Hey Chip, you rock, and you need to know it. You may have "real" friends you "see" with your "eyes" but folks like me, and folks in our AIPT Discord truly love your work and think you're the best. Keep up the great work!
some of my favorite beautiful words from you this week:
"Be kind to each other. Empathy is in short supply these days and the systems we interact with are designed that way, so please find your real life genuine friends"
and
"This past week BATMAN #146 came out. Batman has no shirt. Go buy it."
Batman was, is, and continues to be, my favorite ongoing continuous story here in American comics (for Manga it’s One Piece). I am still very impressed with how you have managed to entwine so much of your work on The Knight into your Batman run.
The revelation that Joker is revealed to have kicked off all of this from Failsafe and up till now was something very delightful, I won’t lie. Granted it was Captio’s advice that prompted it, but seeing Joker behind everything just puts a smile on my face, pun intended. Just curious, how long did joker have Captio locked up there for?
Speaking of the good doctor, how would he rank against another crazy psychiatrist like Hugo Strange? Is he as crazy or crazier than that prof?
Zur to me, is kinda a pain, because he just reminds me of all the worst aspects of Bruce Wayne as Batman, but if there is one thing he’s done I do approve of, it’s that he’s not giving Quinn a pass. Yeah I get it, she’s hot, popular, likeable, and hot, hence why she gets a lot of slack despite all the crap she’s done and the bodies on her, but I won’t lie, seeing Zur call out the fact she’s never really been held to account for all the people she’s killed with Joker, is kinda refreshing. Still looking forward to him being taken down, but yeah, it’s a small thing I am actually impressed by.
Curious, what’s the name for the arc to follow this Dark Prisons one? If I may ask?
Looking forward to seeing how this ends up turning out, Chip!
Wow, just trapped in a hamster cage for well over a decade. Damn. I’m surprise he managed to stay sane with only Joker for company. Then again his Zur alter could have come in handy to help him deal with the imprisonment.
Fascinating. Does that make Strange more difficult a mind for Captio to understand, or does that make it easier for him?
Really? Does that have anything to do with the Absolute Power event happening in a few months? Possibly?
Not going to lie, while I’m sure Zur and his machinations are a priority, what I look forward to more is seeing the payoff from that first issue of your run, with the three jokers and the bat family. That’s what I am looking forward to. Don’t know how far away it is but I hope it’s on the horizon.
Ahhhh crap! I was actually hoping that was going to be the climax. Like, Joker and his others meet, defeat a weakened Zur, Joker’s self-proclaimed goal, and then turn onto the rest of Gotham afterwards. But hey, I guess we can’t always get what we want, 😆. I’m still going to enjoy seeing how at least Joker and Zur end things by the end, and if we see if a pure Batman is superior to a Batman who’s still human, or not.
So does Bats have biscuits in his belfry? Sheesh. Put your shirt back on Bruce, yikes. What are you trying to compete with Whisper Queens or Matt Murdock (Haha, not!)
This post was not brought to you by white wine, though I did consume tacos on Tuesday. I am glad you had both and are thoroughly refreshed/refueled.
So you’re scaling back on interviews, Chip? 🥺🙏🥺 I understand, will miss hearing your wit and stories this way. It would be fun to discuss DD with you a bit more in depth after both omnibuses are released (Pardon my cold pitch, Chip.)
May you have an awesome weekend, Chip. Thanks for always making me laugh & love comics even more. That’s no biscuits!
Yeah, just pulling back a bit from being "ONLINE". I'll always do this newsletter cause I enjoy it (and you), but I think it's time for more real life for the ol' Chipper.
I so respect that you’d like to scale back your online presence, Chip. You’ve worked so hard for over a decade. Also, I am happy you will continue this newsletter and our interactions too. YAY!
Hello! I hope you are feeling less foggy and I am thrilled White Trees is drawing closer.
I also really liked 146 this week. How soon into writing did you have this storyline planned and did upcoming Waid events change it? Or is this storyline and how it ties into everything happening in Batman before something you had before getting the gig?
