Comic book and television writer, Amanda Deibert and comic book illustrator Cat Staggs have been married for ten years and together for 13. They live in Los Angeles with their 7-year-old daughter, Vivienne, and two cats. Here they are interviewing each other about their partnerships in life and comic books
PHOTO BY DUSTI CUNNINGHAM
AMANDA: Cat you’re an amazing artist known for your work for Lucas film doing Star Wars art and also so many comics like The New York Times bestselling title Smallville: Season 11, Death of Superman, Wonder Woman ’77 and so many more from DC Comics and as the co-creator of Crosswind with, Gail Simone (Image Comics). Since I am starting the questions, I am going to the wife hype-girl thing and ask you to talk about one of the most surreal and cool moments in your career, specifically about how you ended up with a piece of art in the Library of Congress and who presented it and how you felt.
CAT: In 2017 was asked by DC comics if I could contribute some artwork for Wonder Woman ’77 going which would be going with scripts and wardrobe from the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series into the Library of Congress. So obviously, after I picked my jaw up off the floor, I said “Yes!” I started watching the ceremony and I had no idea that Lynda Carter herself was going to present my piece to the library and I was shocked.
CAT: I’m not the only one who has done cool things. You write comic books like DC Super Hero Girls, Teen Titans Go! Wonder Woman ’77, Batman and Harley Quinn and you also write for television from animation to talk shows, what are some of your favorite things you’ve done?
AMANDA: Well, right now I’m really excited about He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. It’s been so fun to write for that show and season 2 is about to start on Netflix on March 3, plus I got to write a He-Man graphic novel so it’s been so fun. Probably my favorite thing about my career has been how random it is. I think I just say “yes” to everything and figure it out later. Writing for 24 Hours of Reality for former Vice President Al Gore for four years was one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. It feels nice to get to work on something that helps educate and inspire people all over the world to care about the climate crisis and I was able to meet some of the most amazing and intelligent people. It’s not often someone can say they’ve been to Paris with Duran, Duran AND Kofi Annan.
AMANDA: We live together, raise our amazing child together, and often work together. What are those partnerships like for you?
CAT: It’s unique in that we have access to each other and that we have a shorthand in storytelling which makes it easier. It’s fun to work with someone who enjoys similar storytelling. Plus you are a damn good writer and I get to benefit from you being a damn good writer.
CAT: What’s it like to partner with me?
AMANDA: Career-wise it is such a dream. It’s my favorite because like you said, we have a shorthand when it comes to our work. Plus, you are just so talented. I’m also really glad that we co-parent together. Especially during this pandemic I am amazed that I still genuinely enjoy our time together as a family and if anything put that to the test it was us all being locked in together for over a year. Like, at this point, we know we all like each other.
AMANDA: Let’s talk from a relationship POV, so much has changed for the LGBTQ+ community just in our lifetimes what is the most “pinch me: moment for you as a lesbian?
CAT: Being able to get married. I never thought that would happen in my lifetime. Having legal protections for our family makes me feel so much more secure than I could have imagined even as I know it is always still so precarious.
CAT: How about for you?
AMANDA: My coming out in the deep south and in an extremely conservative and religious family was difficult to put it mildly. I went through a lot of pain and rejection as so many of us have and I would love to be able to go back in time and tell that terrified 19-year-old who was being “confronted” about her evil lesbianism, “Hey honey, one day you’ll be happily and legally married. You’ll have an amazing little girl and her best friend, and his two daddies will live around the corner. You’ll all walk the kids to school together every single day and it will just feel normal and suburban.” I love so much that we have a life I never dreamed I could have. I just did a career day on zoom for a high school, and I was thinking how wild it would have felt for me to have been presented with a lesbian creative as an “aspirational” role-model as a teen. I’m so excited for our daughter’s generation and for the future.
You can follow Cat and Amanda on social media:
Cat Staggs: @catstaggs on Twitter and @catstaggsofficial on Instagram.
Amanda Deibert: @amandadeibert on Twitter @amandadeibertofficial on Instagram.
You can also find them at amandadeibert.com and catstaggs.com.
