Burning Questions -- the Fables issue you help write

[Bill Willingham]

Okay, here's the big announcement. Since we couldn’t find a way to post this absolutely simultaneously with today’s Fables panel at San Diego, I’m just going to have to sneak it in a bit early for you folks.

We need your help. In an upcoming issue of Fables – January’s issue 57 to be exact – we’re going to let our readers participate in a special issue by contributing questions which we will address with stories. The title of the issue will be Burning Questions. It will be made up of a dozen micro-stories (about two or three pages each at the most) that illustrate and answer all of the burning questions you’ve had about Fables to date.

For example: Shelly Bond of DC Comics asks: Who caught the bouquet at Snow and Bigby’s wedding? Rather than simply answer, we’re going to produce a short-short Fables story to show you who caught the bouquet.

Matt Sturges of Austin Texas asks: Who was Bufkin talking to on the phone when he renamed Fabletown as Bufkintown? And so on.

Here are the rules: Any Fables reader can ask any question, but only about things that have already happened in the series, for which you still have unanswered questions. No questions about upcoming stories or events will be considered. If your burning question is among those chosen, we will produce one of our micro-stories to answer it. Each of these stories will begin with the following: Joe Blow of Bunnytown Wisconsin asks: Or whoever actually asked the question, followed by name and town. You must use your real name to participate. You will not be paid. You will not become an owner of any part of the Fables series, the book in which your question appears, or DC Comics. By asking a question you are agreeing to let us publish it, your name and town, and state (or country) all without further compensation to you. Your questions, and our answers to them, will be illustrated by some of the best artists working in the business today – including our Fables regulars.

So, how do you get started? First, take a few days thinking of your questions. You can ask many, but only one per reader will be considered. In a few days (or weeks, depending on how fast they act) a disclaimer section will appear here and on the DC Comics website, saying basically what I’ve just said above, but in a more official way. Once that is up and running we will have a special e-mail address (or messaging address) where you send in your questions. You will have to provide enough information so that we can (if we must) contact you to make sure you’re a real person at a real place, even though only name and town and state or country will appear in the actual issue.

Now, talk amongst yourselves, but take care. If you give away your question now, someone may take it when the time comes to actually submit them.

[Noah R. Miller]

Okey doke. List started.


Oh wait so do you mean that we can submit as many as we like and all will be looked over? Or that only one will be looked at randomly.... cause I've got a small list already.

[Eddy Stone]

That's... awesome. Now I have to think of something really really good to ask.

Wow this is a pretty cool idea.

[Kelsi Parker]

. . . only one? Dammit, I need to narrow it down. Or expand the list, then narrow it down so I have something really good.

If a question is asked that, while ambiguous at the time, will be addressed in the course of the regular series, will you give the one submitting it a chance to ask another?

[Eddy Stone]

Hmm I did not realize how hard this was going to be for me considering I only have about 7 issues...

[Oliver Wee]

wow, this is seriously, without a doubt, all kinds of awesome!

*runs off to make a list*

[Cindy McShane]

I already have my burning question, and if others want to use it - Go for it - I just want to see it in the issue.

What happened when Ghost finally found Bigby?

[Noah R. Miller]

Yeah if it turns out we can only actualy ask one question... (i think im dense cause im just not getting it) then I'll post all of them here just cause.

[Kelsi Parker]

Yep. I figure people will want credit for their best idea, but posting the others you come up with offers a chance for someone else to submit it; they get their name in print, everyone else gets to see the answer.

[Eddy Stone]

I already have my burning question, and if others want to use it - Go for it - I just want to see it in the issue.

What happened when Ghost finally found Bigby?

That was what I was going to ask! But I actually thought of a different one, so it's no big deal.

Although now I'm nervous that if someone else came up with my first idea, they probably will come up with my current idea.

[Noah R. Miller]

Here's a few I know I'm not going to use...

Did anyone from the Hall of Justice survive the killings after Boy Blue killed the "emperor"?
I would imagine a decrepit begger out on the streets trying to tell people he saw the emperor die and then by the end getting killed by an agent of Ol' Gep.


What was the first television show the Cubs got to see?
I'm thinking "Peter and the Wolf".


How did Bigby get rid of Icabod Crane's body?
He ate it.

How did Bagheera spend his first few minutes free?
Two pages of urinateing.