Glad you liked it! I had a few of the BIG elements in mind from the start of my run, but others presented themselves as I went along. That's how most comic writing goes fro my experience! And the event really worked out perfectly. I knew I wanted to build up Zur/Failsafe as a global-level villain to lead into some sort of event, and it became really apparent a year or so ago that a bunch of DC writers were heading in the same direction.
I hear big 2 writing compared to "Yes, and-ing" in improv a lot. I was also curious if you had the continuity ties set up before hand, or wrote the story first and found ways to tie it back after. I feel like the more big 2 comics I read, the more they are building on each other. To bring up the improv comparison again, it almost seems like big 2 comics are just decades of "Yes and"
Thanks as always for replying. I'm not sure if you saw on your last post, but I did get confirmation from the store owners of my workplace that they'd be willing to cover at least $1000 in fees and such for you to do signing. Let me know if that is something you'd be interested / available for down the road!
That's because you don't watch them. Of course they're just on in the background while I test out Joker Venom X on Gotham's "missing" who seem never missed. (Really though, Chip, they're usually entertaining and informative. Amazing how much you get done and how much I find the stories enjoyable.)
I can only imagine that you and crew (paid friends, real friends, intern friends, etc) have someone point out where to get Tacos and White Wine at c2e2, and to decompress from the con -- but if you want a list of amazing places, as a chicago native, I'll give you a list of recommendations.
I was seeing if I was able to comment on your past posts now that I'm backed to paid subscriber. during this time your advice was fitting for me at the time. I was lucky enough to have an actual in person meeting with a famous director who is actually canadian himself. I hate name dropping but he's made great movies like his father did. most of his dad's movies were a big part of my childhood so I was in awe that I was given this opportunity! during the meeting he was awesome and made me feel like I belonged there. after the meeting the casting director said I did great and I was on the best natural high I've haven't had in a long time. I actually got booked....I was in shock and excited. then after 4 years of avoiding fucking covid I of course got infected by it and had to quarantine during the filming period. everyone understood but I felt like my world was ending but thankfully my wife and true friends helped get me through along with your writing. so thank you for that and definitely if you took your time to read this. it felt good to get that off my chest.
oh my god that's SO FRUSTRATING, I'm sorry! I have this weird little thing that has served me well in situations like this. It's "the road not traveled would have fucking killed me." I started doing that when I'd, like, miss a party. I'd just say to myself "well, Brenda probably would have been there and she would've brought up that thing and the night would have been ruined" and I'd feel much better. No more FOMO. Soon it started to extend to bigger things: cancelled trips, projects falling through, deals evaporating. I've somehow managed to convince myself that those failed instances would have led to disaster if they succeeded. Which is insane, I know, but man oh man does it make life's grievances much easier to deal with. Had a big one a week ago, like, a MASSIVE one, and I had one day of moping and then my "road not traveled" thing kicked in again and I was grateful to not get that gig.
Doesn't mean it still doesn't suck! But people tend to go the opposite way, where something they wanted was SURELY going to be some huge break. Both ways of dealing with disappointment have some delusion in them, obviously. I just prefer the opposite one ha ha
Wow Chip! Thank you so much. I really don't have the words to explain how much you just have helped me. Sharing your own experiences helped me close a door that was still cracked open but you just gave me the strength to slam that fucker shut!! Thank you again because I can't thank you enough!!!
Your words are beautiful. Your Batman run rocks. Thank you!
I just want to say, as a total rando internet person, that this is written in a way that implies that three tacos is an indulgence. While I don't know the particular circumstances of the tacos at issue, I just wanted to express that it is probably a reasonable amount of tacos, and the world likely won't end if an occasion ever calls for more than three tacos.
