Fangirls frenzy continues (CCC exclusive interview pt. 2 of 2)
Have you enjoyed the first part of my interview with comic book bloggers Jill “The Nerdy Bird” Pantozzi and Stephanie “Wita” Carmichael? Good!
Because here’s more good stuff from our lengthy e-mail interview. Pantozzi talks about dressing up as comics characters while both fans discuss the challenges of casting the ever-in-development “Wonder Woman” film, superhero films featuring female leads and what led them to becoming bloggers.
Take it away, ladies …
CCC: Jill, I know you do a fair share of dressing up for conventions, store appearances, etc. Tell me more.
Pantozzi: “Poison Ivy has always been one of my favorite characters, even before I started reading comics, and being a redhead I always wanted to dress up as her one day. I finally did it for Halloween a few years back and had a lot of fun. I wore that costume to a comic convention soon after and got a lot of positive response to it. Seeing all the other fabulous costumes people put together really got me excited to try more so I did.
I’m not a great seamstress, so I put together most of my costumes from separate pieces I find online, in stores or in my own closet. I also get help from friends who’ve been at it longer than I have. Now I can’t get enough! I’m always thinking of new costumes I can put together for conventions.
“My most recent costume was a Red Lantern, part of a Green Lantern storyline. It’s been my favorite costume to date. I got to wear red contact lenses and put fake blood on my face. I even had a little companion Red Lantern in Dex-Starr, an evil little cat, to go along with it all. I’ve worn this costume twice now and everyone who knows the characters goes absolutely nuts for it. I get stopped for photos a lot, but I even had some people who just wanted to take pictures of the stuffed cat because they thought it was so awesome.
“I’ve been lucky to get almost no negative comments while in costume. Most people are very respectful and just want to commend you on a job well done.”
(Wanna see Jill in her super-cool costumes? Go to her blog, “Has Boobs, Reads Comics.” … That title always makes me smile!!)
CCC: Back in the July 26, 2007 print version of CCC, I asserted casting Wonder Woman for a live-action film would be a massive challenge. What’s your take? Why do you think DC/Warner Bros. (now DC Entertainment) has had such trouble getting a Wonder Woman film to happen? What’s it going to take?
Pantozzi: “Wonder Woman is almost impossible to cast. Princess Diana has so many unique and subtle qualities that, as we’ve seen, it’s difficult to find a real-world example of. I always thought Lucy Lawless from ‘Xena’ would have made a perfect Wonder Woman but she’s too old by Hollywood standards now. (CCC aside: She’s 41 now.) I think their best bet would be to go with an unknown. Any actress out there now who’s even close would bring her past roles and public persona with her which would do a disservice to the character in my opinion.”
Carmichael: “I see the difficulty, but I don’t think it’s impossible. After all, television audiences were graced with Xena for so many years. There are plenty of strong actresses capable of pulling off such an intimidating role, but I’m not sure that going in the popular, A-lister direction would be the right move for a Wonder Woman movie. I’d be more convinced by someone lesser known but still impressive; casting an actress like that might let them pull it off with more success.
“Live-action comic films are always a challenge, and I think DC has had so much trouble because of the nature of their characters. Batman was easy because he doesn’t have powers. In today’s day and age, it’s so much easier to be captivated by a hero who achieves seemingly impossible feats despite all the odds playing against him. It appeals to something innate within us all. That’s why Superman has lost so much popularity—he has it made.
“But it’s not insurmountable, obviously. If filmmakers can keep in mind that even the greatest of heroes need to have flaws that are more threatening than a pile of Kryptonite that suddenly becomes a mountain, they’ll be in good shape. That’s why comics have survived for so long — creators keep the characters fresh and head-deep in problems of one kind or another.”
CCC: Most of the comics-oriented films featuring females have been box office duds. Why is that? What needs to be done to make future films appealing and successful (in terms of box office and creativity)?
