Bryan Q. Miller, writer of Smallville: Season 11 and the much-beloved run of Stephanie Brown's Batgirl, launched a brand new project that is burning up the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. It's called Earthward, and the Kickstarter page probably gives it the most apt description -- "Goonies in space." Yes, please.
We caught up with Miller to find out about the new graphic novel, and how readers like us can help make it happen.
Check out Earthward on Kickstarter
IGN Comics: So first and foremost, what's the basic premise of Earthward?
Bryan Q. Miller: A couple hundred years from now, Humanity has spread across the skies. We were evicted from Earth long ago by alien invaders. So long ago, in fact, that no one alive has ever seen Earth. No one can find it. It's a legend. A fairy tale. Six friends -- children from different families aboard a science vessel -- go on a supply run, and return to their ship to find it adrift, and their parents missing. As they search for their parents, they'll have to dodge the Military, the Science Council, and Alien Pirates who all want the same thing -- the secret project their parents were working on. Earth is real, and their parents found it.
So, it's a big, sci-fi adventure for all ages that tackles the nature of what it means to have a "home" and "family" -- it's all relative.
IGN: If the Kickstarter is successful, is there potential for more stories in this universe?
Miller: Absolutely -- the goal (if successful) would be to put together a new volume each year for the next few. Space is a very big place. Finding their parents won't be easy. And, since our heroes range in age from 6 to 20, they've all got room for growth as the search continues.
IGN: What led you to do something all-ages? Why do you think all-ages comics are important for the future of the medium?
Miller: I generally default to all-ages by nature -- and, by "all-ages", I mean shared audience. And by shared audience, I mean open accessibility. Often, I think all-ages is seen as a qualifier that says "this book is not for YOU, Adult." That shouldn't be the case. All-ages can (and should) be a way to deliver content that is accessible and digestible to both the young and old. The innocent and mature. Is there a place for books for JUST the young? Yes. And of course there should be "Mature Audiences" books (I'm writing a creator-owned one right now). But I think that gulf in the middle is where we all need to be a bit more vigilant about providing content. I think projects that live in that original Star Wars trilogy/Goonies/Bruce Timm accessibility sweet spot are vital for the future of the medium.
Kids will ALWAYS want to read something that's "for older kids/grown-ups". But the jump between Tiny Titans and Joker cutting his own face off is SEVERE. There needs to a continuum of content that helps carry our pre-teen comic book readers through elementary, middle and high school, so that by the time they have their own incomes to spend, "comics" is still seen as worthy of their monies. Think about how the Harry Potter books leveled up in maturity and complexity as the series went on. That's the kind of continuum or gradation in content I think is important to somehow transfer over to comics and bottle. It isn't just about keeping them reading, but about keeping them interested without alienating them. At the same time, you're leaving money on the table if you don't find a way to keep that same content as something that can appeal to an adult reader. It's a tricky balance, to be sure. But worth it in the end.
IGN: On the Kickstarter page, you mention that Earthward began in a different medium. What was the original medium and why make the move to comics?
Miller: The original medium wasn't set in stone. It was an idea that I had that developed as a long-form script. Whether that be for feature, or TV, or animation, wasn't really important while I was writing it. Sometimes, you just need to get it down on paper. Making the move to comics/graphic novel with it was a happy accident -- as soon as I stumbled across Marcio's work thanks to a twitter link (which maybe was from either Marcus To or Dustin Nguyen's feed), the first thing that echoed in my brain was, "He should draw Earthward." And so, I went after it!
IGN: So how did you make that hook-up with Marcio Takara happen for this project? What does he bring to your story?
Miller: Like I said, total accident, in the best of ways. As soon as I saw his pin-ups and sequentials, it just clicked in my brain that he was the right guy to draw the book. And I wasn't even in the market to make it a graphic novel. Luckily, it's the kind of happy accident Marcio was cool with, too!
We talked a LOT in the art development phase about Don Bluth. American Tail. Space Ace. It's an animation/art style that isn't as clean as Disney style, but serves the same function. A little rough around the edges. A little more open to danger and adventure. And it's kind of cocky, while still retaining a lot of heart. What Marcio brings to it, in the best way, is a sense of ALL the space stuff I loved as a kid. Last Starfighter. Explorers. Khan. 1982-1986. There's an energy there, and mirth, and scope, that just fits for a book like this. Immensely lucky to have stumbled upon him when I did.
IGN: What led you to decide to do this via Kickstarter instead of trying to pitch the traditional route?
Miller: A few things. When one has done the traditional big company thing for a while, I definitely think there's a bit of a creativity 7 Year Itch that can start pecking you behind the ear. And I'm all about the editorial/notes system, so don't get me wrong. But it's nice to get out and stretch the legs a bit -- to play with your own toys in a sandbox of your own design. And you get to assemble your own team. On the flip side, it's all on you. So there's a tremendous amount of responsibility that comes along with that "freedom." The other reason throwing it to Kickstarter was appealing was the notion of tackling it as a long-form and not a monthly. Will we eventually find a home with a known publisher once the project is completed? I think that would be great if we found the right place to help roll the book out to a larger audience.
IGN: You're shooting for $30K -- what will the funds be going toward?
Miller: Literally the nuts and bolts of production. I've already fronted an amount to get the project started. The Kickstarter will help to ensure that Marcio gets his rate for the rest of his work. Successful funding means I can lock down the other members of the creative team -- our colorist, our design/letterer at their rates. Time is money, and it's very hard for professionals to do work like this for free. And I want this to be as professional as possible, from start to finish. The only person taking a proverbial bath here is me -- it's vital that my team receive what they need in exchange for their time and hard work. Beyond that, physical production, shipping and Amazon/Kickstarter fees. Successful funding means we can just about adequately cover all of that. Surpassing our goal means we get to make the final product that much heftier for the reader.
IGN: How does working on your own property compare with doing work like Smallville? Is one more creatively satisfying than the other?
Miller: The sandbox comment from earlier. It's always an honor to play with toys created by others in a sandbox you're lucky to sit in. But there's definitely an allure (and rightly so) to making your own toys and playing with them however you please. As for which is more creatively satisfying, so long as readers and consumers are happy with the product we deliver, whether it's branded or creator-owned, that's all the satisfaction (at least I) need. And any time you write something down, and then get to see it performed, or drawn, or recorded, it's nothing but win. Something from the depths of your brain becomes an artifact in the physical world, and I think that's simply amazing.
IGN: Anything that you'd like to add?
Miller: Anyone who liked my run on Batgirl, this is for you. Anyone who currently enjoys my work on Smallville, this is for you. Like space? We've got you covered. Love Goonies? We're here for you. We've got aliens and monsters and space battles and robots, but also a group of main characters that are diverse in both age and appearance. And, at the heart of all of it, Earthward is a story about keeping your family together in the face of impossible odds, on a galactic scale. And, if all goes well, we're only getting started!
Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He will love Star Wars until he becomes one with the Force, and then he will continue loving it as a blue ghost.
Source : ign[dot]com
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