In preparation for the retail launch of Impact Theory Comic’s Hexagon #1, I reached out to writer Michael Moreci to discuss the project. The creator of original comics series like Roche Limit (Image Comics) and Wasted Space (Vault Comics), as well as the Black Star Renegades series of novels, Moreci’s love of the genre has produced some of the most inventive science fiction narratives in recent years. Hexagon is ITC’s first collaboration with the writer, along with producer/musician Don Diablo. With such a prolific catalogue of books under his belt, Moreci brings considerable talent and experience to the project and below he shares what inspired him to work with Impact Theory Comics and to collaborate on the story of Hexagon in particular.
ComicAttack: For the benefit of our readers who may not be familiar with your work, please share your name and a bit of your professional background.
Michael Moreci: I’m Michael Moreci, comics author and novelist. My comics include The Plot, Wasted Space, Curse, and Star Wars; my novels include Black Star Renegades and its sequel, We Are Mayhem.
CA: What is your favorite genre to work with and why?
MM: I like to work in a variety of genres. Horror might be my favorite, but I also love–can I call Star Wars a genre? I’m going to call Star Wars a genre. And I also love to write for younger readers–hence Hexagon.
CA: What attracted you to working with Impact Theory Comics?
MM: I’m kind of an outsider, in some ways, in the comics industry. Where most people are just kinda happy letting things continue as they are and have been for like five decades, I see a lot of room for evolution and growth. Tom is a person who shares this vision–in fact, his is much more articulated and sharper than mine. But we see a lot of the same things, and we share the same interests and storytelling philosophies, so we’ve become a great fit. It’s impossible to place enough value on this kind of relationship; it’s really rare.
CA: How did the concept for Hexagon come to you? How did you connect with Tom Bilyeu and Don Diablo?
MM: I met Tom at ECCC last year, and we really hit off. He’s such a great and inspiring guy. He’d known my work, and he saw me as a good fit for writing the kinds of stories that he and his company, Impact Theory, are striving to tell. He presented me with a bunch of ideas, and Hexagon was the one that really spoke to me. It’s such a fresh and familiar concept, and it hit me right in my Star Wars/Last Starfighter sweet spot. After a few discussions with Tom where we shared our vision on how to execute this idea–which originates from Don–we knew we were a good match, and we were off the ground running.
CA: What was it about this story that made you sign on to the project?
MM: Well, in addition to being like things I love–Star Wars, Last Starfighter–I loved the heart of the story. I want to tell stories that are about things that are important to me, that are meaningful to me, and at the heart of Hexagon is a story about family. Plus, I want to tell more stories that are specifically for young readers. Meaning stories focused on kids with real kid problems. Not adult stuff watered down. And Hexagon is allowing me to do that in a major way.
CA: What was your process like for developing the story with Don Diablo?
MM: Don’s a creative force, so it’s but nothing short of amazing being able to feed off his energy and passion. Our collaboration has been a true marketplace of ideas, and we’re having a great time bringing out enthusiasm and love for this story to the table.
CA: My understanding is that there are somewhat autobiographical elements in the story from his perspective. Did that help or hinder your approach to expanding the world?
MM: Not at all, no. Don was an open book about his life, especially his adolescence, and that really helped bring the emotional core of the story into focus.
CA: Knowing that characters can be dynamic and that they tend to evolve over time, what character changed during the process of building the narrative in a way that you may not have anticipated earlier on?
MM: There’s a character, Flora, who really evolved over time–once I discovered her motivations, she became infinitely more complex, dynamic, and interesting to me. I hadn’t anticipated her having such a robust role in the story, but I’m glad she grew into that role.
CA: If you can share without giving anything away, what character’s arc do you feel might end up surprising readers the most?
MM: Don’s, for sure. Seeing him go on his very emotional hero’s journey, to me, is powerful and inspiring. And his character goes to some really interesting, unexpected places, and I’m confident readers are going to feel themselves beside him the entire journey.
CA: Was Hexagon planned as a self-contained series, or will it be ongoing?
MM: It’s planned on being a story with a beginning, middle, and end. All clearly defined. But! Hexagon presents a big universe. There’s always a chance for more…
CA: Have you considered taking on any other projects with Impact Theory?
MM: Absolutely! We may be in talks for more already…
CA: Have you discussed having any of your projects adapted to film or television?
MM: Yeah, those discussions are kind of always happening in one way or another. You can’t pay it much mind.
CA: If so, which project stands out to you as the one you’d be most interested in making?
MM: Whichever pays the most.
Kidding (or am I?). I’d love to see The Plot or Wasted Space on the screen. They’re wildly different, but I think both would make for great adaptations.
CA: Is that a process you would insist on undertaking personally or would you prefer to collaborate?
MM: Well, collaboration is always a must, no matter what. But I’d want some kind of role, for sure.
CA: With the popularity of properties like Stranger Things feeding a seemingly insatiable fixation with mining and exploiting our collective nostalgia, do you think we’re approaching a point of saturation, where those sentimental associations will begin to diminish?
MM: No, not at all. I mean, if you’re being nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake, that’s one thing. But there’s nothing wrong with placing stories in different points of time and utilizing the look and feel of that time. The ’80s was an important time for a lot of us writing today, same way there’s a ton of books that take place in the ’60s written 20, 30 years ago. As long as you’re telling a unique story that, at its core, is timeless, you can’t go wrong.
CA: How many concurrent projects are you working on?
MM: Right now, I’m working on about five, in varying stages. Though that doesn’t count projects that are in nascent stages of development.
CA: Which are the most challenging for you to write and why?
MM: I’d say more horror series The Plot. It’s the most personal and most emotional, and writing takes a lot out of me.
CA: I know your experience is extensive, but what kind of project would you love to work on that maybe you haven’t had a chance to dive into yet?
MM: There really isn’t much in terms of “I need to write X character before I die.” That’s not me. There’s a ton of creative ground I’d like to break in my own work–telling new stories, writing more novels, getting to a screenplay–and that’s where my focus lies.
CA: Finally, just to wrap up, as a kind of personal touch for our audience:
What are you reading?
MM: I’m just about to start The Living Dead, the George Romero novel that Daniel Kraus completed.
CA: What are you watching?
MM: The Outsider an HBO–it’s the adaptation of the King novel.
CA: What are you listening to?MM: Speaking of King, I recently purchased the original IT score on vinyl, and it’s awesome. I’m loving that.
As always, we at comicattack.net would like to thank Michael Moreci for taking the time to answer our questions and share some of his insights with our audience. In addition to Hexagon, his current projects include Wasted Space the Plot for Vault Comics. If you’d like more information about Hexagon, you can read my spoiler-free review here. Hexagon #1 is available via Impact Theory Comics or at your local retailer today.
Christian Davenport
cable201@comicttack.net
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