(And that’s praise I do not give out lightly. I have aspirations as a writer myself, but I’d give my left… umm, well, something symbolic but not actually disabling… for your gift for dialogue.)

…that WAS a Jay Pinkerton ref, right?

I’m confused. Do you agree or disagree with me? I was saying that Mr. Bird understands what makes superhero comics enjoyable. I also really enjoy the Gold and Silver Age.

After reading the post here…

…I CALLED IT!

I think that making Spider-Man gay would piss off the fanbase way more than Clone Saga, the story where Spider-Man had claws and was empowered by a Spider-totem, and One More Day put together.

It’s a swerve that I’d enjoy. It’d get me buying Spider-Man books if they turned him gay. The portrayal of Harry Osborn here would make fertile ground for a Spider-Man/Goblin feud. Rather than the “you killed my dad” angle, you could have a very deep and complex rivalry/friendship based on unrequited love. Rather than worry about telling Aunt May he’s Spider-Man (that’s an old, worn out road, after all), Peter would have to worry about coming out to his aunt (who, while probably a really nice person, would show her age and be uncomfortable with it). There’s a treasure trove of new, fresh stories there to be told. Since Peter’s a fairly down to Earth character, you could also have stories that meaningfully and seriously dealt with homophobia.

“He understands how they think, how they’ve been consistently characters. Good story + consistent characterization = what made comics great.”

I think the Gold and Silver Ages would like a word with you.

Maybe a deluge of honest-to-God letters in tangible envelopes that open and close and have saliva-activated adhesive and everything? I haven’t written one of them in ages and I may have forgotten how to do so, but for Mr. Bird to potentially get a job in comics I would certainly try my best!

Anyway, nobody bothers to write their letters on paper anymore, so I think it would be tougher for these companies to ignore a lot of those.

Or, A30YOVJLPPWLAHWHMFADFCOOS.

What really convinced me of Chris’ mainstream writing chops was his Death of the New Gods parody. The voices of Scott & Barda were spot on. Seriously, I can’t remember a time they were written that well in the actual comics.

I think someone needs to start a campaign to clamor for DC or Marvel to hire Mr. Bird. I just think e-petitions and flooding inboxes aren’t the best way. Ideas anyone?

If there are any artists out there who have both the skills and stamina, please contact Bird about collaborating. A successful independent/online comic has been a stepping-stone for many creators before.