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Video of GalaxyCon Live's Arrow Q&A panel on Aug. 30...

Panelists: Brandon Routh, Katie Cassidy, Rick Gonzalez, Katrina Law, Josh Segarra and Kelly Hu (w/ moderator Patty Hawkins)

Transcription: See my post below (two posts down).

(Sif)

Edited by tv echo
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49 minutes ago, tv echo said:

I wonder if the Oliver Queen/GA tribute at the beginning of this video was added after the fan backlash (over "The CWverse" term) when this promo was first advertised as upcoming (this promo is being released much later than its originally scheduled streaming date of Aug. 17)...

-- I'm still going to call it the Arrowverse.

-- I find it interesting that there's a shot of JH's Black Canary around the middle of this video. I wonder if that means she's now joining one of the other Arrowverse shows.

-- The Superman & Lois music is very derivative of John Williams' Superman theme.

The CWverse Superheroes | The CW
The CW Network   Sep 1, 2020

 

Apart from anything else CWVerse doesn't roll off the tongue at all. 

I'm still going to call it the Arrowverese. 

JH might be joining another show (although out of the three I'd bet on KC on LOT unfortunately) but they might have put in in there because it's a cool moment rather than anything else. There's quite a bit of Ray and BR isn't coming back anytime soon. And lots of RRs Batwoman. 

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Here's my transcription of GalaxyCon Live's Aug. 30th Arrow Q&A panel (watch video posted above)...

Panelists: Brandon Routh, Katie Cassidy, Rick Gonzalez, Katrina Law, Josh Segarra and Kelly Hu

-- Mod Patty Hawkins: "I'd love to hear how each of you individually fell into your roles in the Arrowverse, as it has come to be known as. Kelly, let's start with you."
Kelly Hu:
"I was actually on the very second episode, uh, the first episode after the pilot. So, yeah, I got a call pretty early on, you know, asking if I was interested in doing this, and I was like, 'What? Yeah. I get to beat up on guys and stunt people and, yeah, I'm in, I'm in.' ... It was a no-brainer."
Mod PH: "Did they give you any sort of heads up about the - the plans for the character at that stage or was it just on one script at a time?"
KH: "Everything's always under wraps. Everything's so quiet. And nobody tells me anything because I have a big mouth. (Laughs) I always forget that things are secret and I'm like, 'whoop.' Yeah. So it's best not to tell me anything. If there's a secret, don't tell me because I forget it's a secret."
Mod PH: "Absolutely fair. Josh, how about you?"
Josh Segarra: "Man, I got an audition. My sister, when she heard about the audition, flipped out. She's like, 'You gotta get this one.' So I go in and, at the time, it was two different scenes. One was a general scene at a museum, and one was a scene where I was torturing the Green Arrow. And, you know, a few days later, got a call from Marc and Wendy, and they just walked me through. They said, 'Look, we want - we were thinking about this character. You're gonna be the Big Bad this season and you're gonna be like the Wrath to Batman.' And I said, 'Okay.' And they said, 'We'll talk soon.' And I said, 'Cool.' In the press, they go, ‘Josh Segarra's going to play, uh, Adrian Chase.’ So then I go online and I see that Adrian Chase is the Vigilante. I go, oh, I guess I'm playing Vigilante. So I go [unintelligible] Vigilante comics and I'm prepping. And then I call Marc a few weeks later, get him on the phone. I was like, 'Yo, you don't even know, I'm prepping for the Vigilante.' And he's like, 'Why? Why would you do that?' I'm like, 'What do you mean?" He's like, 'You're not playing that guy. That was just red herring. We put that out there.' I was like, 'Ohh.' He's like, 'We got something else in mind. You're gonna play this guy named Prometheus.' And I said, 'Okay.' And the rest is history, man. ... Honestly, I had so much fun playing him. We had like a code, me, Wendy and Marc. Every few episodes - because those first few episodes, I'm just - I'm just dancing around a little bit. And I was like, ‘Man, I'm ready to play! I wanna - I wanna go. Let's go!’ And they were like, 'Just wait, man. Just wait.' And around episode 8, they go, 'Okay, when we get to 15' - which is when I finally take my mask off - I would always tell them, like, where we are, where's this dude's insanity. And they'd say, 'He's at a 4 or 5.' And right before, at 8, they told me about 15, and they said, 'All right, when we get close to 15, that's when we're full 10.' And I said, 'Okay.' You know, and that's how we kind of changed it, because we'd only get an episode or two ahead of time, you know, just like Kelly said. So - so that was my way of knowing. Like, I knew they were taking care of me, and just tell me how insane we are... Take the mask off, you know?"
Mod PH: "Katrina, how about you?"
Katrina Law: "Um, I was a little bit like Josh. I auditioned for some - I don't know, I want to say, like Greta or like Darla or something like that. And I got cast and I didn't find - TV Guide actually told me I was playing Nyssa... So then I did the same thing. I was like, oh, I guess I'm Nyssa, so - and then I was. But then I went and did all this research as well, and like found a Nyssa comic and everything about her. But then we completely flipped the character 180. So... it's nice to know the history of it and, you know, Greg Rucka and Denny O'Neil and all that stuff, and that whole combination was the back story is amazing. But it really had nothing to do with the comics. So we got to make it our own and I think it turned out pretty cool."
Mod PH: "We've sat here with Marc here... a few weeks ago, and he's definitely an old school classic comic guy. But what I love about what he and Greg and the rest of the team have done, they've used the comics as a wonderful starting point and they were organically taken in their own directions. They tripped up the old school fans like me. Oh, yeah, Adrian Chase. Oh, yeah, Wild Dog, he's - he's a white auto mechanic out of Middle America. Yeah, so, they threw us up, they threw us with a swerve, and it's just been a wonderful ride. And absolutely, I've loved seeing you in action throughout... Brandon, how about you?"
Brandon Routh: "Yeah. I had a - had a meeting with, uh, with the powers that be, um, about a potential role, um, uh, arc on Season 3. And the biggest thing that came out of that was that they wanted to bring a little bit of humor and lightness, um, to the show. Uh, and, uh, and - and that was the thing that struck me about it. I wasn't - I was a little hesitant to go back into the superhero world, um, but, um, I knew that I knew that I was going to get an opportunity to do some - do some comedy and fun. And, um, that was what sold me about it. And I liked how that character had been written, with a lot of energy.... The original way they envisioned it was more Tony Stark, as you can see in the first three episodes that Ray's a little more Tony Stark-ish. But, um, while that's fun, it wasn't - I didn't want to necessarily have him continue that way... And so, as we went on, we kind of worked together to make him a little more palatable. Um, and so that his energy and excitement came from just his passion for technology and sharing it with people. And sometimes he said - he over-spoke, or he said something that was, you know, a little, a little, maybe crass, but it was because he was excited and wasn't thinking. More than that, uh, than some other thing."
Mod PH: "When did you get approached about possibly putting on the cape again?"
BR: "After I found out that I was gonna be leaving Legends, um, so that, uh, had a double meaning of - of - of, uh, power - powerful meaning to me... It was, uh, more, uh, respect coming to me in a different way, um, that I was - that I appreciated, um, in the Arrowverse family... Marc called me up and he said, 'Hey, we're doing the Crisis crossover. Would you be interested - basically, would you be open to putting on a different suit?' 'Are you saying what I think you're saying?' Uh, and then we had a long conversation about that. And I said I was very honored, but I honestly needed just a moment to think about whether that's the best thing for me to do, um, and if I really think that people are going to - I don't want to do it if - I don't want to do it just for me. I want to do it if, like the audience is going to respond, it's going to be a positive thing. And after some thinking and talking with some friends and family, I realized that it was, you know, a positive thing."
Mod PH: "Katie, uh, how did this begin for you?"
Katie Cassidy: "Um, well, I read the pilot. Um, I saw who they were - I saw who they casted for the Arrow, Stephen, and I was like, of course, this is perfect, that's what I envisioned as I read it. Um, and then, you know, Greg - with Greg and - and, um, Nutter directing, it's just the whole thing, it felt like it was the right thing. So I actually - I auditioned and I ended up getting the part. And they told me sort of, you know - I had a meeting with them before I actually went in and tested. And they said, you know, we - your character's gonna eventually turn into the Black Canary, um, which was great, because that's what I - I wanted to do some more, um, action. So then when - basically, once the air - the show aired, um, and then Caity Lotz came on, it was definitely like a different direction to take the story. Uh, but I thought it was really cool and interesting and I think the writers - you know, they did a great job, I think, in terms of writing for me and, I think, you know, all of these other lovely actors here, um, as they do. So yeah, it just sort of came together."
Mod PH: "Uh, how did you feel when the Black Siren popped up on the radar?"
KC: "Um, I mean, it was definitely unexpected… But I loved it. It's so much fun playing evil. I have - I had a blast... Um, they brought me on The Flash first and then, um, they brought Black Siren back on - on Arrow and - and it's fun. It was a little stressful because like - I remember just being like, wait, what version of myself on what Earth am I playing right now? (Laughs)... A lot of therapy."
Mod PH: "It's always fun when established characters get to play the parallel universe evil version... I enjoy seeing the actors doing that."
KC: "Yeah, it's fun. It's just like you're like playing on the playground... Black Siren was just a blast. Both - both characters were."
Mod PH: "And Rick, how'd this start for you?"
Rick Gonzalez: "Uh, the same as like Katrina and Josh, you know, you audition. And, um, I think the character's name was Jason Seabourne. So, like, okay, all right. Um, he's being court-martialed. I remember the audition's - so I told my wife, I was like, um, 'I'm going to be reading for this show called Arrow.' She's like, 'I love that show. I watched all the first three seasons. It's great. You know, you gotta be on this.' And, uh, I end up getting the part and I'm thinking, like, cool, you know, we'll just go to Vancouver and shoot three episodes of a guy getting court-martialed. The costume design - designer, Maya, um, you know, says, 'Hey, I gotta fit you. I gotta get you a mask and I gotta fit you for a costume.' I was like, 'Oh, man. No, I'm just playing Jason Seabourne. He's getting court-martialed... No, you got the wrong guy.' She said, "Oh, no, sweetheart. You're going to play Wild Dog.' And the inside of my body started vibrating. I was like, who is that? Why does that sound amazing, you know? I just ran to Google and looked him up. And just started, like, dancing. And, um, yeah, so that was kind of how - like, Marc didn't tell me. Like, it was just quiet. It was just, you got the job. You're playing Jason Seabourne, in my head. No one came to me. And I remember telling Marc, um, I guess a year later, I'm like, 'I never got the heads up that I was playing Wild Dog.' And he's like, 'No one reached out to you?' I'm like, 'No. Maya told me.' He was like, 'Oh, sorry, man.'"

