Page 40 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2019)

COMICS: ROGUE ONE

“
I LIKE PROJECTS THAT
PUSH ME OUT OF MY
COMFORT ZONE.

”

omics fans Why do you think Marvel chose actually had a character who
rejoice! Marvel’s you to be the writer? faked his death and didn’t come
C new six-issue I think Heather thought of me back for two years. There was
even an animated short to explain
because I did Orphan Black for
adaptation of
Rogue One IDW. That was partly a TV how he faked it! That’s what
promises not adaptation and partly new happens when writers and fi lm
only to capture the movie in material. That made me a good fi t editors and other creative types
comic-book form, but also to for the Rogue One comic, because play an RPG. Crazy stuff happens.
expand upon what was seen I had to work in new scenes that Playing the game helped keep
onscreen. New details about aren’t in the movie. Heather knew Star Wars in my life before Rebels
characters and situations I loved Star Wars, too, as we had and The Force Awakens came
will include input from Rogue met at New York Comic Con a few along. In the process, I also met
One director, Gareth Edwards, years before. Afterwards, we people who would become my
giving readers a fresh angle on bonded on Twitter over our love most favorite in all of Los Angeles.
the blockbuster story. for Grand Admiral Thrawn! Coincidentally, the name of the
The team bringing this exciting character I play is Lyra. It was
prospect to life is Italian artist So you’ve always been a Star a little weird when I found out
Emilio Laiso (Star Wars: Shattered Wars fan? that was also the name of Jyn’s
Empire Part II) and writer Jody I loved the original trilogy as a mother in Rogue One!
Houser, a newcomer to Star kid, but it was the Timothy Zahn

Wars comics, but a lifelong fan trilogy of Thrawn novels that really How do you fit an epic like
of the saga. Insider spoke to won me over—I discovered them Rogue One into a six-issue series?
Houser as she was hard at at an age when I was more into It’s all about the storytelling
work on her adaptation. reading than watching movies. “beats.” Before the fi lm hit
theaters, I went to Lucasfi lm and
Adapting Rogue One would be On Twitter, you refer read the script, noting
a prestige project for any writer. that you like Star Wars down a beat-by-beat
PROFILE
Did you have any trepidation role-playing games. list of the things that
JODY HOUSER
about taking it on? Yeah, I’ve been a part jumped out at me.
Since creating the
My only bit of trepidation came of a Star Wars RPG Having that early
acclaimed online
from the fact that it looked to campaign that’s been comic Cupcake impression really
be a war story, which is something going on now for four POW! in 2010, helped me decipher
Jody Houser has
I haven’t written before. It was years! We started with written for numerous which moments I
October 2016 when [Marvel the old West End physical comic-book wanted to emphasize,
series, including
assistant editor] Heather Antos system and moved to and which ones I could
Orphan Black and
approached me about it, so I “Edge of the Empire” X-Files: Origins for streamline or set in a

obviously hadn’t seen the movie. last year. IDW, Max Ride for different way. The most
Marvel, and Faith for
But I like projects that push me Our gamemaster is rewarding moments to
Valiant and Mother
out of my comfort zone, so it was pretty epic in terms of Panic for DC. work on are those you
a positive more than a real worry. his storytelling. We can see from a

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