Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, and coincidentally, it brought the latest development in the controversy over the color green. And the word “green”. And the absence of the word “green” in this matter. Damon Lindelof, creator of the upcoming DC Studios series Lanternsafter the comments he made a year ago, he spoke on the social network legendary comic book writer Grant Morrison, who wrote it much-loved 2018-2021 run For the Green Lantern character.
Here’s what happened in a nutshell. Emmy Award-winner Lindelof, known for his work on 2025 Lost, Watchmen, The restand Mrs. Davis, was a guest on the podcast Lovett or leave. About 10 minutes later, he was asked by the host about the then newly announced Green Lantern TV show.
“It’s called,” says Lindelof Lanterns because we all agreed that “green” is stupid. So now it’s just Lanterns.” Then he laughs. This is a very casual moment, and the conversation is moving quickly.
On March 4th a Lanterns trailer It arrived from HBO Max, giving fans a first look at the show’s grounded tone, small-town murder-mystery story, and color palette that favors dusty grays and browns. An unconventional comic book hero approach, in other words.
On March 15 Morrison went to the bottom stacks to say some thoughts about Lanterns and Lindelof’s recent comments about the color green have resurfaced. This is part of a long introduction that addresses many topics, but it’s the part that’s about Lanterns does:
“Despite TV writer/producer Damon Lindelof’s comments, the ‘Green’ green in ‘Green Lantern(s)’ is not ‘stupid.’ CSI (adoring) scripts to writers who decry forensic experts and their hairstyles as “stupid”, so why hire people who are embarrassed and deny the comic book material they’ve been assigned to make? Why don’t they refuse inappropriate jobs? He doesn’t need the money and Lindelof has proven that he can come up with his own ideas. What is this whimsical rejection of superhero conventions trying to prove? Does Lindelof imagine it makes him seem less annoying? It’s a little late for that, so what’s it all about? Single people who fuck Lanterns The TV series is Green Lantern fans. Why alienate them to begin with? This feels more ‘stupid’.”
Then they wrote: “’Green lanternsis a more thought-provoking and dramatic title than .Lanterns‘, (same as ‘Raise the Red Lantern‘is a better movie title than’Raise the flashlight‘) and anyone who can’t understand why that is shouldn’t be around superhero stories. The show might even be good, but how much better would it be if the studios were willing to hire the right people for the job instead of calling up their embarrassing friends to dilute the source material? Hollywood will die of isolation and nepotism.”
News of this backlash obviously got back to Lindelof. She responded with a photo of herself wearing a familiar-looking green T-shirt on social media.
“I pissed off Grant Morrison, which means I pissed off BASED on the brilliant British/Scottish comics writers I now idolize. To quote the Bard (Otis Redding), it’s nobody’s fault but mine.
I made a dumb joke on a comedy podcast. I’m not going to touch on bob and context, the joke was dumb, not the fandom. I owe them an explanation and a true reflection of my true feelings.
“It was my first appearance at a ComicCon panel Lost pilot, summer 2004. Since I had long since outgrown my favorite underwear, I put on my favorite shirt, which was a Hal Jordan jersey, Sector 2814’s Green Lantern. There was nothing cooler for a quiet, uncoordinated child than a hero with a fantasy of superpowers. And green is not stupid, it’s my favorite color for life, and I have a survey I filled out in third grade to prove it. Green is great.
More importantly, it would be a disservice to everyone I work for to say anything else that I am absolutely honored to be a part of a team that has put on such an incredible build. Lanterns … because it was. I was sloppy and careless with my words, considering I cared so much about Hal, John, and the entire Corps. I can and will do better to live up to the moment…until then I’ll let the show speak for itself and I can’t wait for you all to hear what it has to say.”
Green is Lindelof favorite color for lifeand he has receipts. If Morrison has anything to say after this serious admission of wrongdoing, we’ll be sure to update. Lanterns It arrived on HBO Max in August.
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