-- Panelists then talked about how the producers tended to keep secrets from the actors.
KH
commented that the actors always find out this stuff from the "vanity team" (costume, hair, makeup).
BR commented that, when they produce their own projects, they'll know how to communicate with the actors, "having been in the situation where you're told things that you should have been told a while ago."
RG responded that, alternatively, maybe then they'll "sympathize" with the producers about not telling the actors stuff.
KL commented that she thought the producers don't tell actors "on purpose because they're so used to actors freaking out" or wanting to tell something.
KC: "Yeah, And also I remember they would like hide stuff from Stephen because he always would tell everyone everything."

-- Mod PH read Fan Q: "What was your journey like starting out your acting career?"
JS
said that he started out "doing plays and singing and stuff in church and in school." His parents moved from Puerto Rico. Show business was not in his family. His family supported him and never told him that he couldn't do anything. He went to NYU where he "learned a bunch of stuff that I never knew as a kid from Orlando." JS said that he only knew two actors then. One was RG. JS said that, as a Puerto Rican kid from Orlando, he saw RG doing movies and TV shows and that, every time he walked into an audition, he'd be asked, 'Do you know Rick Gonzalez?' And he'd respond, yes. JS said that being able now to call RG his friend "is the best."
KH said that she started her career "maybe before some of these guys were born... It's been over 30 years." She said that it was a "whole different world" then (pre-cell phones, pre-Internet). She came from a small town in Hawaii. Her first part was on Growing Pains and that she got death threats from little girls because she kissed Kirk Cameron on that show. She moved to L.A. before that episode even aired, and she took a full-page ad out in Variety announcing that she was "now available for West Coast representation." She lied on her resume (said she did a musical, even though she couldn't sing), because there was no Internet then for people to look up things. But you can't do that now.
RG said that he graduated from the performing arts school in NY (the Fame school). He got his first part on a TV show (based on a film) that shot in Toronto. He then moved to California and "the rest is history."
KC said that she was born and raised in Los Angeles and that she grew up doing a lot of theater. She was "always in acting class." She started out "doing a little bit of - well, modeling." She was on the cover of *NSYNC's celebrity album. KC: “Yeah. A good, whopping 150 bucks. I was like, yes! I get to be - uh, the boys from *NSYNC, Justin Timberlake, I was so pumped about it. Um, I actually think I might have - this is gonna be embarrassing - I think I actually cried the first time I met him. Oh, my gosh, I totally fangirled out."
JS: "I would, too."
KC then said that she auditioned and auditioned, and did the whole "changing in the back of your car" thing. Then "the right sort of characters and projects came up" and "everything sort of just fell in place, the way it should."
BR said that, when he was in college in Iowa, in his first year as an English major, "things happened" that led him to a "local modeling and talent association there in Des Moines," and that led him to this big competition in New York, where he ended up meeting his first manager, who asked him to go out to L.A. "for three months and give it a shot." Although he loved school, he could always return to school. He also had family in Downey, CA, about 45 minutes outside L.A. So he stayed with his great-aunt and -uncle for the first nine months that he was out there. He ended up booking his second audition just because "I looked right and I could stand up and say the words" (about five words). It was on an ABC sitcom. It was his first time on a set and it was a live audience. When he experienced the "energy" of the crowd, he decided that "this is it" and that he didn't want to return to school. He had done plays and theater in high school and "loved the comedy aspect of that." He said that, although there's a "long story" after that, that was the beginning.
KL said that she grew up as a dancer. She did summer stock one year and got the lead role, where she sang. She "just fell in love with it after that." She was a PA (production assistant) "for years" before she even got in front of the camera, so she "ran a lot of coffee" and "swept a lot of floors." She auditioned a lot in NY and Philadelphia, before going out to California. She didn't have the "smoothest of journeys" because she's half-Asian and "they weren't necessarily accepting of half-Asian, because I wasn't white enough and I wasn't Asian enough." So it took a while before "people either just got used to my face, felt bad for me, or, who knows, maybe I, like, became a better actor or something... Maybe I sucked in the beginning and I'm just blaming myself for being half-Asian." She said that she finds it easier now to get roles "because they're not so strung up on 'what are you?' ... It's nice." KL then praised the casting diversity of the Arrowverse.

-- Mod PH read Fan Q: "What sort of fandoms did you enjoy growing up that makes you who you are?"
KL
said that she started in dance. She raved about the people in the dance world.
BR: "I didn't grow up a comic book nerd. I grew up a fantasy nerd." He had a Nintendo and got a game called Dragon Warrior, which came free with the Nintendo power subscription. He said "that sucked me in." That was around the same time that Labyrinth and Dark Crystal came out, which are still "big hits" in his family. He and his wife recently showed them to their 8-year-old son. He got a computer when he was 14, which was when the original Warcraft came out. He was addicted to that. He played Magic: The Gathering, and still plays it.
Mod PH, BR and KL then talked about the new Dark Crystal series. 
KC: "Video games, for sure." She was "totally into the old school - I actually started playing video games back in the day when Duke Nukem was on the PC." She was into Mortal Kombat, "Sub-Zero, Thumb Blaster, um, was my jam." She also played online "back in the day... like, RollerCoaster Tycoon, The Sims, stuff like that." Now she's "super into Call of Duty." She added that she was also into "dancing and singing and theater and stuff like that." 
RG said that he was "definitely" into video games. He collected all of them - Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Genesis, Q, The Dreamcast. At the same time, he also collected comic books. He was also into hip-hop, which "permeated" his culture growing up. His mom introduced him to horror movies. He liked zombie movies, but his favorite was The Exorcist."
KH: "I am significantly older than you guys, because I never had video games growing up." She remembers when Pong came out. She said that kids played Pong for hours, because that was entertainment back then. She grew up with a struggling single mom, so they didn't even have cable TV. They were "super poor." She remembers saving up a quarter in order to play Space Invaders. She remembers saving up $500, because there was an opportunity to invest in an arcade palace that was being built in Honolulu. She did invest in it, and "the guy ended up embezzling everybody's money." That was her first investment and her "first foray into video games." She said that she now does a lot of voices for video games, but she was never a player.
KL said that KH's mom sometimes confuses the two of them and that KH's mom will think KL is her daughter and will ignore KH while talking to KL.
KH: "You know what it is? She actually wishes Katrina was her daughter."
JS urged everyone to watch High Score (a Netflix docuseries about early video games). JS: "Okay. Things I was obsessed with as a kid. Professional wrestling. The Ninja Turtles. Sports... Like, at cons, I always end up at the Ninja Turtle table." He also said that he made videos in the backyard on the trampoline with his "buddy Decker." He played "every sport" that he could. He used to "powerbomb" (pro wrestling throw) his two younger siblings.

