Planet DC2 05/23/2007

Planet DC2 baby!

Yeah, me again for my month full of thrills, chills and... other things that rhyme with those words. I'm not going to rant and rave this time round, but instead, leave you to an interview I did with David Charlton, former EIC and current writer of the DC2!

House Of Mystery: Why did you start the DC2?

David Charlton: I had met a fella on a DCU Role-playing posting board, who was starting up a DCU fan fiction site called Legends, and he invited me over. This was my first exposure to fan fiction, and I was actually pretty excited about it: imagine it, a chance to write my very own comic book series! At the beginning, there was a really good creative vibe there, and I met Scott Kruger (the DC2's Lantern Lad), Brandon Herren and Ramon Villalobos (I already knew you from my days on the RPG board). I had expressed an interest in doing a Hawkman title, and--- even more exciting to me--- a JSA title. I was collaborating pretty closely with Scott at the point. He was doing the costume redesign for the Golden Age Hawkman, and at the same time writing his spectacular JSA: A Legends End mini (in addition to two regular titles: Legends of Aquaman and Legends of the Green Lantern Corps); he and I spent hours planning and preparing for a new modern-day JSA title, and really just put a lot into it. But then came the bucket of cold water. The EIC told me that, due to some scheduling issues, my JSA title wouldn't see the light of day for almost two years! That rankled. A further dispute that he and I had got out of control, and one thing led to another, and we just decided that we couldn't work together.

But I wasn't ready to give up all the fun I was having. So I thought to myself, "Hey! I could do this sort of thing--- and I could do it a whole lot bigger and better!"

So I did.

I would like to say, however, I never could have gotten the DC2 off the ground without the close partnership I had with Brandon (it is impossible to overstate the role he played in developing the DC2; it is as much his vision as mine), and the support and encouragement I got from both Scott and yourself. The site might have been stillborn if not for you three.

CW: Ha, we were quite the fan-fiction force to be reckoned with! Way back in, what was it, October 2005? Yeah, when the site went 'live', what was your state of mind? Because come on, you were engaged, you work [nay, manage!] at a bank, and this is a site that had no web presence, no readers, no nothing, so I can't imagine how hard it must have been. Well, I can. I was there. Tell the readers. And how did you go about launching eleven (plus) books?

DC: I was a little nervous that we would be playing to an empty house. I had no idea how to attract a readership, or to recruit members. Prior to my involvement, the extent of my 'net-savvy was limited to stuff for work, and online-shopping! I had no idea there was such a thriving fan fiction community out there! We had worked very hard on producing the Issues 0 that debuted in our Inaugeral Month, and I believe we put out some quality products--- because people started flooding in to read them. Some of the folks that showed up in that first month have become the backbone of the DC2: Roy Flinchum, Susan Hillwig, Ramon Villalobos, Ellen Fleischer and Brian Burchette, to name a few...

As for how we managed to launch 11 new titles in one month... I have no idea. I doubt that I, personally, could ever work at that pace again; I wrote six of the eleven myself, and over the first three months, I think I wrote something like 18 issues...! Those were heady, exciting times--- and ultimately, they paid off. We had an extremely successful launch, and have been chugging along ever since.

CW: Do you have any regrets about the launch? Anything you would have done differently with hindsight?

DC: Regrets...? No.

There never seems to be enough lead-time on these things, and there is an awful lot of last minute scambling. Don't forget: as hard as I--- and the other writers, yourself included--- were working, Brandon was really getting his butt kicked! He was the cover artist for, I think, every single Issue 0! That's 11 covers in one month! Plus he was writing Aquaman! So I think if I had to do it over (God Help Me!), I might take an extra month to prepare--- but then, there comes a time when you just have to do it.

As it is, it turned out okay. It was a headlong, eleven month rush to the Crisis (which we called the IXE behind closed doors), and the formation of the Justice League--- and then we took a breather in September '06.