This Batman has been pretty darn epic. Giving Joker this Zur based motivation adds a lot of extra weight to events like Death of the Family, and ALSO it explains why Joker didn't REALLY care when Dick was Batman! It's so cool. Reminds me a lot of the pre-flashpoint Batman stuff, which is my favourite era. DC has been firing on all cylinders lately, and I'm glad I picked this run up just cuz it had your name on it. For the first time multiple people in my real circles are reading Batman again and it's pretty damn cool. Feels like some of that pre-new 52 energy around comics discussion is back
I know this is a safe space and all and we try to be polite but, damn man, Batman was FUCKING AWESOME. And shirtless. This is shaping up to be almost as great as Waid’s Daredevil run. 😉
But in all honesty, I love that you found a thread and pulled it. It’s almost this meta moment of having heard the insanity that is often the “is it in continuity?” refrain, stood it in its head, introduced compelling neo-myths to feed the conversation and then said it’s all one big story. On top of your already brilliant take that Batman’s planning compulsion would be HIS undoing, not his friends’ or foes’.
Hey Chip, you rock, and you need to know it. You may have "real" friends you "see" with your "eyes" but folks like me, and folks in our AIPT Discord truly love your work and think you're the best. Keep up the great work!
Aw, much appreciated, man.
dear chip,
thank you for your beautiful words as always!
some of my favorite beautiful words from you this week:
"Be kind to each other. Empathy is in short supply these days and the systems we interact with are designed that way, so please find your real life genuine friends"
and
"This past week BATMAN #146 came out. Batman has no shirt. Go buy it."
thank you for sharing!
love
myq
Batman was, is, and continues to be, my favorite ongoing continuous story here in American comics (for Manga it’s One Piece). I am still very impressed with how you have managed to entwine so much of your work on The Knight into your Batman run.
The revelation that Joker is revealed to have kicked off all of this from Failsafe and up till now was something very delightful, I won’t lie. Granted it was Captio’s advice that prompted it, but seeing Joker behind everything just puts a smile on my face, pun intended. Just curious, how long did joker have Captio locked up there for?
Speaking of the good doctor, how would he rank against another crazy psychiatrist like Hugo Strange? Is he as crazy or crazier than that prof?
Zur to me, is kinda a pain, because he just reminds me of all the worst aspects of Bruce Wayne as Batman, but if there is one thing he’s done I do approve of, it’s that he’s not giving Quinn a pass. Yeah I get it, she’s hot, popular, likeable, and hot, hence why she gets a lot of slack despite all the crap she’s done and the bodies on her, but I won’t lie, seeing Zur call out the fact she’s never really been held to account for all the people she’s killed with Joker, is kinda refreshing. Still looking forward to him being taken down, but yeah, it’s a small thing I am actually impressed by.
Curious, what’s the name for the arc to follow this Dark Prisons one? If I may ask?
Looking forward to seeing how this ends up turning out, Chip!
Captio has been imprisoned for almost as long as Bruce has been Batman! Basically from JOKER YEAR ONE to almost present day.
I'd say Captio is perfectly sane, just delusional and hyper intelligent. Smarter than Strange, but Strange is more unhinged.
And there's no name for the next few issues 'cause a lot of them are shorter stories!
Wow, just trapped in a hamster cage for well over a decade. Damn. I’m surprise he managed to stay sane with only Joker for company. Then again his Zur alter could have come in handy to help him deal with the imprisonment.
Fascinating. Does that make Strange more difficult a mind for Captio to understand, or does that make it easier for him?
Really? Does that have anything to do with the Absolute Power event happening in a few months? Possibly?
I'd say Captio is smart enough to understand a mind like Strange's.
And there is SOME Absolute Power coming up, for sure!
Wonder if Captio and Strange would be able to work together or if they would end up killing one another.
Very interested in seeing what Absolute Power brings to Gotham, and Zur’s place in it
Not going to lie, while I’m sure Zur and his machinations are a priority, what I look forward to more is seeing the payoff from that first issue of your run, with the three jokers and the bat family. That’s what I am looking forward to. Don’t know how far away it is but I hope it’s on the horizon.
