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Discussing Fear At the Spotlight On Scott Snyder Panel At NYCC '15

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At New York Comic Con, Scott Snyder toak the spotlight. Octavio Karbank reported

Without a doubt, Scott Snyder has quickly become one of the most significant writers today. Maintaining a literary quality to his writing, unlike many others in comics, Snyder delivers a type of critical thinking to his text that is virtually unparalleled. While there weren't any reveals per se at this year's Scott Snyder panel, we did listen to a man who not only crafts his words masterfully on the page, but is an equally eloquent and engaging speaker.

Listening to Scott Snyder speak is akin to attending to a literary seminar, only the lecturer talks about Batman, philosophy, and the craft of storytelling, rather than a mundane subject, like say, watching paint dry. Few can do justice to everything he says, and aside from writing an entire essay on the man and his philosophies, the only way you can truly appreciate the esteemed Batman writer, is to sit down and listen to him speak. The experience is unlike anything else at Comic Con.

Mr. Snyder spoke of a great many things while in the panel, starting from how he always wanted to be a comic book writer and feels extremely lucky to be where is in comics, having even teamed up with the likes of Stephen King in American Vampire. However, it was when Snyder recalled working a collection series, realizing he wasn't writing for himself and instead wanted to focus on his own fears and insecurities, translating them onto the page, that the panel got deeply interesting.

Perhaps one of Scott Snyder's greatest fears, and most of humanity's as well, is the passage of time and the flow of life. You see the theme take front and center in his Batman, with the Dark Knight feeling his own mortality continuously and having to come to grips with the realization that he will not be around forever.

With American Vampire, Scott Snyder explained how vampires are deeply frightening creatures, not the sun-glass wearing models Hollywood has made them out to be. In writing a vampire story, you have characters coming face-to-face with what the fear they symbolize: a spreading infection where friends and neighbors come back from the dead to kill you. This is also true with zombies, but with these creatures, Snyder equates them with the slow march towards death.

Wytches, despite its horrific nature, what with witches waiting in the woods for you, is about the ugliness you secretly feel as a parent and how you're always a little scared for your children, no matter their age.

Werewolves are scary, uniquely so for teenagers, because your body is changing in bizarre and unexpected ways. However, in becoming a werewolf, the change will cause you to eat your friends. The only way horror fiction works, according to Snyder, is if you can successfully answer the question about whether there's something deeply primal in your idea. Good horror is when you look the monster in the eye and see a reflection of yourself, as it dares you to be better and stronger.

And the scariest killer in all of literature? Snyder's answer is Gotham City. He explained how whoever tries to be a hero in this dark and nightmarish city must always face their deepest fears. Readers might ask why someone would ever stay in Gotham City, when you have the Joker releasing laughing gas one week, and another villain trying to blow up the city the next; why live there? People stay, elaborated Snyder, despite the craziness, to become the hero they know they can be. Gotham will say you can't and to give up on your dreams, but if you stay and fight, you'll burn past the crap and achieve your full potential.

Snyder went on to talk about how just like with horror fiction, when it comes to writing any comic book character, you have to write it like its your only shot; write what it means to you. If you can't find anything to say about a specific character, then stay away from them. With Batman, he writes each story like it's his last; each story is deeply personal. How does this translate into writing a successful comic book? You have to relate to the audience, creating a book that feels like it talking to you, the reader, and it's meant FOR you.

Yet Batman's affinity for secrecy makes it challenging to write the superhero. Unlike Dick Grayson who wears his heart on his sleeve, making it easy to communicate feelings, neither Bruce Wayne or Batman really do either. Snyder's way around that particular dilemma is by using Alfred to probe Bruce's mood and try and bring out what he's feeling.

A misconception, or rather an inaccuracy about Batman is that's he's primarily about scaring bad guys. Perhaps that was true years ago, Snyder explained, but not anymore. Rather, Batman currently focuses on being an inspiration to not only Gotham and its citizenry, but also the readership, and strives to invite the good guys out into the sun. Maybe one of us can't directly affect the world, but if all of us come together and unite, then we can do a mountain of good. Batman is about that very potential and bringing it out in the common man.

The only news to come out of the panel itself was Scott Snyder revealing that Batman artist Greg Capullo would be taking a short break after issue 51. However, Snyder promised, once he returns, they'll be doing something big.


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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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