On October 9, Jeff Lemire joined us for a live AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Twitter to discuss all things Black Hammer with fans. With Black Hammer: Age of Doom issue #12, which landed in comic shops on September 18, 2019, the central storyline of Black Hammer--the "farm story"--came to a close. However, Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and their many collaborators have much more planned for the Black Hammer universe. Read on to see the answers to many of your questions about the past, present, and future of the Eisner Award-winning series!
Here is the full Q&A session on Twitter, collected in a Twitter Moment >>
Just click on any of Jeff's answers there to see the full chain with question at the beginning.
Short list of questions from fans and their answers from Jeff:
Q: When can we expect the next library edition and will there be library editions of any of the mini series?
A: I am not 100% when the next Library edition will be released, but we are working on the subsequent volumes now for early 2020. The next one will include the entire "Age of Doom" run and there will also be "World of Black Hammer" Library Editions collecting the various spin-offs.
Q: Besides Skulldigger, what other spinoff comics are you going to make and will they be new reader friendly?
A: At present we have four new series in the works. I [always] try to make them as new reader friendly as I can. The next batch of series actually feature spotlights on characters from the main BH series.
Q: What was the most exciting/challenging aspect of the [Justice League] Crossover? Did you have to confront any limitations incorporating characters that had already been defined outside the BHU?
A: There honestly were not many limitations put on me. It was mostly just a lot of fun. The only character I wanted to use that I couldn't was Shazam, but I ended up using Zatanna, and that worked out well for the story.
Q: What is the process for creating characters for Black Hammer?
A: It's always different. Sometimes there is a certain "type" of superhero story I want to tackle through the Black Hammer lens, like with Skulldigger I really wanted to do my take on Frank Miller/Street Level 80's comics.
Q: @JeffLemire can you give any updates or insights into the BH live-action adaptions? It sounds like it’ll be more than a straightforward retelling based on recent comments about Skulldigger. How will it incorporate all of the BH universe?
A: I have been working on adapting Black Hammer with @Legendary over this past year. I've completed a pilot script and am now deeper into the larger world building. If everything goes well, the TV/Film adaptation will have potential to grow in many directions like the comic has.
Q: @JeffLemire In many ways #BlackHammer is a love letter to the Golden and Silver Age of comics. What is it specifically about that era of storytelling that compels you when writing BH? Nostalgia? Something more?
A: It's more than nostalgia, though that is certainly part of it. For me it is a love of many of the artists and writers of that era. They inspire me and make me want to tell stories. But really its the idea that super hero history could be grafted onto real history.
Q: @JeffLemire I think Doctor Star was my favorite of the spinoff stories because it brought real tragedy and a grounded feel to a fantasy story. What was your motivation to write that one and will we see more like it in the future?
A: It was a very personal story for me, and a very emotional one to write. But you cannot force that, it's either there or it's not. I love that story too. Its probably my favorite as well.
Q: @JeffLemire Who would win in a tag-team wrestling match between Colonel Weird & Madam Dragonfly VS Golden Gail & Sherlock Frankenstein?
A: Gail and Sherlock for sure. Weird would float away and lose interest and Dragonfly would probaby be too anti-social to eve show up for the match. Plus NEVER bet against Gail.
Q: @JeffLemire Will Inspector Insector or any of the "unrealized characters" ever break out into their own book or would that kind of ruin their charm?
A: I have plans for Inspector Insector. Would love to do more with him and the super pets and @richtommaso
Q: @JeffLemire back when writing Royal City you created playlists on Spotify, songs you were listening during the writing process. Are you doing the same for BH ? Is it some kind of ritual when you write?
A: That's a good question...I will work on a Back Hammer playlist and put it in my next newsletter! Listening to the new @nickcave album as I type this.
Q: @JeffLemire with #BlackHammer45 you took a step back and Ray Fawkes took a crack at the scripting. Do you see a future when you have artists and writers taking over these titles entirely or will you always look to keep 6 degrees of separation?
A: I am not sure. At the moment I am still really enjoying writing and building the world of Black Hammer. It would be really iterating to see what other creators did with the characters though. One day I would like to read those comics.
See more questions and their answers in the Twitter Moment, here >>
And see new, ongoing, and upcoming Black Hammer comics, as well as all past issues, on our website here >>