-- Mod PH read Fan Q: "What lesson have you learned from your character?"
RG:
"I think what I loved about Rene was, uh, you know, this - this perseverance that he had, in terms of, uh, you know, him wanting to get, um, his daughter back in his life. You know, and I think there's something endearing and special about somebody who's focused on trying to be the better version of himself. And, um, and we saw how flawed he was. And I related to that, you know, because I think that was a lesson that I was equally learning in my life... You know finding the better parts of myself, amplifying that, um, and hopefully, you know, allowing that part to, uh, permeate the relationships that I have in my life... You know, a lot of times, and I'm sure other actors have said this, like, you know, sometimes roles come along and they just kind of connect to what you're going through in life. And so, uh, with Rene, at the time, it was sort of like this like arc that he had, where he was like definitely finding himself. And I think - and he knew who he was and I think he was trying to get to that person, and I think once he connected to it, he was able to make the relationships in his life better... And I think that, you know, that's the lesson that I learned, was like, you know, someone who - who wanted to be better for himself and for the people that he loved... And he fought for that, you know? And so, I think, for me, yeah, that was good."
KH: "Oh, damn, why you asking me now? I'm still trying to think. My character was such a bitch. I - I - I don't know that there was a lot - I mean, like, what should I learn her, like, how to be a bigger bitch? I don't know. Um, I don't know. It's hard. You know, what I did learn as a - as an actor, though, is that, um, it's great to use stunt people. (Laughs) That stunt people are super valuable. And that they can make you look better than you can be yourself. Yeah. So - so that's what I learned as a person, as an actor."
JS: "A teacher in college's name was, uh, Jimmy Tripp. And he would always say in Shakespeare class, he used to always say, uh, 'Hate doesn't exist without love, and love doesn't exist without hate.' And people ask me, like, if - if acting class helps with - with acting. And I always tell them, I'm like, it depends on what you take from it, you know? It's ever to each their own. And with this character, I got to think back to stuff I hadn't thought about in a long time. And that was key, I think, for Adrian, was that, he hated Oliver because he loved Oliver. You know? He loved him. And he was like, how could you hurt me that bad, man? ... And I was always just trying to focus in love. And you realize that this dude hates this dude. You know?"
KL: "Um, I think that one of the coolest things about Nyssa for me was how extreme she was in her point of view of the world. It was black and white. It was right and wrong. And her right and wrong definitely did not align with the rest of society, but she didn't care. She just did her thing and she, you know, lived by her ideals and virtues and forged her own path... I think that's why she was such a fun character, because you never knew, when she came up, if her character was going to be on your side or not, depending on what the issue was. So she was kind of always this like wild card that was coming in to, like, stir the pot and then, like, take off again... For me, in my own personal life, I - I ride that middle line pretty hard. You know, I'm - I'm definitely, like, I'm the arguer for both sides. I can play devil's advocate to both sides. I can see both sides. So I just kind of like - I feel like a wet noodle in the middle. And I feel like I should take a stance more in my life for something that I believe in or I don't. But a lot of times I have a hard time convincing myself of what is right or wrong, because there's so much information and so many different points of view that a lot of times I find myself just really stagnant. I'm kind of like, well, he's right, she's right, they're all right, duh duh duh duh dah. And for somebody like Nyssa, she's just like, nope, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong, I'm right... And I think there's some kind of value in that, but I really should apply it to my - I haven't figured it out yet, but I want to... Young people are like, this is my opinion... I admire that so much because I'm like, I don't know what my opinion is, 'cause I don't know what's right or wrong... Yeah, wet noodle. So, not to be a wet noodle and be more like Nyssa, is essentially what I've taken out of this, because I haven't accomplished any of that. But whatever. Working on it."
BR: "I think that one of Ray's journeys, um, for his character is - on both Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow - was, what it is to be a hero, what it takes to be a hero. Is it - is it, uh, superpowers? Is it a supersuit? Um, can you be a hero without those things? And he's forced and challenged by that to - to be without his suit for certain, uh, episodes, um, in the show. And he really has to figure out what that is and what it means to - to be a hero. And first, you have to start with understanding why it is - you don't have to, but it's helpful if you understand why it is you're doing what you're doing, um, and your - your reason for - for helping people. And, uh, and understanding that - you know, we all have that ability within us, um, with compassionate understanding. And I think that's something that he exhibits with his team and even with the bad guys that come in... he comes up against, is having - trying to have some compassion for - for - for everyone who surrounds you, um, so that you can help, uh, fight for them and also understand their story. Um, and I think understanding, uh, other people's story is important in this world today. Uh, it's always been important and - and that's a part of being a hero. And when I specifically look at Superman, I think he takes the time to understand, uh, another person's story. Um, and, um, and I always kind of tried to put that into Ray a little bit. And that's what I'm - that's what I'm learning is understanding and valuing other people's story. Even if I don't agree with their story, I have to understand where they're coming from. Um, otherwise, I'm just judging them, uh, based on my own past. So, got to really step into someone else's shoes... I know I kinda of rambled there."
Mod PH: "Katie, gonna bring us home?"
KC: "Uh, yeah. I, you know, Laurel, she fights for - she's a fighter. I mean, she fights for what she believes in, fights for what's right. You know, she doesn't give up. And I think, um - I mean... there's so much. I just - I - well, it depends on what version. But the version of Laurel when we first saw her, you know, she started out as a pro bono lawyer and then she sort of stepped into her sister's shoes and - and sort of, um, exactly what Brandon had said, to try to understand other story, but then also try to take it - fight for other people, but also for herself... Yeah, I think she's a - she's a fighter and she fights for what's right. And whether it has to do with her or someone else, she is - was, uh - well, I guess she was unstoppable because I did get killed. Um, um, but, you know, it happens. Um, so yeah... fighting for what's right in the world, um and not just selfishly but for other people, um, and to see that justice is served. Yeah."

-- Final comments by panelists: Wear your masks. Vote. Have tough conversations.

Edited by tv echo
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Geoff Boucher currently writes for Deadline (he spearheaded their "Hero Nation" blog) and formerly wrote for EW and the Los Angeles Times - this was a fascinating discussion...

Heavy Metal Presents: Geoff Boucher's Mindspace
Episode 002 - Marc Guggenheim

August 31, 2020
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marc-guggenheim/id1528448952?i=1000489769724

-- Geoff Boucher said that he first met MG at around the time that Arrow started, saying: "I did the first comic con panel for Arrow. I was the moderator. It was before the show was on... They hadn't even filmed it yet... It was interesting talking to the cast. They didn't really know their characters that well yet... He wasn't there that day, but I met him at that time. I'm pretty sure that's when I met him."

(tv echo: Either Geoff Boucher's memory is faulty, or my research is incomplete. As far as I can tell, Arrow's first comic con panel was at SDCC on July 13, 2012, but the moderator for that panel was Damian Holbrook. You can watch Arrow's first SDCC panel here.)

-- Geoff: "What have you learned about the difference between the, uh, rhythm and the necessities of story when it comes to, say, a comic book story and a TV show? Like, if there's a great comic book story, uh, how often is it not a great TV show?"
MG:
"That's a good question. Well, I'll tell you - are we on the record here, or are we off the record still?"
Geoff: "We are definitely on the record."
MG: "It's funny, like, I've gotten into trouble for saying this in the past, but I - I think the Watchmen movie is a great - it's a great test case, 'cause, for the people who are like, 'We want a panel-to-frame, faithful translation,' I say, 'You've got one. It's Watchmen. How'd that work out for you?' For me, my favorite parts of Watchmen were all the stuff they changed from the comic... There's no diminishing my love for the comic. But my attitude is, a faithful translation from - of any story being told in Medium A to Medium B, that translation still has got to - it has to reflect the pros and cons of the medium it's being translated into. Um, you know, everybody, like, wants, you know, like - like, when we were doing Arrow, it's like, 'Well, why doesn't he have the Robin Hood hat and the goatee?' Well, the Robin Hood hat would be really silly. The goatee we did, you know, experiment with. We did - we did some Photoshop tests. And ultimately it just came down to Stephen, like, what do you want to do? And he - he ultimately decided he didn't want to go that route. But you've got to be mindful of the fact that you're going from one medium to another, and there's different benefits and there's different challenges, and some people do it well and some people do it poorly. I've certainly been involved in both types of projects. (Geoff interjected, "Green Lantern") Uh, you know, it's - you know, I - I understand the tricks. I also - by the way, I think there's also a trick to - uh, yeah, I'm going to give you an example... I've never talked about this, but Rick Riordan... the author of the Percy Jackson novels, you know, he's constantly on Twitter, trashing the movies... But here's the story that he doesn't know. So the second book, Sea of Monsters, I was, uh, hired to do a rewrite on. And the circumstances were actually kind of interesting. The first draft was written by a writing team who had won at least one Oscar and had been nominated for several more. In other words, these are better writers than me. And their draft - the only thing wrong with their draft was that it was insanely faithful to the book. So faithful to the book, in fact, that the head of the studio at the time thought that the movie was unproducible. Not unproducible from a budgetary standpoint. Like, not good. And there's a reason why it wasn't good. You know, Rick is an amazing writer. He's a very facile writer. And in prose, particularly a YA novel, you can get away with a lot of things. You can get away with a lot of coincidences. You can get away with some character stuff that doesn't quite make sense. But once you try to translate that into another medium, in this case a feature film, you - you kind of expose a lot of things that the facile writing was covering up. And that fundamentally was why the movie had to change from the novel. You know, that being said, look, there's stuff - there's stuff in the move that was like - wasn't my idea - like, I felt it was important to maintain, not absolute fidelity, but be true - be faithful to the spirit of the piece. I still feel like, we told a story of - of Percy, you know, and his friends, and - and that did follow the novel, you know. It followed the novel, but, yes, things unfolded in a slightly different way. But we - I think we all felt at the time we were being true to the spirit of Rick's writing, if not the actual letter of it."
Geoff then commented that one of the reasons the Watchmen comic book was "so great" was because "Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons took advantage of the [comic book] medium so powerfully and so intuitively, in ways that no one had ever done before."
MG then praised the "brilliance" of the Watchmen TV show because Damon Lindelof recognized that television was a different medium and adapted the comic book elements for television.
MG: "Look, a lot of fans come at me on Twitter like, 'You deviated from the comics this way. You deviated from the comics that way.' And I'm like, 'Be careful what you wish for,' because those, like, you know, those ultimate fidelity, you know, sort of exercises - I won't say they never work. I can't think of a circumstance where it's happened and it's worked out perfectly. So that's why I'm like, to Rick, I go, 'I'm sorry, the studio had a draft that was, you know, almost page-to-frame your novel, and, um, it - it didn't work.' ... Writing a novel is a very singular experience, um, where you have to work with no one except your editor. In television and film, there's cast, there's crews, there's department heads, there's producers... There's a whole host of people that you have to open up the process to, and they're not always going to be in lockstep with you in terms of treating the source material as a sacred text. ... Not just the production or the creation of one thing, from one medium into another, is different. The audience interpretation of it, the audience consumption of it, is also very different, um, and you have to allow for these things... There's a reason why comics are different from movies, they're different from television shows. ... I believe very firmly, both as a writer and as a fan, that these changes are good. Like, I will say, I don't understand the fandom who - who gets very vocal and very angry about like, 'This was not a, you know, exact replica of the thing that I love.' As a fan myself, I never wanted that. Like I said, my favorite parts of the Watchmen movie were the beginning, the credits sequence, and the end... They found a way to build a better mousetrap with that ending."
Geoff and MG then discussed other movie adaptations and which ones were better than the original source books.

