any chance you’ll write Kenan again? Loved New Super-Man and enjoyed Greg Pak’s short Kenan story in the Festival issue.
3. Who are your favorite Superman Rogues?

Finally if there’s anything you can tease about your plans for Batman/Superman I’d love to hear them! Really enjoyed the Multiverse set up you have and how Reis is playing with the panel structure.

[moro]

Don’t know how I missed this. Hopefully I’m not too late and you get to my post .

First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to interact with us. I’m a fan of your work on Superman. Superman Smashes the Klan provided great reading material with my 10 year old daughter. It was a rare read that we could enjoy together without feeling strictly like a “kids” or “adult” book. A truly all ages tale that got my daughter into my favorite character. So, thank you for your great work.

Second, although we’re only a couple issues in… I’m finding Batman Superman to be my current favorite out of the Infinite Frontier titles. I have several questions. I’m just going to brain dump and feel free to answer what you like:

• What exactly are these worlds? Are they actual universes within the Multiverse? Not asking for spoilers… whatever you can tell us to enhance the experience going forward .
• I love all the retro yet futuristic vehicles and buildings you and Ivan Reis are showing off. “When” exactly are we?
• Speaking of Ivan Reis… man… I can’t gush enough about how much I like his work; my favorite artist through & through. Hopefully you guys will be working together on this book for a while, not just a limited arc?
• Will we be seeing other DC heroes in these alternate universes? Wonder Woman perhaps?
• Back to Superman Smashes the Klan. Plans for a follow up? Would love to see what Clark does with his powers, now that he’s discovered them, and what social injustices he would tackle next.

[TheRealDetectiveChimp]

Hello! First of all I wanted to tell you that this is hands down my favorite Superman story.

1. In that spirit, what is your favorite Superman comic of all time?

2. Do other heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman exist in this world?

[Applejack]

Hi, everybody! We’ll be getting start with Mr. Yang here in just a little bit. Please feel free to settle in, grab a snack, and enjoy reading the responses!

If you have any more questions you may add them here in chat, but please be aware we only have our guest for one hour, so we may not get to everyone.

Back soon!

[GeneLYang]

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for coming! I’m so excited to talk to you all about Superman!

[Don-El]

Wooohoo!

[TheCosmicMoth]

Last-minute second question: Do you have a favorite Weisinger-era Superman story?

[GeneLYang]

@Vroom

Given your history with Superman, and that we’re amidst the spotlight on Asian-American characters within DC, are there any Asian elements you’d like to further introduce into the franchise? Maybe in the form of new allies or villains for The Man of Steel? New locations for his adventures to take place in?

Great question! In DC Festival of Heroes (available at your LCS right now!) we introduced a brand new DC character called the Monkey Prince, who is inspired by an old Chinese folklore character called the Monkey King. The Monkey King is hugely popular in Asia. Dragonball, for instance, is based on the legend of the Monkey King.
On the Internet, there’s been a debate about Goku vs. Superman. Who would win? I’m hoping to answer that by having Monkey Prince vs. Superman at some point in the future.

We also did a series called New Super-Man a couple years back, about a Chinese Superman. That dealt a lot with the overlap between Chinese culture and the Superman mythos. I’d love to bring some of those characters back. In fact, Kenan Kong, the New Super-Man, is in a brilliant story in Festival of Heroes written by Greg Pak!

[GeneLYang]

@Mister.Miracle

Hello Mr. Yang,

I think Superman Smashes the Klan is one of the best Superman stories I’ve ever read and it addressed complex and real themes in a unique way through a character that in a way is the ultimate immigrant story.

I also think that your Batman/Superman run is incredibly fun and innovative, with the first issue’s dual storytelling being unlike anything I’ve read before and reminiscent of the old Superman and Batman serials.

Both of these stories pay homage to older versions of the characters and I was wondering what made you want to explore these versions.

Thank you so much for reading Superman Smashes the Klan! And for reading Batman/Superman! And you’re right. Both stories harken back to an older time. SSTK is explicitly set in 1946. The BM/SM storyline is about two created universes that are inspired by the 1940s.

For SSTK, we did debate whether or not to bring the story to the present. The graphic novel is a retelling of one of the most important Superman stories ever. Back in 1946 on the Superman radio show, the Man of Steel took on a group of hooded racists, which lead to the real-life public relations downfall of the real-life Klan.

