05-05-10

Tom Taylor was kind enough to take time out of busy schedule of being a new father to answer some questions for the The Higher Authority. Tom’s an Award-winning playwright and made his splash into American comics in “Star Wars” franchise for Dark Horse Comics and now will be helming the Carrier as it sails into uncharted territory on its own space adventure… You can also follow Tom on his blog Tom Taylor Made

Chris Striker: You came from a theater background prior to your time in the comic industry, how did you break into the comic industry and how was it making the jump from writing for theatre & musicals to writing comics?

Tom Taylor: From a theater point-of-view, I’ve had a fairly successful time. I’ve had works produced all over the world, I’ve won a bunch of awards and I’ve even earned some money - which in theater terms is about a buck-fifty.

When all of this started, I’d been moving on a bit from theater. I had some film stuff in the works and I was asked to be the head writer of two new TV shows by a production company. One of these was a Comic Book review show, as the producers knew how much of a fan I was.

Late one night, while writing this show (which was filmed and may still be going ahead) I had an epiphany. I woke my now wife and apologised to her. I told her that I was sorry, that I knew the TV and Film work was good, that it would lead somewhere with an actual income, but that I was going to try and do something really stupid instead. I’d finally decided that, no matter how impossible, all I wanted to do was write comics - The greatest storytelling medium in the world.

Now, this is a woman who has put up with a lot. She has stood by me while I attempted and succeeded in becoming a professional juggler. Actually, she’s lain on the ground in front of hundreds of strangers as I’ve juggled knives and fire over her. So, she simply sighed and said ‘all right.’

I was lucky enough soon after to have the brilliant Colin Wilson (Point Blank)illustrate my play ‘The Example’, which was then released through Gestalt Publishing. Then came Star Wars and I haven’t looked back since.

Making the jump from theater to comics is one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. I honestly feel like I was born to write comics.

You know that feeling when you’re endangering your own love-life by juggling knives over your wife for total strangers and a hat-full of coins? No? Well, just like that, writing comics feels a little bit risky but absolutely right.

CS: In the May solicitations we saw that you were taking over the writing chores for the Authority, most people might recognize your name from the work you’ve done for Darkhorse’s Star Wars franchise and the graphic novella, Star Wars Adventures: Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes. How did you land the Authority title?

Taylor: First up, there are no writing ‘chores’ when it comes to The Authority. Chores are necessary things you don’t like doing, like vacuuming, or dusting or putting on pants. Writing The Authority is like winning the Lottery. Only, a lot more people win the lottery.

I’d been hassling Ben Abernathy via email for a fair while and showing him my work, including The Example and Star Wars, which he seemed to like. He told me that he’d like to try and get me a foot in the door at Wildstorm. When I showed up at SDCC we finally got to meet up and he invited me to the offices in La Jolla. At one point I reminded him that he said he’d get me a foot in the door, to which he replied; ‘you’re sitting on my couch’. The Wildstorm offices were in the middle of a renovation at the time and Ben’s office was full of trade paperbacks. He turned to me and said I could take what I liked.

A little part of me was screaming ‘Be a pro! Take about three.’ But, living in Australia, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get an offer like this again. This was one of those offers that only really happen in dreams and then you wake up with nothing but a cold emptiness inside. I thought; ‘screw it’, and I unprofessionally sat on the floor of Ben’s office and went through stacks of trades like his office was a bargain bin at my LCBS. Ben had to get me one of those large convention bags. I broke that bag. I think Ben realised after this that I might’ve actually been a comic book guy and not a theater writer pretending he liked the medium with the ‘cute cartoons’.

A few months later Ben let me know that he had something that he thought I’d be good for but he wouldn’t tell me what it was until I’d spoken to Shannon Eric Denton. I spoke to Shannon who told me he really liked my work, then he told me the title… and I tore off my shirt, ran through the streets and screamed so loudly that whole buildings were levelled by my eagerness and a flock of migrating birds exploded in mid-air.

Covered in rubble and bird bits, I set to work.