Ha! Sorry to disappoint, but that dream was not literal. It was the idea of the "three jokers" and the damage they've caused over the years.
Ahhhh crap! I was actually hoping that was going to be the climax. Like, Joker and his others meet, defeat a weakened Zur, Joker’s self-proclaimed goal, and then turn onto the rest of Gotham afterwards. But hey, I guess we can’t always get what we want, 😆. I’m still going to enjoy seeing how at least Joker and Zur end things by the end, and if we see if a pure Batman is superior to a Batman who’s still human, or not.
So does Bats have biscuits in his belfry? Sheesh. Put your shirt back on Bruce, yikes. What are you trying to compete with Whisper Queens or Matt Murdock (Haha, not!)
This post was not brought to you by white wine, though I did consume tacos on Tuesday. I am glad you had both and are thoroughly refreshed/refueled.
So you’re scaling back on interviews, Chip? 🥺🙏🥺 I understand, will miss hearing your wit and stories this way. It would be fun to discuss DD with you a bit more in depth after both omnibuses are released (Pardon my cold pitch, Chip.)
May you have an awesome weekend, Chip. Thanks for always making me laugh & love comics even more. That’s no biscuits!
Yeah, just pulling back a bit from being "ONLINE". I'll always do this newsletter cause I enjoy it (and you), but I think it's time for more real life for the ol' Chipper.
And yeah! Will gladly talk DD with you any day!
Awesome! YAY! Looking forward to talking about all things Matt, Elektra etc. Thanks, Chip. 🙏
I so respect that you’d like to scale back your online presence, Chip. You’ve worked so hard for over a decade. Also, I am happy you will continue this newsletter and our interactions too. YAY!
Aww, so wholesome this week Chip. Cheers 🥂
Hello! I hope you are feeling less foggy and I am thrilled White Trees is drawing closer.
I also really liked 146 this week. How soon into writing did you have this storyline planned and did upcoming Waid events change it? Or is this storyline and how it ties into everything happening in Batman before something you had before getting the gig?
Glad you liked it! I had a few of the BIG elements in mind from the start of my run, but others presented themselves as I went along. That's how most comic writing goes fro my experience! And the event really worked out perfectly. I knew I wanted to build up Zur/Failsafe as a global-level villain to lead into some sort of event, and it became really apparent a year or so ago that a bunch of DC writers were heading in the same direction.
I hear big 2 writing compared to "Yes, and-ing" in improv a lot. I was also curious if you had the continuity ties set up before hand, or wrote the story first and found ways to tie it back after. I feel like the more big 2 comics I read, the more they are building on each other. To bring up the improv comparison again, it almost seems like big 2 comics are just decades of "Yes and"
Ha! Yeah, the "yes and" thing makes a lot of sense. I try to do that instead of "no but," which is ALSO a Big 2 method ha ha
Thanks as always for replying. I'm not sure if you saw on your last post, but I did get confirmation from the store owners of my workplace that they'd be willing to cover at least $1000 in fees and such for you to do signing. Let me know if that is something you'd be interested / available for down the road!
That's very generous but I don't think I can do that. I would happily add you to any tour I do in the future though.
Absolutely! Thank you for considering it and for all the good books
Chip, you may be pulling back but our beards will want to have visitation rights through the screen eventually. Will you deny the beards that???
Thanks again for your time and great conversation! I'm sorry Actual Dracula got a bit to batty for you :)
his name should be Actual(ly Bad) Dracula!!!!!
yeah, he SUCKS
Sigh. I actually watch these Chipsterviews so how desolate is that?
*I* think it's BEAUTIFUL
That's because you don't watch them. Of course they're just on in the background while I test out Joker Venom X on Gotham's "missing" who seem never missed. (Really though, Chip, they're usually entertaining and informative. Amazing how much you get done and how much I find the stories enjoyable.)
I can only imagine that you and crew (paid friends, real friends, intern friends, etc) have someone point out where to get Tacos and White Wine at c2e2, and to decompress from the con -- but if you want a list of amazing places, as a chicago native, I'll give you a list of recommendations.