CW:Brandon was a complete and utter trooper! I thought we'd struggle if he ever left, but then Ramon really stepped up to the plate, thank God. I loved your debut arcs. All of them, they really hit me hard, Detective Comics especially. Thing is, in a place like this, when you compare yourself to your peers, you're always going to feel like you have to attain to some higher level, like what you're doing isn't good enough. So for me, back then, a fifteen year old who had never written fan fiction in his life before that moment, I always felt like I wasn't any good. But the thing about this community is that everyone is so supportive. I think that's a real testament to how we've grown here, making the DC2 a community of not just fans, but friends. I know I've made quite a few over my tenure here! Anyway, I think there was a question in there... What character would you most like to revisit? I know a lot of us would love to see more Justice Society of America, or some more Hawkman, but apart from your... 'Commitments'... Which book do you want to write right now?

This is a hard question, because I am really enjoying what I'm writing now, BUT! If someone forced me to pick one book I had to write, or they'd shoot a cuddly bunny, I'd choose: Action Comics. I love Superman, fanatically, and regret how my run on Action ended (for which I owe you, Charlie, all gratitude for tidying up), and would love someday to revisit that title (when they add that 25th hour to the day ). It was a real joy working with Roy Flinchum, and I even have the cover to AC #10 hanging in my study. I just may go back and write my own conclusion to "Return to Smallville" one day, kind of as an alternative/director's cut!

My first priority is Götterdämmerung, and I am hard at work plotting and writing that. This is a very important project to me, representing a year's worth of preparation and world-building. I intend for this to go down as a grand conclusion to the superhero epic that is the DC2. There's a lot going on in this series, and I think those that stick around for the ride will be well-rewarded. I am extremely lucky to work very closely with our Art Director Ramon Villalobos on this, and his vision is constantly driving this story. I mean, did you see his character concept for Drake Queen, the Black Arrow? The guy is a punk rock god, all spikes and fishnets and purple hair... And that changes the way I write Drake, and makes him a more real character...

Also, I get to have Craig Cermak do the covers. I am a lucky guy.

But Götterdämmerung isn't the only project I'm working on right now! I'm editing and participating in May's Fifth Week Event, Savage Tales (I'm overjoyed to be collaborating with Brandon Herren again on this), I have a two-part All-Star Comics arc coming out, featuring Hawkman, and I am thrilled as can be to report that I am co-writing Justice League Annual #1, the finale to this summer's big event, "The Justice League Vs. America", with Brian Burchette!

(I also have another top secret project that I am working on in collaboration with some of the best writers on the site--- called the DC2 Challenge!---, but that is a subject for a Planet DC2 all its own!)

After Götterdämmerung wraps up, I plan to settle in for a nice long run on a new book. I have some big plans for the Golden Agers and their legacies...!

Can't wait! What books are you picking up on a regular basis in the real world? What books do you go straight for in the DC2? And why all the Hawkman love?[/i]

DC: I buy an awful lot of books monthly! My favorites are JSofA, BoP, Astonishing X-Men, Buffy Season 8 and Superman. Dini's Detective Comics is a consistent good read, as are Blue Beetle and the All-New Atom. I really enjoyed 52, and am picking up Countdown--- and I get the impression that this one is going to be better!

As for the DC2 titles I rush to read... This is a tough one, because there are so many great titles to choose from! I really enjoy reading Green Lantern, Weird Western Quarterly, Suicide Squad and Justice League--- but I must say the two that I really look forward to reading ASAP every month are New Outsiders and Teen Titans. Brian Burchette is doing some absolutely amazing things on that title, and I really love the direction Mark is taking the Titans--- every issue seems to leave you wanting more! And the cover artists for these two titles are just incredible.

CW: You never answered the Hawkman question! Heh, anyway, what's been your favourite story arc to work on? What do you think is your "personal best" and what's been your favourite single issue or story arc by someone else on the site? And I agree, TT and NO are so amazing right now. Mark's really stepped up to the plate ever since he became EIC! Do you want to comment on that?

DC: There's a few different questions here!

