Mon Jan 25, 2010 — by Glenn Hauman

Interview: 'Farscape' and 'Scorpius' writers David Alan Mack and Keith R.A. DeCandido

BOOM! Studios announced today Farscape: Scorpius, an ongoing series starting in April. Written by series creator Rockne S. O'Bannon and David Alan Mack (the Star Trek novelist, not the artist on Kabuki, just to get it out of the way early) it finds everyone’s favorite black leather clad villain deposed from his throne on Hyneria and making a bold new discovery that could put him back on top of the Uncharted Territories.

We took some time to chat with Dave (with Keith R. A. DeCandido, the scripter for the Farscape ongoing series, throwing in little bot mots because as readers of ComicMix know, he just shows up everywhere) and asked him about the new series, and what it's like to write a story from the antagonist's point of view.

ComicMix: There are precious few comics that have been focused on the bad guy in the story... but is Scorpius a bad guy?

David Alan Mack: He certainly doesn't see himself that way. From his point of view, he's probably the only rational actor in a universe populated by fools and madmen. Of course, Scorpius is not going to judge his own actions using our brand of moral compass. He is, in many respects, an amoral individual.

In my opinion, Scorpius is willing to espouse a sense of duty and offer his loyalty to whomever appears to be on his side, and in the moment when he makes such a declaration, it's possible he even means it. But if he needs to betray his allies to accomplish what he thinks is the most desirable outcome for himself, he won't hesitate to put knives in their backs and twist the blades.

Keith R.A. DeCandido: Oh, he's definitely a bad guy—at least by the standards of the people reading the comic book (and who watched the show). When we first met him at the end of the first season, he tortured Crais for no good reason, just to be absolutely sure about something. Scorpius admitted up front that the accusation Crichton had made simply had to be false, but Scorpius was still willing to torture a Peacekeeper captain just to be 100% sure.

ComicMix: And yet he does it in such a mannered and genteel style. Very precise. Play out a little bit of the Scorpius series for us. Where are we starting from?

DAM: We catch up to Scorpius while he's in self-imposed exile. He's been kicked off Hyneria by the triumphantly returned monarch Dominar Rygel XVI. Left with nowhere to go, Scorpius is on what one might consider a contemplative retreat.

Then, as Bogart said in Casablanca, "destiny takes a hand." Scorpius finds himself in the right place at the right time, and he makes the most of a new opportunity.

ComicMix: So this is a decent place for new readers to jump in and get up to speed?

DAM: Absolutely. The first four-issue arc of Scorpius is designed to introduce the character to new readers by interspersing flashbacks from his past, while detailing the new political situation brewing in the Farscape universe, especially in the Uncharted Territories.

ComicMix: Where does this fit into continuity?

DAM: We're in the era after The Peacekeeper Wars miniseries, and after "The Beginning of the End of the Beginning" arc in the Farscape comics by Rockne S. O'Bannon and Keith R.A. DeCandido.

KRAD: In fact, when Scorpius commences, it'll be more or less contemporary with the monthly Farscape comic book. The new political situation Dave mentioned is also going to be playing out in Farscape.

ComicMix: How is the work that you and Rockne are doing on the series different than what Rockne and Keith are doing in the Farscape book?

DAM: Rockne and I, as well as editor Ian Brill, sought to make the Scorpius series darker in mood and more visual in its storytelling than the main Farscape series. Whereas the Farscape series by Rockne and Keith sports a large cast, Scorpius has a much narrower focus: it has only one principal character.

Also, the Farscape comics tend to be rich with humor and puns; Scorpius strikes a more serious tone, and it eschews puns for cruel wit and implied threats.

ComicMix: This isn't the first time you and Keith have written together...

DAM: No, it certainly isn't. Keith helped me break into the prose-writing business back in 2001, when he agreed to cowrite the Star Trek: S.C.E. novella "Invincible" with me. At the time, I had experience in scriptwriting but not in prose. After working with Keith on that first short project, I became enamored of the narrative richness of the prose format. With Keith's encouragement, I tackled my next S.C.E. project, the short novel Wildfire, on my own in 2002.

KRAD: After that, Dave and I worked together on a number of Trek projects. I followed up Wildfire—a major turning point in the S.C.E. series—with Breakdowns, and he and I wrote the concluding volumes of the big Next Generation nine-book maxiseries A Time to…, which chronicled the year leading up to Star Trek Nemesis. More recently, I wrote the followup to Dave's Star Trek Destiny trilogy.

So we're used to working together and coordinating our stories.

DAM: Later this year, Keith and I will be working together again, when the Farscape and Scorpius series' respective arcs lead to an epic crossover event.

ComicMix: You've written for television and have more than a dozen novels, but not a lot of comics. What do you find to be the advantages of this format?

DAM: I like the brevity of the comic script format. Also, one thing I can do in comics that is almost impossible to do with equal clarity and ease in prose is counterpoint an image with text in a poignant or funny way. It's the print-medium equivalent of changing the effect of a filmed moment by altering its music—for instance, making a fight scene tragic by overlaying "Adagio for Strings," or making it funny by dropping in "Benny Hill" music.

ComicMix: Which is a perfect place for you to tell me about the art and the artist.