I was seeing if I was able to comment on your past posts now that I'm backed to paid subscriber. during this time your advice was fitting for me at the time. I was lucky enough to have an actual in person meeting with a famous director who is actually canadian himself. I hate name dropping but he's made great movies like his father did. most of his dad's movies were a big part of my childhood so I was in awe that I was given this opportunity! during the meeting he was awesome and made me feel like I belonged there. after the meeting the casting director said I did great and I was on the best natural high I've haven't had in a long time. I actually got booked....I was in shock and excited. then after 4 years of avoiding fucking covid I of course got infected by it and had to quarantine during the filming period. everyone understood but I felt like my world was ending but thankfully my wife and true friends helped get me through along with your writing. so thank you for that and definitely if you took your time to read this. it felt good to get that off my chest.
oh my god that's SO FRUSTRATING, I'm sorry! I have this weird little thing that has served me well in situations like this. It's "the road not traveled would have fucking killed me." I started doing that when I'd, like, miss a party. I'd just say to myself "well, Brenda probably would have been there and she would've brought up that thing and the night would have been ruined" and I'd feel much better. No more FOMO. Soon it started to extend to bigger things: cancelled trips, projects falling through, deals evaporating. I've somehow managed to convince myself that those failed instances would have led to disaster if they succeeded. Which is insane, I know, but man oh man does it make life's grievances much easier to deal with. Had a big one a week ago, like, a MASSIVE one, and I had one day of moping and then my "road not traveled" thing kicked in again and I was grateful to not get that gig.
Doesn't mean it still doesn't suck! But people tend to go the opposite way, where something they wanted was SURELY going to be some huge break. Both ways of dealing with disappointment have some delusion in them, obviously. I just prefer the opposite one ha ha
Wow Chip! Thank you so much. I really don't have the words to explain how much you just have helped me. Sharing your own experiences helped me close a door that was still cracked open but you just gave me the strength to slam that fucker shut!! Thank you again because I can't thank you enough!!!
glad to hear you’re a white wine man like myself (wow i’m behind on emails)
probably because of all the white wine
Your words are beautiful. Your Batman run rocks. Thank you!
I just want to say, as a total rando internet person, that this is written in a way that implies that three tacos is an indulgence. While I don't know the particular circumstances of the tacos at issue, I just wanted to express that it is probably a reasonable amount of tacos, and the world likely won't end if an occasion ever calls for more than three tacos.
you'll be glad to know that this past weekend in Chicago ... I ate FOUR tacos
"fog on the brain & heart" is a great descriptor & sounds quite familiar. glad you got a peek outside the fog & that you're taking care of yourself
This Batman has been pretty darn epic. Giving Joker this Zur based motivation adds a lot of extra weight to events like Death of the Family, and ALSO it explains why Joker didn't REALLY care when Dick was Batman! It's so cool. Reminds me a lot of the pre-flashpoint Batman stuff, which is my favourite era. DC has been firing on all cylinders lately, and I'm glad I picked this run up just cuz it had your name on it. For the first time multiple people in my real circles are reading Batman again and it's pretty damn cool. Feels like some of that pre-new 52 energy around comics discussion is back
Hope you're doing well man
I know this is a safe space and all and we try to be polite but, damn man, Batman was FUCKING AWESOME. And shirtless. This is shaping up to be almost as great as Waid’s Daredevil run. 😉
But in all honesty, I love that you found a thread and pulled it. It’s almost this meta moment of having heard the insanity that is often the “is it in continuity?” refrain, stood it in its head, introduced compelling neo-myths to feed the conversation and then said it’s all one big story. On top of your already brilliant take that Batman’s planning compulsion would be HIS undoing, not his friends’ or foes’.
Really good stuff. Honestly, it’s Waid-esque…
These "friends" you speak of - where can one acquire some?
Sending the appropriate amount and nature of love as befits a fan to a creator. Take care.