--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When coming up with Wonder Woman cover…" description: "\"When coming up with Wonder Woman cover designs, sometimes people will pitch ideas to me, either the writer or the editor. And it's interesting, because..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/cliff-chiang-14642_book_when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-d_2365363.jpg" --- # When coming up with Wonder Woman cover designs, sometimes… ![“When coming up with Wonder Woman cover designs, sometimes people will pitch ideas to me, either the writer or the editor. And it's interesting, because I know they're not trying to, but they end up pitching things that end up feeling like damsel-in-distress covers, where the tension comes from her…” quote by Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/cliff-chiang-14642_book_when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-d_2365363.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/cliff-chiang-14642_book_when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-d_2365363.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/cliff-chiang-14642_book_when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-d_2365363.jpg) > “When coming up with Wonder Woman cover designs, sometimes people will pitch ideas to me, either the writer or the editor. And it's interesting, because I know they're not trying to, but they end up pitching things that end up feeling like damsel-in-distress covers, where the tension comes from her needing to be rescued somehow. And it's something I immediately push back against.” [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creator resists suggestions that turn a strong heroine into a damsel‑in‑distress, pushing for empowered portrayals. **In simple terms:** He pushes back against designs that make Wonder Woman seem vulnerable. Key Takeaway Champion agency in character design. Themes gender representation creative control Mood critical assertive Type creative industry When to use this quote - comic book publishing - character development - marketing meetings Key Concepts feminism media influence artist autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can creators influence inclusive storytelling? - What role do editors play in shaping hero narratives? A Different Perspective Industry pressure may limit creative freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Comic book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic-book/) [Damsel in distress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damsel-in-distress/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Distress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distress/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Tension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tension/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [Wonder woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder-woman/) ## Related quotes > [“Wonder Woman completely eschewed a damsel in distress role by instead being a superhero of unparalleled skill, and the inversion of the typical gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wonder-woman-completely-eschewed-a-damsel-in-distress-role-by-instead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's good to be a girl. I can be wonder woman one day, a damsel in distress. Fighting off the bad guy in heels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blue-eyes/it-s-good-to-be-a-girl-i-can-be-wonder-woman-one-day-a-damsel-in/) Blue Eyes > [I want her to be powerful on these covers, and sometimes that's a quiet power and other times it's a more bombastic power. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/i-want-her-to-be-powerful-on-these-covers-and-sometimes-that-s-a/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [“A breathtaking vision in emerald silk, she was too exquisite to be flesh and blood; too regal and aloof to have ever let him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/a-breathtaking-vision-in-emerald-silk-she-was-too-exquisite-to-be/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) > [“See what I mean? You fell off. You're such a damsel in distress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peach-pit/see-what-i-mean-you-fell-off-you-re-such-a-damsel-in-distress/) [Peach-Pit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peach-pit/) > [The idea of the damsel in distress is fast becoming obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-galitzine/the-idea-of-the-damsel-in-distress-is-fast-becoming-obsolete/) [Nicholas Galitzine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-galitzine/) > [“Because of their DNA, most men loved a damsel in distress. Every time a man sees a pretty lass in trouble, even the boorish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallika-nawal/because-of-their-dna-most-men-loved-a-damsel-in-distress-every-time-a/) [Mallika Nawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallika-nawal/) > [I'm not interested in being the damsel in distress; I want someone who has her own storyline and her own mission - not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-tomlinson/i-m-not-interested-in-being-the-damsel-in-distress-i-want-someone-who/) [Eleanor Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-tomlinson/) > [I'd never been a good damsel in distress. I was a "hands-on" damsel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-armintrout/i-d-never-been-a-good-damsel-in-distress-i-was-a-hands-on-damsel/) [Jennifer Armintrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-armintrout/) > [“It's a damn good thing I'm not the damsel in distress type; we'd all be f\*cked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rm-gilmore/it-s-a-damn-good-thing-i-m-not-the-damsel-in-distress-type-we-d-all/) [RM Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rm-gilmore/) > [“Isn't that what a gentleman does? Rescues a damsel in distress?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-donaldson/isn-t-that-what-a-gentleman-does-rescues-a-damsel-in-distress/) [Julianne Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-donaldson/) > [“Every damsel in distress deserves a hero...