DAM: Ah, yes. The team at BOOM! found a really great artist named Mike Ruiz to do the pencils for Scorpius. Mike has brought an edgy, fresh look to the series. He's been really great at combining different styles to help differentiate the flashbacks from the main story. Fans of the Farscape comics who think this series will just be more of the same are in for a pleasant, exciting surprise.

KRAD: Yeah, I think that the juxtaposition of styles between Mike and Will Sliney on Farscape works perfectly for the feels of each of the two books.

ComicMix: How did you get hooked up with the lunatics at BOOM!?

DAM: As with my prose-writing career, blame for this can be laid squarely at the feet of Keith R.A. DeCandido. When the editors first began looking for a writer to take on the scripting duties for Scorpius, they asked Keith if he knew anyone who might be right for the job. For reasons that surpass understanding, he recommended me for the gig.

KRAD: Dave has always excelled at writing complex characters, and even his total bastards are never one-dimensional. He also is very good at writing unpleasant situations in a compelling manner. I thought he'd be a letter-perfect fit for a character as layered (and nasty) as Scorpius.

Plus, as we said before, we've collaborated on projects like this before, so I knew we'd have no trouble coordinating our work with each other.

DAM: Ian Brill contacted me in August of 2009 and asked if I was interested. Not being a total moron, I immediately said, "Yes, I am." He asked me to write an audition script featuring the Scorpius character from any era of his life depicted in the TV series.

A week later I submitted my Scorpius audition script, and it was apparently just what Ian and Rockne were looking for, because a few days later they offered me the scripting job, which I gladly accepted.

ComicMix: What's it like working for them?

DAM: It's awesome. Rockne and Ian have been great to work with. Their comments on scripts are always spot-on, and they're great about praising what they like. For an insecure writer, that kind of positive feedback is a dream come true.

Just as important, in the short time I've been working with the BOOM! team, they've already helped me improve as a comics scripter. Ian especially knows the finer points of the medium, and he's great at sharing his experience and insight in his notes.

As an added bonus, I get an inside look at how the fevered mind of Rockne S. O'Bannon crafts new narratives and plans long-term story arcs. Who wouldn't dig that?

KRAD: Everything Dave said goes double for me. Rockne is a twisted genius, and Ian really knows the craft. I should also add that the Jim Henson Company employs some smart cookies in their licensing department, and their feedback has always been sensible and thoughtful, and inevitably improves the story.

ComicMix: What are the advantages, for you, of working for them?

DAM: I think that because BOOM! is an independent publisher, its team is able to pay more attention to the work of its writers and artists. Their commitment to quality is evident in all the work they produce, and as a result I've been motivated to work harder so that I can meet that standard and deserve the opportunity they've given me.

Professionally, it's just a good headspace to be in.

KRAD: I really like the creative energy at BOOM! and their commitment to the craft. Of all the comics editors I've worked with, Ian (and Matt Gagnon before him) have been by far the most hands-on, and it's a real joy to work with them. Plus, they have an excellent marketing department (waves to Chip and Jenny) that has done a good job of elevating the company up the ranks.

ComicMix: Spoiler time. Are we going to be seeing Harvey showing up in here as well?

DAM: Harvey is Crichton's albatross, not Scorpy's. I did draft some pages featuring ol' Harvey at the start of this gig, but they were for my audition script. That's not to say readers will never see that mini-story, but I don't think BOOM! has any plans for that script at this time.

KRAD: And before you ask, there are no current plans to resurrect Harvey in Farscape. That could change, of course, but personally I prefer for dead characters to stay dead—even virtual ones.

Ultimately, of course, it's up to Rockne. So, y'know, ask him…

ComicMix: One last note. Dave. I've known you for over twenty years. We were college roommates. We were groomsmen at each other's weddings. Are you sure you're not the guy who does Kabuki?

DAM: Yeah, I'm pretty damned sure.

ComicMix: But there's a David Mack painting on your wall...

DAM: I bought it from him because it was the cover art for my Wolverine novel, Road of Bones . (Which I wrote as David Alan Mack, just as I'm doing on the Scorpius series.)

ComicMix: So one David Mack wrote the book while another David Mack did the cover. Were you trying to break Amazon?

DAM: I figured it was worth a shot. Truth be told, I just wanted a classier, more artistic-looking cover for my book than I had seen on some previous Marvel books being published at that time, so I suggested David Mack as the cover artist and was given permission to contact him on behalf of the publisher.

I sent David an e-mail and asked if he would be interested in painting the cover art for my Wolverine novel, and he graciously agreed. I loved the final painting so much that I bought it from him, had it framed at a SoHo gallery that specializes in fine art, and now display it on the wall of my living room.

ComicMix: How can we tell the difference between you and the other David Mack?

DAM: Easy. He's svelte, athletic, and good-looking ... and I'm the novelist.

You can see a photo of the two David Macks on the FAQs page of this David Mack' web site: http://www.davidmack.pro/faq.html You can follow him on Twitter @DavidAlanMack and friend him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/david.alan.mack. You can find Keith R.A. DeCandido on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kradec, and my inane ramblings can be found at http://kradical.livejournal.com.

Jump to comments (2)