Ultimately, we decided to keep the story in 1946 for a few reasons. First, it would point readers back to the actual real-life history behind that radio show. I mean, a fictional man in a red cape dealt an actual blow to an actual hate group! How awesome is that?

Second, there’s a Chinese tradition of using the past to talk about the present. The thinking is, sometimes the problems of the present are too emotionally charged. It’s easier to talk about them by using analogous events from the past. I think there’s some wisdom in that approach. So SSTK might be set in the past, but it’s very much about our present.

Beyond this, I think there’s something about the DC Universe that’s rooted in the 1930s and 1940s. I believe that even in present DC Universe stories, there should be some kind of nod to that era, however subtle, in order for the story to feel DC (I know many disagree – just my personal theory).

Also, I got to see GURIHIRU and IVAN REIS draw CARS FROM THE 1940S!!! Who doesn’t want that???

[Applejack]

@GeneLYang

For SSTK, we did debate whether or not to bring the story to the present. The graphic novel is a retelling of one of the most important Superman stories ever. Back in 1946 on the Superman radio show, the Man of Steel took on a group of hooded racists, which lead to the real-life public relations downfall of the real-life Klan.

Ultimately, we decided to keep the story in 1946 for a few reasons. First, it would point readers back to the actual real-life history behind that radio show. I mean, a fictional man in a red cape dealt an actual blow to an actual hate group! How awesome is that?

VERY awesome! For anyone who is free tomorrow night, we’ll be listening to the first episode of the historic event Mr. Yang is referring to right over here:

[Superman Fan Club] Superman Radio Show Listen-Along Clan of the Fiery Cross! Wednesday May 19th 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT / 8 pm CT

Presenting: The Adventures of Superman Radio Show episodes #1308-1313, episodes 1-6 of the 16 part “Clan of the Fiery Cross” (and Pep cereal of course). [clan 2] It’s time again for the hot twice-a-month Wednesday Evening [Superman Fan Club] Listen-Along , open to one and ALL!!! This month we give a hearty welcome to the DC Book Club, who are also enjoying the three part periodical series by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru “Superman Smashes the Klan” which is based on this radio s…

[Don-El]

Or even six of the 16 episodes, it will be a fun time for all!

[GeneLYang]

@HubCityQuestion

In Superman Smashes The Klan , you worked once more with your Avatar collaborators, the Japan-based Team Gurihiru, Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano. Gurihiru are an interesting team to me in that they represent a synthesis we could stand to see a lot more of between the East Asian and the American comic book fields. How does your working relationship operate with them, and is it one you think we can emulate for further cooperation between these often separated expressions of the comic medium?

Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano are SO GOOD. Elite cartoonists, among the best working in the world of comics today. I’ve been working with them for a while now. We did five volumes of the Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels for Dark Horse. You’re exactly right. They are the synthesis of East Asian and American comics.

Neither of them speaks English. Every one of my scripts goes through a translator. Even so, I’ve really learned to trust them. There are sequences where I purposely make my script sparse because I know they’ll be able to create something amazing out of that sequence.

We’re already seeing a lot of the cooperation you’re talking about. These days, you’ll find techniques in American comics that were borrowed from Japanese comics. For instance, what Scott McCloud calls Moment-To-Moment transitions were relatively rare when I was reading superhero comics in the 80s. Now, they’re common place. As a comics fan and creator, I think that sort of cross-cultural sharing of technique is great. It makes for better comics.

I would hope that every comic book creator includes comics from all over the world in their diet, just to absorb a variety of techniques.

And at DC, we are trying to do that explicitly. There are artists and writers from all over the world working on DC books.

[Bukdiah]

Hey Gene! Dragon Hoops was my jam. What are some things you like about working on creator owned work vs the Big Two and vice versa?

[GeneLYang]

@MisfitCMJ

GLY,

When people sit down to read your work, what’s your dream goal? Not just making people think and feel-- that’s what we all want-- what do you want them to know that can help them make a better world-- with a little prodding from a good story, well told?

At a very, very basic level, I want them to get to the final page. I want to keep their attention long enough so they’ll keep flipping pages until the get to that last page.

As far as other goals go, I think it depends on the project. For Superman Smashes the Klan, I wanted to present Asian American characters as 3-dimensional. To be blunt about it, I think much of the violence against Asian Americans that we see today is the result of dehumanization. It’s harder for you to hurt or kill someone if you think of them as full, 3-dimensional human beings with thoughts, feelings, flaws, and dreams just like you.