There are others but these were the ones I eliminated no matter what.

[Eddy Stone]

How did Bagheera spend his first few minutes free?
Two pages of urinateing.

Haha I strangely had this idea too. I'm not going to send it in, but I hope that someone else does.

[Juan Ramón Vallarino J.]

Noah, I think Gep said that everybody other than the Snow Queen got killed off.

The direct quote is "Don't berate yourself, boy. You did more damage than you can imagine.... With only a single exception, everyone who directly witnesses your actions that day had to be detained and executed".

The two questions I'm pondering right now are: 1. Who is and what become of the sorceress who impersonated Riding Hood in the Last Castle? (as per the words of Baba Yaga, who MUST know her, to BB in MoTWSS "I can see now why the REAL Riding Hood was so quick to fall deeply in love with you. She still TALKS about you, from timte to time -- and not just under questioning. Doesn't know she SURVIVED, of course". Gepetto in Homelands "Baba Yaga duplicated Riding Hood on the Fabletown Mission.... Whereas some OTHER sorceress duplicated her in that balttel long ago. I'm not sure who. I'm sorry I have more details, but, as I told you, I seldom involve myslef in the fine points of our military or espionage operations").

2. Who was the Frau Tottenkinder spy who informed her that "Boy Blue's been captured in the Homelands"?

[Kelsi Parker]

I had the impression that Bigby just left Crane's body where it was . . . with the skull crushed, there wasn't a very high chance of Crane recovering, and eating him would have taken a while. Not to mention, gotten blood stains on his shirt.

And he was probably pretty stringy and unappetizing. I'm voting against that.

[Eddy Stone]

Here's one that I was thinking about asking, but I didn't really come up with the question myself (I sort of stole it from the Question thread here, but thought to throw it in because Bill said that he wished he had a panel in the issue to show this) so I'd feel guilty getting credit for it.

What were Boy Blues responsibilities as Bigby's best man?

I just think it would have been funny to see the scene of him with a razor, keeping sure that Bigby was well groomed for his own wedding. A failed attempt at a bachelor party would have been amusing, as well.

Juan, you have awesome questions that I hope get answered (though the one about Frau's spy could be answered in this upcoming arc).

[Eduardo Blake]

Ohhh, well, time to read the whole series again...

Or scour the Questions, questions, questions thread for unanswered ones... ;)

Btw, congrats on the promotion, Kelsi.

I had the impression that Bigby just left Crane's body where it was . . .

From memory, didn't Bigby mention of making it look like a suicide or something to fool the French police?

[Noah R. Miller]

Well there were reasons I rejected these questions.

Icabod- but he's a fable like themselves... might he just reform? I mean sure he's not as far up the list as Snow (though were still not certain on what constitutes a reforming since the Little Lamb died pretty easy from suffocation and she's talked about daily with little mundy kids) but he does have his own animated show...

and its possbile he could've turn into a moderatly big wolf (one that could fit in the room) and scarf him down. Since forming back up from wolf droppings might be a bit harder.

And a few blood stains.... c'mon, look at Bigby... Pre-Marriage he was totaly not giving a crap about personal appearance. I mean that image of him in his underwear, wifebeater and oven mitts from the first arc is engrained into my mind as a huge part of his charecter.

my question about the survivor was sort of a "what if one got away" as if he was a singular unknown.... a random misshap.... He wouldnt have gotten away if they didnt realised right away that he got away, which is why Gep would make a statement that he got them all.


anywho... it's an irrevrent question, like all mine will be. Nothing that could possibly be a story in the future.

[Cindy McShane]

Other ones that I won't be submitting:

How did Snow talk Bigby into becoming Sheriff, Not to mention the Fabletown government? After all at the beginning no one would have had much trust for Bigby, appointing Bigby as sheriff must have ticked off the Farm animals, and I don't see Bigby being that keen on taking the job.

How did Bufkin get the job as Fabletown Librarian?

How did Cindy get the spy job?

[Noah R. Miller]

good ones though.

[Eddy Stone]

How did Cindy get the spy job?

I was thinking about asking this question, but wasn't sure if it really fit the rules. It's more backstory and not something that just wasn't shown during an actual issue.

I'd love to see "How exactly did Frau Totenkinder defeat Baba Yaga?". I think the actual duel would have been spectacular.