(tv echo: I found this 2013 CBR interview by MG about writing the Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters movie, in which he said: "I'm sure there are a lot of people who are fans of the books who will go, 'If it was so faithful to the book, that's actually perfect! What could possibly be bad about that?' And the answer is that any time you adapt a story from one medium into another, you have to approach total fidelity at your peril. Fidelity can often be a very good thing, but more often than not you find the strengths of one medium can turn into weaknesses once translated.")

-- Geoff: "The process of adapting something and taking it to a new medium requires that you understand and love, I would think, the original."
MG:
"You have to. You absolutely have to... At the very, very, very least, you have to have respect for it... I will hasten to say, every single time it's fallen short, it's because the person doing the adapting either didn't like it, didn't like the source material, didn't understand the source material, and/or didn't respect the source material... I look at it as, like, interpreting a piece of music. You have to know the song before you can cover it... For me, my favorite covers are the ones that really take a lot of license with the source song, because, otherwise, I'll just listen to the original song."

-- Geoff: "So, with comic book characters, it occurs to me, um, that there's a fundamental difference between the classic Marvel characters and the classic DC characters, and it's not 100 percent and not uniform... I have this theory and I'd like to bounce if off you... The 1930's characters... and '40's characters, which is primarily the DC characters, that endured... they are wired as characters to a European tradition... Like Sherlock Holmes and Dracula and Alan Quartermain and Scarlet Pimpernel, they are aristocrats and they are all of means, none of them work."
MG:
"Yep... Many of them are orphaned."
Geoff: "Exactly. And then they have this birthright, usually. Or something chooses them. Right?"
MG: "Yes. Absolutely."
Geoff: "And it's so fundamentally different from the Marvel characters."
MG: "I will say that, I feel - I have great affection and love for both, you know, canons."
Geoff: "And you work with both."
MG: "I have worked with both... I can definitely say, Marvel has it easier. You know, those are more modern characters. There's not a single domino mask in the bunch. You know, there's no - there's no character whose weakness is the color yellow. You know, and that's to take nothing away from what, you know, Marvel, Kevin Feige, has done for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I think that will stand the test of time. I mean, I'll fight anyone who thinks that's not anything short of absolutely brilliant. But, uh, you know, when you're handed a DC property to adapt to live action, you got to do a little bit more work - you know, a little more heavy lifting. It's a little - a little harder, um, for a variety of reasons... Part of it's the character. Um, like you're talking about and trying to get some diversity in there. And also diversity of - of origin and point of view. But also it's the basic look of it. Like, you know, how do you make Green Lantern look cool, uh, you know, in the 21st century? Um, there's a challenge. How do you make that big, flying, green fist look cool? And I think it's - there's - you're just faced with certain - faced with certain challenges... Left to my own devices, I would avoid the giant green fist today... I think there's a lot of elements from Green Lantern that you can transfer over and do quite well, but, you know, left to my own devices, the constructs, you'd shoot them practically. Like, if he has to make a Gatling gun, you bring in a prop Gatling gun and then, in post, you add the CG, you know, sheen to it... You definitely don't do a, you know, CG suit, that's for sure. I think we all agree on that now."
MG also said that you can't count on always fixing things in post.

-- Geoff noted the "prevalence" of Gotham City in all forms of entertainment now and how they don't even have to include Batman (like Joker, Harley Quinn and Pennyworth). He asked why that hasn't happened with Metropolis.
MG:
"I think because - Gotham itself is a character in the Batman mythos... You could do an anthology set in Gotham. Um, you know, you don't even need any of the characters you just mentioned... (Some talk of the Gotham TV show being like the Gotham Central comic book series)...  To answer your question why is there no Metropolis, you know, show, um, you know, the answer I think is, Gotham is its own character. It's - it's dark and gothic. And - and when you think about the Joker and Harley Quinn and, you know, even Alfred, they all feel like they belong of that world. Where - whereas Metropolis is - it's a lot more indistinct. It's basically - Metropolis is like making a TV show based on New York City. Not to say that you couldn't do it. My friend David Burke, uh, did, uh, an anthology called Tribeca back in the '90s that - basically the only thing it really had in common was it all took place in Tribeca. Um, and it was really cool and he did some great work with it. Um, but I think, you know, Batman and Gotham City and the sort of the mythos there... there's something in the water in Gotham that's not present in Metropolis, I don't think."
Geoff then noted that DC's Suicide Squad movie revealed that Gotham is located in New Jersey.
MG said that he always thought that Gotham was in the Midwest (like, Chicago), so he was surprised by that DC-sanctioned reveal.
Geoff commented that New Jersey is now the "state of two Bruces" - Bruce Springsteen and Bruce Wayne.

-- Geoff brought up the Batwoman TV show.
MG
said that he loves the show and that he "really loved the casting of Ruby Rose" (who's leaving the show). He also said that he "always felt kind of bad" for Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries because "that's a tricky show to do, really because, how do you - how do you make it different from Arrow, but still be true to, you know, the Batman mythology. And look, let's be honest, Green Arrow, the comic book character, has always been a Batman knockoff."
Geoff: "Oh yeah. He had an Arrow car, an Arrow cave."
MG: "An Arrow car, an Arrow cave... Sidekick. And orphaned. And millionaire - to your point, about, you know, the wealthy... Gadgets and stuff. So, like, it's a tricky exercise. You know, it can't just be, you know - honestly, it, you know, if - if Batwoman was just Arrow with a cape and cowl, it wouldn't have worked. Uh, I think the reason that show works is - is it really is its own animal. And by - I think one of the things Caroline and her team did very intelligently was, they leaned into the weirdness of Gotham. They - they recognized that - that Gotham is a character and, you know, Gotham kind of paints all of its inhabitants with a certain brush. Um, and by leaning into that and making that, you know, such a central driver of the show, I think - I think, helps, you know. Plus, it's cool."
Geoff then commented that they've got a challenge ahead of them because of the "destruction of that continuity" (with Ruby Rose leaving)).
MG: "They've got a really great plan in place." He also said that his previous comment about this being a "creative opportunity" was misinterpreted. He didn't mean that it was great Ruby Rose was leaving. He meant that "life gives you lemons and you make lemonade out of it."  
MG: "In the writers’ rooms, we always talk about them as 'problemtunities.'" He said that Ruby's departure was a "problemtunity." It wasn't what anyone wanted, but now they have to make lemonade out of lemons.

