Cliff-Hanging with Brian K. Vaughan

Ask older Star Wars fans to name an agonizing cliffhanger, and they'll likely cite the three-year gap between Episodes V and VI, the seemingly endless wait for a resolution after Vader spilled the beans to Luke and Han had been turned into furniture for Jabba the Hutt. Comics scribe Brian K. Vaughan has gained a reputation for coming up with such edge-of-seat cliffhangers multiple times each and every month for the various titles he writes, particularly for his creations Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina. Aside from constructing addictive plots with page-turning suspense, the Eisner-award winning author has been acknowledged for writing snappy dialogue and constructing chilling scenarios worthy of the classic Twilight Zone.

For Vaughan, seeing the Dark Lord of the Sith for the first time as a child came with its share of shivers. "When I was five or so, my family went to a toy store in Cleveland where they were promoting the release of the new Star Wars action figures by having someone dress up as Darth Vader to greet the shoppers," Vaughan recalls. "I was so terrified, I nearly wet myself."

Vaughan recovered from that first meeting and, like most kids of the Star Wars generation, started waving around a lightsaber like a Jedi Master. "My old-school lightsaber -- the hollow plastic one that made noise when you swung it -- was my first toy, and is still my favorite," Vaughan says.

Vaughan studied at New York University, and honed his skills in the Stan-hattan Project, a workshop conducted by Marvel Comics and NYU's Department of Dramatic Writing in the mid-'90s. This was a gateway to professional comics writing, a path that would lead Vaughan to success and acclaim, being hailed in 2006 by Wizard Magazine as "Comics' Best Writer."

Vaughan credits Star Wars, among other films in the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genres, for influencing his writing. "I suppose it was my first exposure to a fusion of incredibly different genres and I love to explore similar unexpected marriages in my writing," Vaughan explains. "George Lucas' amazing transitions were a huge influence on the pacing of a lot of my earliest stories."

In his work with publishers like Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse Comics Vaughan's been able to craft tales with flashy marquee stars such as Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Batman, Super-Man and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it's his original creations that have drawn the most critical attention. Y: The Last Man, published by DC's edgy Vertigo imprint takes the standard trope "what if you were the last man on Earth" and reveals just how horrifying that scenario can be. His other major work, Ex Machina, from Wildstorm is less apocalyptic, but no less compelling -- what if a superhero were real and mayor of New York City?

His talents at character development and carefully doling out clues that reveal the structure of a well-crafted mystery got the attention of "Lost" creators J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, who asked Vaughan to be a writer for the show. "Now that I've joined the writing staff, not a week goes by where one of us doesn't make a Star Wars reference that somehow makes it into an episode," Vaughan says.

The most common Star Wars topic of debate among his friends revolves around which is the best film of the saga. "Well, just to name-drop, Joss Whedon was trying to convince me that A New Hope is a better film than The Empire Strikes Back, but I choose to believe he was drunk at the time," Vaughan laughs.

While Vaughan already keeps busy with his TV and comic book work, he would be more than happy to explore the Star Wars storyline if offered. "If Mr. Lucas ever needs someone to write an episode of the upcoming Star Wars television series, I'm just the droid he's looking for," Vaughan smiles, "but I really enjoy creating new characters and worlds in my own comics."

Which begs the question -- which character does Vaughan identify the most with? "I wish I were Han Solo, but I'm probably more of a Luke," Vaughan says. "And not the cool, robot-hand Luke, but the awkward, going-to-Tosche-Station-to-pick-up-some-power-converters Luke. As far as underrated characters, I'd go with Lobot -- gotta love my bald brethren!"

See what's new with Vaughan at his official site here.

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The Essential Vaughan

Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned
Co-created by Pia Guerra. The series starts with a mysterious plague that wipes out every mammal with a Y-chromosome. Now, protagonist Yorick Brown and his pet monkey are seemingly the sole remaining males in a devastated world populated by women who must rebuild. The series is currently being published monthly by Vertigo, as well as in collected trade paperback volumes. It is slated to run for 60 issues.

Ex Machina Vol 1: The First Hundred Days
Co-created by Tony Harris. Mitchell Hundred is the world's first and only superhero with the ability to talk to technology. Wanting to make a difference, he runs for mayor of New York City, where political intrigue and day-to-day government prove to be just as challenging and dangerous. The series is currently published monthly by Wildstorm, as well as in collected trade paperback volumes. It is slated to run for 50 issues.

The Pride of Baghdad
Illustrated by Niko Henrichon. A contained story available in hardcover by Vertigo, this is based on a true account of escaped lions from the Baghdad zoo following the start of the U.S.'s missions there in 2003.

And what does Vaughan pick for his Star Wars reads? "The Tag and Bink comics were great!" he says. "I loved the idea of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern in the Star Wars universe. I also remember reading and enjoying the Splinter of the Mind's Eye novel as a kid."