Dan Didio talks everything comics! Favorite character(s),breaking in,etc.

[Brian Adkins]

They talk about everything from what his time at DC was like, what his job as editor is actually about, handling criticism, acquiring and keeping talent, getting fantasy teams on books,what he wants to hear when you're asked why you want to work in comics, what he's up to now,etc. It's a friendly, casual conversation but there is a lot in this 54 minute interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx2q3dJIXx4

[lgcruz]

It's a good interview, and it helps you understand where Didio is coming from, but it underlines what is wrong with dc comics: editors running completely out of control and allowed to do whatever, only being informed of someone else's storylines after they were already done and were ready to be printed.

There is enthusiasm there, and some professionalism, but clearly the work ethic was lacking.

[Dred]

I do love the part of the interview where he states the majority of the time (re: "almost always") editorial would just green light any story pitch when we know that's a giant load of baloney. Half the stories we hear coming out about editorial under him was about chronic moratoriums and status quo protection.

[Lee Stone]

One of my favorite 'snicker' moments was after the writer of Convergence explained his story in an interview to help clarify things, Didio said that it was 'one way to look at it'.

Another was when Marv Wolfman mentioned in an interview that Didio said, after reading the scripts to Convergence: New Teen Titans, 'you really like these characters, don't you?'
Just something that underlined to me how he just couldn't understand why readers liked them.

[Stanlos]

I do love the part of the interview where he states the majority of the time (re: "almost always") editorial would just green light any story pitch when we know that's a giant load of baloney. Half the stories we hear coming out about editorial under him was about chronic moratoriums and status quo protection.

The guy is just bee essing

[Bruce Wayne]

It's a good interview, and it helps you understand where Didio is coming from, but it underlines what is wrong with dc comics: editors running completely out of control and allowed to do whatever, only being informed of someone else's storylines after they were already done and were ready to be printed.

Unlike the previous generation of editors, the current ousted generation were ascended fans who had strong opinions on the direction of these properties (ex. bringing back Hal and Barry). To them it was less a business and more their adult playground. Key example is how ex-editor Brian Cunningham were hostile to people on social media because critics didn't like the Bunn Aquaman that he had pushed for to the point of making Bunn take the writing job in the first place.

[lgcruz]

I believed bringing back barry and hal was didio's decision, with the reason being that they are the heroes that first represented their costumes (even though they are legacy characters themselves). He also deliberatly blockaded development with younger characters because they would age the top billing representatives. So the editors ran free, but in the long run they only got to keep the changes that pleased editorial, and thus storylines were scrapped mid way because some event or book changed the character beyond what it was supposed to.

[The Darknight Detective]

I believed bringing back barry and hal was didio's decision, with the reason being that they are the heroes that first represented their costumes (even though they are legacy characters themselves).

They weren't pre-COIE, FWIW.

[Brian Adkins]

Some are saying, "editors out of control" or something similar. So whom do they answer to? Is it the publisher? At one point does the editor's boss step in and stop them or,at least,try to fix things?

[BohemiaDrinker]

Some are saying, "editors out of control" or something similar. So whom do they answer to? Is it the publisher? At one point does the editor's boss step in and stop them or,at least,try to fix things?

DC is pretty particular in this regard since their editorial structure changes the names of positions and their attributions every five to ten years. But it goes more or less like this:

Corporate figureheads (WB people, in this case) -> Corporate executives -> Publisher -> Editor in Chief -> Group Editors -> Editors.

When an EIC loses sight of tuff, it's usually the job of the publisher to stop him or her, yes, and when Didio was WiC he was stopped several times by the publisher Paul Levitz. But then Didio got promoted to publisher, and managed to sway corporate people that his vision was best for cross-media or some shenannigans like that.

[skyvolt2000]

Some are saying, "editors out of control" or something similar. So whom do they answer to? Is it the publisher? At one point does the editor's boss step in and stop them or,at least,try to fix things?

Where the main characters being ruined DC top sellers?

If you flood the market with Batman books or make accountants happy with those sales. They are not going to care what damage is done to Wally West, John Stewart or others lower on the totem pole.

Now he's gone the stuff he neglected is coming to haunt DC Comics like the fractured Green Lantern franchise.

[Brian Adkins]

DC is pretty particular in this regard since their editorial structure changes the names of positions and their attributions every five to ten years. But it goes more or less like this:

Corporate figureheads (WB people, in this case) -> Corporate executives -> Publisher -> Editor in Chief -> Group Editors -> Editors.

When an EIC loses sight of tuff, it's usually the job of the publisher to stop him or her, yes, and when Didio was WiC he was stopped several times by the publisher Paul Levitz. But then Didio got promoted to publisher, and managed to sway corporate people that his vision was best for cross-media or some shenannigans like that.

Thank you for the answer. But what is WiC? Or is that just a typo and you meant EiC? Do you remember what exactly Paul Levitz stopped him from doing?

[Timber Wolf-By-Night]

Thank you for the answer. But what is WiC? Or is that just a typo and you meant EiC? Do you remember what exactly Paul Levitz stopped him from doing?

Paul put his foot down and told Didio "No, we won't be doing that" when he wanted to kill off Dick Grayson in Infinite Crisis. That's the most (in)famous instance that we know of. Actually, do we know of any other instances of Paul telling Didio "No"?

[BohemiaDrinker]

Thank you for the answer. But what is WiC? Or is that just a typo and you meant EiC? Do you remember what exactly Paul Levitz stopped him from doing?

It's a typo and I meant EiC. Sorry!

Paul put his foot down and told Didio "No, we won't be doing that" when he wanted to kill off Dick Grayson in Infinite Crisis. That's the most (in)famous instance that we know of. Actually, do we know of any other instances of Paul telling Didio "No"?

The Dick Grayson thing, as far as I'm aware is more complicated than that; Waid and Johns actually gathered the support of all creatives they could to show Didio how bad an idea that was. But they spent all their influence in that, so Bart became the Flash. (Waid has described that as a hard fight that he lost) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, for things that were blocked from Didio, we don't know, because Levitz is one discrete fella, but word in the rumor mill is that Paul covered for Karen Berger for a long time while Didio wanted to re-absorb Vertigo properties into the DCU (and the way Vertigo went after Paul was gone kind of confirms that), that he blocked a full on reboot after Final Crisis and, maybe, blocked Barrys's return on Infinite Crisis. We'll never know: Levitz will take these things to his grave and Didio most likely signed a NDA, but if we look at things with and without Levitz, it checks out.

[Will Evans]

It's a typo and I meant EiC. Sorry!



The Dick Grayson thing, as far as I'm aware is more complicated than that; Waid and Johns actually gathered the support of all creatives they could to show Didio how bad an idea that was. But they spent all their influence in that, so Bart became the Flash. (Waid has described that as a hard fight that he lost) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, for things that were blocked from Didio, we don't know, because Levitz is one discrete fella, but word in the rumor mill is that Paul covered for Karen Berger for a long time while Didio wanted to re-absorb Vertigo properties into the DCU (and the way Vertigo went after Paul was gone kind of confirms that), that he blocked a full on reboot after Final Crisis and, maybe, blocked Barrys's return on Infinite Crisis. We'll never know: Levitz will take these things to his grave and Didio most likely signed a NDA, but if we look at things with and without Levitz, it checks out.

Hmm. The timing checks out.