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Starro-ing James Robinson – Starman, Earth 2 And Marginalized Groups

photoWill Romine writes;

Hey-o,

It's your old friend Will Romine here from the Wondercon James Robinson panel. He's a wonderful man who probably won't revisit Jack Knight any time soon. A great magician doesn't revisit the same trick. If this is the whole reason why you clicked on this article, keep reading. There are still some nuggets to enjoy.

The format was very unstructured, allowing for fans to ask questions at a leisurely pace without making a mad dash for the mic. Many of the questions focused on Earth 2. Robinson explained the challenge of bringing these Golden Age characters into Earth 2 and maintaining their authenticity. He gave the examples of Solitare and Rhapsody. These characters are no doubt unfamiliar to the reader, but they're updates to classic Golden Age villains. (If you send me a tweet, I'll tell you!). He explained how he stripped away the hokiness while maintaining what made the characters endure. Here are some other Earth 2 factoids that your favorite starfish manage to catch.

-Starman? There will be A Starman of Earth-2.
-Plastic Man? Plastic man is hard to do right, so most likely no.
-Dr. Midnight? Johnny Thunder? Green Arrow? yes, yes, and sort of.
-Sort of? The Red Tornado will have other "red" cohorts, including Red Bee and Red Arrow, who might be named Roy McQueen, and might be an amputee.
-Wildcat? Issue 19
-Doiby Dickles? Intreaguing, but don't hold your breath.
-Earth 2 Batman will meet Bruce.

I asked Robinson about applying attributes of traditionally marginalized groups (homosexuals, amputees, etc.) to characters, whether those traits develop with the characters, or if they're applied at a different time. He responded that it's a very deliberate process for him. He wants to give representation to these groups, but doesn't want the marginalizing characteristic to define the character.

I'll be at Wondercon all weekend, so tweet me right! @notacomplainer


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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