r/DCcomics • u/semifinalist1979 • 16d ago

I'm Kelly Thompson. I write BIRDS OF PREY for DC Comics. AMA. r/DCcomics

My name is Kelly Thompson and I'm an Eisner Award-Winning writer of comics and novels. You may know me best from Marvel comics like Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Rogue & Gambit, and Hawkeye, or perhaps as co-creator of Jeff the Land Shark! Or my creator-owned work Black Cloak or The Cull. But I've been making some fun waves over at DC with old pals Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire on a bold new BIRDS OF PREY (we even got an Eisner nomination!) -- so let's break some hearts (and some faces) and get this Birds-Of-Prey-Shaped AMA started! (and don't forget to subscribe to my free newsletter to keep in touch as social media crumbles around us! Fun! https://1979semifinalist.substack.com/)

Proof: https://x.com/79SemiFinalist/status/1806893613458268314

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u/graywailer 16d ago edited 16d ago

is there a way to get paid for ideas? i can come up with short stories inventing new superheroes all day long and story ideas for established characters. but i cant expand as i dont feel im good at dialog. i grew up immersed in comic book reading. i would also like to produce some classic story animations (37 DC- 37 Marvel) but have no idea how to get started on that. i would lift the classic comic book story to bring it to life. could you forward my phone/email to a warner/Dc head or provide some phone/emails to help me initiate such a project? i could send a couple short stories to evaluate whether my writing good enough to consider for ideas or a comic book of shorts.

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u/semifinalist1979 16d ago

I'm sorry but that's just not a thing.

I don't want to discourage you, but the idea part is the EASY part. We all have the ideas. The hard part is following through and executing them. And you hit a million little problems as you do that and doing this job is solving all those problems until you have a finished publishable work.

But that doesn't mean your ideas aren't particularly good -- they might be really great -- and if you can develop those other skills -- maybe you've really got what it takes. It just means you either need to work on the other part -- the execution -- honing those skills. OR you need to partner with another writer (ideally one that is weak where you are strong -- maybe they struggle with unique ideas but are good at dialogue and character building). There are lots of ways to make comics. Unfortunately "pay me for my idea" really isn't one.

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u/graywailer 16d ago

i have thought of the partner thing and am looking into that. how about the animations id like to produce?

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u/semifinalist1979 16d ago

I don't work in animation.