By Todd Allen
Vaughan says he missed doing a monthly series and Jay Faeber had been on him to do something at Image.
Vaughan had earmarked Fiona Staples as someone he might like to work with from the Hawksmoor comic at Wildstorm (*cough* sorta/kinda/Image *cough*).
Vaughan had been discussing artist choices with Steve Niles, who had worked with Staples.
Staples says the concept of the controversial cover came from Brian Vaughan, including the breast-feeding image.
“I wanted people to know before they pick it up, this book MIGHT NOT be for you” : Vaughan.
“Am I shitting?” is the first line of dialogue. (Relating to child birth.)
The story is being narrated by the main character’s child, sometime in the future.
Vaughan denies any design knowledge, save for fonts, and let Staples do all the designs.
Staples was using animation as her design inspiration. Painted backgrounds, cell-shaded characters.
Vaughan’s influences included the children’s books he’s been reading his kids and Star Wars.
Vaughan wishes everyone that’s been complaining about new Star Wars would just go out and make their own Star Wars like Lucas did with Flash Gordon.
Audience question time:
No Yorrick Brown clone in Saga. No crossovers.
“If you own the work, how do you figure out the payment structure?” Vaughan and Staples own it 50/50, the letterer just gets paid. But Vaughan _might_ cut in the letterer if it does well.
“Is this Romeo and Juliet?” Sort of. Bitter enemies getting together. This is about people who just want out of the intergalactic war.
“Will there be hints and foreshadowing in the first issue?” Very much the case. And a hint of the ending.
“How do you know when to end the series?” “If we get bored with one planet, we can just go to another one.” Vaughan and Staples are still just figuring out how they’re working together. Vaughan would like this to go for a very long time and doesn’t have an end in mind (in contrast to the last answer).
“What’s the technology like?” One side is more tech, one is more magic. He’s just making up “insane stuff” within a set of rules for the universe. No coming back from the dead. “Rules, but no science homework.”
“Process question” Vaughan likes being 6 issues head plotting and has sign posts along the way to the end of the overall story.
Staples does thumbnails and then takes them into Photoshop.
Staples does “secret design work” for the background characters. Vaughan says they give each other a lot of creative space.
“Is it deliberate they humans are humanoid?” Yes. At it’s heart, this will be a romance. “It’s not just going to be hugging and kissing and changing diapers.” “There are bounty hunters and villains and evil robots.”
Staples is all digital and uses a Cintiq. She thinks about Final Fantasy as in influence.
“Are the wings (of the character) functional?” All characters on one planet have wings, on the other planet have horns. Individual horns and wings and benefits will vary.
The war is between a planet and a moon, but many of the battles take place elsewhere.
The war will have a class aspect (a big part of the story).
“What are your recent political influences?” He doesn’t know how he feels about politics, so everything is influencing him.
“Why a narrator?” Vaughan wanted to push himself to do something different and do something you can only do in comics. He’s enjoying it.
“Did you have an end in mind, although you want it to be an ongoing?” Yes.
Staples doesn’t have story input (and doesn’t want it — likes reading the new scripts and finding out what’s next). Vaughan finds her design were has already caused him to tweak the story.
“Is there a reason Staples only reads one script ahead?” He doesn’t have it that far ahead and she likes the spontaneity of new scripts.
“What happened to Brian’s eye?” He had a coughing fit last night and isn’t sure what happening. Thinks maybe he broke a blood vessel.
Vaughan and Staples had one lengthy phone call and mostly communicate through e-mail.
Eric Stephenson thinks they act like they’ve worked together previously.
Vaughan says Stephenson is line editing Saga.
And that’s a wrap.
