Writer/Editor Stuart Moore has enjoyed a stellar career in comics thus far. Between his work as writer and editor, he has shared his talents for many of the top publishers in the business. But in 2018, he joined up with founder Hart Seely and EIC Tom Peyer to introduce Ahoy Comics. His work included Captain Ginger, Volumes 1 and 2, Bronze Age Boogie, Steel Cage along with Mark Waid and Tom Peyer, and The Wrong Earth: Purple.
But now, Stuart is working with artist Fred Harper on a new series, Highball. A space faring adventure where the main character rules the space ways…as long he is completely smashed when he does it. Highball, which comes out on September 7th, is another in the long line of adventure filled, satire laced, fun books that Ahoy has become known for.
In advance of its release, we sat down with writer Stuart Moore to discuss his past work, Captain Ginger and HIS next adventure and of course, Highball. so, let’s welcome back talented writer Stuart Moore to GVN’s Talking Comics.
Captain Ginger
GVN: Thanks for paying us another visit Stuart.
SM: Glad to be here!
GVN: When we last talked, we were discussing your work on the 2nd Season of Ahoy’s Popular series, Captain Ginger with June Brigman. Now that the TPB is available for the complete second season, has there been any more thoughts of a Season 3? When we last spoke, you said it was on the docket (once Miss June had finished with some other projects…she’s a busy lady).
SM: She is busy, yes, but she’s working on GINGER right now. This will be a shorter, self-contained adventure story that also caps off the current cycle. Looks great so far.
Love of Star Trek
GVN: That is great news for all the Captain Ginger fans, of which I am one. In looking back over your previous books, you have worked on a number of Star Trek related projects. Including a story featured in the anthology STAR TREK: CONSTELLATIONS: STAR TREK: “Chaotic Response.” Have you always been a Star Trek fan and more importantly, do you have an opinion on all of the new Star Trek Series now available, i.e., Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Picard, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds? I love them all.
SM: I love them too. The first two seasons of Discovery had this mad, throw-everything-at-the-screen energy—it was like nothing I’d seen before. Really enjoying the others, too. Prodigy in particular surprised me…it’s visually stunning and the characters drew me right in.
GVN: I forgot to mention Star Trek Prodigy. It has a sense of humor tied up in its Star Trek wrapper with animation that appeals to those who love shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars. That was a good addition. But as usual, I digress.
Working at Ahoy Comics
Your library of work is an impressive diverse collection of humor, science fiction, and mainstream DC and Marvel goodness. The fact that you have worked on Star Trek projects alone put you in rarified air. But somehow, you seem to always make time for books for Tom Peyer and Ahoy. What is it about Ahoy that draws you in? Is it the prestigious title of “Ops?” The hand drawn name plate for your desk? What is it about Ahoy that brings Stuart Moore back for…well…MORE?
SM: Ha! Well, they’re nice to me and they trust me to put together a comic book. AHOY is the smoothest operation I’ve ever been involved with—we find great comics, help people make them, and publish them the best we can. I’m just lucky to be in the mix.
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HighBall
GVN: I’m pretty sure luck doesn’t have anything to do with it. Your new series Highball is a hilarious science fiction-based book where the hero of the story only seems to function best when intoxicated. At first glance, without delving in, he’s like the guy you see at ball games wearing a “beer hat.” Where did the seed of this idea come from and more importantly, do you know anyone who seems to fit the main characters shoes?
SM: Highball started growing in my head a few years ago, when I went out drinking with a friend who got better at darts, the more he drank. Just kept hitting more and more bullseyes, the more pints he knocked back. By the way, he’s not at all a beer-hat kind of dude. Very much the opposite.
The second inspiration was a dream I had about a Battlestar Galactica style pilot called Highball. I woke up with just the name in my head—nothing else. Unlike most dream ideas, that one still seemed funny the next day.
Fred Harper
GVN: You are working with talented artist and Highball Co-Creator Fred Harper (Snelson: Comedy is Dying) on this series. You had previously worked together on the Ahoy One-Shot THE WRONG EARTH: PURPLE. Once you decided to collaborate on another project, what were the creative discussions like? Were there any ideas as you brainstormed that you immediately eliminated or was anything fair game? (One of the highlights for me was the discussion of the new company payroll procedures. If THAT wasn’t “Corporate-ese” at its finest? Even THEY didn’t know what they were saying).
SM: Fred’s a perfect collaborator—he takes ideas and runs with them, then he just keeps thinking and brainstorming and adding cool little details all over the place. He’s wanted to do a sci-fi book for a while, and I think he loves bad 70s space shows even more than I do. I wouldn’t have thought that was possible. We played with the designs in the early stages – Highball himself changed a bit as we went. But we were on the same page with the basic sensibility, pretty much from the start.
The payroll procedures are a favorite of mine, too. They’re pretty much taken straight from life, from something that happened to me. Part of the series’ background is that the Mentok, a race of rather dreary aliens, have taken over Earth’s government and economy, basically because we just let them do it. The result is a society drenched in all the worst kinds of doubletalk and bureaucracy culled from government and from private industry, both of which can be horrible in their own ways.
I discuss a lot of this on the first issue’s editorial page, which features page-by-page annotations—basically my “Blu-ray commentary” on the story. That’ll be a regular feature in the book.
Upcoming Projects
GVN: That sounds very cool. Thanks again Stuart for sharing some of your time with us. Before I let you go, do you have any other projects in the future you want to or CAN mention?
SM: I have a new Marvel novel coming next year from Aconyte books. Various other things I can’t talk about yet—and yes, more CAPTAIN GINGER. June and I love our cats.
Ahoy Comics Highball, Issue 1 hits stands on Wednesday, September 7th. Look for it where all great comics are sold.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.