As one of the big brains behind Lost, Damon Lindelof is something of a polarizing pop culture figure. Watchmen and The Leftovers are two of my all-time favorite TV shows, so I'm always on board with whatever he does, including the upcoming HBO series Lanterns., where he's an EP alongside the brilliant (and also subversive) DC Comics scribe Tom King. Some of Lindelof's past comments about Green Lantern sparked some recent negativity from a GL writer, and he's now aiming to clear the air.
Lindelof's comments were made on the podcast Loveitt or Leave It in 2024, long before the surprisingly sizeable backlash to the non-vibrant Lanterns trailer, which was leaked online before a hasty release by HBO (which also trolled griping audience members). But when the always brilliant comic writer Grant Morrison reacted to them online this week, particularly the "green is stupid" quote, the floodgates were reopened.
In response to the renewed criticisms, Lindelof took to Instagram to partially contextualize the comment and to justify his time and efforts on what was a dream project for him.
I have upset Grant Morrison, which means I have now pissed off MOST of the brilliant British/Scottish comics writers that I grew up idolizing. To quote the bard (Otis Redding), this is nobody’s fault but mine. I made a dumb joke on a comedy podcast. I’m not going to bob and weave about context, the joke was dumb, the fandom is not. I owe them an explanation and a genuine reflection of my actual feelings.
No hate on Grant Morrison, a lovely chap whom I've chatted up in the past, but it's pretty clear from listening to that podcast that Lindelof was speaking in jest, though I can understand that just reading the tone-less words under different circumstances makes it easier to believe they were made spitefully.
The Mrs. Davis co-creator shared a pic of himself wearing a Green Lantern shirt with some cast members from Lost, and shared that it was his wardrobe for his first Comic-Con appearance. In his words:
The very first time I appeared on a ComicCon panel was for the Lost Pilot, back in the summer of 2004. I wore my favorite T-shirt as I had long grown out of my favorite underoos, those being the uniform of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Sector 2814. For a quiet, uncoordinated kid, there was nothing cooler than a hero whose superpower was his imagination. And green is not stupid, it is my lifelong favorite color and I have a questionnaire that I filled out in third grade to prove it. Green is fucking awesome.
I totally want to see that 3rd grade questionnaire at some point. If it's noted that his favorite animal is a polar bear, it would maybe bring about a sigh of relief.
In any case, Damon Lindelof put aside all snark to make it clear that he is grateful to be part of this project, and is respectful of the source material and the fans who love it all. As he put it:
More importantly, it would be a betrayal to everyone I worked for and alongside to say anything other than I was absolutely honored to be a part of the team that manifested the incredible construct that is Lanterns… because it was. I was sloppy and careless with my words, ironic considering I care so much about Hal, John and the entire Corps. I can and will do better to be worthy of the oath… 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.
Not that any of his comments can guarantee Lanterns will be exactly what everyone is looking for, but at least everyone can breathe more eaily knowing that Lindelof doesn't actually think the color green is stupid. Because that's what should be keeping us all up at night, right? Hmmm.
Lanterns is set to debut on HBO (and via HBO Max subscription) in August, so stay tuned for more details as the ring puts them out there. And everyone who doesn't care to watch the upcoming DC show can feel free to relive Ryan Reynolds' failed venture with glee.
