Review Fix Exclusive: Ben Hatke Talks ‘The Return of Zita the Spacegirl’

Review Fix talks with author and artist Ben Hatke, who discusses the conclusion of his epic Zita series in “The Return of Zita the Spacegirl.” Hatke also discusses his favorite elements of the heralded series, as well as the impact the series has had on his life and what’s he’s up to now.

A New York Times Best Selling author, Hatke said his newest project is something very different from the Zita series, but will be something younger audiences will enjoy.

Review Fix: Is it bittersweet to see the series end?

Ben Hatke: It was bittersweet when I was writing the end, and when I was drawing the final pages. And then for a while after I thought “I’m gonna miss that kid.” But now I’m knee deep in new and exciting projects and I know that Zita is still out there having adventures. I’m keeping track of her.

Review Fix: The series has affected so many people. How does that make you feel?

Hatke: Some people say they are writing for themselves but I really am writing for readers. Seeing kids connect with Zita and her adventures, receiving mail and art and seeing kids dressed as the characters (!!) from the books has all been very, very special. I think these days, with social media and all, there’s more connection between authors and their audiences. I enjoy that. Art is communication and so when you get these indications that people really are reading your work, and connecting to it, I feel like that, more than publication, is the real endpoint.

Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself while writing this series? How did it change your life?

Hatke: I feel like for me the Zita books have been like a graduate course in storytelling.

They’ve not only been the vehicles through which I’ve become a more confident storyteller but these books are the reason I’m able to work as a full time author, which is an amazing thing. From that standpoint it’s changed my life completely.

Review Fix: What is your favorite element of this book?

Hatke: I had quite a bit of fun writing Raggy and Femur, and generally working out a balance between humor and action and character moments. Also, in this book I was finally able to work out the process that works best for me with graphic novels. So I went into the book with a really solid story outline and when it came time to do page layouts I just sat on the floor with music playing and pages of roughs spread out everywhere. I was really able to get into the world at that point.

Review Fix: How do you want this book to stand out from the others?

Hatke: I’m hoping that readers will feel like everything has been kicked up a notch.

Review Fix: What do you think makes Zita so special?

Hatke: I think, and I hope, that it’s that she’s got some depth as a character. Because to me she is real. She’s got flaws and blind spots and moments where her best self shines through, just like a real person. It’s taken me years to get to know Zita as a character, and I hope that this comes through in the books.

Review Fix: What do you want people to remember most about the series?

Hatke: I don’t know. I think it would be cool if someone remembers where they were, and how they felt, when they read it. I remember a good friend sent me a copy of Harry Potter in the mail with a note that said “I think this is something you would enjoy” (this was a long time ago when it was possible not to have heard of Harry Potter). I remember everything about sitting on my bed and reading that book for the first time.

Review Fix: You get just a few reading experiences like that in life and if someone has that with Zita, well.

Hatke: What are you working on now?

Review Fix: Right now, today, I am working on a book called Little Robot! It’s a graphic novel for young readers about a little girl who finds and befriends a hapless robot in a junkyard. It’s been one of the most fun books both to write and to draw because the setting is based closely on the area where I live. It’s a very different kind of story than the Zita books. I’m looking forward to sharing it.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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