Greg Lacca, the bestselling writer behind Wonder Woman, Checkmate and Gotham Central’s Fan Famers Run, didn’t pull a punch yesterday during an interview with John Schundress’ venerable Word Balloon podcast. During the two-hour conversation, Rucka revealed that during his years in DC he felt he had been abused and regularly lied in a “toxic” work culture that contributed to his own mental health struggles.
On the podcast, Rucka explained about suicidal ideation. He said it was born from trauma related to his time in DC. He leveled the blame for former DC executives Dan Didio and Jeff Johns, calling them “bad actors” and characterised the DC environment as abusive and manipulative.
“When I was there it was toxic and remained toxic until Dan Didio left,” Rakka told Balloon. “It was an abusive and manipulative environment. Jeff Johns was an incredibly manipulative person to me. That’s not where the people I’m talking to protect them again.
Rucka has been back in DC regularly since leaving in 2009. Most notably, she ran for Wonder Woman for a year at the launch of DC’s “Rebirth” initiative in 2016. That said, he has a lot of enthusiasm for current DC management. It was that enthusiasm that brought him back for Miniseries Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League.
“It’s a different company now,” Rakka said. “(said Rob Levin, editor of the Batman Group) “No, now. The editors become friends and we communicate,” I said, “I’m absolutely hoping to see it, but I’ll speak with pleasure.” And I was able to see it.
In Cheetah & Cheshire Robuza Justice League, the honorable villain “collects misfits and strange teams” to take the watchtower of Justice League, the safest satellite in the DC Universe. Action comedy leaps towards Rakka’s strengths. After all, he is a crime novelist of the heart.
In addition to his work in DC, Rucka is known for titles owned by creators such as Lazarus (with Michael Lark), Black Magick (Nicola Scott), Stumptown (Matthew Southworth), and Whiteout (Steve Lieber). The final Lazarus series, titled Lazarus: Fallen, is currently underway in the Image Comics.
In an interview, Rakka said that Lazarus’ rights have returned to its creator and amusing him to make live-action and animated adaptations, but will not shop again until the series is over.
Rucka also teased his return to Black Magick, a series owned by his creator with Scott, following the end of Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League.
“The tentative plan is… when she finishes her mini, she’ll be back in Black Magic,” explained Rakka. “Ideally, the goal is to finish the execution. There are another 16 issues, and so on. And we always knew the beginning, the middle, and the end.”
He also said that the A24 is developing a television series based on Black Magic, but “it will be another animal.” This is the third time a series has been selected.
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