-- Geoff: "I want to make sure we talk some about Arrow. I mean, what an amazing time... It must be a bittersweet time as far as a - I know everybody's okay with where it's going and how everybody got here, but there's still that looming finality to it."
MG:
"You know, I gotta say, like, there was always going to be a finality. Every show ends. Even - even Supernatural is ending. Um, and, you know, before the pandemic, I was just happy that we managed to go out on our own terms, with people still talking about the show. We got to tell the story we wanted to tell. I was very, very pleased with the way the finale turned out. And then you add in the pandemic, like, oh, my gosh, if our final season was gonna be, you know, impacted by COVID? Like, I'm - I'm thrilled, quite frankly, that we ended when we did and the way we did... I mean, look, I - there's not a single episode of the show that I wouldn't take back in a heartbeat and redo, you know, um, and that's probably been true for everything I've ever worked on. Um, and that's probably, I think, true for every writer."
Geoff: "Are you talking like you would just tweak some things or whole - "
MG: "There's some things I would do a massive overhaul on and there's other things I would just tweak, like little things that just drive me crazy. Um, and then there's other things I'm like, 'Wow,' you know... And sometimes it's - it's our fault, sometimes it's the writing, sometimes it wasn't directed well, sometimes, you know, a choice was made for budget, sometimes a scheduling snafu... There's a million things... I gotta say, you know, I was talking to Greg Berlanti about this, like, one of the nice things about quarantine - and look, no one likes being stuck in the house, and certainly we all want to get back in production at some point - but, with production comes, you know, the phone call. Like, at any moment, including 2 at night, there's the phone call where your plans just got messed with. And, you know, there's a stress that comes with living with that every single day. 'Cause that phone call does not recognize business hours, it doesn't recognize weekends, it - that phone call can come at any moment, and you're constantly on alert. You're really almost in a state of war... I have to say, I've been kind of enjoying not, uh, you know - not - not - you know, not bracing every time the phone rings. ... On the other hand, there's no better feeling than writing something and then watch it get produced... And there's no better feeling than seeing an episode just come in really, really great... But it's a balance. ... When I run a show, that's the attitude I always try to cultivate with everybody, which is, you know... Stuff's gonna happen. We're gonna take our knocks. How do we - it's really how you react to it... How do you solve the problem? ... Ninety percent of producing is problem-solving... And your reward for solving a problem is a new problem to solve... Constant negotiation... Especially the way we do the shows, like, particularly the way we do Arrow is, we always wrote with our production in mind. We would always write like, we are going to write, you know, the Cadillac version. And at some point it'll become the, you know, the Honda version. But I'm a very big believer that, if you don't write towards something really ambitious, um, and then bring it back, you end up, you know, you end up kinda somewhere in no man's land... The only way you get a home run is to swing for the fences. You're not going to clear the fence every time, but if you don't try, you're never going to get there."

-- Geoff then asked MG about his career change from being a lawyer. 
MG
said that it was "surreal" and that it feels like he's "living in an alternate reality" and that his other self is still back there working as a lawyer.

-- Geoff then brought up that alternate universes and parallel realities seem to be everywhere now.
MG
noted that this concept is "quintessentially" DC. He said that everyone's trying to copy what Marvel did, but DC already has the "answer" in their multiverse. He also said that he was glad Jim Lee has publicly expressed an intent to "lean more" into DC's multiverse concept. MG acknowledged that Marvel has a "What If?" series, but that none of those characters are crossing over.

-- Geoff and MG talked some more about additional book-to-movie adaptations.
MG
amended his earlier statement (that he couldn't think of a completely faithful comic-to-movie adaptation that worked) by mentioning that Sin City worked.

-- Geoff then asked about MG's biggest opportunities and challenges right now.
MG
said that "it's been strange" for him because the pandemic hit right after a "big chapter" in his life had closed. He had finished the Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover, he had finished Arrow, and he had finished directing LoT, which was his first time directing. He had also booked some feature work right before the quarantine hit. MG said that his biggest challenge in the past nine years has been finding time to write. MG: "The more successful you are in television and the higher you rise up in the ranks, you less time you have to do the thing that you got into Hollywood to do... which is to write." So, because production has been shut down, the quarantine has been great in that he has time to write. He has just been writing a "wide variety of things," including the feature work that he booked, as well as some of his own spec work. He has also done some writing experimentation. He also said that he would love to write a Billy Joel bio movie.
Geoff and MG then related their respective Billy Joel anecdotes.

Edited by tv echo
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I feel like it's disingenuous to say that Sara's White Canary is a whitewash of a comic character because she's not meant to be a TV version of that character. She just happens to have the same codename. Just like Felicity Smoak has nothing to do with the original Felicity Smoak in the comics. I've seen similar accusations that Arrow whitewashed Connor Hawke because Arrow!Oliver's son Caucasian, ignoring the fact that Connor Hawke on the show is black, he just isn't Oliver's son. And William Clayton is a completely original character to the show with no comic counterpart. 

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1 hour ago, lemotomato said:

I feel like it's disingenuous to say that Sara's White Canary is a whitewash of a comic character because she's not meant to be a TV version of that character. She just happens to have the same codename. Just like Felicity Smoak has nothing to do with the original Felicity Smoak in the comics. I've seen similar accusations that Arrow whitewashed Connor Hawke because Arrow!Oliver's son Caucasian, ignoring the fact that Connor Hawke on the show is black, he just isn't Oliver's son. And William Clayton is a completely original character to the show with no comic counterpart. 

I agree, I get why people are annoyed at first glance but looking at it Sara had nothing to do with any WC storyline in the comics. It was supposed to be the exact opposite of BC and symbolise her new life as a hero and not assassin etc.  They weren't casting a new character they were giving an existing character a different name. I do wish it could have been "Blue Canary" or something to side step this altogether and CL would look great in blue. They have many, many BCs of different ethnicities. The Arrowverse is definitely not without it's problems handling POCs, (and female and LGBT) characters and MG himself can certainly be an issue but I don't think this is one of them, YMMV. 

IIRC there were initial character names that listed Anna Hopkins/Samantha Clayton as Sandra Hawke but people complained and they either changed it or later made clear that they weren't white washing a biracial character  but creating a new one. I guess maybe people are annoyed that they didn't take the opportunity to give a white male lead character a biracial son and have that be a point of inclusivity? 

The two/three versions of Connor Hawke they eventually had were pretty awesome and probably would have been in a relationship with GAs daughter at some point if the spin off had been picked up. 

Seriously MG, Rick Riordan is not "constantly trashing the movies". He released his own emails to show that he tried to prove that being more faithful to the books would actually make them more profitable for the studio. He even said he realised there was stuff he wasn't privvy but they were bastardising it anyway. He also said he has never seen them and none of his ire is directed at the cast and crew who worked so hard on them. He wasn't even really bashing the writers just incredibly frustrated with the studio and producers forcing those changes. You movie was in no way "the spirit of the books" although in fairness the first one trashed them pretty hard before you ever got there and some things that made it in to that movie I did like. 

I mean I agree with him that things have to be adapted and changed and things don't work out with actors *cough* but PJO is pretty much the worst example he could have picked. 

On a different topic Beth said Mia's birthday was in mid October? Oliver literally only had a couple of weeks at most with her? I was thinking September so he'd have 6-8 weeks. 😭

 

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The problem with White Canary is that they erased an Asian superhero so a white original character could don the mantle. This universe has more than one BC but that's because Katie Cassidy's character was killed off and then replaced. I don't see this ever happening with Caity Lotz. I wouldn't call it whitewashing per se but I still look at it as erasing an Asian superhero and replacing her with a white woman.

As for Connor Hawke, I would agree that William is just a different character. They could have given their white male lead a biracial son but I don't think fridging a black woman and treating her as a meaningless hookup/disposable love interest would have been considered progressive.

That's how I see it. I apologize if I said something insensitive.

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Streaming live later today (at 2:00pm ET)...

Actor Stephen Amell on BourbonBlog Live for Derby Day
BourbonBlog    Scheduled for Sep 5, 2020

Quote

Actor Stephen Amell will chat with Bourbon expert Tom Fischer on Kentucky Derby 146 Day on Saturday, September 5th at 2 pm ET on BourbonBlog.com/live. As we interview Stephen every year at Derby, to talk about the new Starz TV series "Heels," his wine company Nocking Point Wines, and other film and TV projects.  

Watch live on BourbonBlog.com/live or on this feed. Have a guest you'd like to see us interview? Email tom@bourbonbog.com.

BourbonBlog - sa - sep 5 (@2:00pm ET):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUWsidrWbaY
https://bourbonblog.com/live/

 

Edited by tv echo
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^^^ Here's my transcription of the above BourbonBlog video of its Sep. 5th interview with SA...

-- Some talk about SA's attendance at the Kentucky Derby in previous years and then some talk about whiskey.

-- SA said that he's in Atlanta doing pre-production on his new series Heels and that they start shooting "this Wednesday." He also said that it's an "hour-long drama for Starz." He didn't know when this series will premiere, but he guessed "next summer, I suppose, or spring." He said that this series is set "in small town Georgia, Duffy, Georgia" and is about "the wild and wacky world of independent professional wrestling." He said that both wrestling and acting are passions of his, so this project was "a pretty good marriage." His character, Jack Spade, is the Duffy Wrestling League (DWL) Champion, who is the "heel" (bad guy), although he's "the hero of [his] own story." He didn't know how they were going to "do the crowd" because of the pandemic, whether it'll be CG or scripted. Jack Spade's brother, Ace Spade, is played by Alexander Ludwig. SA said that the series is about these two brothers, their relationship with "their mom and dad," Jack's relationship with "his family," and the "camaraderie with the boys and the girls in the Duffy Wrestling League." He also said that "Duffy Wrestling League" might be changing to "Duffy Wrestling Association." He said that Alison Luff is playing his sister and that Kelli Berglund is playing a "young wrestler valet, Crystal." The cast also includes Mary McCormack, Chris Bauer, and "then a whole group of guys that round out our wrestling ranks, including James Harrison, the long-time Pittsburgh Steeler and possibly one of the scariest individuals that you will ever meet in your entire life... I mean, he's a sweetheart, but he's an inch shorter than I am and one hundred pounds heavier than me, and it's all muscle." He later said that this series takes place in present day.

