Geoff Johns and Oliver Queen - All About Arrow

This week's episode of Arrow ("Dead to Rights") features a few revelations and some surprises; written by longtime comics writer and fan-favorite Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics, the episode puts Oliver in a difficult position between his best friend, Tommy Merlyn, and Tommy's father, who is secretly the evil "Dark Archer." I spoke to Johns by phones and asked him a few questions about writing for TV and comics, his work on the current episode of Arrow, and the future direction of the show.
Comparison of bows and shooting form
Stephen Amell on the right, me on the left. Note how much more the limbs on his bow are bent than mine. He can't quite get his elbow all the way back, because the 54" bow he's using has a 26" draw length and he needs about 29"; he should be shooting at least a 68" bow. If they need a shorter bow, they could get away with 62", though they should use that for the fight scenes and switch to a 66" for the shooting. Nobody would ever notice the difference, but it would make Amell a lot more comfortable.


This week's episode of Arrow ("Dead to Rights") features a few revelations and some surprises; written by longtime comics writer and fan-favorite Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics, the episode puts Oliver in a difficult position between his best friend, Tommy Merlyn, and Tommy's father, who is secretly the evil "Dark Archer." The episode also features the return of Deadshot and China White and the introduction of Laurel's mother, Dinah Lance. I spoke to Johns by phones and asked him a few questions about writing for TV and comics, his work on the current episode of Arrow, and the future direction of the show.

GeekDad: This is your first script for Arrow, right?

Johns: I co-wrote the Huntress episode, but this is my first solo script for them.

GeekDad: I don't remember you ever writing the Green Arrow comic.

Johns: I've only ever written Green Arrow in team stories, never solo. I love the character, I've always wanted to write him, I just never have. There are a lot of great characters that I've wanted to write and haven't; I'd love to write Catwoman. I want to write Metamorpho. I've always felt there's a lot more you can do with the lesser-known characters than with the A-listers. I mean, there were, what, 17 Metamorpho comics in the '60s. There's a lot to explore there.

GeekDad: How much do they tell you about where they're going? Do you come back with a script and they say "no, you can't do that because next season this guy is going to do this..."?

__Johns:__I have a pretty good idea where they're going next season. We go into the writers' room and talk about the plot points, then I go away and write.

GeekDad: What are the differences between Oliver Queen in the comics and the TV Oliver?

Johns: The TV Oliver is starting from a much darker place, and he's not enjoying being Green Arrow the way Oliver in the comics does. And there's a reason for that. That's part of his journey. For as much as he's becoming a hero, he's still pretty selfish. That's why Felicity is telling him "you've got to help people, help the city, and not just deal with the people on your list." He's becoming less selfish, but he's still selfish.

GeekDad: Felicity (Oliver Queen's IT person/hacker, played by Emily Bett Rickards); is she meant to be a substitute for Oracle?

Johns: She functions in a similar role, providing information, but she's a very different character from Barbara Gordon. She has a different vibe.

GeekDad: The actress who plays her is very appealing.

Johns: Emily's great. She'll be a regular next season.

GeekDad: I noticed that Thea (Willa Holland) didn't appear in this episode; was that a decision you made?

Johns: No, I just had so many other characters to serve. I think Thea is a great addition to the Queen family, and the actress is just fantastic.

GeekDad: She does bring in that "CW" attitude...

Johns: Yes, in a good way. She adds a lot to the show.

GeekDad: I was hoping you would be the guy who brings in the boxing glove arrow.

Johns: Marc Guggenheim loves the boxing glove arrow. They're trying to figure out how to use it.

GeekDad: It works. Come on out to the range and I'll show you. We're right here in Pasadena.

Johns: I didn't know you were local. Cool.

GeekDad: I'm an archery coach, and my arrows are green; there's a direct line from the Neal Adams/Denny O'Neill Green Arrow to my being an archer.

Johns: That's cool!

GeekDad: ...So I can nitpick all day. How important is it to get it right?

Johns: They take it pretty seriously, especially Stephen (Amell); from the minute he came in, he said "I want to get this right," and he works really hard at it.

__GeekDad:__You can see that; he's doing pretty well at it, but they've hampered him by giving him a bow that's too small; he can't draw it back far enough, so he's struggling with it a bit.

Johns: You should post a picture showing the bow he should be using.

GeekDad: What about "suspension of disbelief"? How do you decide what's important to get right and what do you have to let go as dramatic license?

Johns: I let the stunt people work out how the technical stuff will work, the choreography and fights; I'm more concerned with character.

GeekDad: I liked the little shout-out with Laurel's reference to her canary; will we see her in the fishnets?

Johns: Everybody on the show talks about Black Canary all the time; I'll leave it at that.

GeekDad: I don't want to spoil anything, but how significant is her mother in the story?

Johns: It's massive. Her mother, Dinah Lance, who you know, being a comics fan, is the original Black Canary, is very important and a massive game-changer for Laurel and for the show.