CS: On your website you mentioned that you’ll be coming on after Bernardin and Freeman's 4 issue arc, will elements of their original story bleed into your story or are you starting from scratch? How far into your run are you and over all what can readers expect from your run on the Authority?

Taylor: I have to say a huge thank you and congratulations to Marc and Adam for the fantastic start they made on this story. I’ve been reading the fan reaction and I agree with every word. These guys did a great job on this book.

I think a lot of the time people are used to writers coming in like this to save a sinking ship. You’re judged a success if you manage to crash the story into a lighthouse instead of having it dragged to the bottom of the ocean by a hungry giant squid. But that isn’t the case here, I haven’t inherited a sinking ship, I’ve inherited Vampires in space. Hell. Yes.

As far as the elements that will make up the story go, there were ideas of Marc’s, Adam’s and Shannon’s that I was privy to and some of these have definitely made their way in there, there were a number of things that couldn’t happen, there was a bit of uncertainty and there were a lot of blanks.

When I first got the gig, I decided to put unnecessary things (like food and sleep) aside, and work my ass off on this thing. Editor Jim Chadwick and I have since become a pretty mean team and we’ve worked up something that I think will be pretty special. There will be death, there will be sex, there will be violence, there will be sacrifice, there will be heartache, there will be a couple of revelations and there will be one very big bombshell.

CS: In the current solicitations Mike S. Miller is credited as the current artist, will he be the artist for the rest of your run on the Authority?

Taylor: Nope. Mike’s work is absolutely incredible. Issue #22 will drop a lot of jaws, particularly in one double-page spread. But, sadly, we only get Mike for a couple of issues. However, then a man called Al Barrionuevo comes back… and that man has some skills too ;)

CS: Prior to taking over the reins of the title how familiar were you with the Authority and the WildStorm characters that are now on the team roster?

Taylor: Well, I haven’t dated any of them, if that’s what you’re implying…

Honestly, I’m a huge fan of the Wildstorm universe and Wildstorm in general. My love of the universe began with Warren Ellis’ Stormwatch run and grew from there. I tracked down everything after reading those books. Authority has always been one of my favourite comics, I’ve read a tonne of Stormwatch, Planetary, DV8, Wildcats, I really can’t get enough of them.

CS: In another interview you said ?I hope I get to play in the Wildstorm universe for a long time?, who are some of the other Wildstorm teams or characters you would like to write if given the chance?

Taylor: To tell you the truth, I’ve been handed my favourite team right off the bat. It’s a shame Apollo and Midnighter aren’t around but to get to work with Flint, Sarah Rainmaker, Christine Trelane, Roxy, Deathblow and Grifter certainly makes up for it. Also, the ‘Change or Die’ storyline from Stormwatch is one of my absolute favourites, so getting to write The High is awesome.

That said, I’d be a very happy man writing almost anything Wildstorm has - any of Stormwatch, Wildcats or Gen 13 would rock. And I would leap to write the Authority again. Really, I’m just happy to be in the door… and on the couch.

CS: You?re also currently working on Star Wars: Invasion ? Rescues and Will of Darth Vader, what can you tell us about those currently projects?

Taylor: We received great reviews for Luke Skywalker and the Treasure of the Dragonsnakes, including from Aint it Cool News, which is rare for Star Wars comics, but I think Will of Darth Vader might please even more people. It was a script that completely flowed for me (just like Authority #22). It’s just a cool, funny, explosive adventure story with one of the greatest villains of all time.

As for Star Wars: Invasion - A galaxy far, far away is about to get its ass kicked. Twenty-five years after the Battle of Yavin, an armada of technology-hating, pain-loving freaks called the Yuuzhan Vong arrives at the edge of the galaxy. They are nasty, really nasty. They have already killed Chewbacca. These are the kind of guys who would beat a nun with a puppy. The first series ‘Refugees’ was collected last week, you should buy it. It’s good, really, I’ve read it. The next series actually starts later this month. I wrote the outline to this about six months before I landed The Authority gig but, oddly enough, the new series features a woman hooked up to a large alien ship full of refugees… it’s like ‘past me’ plagiarised ‘present me’. Screw you, ‘past me’!