Sunday, April 5, 2020

Five Questions With...Scott Snyder



Yes, you read that right...SCOTT SNYDER!!!  The man, the myth, the new honorary member of the Weird Science Get Fresh Crew!  Seriously, putting all this comic book stuff aside, Scott seems like a really great guy.  I mean, he did talk to us, right?!?  As far as comics go, there is no denying that he is one of the biggest names in comics today and I will go on record once again to say that his Court of the Owls story is one of my all-time favorites.  All this begs one huge  question...why is he talking to us?!?  That will remain a mystery for now, but he did agree to answer a bunch of other questions and here they are...



1. What are you working on now and/or is coming out soon?

I'm working on a book with Jeff Lemire for image called After Death. It's about 180 pages and a blend of prose and comics, so definitely way outside my comfort zone, but that's what exciting about it to both of us. Exploring new and scary territory with friends (like with Sean M on the Wake)... it's one of the best things about comics. Batman for Greg and me was always that way. You lock arms and try things that you might not be able to pull off but believe in. I also have a big DC project with Greg lined up for summer 2017. Excited to be back together. 




2. What is your favorite breakfast cereal and why?

I never eat cereal anymore. I pick at my kids' cereal. But mostly I eat power bars. I had an obsession with Cheerios as a kid though. They were all I'd eat. My favorite part was the Cheerio dust at the bottom of the box. The stuff nightmares are born from.







3. You've worked with some of the best artists in comics, who do you wish you could (or could have) work with?

Man... so many. All Star gives me a chance to do that to some degree: Afua Richardson, Tula Lotay, Paul Pope, Declan Shalvey and Romita were all people I was dying to work with - they're friends, as well. We've gotten to know each other over the past few years on the con  circuit and been meaning to work together. But other dream collaborations? Frank Quitely, Cliff Chiang, Emma Rios, Lee Bermejo... too many.




4. Goonies or Monster Squad?

Goonies is my kids' favorite , but Monster Squad hit EVERY note for me as a kid. I've always been a  big Hammer horror fan, obviously, and I saw it like 3 times at the theater by me on 34th street. A was about 9 I think? If I remember correctly, it was PG-13, and getting in was a whole thing. But Wolfman's got Nards will always hold a special place in my heart.







5. What do you think of Rebirth so far?

I'm really proud to be a part. I think it brings a sense of legacy and heart back to area of the DCU that had gotten thin on those during the new 52, and also gives a bunch of killer creators on major characters.




6. Do you have any phobias?

I've struggled with anxiety and depression since my teen years. Night of the Living Dead was the movie that caused me my first panic attack, so I wish I could say zombies, but it's more of a fear of how fast everything goes. When I'm down, I get overwhelmed by it. It's a big part of how I write the Joker, who in our iteration ,is all about the meaninglessness of things. Batman is this engine of meaning, born of a this meaningless act of violence, and Joker is laughing at the idea that actions matter.



7. If you could pick any non DC character to write, who would it be?

So many. I'd like to do a book with Ghost Rider, Wolverine and Cap.










8. You ended your new 52 Batman run with Gotham is...now answer, Scott Snyder is...

Oh man.

Wordy?

Terrified?

It sounds corny, but honestly? "Grateful." I'm not the best writer on the block by a long shot, but for better or worse I do try to put myself out there as much as I can in the work, my fears and such, and the  fact that I get to do this? To write my weird Batman and do a big event style thing with Greg, and After Death and American Vampire and Wytches and ALL OF IT? Comic fans are the best out there. Cannot thank them enough. And you guy for doing what you do, keeping us honest, writing about the books on top of whatever day jobs you have. Thanks.


Since it was so obvious that Scott is a huge horror movie fan, I asked him to name his Top 5 All-Time Horror Movie list and here it is...

Scott Snyder's Top 5 Horror Movies of All-Time

1. Night of the Living Dead
2. The Thing
3. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
4. Rosemary's Baby
5. The Shining 

By the way, he did tell me that he is a fan of Puppet Master, but would never dream of putting it in his Top 5!!!  I mean, who would actually do something that insane?!?

I'd like to end this by thanking Scott for slumming it up with us a bit and agreeing to do these questions.  We really do appreciate it!







9 comments:

  1. Sounds like a really relatable guy. Cheers for getting the interview with him!

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    1. really, it doesn't matter what side of the fence you are on with his writing...everyone should be a fan of Scott as a person. I didn't know what to expect and he surprised the hell out of me with how humble and nice a guy he is. If anyone thinks he doesn't care what fans think of what he does, they are dead wrong. He cares more than anyone I've talked to in comics.

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  2. I know he always seems to come off as humble and likable; but I still think there's a great deal of conceit there under the surface, that he may not realize consciously is there. It just irks me that he gives lip service to the legacy of the characters, but is constantly obliterating that legacy by recreating almost every character he writes. Like I said, he may not even consciously realize that he's doing it; he's a sleeper douche.

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    1. Some of Snyder's best or recent work involves the fight against the worst of human nature. So maybe many of these later stories are about grappling with himself: https://gutternaut.net/2019/06/scott-snyder-braving-humanitys-darkness/

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  3. I remember once saying he'd like to do a Ghost Rider Book with Greg Capullo. I don't know that much about Ghost Rider, but this sounds like the perfect match.

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  4. IS IT THE SHINING OR THE SHINNING? ACHK, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SUED BOY

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    1. https://media4.giphy.com/media/JwwYTeuOHhEB2/200.gif

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  5. Wow! That's kind of a coup! Why IS he talking to you guys?? Did you ever figure it out? I think I know what he's getting at with his answer to #6. It totally makes sense with the Joker. I wonder if his anxiety got worse AFTER having kids. That would be my follow up question. I kind of feel like when I was pregnant and had this little life growing inside me that I was invincible, like there was a bubble around me, like nothing could touch me as long as my purpose in life was to house this little person. As soon as she was born, I was terrified of EVERYTHING, every moment of every day. It was never crippling, or anything, but it's getting better.

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