A 2019 George Perez Interview About The State WW Was In When He Took Over

[Agent Z]

Key takeaways:

Dan Greenfield: We’re doing OK on time so we’re just going to keep pushing through. Number 6 on the list was Wonder Woman.

George Perez: Ah! Yeah, Wonder Woman is a personal triumph for me. As much as my fortune has been made because of Titans primarily, Wonder Woman was a book that, not until recently when the movie came out, did I realize how much of an impact I actually left on the character. Because it was an uphill battle.

Even though I had a wonderful champion in my editor, Karen Berger, a lot of the DC editors at the time really didn’t care for Wonder Woman. I didn’t realize until I came into the office of the then-editor Janice Race, and they were putting together a new Wonder Woman book, that there wasn’t a single woman working in that company — and you’re talking about a company whose publisher was a woman! — who was happy with the direction they were going to go in.

But they had to get the book published, or else they would lose the rights to Wonder Woman. I saw that, and at that point John Byrne was on Superman, Frank Miller had just done Dark Knight and was going to be doing Batman: Year One with David Mazzucchelli and I just, there was just part of me — the inner feminist in me — who was really bothered that she was just kind of being thrown out.

I mean without naming names, when I saw the artist who was going to be on that, I said, “The man is more used to drawing stuff like a Penthouse magazine.” Every woman will vilify this — the premier female character, and we’re going to make her into a raunchy sex object? Oh God, that is the worst direction you could ever take for this character!

And I already had a story in mind for Wonder Woman, but I abandoned it when she devolved at the end of Crisis. I thought, “OK, I’m never gonna have a chance to do it.”

So, when I was talking to Janice, I said, “I do have an idea for her. Do you want me to take a crack at doing Wonder Woman to start her off?”

And at that point I thought I was just replacing the artist, but then I had story ideas and they asked me what my ideas were. Until eventually by the second issue, the writer really realized it was becoming my book now. He bowed out gracefully, no rancor whatsoever. I think he actually left the industry.



And I didn’t realize at the time that ever since the death of (creator) William Marston and H.G. Peter, the original artist on Wonder Woman, there hadn’t been a single writer or artist who ever volunteered to do that book. It was an assigned book. No one wanted to do Wonder Woman. I was the first person — particularly at a time when I could have asked for any possible project and they would have said yes to it.

https://13thdimension.com/how-george...hy-sex-object/

[Koriand'r]

I'm glad DC gave him the six figure bonus when the Wonder Woman film came out, he totally deserved it.

[Vordan]

I'm glad DC gave him the six figure bonus when the Wonder Woman film came out, he totally deserved it.

Yep. The modern WW is entirely his baby, his run is the source material for the mainstream version of the character.

[Gaius]

Hmm, didn't expect the royalties for these films to get that big. Wonder who else got some, the Marston estate I imagine and probably Azzarello.

Uphill battle comments aren't that surprising, I think he's brought up in other interviews on the same subject many in editorial the book under him wasn't enough like a standard superhero one.

[Robanker]

For all the work he seemingly had to do to get her in a good spot, despite my misgivings about his positioning of Steve, the guy deserved a kickback for that movie and I'm glad he got it. I knew WW was an assigned book, but I didn't know it had always been one. That's truly awful when you know-- you know-- there were writers (I'm suspecting women) who would have loved to write her but DC wasn't hiring them. That sucks so goddamn much.

[Artemisfanboy]

Key takeaways:



https://13thdimension.com/how-george...hy-sex-object/

The Perez run was by far a great reboot. But I'll say the major flaws were having Diana debut in the present day DCU instead of in the past at the same time as Batman and Superman, and how they ended up messing up Donna's origin and history by divorcing her of her connections to Diana. If they had let Diana debut in the past, and had Donna as having been brought to Themyscira by the Naiads or one of goddesses so she could retain her origin as Diana's adopted sister, things would have been a lot better. To this day we still have never got a clear answer on who was responsible for those decisions.

[Riv86672]

The Perez run was by far a great reboot. But I'll say the major flaws were having Diana debut in the present day DCU instead of in the past at the same time as Batman and Superman, and how they ended up messing up Donna's origin and history by divorcing her of her connections to Diana. If they had let Diana debut in the past, and had Donna as having been brought to Themyscira by the Naiads or one of goddesses so she could retain her origin as Diana's adopted sister, things would have been a lot better. To this day we still have never got a clear answer on who was responsible for those decisions.

Donna has always suffered via WWs reboots.
I used that as a basis to have her (or different versions of her at any rate) turn evil, make their way to the main reality and be an at first unknown menace for WW. Their first act would have been to murder Cassie Sandsmark, who to them would have usurped their legacy.

But I digress...

George Perez did a great thing w. Wonder Woman, it’s one of his career defining moments.

[Agent Z]

Donna has always suffered via WWs reboots.
I used that as a basis to have her (or different versions of her at any rate) turn evil, make their way to the main reality and be an at first unknown menace for WW. Their first act would have been to murder Cassie Sandsmark, who to them would have usurped their legacy.

No offense intended but this feels like the type of thing DC does that gets them flack.

[Largo161]

I find it hard to fathom that Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas were assigned to Wonder Woman.

But what do I know...?

[Riv86672]

No offense intended but this feels like the type of thing DC does that gets them flack.

Well, I could name the group the Wonder Girls Who Laugh...

[Pinsir]

I find it hard to fathom that Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas were assigned to Wonder Woman.

But what do I know...?

It sounds more like a story than a genuine fact.

[Agent Z]

I find it hard to fathom that Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas were assigned to Wonder Woman.

But what do I know...?

Remember that this is DC.

[Pinsir]

I'm pretty sure Kanigher wanted to come back.

[Agent Z]

I'm pretty sure Kanigher wanted to come back.

Any evidence to suggest this?

[Largo161]

Remember that this is DC.

Yeah... I know they are famous for their work at Marvel. But still I thought that they would have had enough clout based on their reps not to be forced to take a title they had no interest in.