-- When asked if training for Heels was different than training for Arrow, SA: "Yeah... This show, the - the physicality to it is really baked in, so, um, because I have a little more experience than I did when I started Arrow, I - I worked really hard with Mike O'Malley, our showrunner, and Pete, uh, Segal, our director, Bill Hill, our, uh, head of production, um, on - on really building into the infrastructure that the physicality and the muscularity of these performers. Like, it has to pass the smell test. So they built us a big gym on one of the stages in, um, here in Atlanta. And, uh, you know, on one side of it we have, you know, all the - all the free weights and cardio machines that - that you could hope for, uh, and, on the other side of it we've got a full-on, uh, got a full-on ring. Um, so, when I've done my wrestling stuff in the past, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I've faked it, but there's certain things in wrestling that, you know, you just - you can't fake. You have to learn them through repetition. Um, the theatricality of it is one thing, but being able to take a flat back bump and really take it and get used to it and - and get these muscles in your neck working, uh, and really start bumping aggressively, uh, takes time. Hitting the ropes takes time. Just getting used to how things feel in the ring takes time. So that's - I've been focusing on the fundamentals, but the physicality of it is - the physicality of it is fun. We tried our wardrobe on for the first time yesterday, too, and it's, you know, some of the guys just look ridiculous... but in a good way, you know, I mean, it's pro wrestling. It's - it's theater. It's escapism... If we feather that in with some - with some real life drama and, you know, family personal dynamics, I think the show will be a success."

-- When asked if he was happy with his wardrobe, SA: "Yeah, I'm happy... I wanted to go very classic, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, right? ... Trunks, knee pads, old school boots. The trunks are effectively a Speedo, so, uh... you're out there for the - for the world - for the world to see, so you better get in shape. I also have to do some fake tanning, too, which is just - just terrible. What are you gonna do? This is the job that I've chosen."

-- When asked about shooting during the pandemic, SA said that they hired a company called CTEH "out of Arkansas" and that they're in charge of keeping everyone safe. SA: "As an actor, I'm in something called Zone A... and my interaction with the crew, unfortunately, is really quite limited... Basically, every step of the process has been considered. Starz put out a 48-page guideline for return to production, um, and we're following all of it. Um, I get tested three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday... I'm - I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in a little bit of a bubble right now." He said that it's been "fun" living in Georgia and that the people in the area where he's living seem to be "very responsible" and "following the rules." He also mentioned a couple of "fantastic restaurants" nearby.

-- When asked if he's had "any interesting discoveries on things [he's] worked on" during the pandemic, SA: "No. I mean, it was - it was very, very different because I wrapped shooting on Arrow in November of this - of this past year and, uh, since I booked that job in February of 2012, I've either been working really hard or on vacation. You know what I mean? Uh, so, like, with my friends, they call me Vacation Steve sometimes because, you know, when I got time off, I would like to do - I'd like to kick back and have fun. So, you know, I've learned that I'm not necessarily the - the most calm person when I have nothing to do. Took a lot of - took a lot of walks. Watched a lot of movies. Um, you know, it was weird because I started training for Heels hard in January and, uh, was supposed to fly to Atlanta two days before - March 15th - and everything shut down on March 13th... It's been weird, man. But, fantastic time with my family... Just the, um, the silver lining to - to something like this is that I got a lot of unexpected time with my wife and my daughter and, um, that was lovely."

-- Some talk about Nocking Point Wines and its "Kindness Project." SA said that they might do a collaboration involving them aging wine in whiskey barrels.

-- More talk about SA's past Kentucky Derby experiences. SA: "After three or four years, my wife said, 'if you don't start bringing me to the Derby, I'm going to divorce you.' ... 'You've had your boys' time.' ... 'Fine.'" So for seven years, he's typically gone to the Kentucky Derby with a group of six to eight people. But no one in his group has ever predicted the Derby winner during those seven years. 

Edited by tv echo
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GalaxyCon Live has now posted an audio recording of its Aug. 30th Arrow panel (with KC, BR, KL, JS, RG and KH)...
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1182989/5280658-arrow-q-a-w-katie-cassidy-brandon-routh-katrina-law-josh-segarra-rick-gonzalez-kelly-hu

ETA: I think that GalaxyCon will eventually post its own video recording of this panel. (I noticed that the previously posted youtube video by Sif was taken down.)

Edited by tv echo
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Event is live on site,* but guests are virtually appearing...

(* New Zealand has successfully contained the spread of COVID-19 and still has closed borders, with limited exceptions.)

Auckland Armageddon, October 23-26, 2020 (New Zealand)
Virtual Guests:
David Ramsey (Oct. 24), Katherine McNamara (TBD), John Barrowman (Oct. 24), Summer Glau (Oct. 24),  Alexander Calvert (TBD), Ben Browder (Oct. 25) and Rachel Luttrell (Oct. 26) 
(also Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Danielle Nicolet, Nafessa Williams and Chantal Thuy)
https://www.armageddonexpo.com/Guests/

Edited by tv echo
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GalaxyCon has now posted a few selected clips from its Aug. 30th Arrow panel (KC talking about Black Siren, KC talking about how they would hide stuff from SA because he would tell everything, KH talking about the great stunt people, JS talking about measuring Adrian Chase's level of insanity, BR talking about how his son prefers other superheroes to his character) - I don't know if they will later post video of the full panel...

GalaxyCon Arrow Q&A Clips
GalaxyCon    Sep 8, 2020

 

Edited by tv echo
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I don't recall if I previously posted video of the full interview, but here's an interesting clip from it...

--- JDJ: "I was up for - for Finn in the new Star Wars... I was maybe top five testing for this thing... We did, like, chemistry tests here in L.A., um, non-disclosures, all like random carriers dropping off these like legally binding contracts and then handing you the script that you could only read like. ... I had a scene where I was supposed to be delivering these data - these data cores or something, and they had data cores. And I'm like - I'm running through there - like, through this set that they have set up."

Joseph David Jones on Auditioning For STAR WARS
imnotracistmyfriendsblack    Sep 2, 2020

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Taken From "I'm Not Racist, My Friend's Black" #12 - Joseph David Jones

https://youtu.be/HWBMS_CjVYM

Edited by tv echo
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UPDATE: Expanded panel for GalaxyCon Live's LoT program (which includes two former Arrow cast members)...

GalaxyCon's Legends of Tomorrow Live Experience, September 26-27, 2020 (Free, live-streaming Q&A)
Caity Lotz and Brandon Routh (also Jes Macallan, Courtney Ford, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Adam Tsekhman, Arthur Darvill and Victor Garber)
https://galaxycon.com/september-26-legends-of-tomorrow/ 


ALSO FYI...

Edited by tv echo
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In honor of the Arrow-based Arrowverse, here's a look back at the three "Superhero Fight Club" trailers...

2015 Superhero Fight Club 1.0 trailer, with Arrow and The Flash (released mid-S3 of Arrow)
(This promo included Arrow's Oliver/Green Arrow, Laurel/Black Canary, Roy/Arsenal, Malcolm/Dark Archer, Ra's al Ghul and Ray/The Atom, but no Diggle or Felicity.)

(IGN)

2016 Superhero Fight Club 2.0 trailer, with Arrow, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl (released just prior to S5 premiere of Arrow)
(This promo included Arrow's Oliver/Green Arrow, Felicity and Diggle. It's the only one to include Felicity.)

(TV Promos)

2018 Superhero Fight Club 3.0 ("Suit Up") trailer, with Arrow, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and Black Lightning (released mid-S6 of Arrow)
(This promo included Arrow's Oliver/Green Arrow, Diggle/Spartan, Curtis/Mr. Terrific and Rene/Wild Dog, but no Felicity.)

(TV Promos)

Edited by tv echo
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DC top exec effectively confirms that Arrow (and therefore Olicity) is part of official DC canon and just as legitimate as the comics...

-- DC Chief Creative Officer & Publisher Jim Lee: "So what we love about this Multiverse that was created by the designer Rian Hughes is it kind of lays out this idea that there are Earths that sit around a reality and that there are other big cosmic influences that govern how the Multiverse operates. And the really cool thing about it is that it means that every story told is authentic and real and has happened. It allows our fans to embrace every version, every adaptation of our characters and media, as being part of the DC mythology, as being part of canon."

-- JLee: "The most significant unlock that you get out of the Multiverse, I think, is that it allows all of fandom to embrace every different adaptation or incarnation of our characters across all of media - publishing, TV shows, games, movies - as being the one true version of these characters. They are all legitimate. They are all authentic. They are all part of canon. They are all part of the DC Multiverse."

DC Multiverse 101 Featuring Jim Lee
DC  Sep 10, 2020

 

Edited by tv echo
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I always found it hilarious how canon was weaponized by comic purists during fan wars while their own comics introduced thousands of different adaptations of namesake characters. It makes no sense, no matter how you look at it. 

 

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3 hours ago, RS3 said:

I always found it hilarious how canon was weaponized by comic purists during fan wars while their own comics introduced thousands of different adaptations of namesake characters. It makes no sense, no matter how you look at it. 

 

Yeah. Certain things many held so dear weren't even in the New 52 that was being heavily pushed when Arrow started airing or aren't in current Rebirth. 

