The conflict between the tragic events unfolding and the powerful symbology the character carries made him feel “very out of place.” Back then, the Gulf War was happening, and protests in the streets of Reggio Emilia were taking place.” “Maybe this is a weird example but when I lived in Italy for a year back in 2003, I was drawing Superman for the story ‘Tomorrow,’ a character that is a symbol of America. “I typically don’t have that kind of mental or artistic block,” said Lee. Rock asked Lee whether some characters may need a “moral update” to fit the times we live in, and whether some of them have been particularly challenging to work on. You know you’re expressing these themes through the stories and the characters you draw, people understand you consciously and subconsciously.” “Certainly, when you’re having a bad day a character like the Joker speaks very much to you. Superman Changes Motto to 'Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow,' Says DC Chief Michel Gondry Talks Making of 'The Book of Solutions,' Joys and Pains of Creativity: 'We Limit Ourselves by Never Starting What We Want to Do' '300,' 'Sin City' Creator Frank Miller on Setting Up His Own Publishing Banner: 'It's Time to Be an Adult' Jim Lee, veteran comicbook artist and now chief creative officer of DC Comics, explained during an onstage interview at Lucca Comics & Games why the likes of Wonder Woman, Batman and the Joker still tug at the heartstrings of readers, and how his drive to rise to the peak of the business sometimes came at a price.Īnswering questions from radio host Andrea Rock, Lee said: “Many people can connect with a character like Batman, who is very rooted in tragedy and that is overcoming something horrific that happened to him as a child.”

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