Review Fix chats with the Delegates team of Bin Lee and Tina Cesa Ward, who discusses the inspiration behind the comic and their goals for the project moving forward.
Review Fix: What inspired this comic?
Bin Lee: It probably sounds out of left-field, but watching Star Trek: TOS was an inspiration. I loved the thought-provoking social premises and the philosophical tug-of-war between memorable characters. And I wanted to create a modern sci-fi story with similar ambitions.
[Non-spoiler: Delegates has nothing to do with spaceships.]
Review Fix:Â What makes this comic special?
Tina Cesa Ward: I think the characters, the location, and the questions the story raises are what makes this comic stand out. Comic books give us the opportunity as writers to really expand beyond the norm of TV or film in many different ways. And although the landscape in TV/Streaming is changing, comics can still lead the way in telling stories about places and about people that are not normally at the center of the story while still being fun and engaging.
Review Fix:Â What creators do you think have influenced you the most?
TCW: Many throughout the years from Darwyn Cooke to Paul Dini to Mike Mignola but lately I just can’t get enough of Brian K. Vaughan’s Paper Girls.
BL: I probably shouldn’t say this, but I wasn’t a big comic book reader when I started this project. But besides Star Trek, I’d say Ray Bradbury and Brian K. Vaughan.
Review Fix:Â How do you want it to be remembered?
TCW: As a story that tackled a well-traveled science fiction theme but had something different to say about it with characters in places that up until then weren’t seen too often in comics.
BL: Ditto.
Review Fix:Â What’s next?
TCW: What’s next is watching the entire 30 issues of Delegates get out into the world. I’m really excited to see it in the hands of readers. It’s been a blast to write. I learned a ton about topics I knew very little about going in and the experience of writing something of that length forces you to up the level of your game as a writer. I look forward to that next opportunity as I continue my work in TV and streaming.
BL: I second Tina’s sentiments about how readers will react to our story. Another thing that excites me is how the next batch of artists will bring our scripts to life in their own unique and unforgettable way.
As for my personal projects, I’m distracting myself by co-designing an alchemy-themed board game, which I see as a story-telling challenge of how to create a coherent system that gives players memorable experiences that are wholly their own.
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