In Major League Baseball, you have teams that have what’s called the farm system in which young players (and even international players) come to play in minor league baseball so that you can be properly evaluated and if you’re good enough, you can be sent up into “The Show” (Major leagues).
DC has had a similar system in place for a while now with the continued implementation of both their writer’s and artist’s workshops that are dedicated to developing new and young talent in the hopes that it pays off down the road. Recently the incoming class of 2017 was revealed and we want you to see if you recognize some of these names or the projects that they’ve worked on:
Magdalene Vissagio (Kim & Kim, Quantum Teens Are Go)
Sanya Anwar (1001)
Joey Esposito (Pawn Shop, Captain Ultimate)
Philip Kennedy (Last Sons Of America, Warlords Of Appalachia)
Robert Jeffrey (Route 3, Radio Free Amerika)
Ryan Cady (Big Moose)
These writers will be working with none other than Scott Snyder (Batman: Court of Owls, American Vampire, Wytches) in a 13-week course that is designed to teach these writers to be their best. Snyder, who has a strong background in teaching, cannot stress enough how excited he is to work with this new talent.
“Teaching this workshop has been one of the real highlights of my time at DC and I can’t wait to get started again. It’s an honor and thrill to work with such inspired, and inspiring talent.”
One of the things that observers must note though is that Snyder is not hear to teach one way of writing and seeing how closely his students adhere to that technique. He goes on to state:
“My job is not to teach you how to write by formula for DC. It’s for you to come in and write the stuff you’re passionate about in your own way. I don’t care if that’s funny political, light-hearted, dark, whatever. Your job is to come in and have something to say. My job is to help you fit it into the rubric of superhero calculus and to help you maximize that story: look at where you should beef things up, slow it down, be aware of pacing. You need to come here and have something to say.”
Students will have a chance to work on 2-3 scripts where they can then critique each others work and if necessary, tear it apart. However, this program, at the end of the day is created to deconstruct the writer’s work so that they can be lifted up and encouraged and become an excellent writer. Tony Patrick, and alum from 2016 stated this to that effect:
Once you’ve turned your script in, a significant section of the class is dedicated to feedback,I was working with very talented, intelligent, kind human beings who would take apart your script — just rip it apart — and the very next moment, give you feedback that would help you improve, give you inspiration and keep you going.”
If you are interested in seeing the fruits of this program, DC will be publishing a New Talent Showcase that will release later this year. This issue will feature the work of the class of 2016 and will be available on November 29th.
Image courtesy of Hollywood Reporter
