I'm so excited for this, I adore Supergirl! So of course I was thrilled to interview the author. Be sure to check back next week when I'll be giving away a copy of the book!!!
If you could choose a superhero power, what would it be?
Mariko Tamaki: Flight plus the ability to throw some sort of energy field (which I would like to be blue) would help me sleep better at night.
JR: Is it more fun to write the hero or the villain of the story? Why?
MT: Whoever is funnier is generally more fun to write, which could be the villain or the hero, because funny is insight and insight is interesting.
JR: Do you have a favorite female role model? Did you give Supergirl any of her qualities?
MT: I have MANY female role models. I have OODLES of them, including women I have known personally and a rotating cast of artists and writers and athletes and activists who inspire me every day. And yes. Supergirl is smart and responsible, which lines her up with many of the smart and responsible women in my life, who have pushed ME to be smarter and more responsible.
JR: Do you think a hero can have it all (family/friends/romance/job)?
MT: I think it’s hard for anyone to have it all, because to be especially committed to something tends to take away from other things. I think if you’re a hero you’re kind of naturally giving up your time to anyone who needs your help, in some pretty extreme and time consuming situations, which would naturally take away from being able to be there for friends and family. I’m sure heroes miss a lot of birthday parties.
JR: What's Supergirl's best quality?
MT: I heard this podcast once about what makes a hero, about the kind of hero for whom saving someone else isn’t something they think about, it’s just something they do. At her core, Supergirl is a hero. She will never hesitate to save someone. It will always, I think, be as natural to her as breathing. Which is an incredible responsibility, but also, her destiny.