Another Interview!

Here's a nice interview from Girl's Entertainment Network:


On September 18th, I was officially pwned—badly. Even though the votes were close, two Top Cow Pilot Season books came out on top: Twilight Guardian and Genius. Troy Hickman, the writer for TG, agreed to take a moment to talk about his comic and the welcomed response to it, what we can expect to see next year, and my … totally being pwned.

WITA: Whoa, so how does it feel to have your book—Twilight Guardian—shine in the spotlight of the Pilot Season ‘08 Top Two? How did you react when you found out? I certainly didn’t expect the results—but the fans sure showed me! (I had to extend similar regards to the Genius writers, as well.) [Laughs] You already know that my review back in May was a little harsh. All of that aside, I can only express my congratulations and warmest wishes on your book’s success.

Troy: Stephanie, first of all let me say how lucky YOU are that I won, since I was going to blame a loss TOTALLY on you. I already had a special dartboard made up with your face on it and a blurb under it that said “Troy’s Entertainment Network” and everything. Thank your lucky stars!

How does it feel? Well, I’ve been walking on air for the last two days (and not just because I’m gellin’ like Magellan). It’s great to know that all the work I put into getting the word out there has paid off, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the folks who helped make it happen.
How did I react when I found out? Well, I’m hardly the most “emo” guy in the world, but I have to admit I got a little teary-eyed. Of course, the fact that I hadn’t slept for about two weeks prior might’ve had something to do with my emotional state. That and the bottle of cough syrup.


WITA: You’re totally right. I really dodged a bullet there, whew! (And wow, I thought I was the only one who got such a kick out of those commercials! Fellow gellin’-like-Magellan fan, high-five!) Anyway, I hope you had a well-deserved celebration! Again, my review might have been lukewarm, but there were certainly aspects I liked about Twilight Guardian when I was reading it that I thought could be very interesting when given the chance to really blossom. And now you’re getting the chance to! So I’m looking forward to see what direction you take TG. What can we expect to see next year in terms of where you’d like the book and the main character to go?

Troy: All I’m willing to say for sure at this point is that we’re going to try to make this book a little of everything. We’re going to have the humor, drama, pathos, and slightly subversive qualities that fans dug in the one-shot, as well as some new elements (maybe even some … gasp … action … though not in the way folks might expect!). We’ll find out more about TG’s life inside and outside of the hoodie, and get a greater glimpse into the entirety of her world (possibly even outside her jurisdiction!).

What I mainly want readers to know is that whether we’re laughing with her, crying with her, or are just totally creeped-out by her, we’re going to have fun, and I want them to come along for the ride.


WITA: Well, I’m looking forward to finding out what happens to this character. She certainly is a mystery at this point. As I said, there were things I enjoyed about TG. For example, the comic book references (which were very fun) and the whole concept of challenging superhero stereotypes with a realistic, everyday heroine. The latter reminded me of the basic concept of Kick-Ass or even the cool video web-series by Christopher Preksta, Captain Blasto. I hope that we get to learn more about the main character in upcoming issues. We don’t even know her name! (Do we?) Do you have ideas about her character and development in mind? Talk a little about your vision of and for the heroine.

Troy: Glad you liked the comic book “insert” pages. There will be more of that sort of thing, only different. And we’ll certainly try to keep pushing the envelope on what a superhero is or has to be.

Yeah, I’ve heard a few comparisons to Kick-Ass, but I don’t really see the similarities (and since I created TG back in the early 90s, KA certainly wasn’t an influence). I think the only commonality they have is that they’re both a bit more realistic than your typical capes-and-tights comic (though I understand Mark might be moving further away from that with more recent issues). For the life of me, I can’t see Twilight Guardian getting worked over by thugs (especially when she activates her secret Twilight powers! Uh … did I say that aloud?).
We definitely will learn more about her. My vision? Twilight Guardian is us. She’s the part of us that’s lonely. She’s the part of us that’s nerdy. She may well be the part of us that’s crazy. But I’ll let the readers decide that one.

It’s an interesting thing. I’ve heard a number of male fans express a real … affection for her, to the point of saying they wish they had a girlfriend like her. I think it’s a combination of her vulnerability and her love for all things geeky. And the hoodie probably doesn’t hurt. There’s something sexy about a hoodie.


WITA: As a pilot issue, I assume there might have been some things you either had to cut or wanted to put in the premiere comic but couldn’t reveal just yet—or did you manage to fit everything in the way you wished?

Troy: Well, there are certainly things I had to leave out. When you’re dealing with a single, 22-page comic story, you’ve really got to be selective about what hits the page. And it was even more so with this project, as I had to try to give the reader a feeling for TG while making them want to find out more about her and her world. That’s a very tricky proposition with a book like Twilight Guardian, where the story is driven much more by characterization than by plot. It can lead some folks to wonder if anything is really happening. But I have to have confidence that the kind of audience I’m shooting for will connect with it.

The series will give me a little more space to work with, though I’ve already got probably twice as much planned as I’ll be able to fit in there!


WITA: I’m certainly looking forward to you changing my mind with future installments of Twilight Guardian, Troy. Is there something you could throw out there to tease us with until next year, when the second issue is released? Maybe something about what you’ve got up your sleeve for the future of the book that could grab new readers or keep fans waiting in anticipation?

Troy: Well, given the nature of the book, I’m not sure what I can say as a tease. It’s not like I can allude to the fact that TG will be taking on Galactus in issue #3 (though if I can get Marvel on board…).

I will say only this: if you read the Twilight Guardian series, I think you’ll see yourself in there somewhere amidst all the shadows and streetlights. Maybe it’ll make you smile. Maybe it’ll make you sigh. Hopefully it’ll make you say “wow, I really enjoyed that.” Give us a chance, gang.


WITA: Thanks so much for your time! I’m definitely willing to give TG another chance.