There are people – like my husband – who grew up reading and rereading comic books, and dreaming about writing for one of the big superhero titles, like Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman. I met Legendary Comics Editor-in-Chief Bob Schreck at Comic Con, and he was such a lively and opinionated character, that I wanted him to be part of Storytellers Summit, and this week, I feature his interview about how to write for a great comic book franchise.
Any comics fan – or anyone who aspires to write for an established tv serial show – can learn a lot from Bob Schreck’s experiences and stories.
Schreck, as people call him, has been a veritable fixture in comics editorial since 1975. And his writers have included Frank Miller, Amy Reeder, Grant Morrison, Joelle Jones, Brian K. Vaughn, Renee French, Jim Lee, Ed Brubaker, and more. His list is the royalty of Comics writing. His titles included Batman and Green Arrow, when he worked at DC Comics.
In his interview, Bob shared the process from pitching to planning when editor and writer join forces to continue the storyline for a great American franchise – like Batman. His insights?
- The story has to be topical/relevant and fresh
- If the story idea includes a major character, his or her characteristics must drive the plot
- Each book has to have a big event by page 8
- Each book must have three or four subplots that might twist out into major plot lines in due time
- Each book must have “Easter eggs” hidden tells for future antics so fans can conjecture and be in-the-know
Bob Schreck is the Editor-in-Chief for Legendary Comics. Their recent bestselling comics include: Godzilla: Awakening written by Max and Greg Borenstein and Annihilator, written by Grant Morrison.