1) I love Hawkman because he appeals to my sense of history, and the tragic, flawed hero. I see him as a very Byronic character, and would love to one day write a novel exploring his origin and lives. In fact, Issues 0, 1, & 2 of my Immortal Legend of Hawkman were originally conceived as just such a project, until I decided on the Fan Fiction route (I consider the two styles of writing very different, though there are writers here that make no distinction and can make it work, namely Ellen Fleischer and Susan Hillwig)

Gosh, as for my favorites... It's really hard to choose! It's like asking a parent which child you love more! I would have to say my best work is represented in, in no particular order, the following:

All-Star Comics Annual #1 (Featuring the JSA)
Justice League Issue 0 (the Crisis Finale)
DC2 Special: "An Arkham Christmas Carol"
Wonder Woman #'s 0, 1-4 and 8 (some absolutely kickass Amazon action)
The Immortal Legend of Hawkman 0, 1, and 2
All-Star Comics #1&2 (the rebirth of Captain Marvel)
Action Comics #8 (the rescue of Superman from Apokolips and the death of Captain Marvel I)

Honestly, I love what I do here so much that it's tough to pick one single favorite (but All-Star Annual #1 is near and dear to my heart)!

My favorite single issue on the site by someone else is easy: Ambush Bug I-Forget-the-Number (the one where the same scene is rewritten multiple times, each one as if by different DC2 writers). Hilarious stuff. Coffee spewing from my nose kind-of-stuff! As for my favorite arc... "The Legion Virus Saga" from Tales of the Green Lantern Corps stands out, but I have really enjoyed so many, it's unfair to really rack-and-stack them.

Lastly, I think Mark is doing a terrific job as EIC. He makes the hard stuff look easy. There are a lot of exciting things going on in the DC2 right now, and I feel right comfortable with him at the helm. He deserves a lot of credit for making the DC2 a continually viable community.

CW: How do you approach your writing?

DC: As I touched on in the previous question, I write fan fiction differently than I would say, a novel or even a short story. This is an audience that is used to having pictures tell the tale for them, with dialogue sprinkled in. Accordingly, I try to be as succinct and dramatic as possible. I come at fan fiction thinking that the reader is not going to invest him- or herself in my work as they would a Stephen King novel. I want them to read it, hang on every word, then leave them gasping for the next part. Good fan fic should end before the reader wants it to.

At least, that's my take on it. As I said before, both Ellen and Susan have a different approach, and it works, too... I guess every writer has to figure it out for themselves.

CW: I get you. I love the "last page" reveal, personally. Any tips for any aspiring DC2 writers out there?

DC: Don't wait for an editor to get in touch with you; if you have an idea you're passionate about, don't sit around thinking the EIC is going to knock on your door begging for it! Take it to him! Fight for it! Get involved in the Writer's Workshop, leave feedback in the lettercols for the other writers. Make yourself part of the community. Don't re-invent the wheel (Superman doesn't need a new costume), just tell good super-hero stories.

CW: Any final words before I let you get back to work??

DC: Just that I am extremely proud of what we've all built here with the DC2. This is the finest DC Fan Fiction site on the 'net, and I know we will continue to lead the way for years to come.

Thanks, Charlie!

D.

CW: No Dave, I think everyone here on the site would correct you with a resounding "No, thank YOU."

Anyway, catch me next week when I maybe moan about exams, where I maybe feature another interview with maybe another person on the site and maybe pull some spoilerish teases out of my hat.

Oh, how's this for an annoucement: The Question: Perceptions, a one shot featuring some kick ass mystery written by yours truly, is well under way, and I can promise that yes, it's a Question story, but not as you know it, and yes, it's set in the present of the DC2! How? Why? What? Who cares? YES! If you want, ask for a preview. I'll post up something next week...!



Detective Comics #18, Nightwing #15, The Flash #18 and Justice League #5! And be sure to read the latest issue of Wonder Woman [#14]! She's back, baby!

Catch you on the flip flop, gentle readers!

Charlie.