I've never really cared if it was/wasn't "canon" as far as DC went. It was on my screen, DC had to approve certain stuff, Geoff Johns was the one to do things like write Barry in via Felicity and tease EBR about her two love interests in S3, I don't care if there's an asterisk by the entire Arrowverse. 

I'd even be interested if they gave Jurnee Smolett's BC a Green Arrow (and I think it would be awesome if he's introduced as *her* love interest not vice versa) and never tried another version of Olicity because I cared a lot about the SA/EBR chemistry and what they brought to the role, which wouldn't necessarily work with other actors, just as in the case with GA/BC this time.  

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5 hours ago, tv echo said:

-- JLee: "The most significant unlock that you get out of the Multiverse, I think, is that it allows all of fandom to embrace every different adaptation or incarnation of our characters across all of media - publishing, TV shows, games, movies - as being the one true version of these characters. They are all legitimate. They are all authentic. They are all part of canon. They are all part of the DC Multiverse."

I attended the Jim Lee panel at C2E2 this year and was pleasantly surprised that he was a genuinely nice and easygoing person who wanted to make comics welcoming to all people, not just cater to certain fans that have been following for x number of years. Basically the opposite of my experience over the years with all the comic gatekeepers. I'm really glad he said what we've been pointing out  all along-- that different versions of a character can co-exist and they're all valid. 

I'm reminded of the widely spread falsehood a couple years ago (after season 4, I think?) about how Arrow was so offensive to comic canon that DC was "cutting off association" with the show. Hopefully what Jim Lee says puts an end to this ridiculousness.

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7 hours ago, lemotomato said:

I attended the Jim Lee panel at C2E2 this year and was pleasantly surprised that he was a genuinely nice and easygoing person who wanted to make comics welcoming to all people, not just cater to certain fans that have been following for x number of years. Basically the opposite of my experience over the years with all the comic gatekeepers. I'm really glad he said what we've been pointing out  all along-- that different versions of a character can co-exist and they're all valid. 

He's great isn't he?

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18 hours ago, lemotomato said:

I'm reminded of the widely spread falsehood a couple years ago (after season 4, I think?) about how Arrow was so offensive to comic canon that DC was "cutting off association" with the show. Hopefully what Jim Lee says puts an end to this ridiculousness.

Let me pile on the funny. That whole thing started when the mods for DC's subreddit stopped being affiliated with Arrow's subreddit because there was too much negativity after/during season 4. Some fans took it as DCcomics, the company, disowning Arrow, the tv show. 

 

I have no opinion on another version of Felicity or Diggle happening in the future because it won't be the same characters, nor story, nor chemistry. They can exist. I'm not against it. Maybe I'll love them, maybe I won't but I won't go in with a preconceived idea of what they should be based on the first version. 99% of the time, Olicity & OTA's popularity didn't ride on the stellar writing but more on the portrayal, like @Featherhat pointed out. I'd be a hypocrite if I say I wouldn't compare both versions but if I don't like the new version, it's easy to stop. Hate watching is stupid. 

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It makes sense from both a creative and financial perspective that Jim Lee would welcome as many people as possible into the fold. No point in gatekeeping yourself into bankruptcy and obscurity and it makes sense to be inclusive of movie and TV fans because that's where the real money is. And there have been so many reboots and cancellations many comics fans are picking from more than one source for their favourites anyway. But it's nice to hear that he sounds genuine about people enjoying all versions of characters no matter where they're from.

57 minutes ago, RS3 said:

Let me pile on the funny. That whole thing started when the mods for DC's subreddit stopped being affiliated with Arrow's subreddit because there was too much negativity after/during season 4. Some fans took it as DCcomics, the company, disowning Arrow, the tv show. 

 But during that time that subreddit itself also disassociated from Arrow and became Daredevil (and then Punisher after the Olicity wedding). Because they don't care about shipping at all, they're true GA fans who care about the proper story, not like the monstrous fangirls who ruin it. There were no tantrums about shipping at all. 

Obviously DC could never disassociate from Arrow because they own it, even when it's doing things some fans don't like. The nearest they might have come is deciding that there needed to be a BC on the show after all, having given permission for Laurel to be killed off. But that's a far cry from "MG did it all on his own, without telling anyone and now he's been spanked and told to bring in Dinah and now BS!".  

Whenever I think of a different version of Felicity, I always think of the scripts, which don't really shine on their own compared to the scenes, as amply demonstrated by every single one MG has so kindly posted in the last few months. And now Tegan Verhul, who was good as Not!Felicity but shows you can't just put any blonde in a pink shirt near SA and watch the magic happen. 

 

 

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From Aug. 30th...

My #GalaxyCon chat with Katie Cassidy
Ayan Das    Published: Sep. 11, 2020

-- Fan: "I especially appreciated the development you got as Earth-2 Laurel in the later seasons of the Arrow because, like, it was phenomenal seeing your scenes with Paul Blackthorne and all like when he was helping to redeem you, and then in Season 7 your interaction with Emily Bett Rickards, that was awesome, too, and 8 when you - you fully got into the Black Canary avatar, that was awesome."
KC:
"Thank you. I know. It was fun. The last season, my out - my costume was awesome.
Fan: "Oh, yeah. That was your best costume, definitely, for sure."
KC: "I know. I wish they - I wish they would have, um, got me more... I mean, [unintelligible words] have done it earlier."
Fan: "Hopefully, we'll see more of you in the Arrowverse in the future, like, let's say, if the spinoff gets picked up and if we seen any of the other shows."
KC: "Yeah, hopefully. I mean, that's what's interesting - that's what's cool about our show is like, you can - they can bring me back onto any of the shows they wanted. Um, so we'll see."

-- Fan: "What are you looking forward to directing in the future?"
KC:
"I'd love to direct more, um, television and - and film, actually. I love directing and, you know, it was - it's - it's - it was such an incredible experience and I'm hoping maybe, you know, Greg Berlanti will give me an episode to direct in the future. Um, but, we'll see, um, yeah, it would be really fun."

Edited by tv echo
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8 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Fan: "Hopefully, we'll see more of you in the Arrowverse in the future, like, let's say, if the spinoff gets picked up and if we seen any of the other shows."
KC: "Yeah, hopefully. I mean, that's what's interesting - that's what's cool about our show is like, you can - they can bring me back onto any of the shows they wanted. Um, so we'll see."

Ugh I know I get paranoid about this periodically, but I really can't help wondering if now the spin off is (almost certainly) dead that they're going to announce KC as a regular on LOT any minute. That's all I need with Sara's current story. 

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Gina Torres, Rick Gonzalez and Nadia Hallgren Kick Off ‘La Conversación’ Panel Series Exploring Afro-Latinx Representation in Film and Television
by Ellen Wanjiru   September 11, 2020
https://www.blackfilm.com/read/2020/09/gina-torres-rick-gonzalez-and-nadia-hallgren-kick-off-la-conversacion-panel-series-exploring-afro-latinx-representation-in-film-and-television/

Quote

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) will present the panel series, La Conversación, centering the Afro-Latinx experience. Participants will include Suits and Pearson star Gina Torres, Emmy-nominated Becoming director/cinematographer Nadia Hallgren, Orange Is the New Black’s Selenis Leyva, Arrow’s Rick Gonzalez, comedian Aida Rodriguez, and Negrita filmmaker Magdalena Albizu.

Tiffany Vazquez, who made history as TCM’s first Latina host, will moderate. 
*  *  *
The first of two discussions for National Hispanic Heritage Month, also known as Latino Heritage Month and Latinx Heritage Month, will take place September 16.

La Conversación will highlight the exclusion of the Afro-Latinx experience in film/TV, particularly its origins and its impact now.

*  *  *
To find out more about the September 17 discussion and future events, visit aafca.com and nalip.org.

Edited by tv echo
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2 hours ago, Chaser said:

I was pretty convinced that KC would show up on LOT but she’s not even hinting at anything. Still could happen I guess. 

She’s more proud of that costume than anything else on Arrow. 

Well I did admit I was paranoid but every time she mentions the possibility of another show I end up thinking it's a hint. Just that since MG seems unable to just say it's not happening and that "it's up to DC to announce things" or whatever, that there might be something like a Canary going to a different show. And I think KC will be the last to leave once everyone else has turned the lights off. Plus I'm very frustrated with LOT right now that would fit in with my mood about what's happening to Sara pretty well. Although with another new regular it seems like it's a very crowded ship right now. 

 

Edited by Featherhat
added a line about the new LOT regular.
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5 hours ago, Featherhat said:

Ugh I know I get paranoid about this periodically, but I really can't help wondering if now the spin off is (almost certainly) dead that they're going to announce KC as a regular on LOT any minute. That's all I need with Sara's current story. 

LOT just announced a new regular, so that's one fewer spot for KC. And given the COVID concerns and restrictions, I'm guessing it would be too much of a hassle to have a non-Canadian actor guest starring or recurring. Although I'll admit if anyone was persistent enough to defy logic and find a to stay in the Arrowverse somehow, it would be KC. 

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16 hours ago, lemotomato said:

LOT just announced a new regular, so that's one fewer spot for KC. And given the COVID concerns and restrictions, I'm guessing it would be too much of a hassle to have a non-Canadian actor guest starring or recurring. Although I'll admit if anyone was persistent enough to defy logic and find a to stay in the Arrowverse somehow, it would be KC. 

