Battlestar Galactica Classic #1 Kelley Jones cover

John Jackson Miller is the popular writer of such comics as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Iron Man, as well as numerous novels. His latest project revisits a favorite TV show with Battlestar Galactica Classic from Dynamite. Miller stops by to tell Westfield’s Roger Ash more about this exciting new series.

Westfield: How did you become involved with this project?

John Jackson Miller: I’d been looking to do something for Galactica for a long time; I even had written a script that was intended for one of the old Realm Press Galactica titles back in the late 1990s, long before I did any other professional work. In between, there was the reimagined series, and of course I did all my comics and novel work for licenses like Star Wars and Star Trek. But I remained interested — and when Nick Barrucci and I began discussing licenses that Dynamite had that I might be interested in, I immediately said the original Galactica was right up my street. I proposed a series to editor Anthony Marques, and then we were off.

Battlestar Galactica Classic #1 Marco Rudy cover

Westfield: Were you a Battlestar Galactica fan growing up?

Miller: Oh, certainly — I was one of the many kids watching the very first episode (which got interrupted by the Camp David Accords being announced!) and then every episode of the series that followed. I built the models — and I also collected the Marvel Comics. Those had some of the first Walt Simonson art that I’d seen, and I was a big fan of those. So getting to sort of do a continuation is a real thrill.

Westfield: Is there any character that you’re particularly enjoying writing?

Miller: Starbuck is everyone’s favorite, and I have had the chance to write some fun scenes for him. But I would say that Adama really has the biggest burdens on him, and he has some emotionally resonant moments in the comic. To a great degree it’s the late Lorne Greene, and the power of his personality and performance, that powers these moments — but it’s also the great art by Daniel HDR.

We also have some moments with Count Baltar, and he is a riot to write. Nobody can chew through scenery faster!

Battlestar Galactica Classic #1 Walter Simonson cover

Westfield: What can readers look forward to in the book?

Miller: The Galactica is, as we saw in the TV show, always on the run, shepherding the remains of human civilization on this seemingly endless quest — always running, always alone. But in our series — which is subtitled Counterstrike — Galactica encounters a second fleet of fugitives, on the run from tireless tormentors of their own. This second fleet complements Galactica’s in a lot of ways — and Adama has to think long and hard about the possibilities. Joining up might mean they could escape the Cylons faster; it might also give them a better chance to fight back. But it also might mean gaining another set of enemies, when they can barely deal with the ones they’ve got.

Westfield: What can you tell us about these new characters?

Miller: The Okaati are industrious, able to forage and quickly process whatever materials they find along their route — but they don’t have anything like the Galactica’s fighter squadrons to protect them. The Okaati have been forced to assume a lot of their own forces will be lost along the way, but with the Colonial Vipers in the picture, they might be able to produce a lot more for the human fleet, totally changing the dynamics of their individual plights. And I’ve just seen the first art of the group that’s after the Okaati — Daniel HDR has come up with some amazing stuff!

Battlestar Galactica Classic #1 Daniel HDR cover

Westfield: You’re working with artist Daniel HDR on the series. What can you say about your collaboration?

Miller: He does both the starship parts and the character parts really well, which is a combination you don’t often get. I provide a lot of visual references and there’s a good amount of conversation between us on what things should look like. I find myself researching what things looked like that I may have seen for just a half-second on the screen forty years ago — and he brings them to life!

Battlestar Galactica Classic #0

Westfield: Any closing comments?

Miller: Just that I hope people will check the series out, starting with our #0 issue in October, which is priced at 35 cents just like the first Galactica comic book 40 years before. Folks can find out more about my work at http://www.farawaypress.com, follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jjmfaraway, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/johnjacksonmiller.