Lots going on! First, I just got my hands on the advanced copy of the mighty Trekker Omnibus, coming this August from Dark Horse (and me, of course). Over 320 pages, this collects all the existing Trekker stories, some in the original black and white, all scanned directly from the original art, some stories in brand-new color. It also features a terrific foreward by the one and only Gail Simone, and a “Skechbook” section displaying lots of rare and unseen Trekker images produced  over the years. I worked long and intensely with the folks at Dark Horse to make this package definitive, and I am super-happy with the results! You can pre-order it here, or find it in your favorite comic shop as of August 7, or get one direct from me at a convention appearance this fall. Speaking of which:

I am looking forward to my first appearance at the Baltimore Comic-Con, this September 7-8! This convention has a terrific reputation as being one of the best. Can’t wait to experience it. And I’ll also be at the also excellently-run Rose City Comic-Con in Portland later in Sept 21-22, so plenty of fun that month!

Lastly, a long time in the coming is the graphic novel Silence & Co that I’ve illustrated for Gur Beshemish and Crystal Publications. It’s a gloriously pulpy modern crime noir tale getting terrific reviews, and on sale now!

I was aided and abetted  by editor and panel moderator Jim Gibbons (center), who has helped immensely in making Trekker’s return to print as rewarding and successful as I could ever hope for, and by Trekker ‘s awesome colorist Jeremy Colwell (left).  Together,  we explored everything from the concept of “world-building” in sci-fi and fantasy to  the ground-breaking role Trekker had as an early female-driven action/adventure strip, to the crafting of Mercy’s character and the life-arc that  the series  is tracing. It took teamwork, I tell ya!

The time flew by, as it will when you are caught up in trying to convey your enthusiasm and commitment to a project as close to your heart  as Trekker is to mine. The crowd hung in there, offered some great questions , and stayed after for  more conversation. It was all terrifically rewarding.

After the panel the whole Team Trekker was joined by Dark Horse production ace, Allyson Willsey, who has worked with the same dedication as the rest of us to make Trekker’s return sparkle. All together,  great group of people to hang out with as well as to make comics with!

A recent note came from a new Trekker fan, complimenting me on the series in general, and the character of Mercy St. Clair in particular. He asked for some pointers on creating and writing a character that has to exist and evolve over a long period of time. Turns out, the question sparked quite a response from me, and I thought I’d share it here as well. I may note that some of these ideas can be traced back to Robert McKee’s excellent book, Story, which is as close to a practical writer’s bible as I’ve come across.

First, the basics. Realize the difference between “character” and “characterization”. The former means what is going on inside your character, what makes them tick, what motivates them, what will they die for, kill for. What do they think is funny, what is meaningless to them. The latter is what a novice writer mistakes for character. Thing like what job they have, where they are from, how they look. All that is surface stuff, and wears thin if there’s nothing substantial going on underneath. Both are important, and they are connected, but keeping them separate in your thinking will help you avoid creating two-dimensional characters.

Most importantly, if you are in this for the long haul with a character, it has to be someone you care about– someone you are interested in and fascinated by. Because that will come across the page, and it won’t get “old” for either you or the reader. Don’t write characters who don’t excite you, for whom you have no empathy, who do not seem alive to you. They will have no “voice”, and will come across like cardboard cut-outs, not living, breathing people. How you achieve this is the question, isn’t it? For me, I observe people in my life or characters from works of imagination who impressed me and who seemed particularly, vividly “alive” in some aspect or another. The equation “garbage in, garbage out” applies here. You can’t expect to turn out work of your own that rises above the environment you are feeding from. If you spend your time with stories that are long on “effects” and “action” but short on vivid, convincing characters performing believable human actions, those are the sort of stories you yourself will produce.  Seek out good stories, well-told. It never hurts to start with the stuff that has stood the test of time.

You will realize when you observe people closely, and/or read substantial, great books, or watch movies by real masters that we are all complex animals. We are mixed bags with strengths and weaknesses, blind spots and inconsistencies. That’s part of what makes us unpredictable and endlessly interesting. But, if you just make a list of these traits and characteristics and then “assemble” a character from them, you are working from the outside-in. Best to trust your observation and intuition as to which traits seem to work together to create a character that seems alive to you.

At some point in this process, you will find it invaluable to create the character’s “back story”– their personal history. Whether that is ever revealed within the tales you tell or not, the fact that YOU know the events and elements that shaped your characters will help you to stay consistent in your treatment.

It’s often said by writers that at some point, they stop writing the characters, and the characters begin to “write themselves”. I find that’s true.  Something has been internalized and the character is “alive” in me and indicating what they are likely to say or do. That’s a pretty strong indication that my story is on the right track.

This weekend, Friday Feb 28- Sunday March 2 I will be at the ECCC, with my Periscope Studio mates in booths 2621/2617! There I’ll be handing out all-new Trekker goodies, and talking about the just-announced Trekker Omnibus that Dark Horse Comics and I will be bringing out this coming August! Come by for Sketches, swag, and scuttlebutt about our favorite “retro-futuristic” bounty hunter!

Also available will be high-quality prints of the Trekker illustration that appeared in last years ECCC art book “Monsters and Dames”, original sketches done to order at the show, and other fun items, both Trekker-related and otherwise.

For anyone curious about my specific work process, over at trekkercomic.com I have just posted a new blog entry where I walk through the steps I used in creating my  illustration for next year’s Emerald City Comicon charity book, “Monsters and Dames”.

The Monsters and Dames book is done each year as a benefit for the Seattle Children’s Hospital and is available exclusively at the convention. It’s always a popular, sell-out item. All the artists represented in the book will be at the show and happy to sign the book. It makes a great souvenir of the show and is a classy collection of great art pieces on top of that.

That’s not the only reason to attend Emerald City by a long shot. ECCC is one of the most fun and best-run conventions in the country, and it’s a high-light of my convention season each year. I’ll again be sketching, signing and sharing the latest news on Trekker and my other projects at through the whole show. So drop by and say hello!