😂 I can just see it now. KC manages to evade Covid and quarantine to muscle in on LoT and haunt its fans! Disease and closed borders shall not prevent her from staying with the Arrowverse forever!!!!!!

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DC FanDome | Behind The Scenes of Crisis on Infinite Earths | Arrowverse Scenes
Arrowverse Scenes   Sep. 12, 2020

Panelists: Marc Guggenheim, Lynda Lee Chapple (DC's Legends of Tomorrow prop master), Maya Mani (Arrow, Batwoman costume designer), Philip Chipera (Flash 1st AD and director) and Armen Kevorkian (Batwoman, Flash, Supergirl senior visual effects supervisor).

-- MG introduced everyone on the panel and acted as the moderator.

-- PC explained the job of a 1st Assistant Director and how they handled scheduling of the various Arrowverse actors to shoot the five different episodes of the Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover (used a giant whiteboard).

-- LLC explained how they handled creating and transporting the props for the COIE crossover. As an example, she said that the Atom had to appear on Supergirl as well as her show (LoT) and that, for the Atom, they had a hero suit, an original suit and a stunt suit. In addition, there's an "Atom suit tech," who herself has an assistant. Also, "if the hero suit is playing with the stunt suit," then they need another assistant. So they have to make sure that the right versions of the suit and all the necessary people are where they need to be (on the right set) at the right time (for shooting). LLC also said that they had the Weather Witch (from Flash) doing a big stunt for the COIE crossover and that there weren't additional Weather Watch wands made of rubber, so they had to get those made ahead of time.

-- MM talked about the challenges of adapting the Monitor's comic book costume (designed by George Perez) for live-action television. She said that casting was important and that they first fitted a stunt person, guessing that the actor cast for the role would be tall. She said that they "based it on Brandon Routh sizes." Once LaMonica Garrett was cast as the Monitor, they had to make sure that they had enough costumes "to translate throughout all the different shows." MM: "There was a lot of 3D printing. There was a lot of laser etching. We threw everything at it... Team effort." When asked by MG, MM said that, before the roles are cast, she submits costume illustrations in which she "casts the show" and that for the Monitor's costume illustration, she used Ron Perlman.

-- AK said that the most challenging part of doing the COIE crossover for him and his visual effects team was finding the time. They had to build "the assets" that were going to go into the actual show. For example, for the crossover, they had to build the Quantum Tower. Also, as an example, they had to scan the actors in order to create "digital doubles" of them, but they couldn't scan until after the costumes were done, fitted and approved.

-- When asked by MG, LLC said that the most challenging prop that she created for the COIE crossover was the "shrink bomb," which had to be imagined as "multiple pieces... strewn all over the workplace" and then "Flash comes in and he's able to assemble it in a second." They built it so that they could have "five stages of build." They also had to add a button and a white glow. LLC also said that "Greg, the director, wanted it to be the size of a softball, so we made it easily throwable, the size of a softball." They also made stunt versions of this shrink bomb. Then AK had to make a digital version of this shrink bomb.

-- MM said that there were multiple costumes for the COIE crossover: "At one point, we were running with nine Arrow costumes because, even though Stephen may not have been on Flash, he - his stunt double was or his photo double was. Or we had multiple stunt doubles, which meant multiple props and multiple costumes, and also multiple costumers. So the sets get really busy... It's really like a traveling three-ring circus in an organized, chaotic dance."

 

Edited by tv echo
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Go to links to watch videos (active links on the DC FanDome site until 1:00pm ET today, Sep. 13)...

RETURNING TO THE ROOTS OF ARROW: PROMETHEUS
https://www.dcfandome.com/schedule/insiderverse/5f343a57ad87080017244aae?language=en

-- This was a behind-the-scenes deep dive into S5's Adrian Chase/Prometheus storyline.

THE SUPER DESIGNERS BEHIND THE SUPER SUITS - PANEL
https://www.dcfandome.com/schedule/insiderverse/5f343a57ad87080017244a81?language=en

-- Panelists included four-time Academy Award®-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood: "I've done a lot of pilots for The CW. I did the Flash, the Arrow, Supergirl and Batwoman for Berlanti Productions. So I've sort of just done the pilots for these things and then handed them off. And I've only done those characters' costumes and developed them for the first, you know, the first show out of the chute for all those."

CAPTURING THE ACTION IN STILL FRAME - PANEL
https://www.dcfandome.com/schedule/insiderverse/5f343a57ad87080017244a8a?language=en

-- Panelists included Katie Yu (Arrow, Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman unit stills photographer).

GREG BERLANTI REACTS TO FAN ART
https://www.dcfandome.com/schedule/youverse/5f3d2ef0437eb45ac7dc7ab7?language=en

-- GB praised fan art for Crisis On Earth-X, Crisis On Infinite Earths, the new Batwoman, the two Batwomen together, Negative Man (Doom Patrol), 

Edited by tv echo
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During DC FanDome's Legends of Tomorrow panel, when Shayan Sobhian was talking about his character Behrad being "constantly in the shadow of his older sister [Zari, played by Tala Ashe], who was just amazing at everything," Caity Lotz seemed to compare it to her character's sibling relationship with Laurel...

DC FanDome | Legends of Tomorrow Panel | Arrowverse Scenes
Arrowverse Scenes   Sep 12, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8yTNCS_5t0

Edited by tv echo
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Compilation of six DC FanDome videos in which DC Chief Creative Officer/Publisher Jim Lee answered fan questions (I only transcribed a few comments)...

Fandome: Jim Lee Q&A
MovieWatchman   Sep 12, 2020

-- When fan asked when there will be a series, book, animation or movie adaptation of the Kingdom Come comics story, JL said that he would love to see an adaptation but he would want to "do justice" to the source material. (It didn't sound like there was anything in the works.)

-- When fan asked why there aren't any "titles with female-centered teams" and if we will ever get an "all-female lead team," JL: "Well, we have. Birds of Prey was one of our, uh, best known classic comics that featured an all-female team. Oracle, Huntress, um, Batgirl, um... and Black Canary. So there have been numerous runs of that particular book. And then we have, uh, a lot of other female lead books, like Supergirl, Batgirl, Catwoman. Um, but we - we move them in and out of the publishing schedule, uh, depending on their sales and what else is happening in media that - that might warrant having a comic book to kind of support the focus or attention on these characters. Um, but we're very proud of - of our female characters. I think it one of our, um, competitive advantages. When you look at the DC Universe, things that we have that are very unique to our universe or that we kind of trailblazer started, certainly the Multiverse, we have probably the best villains in all of known fiction really, if you think about it, uh, and then our female characters. And if you look at Wonder Woman, that movie was a trailblazer in terms of, uh, setting huge box office records for a female-led movie. And I think it really showed that the female characters can - can hold their own. In fact, we should be investing more and more of our time and attention and - and dollars into those properties. So look forward for more of this going forward from DC and beyond."

-- When fan asked about "DC 5G," JL said that this project was never officially announced. JL: "I can say that a lot of the online speculation is headed in the wrong direction in terms of 5G. There won't be a project called '5G' or a big reboot or whatever." He said that they "really want to focus on individual titles and organically build up each of the characters over the course of next year." He added that they've had "a lot of great ideas floating around" and, "instead of dumping it all in one month and renumbering the line and going for that really short-term spike in sales, uh, we - we just naturally gravitated to the story ideas and concepts that we love, and we're building them into the mythology, the ongoing mythology in a very organic way. So if you're waiting for 5G, you're going to be waiting for a very long time, because that's not going to happen. But if you're waiting for some big developments within the DC Universe, we're leading up to some pretty big ones in 2021, across the board. But again, it will be spread out and we'll approach it very organically, when it makes sense within a particular title, uh, so that not everything has to tie into a big epic event all at once."

Edited by tv echo
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3 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

😂 I can just see it now. KC manages to evade Covid and quarantine to muscle in on LoT and haunt its fans! Disease and closed borders shall not prevent her from staying with the Arrowverse forever!!!!!!

Don't you put that out into the universe!

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This is a bit of a random thing to post but I saw it during scrolling through DC Fandome stuff and seriously? The show is over and she hasn't been seen since she was unceremoniously dumped in S5. You really need to tweak Felicity fans about her even extremely theoretically showing up on Supergirl? And "celebrate" whenever Fandome "ignored" Arrow and "those fans". Who's the obsessed one again? Besides me for suddenly getting annoyed by it again. 

 

I mean if she did show up I'd say "why are you bothering?" but No burning hate because she showed up in the Arrowverse in 2021 and Felicity was last scene in a paradise dimension with Oliver in 2020.

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Video of yesterday's AAFCA and NALIP's 'La Conversación' panel that included Rick Gonzalez - I didn't transcribe this panel because it's just too long, but I think it's worth watching - RG is the first panelist to answer the first mod question...

Moderator: Magdalena Albizu
Panelists: Rick Gonzalez, Sarah La Morena, Yaya DaCosta, Aida Rodriguez, Gina Torres and Selenis Leyva

AAFCA + NALIP Presents LA Conversation
Streamed live on September 17, 2020
https://www.facebook.com/theaafca/videos/756902638497459/

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