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-anne-warren/every-damsel-in-distress-deserves-a-hero/) [Tracy Anne Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-anne-warren/) > [“Aunt Syl must have conveniently stopped reading the childhood fairy tales when the knight left the damsel in distress to pursue a better damsel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-higginson/aunt-syl-must-have-conveniently-stopped-reading-the-childhood-fairy/) [Rachel Higginson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-higginson/) > [There are a lot of people that hard to find a right partner because they expect Prince on white horse or Damsel in distress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-a-lot-of-people-that-hard-to-find-a-right-partner-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This isn't a romance. You're not a damsel in distress and I'm not the handsome prince come to save you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cj-roberts/this-isn-t-a-romance-you-re-not-a-damsel-in-distress-and-i-m-not-the/) [CJ Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cj-roberts/) ## More by Cliff Chiang > [ With Erin \[from Paper Girls\], I wanted to show what she might look like when she's 40, and I wanted it to feel authentic.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/with-erin-from-paper-girls-i-wanted-to-show-what-she-might-look-like/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [Wonder Woman feels like she's been put on a pedestal for so long, and it's hard to write that character because they're perfect and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/wonder-woman-feels-like-she-s-been-put-on-a-pedestal-for-so-long-and/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [Ditko isn't a direct influence, but I really admire his work and how his personality always comes through the drawing. There's a honest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/ditko-isn-t-a-direct-influence-but-i-really-admire-his-work-and-how/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [I want her to be powerful on these covers, and sometimes that's a quiet power and other times it's a more bombastic power. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/i-want-her-to-be-powerful-on-these-covers-and-sometimes-that-s-a/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [Each book requires a different look. Sometimes I get to take a personal direction that's appropriate for the story. I try to push things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/each-book-requires-a-different-look-sometimes-i-get-to-take-a/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [I guess you could blame it on being raised by comics and television, but I've always loved robots in any shape or size.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/i-guess-you-could-blame-it-on-being-raised-by-comics-and-television/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [Back then, as a kid, you could really just do whatever you wanted until your parents got home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/back-then-as-a-kid-you-could-really-just-do-whatever-you-wanted-until/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [ \[Paper Girls\] is very much is about how we are thinking about our past and growing up. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/paper-girls-is-very-much-is-about-how-we-are-thinking-about-our-past/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [ Matt Wilson, the colorist, has this great palate \[in Paper Girls\] that brings up all these emotions and this feel of the '80s without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/matt-wilson-the-colorist-has-this-great-palate-in-paper-girls-that/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [The '80s were a really different time for kids. Technology has changed so much of how we stay in touch and keep tabs on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/the-80s-were-a-really-different-time-for-kids-technology-has-changed/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [The '80s were a really different time for kids.Technology has changed so much of how we stay in touch and keep tabs on people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/the-80s-were-a-really-different-time-for-kids-technology-has-changed-2/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [I've become really aware of all the subtle things you can communicate through the art and how you're presenting a character, particularly someone like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/i-ve-become-really-aware-of-all-the-subtle-things-you-can-communicate/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [What impresses me the most about DC characters is how long a lot of them have been around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/what-impresses-me-the-most-about-dc-characters-is-how-long-a-lot-of/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [There is a tendency for the New Gods to work best as guest stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/there-is-a-tendency-for-the-new-gods-to-work-best-as-guest-stars/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) > [ \[Paper Girls\] needed to have a certain kind of almost neon style to it, but at the same time we wanted also to show… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/paper-girls-needed-to-have-a-certain-kind-of-almost-neon-style-to-it/) [Cliff Chiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) [Explore all 46 Cliff Chiang quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When coming up with Wonder Woman cover designs, sometimes people will pitch ideas to me, either the writer or the editor. And it's interesting, because I know they're not trying to, but they end up pitching things that end up feeling like damsel-in-distress covers, where the tension comes from her needing to be rescued somehow. And it's something I immediately push back against.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cliff Chiang" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-designs-sometimes-people-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-designs-sometimes-people-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/cliff-chiang-14642_book_when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-d_2365363.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/cliff-chiang-14642_book_when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-d_2365363.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/cliff-chiang-14642_book_when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-d_2365363.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When coming up with Wonder Woman cover designs, sometimes people will pitch ideas to me, either the writer…” — Cliff Chiang", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cliff Chiang", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-chiang/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When coming up with Wonder Woman...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-designs-sometimes-people-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-chiang/when-coming-up-with-wonder-woman-cover-designs-sometimes-people-will/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```