Pantozzi: “I think people aren’t used to or comfortable with women in a starring role where they are all-powerful. More often then not, if a woman has a starring role in a film it’s a romantic comedy. That’s what people expect. I also think name recognition is a big deal. ‘Elektra’ was a flop because to the non-comic reading public she was a nobody. Why would they bother going to see the movie? Because she was seen in another superhero film that didn’t do that well either?
“A Wonder Woman film has the best chance at being a box office success because almost everyone knows who she is already. The blame can’t be placed only on the character but the direction they take her as well. A solo Catwoman film could have been amazing but they screwed it up big time and now we’ll probably never see one again. And that’s sad because Catwoman is a character with a lot of potential.”
Carmichael: “I think a lot of times those types of movies take the ‘women rule, men suck’ perspective and it doesn’t work because it’s just plain insulting. A powerful female lead doesn’t need to be petty or highly feminist to be a force to reckon with — take a look back to older, successful films with females at the forefront and you get the idea. They just need to have qualities we can all admire: not only drive and intelligence, but compassion, as well. All heroes need to be put through the wringer for the sake of development and good old entertainment.
“Of course, there are times when filmmakers just don’t do a female character any justice—the Catwoman movie, for example. I hate to burst bubbles, but Selina Kyle a) doesn’t have superhuman powers, and b) never got them from stray, psychic cats, which are apparently a serious problem in the history of Gotham.”
CCC: How did you get interested in blogging? What’s the most fulfilling aspect? Challenging? What are your goals in blogging?
Pantozzi: “I went to school for communications and journalism so writing has always been one of my pleasures. I currently work as a DJ at a radio station and I was longing to get back to writing; I missed it. Blogging seemed a perfect way to get back into the habit and blogging about things I love made it that much easier. The most fulfilling thing about being a blogger is knowing that other people are enjoying my work. I’m not getting paid to write my blog. I post something new every weekday and sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated, but hearing feedback from readers keeps me going. It’s great meeting new people that have similar interests too. And now Twitter acts like a mini-blog for me. It’s really easy to inform readers about what I’m working on and get instant feedback.”
Carmichael: “My interest in blogging came with the rise of all the ‘Dark Knight’ hype a couple summers ago. I nurtured my fledgling blog and dedicated a lot of time to it—time I wish I still had to dedicate to WITA 2.0, my newer blog which I designed and had coded by the wonderful Curtis McHale. But blogging led to my part in the Girls Entertainment Network, which has paid off for me in ways I never even imagined. It’s been invaluable experience, a complete blast, and it’s allow my talents to grow.
“Blogging, for whatever Web site, isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hard work and patience to make it work well. I’ve learned a lot in my time writing online — getting in touch with others in the comic and video game industries, keeping deadlines and various little tricks in mind, and learning that you can never underestimate the importance of good and frequent editing. For me, the pay-off is always the feedback. I love what I do, but it’s worth so much more when people take the time to leave a comment or send an email letting me know how much they enjoy my thoughts and opinions. That’s when I know what I’m doing matters somehow to others. Plus, blogging is leading me toward a hopeful career in comics and/or games journalism, so I’m pretty happy with the good fortune I’ve had so far.”
Still can’t get enough feedback from these two passionate fans?! Remember to check back here next about Thursday for STILL more from these very nice ladies in my print CCC. Also e-mail your feedback to me at cashby@norwalkreflector.com or post a comment below.
This was a great interview with two young and insightful individuals who are truly passionate about comics and the industry we all seem to revere. I hope to one day work with these two writers and or others like them. Great job here.
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Thanks. Come back and let’s talk shop!
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As far as pointers go, I’d say write from your heart and don’t try to sound like anybody else. Your writing, especially on opinion pieces, should sound like you. My sister says my blogs and such sound like when I’m talking shop with her about movies. Also, don’t be afraid to truly say what’s on your mind. But I’d tend to veer away from too much potty-mouth as I personally find that a turn-off on what otherwise could be insightful.
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